Mercer Street (American Journey Book 2)

by John A. Heldt

  Jack withdrew his hand and wiped a single tear from his cheek.

  "Is this it then?"

  Susan nodded. She reached into a pocket, pulled out a velvet box, and handed the box and the ring to a man she would never forget. She leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips.

  "Goodbye, Jack Hicks. Remember me always."

  Susan got up from the bench, took one last look at the broken-hearted admiral, and then walked away. She walked slowly and then rapidly across the campus toward a quiet street, a nondescript building, and an unlikely appointment with a man she had never met.

  She had made The Decision. The question now was whether she could live with it.

  CHAPTER 82: ELIZABETH

  Saturday, September 9, 1939

  The long goodbye began with a barbecue in back and progressed through the house toward the front. Erich Wagner wished Amanda good luck with her future endeavors. Dot Gale hugged Lizzie. Ella Wagner asked Susan to write when she returned to Chicago.

  Elizabeth didn't even pretend that she would ever see her neighbors again. She knew that she wouldn't and didn't want to say anything that might leave a false impression.

  That didn't make the parting any less difficult. There was no easy way to say a final so long to your parents or to an adorable child who had added at least ten years to your life.

  Elizabeth stepped past Erich and Roy Maine, who conversed in the living room, and followed Ella out the front door of the rental. The old woman sensed, correctly, that Ella wanted to speak privately before crossing Mercer Street and returning to her home.

  "I gather you want to say something," Elizabeth said.

  "I do. I want to ask about Susan," Ella replied. "How is she doing?"

  Elizabeth guided Ella away from the house. They walked across the front yard until they reached a shady spot under an oak tree that lent itself to private conversations.

  "She's not doing well," Elizabeth said.

  "I suspected as much."

  "How much do you know about yesterday?"

  "I know a little," Ella said. "Amanda told me that Susan met with Admiral Hicks and turned down his proposal of marriage. She said they parted for the last time."

  "Then you know plenty," Elizabeth said.

  "Why did she turn him down?"

  "She did for reasons she has decided not to share."

  Elizabeth tried to mask her lie. She knew damn well why Susan had spurned the finest man she had ever known, but she saw nothing to gain by sharing it now. She wanted a clean exit from a time, a place, and a family that would do just fine without her.

  "It is such a shame," Ella said. "They seemed like a perfect couple."

  "I agree."

  Elizabeth turned her head when Susan, Erich, and Lizzie emerged from the house. She watched Susan maintain a happy face as she talked to her future grandfather and a toddler mother she had come to adore. Elizabeth wallowed in pleasant thoughts until Ella restarted their conversation.

  "What is next for your family?" Ella asked.

  Elizabeth sighed.

  "We pack our bags tonight. We depart tomorrow."

  "Are you still taking the train?"

  "We are," Elizabeth said. "It leaves at two."

  "When will you arrive?"

  "We should get to Chicago by Tuesday."

  "Are you sure you don't want to take your car?" Ella asked.

  "I'm sure."

  "Are you sure you don't want to keep your car?"

  "I'm positive."

  "We could sell it for you and send you the money."

  "We don't need the money," Elizabeth said. "You and Erich, on the other hand, will someday need a larger car. We want you to have it. Please think of it as a going-away present."

  Ella laughed.

  "You are the one who is going away."

  Elizabeth smiled.

  "Don't complicate this by reminding me of the rules of etiquette."

  Ella laughed again.

  "OK. I won't," Ella said. She smiled. "I will miss you."

  "I'll miss you too."

  The two women embraced. They separated just as Erich said goodbye to Susan and carried Lizzie to the tree on the edge of the lawn.

  "Are you two hiding from me?" Erich asked.

  "No," Ella said. "We are just discussing matters that don't require your input."

  Erich laughed.

  "Then I see I was wise to keep my distance."

  Elizabeth acknowledged Erich's light comment with a nod and then smiled at the brightest star in the galaxy. Lizzie had lost none of her luster during the course of the evening.

  "Do you mind if I hold her one more time?" Elizabeth asked.

  "Of course not," Erich said.

  Elizabeth held out her arms as Erich lifted Lizzie from his shoulders. She took the child from her father, gave her a hug, and then held her out so she could see her face.

  "It looks like this is it, Little One."

  "Nana," Lizzie said.

  Elizabeth stared at Ella.

  "Did she just say what I thought she said?"

  "She did," Ella replied. "She has been saying it all week."

  Elizabeth embraced the child again and held her close as tears rolled down her cheeks. For the first time in days, she seriously considered staying in Princeton.

  "This is hard," Elizabeth said. She sighed and wiped her eyes. "This is much harder than I thought it would be."

  Ella stepped forward and placed a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. Like the seventy-nine-year-old holding her daughter, she fought a losing battle with watery eyes.

  "It is hard because you love her," Ella said.

  "I do," Elizabeth replied. "I do."

  "She loves you as well. Sometimes I think she loves you more than she loves me."

  "I doubt that."

  "I don't," Ella said. She withdrew her hand and stepped back. "You two share something special. I cannot explain it, but I can see it. You have a bond that is as real and as strong as any between a mother and a child."

  Elizabeth nodded at Ella and then returned her attention to a little girl who smiled, giggled, and reached out to touch her nose like it was the most interesting thing in town. She would miss seeing herself discover the world at this tender age. She would miss a lot of things.

  "Thank you," Elizabeth said to Ella. "Thank you for sharing this wonderful child with me. You have both made an old woman very happy."

  "You're welcome," Ella said.

  Elizabeth hugged Lizzie one last time. She held her closely for nearly a minute, kissed her forehead, and then reluctantly returned her to her mother. She gazed at the child for another moment, waved to her, and then turned to the man who was her father.

  "Goodbye," Elizabeth said. She gave Erich a hug. "Take care of yourself."

  "I will," Erich said.

  "Take care of your wife and child too. I will know if you don't."

  Erich chuckled.

  "I suspect that you will," Erich said. "Take care of yourself as well."

  "I will. I will for my own sake," Elizabeth said. She laughed. "The last thing I want to do is see the inside of another hospital anytime soon."

  "Will we see you again?" Ella asked.

  Elizabeth smiled as she thought of all the ways she could answer the question. She looked away for a moment, pondered a reply, and then returned to her mother.

  "You will. That is one thing I can promise."

  "That's good," Ella said. "I want to see you again."

  Elizabeth gazed a final time at the Wagner family, took a mental snapshot, and stored it away in her mind. She did not want to forget this moment.

  "I have something to give you before you go," Elizabeth said.

  "Oh? What?" Ella asked.

  "I guess you could call it my going-away present for Lizzie."

  Elizabeth reached into her dress pocket and pulled out an unsealed envelope. She waved it in front of Lizzie like a lottery ticket, waited for her to squeal, and then handed it t
o Erich.

  "What is this?" Erich asked.

  "Open it."

  Erich did as requested. He reached into the envelope and pulled out several black-and-white photographs from Lizzie's birthday party and a one-hundred-dollar bill.

  "These are lovely photos," Erich said.

  "I thought you would like them," Elizabeth replied.

  "What is the money for?"

  "The money is for Lizzie. I want you to open a new savings account for her on Monday and not spend a dime until she is at least twelve years old."

  "OK."

  "I want you to wait until she is twelve because by that time she will have developed her own interests and preferences. She will know who she is."

  "I see," Erich said. "So you want Lizzie to decide how the money is spent?"

  Elizabeth nodded.

  "I do. Tell her that her Nana Elizabeth once left her some money because she recognized her potential at an early age."

  "All right. I will do that."

  Elizabeth paused to catch her breath.

  "Let her play tennis, Erich. Let her play golf," Elizabeth said. "Let her be the tuba player we know she can be."

  "I will," Erich said.

  Elizabeth looked at Erich's wife.

  "Ella?"

  "I will too. I promise," Ella said. She wiped a tear and laughed. "Do you have any more sage advice for two imperfect and inexperienced parents?"

  Elizabeth smiled.

  "As a matter of fact, I do."

  "And what is that?" Ella asked.

  Elizabeth sighed.

  "Always love your daughter. No matter what Lizzie says or does as a child or as a woman, love her and support her as much as you do now. She will do things that will make you sad and angry and crazy, but don't think it's because she doesn't love you. She does. She does."

  "Thank you," Ella said. She smiled. "Thank you for your kindness and wisdom."

  Elizabeth nodded but did not speak right away. She instead gazed lovingly at her mother until the sound of a passing car snapped her out of a daydream.

  "I guess this is it," Elizabeth finally said.

  "I guess it is," Ella replied.

  Elizabeth reached out, put her hand on Lizzie's cheek, and kept it there until the girl smiled. She withdrew her hand, stepped back, and blew the toddler a kiss. She laughed when the child responded in kind. She waved to Lizzie with her fingers and then looked at her parents.

  "It has been a pleasure to know you," Elizabeth said. "I love you all."

  Elizabeth forced a smile for the neighbors' consumption, took a deep breath, and then turned around. She reentered the house, walked straight to her room, and fell on her bed. She waited only long enough to take stock of what she had done and then had the cry of a lifetime.

  CHAPTER 83: AMANDA

  Amanda grabbed a soda from the refrigerator and walked across the kitchen toward a door that led to the backyard. She stopped when she saw someone race through the hallway and vanish inside Elizabeth Campbell's bedroom.

  "Grandma?"

  Amanda waited for a reply. When she didn't get one, she walked slowly to the bedroom door, pressed her ear against the thin wooden barrier, and listened for something that might explain why Elizabeth had run into her room. She winced when she heard sobs.

  "Grandma? Are you all right?"

  "I'm fine," Elizabeth said. "I just need time alone."

  "Are you sure?" Amanda asked.

  "I'm sure."

  Amanda resisted the temptation to open the door and returned to the kitchen. She knew that her grandmother was upset and knew why. She didn't need a doctorate in psychology to know that she was mourning the loss of some very special friends.

  She could relate and knew her mother could relate as well. She had been the first to comfort Susan Peterson after she had come home and announced that she would not marry Jack Hicks.

  Amanda exited the kitchen, descended three steps, and walked into the backyard. She expected to find two people standing near a folding table and a barbecue grill but found only the table and the grill. Roy Maine and Dorothy Gale Maine had disappeared.

  Amanda called out to her friends. She heard crickets reply. Then she heard a laugh emanate from the front of the rental and decided to follow it. She walked around the side of the house and then around the front until she ran into her party of two.

  "There you are," Amanda said. "Where did you go?"

  "We walked to the front yard," Dot said.

  Amanda looked at Roy.

  "How do you put up with her?"

  "I drink a lot," Roy said.

  Amanda laughed.

  "You sound like a newlywed."

  Amanda handed Roy the soda bottle.

  "Here's your cola, Roy. There are more in the fridge if you want them."

  "I think this will do," Roy said. "Thanks."

  "You're welcome."

  Amanda watched with sadness as Erich, Ella, and Lizzie walked across the street. She waved to them when they reached the front door and turned around.

  "It looks like the party is breaking up," Dot said.

  Amanda sighed.

  "The party broke up days ago."

  "What do you mean?" Dot asked.

  "I mean we've been saying goodbye to people for more than a week," Amanda said. "Dinner tonight was sort of a curtain call."

  Amanda and Dot exchanged knowing frowns. Each turned toward the rental when the front door closed. Susan had stepped inside the house.

  "How is your mom doing?" Dot asked. "She seems really depressed."

  "She is. She hasn't been the same since yesterday."

  "I still don't get why she dumped the admiral."

  "It's complicated," Amanda said. "It's very complicated."

  "It must be."

  Amanda didn't even consider explaining the situation. She didn't understand it. She had been as surprised as anyone when her mother had come home, in tears, on Friday afternoon and announced that she was leaving Jack Hicks for good.

  "What about you and Kurt?" Dot asked.

  "What about us?"

  "Are you really finished?"

  Amanda nodded.

  "We're really finished."

  Dot frowned.

  "He must have done something truly awful."

  "Let's talk about something else," Amanda said. "Let's talk about your trip. Are you two still planning to get your kicks on Route 66?"

  Dot smiled.

  "Can you repeat that in English?"

  "Never mind," Amanda said. "I'm just thinking of a song that hasn't been recorded yet."

  "You're acting strangely again."

  "That's why you like me."

  "It is!" Dot said.

  Amanda laughed.

  "Let me rephrase my question. Are you and this handsome lieutenant planning to drive on the stretch of asphalt that connects Chicago and Los Angeles?"

  "We are," Dot said. "I'm so excited too. I've heard so much about it."

  "When are you leaving?" Amanda asked.

  "That depends," Roy said. He chuckled. "If Dot doesn't fix her hair in the morning, we'll leave at six. If she does, we'll leave next Friday."

  Dot elbowed Roy in the side.

  "You're not being helpful."

  "You two are hilarious," Amanda said. "You've been married eleven weeks and yet you act like you've been married eleven years."

  "Bickering is a sign of a healthy relationship," Dot said smugly.

  "Did you read that in Vogue?"

  "No. I read it on a restroom wall."

  Amanda laughed.

  "Then you can take it as gospel."

  Dot lifted her nose.

  "I will."

  Amanda gazed at her friends.

  "What will you do when you get to Los Angeles?"

  Dot sighed.

  "We're going to pack."

  "You're going to what?" Amanda asked.

  "We're going to pack our bags. Roy has new orders. He received them yesterday. He'
s been reassigned to Hickam Field," Dot said. She grinned. "We're moving to Hawaii in October."

  Amanda's eyes lit up.

  "Oh, Dot, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you."

  "I'm happy for me too."

  Both women laughed.

  "What will you do there, Roy?" Amanda asked.

  "I'll train pilots," Roy said. "I'll train pilots and shuffle papers."

  "That's great. Congratulations on your assignment."

  "Thank you."

  Amanda looked at Dot.

  "What about you? What will you do besides lie on the beach?"

  Dot smiled softly.

  "I'm glad you asked. I have new orders too."

  Dot patted her stomach.

  "Are you putting me on?" Amanda asked.

  Dot beamed.

  "No. I'm not. I'm serious for once. I'm due in March."

  Amanda hugged her friend.

  "No wonder you've been smiling all night. You two are going to have a great time," Amanda said. She sighed. "You're going to have a great life."

  "I hope so," Dot said.

  "This makes my week."

  "I thought it might."

  "We should go out and celebrate," Amanda said.

  "We should, but I think I'll pass tonight," Dot said. "Roy wasn't kidding about the trip. We really do plan to leave at six in the morning."

  "I understand."

  "I know. We can celebrate in Chicago. Doesn't your train leave tomorrow?"

  "It does," Amanda said.

  Dot tilted her head.

  "Then why are you frowning?"

  Amanda sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was explain why she couldn't reunite with her best friend in her hometown in a few days.

  "I'm frowning because we're not going to Chicago."

  "You're not?" Dot asked. "I thought you lived there."

  "I used to live there. I lived there for many years."

  "I don't understand. Where are you going then?"

  "I'm going to a place that's a really long ways away," Amanda said.

  "You're not going to tell me, are you?" Dot asked.

  Amanda shook her head as her eyes started to water.

  "No."

  Dot sank.

  "I'm not going to see you again, am I?"

  Amanda shook her head a second time. She wiped a tear.