Teddi stared out of the window as she lay in bed that night. Frank Jessup. He was a snake. She'd always known it. The idea of him being back around made breathing a little more difficult. Not to mention, the way he looked at her was completely unnerving. An arm pulled her close and a nose nuzzled her neck. She sighed and looked over her shoulder at her sleeping husband. Husband. Calvin was her husband.

Only a few days ago she had been a shut-in pining for the boy she loved, feeling as much like a child as ever—no matter how much she protested to her grandmother that she was not. And now she was married. Soon, she would be locked up in her childhood home once again, waiting for the man she loved. But this time it would be different. She would be Mrs. Wynne. Not little girl Donovan. That was something her grandmother couldn't change. Not that she particularly wanted to. Sometimes Teddi felt like she was fighting with herself more than she was with her grandmother, fighting to be the grown-up person waiting for her out there. A stirring inside her knew that she needed Calvin to help her get there. Maybe all along that was what she had been doing. Waiting for him to grow up with her. But now, with the war and him leaving so soon, they were going to have to grow up apart. She didn't want that. It hurt her to think about it. Their honeymoon was a one of convenience. So quick and so fast. But it was their duty, right? Their duty to the country. Somehow, the idea did little to soothe her.

As the moonlight fluttered into the room and across her husband's face, she decided that they would make every moment count until his leave was over. No more thinking about Frank Jessup. His appearance was strange to be sure, but she would talk it over with Liza or maybe even her grandmother later. Or maybe she wouldn't have to bring it up. Gossip spread around Brookhurst faster than that old storm that had once flooded it. Teddi would know exactly why Frank Jessup was in town whether she wanted to or not.

As Calvin's leave came to a close, Teddi thought she did an excellent job of quelling her emotional state. But when it came time for him to leave, she didn't seem to be able to let go of the lapel of his uniform as they stood in the middle of the train station. "It'll be okay," he'd said. "I'll be okay." The tears slipped over her cheeks, then he kissed her for as long as he could before he had to go. The people of Brookhurst gave them the usual looks as they pried themselves from one another's arms. "Stop starin' at my wife, Lookie Louise," he'd said to a particularly obnoxious woman Teddi recognized from church. He kissed her one more time. And then he was gone, and it was only her.

***

"Back home to take care of his sick mother," said Samantha, standing in the middle of Mrs. Hobbes' Hat Store. "Of course, you would have known all this sooner had you not been off gallivanting with that sailor of yours."

"I wouldn't exactly call going on our honeymoon 'gallivanting,' Samantha." Teddi picked up a blue hat with a lacy trim and pretended to examine it. Sick mother? Frank Jessup did not strike her as the type to play nursemaid.

Samantha tried on a yellow hat, looked in the mirror, frowned, and then put it back on its hook. "Well," she said, turning back to Teddi, "certainly, I don't think Frank Jessup is the most congenial person in the world, but I must say he is rather good looking. I just never understood what he saw in your sister. Guess he prefers girls with wild hair and wide hips."

Teddi's jaw slackened. "I can't believe you just said that."

"I'm sorry, I suppose, but it is true. Anyway, his father brought him around to dinner the other day to introduce us formally, but I told him I was taken."

"Well, that is noble of you, Samantha. Staying true to Ben."

"I would never dishonor Ben," she said, keeping her air about her, but somehow Teddi knew every word of it was true.

"You know, Samantha, sometimes you really do surprise me."

Samantha shrugged. "It's been known to happen. Well, time to fly. Bye, Teddi." She left Teddi standing in the middle of the small store even more curious. At least curiosity would keep her mind partially off missing Calvin. Damn stubborn man guilted her into agreeing to stay with her grandmother instead of keeping the apartment open so he wouldn't worry. Oh, did she miss him.

Lost in thoughts that she did not want to be having, she was caught off guard by the slim, long-nosed woman who owned the dress store, who had apparently come from the back room while Teddi hadn't been looking.

"Theodora, dear, looking as beautiful as ever. Would you like to buy a hat today?"

"Oh, no, Mrs. Hobbes, I was just looking."

The woman clasped her hands together and gave her a pleasant smile. "I heard you were married recently."

"Yes," Teddi answered, a little uncomfortably.

"To Calvin Wynne, is it not?"

"Yes."

"Well, I don't care what they say around here about him. I think he's got to be a fine boy if he managed to get into your good graces. Even your grandmother won't hear a bad word about him. Yes, he must be a fine boy then, and you must be very proud, what with him serving and all."

"Yes, I am. If you'll excuse me, I have a few things I need to pick up before it gets dark." And no more time to listen to thinly-veiled insults against her husband even if the person speaking them didn't realize they were insulting. Teddi smiled at Mrs. Hobbes. She meant well. Perhaps, she was trying to let go of her prejudice. It felt really good when one really managed to do so, but she knew it wouldn't be that easy for the old guard of Brookhurst, especially when they didn't feel it was in their interest to do so.

"Oh, of course, it was nice seeing you, Theodora. Come back in next week, I'll have a whole new line in the window."

"I will. Thank you."

The cold afternoon grew into an even colder evening as Teddi's heels clicked down Main Street. She stopped in front of the drug store and looked in at the soda fountain. She did not have anything she needed to buy like she had told Mrs. Hobbes, but she certainly did have a craving for some ice cream. Ice cream in the dead of winter. She had to be out of her mind. It was Calvin's fault. To keep from feeling so down, Teddi was sure she would gain fifty pounds before Calvin saw her next. Then he wouldn't want her any more.

She hesitated, glancing up the street toward her house, thinking it might be best to just go home, when she saw Frank Jessup marching down the street. Before she had to think twice, she dipped into the drug store and hid, hoping that he would not be the next patron to walk through its clinking doors.

Luck, of course, had not been on her side lately. She slipped down to the furthest aisle all the way in the back. She heard the bell ring and saw Fox Peterson, the store assistant, emerge from the back office, where the druggist Mr. Moony stayed and rarely emerged. Teddi thought Fox would see her, but he was wearing a frightened frown, looking straight down the middle aisle to the front of the store.

"Heya, Foxy, how's it goin'?" she heard Frank say.

"Someone could be in here," Fox said, his voice low and harsh.

"Aw, no one's here. This place is always dead. Especially when it's cold as all hell outside."

"Well, my boss is here. Do you want to get me fired?"

"Trust me, you won't get fired. Old man's half deaf. Now, here ya are. Surprised you're not satisfied with what the old guy's got back there."

"He counts everything four times before he leaves for the night, five when his back isn't acting up."

"Well, you know the cost. Small potatoes but for a friend."

"Yeah. Next time, can we do this someplace else?" hissed the store assistant.

"Weren't you at that club last week?"

"Shh!"

"So nervous." Frank laughed. "Sheesh. I was going to say, if you're a regular there we can make our transactions there, but I don't want too many people knowin' what's what, you got that?"

"I got it."

"Well, bye-bye, Foxy-boy."

"Yeah."

Teddi heard the door chime again. The druggist's assistant must have heard her come in when the bell rang. She didn't know him very well, but from the sound of it he had just completed an unsavory transaction with Frank Jessup. God knew what he would do if he found her there eavesdropping.

Before she had a chance to think up a plan, the store assistant walked outside. Without knowing what else to do she emerged from the store aisles and sat at the counter and rang the service bell three or four times as loud as she could. This was probably a stupid plan, but if he came back in, she could say that she had come in just behind him, and he'd missed her. It didn't look like he was standing right outside the door anyway. He had to at least be up the street facing in one direction or another. Most likely he was around the corner.

"Is someone there?" an old voice finally said.

"Yes, I'm sorry, sir."

"Where's Fox? That boy."

"I didn't see anyone," lied Teddi. If Fox asked the old druggist about anything, he would tell her that she had not seen him. That might throw him off any suspicion.

"Must have gone out for a smoke around back. That boy's got more vices. Well, what can I get for you, young lady?"

She really shouldn't, but even after all this she was hungry. "Strawberry ice cream if you've got any, please."

"Sorry," the old man said, pushing up his glasses, "only carry chocolate and vanilla in the winter. Not many folks want ice cream this time of year, so I gots to keep the stock low."

"Vanilla then, two scoops. No, make it a pint to take home."

"Well, you sure do like ice cream, don't you, young lady?"

"What can I say? I've got a healthy appetite."

Teddi looked out of the window, while the old man got her ice cream. Still no sign of the assistant. Maybe it was just as the druggist had said; he'd gone around back to have a smoke. It made sense. He was probably attempting to settle his nerves. Or was he using whatever Frank gave him already? She'd heard about things like this. She was no stranger to illegal activity. Her father had after all been up to his neck in illegal alcohol trading when she was younger. But the days of prohibition were long over, and it was obvious that it was not alcohol they were trading.

***

Teddi finished penning a letter to Calvin and walked outside to the mailbox, hoping her uncle was still out—although she couldn't imagine who he could be with, as he had no job to speak of. It could have been Doc Jessup. It could have been anybody, really. He was highly secretive, and having her uncle around had not given Teddi any clues about the past, like she'd hoped.

Her grandmother was in her grandfather's old study, reading as she often did now that more people lived in the house. Her aunt was upstairs asleep as usual. The woman slept more than Teddi these days, and that was saying something considering Teddi was carrying an ever-growing load around her middle. Teddi sighed. Things were going as well as could be expected, considering she had to put up with an over-opinionated middle aged man, his neurotic wife and her fussy grandmother. She found out much to her surprise and momentary dismay that she was having a baby.

It would have been perfect news had Calvin been home, but, of course, he was not. They continued to exchange letters on an almost daily basis. She felt it necessary to keep him up on all that was going on in her life more than ever before. She had to share as much with him as possible and she had not allowed herself to feel excited about the baby until she received his response. Thrilled. Excited. Overjoyed. All words too miniscule to describe the sentiment she felt pouring through the words he wrote to her.

She continued to spend time with Rose Holliday, who was still very much missing her son. A new companion had also firmly planted herself in the Holliday living room, and when spring came around, she was right there beside Teddi and Mrs. Holliday planting tomatoes and onions in their victory garden. Samantha Chatfield had been a soon-to-be Holliday since January, and it seemed to change her in a lot of ways, which made Teddi feel that the world was a scarier place than she realized. It wasn't as if she didn't prefer a less stuck-up Samantha, but if someone as predictable as Samantha could change from the simple experience of spending time with Mrs. Holliday, what would war do to her husband?

Before she had time to think about this any further, her uncle's car tore around the corner, then came to a screeching stop. The large man thrust out of the car and came rushing up the walk.

"What's going on?"

"This does not concern you, little girl," he growled, brushing past her and storming into the house. Seconds later, he reappeared. "Get inside right now."

"No. I won't get inside. You can't give me orders."

He was furious, but not at her. He wasn't even looking at her. "Do what you want then. Just stay out of my way."

"Wait," she said, grabbing on to his coat lapel. "Are we in some kind of danger?"

He laughed. "You wouldn't know danger if it came up and bit you on the—well, don't worry your little head about anything. Like I said this doesn't concern you. I just thought you should keep your grandmother company some time. She does feed and clothe you after all. It's the least you could do," he finished gruffly, pushing past her and heading back to his car. "Have dinner ready. Gertrude's got the night off again. Damn woman has more vacation days than I do."

Teddi rolled her eyes. She didn't bother to remind him that their maid had two jobs. She watched him screech away almost as quickly as he came. Teddi felt like stomping her foot, and she might have had she not felt so puffy and bloated. He was infuriating. As much as Teddi wanted to defy her uncle's orders, she climbed the porch steps and went back inside. "Grandmother!" One of them was going to have to go sooner or later.