Page 21 of The Girls of Pearl Harbor
April bit her tongue. It was just a silly comment, but Grace made them too often for her liking. Perhaps it was about time she stepped back and let her sister find her own way in the world, make her own mistakes and look after herself. Maybe then she’d appreciate her more.
Less than half an hour later, they were standing inside the officers’ club, and April couldn’t believe how many people could pack into such a small space. Music was blaring from a record player in the corner, and couples were spilling outside onto the patio, in each other’s arms or spinning around, dancing like their lives depended upon it. It had the same jovial, fun feeling as the house party they’d been to on their first night, but for some reason she wasn’t in the same mood as at the first one.
She usually loved being out, and she was always one of the last to leave, but tonight she had a headache, and her feet were tired from standing all day on her shift. She should have taken a short nap before coming out, but then she’d have missed dinner.
‘Want to go outside for a bit?’ Eva appeared at her side, holding out a cup of punch. April took it and held it up, clinking it softly to Eva’s.
‘Cheers,’ she said, taking a sip. ‘And yes to going outside.’
Grace spotted them and followed, with Poppy close behind her. Poppy usually disappeared the moment they went out, straight into Teddy’s arms, but without her man here tonight she was spending the evening with them, like old times.
‘Where are you two grandmas off to?’ asked Poppy. ‘Come inside and dance!’
‘We’re just going to take a minute outside,’ April told her, raising her voice to be heard over the noise.
They navigated past drunken soldiers doing their best to stay upright, and April coughed as she had to squeeze past a couple getting far too frisky by the steps, but within minutes they were back on the beach. Something about the ocean breeze calmed her, and she wished she’d chosen to just sit outside all evening, thinking about her day, relaxing instead of trying to talk over the loud music and shaking her head when she was asked to dance.
‘You’re not in the mood tonight?’ Eva asked as they sat in the sand.
‘Sorry—is it that obvious? I didn’t mean to be glum.’ She sipped her drink, wondering how much alcohol had been poured in. ‘I’m just tired, I suppose.’
‘You’re not glum; you just look lost in thought—that’s all.’
They sat in a semicircle, their backs to the house, and the music drifted out on the wind to them, as did the laughter and revelry from inside. She hadn’t expected Grace and Poppy to join them, but they’d followed them out and now seemed happy to sit for a moment and chat too.
‘Where do you think we’ll all be in five years’ time?’ asked Eva. ‘Will we be sick to death of Hawaii and still waiting for war, or will we be back home living our normal lives?’
‘You’ll be married to your Charlie with a baby on the way.’ Poppy laughed. ‘And I’ll be Mrs. Teddy Banks.’
‘I don’t think we’d ever be sick of Hawaii,’ Grace said. ‘I think I could live here forever, actually, even without you all being here. The island life suits me.’
April scoffed. ‘Who would look after you here? You’d be miserable if we were all gone.’
‘I’d cope just fine,’ Grace muttered. ‘I don’t need you telling me what to do at every turn, April.’
She sucked in a big breath, trying not to take the bait but failing. ‘Okay,’ she said simply. ‘Okay, Grace.’
‘Okay what? You won’t tell me what to do all the time now? Because I know you think I can’t do anything on my own.’
April nodded, knowing the other two were silently listening. ‘I’m not your mother, and we’re both all grown up now, so I’m well aware you can take care of yourself if you want to. I promise I’ll keep my mouth shut and let you live your life.’Just don’t come crying to me over everything; don’t expect me to pick up all the pieces and drop everything when something goes wrong.
‘Well, that’s decided, then,’ Grace replied, sounding baffled.
April sipped her drink and noticed that Grace did the same, shooting her a confused look over the top of her cup. But April ignored it and just smiled. It was dark across the sand, the light filtering from the house casting shadows around them and making it just possible to see.
She wanted to tell Grace that all she’d ever wanted was for someone to take care ofher, to make sureshewas all right, to ask her whatshewanted, but she didn’t. It wasn’t worth it. She’d learned long ago to accept the hand life had dealt her and to not complain, and she wasn’t about to start moaning now. She was used to having these thoughts, so angry sometimes she felt like she was screaming out in her own mind, but she was good at pushing them away and putting them in their little box, never to be shared.
‘Back to this five-year plan,’ she said, reigniting the conversation since she and Grace had effectively muted it by their bickering. ‘How many children do you think you and Teddy will have?’
She heard Grace splutter, choking on her drink, but she didn’t look across at her. If Grace wanted to be treated like a grown-up, then she was going to have to deal with Poppy and Teddy.
‘I think three—that’d be the perfect number. And a big dog that the children can climb all over.’
They all laughed, although she noticed Grace looked uncomfortable and felt bad for steering the conversation back toward Teddy.
‘What about you, April?’ Eva asked. ‘Are you hoping to meet someone and have children?’
She thought about her answer for a moment, not brave enough to admit that she hoped to be studying to be a doctor within a few years’ time. ‘I’d really like to keep nursing, to work in a hospital back home, until I’m ready to be a mother.’ The truth was she thought more about her career aspirations than motherhood, which she wasn’t about to admit to right now.
