The Homecoming by Dan Walsh

it; he wouldn’t need any of his military pay while he was gone. He suddenly remembered a conversation at dinner the other night. Miss Townsend had said something about losing her job at Child Services. She needed a job; Patrick needed a nanny. She was clearly fond of Patrick, and he seemed to adore her. So much so, that it annoyed Shawn. Elizabeth had always quoted that verse in Romans about God working all things together for good. Maybe Shawn was looking at this the wrong way. Maybe God had brought Miss Townsend into the picture for this very reason. If she agreed to become Patrick’s nanny, that might ease the blow about Shawn being gone four months.
    But where would she live? Certainly not in his father’s house. It was obvious that Dad just barely tolerated her.
    Mrs. Fortini.
    She seemed to really like Miss Townsend, and she had two spare rooms right next door. This might just work, Shawn thought. He took out a sheet of paper and began to hammer out the details.
    Shawn arrived at the Philadelphia station at 8:30 p.m., then rode another train out to Allingdale. Walking home in the bitter cold, he turned onto Chestnut Street forty-five minutes later. He decided to stop by Mrs. Fortini’s first and tell her the plan. If she didn’t agree, there’d be no point in taking it any further.
    He neared the house, glad to find lights on in the living room. Mrs. Fortini as a rule was in bed every night by 9:00. He walked onto her porch and knocked on the door.
    “Who is it?” she yelled through the door.
    “It’s me, Mrs. Fortini. Shawn.”
    “Shawn?” she asked as she opened the door. “Is everything all right?”
    “Everything’s fine, I just had something I need to ask you before tomorrow.”
    “Come in,” she said. “Can I get you some tea? Here, stand over here by the radiator. You want me to take your coat?”
    “No, it’s late; this should only take a few minutes.”
    She still had a worried look on her face. She sat down as Shawn explained the situation. He left out the detail about the Medal of Honor, simply mentioning them giving him a medal, but told her everything else. Her eyes widened with each new segment. When he got to the part about asking Miss Townsend to be Patrick’s nanny, she jumped out of her seat.
    “Shawn, that’s a wonderful idea. I think she will make an excellent nanny. If you could have seen her, the way she cared for him while you were gone. And now that she has no job, I think she will say yes in an instant.”
    “Well, Mrs. Fortini . . . there’s a little catch. That’s really why I’m here. The only way I can see this working is if she could . . . live here with you. I’d pay you room and board,” he added quickly. “Whatever you need.”
    She sat back down on the sofa. “I see.” She was obviously giving it some thought. “How long did you say it would be for?”
    “Right now they’re saying four months. But it is the army.”
    She stood back up. “Then that’s it,” she announced. “Katherine will stay here with me. I’m sure we can make it work. She’s a lovely girl.”
    “Thank you, Mrs. Fortini.” Shawn gave her a hug. “This is such a load off my mind.”
    “Don’t you worry about a thing,” she said as they walked toward the front door. “I can’t believe you’re going to be rubbing elbows with Bette Davis and Greer Garson. Could you get me their autographs?”
    “I sure will. The folder they gave me said Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye are also going to be on part of the tour. I’m not sure which part just yet, but—”
    “Oh, Bing Crosby. I love Bing Crosby. You’ve got to get me his autograph.”
    Shawn laughed. For a moment she looked like a teen girl. “I will certainly try.” Shawn walked out to the porch.
    “When are you going to ask Katherine?”
    “I’m going to talk to my dad right now. If he’s okay with it, I’ll ask her tomorrow. If she says yes, I’ll tell Patrick about it. He’s the one I’m most concerned