to decide what to do. She wondered if she should give Hannah some time alone or if she should go to her. She decided to go to her daughter and slowly climbed the stairs.
Marian thought she would find Hannah sprawled on her bed in tears, but Hannah was sitting on the bed looking out her window. Marian sat next to her and put her arm around Hannah's shoulders.
"I haven't heard from him in six months," Hannah said.
"Has it truly been that long?" Marian said.
Hannah nodded. "I thought something was wrong, but I didn't want to think about it."
"You were both so young when he left," Marian said.
"I wanted to marry him, Mama."
"I know, dear."
"I...wanted to marry him now, before we leave. I thought if I did I could stay here."
Marian sighed. No one was looking forward to leaving.
"That's not a good reason to marry," Marian said. "Marry in haste, repent at leisure."
Hannah looked at Marian.
"I don't want to go to Colorado," she said. Then the tears began to stream down her face.
"I hear it's a beautiful place. The mountains and the sky might inspire you to paint."
Hannah had abandoned sculpture when she lost the contest. Now she and Louise were painting together.
"But it's so far away. I'll never see Louise."
"Perhaps Louise can visit. She'll be graduating, too. Has she made any plans?"
"Mrs. Mason is sponsoring her. Did I tell you she's living with her now?"
"I think you mentioned it."
They sat together for a while and looked at the darkening clouds. A storm was coming.
"Are you all right?" Marian said.
"I'm disappointed," Hannah said. "I thought he loved me."
"But did you love him?"
Hannah thought. When she was younger, she had adored Johnny Liberty, but had she loved him? Everyone at school knew they were "promised," and no boy had ever approached her because they all knew that she and Johnny Liberty had an understanding. Hannah thought that was love.
She had been caught up in the idea of belonging to someone, being someone's sweetheart, and then his wife. The other girls had envied her. Her relationship with Johnny had given her a place in the world, a power she wielded over the other girls. She'd never thought of herself as haughty, but she had enjoyed being betrothed. Maybe a little too much.
"I don't know, Mama."
"Then perhaps it's just as well. This gives you time to sort out your life."
"But I still don't want to go to Colorado."
"None of us do, dear. But it's what we have to do."
"Is that always the way it is, Mama? Do we always have to do things we don't want to do because we have to?"
Marian stood and looked down at Hannah. The girl looked dejected.
"Sometimes we get to do what we want to do. Just not as often."
Marian kissed the top of Hannah's head and left her alone. Supper would be ready soon and she had to find Jimmy. He had gone outside to play stickball with some friends and with the rain coming, she wanted to call him in.
A few days later, Hannah received a letter from John Liberty. She took the letter to her room and sat on the bed. She didn't want to open it at first, but she remembered their friendship and read it.
Dear Hannah,
I know my ma has told you the news of my marriage. I hope you will forgive me for not telling you sooner, but things moved quickly. My new wife, Mandy, is a volunteer at the hospital where I'm working while I go to school. She is a wonderful girl. I didn't mean to fall in love with her, but I did, and I wanted to marry her. Hannah, when I met Mandy, I never dreamed I'd care for anyone but you. We talked about you all the time. She never meant for this to happen, either. She knew I had a girl back home and when I asked her to be my wife she refused at first, out of respect for you, but I couldn't let her go.
Hannah, I hope you find someone like Mandy, someone you can love with your whole heart. I will always think of you as my friend. I hope you can think of me that
Marian thought she would find Hannah sprawled on her bed in tears, but Hannah was sitting on the bed looking out her window. Marian sat next to her and put her arm around Hannah's shoulders.
"I haven't heard from him in six months," Hannah said.
"Has it truly been that long?" Marian said.
Hannah nodded. "I thought something was wrong, but I didn't want to think about it."
"You were both so young when he left," Marian said.
"I wanted to marry him, Mama."
"I know, dear."
"I...wanted to marry him now, before we leave. I thought if I did I could stay here."
Marian sighed. No one was looking forward to leaving.
"That's not a good reason to marry," Marian said. "Marry in haste, repent at leisure."
Hannah looked at Marian.
"I don't want to go to Colorado," she said. Then the tears began to stream down her face.
"I hear it's a beautiful place. The mountains and the sky might inspire you to paint."
Hannah had abandoned sculpture when she lost the contest. Now she and Louise were painting together.
"But it's so far away. I'll never see Louise."
"Perhaps Louise can visit. She'll be graduating, too. Has she made any plans?"
"Mrs. Mason is sponsoring her. Did I tell you she's living with her now?"
"I think you mentioned it."
They sat together for a while and looked at the darkening clouds. A storm was coming.
"Are you all right?" Marian said.
"I'm disappointed," Hannah said. "I thought he loved me."
"But did you love him?"
Hannah thought. When she was younger, she had adored Johnny Liberty, but had she loved him? Everyone at school knew they were "promised," and no boy had ever approached her because they all knew that she and Johnny Liberty had an understanding. Hannah thought that was love.
She had been caught up in the idea of belonging to someone, being someone's sweetheart, and then his wife. The other girls had envied her. Her relationship with Johnny had given her a place in the world, a power she wielded over the other girls. She'd never thought of herself as haughty, but she had enjoyed being betrothed. Maybe a little too much.
"I don't know, Mama."
"Then perhaps it's just as well. This gives you time to sort out your life."
"But I still don't want to go to Colorado."
"None of us do, dear. But it's what we have to do."
"Is that always the way it is, Mama? Do we always have to do things we don't want to do because we have to?"
Marian stood and looked down at Hannah. The girl looked dejected.
"Sometimes we get to do what we want to do. Just not as often."
Marian kissed the top of Hannah's head and left her alone. Supper would be ready soon and she had to find Jimmy. He had gone outside to play stickball with some friends and with the rain coming, she wanted to call him in.
A few days later, Hannah received a letter from John Liberty. She took the letter to her room and sat on the bed. She didn't want to open it at first, but she remembered their friendship and read it.
Dear Hannah,
I know my ma has told you the news of my marriage. I hope you will forgive me for not telling you sooner, but things moved quickly. My new wife, Mandy, is a volunteer at the hospital where I'm working while I go to school. She is a wonderful girl. I didn't mean to fall in love with her, but I did, and I wanted to marry her. Hannah, when I met Mandy, I never dreamed I'd care for anyone but you. We talked about you all the time. She never meant for this to happen, either. She knew I had a girl back home and when I asked her to be my wife she refused at first, out of respect for you, but I couldn't let her go.
Hannah, I hope you find someone like Mandy, someone you can love with your whole heart. I will always think of you as my friend. I hope you can think of me that
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