I stop short from explaining my mother’s plight, because I feel I dominated the conversation too much already.
Jerald doesn’t seem to mind.
He’s staring at me intently as if he’s interested in what I have to say.
I offer a smile and fold my hands onto my lap. “That’s why I hadn’t noticed your brother.”
It takes him a moment to speak, during which I feel my body get warm by how he’s watching me. As if he knows that, he smiles and licks his lips to offer, “There are two churches we attend, so it’s even less likely you would’ve run into each other. I just figured after what was said in there…”
“Two churches? Do your parents practice separate religions?”
Jerald nods, hat spinning slowly with thoughtful fingers. “My Father is Catholic and my Mother is Protestant.”
A small bright green bug lands on my blue dress. I almost swat it away but stop myself just in time. “Oh look! A katydid!”
Jerald leans to see better. “You named the grasshopper already?”
“No silly!” I laugh. “This is a katydid. That’s what it’s called!”
“Looks like a grasshopper to me.”
Touching my finger to my lips, I concentrate on it. “We learned about them — I believe I was only around six or seven. Can’t recall exactly, but I was very young. I see them now and again, but not so often as I’d like. I believe they’re lucky. Are you superstitious?”
“No, I am as grounded as they come.”
“Isn’t she cute?”
He laughs, “A pretty girl who likes bugs. Never thought I’d see the day. You are a rare one.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I blush, pleased.
He points his hat toward the yard. “It flew away.”
Trying to spot it I lean in my chair, squinting into the night. “See? It flew. Grasshoppers jump.”
“So they do.”
“Those cicadas? Their song now has one happy katydid.”
Jerald smiles, but it disappears. His profile becomes serious, thoughts someplace far, far away. Instinct is telling me that he’s thinking about the war. I’ve seen this look on some of the boys who’ve returned home, wounded in battle. They stare off just like that.
I whisper, “Aren’t you ever frightened? I would be.”
He pauses like he might admit he is, but then shakes his head, voice deep. “Never. I’m never scared.”
“You must be very brave.”
Jerald’s hat becomes motionless for the first time since he sat down, since we walked out here even. “Lives are in my hands, May. If I were scared, what kind of a sailor would I be?”
I don’t dare give a response because none seems fitting. We stare at each other until my lips part without my knowing it at first. I’m made aware by the fall of his gaze to them, and I get this funny feeling in my belly, a warmth I have never known. It drifts down until it’s all I can think about.
Jerald bites his lower lip, concentrating. We stand up without speaking and he drops his hat on the rocking chair with a soft thump. I stay right here, heart fluttering.
“May, I hardly think this is proper but I’m going to say it anyway. I wanted to kiss you when you fainted in my arms. And I want to again, right now. But you can’t let me.”
“Can’t I?”
His voice is huskier as it comes a little closer. “You sure can’t.”
Why can’t I kiss him? That’s the only thing I want to do!
So I close my eyes.
Heart pounding.
JERALD
SABLE OPENS THE FRONT DOOR TO ANNOUNCE, “I made sandwiches,” and gasps.
I step away from potentially damaging May’s reputation.
Her eyelashes flutter open, blue eyes sharpening quickly. “I got a spider web in my eye, Sabes.” Rubbing it, she turns around. “Jerald was helping me remove it.”
Sable drolly says, “And here I thought you were necking on my porch in front of the neighbors. You know the ones who have big mouths?”
“We weren’t necking.” May walks on ahead, “Yet.”
“Then I arrived just in time!” Sable looks at me from over her glasses with a warning.
I drag a hand through my hair, grab my hat and follow the girls in, floor boards creaking. I sure do like how May handled that. She’s a smart cookie.
We find the others in the living room, a platter of neatly cut sandwich triangles between them on an otherwise empty coffee table.
My brother’s still on the arm of Gertie’s chair, only now his hand is on her back as he talks to the group. “Oh, I’ve always wanted to travel more. We’ve done some traveling, mostly to D.C., of course. But I can’t wait for school to end so I can join the Navy, too. See the world!” At Sable motioning to the sandwiches, he reaches long and selects one that might be ham. Taking the flask from his deep pocket, he hands it to Peter who offers it to Lily first.
“Gin?”
Her face scrunches, and Sable tells him, “Lily doesn’t drink. I’ll have some!”
He watches her snatch it from his hands and take a sip.
Hank asks with his mouthful, “Who else feels school is a waste of time when everyone’s fighting a war?”
Marvin raises his hand. As does Peter. And May surprises us all by raising hers. Her three friends didn’t.
Lily smiles, “You too, May?” and pats the sofa cushion beside her, scooting over to make room. “I was going to raise my hand, but I wasn’t sure if one of those industrial jobs counts.”
Sable hands the flask to Peter, picks up the platter and walks it around to everyone since they’re not eating fast enough for her liking. “It sure counts in my book. I’ve seen them on the news. Annabelle, who lives two doors down, she comes back with dirt under her nails every day. Those women work just as hard as the men did in those jobs. Did you know she had to cut
