Across the Sea

three

I heard everything before I saw the plumes of smoke and the wreckage in the harbor. It sounded like thunder rattling the windows or like fireworks exploding on the Fourth of July.

Nothing had prepared me to be awoken that Sunday to the horrifying sound of bombs falling just a few miles away. I sat up almost immediately with my heart racing as air raid sirens began sounding throughout the base.

Danny wasn't beside me any longer and I could feel the panic rising in my throat as I threw on a robe to check on the girls.

Danny was always up so much earlier. He must have been downstairs making breakfast for us all before church, but now Grace was crying in her daddy's arms. Stella was awake and anxious, running to me as soon as she saw me.

Danny met my eyes and for once, I saw what only his men must have. His eyes were stern and alert. He picked up Gracie in her blanket and hurriedly motioned Stella and I out their bedroom door. "You'll stay downstairs. Do not leave this house unless you see planes flying your way. I need to go. I need to help. I'll take a ride with Dick next door, and I'll leave the car here for you and Dorothy should you need it."

I started seeing glimpses of the smoke as I got down the stairs. I could see it through the window and it wasn't over yet. Every few seconds, we heard deafening explosions and Stella started to cry. I held her tightly in my arms to comfort her, and Danny kept looking back at me. Neither one of us wanted to speak on it. We knew someone was attacking, but for the girls' sake, we kept it between us.

Danny had his wits about him, but I was having a hard time keeping mine together. I winced with every explosion and I just narrowly held myself together for Stella in my arms. I didn't want her to see that I was scared, but I was scared shitless.

Danny set Gracie on the couch in the living room away from the windows, and ran upstairs. I laid Stella beside her and wrapped the three of us in Gracie's blanket.

Danny was down in a few moments dressed and breathing so evenly it unsettled me. I didn't like that he was afraid of so little. It made him reckless.

"Danny, be careful p—" I started as he made his way for the door. He doubled back in an instant and pressed a kiss to my temple.

"Always, sweetheart," he assured me. Our eyes met for a moment and I made sure he knew I wasn't joking this time. He broke my gaze and leaned down to kiss our girls. To both of them, he whispered, "Don't be afraid, my loves. It's alright. They're just making a big fuss is all. I'll be back before you know it. I love you both."

I watched him go like I always did. I prayed, I always prayed and never told him about it. Danny always left with the confidence that he would come back. Paterson even told me so himself, Danny never even considered his death whenever he went into a fight. It wasn't a possibility for him. Me, I couldn't help but pray. I prayed that he was right.

***

The day was the worst one we had ever seen. It was filled with sorrow and destruction and heartache. There was a dark cloud that covered everything and it was the smoke from the fires and the debris left in the air.

Dorothy was at my steps half an hour after the bombing stopped. My girls fell back asleep from the exhaustion, and Dick's wife was somber and speechless with horror.

We drank tea while we waited for some communication. The radio was a continuous loop of the news and we stared blankly at the countertop while we listened.

None of it felt real, and I sat back in my chair with a sigh and prayed for everyone affected. Our home had been torn to near nothing by those planes. There was none of our guys ready to fight back. It had just been an onslaught of bomb after bomb while our ships went down in our harbor. The Japanese had attacked by surprise and they had done so on American land. It was too close, too close to the mainland for comfort.