Free Light Over Water by Noelle Carle Page B

longing for.  She stepped carefully
across the lawn, up the stairs onto the wide porch and eased into a cane
rocker.  She stayed there rocking while the children swirled around her.  Her
aching arms found ease in the steady movement of rocking with the baby.  From
here she could hear the harbor sounds; the rote of the sea, the thump of oars
as men drew their fishing boats in with the turn of the tide.  She didn’t know
when Reg would be back, but she waited and stayed.  She wanted him to find her
here, with his baby asleep in her arms.
             
    There was a party
for those who had enlisted and would be leaving for training.  Among the young
men were Sam, Robbie Bell, who was Rena Mayhew’s young man, and Tim Cooper. 
Others were older; men who were young enough to fight but didn’t have a family
depending on them, or who just wanted to be a part of the war despite their
circumstances. The church Youth League arranged it for all who would be meeting
the train Saturday morning in Bath, heading for basic training in New York
State.  Sam didn’t want to go, still in a somber, guilt-ridden state following
his mother’s death.  He had been working with his father and Aubrey as much as
he could, then eating his meals and retreating to his room.  He shared a room
with William and Henry, but they spent every hour apart from school outside
with their friends or doing chores that Esther now assigned.  Alison left Sam
alone, baffled as to how to help him.  She wanted to be with him every moment
until he left, but settled for glimpses of him from the schoolyard or at
church.  His gaze, when it met hers, was intense and confident, but not
curiously uninviting.
              The party, to be held
on the beach near the schoolhouse would include a clambake and bonfires.  Warm
humid air had rolled across from the southwest making the day summer-like.  Reg
finished setting out pots with Sam and Aubrey by mid-afternoon. They rowed over
to the store to pick up items from a list that Esther had given her father and
were visible there from the schoolhouse just as classes were dismissed.
              The Eliot kids,
seeing them, swarmed to meet them on the road.  Reg smiled and slowed to walk
with them, his rough hands reaching out to stroke their hair or pat a
shoulder.  Little Ivy hung on his arm chattering about the party for Sam.  Sam
hung back after seeing Alison standing by the steps with her brothers, helping
Davey pick up some papers he’d dropped.  She saw him there and said something
to Owen, then ran over to meet him.  Cleo was dawdling along also, asking
Aubrey Newell just at that moment if he was going to the clambake.
              Aubrey’s answer was
an exaggerated shrug, while he smiled at Cleo mischievously.  “Come on,” she
teased, “everyone is invited.  Everyone else is going,” she said, emphasizing everyone
but pleading with Aubrey with her liquid gleaming eyes.
              Ivy and Isabella both
turned around with their eyes wide and questioning, and Sam and Alison joined
Cleo and Aubrey on the road.  “Us too?” the twins asked, at the same time that
Sam declared, “I’m not.”
              Reg Eliot turned and
gazed back at Sam and the others.  They exchanged a long look, which ended with
Reg’s words, “We’re all going.  You too, Aubrey.  Now let’s get home and get
cleaned up.”  He directed Aubrey to go back and row the dory across the cove to
their wharf.  Cleo looked sideways at her father and skipped after Aubrey,
riding with him in the dory.
              Sam stopped walking,
his cheeks flushing and his eyes on the ground.  Alison moved closer, reaching
for his hand.  It was warm and hard, with calloused palms and strong fingers. 
Looking at his hand now, as she held it, Alison realized again that he was a
grown man, and it had happened while she’d been all unaware.
              He squeezed briefly,
gazing