Page 5 of The Flyboy's Girl
“They’re probably in one of their bedrooms with earbuds in and didn’t hear us come in,” I say as we head upstairs in search of the girls. “Zoey? Alana? We’re home!” I call as we reach the second floor.
Nothing.
Checking both of their bedrooms, we find them empty as well.
As panic starts to build, Mark’s voice booms through the second floor as he calls out one more time, “Zoey, Alana, where are you?”
“Up here!” Alana replies finally hearing us call for them.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Mark and I look at each still confused but greatly relieved. “In the attic,” Zoey clarifies.
Making our way up the stairs and into the attic, we find our daughters sitting on the floor, various items strewn around them. “There you are, you girls almost scared us to death when we couldn’t find you,” I chide as we step further into the attic.
“Sorry,” Zoey grimaces, “we didn’t hear you come in from up here.”
Looking around, Mark asks, “What are you two doing up here anyway?”
“Alana and I were discussing her dress when I remembered seeing a box of patterns up here when we got the fall decorations down. So, we came up here to see if we could use any of them for her dress.”
“That’s a great idea,” I reply. “Your Grandma would love that you are using them. But what’s with all this over stuff?”
“While we were looking for the patterns, we found this old box of photos,” Alana says as she holds up the box.
“I don’t remember ever seeing this one, do you Mark?”
“No, must be one of your parents’ that they left behind.”
“I don’t know who this is,” Zoey says looking at one of the old photos, “but she was beautiful. She kind of looks like you Mom,” she says handing me the picture.
Taking the picture from her, I look closely at it with Mark looking on over my shoulder. “There is a family resemblance,” he says as I flip the picture over.
Seeing the date on the back,October1941, it dawns on me who it is, “It’s Grandma Ruby.”
“Really? She’s beautiful. No wonder the girls thought you looked alike.” Mark says as he kisses my cheek, making me smile. “October 1941, that would have been a few months before the United States declared war on Japan and joined in World War II.”
“Oh yeah,” Zoey says. “We studied that last year in my American History class. The attack on Pearl Harbor is what launched the United States involvement in World War II.”
“That’s right, Zoe,” Mark says. “Nat, did you have relatives involved in the war?”
“My Great-Grandfather was in the Navy and I think both of Grandma Ruby’s brothers fought in it.”
“Who’s this with her in the picture Mom?” Handing me the picture, Alana asks, “Is that Grandpa Calvin?”
Looking at the picture, I say with both certainty and confusion in my voice, “No, that’s definitely not Grandpa Calvin.”
“Then who could it be?”
“I don’t know, but I know how we can find out.”
Excited at the thought of solving this mystery, they ask in unison, “How?”
“We’ll go to the source.”
