“I’m glad you’re here.” Louise picked up the suitcase. “My God. What do you have in this thing, rocks?”

“I wasn’t sure what to pack, so I brought as much as I could fit.”

Louise guided them to where the local bus to Clinton idled in its assigned slot.

Mary groaned. “Not another bus.”

“What with the gas rationing and all, this is the best way to get anywhere. Don’t worry. We’re only about thirty miles away from the boarding house.”

They got settled on the bus and Louise said, “Tell me everything, don’t leave anything out, and start from the beginning.”

Mary laughed. “The beginning of what? In the beginning, God created Heaven and Earth.”

“Not that beginning, smarty pants. Why are you running away? Did you tell your mother you were going? What was her reaction? Do you still have that fella? What was his name…Stanley?”

“Sam. Which question would you like me to answer first?” Mary spent the remainder of the trip filling in Louise on the details of her life for the past two years since her father had gone to war.

“Wow. That’s some story.” They entered the boarding house and mounted several flights of stairs.

“Do you think I did the right thing?” she breathed heavily.

Louise led Mary into her room on the third floor and set the suitcase near the closet. “Well? What do you think?”

Mary took in her surroundings. “It’s nice. Cozy.”

“I know it’s not much, but I don’t need much.”

“No, I meant it. It’s quaint. I like it.” She sat in the rocking chair and kicked off her shoes. “My feet are killing me.”

“I bet.” Louise sat on the side of the bed.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Which question was that?”

“Do you think I did the right thing, turning down Sam’s proposal, quitting Meyer’s, and leaving town?”

“That’s hard for me to say. I wasn’t there, and I’m not you.”

“Oh.”

“From where I sit, I think you were right not to settle for a guy you’re not madly in love with. You’ve got plenty of living to do without rushing into anything. As for quitting a steady job… Normally, I’d have said you’d lost your mind. But because I know what’s available here, I’d say you made a smart choice. We know the job will have a limited life—”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, when the war ends and we win—”

“I like your confidence.”

“When we win, I imagine whatever work we’re doing for the war effort will end too.”

“That makes sense.”

“Even so, we’ll have gained valuable work experience and new skills. New skills and a proven work record make it more likely that we’ll be employable even after our boys come home.”