Emotion burned in Grace’s throat. This young man who was so tenderhearted and kind, who still carried elements of his adolescence with his naive sweetness, displayed such bravery.

She couldn’t imagine the townhouse without him any more than she could imagine Mrs. Weatherford existing without her son. Not when she doted on him with such adoration or how she watched him with eyes that shone with pride and love.

Mrs. Weatherford’s chin trembled. She pressed her lips together, but it didn’t stop, nor did the rapid blinking of her eyes. “Do excuse me,” she choked out. “I...” She quickly fled up the stairs.

Her bedroom door on the second level clicked shut a moment later and a wail cut through the silence, sharp with raw pain.

Colin lowered his head, hiding his expression.

Grace put a hand to the soft cotton of his sleeve. “Go to her. I’ll put a fresh kettle on.”

He nodded without looking at her and went up the stairs with slow, heavy steps as Grace led Viv back into the kitchen. As soon as they were alone, Grace pressed her hands to her chest where a dull ache had begun.

Colin. At war.

First George. Now Colin.

Would all the men in London be gone soon?

She looked to Viv and the weight of sorrow settled over her. Viv would soon leave too.

As if hearing her thoughts, Viv shook her head emphatically, sending her red curls bobbing around her face. “I shouldn’t have said what I did, Grace.” She sucked in a hard inhale. “I won’t join the ATS. Not with Colin gone.”

Viv’s arms wrapped around her and the sweet floral perfume of Viv’s latest scent It’s You joined their embrace.

“I won’t leave,” Viv promised. “Mrs. Weatherford will need us both now.”

Grace nodded against her friend’s shoulder, grateful to not lose Viv along with George and Colin. Truly, it would be too much to bear.

In the following days, Colin remained busy in his efforts to ensure the house was up to snuff before his departure. He immediately gave notice at his job at Pet Kingdom and spent his time fixing every creaking stair and squeaking hinge. He’d even gone so far as to show Grace and Viv how to perform minor repairs in his absence in case a faucet leaked, or a knob came loose.

Grace returned to the townhouse one day to find him crouched beside a window in the parlor, painstakingly applying scrim in an artful pattern to ensure any potential bomb blasts might keep the glass from shattering. Not that there appeared to be much likelihood of bombs anymore.