The Man Inside the Iron Fence (The Boy in the Woods Pt. 2)

Chapter 26 - Flying Home

October 1942

Helen and Jonathon were in the dining room having dinner. It had been a cold and dreary day with grey clouds racing across the sky, but it was the time of year when the sun was setting earlier, and they could only hear the wind blowing outside, rattling the panes of glass. The chandelier over the table was lit, making the room feel cozy.

"I wish he'd hurry up and get here," Helen said, setting her fork down, her plate still half filled with food. "I'm anxious to see him."

"When I talked to him on the phone, I asked him not to be too late, but I suppose he and Kitty have a lot of catching up to do."

Billy had returned from army training earlier that day, but Jonathon and Helen hadn't gone to the train station to greet him. Helen was now visibly very pregnant, and going out in public was out of the question. Jonathon had considered going without her, but he knew his brother would probably prefer to have some time alone with Kitty. And besides, taking the day off work would mean he wouldn't be able to be home on Sunday when the whole family would be together. He didn't want to miss out on that.

"How long did Billy say he'd be in town?" Helen asked.

"He has three weeks leave before he has to report to his unit, but it took him four days to get here. It may take that long to get to where the unit is stationed."

"So he has less than two weeks," she said quietly.

"That's about right."

She stared at her plate without saying anything, but Jonathon knew what she was thinking. It wasn't enough time when they didn't know how long it would be before they saw him again. Or if you see him again. Jonathon immediately pushed the thought out of his head.

"Do you think he'll ask Kitty to marry him while he's here?" Helen asked.

Jonathon looked up with surprise. "I – I hadn't thought about it."

"Kitty said he hasn't brought it up in any of his letters to her."

"He's been planning on marrying her for a long time, but maybe – maybe things have changed."

"If they don't get married, do you think..." She dropped her head, instead of finishing her thought.

"Do I think what?"

She met his eyes with concern. "I'm worried about them. What if they make a mistake because they're caught up in – everything."

"Kitty wouldn't let Billy go too far – would she?" he asked, wondering if that was her fear.

"No, but when you know it might be the last time you see..."

She dropped her head again, and a stab of jealousy pierced him. He knew she was thinking about Walt.

"If they got married, we wouldn't have to worry about it," she said.

"I'll talk to him and find out what his plans are. If he's not thinking about marriage, it wouldn't hurt to remind him of his responsibility to take care of Kitty."

"That might be best," she said, managing a smile.

The headlights of a car swept across the wall opposite the bay window, and they both turned to look. "That's got to be him," Jonathon said.

He took Helen's arm and helped her up. She was big enough now that she was no longer able to get out of chairs without a struggle.

"Billy sure is going to be surprised when he sees me," Helen mused while they headed into the hallway.