Free Seasons of the Heart by Cynthia Freeman Page B

five.
    On the final Saturday, Ann fussed endlessly over dinner, wanting everything to be perfect. Precisely at seven o’clock, Kenny and Ruthie arrived, followed by the Coulters. For once there was no tension between Ann and Eva. Ann forced herself to smile as her mother-in-law talked endlessly of how adorable Phillip had been as a child.
    Eva insisted on describing the rainy day when four-year-old Phillip had been caught wading in the fish pond without his rubber boots. Eva had thrown open the window, shouting for him to come inside before he caught his death of cold. She had been furious until he had innocently opened his slicker, baring a swimsuit.
    “It’s just swimming, Mummy,” he had called and she had burst out laughing.
    Now, a hard lump caught in Eva’s throat. What was going to happen to her baby? Where would they send him? Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them back, and even tried to include Ann in the conversation.
    Ruthie and Kenny had the most cheerful news of the evening. Ruthie was expecting a baby, and even though Kenny was leaving the following week for England, she could not suppress her excitement. Phillip poured brandy and toasted the infant’s safe birth.
    Looking at him laughing and joking with Kenny, Ann’s heart swelled with pride. Her handsome husband was so strong, so good. Surely God would spare him. Forgetting that there was anyone else in the room, she lifted her glass. “To you, darling. No man has ever had a wife who loved him more than I love you.”
    He got up and embraced her. Life hadn’t defeated him after all. Tonight he was the victor in destiny’s little charade.
    Shortly afterward Ruthie and Kenny left, with Ruthie promising to call every day. Then Eva and Simon got up.
    “It was a wonderful dinner, Ann.” For the first time Ann heard genuine warmth in Eva’s voice. She pressed Eva’s hand as Simon once again applauded Phillip’s choice of a wife and then hurried Eva out the door so as not to intrude on the couple’s last night together.
    Ann willed herself to forget that anything else existed in the world except these last precious hours with Phillip, and in bed she did everything she could to heighten his joy. They lay in each others arms dozing until Phillip gathered her to him one last time.
    At 4:30 she slipped out of bed and prepared breakfast—orange juice, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, and coffee. When he came into the kitchen, she turned and said, “Look how much I’ve improved since our wedding night.”
    “In every way,” he said suggestively.
    “I guess I was pretty nervous.”
    “You think you were nervous!”
    They laughed and Phillip said, lifting his orange juice, “Let’s drink to us!”
    “And to Karen.”
    “Karen?”
    “Yes. I thought that that would be a lovely name for our first daughter, since my mother’s name was Kara. What do you think?”
    Phillip felt an overwhelming joy. Of course, the timing was terrible, but …
    “My God, no!” Ann said. “I’m sorry, I just …” her voice trailed off.
    “Karen Coulter is a lovely name,” Phillip said. “We’ll save it for my return.”
    And the terrible moment they had been avoiding descended with a crash. It was time for him to leave.
    Watching Phillip button his uniform, Ann was no longer able to close her eyes to the fact that he was going to war. She could barely speak as they picked up the Coulters and drove down to the Ferry Building, where rows of olive drab trucks were lined ominously against the curb.
    Phillip embraced his mother. She seemed so fragile this morning. Then he turned to his father. “Take care of yourself.” That was not what he wanted to say at all. I should have been a better son , he wanted to tell Simon. But the words were left unsaid as he turned at last to Ann. For a lingering moment, he held her close. How could he find the courage to leave? Quickly he kissed her and walked to the waiting bus.
    Ann waved courageously although she felt as