Hello There, Soldier

Maryland: February, 1945

It had been a few weeks since Josie had gotten home and it still seemed like a dream to her. She had convinced herself while in France that she would never be back and now that she was it was hard for her to adjust. Instead, she busied herself with work. It was the only thing that seemed to keep her levelheaded. She had settled into a small apartment not far from her office and with the help of Frank's wife, Susan she had even gotten a few things together for the baby.

Josie had stopped off at the market after work to pick up a few things. Her ever growing belly seemed to be getting in the way more and more as she juggled the bag of groceries in one hand and tried to unlock her door with the other. The matter was made worse when she began to hear the loud ring of her telephone from the other side of the door. Finally managing to get inside, Josie dropped the groceries off on the table by the door as she rushed over to answer the phone.

"Hello?" She spoke into the receiver slightly out of breath from the ordeal.

"Josephine, darling. How are you?" Josie smiled as she heard her mother's voice. They had spoken a few times since she had returned but Josie had been putting off actually going to see her family. The idea of it alone felt to overwhelming at the moment.

"I'm well, mama."

"I thought you were going to come visit." And there it was just like every other conversation they had so far.

"I got busy with some work here. I'm actually going to be staying in Maryland." She tried to explain. There were only so many excuses she could use.

"With the Army?"

"No, I finished my time with the WAC but I was offered work with the War Department and I've just been trying to settle in there." It was the cover story she had been told to use and the lie seemed to flow easily from her.

"You left the army? But you loved it so much." Colette's concerned voice asked.

"Things change, mama." She said sadly in response.

"Do these changes have anything to do with a Sargeant Callahan?" Josie froze at the sound of his name. Her mind didn't know how to process the fact that her mother knew about Joe.

"What? How did you...?" She questioned in disbelief.

"A letter arrived for you at the house from him. I was going to hold onto it until I saw you but I guess I can just forward it along now. Is there anything you want to tell me?" The knowing hint in her voice told Josie that her mother already had her suspicions.

"Yes." She spoke quietly before gathering her courage. "I met and married a soldier while I was overseas." Josie got out quickly and wasn't surprised by the loud gasp of shock from the other line.

"Oh my goodness! This is so exciting! I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Her mother began to rant.

"There's more." Josie said as she waited for Colette to calm down. She had thought a lot about what to tell her family and this had been her best option. Even if Joe wanted nothing to do with her when he came home she could tell her family that her husband was killed in action and just continue on as just another war widow. "I'm going to have a baby and that's why I had to resign my position within the Army."

"My baby is going to have a baby. When?"

"Next month." Josie said and squeezed her eyes closed as if to prepare for the verbal onslaught she was sure to receive.

"And you're just telling me all this now? If I hadn't asked about this Sargeant Callahan would you have ever told me?" The hurt was clear in Colette's voice. They had always been close when Josephine was growing up so for her to keep so much from her mother had hurt Colette deeply. Little did she know how much her daughter was actually forced to keep from her.