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ought them to Gettysburg. He’d taken her hand as they walked
around, and she could still recall the rare sensation of strength and
gentleness in his grasp. He was tall and broad-shouldered with
dark brown hair and there was a navy tattoo on his upper arm.
He’d served on a destroyer for four years and had been to Japan,
Korea, and Singapore, though he said little else about his
experience.
Her mom was petite with blond hair and had once competed in a
beauty pageant, finishing as the second runner-up. She loved
flowers, and in the spring she would plant bulbs in ceramic
flowerpots she placed in the yard. Tulips and daffodils, peonies
and violets, would explode in colors so bright they almost made
Katie’s eyes ache. When they moved, the flowerpots would be
placed on the backseat and fastened with seat belts. Often, when
she cleaned, her mother would sing to herself, melodies from
childhood, some of them in Polish, and Katie would listen secretly
from another room, trying to make sense of the words.
The wine Jo and Katie were drinking had hints of oak and
apricots, and it tasted wonderful. Katie finished her cup and Jo
poured her another. When a moth began to dance around the light
above the sink, fluttering with purpose and confusion, both of
them began to giggle. Katie cut more cheese and added more
crackers to the plate. They talked about movies and books, and Jo
shrieked with pleasure when Katie said her favorite movie was It’s
a Wonderful Life, claiming that it was her favorite movie, too. When
she was younger, Katie remembered asking her mom for a bell, so
she could help angels get their wings. Katie finished her second
glass of wine, feeling as light as a feather on a summer breeze.
Jo asked few questions. Instead, they stuck to superficial topics,
and Katie thought again that she was happy for Jo’s company.
When silver highlighted the world beyond the window, Katie and
Jo stepped out onto the front porch. Katie could feel herself
swaying slightly and she took hold of the railing. They sipped
their wine as the clouds continued to break, and all at once, the