Meg swallowed hard. Charlie had made other such statements, but this time he had that far off look in his eyes again. “It could’ve been one of them in my seat as well. Or Jonathan’s or Daniel’s. There’s no way to say how God decided who lived and who did not.”At the mention of God, Charlie’s head whipped around and his eyebrows raised. “Do you think He chose?” he asked. His voice was calm, but there was an air of amusement in it. “Do you think He was looking down at the Atlantic that night and put us into categories of who deserved to make it and who did not?”She put her hands in her lap, absently tugging at the stitches in the hem of her dinner napkin, not sure how to respond. She had little knowledge of Charlie’s religious beliefs except for the few he’d mentioned in a letter from time to time. Since they’d arrived in New York, he had given no indication as to whether or not those s

Meg was reposing on the sofa, in and out of sleep, letting the worries of the day wash over her, sometimes more than one at a time, when an alarming buzzing noise jarred her fully awake. She jerked upright, thankful that she wasn’t on the bottom bunk of the Third Class passenger accommodations any longer or else she would’ve surely knocked herself unconscious on the bunk above her.She looked around the living room and realized the irritating noise was coming from the telephone. A glance at the grandfather clock across the room told her it was past two in the morning. She assumed that meant it must be Charlie calling, and she gathered her wits and crossed to pick up the receiver as Jonathan had demonstrated for her, hoping she reached the device in time.Clearing her voice, she spoke into the piece protruding from the wall. “Yes?” she asked. An operator, she assumed, said something that sounded like, “One moment please,” and then she

Meg had hoped Charlie might feel up to driving, but he had declined stating he still didn’t feel as coordinated as he would like in order to captain a motor coach. It ended up working in her favor anyway, however, since she was able to sit in the back with him, holding his hand, as the driver he introduced as Bix steered them along the streets of New York.She had gone out once a few days earlier with Mrs. Ashton to a dress shop and lunch, though Grace had declined, so some of these buildings looked familiar. However, she truly had no idea if this was the same way they had come or not. She’d been so concerned with leaving a good impression on her soon-to-be mother-in-law, she’d not been paying as much attention as she’d have liked. Now, the top was down on the automobile, and she was able to peer up at buildings that seemed to touch the sky, wondering in awe, and thankful for a multitude of hatpins.“The toy store is just up this way,&rdqu

“How are you?” Kelly asked, ushering them in.Before Meg had a chance to answer, Ruth, who had been playing on the floor nearby, crashed into her knees, nearly knocking her backward. “Aunt Meg!” the little girl shouted, her red curls bobbing about. “You’ve come to visit at last!”“Hello, Ruthie,” Meg said, scooping the child into her arms. “It’s so nice to see you.” She squeezed her as tightly as she dared. “How have you been?”“Good,” Ruth answered, but soon she was wiggling away, her arms outstretched, shouting, “Uncle Charlie!” and Charlie took her out of Meg’s arms, laughing at her excitement.“If it isn’t my little friend, Ruth. Have you seen any dolphins out your apartment window?” he asked, teasing her.“No, silly,” Ruth said, wrapping her chubby arms around his neck. “There’s no water ou

“Are you all right, Meg? You look a bit… green.”It was only slightly amusing to her that Charlie was so concerned about her coloring considering how many times recently she’d been worried that he had no color at all. “I’m fine, darling,” she said, quietly.“I’m sorry what was supposed to be a happy reunion has become so morbid and disconcerting,” Kelly offered. “Let me get you some water.”Before Meg could even respond whether or not she wanted any, a glass was thrust into her hand. She took a slow sip, and she vaguely heard Kelly going on about how lovely it was to have both cold and hot water from a tap in her very own kitchen, though she supposed it wasn’t really her kitchen since they were only living there on Charlie’s good graces, but it was still nice, as was the radiant heat and the bathroom facilities. They’d also met some lovely neighbors with a daughte