Evelyn's Tale

-Six-

"Will you quit bouncing up and down like that, you're giving me a headache."

Evelyn turned to give her brother a droll look. After a journey that had taken almost a full day and night, with various train swaps, they were almost home. Eight whole days in Philadelphia. Eight whole days to spend with their family.

As the taxi veered through the familiar surroundings of their neighbourhood, Evelyn had never felt so excited. She was like a kid at Christmas. Despite only having been gone for a few months, she was seeing little things that she had never noticed before. Like the way Meyers convenience store looked like it leaned slightly to one side, or the way the bricks at the beginning of their street were darker than the ones further down. Spotting a familiar face across the street, she wound down the window and stuck her head out.

"Marcie! Marcie! It's me Evelyn," she waved wildly to the redhead who gave the smallest of waves back.

"Sit down, you hooligan," Bill laughed, pulling her back in. "You don't even like Marcie Zimmerman."

"So?" Evelyn shrugged. "Did you see her face?"

Bill shook his head as Evelyn chuckled to herself, the joy plain to see on her face. When the taxi driver pulled up outside their modest two up-two down house nestled in the heart of the street, Bill paid the driver and got their bags out of the trunk.

"Yeah, I don't want any help," he commented, watching Evelyn run up the front steps to the black front door, which still had a small scratch at the bottom where their brother Henry had caught it with his case when he left to join the army. Evelyn waited for Bill to catch up before she slowly opened the front door. Almost instantly, the scent of oregano and cigarette smoke invaded her nostrils, and she smiled fondly. Down the dark yet immaculately clean hallway, the kitchen door was ajar, and they could hear their mother humming along to the wireless.

"I don't know how many times I've told her about leaving the door unlocked," Bill put their bags down by the front door. "I mean we just waltzed right in and she never even noticed. A murderer could walk in here and she'd be dead before she knew what was coming."

"You're so morbid," Evelyn frowned as they walked quietly down the hallway, but when they got to the door she stopped, suddenly and inexplicably nervous. She didn't know why. Her mother had all but given her blessing to Evelyn becoming a medic in the airborne, but she was worried that once her mother actually saw her in her uniform she might change her mind. And the last thing she wanted over this next week was any upset. Who knew when she would see her family again after this? She just wanted to enjoy spending some time with them. "You go first, Bill," she whispered, stepping to the side.

"No, you go first," he nudged her forward gently, but she crossed her arms and shook her head. "Are you telling me you're actually scared to go in there first and see your own goddamn mother?"

"I'm not scared, I'm just-"

"-If you aint scared then getcha ass in there."

"No."

"Oh for god's sake," Bill sighed and pushed open the door. "Momma?"

Augusta Guarnere threw down the tea towel she was drying dishes with and ran towards her youngest son, enveloping him into a warm embrace, tears pouring down her rosy cheeks. When her gaze fell on Evelyn creeping in behind Bill she cried all the more and pulled her into the fold.

"My babies," she whimpered, peppering kisses all over their faces. "Look at you both, so smart in your uniforms. Oh my little darlings. What are you doing here? Why didn't you write and let us know you were coming home? Are you hungry? Of course you must be hungry, what am I thinking'? Or are you tired? Come, come, sit down right now."