“All right. Now that everyone’s here, I have an announcement to make.” She held out her arm. “This is the house where Joey and I grew up. Yeah, it’s huge. I know. Way too big for just us. So we’ve done something about it. For the past few weeks, Tom and I have been working really hard on putting together something that will hopefully help a few people, particularly vets like you guys,” she said, looking at Hal and Stu, then Joey. Her brother was looking confused.
Her gaze went to Marion, who was holding Daniel’s hand. “Marion taught me a lot, but one thing really got me, and that was the question of where men returning from the war would live. Most don’t have money, and alot of vets aren’t ready to face real life yet. There are rooming houses around the city, but many have problems, like overcrowding. And no one really has any qualifications to help the men if they need help.”
Marion shifted, regarding her closely. Sassy took another breath, eager to get to the good part.
“I’ve always been a spoiled brat, like Tom says,” she told everyone. “I’ve been selfish without even thinking about it.”
Joey chuckled, his dark brow lifted with sarcasm. “Really? I had no idea.”
“Anyway,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him, “things, hopefully, have changed.” She held her breath as she walked to the front door then stopped beside Tom. “I’d like to welcome you all to a very special place,” she said, shoving through the knot in her throat.
Tom held a shallow box in his hand, tied with a red bow. Right on cue, he opened it and displayed the plaque they had etched onto a brass rectangle, two feet wide, one foot tall.
“This is now ‘Marion’s Welcome Home,’?” Tom announced.
“What?” Marion exclaimed. Nobody moved.
“Yes!” Sassy cried, hopping on her toes. “You’re the inspiration, Marion.”
Tom put a gentle arm around Sassy’s shoulders, but he couldn’t keep her feet on the ground. “Sassy has worked really hard on transforming this building into a place that will be called home by eight returning veterans who have nowhere else to go.”
Sassy’s attention was caught by one of the men they’d brought back—was his name Hal? He dropped his head, and she heard him sniff. When he raised a hand to wipe away tears, Sassy shot Tom a look of panic.
He nodded. “It’s okay, Sass. It’s a big deal.” He looked back at the group. “We are in negotiations to create more Welcome Homes at the moment. Possibly two more by the end of the year. The one thing Sassy’s lousy at is being patient. She wants it all when she wants it, and that’s pretty much this minute.”
She gave him a dramatic shrug, but she wasn’t the least bit sorry. “There’s more to it, and I’ll explain as we go, but I wanted to let you know that you’re not off the hook, Marion.” She glanced fleetingly at Daniel, then back at herbest friend. “Remember I told you this is for some of the men who aren’t quite ready to return to this world after everything they’ve been through? Well, you’re going to help me along the way, but you’re not the only one.”
She pulled open the front door, and Marion’s jaw dropped. “Paul? What are you doing here?”
“Hey, Marion. I’ll be volunteering here at least once a week, and some others have agreed to come on, too,” he told her with his usual confident smile.
“This is Dr. Paul McKenny,” Tom explained to the others. “He is one of Marion’s colleagues from the Ontario Hospital. He and others will be providing counselling services for the residents.” He glanced fondly at Sassy. “We even have a cook. Sassy’s thought of everything.”
“I want to see this place!” Mr. Romano declared. “Enough standing around. My old back is killing me.”
“Who’s this cook?” Mrs. Levin asked, walking inside. “You know we want to help out, too, yes?”
Joey stood back and frowned at her as the others went inside, and Sassy fought the lump in her chest. She knew what was coming.
“I don’t get it, Sass. Dad gave you the okay on this? Where is he, anyway? Didn’t want to come see me?”
She waited until she, Joey, and Marion were the only ones still, then she held Joey’s gaze. “Something happened.” She swallowed hard. “Dad passed away in February.”
Joey paled. “He… what?”
“I’m sorry, Joey. I didn’t know how to find you and tell you. It happened so fast. But this house… he would have wanted this.”
He stared at her, disbelief clear in his glittering eyes. “But how? What happened?”
“Come inside. Please, Joey. I’ll tell you more after.”
He was still staring at her in shock, rooted in place.
“I understand what you’re feeling, Joey,” she said softly. “I promise, when we’re alone, I will tell you everything, but not now. This isn’t the time. Please,let’s go inside. Your room is still yours, but I also have rooms for your… brothers. A safe place to be.”
He looked dazed, but he kept ahold of her hand as they went into the house. She could hear exclamations coming from down the hall as Tom started the tour.
Then it was only Sassy and Marion, and her friend was regarding her with the most beautiful expression.
