“I’m sorry, but she’s not here.”
I wince, stricken with the realization, “Today is a school day. How could I have forgotten that?” To myself I mutter, “How am I going to say goodbye?”
Silence on the other end of the line, and then, “Actually, May stayed out of school today. She wasn’t feeling well.”
“Good! I mean, I’m sorry to hear that. Excuse me, but then where is she?” I pause, horrified. “She’s not in the hospital!”
“She took a bike ride.”
“A bike ride?” I frown, more confused than ever. “I see. Okay, thank you. Would you happen to know where?”
“I do not.”
“When she’s coming back?”
“That I’m not sure of either.”
Rubbing my face, I turn to the wall, voice earnest. “Mrs. Kearns, is she there and not taking my phone call? I’ll drive right over.”
I hear a frustrated sigh and then, “Jerald, I can honestly say that right now I wish she were here. But unfortunately that is not the case. I do not know her whereabouts. Trust me when I tell you that if I did, I would share the information. But as it stands… well I just don’t know what to do! Why don’t you go find her!”
I blink at the meaning behind her words. It seems she’s giving her permission. “Thank you ma’am. Thank you!”
Hanging up, I make my way through the crowd. “Excuse me. Excuse me! Pops! Where are you?”
“Here, Jerald! What’s the matter?” I find him sitting in the drawing room with his second cousin twice removed, and her husband.
“Can I borrow your car?”
“After what you did to my Lincoln yesterday, I should say not!” He rises and stamps his cigar in an ashtray. “We need that car to get you to the airport!”
“Not yet.”
“What do you mean, not yet?” He pulls his pocket watch from a small compartment inside his suit. “By golly, we do! This is not a flight you want to miss.”
“I know that, sir, but I need to find May.”
He stares at me. “Isn’t she in school?”
“No, and I didn’t get to say a proper goodbye to her yesterday. What with the dinner last night, then packing, and today this party before I even got the sleep out of my eyes, my head got scrambled. I thought I had more time. I have to find her!”
Hank strolls in, “Say Jerald, much as I hate to say it, I believe we better go.”
“That’s what I told him, but your brother wants to find that girl and say goodbye to her.”
“Why don’t you just give her a call?”
Frustrated, I head for my room and call back. “I’ll get my suitcase! Hank, you find Ma. Pop, start the car!”
Jumping the stairs two at a time, I hear my brother shouting for her. Good thing I packed last night. If the Navy has taught me one thing, it’s discipline.
I practically fly down the stairs, feet not touching the last two. “Operator? Operator! Put me through to the Kearns residence again, please! Mrs. Kearns? It’s Jerald again! What are May’s favorite places to go?”
26
MAY
A ruckus makes me look up from the page.
From where I sit, tall bookshelves block my view of the librarians desk, and also the front door.
It’s why I like this nook.
But there’s a special kind of silence you can’t find outside of a library, and running shoes plus urgent voices don’t suit.
“You can’t run in here!”
“Excuse me, have you seen a pretty girl with blonde hair come in? About yay high?”
My heart leaps, but my feet are moving like they’re stuck in molasses.
It’s him!
“Do you mean May?”
“Yes! May! May, it’s me! Where are you?!”
“No shouting allowed!”
The sight of Jerald running in his Navy blues dress uniform, white cap and all, undoes me as I step into view. “May! There you are!!”
He slides on his knees, coming to a full stop in front of me. “May, will you wait for me?”
With happiness I laugh, “Nice trick.”
“You like that?” He rises and takes my face in his hands. “Will you wait for me? And write to me?”
“Yes yes yes!”
The librarian gasps as he kisses me. It’s quick, but passionate, my breath stolen from me before he buries his face in my hair and we embrace as he whispers, “I’m so glad I found you. They’re waiting outside. I have to go.”
Taking my hand, we run out. I shout to the librarian, “I need to check out this book!” and toss it on her desk as we pass. It slides and she catches it before it falls off, her eyes wide.
The Cocker family waits in a car I don’t recognize. Jerald smiles, “Our convertible is still drying out!”
“Hi May!” Hank waves.
His father says from the passenger seat, “We really must be going!”
“It’s nice to see you May,” Mrs. Cocker says from behind the wheel, to hurry us more politely, “Give my regards to your family, will you?”
I laugh, and wave to them before looking up at his handsome face. “Where do I send your letters?”
“Hank’ll show you.” He runs a hand down my cheek, gazing into my eyes. “Did you look up the word effusive?”
“You showed me what it meant, with your mother’s compliments!”
“Doesn’t count.”
“I forgot.”
“Next time we see each other, that answer had better be different.” He kisses me, just a soft pressing of our lips together before he tips his sailor’s hat and strolls to the car.
I call out, my voice cracking, “Jerald!”
Turning around he smiles, “Yeah?”
“Give him hell!!!”
He winks, “Come on now, May, Language!”
I walk to the edge of the sidewalk and watch until their car becomes a speck and disappears.
Riding home, it doesn’t occur to me that I left the book with the librarian because all I can think of is…
He found me.
27
MAY
DECEMBER 1944
T he school bell unleashes nearly four-hundred girls, grades seventh through twelfth.
The four of us walk down the hall, comfortably holding our books on our hips, except Sable
