Forget Me Not, Books I, II and III

That Old Familiar Place

Calvin chose to walk rather than stride down Main Street as a nostalgia wove itself into his skin. Though Brookhurst had grown, its old spirit remained, both welcoming and distant, in its confrontational peace. His mind filled with images from the day of the storm – that day with Teddi in his arms. He'd been terrified he might lose her. And in the end, that was exactly what had happened. He was so young, so careless with what they'd been given. But maybe that was the cruel trick of it all. His life had been anything charmed. He didn't expect the world to shower gifts on him.  In the end, all he craved was a little respect, a little recognition for being Calvin Wynne.

As he passed a shiny new ice cream shoppe that tempted his dry mouth and worry to decadent relief, he spotted a familiar figure slipping down the road, carrying a brown paper bag. Could it be her or was it just wishful thinking?  His eyes fell onto a girl who looked very much like Teddi's friend Harper, the one who'd helped him all those years ago. Should he cross the road, stop them and announce his arrival? No, it didn't seem right, not in the middle of a crowded street.

Then he thought about what it would be like to show up at Teddi's house. Suppose her grandmother answered the door and chucked him out before he even had time to say hello? Maybe this was his best opportunity. Maybe he should just grow a pair and... "Damn it!" he cursed, shocking a few of the passersby in the street. They were gone.

Why was he behaving like a coward? That wasn't him. He couldn't help it. Being back in Brookhurst made him feel sixteen all over again. But he was not going to allow those feelings to last. His life would be meaningful, powerful, and full of whatever he'd been missing back when he'd been a boy at Miss Pinchley's.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Calvin turned back toward his new apartment, deciding that he'd wait an hour or so before heading over to Judge Donovan's house to see Teddi. Maybe by then Harper would be gone, and he'd get Teddi alone. He would go. He'd made a promise to himself. If only he hadn't been so damn stupid and let her get away from him. 

At two o'clock, Teddi sat on her front porch with Ben. Her guests had arrived a while ago and were now full of food and enjoying relaxed conversation around the side of the house. When the subject of the war in Europe had come up, Teddi just couldn't keep her fury from bubbling up and was in no mood to explain why. So, she asked Ben to go on a walk with her, meaning she just wanted to get away for a minute. But instead of actually leaving her guests completely, Teddi felt better simply sitting on the porch where they were out of sight, but still within relative earshot.

"I just wish," she was saying, her mind wrapped around the very subject she did not want to think about minutes before. "I don't know what I wish. I guess I just wish she was here." She dropped her head into her hands. Liza had sent a wire to Teddi when she'd still been at school three weeks ago, telling her that she and her new baby were headed by steamer back to the United States. She and the baby had been living in England since January, while Mac had stayed in Paris to take care of their little restaurant/boarding house in order to support them from afar. Both he and Liza decided it was best that they head back home as soon as possible, however. They'd finally saved enough and Liza told her and they were going to be returning home separately within days of each other. But that had been three weeks ago. Three weeks.

"She's fine," Ben said.

"You don't know that! She could be anywhere. It takes less than a week for those steamers to make it here. It doesn't make sense. And Mac! He could have still been in Paris when they bombed it."

"They said they were leaving three weeks ago, Teddi. The bombing was just three days ago."

"You don't care, do you, Ben? You'd like to see my sister blown up and forgotten about wouldn't you? That way your girlfriend would be rid of any disgusting reminders of her imperfect past. I'm surprised you even entertain my company."