“No, sir.” Nora left and closed the door behind her. Clearly, she’d done all she could about her living situation. Now it was time to see what this mysterious assignment was really all about.

“Is something wrong? You’ve barely touched your dinner.”

Mary roused herself from her thoughts. “No, Mother. Everything’s fine.” She pushed the green beans around the plate. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“When you agreed to marry Daddy, were you in love with him? I mean crazy, head-over-heels in love?”

Mrs. Trask set down her fork and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “What a question!”

“I know you got married the day after graduation, but what about before that?”

“Your father was the kindest, most considerate boy I knew. He wasn’t a blowhard like some of those boys. He wasn’t pushy or overbearing. He was gentle and understanding.”

“That’s not what I asked. Were you nuts about him? Were you so in love that you couldn’t imagine life without him?”

“Is this about Samuel?”

“Please, Mother. I’ve asked you a question.”

Mrs. Trask gazed out the kitchen window. “I can hardly remember back that far. I was enamored of him, I can tell you that much. Your grandparents thought him an excellent catch. He already knew everything there was to know about trains. Right from the start he wanted to be a conductor, and by golly, he did everything to make that happen. He had drive.”

Mary closed her eyes. “That’s not about love. That’s about whether or not he could provide for you. I’m asking specifically about love.”

“Love is fleeting, Mary Elizabeth. Kindness, consideration, and respect—these are the things that sustain a marriage.”

There’s your answer. “I’ll do the dishes, Mother. Then I’m going out for a little while. I won’t be late.”

“You worked all day. I’ll take care of the kitchen. You go on ahead.”

“Thank you.” Mary kissed her mother on the temple, a rare display of affection. Then again, her mother had, however indirectly and unwittingly, helped her reach a momentous decision.

When she arrived at the park, Sam was sitting on their favorite bench, waiting for her.

“Hi.” He stood. “I brought these back for you.” He handed her the roses, looking a tad more wilted than they had several hours ago. “And the blanket, I brought that for you too.”

“Thank you. That was very thoughtful.” She sat down and he followed suit.

“How’s your mother?”

“She’s fine, thank you.”

“Any more word from your dad?”

“No.”

“I’m sure he’s fine.”

“How’s business?”

“Booming. We had to hire someone to work second shift.”

“That’s great.” She was fresh out of small talk. “I… I know this has been hard on you. You asked me a question, offered me a ring, and you deserve an answer.”