Reid leaned in and whispered over and over that he loved her and his lips tickled her ear and the words warmed and comforted Liddy to her core. The Cannas and the Catalpas were still in bloom, the Glads had more show on their necks and the daisies had showed up. Maybe they did know something of life.

When Reid was discharged from the hospital, Liddy was there and they walked out together. He was discharged from the Army too, and for a time he was lost, but soon Liddy saw his confidence returning and she knew he would find his way.

Even with all of the thought Liddy had put into what it would be like to spend time with Major Reid Trent, it wasn’t anything like she had imagined. Life rarely does fall in line with our expectations.

When Liddy and Reid had been writing letters, a flutter of nervousness would move inside her when she thought about meeting him in April during his leave. She didn’t know how she should act toward him or what she would say. Their letters had been slow and easy as they shared bit-by-bit their lives and hearts. Imagining actually being with him and not having time to formulate her responses gave Liddy too much to wonder about, which she never liked.

As it turned out, there wasn’t a moment of not knowing how to respond when she was with Reid—it just flowed. The months they believed they had lost each other forever, had deepened their appreciation of the rare something that was between them, and took away any apprehensions of being open with each other about how they felt. From the first day Liddy saw him at the hospital, their time together felt comfortable and safe and at the same time exciting and new.

Not long after Reid was discharged, he brought Liddy to his beach. It was an overcast day and they had it all to themselves. They sat together in the sand, Liddy in front of Reid, leaning back with his arms around her. They listened to the soft woosh of the waves washing in and out against the shore. Liddy was thinking about how she had never been so at peace in the presence of another human being.

“I feel so at peace here with you,” Reid said.

Liddy smiled and nuzzled in closer to him. Loving Reid was so easy and Liddy believed with all her heart that loving him had never been a choice. Choosing to love, that’s important, but loving anything or anyone without making the choice, that’s divine.

Liddy’s time with Reid was divine. From going to the movies to flying, they both cherished being together. After finally flying with Reid over the Rockies, Liddy and Reid spent some time with Louise, Bonnie and Tommy in Denver. With the exception of Tommy’s initial refusal to acknowledge the man who he thought was a completely unnecessary addition to his family’s time with Liddy, their visit with the Parker family was an easy transition from the four of them to the five.

Tommy didn’t come out of his room when Liddy and Reid first arrived, but later that day he did agree to throw a ball with the stranger in the back yard and build a plane model with him in the living room. From the kitchen, Liddy and Louise overheard a conversation between the two men.

“Where did you meet Liddy?” Tommy asked Reid.

“I met her on a train.”

“Hmm,” Tommy was thoughtful.

“Where did you meet Liddy?” Reid asked Tommy.

“On the sidewalk.”

“Hmm,” Reid responded.

“Why do you like Liddy?” Tommy asked.

“Lots of reasons. She’s very nice and fun to spend time with. I think she’s smart, brave and very interesting. And she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”

“Why do you like Liddy?” Reid asked.

“Same reasons.” There was a long pause and then Tommy looked at Reid very intently. “Are you always going to like her?”

“Always and forever,” answered Reid and then asked, “Are you always going to like her?”

“Always and forever. And when I’m old too.”

Tommy still made sure Reid knew that he had a history with Liddy—she was his Liddy and nothing was going to change that. The boy warmed up to the idea of having Reid around though, and Tommy became the one to initiate playing catch in the backyard, and he was full of questions for his new friend about flying in the war.

Bonnie had taken a liking to Reid as well and Louise told Liddy, “My Bonnie has a huge crush on your man, you know.”

Louise grew fond of Reid as well and he became protective of her like an older brother. She became the sister he never had.

Reid took Liddy to meet his parents, brothers and their families who all welcomed her with abundant joy. Mallie Trent had a special place in her heart for the woman whose love helped heal her boy, and a strong bond formed between the two women. Reid and Liddy were settling into each other’s lives without a hitch.

When the big bombs were dropped in August of 1945, World War II was all but over. It no longer complicated life, but it had colored it and left its mark. It had taken Liddy all over the country and brought her in and out of people’s lives and in and out of her own skin, her body and her soul. It had changed her, changed Reid, but she found a kind of joy in accepting that life was wonderful and awful, and she didn’t let the heavy parts settle on her shoulders. She began to see that in time life levels and settles and if you wait, something will bloom—it always does.

Liddy took Reid to Holly Grove and introduced him to Crik and to Muck, and they went up in the old Jenny. As she looked above the flames of Crik’s campfire one night, she cherished the wonderful sight. There sat Crik and Reid, next to one another, swapping stories. Liddy watched Crik’s interest as Reid told him about his missions, and she watched Reid’s interest as Crik told him of Liddy as a little girl and about her soloing before she could drive a car. When he told the story of the bridge affair—Liddy had saved that for Crik to tell—Reid looked across at her, shook his head and smirked. The session lasted late into the night and the book of tales grew.

EPILOGUE

The guest list was as follows in no particular order—


Crik Sekrikinski (Muck doesn’t like to fly)

Mr. and Mrs. Reidburn Trent (the groom’s parents)

Dr. Wayland Trent, Miss Mallory and Master Benjamin (the groom’s brother and children)

Mr. and Mrs. Collin Trent, Miss Vivian, Master Robert and Miss Olivia (the groom’s other brother and family)

Lieutenant Daniel and Celia Cooper (Just Married)

Louise Parker, Princess Bonnie and Prince Tommy (the bride’s next husband)

Lieutenant Phillip R. and Joy Lynn Mason (one on the way)

Marina George and Alan Bradon (keep reading)

Stephen and Calli Duncan, James Lee and baby Betsy Ann

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Bluff

Major Ellis and Jenna Charles (another one on the way)


There were no bridesmaids or groomsmen, just two people who stood on the beach and wanted to officially knit themselves together in front of their family and friends. Watery foam washed in and out, and the white sand was a pure carpet beneath the celebration. Liddy wore Edda’s ankle-length cotton and lace wedding dress and Reid stood, without canes, in a white cotton shirt and pale blue trousers. He didn’t wear shoes—no one did.

A long row of identical white clapboard-sided beach cottages set up against the rocks, and their rusted tin roofs reflected in patches the rays of the warm September sun. Raised wood porches were draped with beach towels and bathing suits, except the couple’s honeymoon cottage. Liddy’s sister-friends had draped it from porch ceiling to deck with yards of sheer fabric. On the door was a heart wreath made of shells.

The portable radio was on its third set of batteries, and the party danced beneath the sun in the sand and then under the moon and the stars. While he tended the fire, Crik sat with Reid’s father and Jerry Bluff. Wedding cupcakes that were exploding with sparkler sticks were held high in front of the little ones as they paraded in and out of the festivities.

Reid’s mother knew how to throw a beach party and she had enough food for a week or more. Liddy sat with Reid on one side of her and Tommy Parker on the other in canvas beach chairs. Empty plates sat on their laps that had hosted fire-roasted corn cobs, shrimp salad and apple cornbread.

Reid’s mother pushed through the sand toward them. “Liddy sweetie, can I steal away your husband to dance with his mother?”

“My husband…” Liddy looked at Reid and smiled her crooked smile. “… that’s you, isn’t it?”

“For better or worse,” said Reid and kissed her.

“I’ll take them both.” Liddy kissed him back, then took Reid’s hand and held it up to Mallie Trent. “He’s all yours.”

Mallie leaned down and kissed her daughter-in-law on the forehead and held her cheek. “You’re the ‘better’, sweetie.”

Liddy watched as Reid and Mallie walked hand-in-hand, talking and laughing as they joined the guests on the dance sand. Joy Lynn and Phillip towered over the group, and Calli and Steven held their blessings as the little family twirled together. Even in the sand, Marina and Alan floated in their step, but they almost looked ordinary—barefoot, with Marina in her simple yellow cotton dress and Alan in his tan slacks and white shirt. Daniel spun Celia, Ellis swayed Jenna and Louise danced with Reid’s brother Wayland until a new song started up, and then they all changed partners.

Marina had called Liddy back in July and flipped small talk back and forth. Finally, she got out that she was wondering how Liddy would feel if she called Alan and invited him to an air race. A pain tugged at Liddy’s heart and then a huge joy washed over her, and she insisted that Marina do just that.

At Alan’s birthday party, it was Marina who was on his arm when they entered the room. Liddy smiled when she pictured Mrs. Alan Bradon the III gliding over to greet them. If anybody could handle Mrs. A, it was Marina George—there was no doubt of that.

At Calli’s 21st birthday party in Atlanta, Reid and Alan had the chance to get to know each other. Reid joked to Liddy that if he was her, he didn’t know if he would have given up Alan for him. Everyone loved Alan Bradon—it was impossible not to.

Liddy was lost in happiness as she looked around the beach at Reid’s and her friends and family, celebrating their love, when she heard Tommy’s voice.

“Aunt Liddy?” Tommy looked up at her.

“Yeah, honey.”

“How long are you going to be married to Mr. Trent?”

“The rest of my life, I hope.”

“Oh.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“I guess so.” Tommy set his hand on top of Liddy’s. “Mommy says I can get married when I’m twenty. I just wanted you to know that.”

“That is very good to know, thank you for telling me.” Liddy took Tommy’s pudgy little hand and kissed it.

“I’m gonna go get a cupcake.” The little man slid out of the chair and skipped across the sand.

Alan had left the dance floor and plopped down in Tommy’s chair. He gave Liddy’s hand a squeeze and smiled at her with his whole face.

“Is this weird?” Liddy asked.

“A little bit,” said Alan.

“I’m glad you’re here.” Liddy patted him on the cheek.

“Me too, pal.” Alan got a rare serious look on his face. “I’m happy for you, Liddy.”

“I know you are.”

They both leaned back in the chairs and watched the dancers and laughed when Joy Lynn and Marina Tangoed through the group, and back again.

“So, how’s everything going with the George and Bradon merger?”

“It’s been very nice, actually.”

“I’m happy for you too, Alan.”

“I know you are. I told you I’d land on my feet. You okay I landed where I did?”

“Are you kidding? It’s so obvious.”

“It kind of is, isn’t it?”

“Joyfully so,” said Liddy, “Perfect really, two of my favorite people in the world being happy together. I’m just hoping the landing sticks.”

Bonnie ran up and grabbed Alan by the hand and took him back to the dancing. It was hard not to speculate if it would last, but Marina and Alan were having a wonderful time of it. Liddy watched the pair and realized there are a few people who have the gift of love and Alan Bradon was one of those people. And she couldn’t think of anyone she wanted him to give the gift to more than Marina George.

Reid finished a dance with his nieces and walked back to Liddy. He reached out for her hand. “Can I have this dance, Mrs. Trent?”

“And many, many more.” Liddy set her hand in Reid’s.