{"id":1071,"date":"2019-02-10T22:07:47","date_gmt":"2019-02-11T03:07:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/read.whitefire-publishing.com\/?p=1071"},"modified":"2020-06-01T09:06:59","modified_gmt":"2020-06-01T13:06:59","slug":"as-time-goes-by","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whitefire-publishing.com\/read\/as-time-goes-by\/","title":{"rendered":"As Time Goes By"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As Time Goes By<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

by Melody Carlson<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1942 San Francisco, war has touched every part of the Mulligans\u2019 lives. With their brother killed at Pearl Harbor, their father recovering from tuberculosis, and their eldest sister a nurse in the Army, those at home are left to keep on, wondering if it\u2019s possible to thrive\u2026or only to survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pragmatic Margaret struggles with the gap between the dreams she\u2019d always fostered of married life and the reality of having a husband an ocean away\u2014combined with the concerns for the family store in uncertain times. Colleen has always been considered the superficial sister, but when a chance at her dream of Hollywood makes her second-guess her hopes and tragedy shakes her to her core, her family<\/a> sees a side of her they never expected. Molly, always the hopeful one, dedicates herself fully to the war effort at home\u2014but can all the optimism in the world guard her against harsh reality? Who can she talk to when troubles come?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each of the Mulligan sisters must do her part to keep the family going\u2014and each must find her own new place as the world shifts under their feet and time goes by.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t

Chapter 1<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

May\n1942<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After six weeks of training and hard\nwork, Colleen Mulligan finally felt like she could hold her own at the airplane\nfactory. Or almost. It\u2019d helped that she\u2019d been befriended by a well-respected\ncoworker during her first week. Audrey Lyons was not only accomplished at her\njob, she was big and tall\u2014and tough enough that no one, not even the men, gave\nher much flack. But she was also bossy. That, Colleen decided, was the price\nshe had to pay for her alliance with Audrey. And when Audrey got the management\nposition in their department, Colleen appreciated their friendship even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the most part, Colleen liked her\njob. She\u2019d learned a lot about aviation electronics, and working on airplane\ninstrument panels kept her busy enough that the days passed quickly. The pay\nwasn\u2019t bad either. But sometimes, like this morning when she\u2019d suffered a\npainful burn from a careless coworker\u2019s soldering iron, Colleen seriously\nquestioned why she\u2019d chosen to be a factory worker\u2026especially when she considered\nhow she could\u2019ve been an officer\u2019s wife instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On days like today, it wasn\u2019t hard to\nimagine living in a naval housing unit in San Diego. Sure, Geoff wouldn\u2019t be\nthere with her, and she would miss her family. But compared to her demanding\njob at this factory, being a housewife was sounding more and more like a life\nof leisure. She could envision herself as a stylish sort of housewife,\nhobnobbing with other officers\u2019 wives, volunteering at the USO from time to\ntime\u2026 Perhaps she\u2019d even learn to play bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019re you daydreaming about?\u201d Audrey\nelbowed her as she sat down at the lunch table, causing Colleen\u2019s forearm to\nthrob all over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOuch!\u201d<\/em>\nColleen scowled as she showed Audrey her bandaged arm. \u201cTake it easy, will you?\nSome of us are injured.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Audrey\u2019s pale brows arched. \u201cWell, if your\nburn is that bad, you should go home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that<\/em> bad.\u201d Colleen grimaced as she opened her lunch sack. \u201cBut\nthanks for caring, boss.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet me guess, you\u2019re fantasizing about\nyour fianc\u00e9 flyer again, aren\u2019t you?\u201d Audrey rolled her eyes dramatically.\n\u201cProbably romanticizing the idea that while you\u2019re in here building the planes\u2026\nLieutenant Lover Boy is out there flying them over the South Pacific, shooting\ndown the Zeros.\u201d She chuckled. \u201cYou really should be in the movies, Hollywood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colleen was used to her \u201cHollywood\u201d\nnickname by now. Audrey had given it to her on her first day at the plant. All\nbecause Colleen had been wearing a pretty silk scarf, dark glasses, and red\nlipstick when they\u2019d initially met outside the building. Unfortunately, most of\nthe other girls, and some of the men, had picked up on the nickname. So to\navoid conflict, Colleen usually just played along. Even now, with her aching\narm, she held her chin high as she gave a little up-pat to the back of her\nhead\u2014as if it was a stylish do, instead of a faded blue bandana wrapped around\nher blonde pin curls. \u201cThanks, darling. I couldn\u2019t agree more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo I\u2019m right then. You were<\/em> daydreaming about Lieutenant Lover\nBoy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe I was\u2026.\u201d Colleen smiled coyly.\nShe\u2019d already seen a photo of Audrey\u2019s husband Harry. With his chubby cheeks\nand receding hairline, handsome he was not. Still she knew Audrey loved him and\nthat was all that mattered. Still, Colleen couldn\u2019t help but singing Geoff\u2019s\npraises from time to time. \u201cAfter all, you\u2019ve seen pictures of my guy. You have\nto admit he\u2019s well worth daydreaming over.\u201d She had no intention of admitting\nshe\u2019d actually been imagining an easier line of work\u2014playing housewife on the\nSan Diego Naval Base. Not to Audrey anyway. It was okay to be teased for being overly\nglamorous, which seemed a further and further stretch, but she didn\u2019t want to\nbe laughed at for being \u201cweak.\u201d Not in this crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Audrey tipped her head to one side as\nshe noisily chewed a bite of apple. \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to mention this, Hollywood.\u201d She lowered\nher voice. \u201cBut there may be an opportunity for a glamour girl like you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d Colleen stopped peeling waxed\npaper from her sandwich. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI mean you should probably come to\nwork looking your best tomorrow.\u201d She pointed to Colleen\u2019s cheek. \u201cAnd maybe\ncheck your face from time to time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colleen grabbed her factory bag, which\nwas really just an old purse big enough to carry her lunch and a few other necessities.\nShe quickly removed a worn compact and examined her image in the mirror. Sure\nenough, she had several ugly black smears of soot or grease. In her early days\nof work here, she\u2019d taken more care with her appearance. But it wasn\u2019t long\nbefore she realized it was pointless. She didn\u2019t even bother with lipstick\nanymore. Not with rationing making petroleum products more scarce. She planned\nto save what she had for more important occasions. Like playing bridge with the\nofficers\u2019 wives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colleen peered curiously at Audrey as\nshe used a napkin to wipe the smudge from her cheek. \u201cWhat are you talking\nabout, anyway? What kind of opportunity?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t say.\u201d Audrey glanced around\nthe noisy lunchroom. \u201cJust make sure you look your best tomorrow.\u201d She held up\na finger. \u201cBut in an appropriate-for-work sort of way, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay\u2026\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Audrey pointed at Colleen\u2019s sore arm.\n\u201cIs that burn pretty bad?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot really. Just painful. The nurse\nsaid it probably won\u2019t leave a scar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWear long sleeves tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight, boss.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI heard it was Bernice who did it.\u201d Audrey\nnarrowed her eyes slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWas it really an accident?\u201d she\nwhispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colleen shrugged. She had her own\nsuspicions but wasn\u2019t about to voice them\u2014not even to Audrey. She knew enough\nabout factory politics to know it was usually best not to get involved. She\nalso knew Bernice Wagner\u2019s father was in management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, rumor has it that Bernice has\nbeen jealous of you. And it\u2019s not work related.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colleen shrugged again, then took a\nbite of her liverwurst sandwich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt started out as soon as you were\nhired.\u201d Audrey chuckled. \u201cYou knocked her down from the top honors as the factory\nglamour girl. At least, she thought she was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBernice is a very pretty girl,\u201d\nColleen said brightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, you better keep your eyes wide\nopen,\u201d Audrey warned. \u201cA burn on the arm is one thing, but if Bernice ever\nwaves that soldering gun in your face, you better make a run for it, Hollywood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colleen forced a smile as she\nswallowed. \u201cI\u2019ll keep that in mind.\u201d The truth was the same thought had\noccurred to her in the infirmary today. Bernice was probably a girl to watch\nout for. Just one more reason Geoff\u2019s proposal was growing more and more\ntempting. Colleen wondered when his next leave was due.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margaret Hammond rejoiced when she\nfinally started to fill out the maternity clothes she had meticulously begun\nsewing shortly after she discovered she was \u201cin the family way.\u201d Mam and\nColleen had teased her for donning the new garments so early in her pregnancy,\nbut Margaret had simply felt more comfortable in them. Especially at work. The\nloose cotton dresses might not be stylish enough for Colleen\u2019s tastes, but they\nsuited Margaret just fine. They didn\u2019t even look too bad with her grocer\u2019s\napron on top of them. And several of her customers had inquired as to where\nshe\u2019d gotten them, making her wonder if there might be a future in sewing\nmaternity dresses for sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, she always made sure that\nher wedding ring was clearly visible for the sake of her more curious<\/em> customers. Not that anyone had\nquestioned her pregnancy or her marriage to Brian. But some were aware that the\ncouple had barely been married before the bridegroom shipped out. But that\nwasn\u2019t so unusual these days. And now with Brian so far away, she felt\nexceedingly grateful to be carrying his child. She was also glad to be nearly\nfive months into her pregnancy, with a nicely rounded middle to show off. She\nknew some women went into hiding during their pregnancies. But she had no\nintention of doing anything like that. Like she kept telling everyone, she\nplanned to manage the grocery store right up until the baby came. \u201cAnd then\nI\u2019ll put him to work stacking canned goods like building blocks,\u201d she liked to\njoke with her customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLook how big I am already,\u201d Margaret\nbragged to Mam and her sisters that evening. As usual, they were gathered in\nthe kitchen after the workday, everyone helping to prepare dinner. She patted\nher swollen midsection, which always seemed to be larger by the end of the day.\n\u201cI\u2019ll bet it\u2019s going to be a boy. A big boy too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSit down,\u201d Mam insisted. \u201cTake a load\noff your feet, Mary Margaret.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d Molly pulled out a\nkitchen chair for her. \u201cAccording to Bridget\u2019s nursing textbook, an expectant\nmother shouldn\u2019t be standing all day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, I don\u2019t mind,\u201d Margaret assured them\nas she sat down. \u201cI feel more energetic than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fortunate.\u201d Mam filled the\nteapot with hot water. \u201cWe\u2019ve been so busy since Goto\u2019s Grocery shut down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s for sure,\u201d Margaret agreed. \u201cI\nthink sales have nearly doubled this past month. Although I must admit, it\u2019s\nsad to imagine the Goto family in an internment camp.\u201d She sighed. \u201cThey were\nnice people. And I miss Natsuko. I find it hard to believe they could\u2019ve been a\nthreat to our country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExcept that they are Japanese,\u201d Mam\nsaid soberly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe discussed the internment camps in\nsocial studies this week,\u201d Molly added. \u201cWe decided that, even if it\u2019s unfair\nfor some of the Japanese\u2014the ones who have severed all ties to Japan and really\nconsider themselves to be Americans\u2014they may actually be safer in a camp. So\nmany people hate them\u2026simply because they are of Japanese descent.\u201d She paused\nfrom peeling a potato. \u201cThat would be like hating us because of something\nthat\u2019s going on in Ireland.\nEven though we had nothing to do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mam let out a weary sigh. \u201cI\u2019m afraid\nthat happens too\u2026sometimes. Unfortunately, it is the way of the world. More\nthan ever when we are at war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margaret knew this conversation could\ngo either direction. But she was determined to keep it as positive as possible.\n\u201cAnyway,\u201d she said in a light tone, \u201cI just really think pregnancy agrees with\nme. I hope that Brian and I have at least eight children. I mean, after the war\nends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEight babies?\u201d Mam exclaimed. \u201cYou may\nreconsider after you give birth to your first one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAren\u2019t you sad to lose your figure?\u201d Colleen\nset a cup of steaming tea in front of Margaret, staring at her with a perplexed\nexpression. \u201cI sure would be.\u201d She stood up straight, striking a pose that showed\noff her own perfect shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margaret considered this. \u201cTo be\nhonest, I was a little concerned about that\u2026at first. But I must say, it was a\nhuge relief to stop wearing that confounded girdle.\u201d They all laughed. \u201cI can\nunderstand why mothers let their figures go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell\n<\/em>then.\u201d Mam sounded slightly wounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPresent company excluded,\u201d Margaret reassured\nher. \u201cYou\u2019ve managed to keep your figure, Mam. Even after five children. You\u2019re\ntruly an inspiration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d Mam patted Margaret on the\nhead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The four females continued to chatter\nand joke as they prepared a simple dinner, finally setting it on the kitchen\ntable. They\u2019d taken to eating all their meals in here these past several\nmonths. Besides being easier and cozier, it made it less obvious that some\nfamily members were missing. But as Margaret looked around the table, she couldn\u2019t\nhelp but miss them and long for their return. Although her older brother Peter\nwould never come home again. Not after going down on the USS Arizona<\/em> during the attack on Pearl\nHarbor. But Bridget and Brian, as well as Geoff and Patrick, would come home\nsomeday. At least, she hoped and prayed they would. And then there was Dad, still\nsuffering from tuberculosis. Not so different than the Goto family\u2026 He was\nstuck in an \u201cinternment\u201d camp\u2014actually, a sanatorium in the mountains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margaret sighed as they bowed their\nheads, waiting for Molly to say the blessing, which as usual was positive and\nhopeful and bright. But Margaret knew as well as any of them that the last six\nmonths had taken a mighty toll on the Mulligan family. And although she wanted\nto believe, like Molly did, that life was going to get better for everyone\u2014especially\nwith a baby on the way\u2014sometimes, especially with this horrible war tearing at\nall corners of the world, it was hard to be faithful. Just last week they\u2019d\nheard the news of Germany\u2019s devastating air raids on Great Britain\u2019s cathedral\ncities. Knowing that Brian was in England right now brought no comfort.\nAnd who knew how long it would be until US troops would face the Germans?\nMargaret could hardly stand to think of it!<\/p>\n\n\n