Sighing, I cut the last two bites of my omelet with my fork. “I should talk to my dad about Seth. I was going to call him, but he’s been bugging me to visit him at work, so I think I’ll surprise him this morning. The remodeling project is supposedto be done soon, and I know he’s proud of what they’ve accomplished.”
“Sounds like a fun way to spend your morning.” She rinsed off her plate and set it in the dishwasher. “Say hi to him for me.”
“I will.”
She left the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, “I’m jumping in the shower. Lock the door when you leave.”
“Have fun on your date with Solomon.”
“Will do!” Her voice trailed down the hallway.
After setting my plate in the dishwasher, I grabbed my purse and keys and left the apartment.
I thought about calling Dad to tell him I was coming, but a surprise visit was probably a better idea. He would be disappointed about Seth, and it would be better to tell him face to face. If I called, he might ask why I was coming, and I would be forced to tell him over the phone.
As I stepped outside, I took in a deep breath, marveling at the blue sky, trying not to feel nervous about the upcoming conversation. It was silly to be nervous. Dad would understand. I just needed to get it over with, and then I could focus on finishing med school and getting a position at GUH.
I glanced at my watch as I walked along the first floor of the D Ring in the Navy Department at the Pentagon. It was quarter after nine. The smell of fresh paint and new carpet stung my nose, and I admired the changes that had been made since the last time I had been there. Dad worked in the Navy’s main office, near corridor four, and had recently relocated to the remodeled space. He’d told us all about it at dinner with Seth’s parents. He was proud of their work, and rightfully so.
Ironically, initial construction on the Pentagon had just begun on September 11 in my 1941 path, so the building was seventyyears old and had no doubt needed many improvements. They had begun renovations in the 1990s, but Wedge One, where Dad worked, had finally been completed over the past year.
“Meg!” Dad’s administrative assistant, Dorothy, greeted me as I walked into his office. She sat at her desk, a grin on her face as she turned down a radio. “What a nice surprise.”
“Hello, Dorothy.” I smiled. “Is my dad here?”
“Oh, he’s not here, honey.” She looked just as disappointed as I felt. “He had to run to a meeting at the Navy Yard. He should be back in about half an hour, if you’d like to wait.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Of course not.”
The Navy Yard was on the other side of the Potomac River, about five miles away from the Pentagon. Maybe I should have called first after all, but now that I was here, I didn’t mind waiting a bit.
Dorothy’s face grew serious. “Have you been listening to the news?”
I shook my head. “No. What’s happening?”
“It’s so sad.” She turned up her radio again, and I heard a man talking in a grave voice. “The Twin Towers have been hit by commercial airplanes in New York City.”
“What?” I shook my head, feeling like I hadn’t heard her correctly. “How could that happen?”
Her brown eyes were hooded with concern. “They thought the first one was an accident about thirty minutes ago, but then the second tower was hit about ten minutes ago, and now they think it’s a terrorist attack.”
“A terrorist attack? Are you serious?”
“I’m afraid so.”
A man stuck his head through the door and looked at Dorothy. “Did you hear what’s happening?”
“I’m listening to my radio now,” she said.
“We have a television, if you want to see the towers.”
“Come on, honey.” Dorothy stood and motioned for me to follow. “Let’s go see what’s happening.”
I followed her through a door and into a large office space with several gray cubicles. About a dozen people were standing and sitting around a small television on one of the desks. Morning sunshine poured in through the windows, lighting the recently remodeled space. Dorothy and I joined the group, and they moved over to let us get a good look at the screen.
Thick, black smoke billowed out of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, highlighted by the magnificent blue sky over the city. I put my hand to my mouth.
