So far, eleven-year-old Heddy can speak to her late grandmother, Nonni. She meets a mysterious man, Artie, who is living in old Dr. Monroe's house. Her brother has been injured during the war and Heddy feels helpless.

***********************************

True to his word, Daddy helps me gather wood to burn. I bring an arm load of driftwood. Driftwood is different from regular sticks. There's no bark on it because it's been stripped off in the current. It kind of feels velvety under my fingers. It's pretty faded colors, too.

I trudge across the beach and drop what I have where he's dug a shallow trench.

He nods his approval but points towards the dune line. "I thought you wanted a big fire. This won't burn anymore than five minutes. Go grab some bigger pieces. If I'm gonna build a fire, it's gonna be worth my time."

Excitement stirs as I imagine a huge fire, flames shooting way up into the sky. "I'll be right back," I announce as I head towards the dunes further down the beach.

I drag three pieces that are taller than me back towards him. "This enough?"

"Let's go find some together. I'm gonna make you the biggest and best fire you've ever seen."

Daddy holds my hand while we walk. "Anything on your mind, Ladybug?"

I shrug. I know why he's asking. But I don't really want to talk about Willis. I want it to just be him and me tonight. I'm tired of hearing about war and Nazis and bad things happening. Tonight, I want to pretend it's just us and there isn't anybody else around. I love when I get Daddy all to myself. It doesn't happen often.

"Not really," I mumble, suddenly ashamed of myself for such selfish thoughts.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk. Nonni used to say you were an observer not a parrot."

I turn my head to look up at him. "What's that mean?"

"It means you watch and take everything in, you don't just talk without thinking first."

"But what's that got to do with a parrot?"

He laughs. "A parrot repeats what it hears. It doesn't understand what it is saying. Words just come out. I think Nonni was saying you're smart."

That makes me feel good. Nonni was one of the smartest people I know. A lot smarter than Miss Simmons, my teacher, that's for sure.

We walk past the bend, and I sneak a glance at the sky near Dr. Monroe's house. No smoke is coming from the house. Maybe Artie isn't there. I didn't visit him today. After weeding I fell asleep reading my book. Then Momma, Daddy and I played rummy before Momma started on dinner.

"What are you looking for, Heddy?" Daddy looks in the same direction as me.

"Did Dr. Monroe die?" I ask.

"Not to my knowledge. Why do you ask?"

"Well, his daughter come and got him. If he wasn't dying, why couldn't he stay here. He loved it here."

"Well, sometimes it isn't safe to live by yourself. That's when your family has to make a decision about things. That's what family does, if they can."

"I heard Mrs. Collette telling Momma that Dr. Monroe was hollering at his daughter something awful. Made his daughter cry."

"Dr. Monroe is a proud man. He didn't want to have to depend on anyone. Your Nonni was the same. She grew to love living with us, but, let's just say, she could be a very stubborn woman when she wanted to be."

I look back at the high dunes that hide Dr. Monroe's house. A man's silhouette stands against the dusky pink and orange sky. I watch as the glowing end of his cigarette rises to his mouth. I lift my free hand to wave but let it fall. Artie doesn't want anyone to know he's here.

"See a big piece of driftwood?" Daddy asks, turning to look.

"No. I was looking at the sky. It's real pretty."

"My goodness, it sure is."

I look at the spot where Artie had just been standing. No one was there. Just the dark silhouettes of the dancing sea oats. He must have hid when he saw my daddy.

**********************************

The fire had flames of yellow and orange and blue. It was taller than my daddy. We sat in front of it, on an old sheet that Momma uses for picnics in the summer.

"I bet you can see this fire from all the way to the horizon."

"It's a pretty nice fire, if I do say so myself," Daddy says, taking one of the sticks that wasn't on fire and poking it further in.

"Daddy, have you ever told a lie?"

"Ladybug, I try my very best not to lie. But sometimes you have to. I'd be lying to you right now, if I said I'd never lied. I can think of only one man, no, wait, there are two men who never lied. Jesus and George Washington."

"That makes sense. It must be hard not to tell a single lie though, don't you think?"

He looks at me seriously. "I imagine it's very hard."

"So, can I get you to promise to tell me the truth? Do you think Willis will ever come home?"

Daddy looks into the flames and the glow ripples across is face. "I hope so, Heddy, but it's up to God to decide. All you, me and your momma can do is pray."

A piece of wood shifts and a plume of embers shoot towards the sky.

"That's what Nonni said," I whisper.

I scoot over closer to him and his arm comes around me. "God's will be done," he says as he kisses the top of my head. "Isn't that right, Ladybug?"