“My mom was a natural blonde, and I got those good genes, I guess.”
“Where did your freckles go? They don’t just disappear,” he continues.
“Everett, must I explain this to you again? Never question a woman’s ability to perform magic.” Thank goodness for cosmetics because my freckles make me look like a child.
“You look just like her, you know. She was beautiful.”
“Thank you. I get that a lot.”
I finish setting up the table just as James and Lewis walk through the door. I didn’t even notice their headlights flash by.
“Anderson, how are you hanging in there this week? Are they working you to the bone on the airfield too?”
“Yes, it’s been quite the mess to clean up, but I doubt it is comparable to what you’ve had to handle at the piers.”
“Go clean up and change. Supper is just about ready,” I tell the boys.
“Oh, hey there, sis,” James says with a snicker. “How wasyourday today?”
Everett, in a not-so-inconspicuous manner, turns away from the conversation to continue gazing at the wall of portraits. The silence is full of narrowing eyes set on me from both James and Lewis.
“Elizabeth, what did you do today other than volunteer and make something for supper that smells like my favorite meal?”
“I worked, cooked, and cleaned. Why, what else is there for a woman to do?”
“I will ignore the sarcasm and take a hint. We’ll be ready for supper in a couple minutes,” Lewis says.
James approaches Everett and slaps his hand down on his shoulder. “Check out Elizabeth without her front teeth. It took forever for them to grow back in and she had the cutest little lisp for years after.” I choose to roll my eyes when James tries to poke fun at me. I learned a long time ago that jabbing back in a teasing contest often leads to family feuds, so I do what I usually do, and ignore James’s attempts to antagonize me
“We all go through that awkward phase,” Everett responds.
“Oh, come on, there’s no way you had awkward years,” Lewis says while walking down the hall toward his bedroom.
“Lucky for me, I don’t have those mortifying photographs here with me,” Everett mutters. “I left those beauties for my dad to enjoy.”
“Well, darn,” I reply. “I would love to see those.”
Dad returns to the dinette table, wearing an oddly similar shirt to the one Everett has on. “I don’t remember the last time I’ve worn one of these babies. I almost forgot what it feels like to wear color,” Dad says.
“Dad, where did you even find that shirt? That must be from 1930.”
“I’ve had it in my closet waiting for a reason to wear it again.” Tonight, is hardly a reason to wear an aloha shirt in this house, but if it lifts his mood even slightly, I’ll be thankful. The guilt is heavy, and I know I’m about to ruin his night. I tried to avoid the thought of telling Dad about my decision, but I must come clean and stay strong.
James and Lewis join us in their usual white t-shirts and slacks. “Hey Anderson, did you catch the line of new recruits filling the street today?” James asks.
“Please show our guest a little respect,” Dad snaps at James. “He is a lieutenant. You know better.”
Lewis walks in on the conversation and we’re all awkwardly staring at each other. Dad wasn’t exactly a part of our “family” supper outings when James and Lewis wanted to get to know Everett. The three of them formed a nice friendship and had dropped the addressing of rank names several months ago.
“With all due respect, Sir, I don’t mind when I’m in your house. It’s nice to leave work at work sometimes, as I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course, son. I wanted to make sure you didn’t feel disrespected.”
“No at all,” Everett says with a dip of his head.
“Please, everyone sit down before the loaf gets cold.”
“How were you able to find meat anywhere this week?” Lewis asks.
