“Are we supposed to get off here? What are we supposed to do?” Josephine stood, then sat, and then stood again.

“First, I suggest you sit down. If you’re standing when we stop you’ll become unbalanced.”

“Oh. Thank you.” Josephine sat down. “Should we prepare to get off?”

“No. If this was our stop, someone would’ve told us by now.” Nora squinted at the sign as they chugged into the station. Philadelphia. Well, she’d been right so far. They were headed south.

More later, dear diary. For now I must sign off with a promise to write as often as I can.

All my best, dearest diary.

Nora

CHAPTER FIVE

Mary finished packing the basket she and her mother had prepared. She still hadn’t seen Phyllis since that awful day. When she’d called to check, Phyllis told her that she wouldn’t be walking to school with her for the remainder of the school year; she couldn’t leave her mother alone. They weren’t going to hold a funeral until her father’s body was shipped home, and no one seemed able to tell them when that would happen.

Mary found her mother out back hanging the laundry on the line. “I’m going to take the basket over to Phyllis’s house now.”

“Let me see what you’ve got in there.” Mrs. Trask peeked underneath the gingham cloth.

“I’ve got the casseroles and pies we baked, plus I went out and picked some vegetables and fruit from the victory garden.”

“That’s nice. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it. One of the gals at bridge club lost her son at Pearl Harbor. She said the hardest part was a few weeks after she got the news. At first, lots of people came over and they had plenty of support. But after a while, everyone moved on with their lives. She said rattling around the house by herself when there weren’t any distractions was the worst.”

“I can understand that.”

“What I’m trying to say is that I think your timing is good. It’s been a couple of weeks. What you’re doing is very thoughtful. I’m certain Phyllis and her mother will really appreciate it.”

“I’d better get going. I’ll be back for dinner.”

“Be careful.”

“I will.”

Mary cut through the side yard and let herself out through the front gate. She made it to Phyllis’s house in no time flat and knocked on the screen door. A minute later, Phyllis’s mother answered the door.

“Hi, Mrs. Campbell. I came by to see how you and Phyllis were doing.” Mary noted that her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, and several strands of her normally perfectly coiffed hair were out of place.

“Well, isn’t that nice. Thank you, Mary. Come in. I’ll let Phyllis know you’re here.”