Page 42 of The Girls of Pearl Harbor
Teddy is understandably devastated, and I hope you know what a kind, loving man he was to Poppy. He never ceased to put a smile on her face, her eyes always lit up when she saw him, and I can’t imagine how much he must be missing her.
When I tell you that I understand your loss, you know that I mean it. You were there for me when our mother passed, and without your support I don’t know what I would have done. Your house was a second home to us, and Poppy was truly my best friend in the world. When I’m able to return, I want you to know that nothing will change between us. You have lost your daughter, but I will always think of you as my other mother, and I hope that I can help in the same way for you.
With all my love and prayers,
April
There were no words to say how she was truly feeling, the pain inside of her at every turn, but she hoped that the letter would at least give Poppy’s mother something to hold on to. She’d lost her only daughter, just as April had lost her only mother, so she knew precisely how that kind of pain could rip a person in half and make it feel impossible to ever move forward.
‘April!’
She quickly wiped her eyes and tucked the letter into its envelope.
‘I didn’t expect to see you out here.’
April smiled when she saw Dr. Grey approaching, finding it impossible not to return his warm greeting.
‘I was getting some fresh air,’ she said. ‘I feel so claustrophobic in there sometimes with all the blackout blankets.’
He grimaced. ‘I know the feeling. The humidity and lack of air is unbearable.’
She’d heard they were installing new curtains or blinds that would allow them to at least open the windows a crack, but she didn’t bother telling Dr. Grey. She was certain the doctors would be briefed on such matters well before the nurses anyway.
‘Do you have plans to celebrate Christmas tomorrow, or do you have a shift?’ he asked.
She fell into step beside him when he started walking. ‘I’m looking forward to Christmas lunch and some festivities before working in the evening. How about you?’
He met her eyes when he glanced at her, and she quickly looked away. There was something about the doctor that rattled her, the way he smiled at her, his command in the operating theater, the way he seemed so confident whatever he was doing. She couldn’t pretend it didn’t appeal to her, because it did.
‘I’m hoping for a few hours of extra sleep, to tell you the truth,’ he said. ‘If I’m not called in early, that is. I feel like I never get out of that damn hospital some days.’
April grinned. ‘I think we all know that feeling. The last few weeks ...’
She didn’t need to finish her sentence; they all knew what the past weeks had been like, and what they’d endured didn’t need to be relived. But the surgeons were always on call, so it was even worse for them than for the nurses sometimes.
They’d reached the hospital doors now, and Dr. Grey stopped, his hand skimming her arm and taking her by surprise. ‘Merry Christmas, April,’ he said quietly, his gaze warm and steady.
She felt her cheeks flush. ‘Merry Christmas,’ she replied.
April stood as he turned and disappeared, wondering if he was so friendly with all the nurses. She clutched the envelope and kept walking, needing to mail her letter before it was too late. The sky was slowly getting darker, the sun fading for the day, and she had things to do before nightfall and the early curfew that kept them all inside after dark.
‘Can you believe it’s Christmas Eve?’ April smiled over at her sister as they sipped tea and sat on their beds. The past weeks had been weird and desolate without Poppy. She’d felt closer to Grace than she had in a long while. Her sister had apologized profusely for her outburst the day of the bombing, and even though she would have forgiven her regardless, it was good to see a more thoughtful, grown-up side to Grace.
‘I thought we’d be dancing until midnight and having a Christmas like no other this year,’ April said. Instead they were still all on edge, waiting for something else to happen, even though the more days that passed with no Japanese soldiers coming running down the beach to capture them or blasting them from overhead, the less likely it was that it would happen. Or so they hoped.
‘Eva, what would you be doing if you were home this Christmas?’ April asked, wondering if they’d done the right thing inviting their friend over. They weren’t technically supposed to have any visitors to their quarters, but given everything that had happened, she was hoping the punishment wouldn’t be too severe if they were caught. Eva was another nurse; it wasn’t like they’d smuggled someone’s sweetheart in.
‘I’d be going over to Charlie’s,’ Eva said, her hands folded in her lap and her gaze fixed past April. ‘His family was always very welcoming, and I was there as often as I could be.’
‘Just like us with Poppy,’ April said, glancing at her sister and pleased to see that she was smiling at the memory. ‘And what of your own family? Did you have any special traditions?’
She noticed the way Eva’s back straightened and saw her clasp her hands tight.
‘I’ve been told to return home,’ Eva said, taking April by surprise.
‘Oh. Well, maybe that’s for the best. You’ve been through a lot,’ April said. Eva had been so confident and capable, and now she was a shell of her former self.
‘You don’t want to go?’ Grace asked. ‘I thought you’d be desperate to get away from here.’
