Gladys rolled her eyes and fanned her hands at Margaret.

“And what’s it for? So he can whisper sweet nothings in my ear just like they do in the novels?”

“You said it, not I,” teased Margaret. “But returning to Dottie, if she says yes, it will be for love. I’m certain of it. Just a different variety. A George love.”

George stirred and sat up and Margaret hoped he hadn’t heard them talking. He stretched his arms out and yawned. His glasses sat askew on his head and he pulled them down.

“Hey, Glads.”

“Hey, George. Thanks for calling in the note. No doubt the building inhabitants will want their pound of flesh from me, waking them up as you did. I understand that you were quite persistent.”

“Any time,” he said, ignoring her hyperbole.

“I hear you—”

Before Gladys could finish her sentence, a nurse came out and walked over to George.

“Congratulations! You have a baby girl. And you can come and see your wife now.”

*  *  *

Dearest William,

Things have been a whirlwind in the last few weeks. Dottie had her baby—a sweet little girl named Joanna Margaret. Isn’t that just beautiful? I am moved by how they incorporated John’s name into hers. It was George’s idea. Dottie had considered Rebecca—Beck for short—but I think Joanna is exactly the right name.

A nurse mistook George for Dottie’s husband, but he came back from seeing her a happily engaged man. I wouldn’t have thought a hospital room had an ounce of romantic air in it, certainly not enough for a proposal, but it turns out that Dottie was more smitten with him than she’d let on to any of us. She just hadn’t wanted to hurt me with that admission.

Oh, the secrets we keep. If only we let our feelings be known, especially to our best friends.

Dottie didn’t proffer how he’d gone about it and I didn’t ask. I guess if they are to be married, they are allowed some of those privacies.

The wedding is set for early July—almost a year exactly when she would have married John—and then they will baptize Joanna and give her George’s last name of Preston. My parents took the news surprisingly well, considering the pall that has laid upon our house for the past few months. But I think the excitement of a grandchild quelled any shock at seeing Dottie with someone other than their son. Dottie’s parents have not yet been to see them but have written that they will do so now that they have plans to “make things right with the Church.” So—St. Charles Borromeo will see plenty of us in the next few weeks. As always, I’ll be sure to tell you about everything that happens.