Jonathon had just opened the window in his office to let in the warm, late April air when Mrs. Gibson walked in.

"Mr. Blackwell, the mayor is on the phone."

"He is?" Jonathon said with surprise, heading to his desk. From the look of concern on Mrs. Gibson's face, she knew how unusual it was for the mayor to be calling too. He lifted the receiver as he sat at his desk.

"Mayor Shaw, this is Jonathon. What can I do for you?"

"I have news. I found out this morning the town has lost our first casualty in the war."

"Who is it?"

"It's Abe Dwyer's boy, Walt"

"Oh, my god," Jonathon said. Mrs. Gibson stepped closer, covering her mouth with her hand.

"I understand you and Mary attended school with him," Mayor Shaw said.

"Yes - we did." Does Helen know? "I didn't realize he'd gone to fight."

"I heard he was among the first who volunteered. He was on a supply ship heading for Hawaii when it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Only forty men survived."

"That's terrible." Poor Walt, he thought. What a horrible way to die.

"There's going to be a funeral on Friday. I'm calling all the business and town leaders. I'd like us all to attend as a sign of unity and support."

"Yes, of course I'll be there."

"Thanks, Jonathon. I know Walt won't be the last boy we lose, but this will be a shock to the community. We have to do what we can to keep up morale."

"I understand. I'll see you at the service."

He hung up the phone and slumped back in his chair.

"What did he say?" Mrs. Gibson asked, coming closer.

"Abe Dwyer's son was killed in the war. He was on a ship that was sunk by the Japanese."

"Oh, no!"

"Clear my schedule for Friday. I'm going to the funeral."

"Yes, sir."

"And you can let the others in the office know."

"Should I order flowers to be sent from the company?"

"Yes, that's a good idea."

"Alright." She headed out of the office.

"Close the door on your way out."

"Yes, sir," she said pulling it behind her.

Jonathon turned his chair to face the window. It was unbelievable. Walt was dead. As the implications of what that meant settled over him, his heart swelled even though he knew it was wrong. With Walt gone, he had another shot at winning Helen's heart.

He shook his head and turned back to his desk. He shouldn't be thinking such thoughts. Helen had to be devastated right now. They'd been in love after all. It would be a while, maybe a really long time before she'd get over her grief. He pulled the production report he'd been reading towards him, determined to put Helen out of his mind. With the mine operating at maximum capacity, he had more than enough to deal with. He couldn't afford to get distracted.

She'd be at the funeral on Friday, and when he saw her, he'd get a feel for how she was dealing with the loss. He'd offer his help and friendship, he'd do what he could to support her through her grief. But at the same time, he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away. When she was ready to love again, he'd make sure he was the only fellow around.

When Jonathon arrived home that night, Billy came down the stairs with his hands in his pockets. "Hi, Johnny," he said quietly, and Jonathon noticed the sadness in his eyes.

"You heard about Walt."

"Yeah. Principal Petersen had the school assemble in the gym and then he made the announcement. Everyone was pretty shocked. A bunch of girls started crying."

"The mayor wants the town leaders to attend the funeral on Friday. I'll be attending, and I want you to come too."

"Oh-kay," Billy said slowly, his brow furrowing.

"We'll be there representing the business," Jonathon explained.

"I thought we'd go because he was our friend."

"Well - that too," Jonathon said, turning his back to his brother as he put his fedora in the closet. When he turned back, Billy looked like he was about to say something, but then his shoulders dropped as he let out a sigh. "Let's eat, okay?" Jonathon said, and Billy headed down the hallway without comment.

Annie was setting out the last of the food when they entered the dining room. Her face was blotchy and it was clear she'd been crying.

"Are you alright, Annie?" Billy asked.

She nodded and pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket. "I can't believe the news about Walt. He was such a nice fellow. It's hard to understand how that could have happened to him."

"Have you spoken to Helen?" Jonathon asked.

"I haven't had the chance," she said, dabbing her eyes. "I was going to see her after work tonight."

"Have James drive you. He can put your bike in the trunk.

"Thank you!" Annie said, her body slumping with relief.

"She needs all her friends at a time like this."

"Yes, she does," Annie said sadly, and then left through the butler's pantry.

Jonathon noticed Billy was studying him quizzically. "What does Helen have to do with Walt's death?" he asked.

"Walt was the fellow Helen was seeing."

Billy's face fell. "That's terrible!"

"Yes, it is," Jonathon said grimly, holding his hand out for his brother's plate. As he filled it, his thoughts turned to Helen and how much she must be hurting at that moment.

~~

On Friday, James pulled up to the curb in front of the church where the funeral was being held. A steady stream of people were climbing the steps to the entrance, and while he waited for the car door to be opened, Jonathon scanned the crowd, looking for Helen.

"There sure are a lot of people," Billy said with wonder beside him. ""It looks like everyone in town is here."

"Probably everyone in town knew him, or Mr. Dwyer."

The vestibule was crowded with people speaking in hushed voices. Those nearest the door turned to look when the brothers stepped inside.

Mayor Shaw worked his way through them and approached Jonathon. "Good to see here," he said, shaking Jonathon's hand. As soon as he let go to shake Billy's, Jonathon scanned the people behind him, but he still didn't see Helen.

"I made sure to have the first two rows of pews on the right reserved for us," Mayor Shaw said, and Jonathon reluctantly turned his attention back to him. "You should take your seats now. I expect it's going to start soon."

"Come on, Billy," Jonathon said, and headed forward.

It was a large church, but Jonathon was surprised to see nearly all the pews were already filled. It was a good thing the mayor had reserved them a space, he thought starting down the aisle. His eyes roamed across the sea of people as there were murmurs of 'hello'. There were so many packed tight together, but no matter how much he looked, Helen's blonde curls were nowhere in sight.

She had to be sitting close to the front, he decided, because of her relationship with Walt. He searched the front of the church, but there were too many in the way for him to see, and then his eyes rested on a framed black and white photograph of Walt in a military uniform. It was set on an easel surrounded by flowers up on the altar.

"There's no casket," Billy whispered to him.

In that moment, Jonathon realized Mr. Dwyer hadn't been given Walt's body to bury. Had they not been able to find him? It suddenly made the loss seem even more tragic.

And then he caught sight of Helen. She was in the first pew with her aunt and uncle, the Moores, sitting on either side of her. Annie was sitting next to Mrs. Moore. She'd taken the morning off so she could be with Helen.

As he came closer, he noticed Helen's face was more pale than usual, contrasting against the black dress she was wearing. She was gazing at Walt's picture, her face filled with pain. Her hands fidgeted on her lap, pulling and tugging on the white handkerchief she held. Next to Mr. Moore was Mr. Dwyer in a dark suit. He stared straight ahead, avoiding the picture of his son. He appeared stoic but Jonathon knew what he must be feeling. With Walt gone, he was entirely alone now.

Jonathon had Billy move into the second row of pews, and he took the aisle seat. From there he could keep Helen in his sight, and during the service, he stole glances at her. She wiped her eyes frequently with her wadded up handkerchief, but kept from breaking down completely. Mr. Dwyer didn't move or react in any way the entire time.

When the service was completed, people were directed to go to the church basement where a luncheon was going to be served. Even though Jonathon tried to maneuver closer to Helen as people slowly filed down the aisle, she was soon surrounded by large group of girls and he couldn't get near her.

The tables in the basement were filling quickly, and as Jonathon scanned the large room he sighted Helen. But as he made his way towards her table, he was dismayed to see the mayor waving him over to where he and the other business leaders were sitting. When he got Billy's attention and pointed towards the mayor, Billy's shoulders slumped.

"Some of my friends are here, Johnny," he complained quietly.

"I'm sorry. You're representing the mine today."

Billy let out a breath, but thank goodness he had enough sense to erase the disappointment from his face before they took their seats. While the men at their table talked over town business, the brothers remained silent. Billy was barely able to hide his boredom, and Jonathon was too distracted to follow the conversation.

He'd made sure to position himself so he could see Helen, stealing glances at her though the meal. Sitting between her aunt and uncle again, she appeared to only pick at her food while they chatted with the other people at their table.

Annie hadn't been able to secure a place next to Helen, and it angered Jonathon. They should have let the girls sit together, he thought irritably. It was clear her aunt and uncle weren't paying enough attention to her. They didn't seem to notice the obvious, that she was suffering greatly. They probably didn't care, he fumed. If he was there, he'd have his sole attention on her, doing everything possible to try to ease her grief.

At the end of the meal, Jonathon saw Mr. Dwyer get up from his table and Helen lifted her head, noticing as well. She excused herself from her table and went to him.

Now was his chance.

"Come on, Billy," he said, standing and Billy looked up at him with a mixture of surprise and relief. "We should pay our respects to Mr. Dwyer."

"Oh, yes," Billy said, wiping his mouth while he stood.

"Gentlemen," Jonathon said, nodding to the others.

Mr. Dwyer and Helen were standing close together, speaking quietly, but when they saw Jonathon and Billy approaching, they stopped and stepped apart.

"I'm sorry about Walt," Jonathon said, holding his hand out to the older man.

"We liked him a lot," Billy added. "He was a great fellow."

"Thank you, boys. I appreciate it," Mr. Dwyer said gruffly, giving both of them a firm brief handshake.

Finally, Jonathon could turn his attention to Helen. Her eyes were red and glassy as she looked up at him, and his heart ached, seeing the desolation in them. "I'm very sorry," he said, taking her hand. It was cold, and he put his other hand over it to warm it.

"Thank you, Johnny," she said. Her voice was surprisingly hoarse, and his heart hurt even more for her.

"Do you need anything?" he asked.

She shook her head with her eyes closed, and when she opened them, he could tell she was fighting back tears.

"If you do, just ask. Anything at all, I mean it."

"You can tell Annie," Billy offered. "She'll let us know."

"Thank you - both of you," she said, blinking hard while she looked between the two of them.

By now, people were getting up from the tables. Some had come close to them, but held back, waiting for their chance to speak with Helen, and Jonathon reluctantly let go of her hand.

"We'd better go," he said, even though he didn't want to leave her.

"Bye, Johnny, Billy," she said, managing a small smile.

And then before he knew what was happening, before he could prepare himself, she stepped forward and hugged him tight. He smelled the shampoo in her hair while her warmth enveloped him. It felt wonderful, and then it was gone. Watching her hug Billy, he was desperate to have that feeling back again.

"Your friendship means a lot to me," she said when she'd let go of Billy, her eyes filling with tears as she looked between them. "I'll never forget it," she choked out.

"We'll talk to you soon," Jonathon said firmly. He had to get out of there before he grabbed onto her and never let go. She nodded while she wiped her eyes and then turned to a middle aged woman who was standing near them.

On the way up the basement stairs, Jonathon felt the pull to go back to her increasing with each step. It was wrong to leave her alone when she was suffering so badly. But what could he do, he thought with despair. He was a friend to Helen, nothing more. It wasn't his place to push himself in her life.

"I can't believe Walt's really gone," Billy said quietly, interrupting Jonathon's thoughts. "He was your age, Johnny. He had his whole life ahead of him, and now..." He sighed deeply. "Do you think we're going to lose more friends?"

Seeing the sadness and worry in his brother's eyes, Jonathon put his hand on his shoulder. "I hope not, Billy. I hope not."

~~

All through work the next day, Jonathon couldn't stop thinking about Helen, wondering how she was doing, or reliving the moment she'd hugged him over and over. No matter how many times he'd push the thoughts out of his head, they were back within minutes. On Sunday, it was the same and by noon, he decided he was going to go mad if he didn't see her. He told Mrs. Gibson to take the rest of the day off, and had James take him to the Moore's home.

During the drive, he watched the passing scenery, and reminded himself that he had to be cautious. The last he wanted was to drive her away just when fate had stepped in to give him one last chance with her. Helen was broken hearted over Walt. She wasn't ready to accept him as anything except a friend, and that's what he had to be for her right now.

"I don't know how long I'm going to be," he said when James stopped the car at the curb. "Park over on Main Street and wait for me. I'll find you."

"Aye, sir."

It was a beautiful spring day, warm with a slight breeze that blew puffy clouds across the sky. Walking up the pavement to the porch, he heard birds in the trees and children playing up and down the street, but the Moore's home was quiet. A black crepe paper wreath hung on the front door.

Jonathon removed his fedora before he rang the doorbell, and after a moment, Mrs. Moore opened it. "Mr. Blackwell!" she said, her eyes widening.

"I hope I'm not disturbing your family."

"No, no, not at all. Please come in."

Mr. Moore appeared from the living room with a newspaper in his hand. "Johnny Blackwell!" he boomed out jovially, sticking his newspaper under his arm so he could shake Jonathon's hand. "What brings you here?"

"I'm calling to see how Helen is doing."

Mr. Moore's expression changed to one of seriousness. "Ah, yes. A terrible tragedy - what happened to Walt," he said in a somber tone while he shook his head, but it seemed forced, like he was playacting.

Jonathon worked hard to hide his irritation. "If she's up to seeing visitors, I'd like to talk to her." Mr. Moore looked at Mrs. Moore uncertainly, but Jonathon wasn't going to let that stop him. "You see, there were so many at the funeral, I didn't have the opportunity- "

"Of course, of course!" Mr. Moore said, interrupting him. "She's been in her room all day, it'll be good for her to get out. Irene, why don't you go upstairs and fetch her. Johnny, you can wait in the living room."

Sections of the newspaper were spread across the floral couch and coffee table, and Mr. Moore quickly gathered them up. "You can have a seat here," he said, indicating the now cleaned couch. "She shouldn't be long," he said, and much to Jonathon's relief, he left him alone.

In the silence that followed, Jonathon looked out the picture window. He knew he should feel guilty for not insisting they leave Helen alone. If she'd spent the day in her room, she was probably so grief stricken she wasn't up to seeing anyone. But he couldn't bear the thought of leaving. Now that he was so close to seeing her, to being alone with her, he wasn't strong enough to resist.

"Hi, Johnny."

Helen was standing in the doorway, and all thoughts escaped him as he rose to go to her.

****

I hate leaving it at this big cliffhanger, but as you can imagine, the conversation that's about to follow is quite an important one. A major secret is going to be revealed very soon. Who do you think knows about it already? Does Helen even know? How do you think Jonathon will find out? And when he does, what will his reaction be? I can't wait to hear what you think!

You may recognize the picture of 'Walt' from The Boy in the Woods. When I was looking through pictures of service men to include in chapter 17, as soon as I saw this one, I knew he was my Walt. His name is John Keene, and he was lucky to have survived the war and live to the age of 90. The really crazy thing is, in that picture he actually looks an awful lot like Ricky Nelson who plays his son, Doug. Check it out in the pictures below!

Important News! I have been invited to participate in the Wattpad Block Party - Winter Edition, and I need your help! I want to write a short piece of fiction for all of you dear readers, and I want you to help me decide what to write about. It can be about any of the characters from my stories, or a completely new idea, perhaps something that I can turn into my next story. Let me know what you'd like me to write in the comments below!

And add the Wattpad Block Party - Winter Edition to your library (you can find it in the external link). A whole bunch of Wattpad's most popular authors will be contributing posts and hosting contests!