Every Storm (11 page)

Dean stepped forward and helped her into the living room and onto one of the chairs. Max sat at her feet, and Lorri looked down at her.

"Your latest picture didn't do you justice, Max. You've become a beautiful young woman."

"Don't say that, Raine. You'll have me bawling again." Lorri laughed in comfort and delight. She sounded like the [same old irrepressible Max she'd always known. Lorri reached to

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stroke her dark, thick hair, amazed at how shiny and full it was.

'"Do I smell turkey?" Lorri suddenly noticed.

|"Mother has one in the oven."

iLorri looked across to where Ruth sat on the sofa.

"You're baking a turkey?"

"With all the trimmings," Ruth told her with a smile. "Thank you, Mother." Lorri smiled across at her and willed herself not to cry again. She glanced around the room, not wanting to feel like a stranger but not sure she had a choice. It was a very long time to have been away.

"You need to sleep, don't you?" Dean spoke up. Lorri rolled her eyes. "I hate being so transparent."

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"Just stretch out on the sofa, Raine," Max suggested. "I'll talk to you until you drop off."

"That sounds wonderful."

Lorri found three people fussing over her in the next few minutes. A blanket was laid over her and a pillow placed comfortably under her head. Lorri laughed a little at the way they hovered.

"Sleep as long as you like," Ruth said, kissing her softly on the cheek.

"Don't let me miss dinner."

"I won't."

Dean stroked her hair and smiled into her eyes before following Ruth from the room. Max, back on the floor, as close as she could get, looked into her sister's eyes. ' "I missed you,Raine."

"I missed you too, Max." Lorri reached for her hand.

"But you'll be glad to, know," Max launched in immediately, "that I've sworn off boys for good."

Lorri chuckled. Looking into her sister's beautiful face, she knew that resolution would last only a day.

Max told her the reason, explaining that boys her age were just too immature and that she was going to wait for five years at least. Lorri wanted to hear it all. She wanted to take in every word, but Max lost her before she could get to the good part.

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Dean found Ruth in the family room that sat off of the kitchen;at the back of the house. She stood in front of the patio doors,
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'her eyes on the cement patio and yard beyond.

"I'm sorry, Ruth" Dean said as he |oined her at the window. \Pm sorry I couldn't warn you."

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Lori Wick

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"Where has she been, Dean? Is she ill? Am I going to lc too?"

"No, she's not sick. She's been on an island without 1 food."

Ruth turned her head, looking nauseous at the That then frightened at the next thought to enter her mind. .Ji

"Did Josie starve to death?"

"No, she and the pilot died on impact."

The word "impact" jolted Ruth again. She took Dean's
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led him to the sofa.

"Dean, I need you to tell me everything."

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Dean Archer owned a dog he named Buddy. He had1bought as a puppy and adored from the moment the famirfi him. The girls had been asking for a dog, and Dean and ] finally relented. Dean had had only two conditions: The dog 1 be a golden retriever, and it must be a male.

I live with four women. My dog will be a male!

The girls had teased him over this declaration for we

What no one had foreseen was the way Buddy would 1 Maxine Archer, 11 years old at the time.

Buddy started each night at Dean's bedside, but before 1 ing he would move to Max's room and be there when she av He waited for the moment she came home from school,; he was in the house, rarely left her side. Any word or gesture! her was life and breath to the beautiful, sweet-tempered dog.,

And so it wasn't very surprising that when Lorri dropped < to sleep on the living room sofa, Max went to the garage door

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. She went directly back to the floor by the sofa,
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close at hand, and stared into her older sister's g^Hnember the face she used to know.

i years younger and certainly more filled out the i_d seen her. This version-older and thinner- lg used to. Max knew it was still her sister inside, > ^nissing the changes. She hoped she hadn't stared Lorri had fallen asleep, "thout warning. Max didn't want to cry anymore. y-~ ached, but there was no help for it. Turning so her sister, she buried her face in Buddy's side |lC3st child.

>:ne. Completely disoriented and fuzzy with sleep, jjnnent to realize where she was. A smile lit her face familiar green drapes and carpet. It was just as it; not a thing had changed. ' Ruth said as she peeked around the corner and |ijxe room.

he asked after she'd bent to kiss her.

jswered as she pushed slowly into a sitting posi-

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another pressing matter first." If smiled as she came off the sofa and headed for room under the stairs. Ruth went back to her

on in the kitchen, knowing Lorri would join her. ping the potatoes when Lorri came in, her eyes ^detail.

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"You got new canisters." Lorri went toward the set of four white IIcontainers covered with every color of flower. She peeked in each

Uone and even stuck her finger in the sugar. In the past Ruth would

have shooed her away, but not today. Probably not ever again. IITrying not to stare at the changes in her daughter, Ruth began

to talk while she worked. Lorri sat on the stool that was tucked under the counter.

"Grandpa Stewart sent me a check for my birthday, and I IIpicked those out at Brennan's Department Store. It was between

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IIthe canisters and a new rug for the hall. The canisters won out."

"They're perfect in here. How is Grandpa Stewart, by the way?" "Doing well. He talked about visiting next summer, but I don't know if his legs are up to it."

Ruth was speaking of her father, who still lived in her home-I f !i Jtown of Coleman, Minnesota. They hadn't seen each other since

11 j]|the war broke out.

I [[[l1."I need to write to him," Lorri mentioned.

"''"He would enjoy that."

"What can I do to help?"

"It's all done. I'm just about to call Max and Dean." "Where are they?"

"Your grandfather had a phone call to make, and Max took Buddy outside."

"I haven't seen Buddy!" Lorri suddenly realized, and was off the stool and headed for the door.

Not caring that she now had three people to bring to the table, Ruth put the meal on and then rang the little dinner bell Josie had given her as a joke one Christmas. Joke or not, it did the trick. The family appeared, the girls crowding into the powder room to wash their hands and Dean taking a seat at the head of the table.

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Ruth had to reposition the table so the four of them could sit around it, pleased that it would stay that way for some time.

It was a surreal moment for all. Months had passed and turned into years. Lorri was back, but not Josie. The three sat for a moment waiting for Dean to bow his head, but when he did, he said nothing. Tears clogged the admiral's throat, and he couldn't swallow past them. Time passed and people sniffed in an effort to control themselves.

At last Dean managed four words. "Thank you, Father. Amen," he said in a hoarse whisper that freed the occupants of the table to look up and find others with swimming eyes.

"This won't do," Ruth said briskly, forcing herself to sit up a little straighten "Now, Dean, if you'll carve that bird, we'll have a hot meal."

"Yes, ma'am."

Bowls were passed, and all worked to stem their emotions. When Lorri had her first bite, she laughed softly.

"I think the men aboard the
Every Storm
would envy me now."

"What's the
Every Storm?"
Max asked before she thought, but Lorri didn't seem to mind.

"The PT boat that rescued me."

I Max's eyes got huge, but she stopped herself from any more |,i questions. Lorri didn't seem to notice.

'fThis is delicious, Mother," Lorri said.

"Thank you, dear."

"What, Max," Lorri asked between bites, "no other questions?"

"Well," she answered, her voice quiet with distress, "I didn't [Want to ask anything I shouldn't."

Si Lorri put her fork down and looked at her family. They looked : at her, knowing they were all treading on new ground.

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Lori Wick

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"Have you all decided that I can't be questioned?" Lorri asked quietly.

"We didn't want to be insensitive," Ruth answered, and Lorri nodded.

"I do appreciate that, but you can ask me if you want to know something."

"All right," Ruth said.

The four went back to their meal, and surprisingly, Dean was the one to break the silence.

"Why don't you tell Max about the head on the PT boat?"

Lorri smiled. "You've never seen anything so small, Max. It made the powder room look like a dance hall."

"And was there only one?"

"No, there was also one for the crew."

"Where did you sleep?"

"In the officer's quarters."

"Where did they sleep-the officers?"

"Well, Lieutenant Riggs slept in there too, but Ensign West-land moved in with the crew. At least I think that's how it was. I was a little dazed during that time."

"You slept in with the lieutenant?" Max asked, her voice speaking volumes.

"He hung a blanket," Dean told her, his voice dry.

"Did he tell you about that?" Lorri asked Dean, surprise in her voice.

"Yes." His voice was still dry.

Ruth was quiet during all of this, certain that the details would be emerging over quite some time and trying not to think about having to tell Max the hard part.

Lorri spooned cranberry sauce onto her plate.

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"I didn't think you could even buy cranberry sauce at this time of the year," Dean commented.

"You spend so much time in the grocery store," Ruth teased him gently, smiling when he laughed.

No more questions came up at the table. Lorri couldn't eat all she'd put on her plate but didn't worry. As she helped with the dishes, she was already planning on a turkey sandwich before bed. And maybe a little more cranberry sauce.

Ruth heard the soft knock on her door not long after she'd H climbed into bed. She was still sitting against the headboard with her diary and told whoever it was to come in.

"Mother," Max whispered as she peeked inside. v. "Come in, Max"

Max slipped inside and sat on the edge of the bed. She looked at her mother, not wanting to do anything to make her cry but $o desperate for answers that she couldn't sleep.

"Did Grandpa talk to you? Did he tell you what happened while J) Raine was asleep?" "Yes."

"Can you tell me?"

"Yes, and it was not my plan to keep it from you, but I didn't Jiknow how. to go about it when Lorri was still awake." Max nodded and waited.

"I'm going to keep it brief, Max, for both our sakes," Ruth began, i'ltears already filling her eyes. "There was a storm, and the small i;p/lane they were in crashed on an island, not in the ocean like we 'talked about. Clarence Fuller and Josie were killed immediately.

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Lorri was on the island alone for six weeks before a PT boat stopped I'llfor repairs and found her." A shudder ran over Ruth's frame, but

IIshe made herself continue. "They took her to the base at Seaford,

IIand your grandpa was there. From there it took some time to

arrange passage home."

Max was silent. She had pictured the ocean and not realized the part about an island, but it made such sense:

"So Josie, I mean, her body, will just stay on the island?"

Ruth nodded, not able to speak. I"What island was it?"

"I'm not sure it even has a name."

Max looked confused, and Ruth waited.

"So did Lorri have to bury Josie and the pilot?"

Ruth could only nod.

I'llThe younger woman's face crumpled with grief and tears, and

Ruth reached for her daughter. Max sobbed against her mother's nightgown, certain that she had never known such pain. IFor long minutes they clung to each other, trying to weather

this new blast of grief and live to tell about it. Imagining all that Lorri had been through was dreadful, but the sudden thought of asking details of her was so abhorrent that neither one could even conceive of that.

"Here," Ruth handed Max a tissue, "blow your nose."

Max sat up, eyes red and puffy, and used the tissue. She took some long, shuddering breaths and realized her headache was back.

"I couldn't sleep," Max admitted. "I wanted to know, and I couldn't stop thinking about it."

"I know, honey. It's awful, and that's why I didn't want us to press Lorri to tell us."

"Does she know that we know?"

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"I'm not sure she's thought about it one way or the other. As you can tell, she's still not herself." Max nodded.

"Your grandfather told me that she's more filled out now than when he first saw her."

"She had a sandwich before she went to bed," Max reminded her mother, trying to be hopeful.