( SACRIFICE )

EDITH HAD THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE A NORMAL DAY. She had woken up at the regular time, got up, did her hair, then ate breakfast while the curls set. Knowing that she needed more milk and eggs, she had gotten dressed after she finished her food, taking out the tools that set her hair and made her way over to the Finch's so ask if they needed anything. Rupert grabbed the list that was most likely pinned to their fridge, along with some money to help pay for the groceries. 

Edith decided to work on some of the sewing that she was working on, threading a needle with navy before grabbing the slacks that had to be patched. She hummed while she worked, glancing at the time every so often to see how much has past. Edith was hoping that today would go by quickly. And, logically, she knew that time would pass by slower if she kept looking at the clock, but she couldn't help herself. She was excited about tomorrow.

Since Connie and her had been talking a little bit, as she was making sure she had a list of her own to buy, the phone had rang and the brunette was asking if she would like to go to lunch with some of her friends and her. Since Steve was not going to be home until the next day, she agreed. 

Edith had been on a couple of these get togethers over the time that Steve had been away. Connie was nice, along with her friends Dorothy, Colette, and Francis. With the amount of products on her list, Edith was glad that Connie had told her that they were planning to meet up soon. Edith wouldn't have to struggle to open her door until later. So, with that in mind, she left her apartment, making sure she had her money and the stuff Mr. Finch had given her, locking the door behind her and hurrying down to the street. 

As she walked, she tied her jacket's belt tightly around her waist and smiled at the passer-bys. The fact that she was seeing Steve soon made her feel lighter, excitement settling into her stomach and making it fill with butterflies. He was coming home soon, even if he was going to get shipped off after. It made her beam at the next person to walk past her, which resulted in him looking over his shoulder in confusion. 

She met Connie and Dorothy in front of the cute, little cafe they usually went to. The shop owner had claimed he had been to Paris and was trying to mimic the feeling of the cafes on one of the streets. Edith didn't know if he was lying or not, but the tea was good and the cupcakes even better. And, because of her mood, Edith decided that she was going to indulge with her lunch and get a vanilla one with pale pink icing down beautifully on top. 

Once seated at a table for five, her coat hanging on the back of her chair, the three girls kept the conversation casual as they waited for Colette and Francis. Connie asked about Bucky, though Edith was sure to shrug and tell her that he scarcely wrote her, despite the fact that she got a letter from the Sergeant as often as Gordon. Bucky and her got along really well whenever it was Steve, her, and him, the two of them falling into a rhythm of banter that even had Steve blinking as they talked. It was really because of how sweet the guy was, especially when they were all at Bucky's home and he had offered to braid her hair to keep it out of her face. 

Edith is pretty sure that Bucky is the best person to braid her hair. It was the best braid she had ever gotten. And when she told him this, he had blushed and explained that he had done his sister's hair whenever his mom didn't have time to do it in the morning because of work. That just made Edith's heart swell and she couldn't help but smile largely at the man. It wasn't quite the beaming, soft smile she reserved for Steve, but it was a smile all for Bucky. 

Colette and Francis showed up soon after Connie and Dorothy told Edith about a double date they were on, Edith gushing when she was told Dorothy's date had been an excellent swing dancer and knew a few tricks that kept her laughing and smiling throughout the whole date. When the girl had explained that she's pretty sure the guy was the love of her life, Connie shifted uncomfortably and stared out the window for a moment. 

That's when she noticed Francis and Colette come in and smiled widely. Then, the girls were talking about coffee and tea and the cupcakes and some of the stories in the newspaper about the war. And, the war got Colette talking about her husband that was already shipped, but it also got the girls focusing on Edith. 

"So, we heard your Steve was finally recruited! That's great," Francis smiled. She was a beautiful blonde who had the body of a movie star. Said she almost was one too, but her teeth were a little too crooked to be like Clara Bow. 

"Yeah! He's been in basic for the last couple of months, but he's coming home tomorrow! I'm so excited to see him!" Edith smiled, knowing she was beaming because of the way her face was starting to hurt a little from smiling so widely. 

Connie gave her a look, "Does it ever bug you that he's... I don't know... smaller? He's never going to be able to carry you into the house on your wedding night, does that not make you upset?"

Dorothy shared a look with Colette, but Francis was nodding along in agreement. Edith knew where they were coming from, that dream that every girl had about a woman finding a husband that was strong, handsome, and could take care of her and their children. Edith had no doubt that Steve would provide when he needed too, and him being small wasn't a problem. In fact, it was kinda refreshing to not have men flexing at her. Plus, she barely had to lean up to kiss him. 

"No, it doesn't," Edith told her, playing with the wrapper the cupcake had been in. It was a pale pink to match the icing, and there was still a bit of the baked good clinging to the edge. "Steve is one of the sweetest men I know and he's so good. If I have to sacrifice not being carried into my home on my wedding night for someone who will truly love me, I don't see how that really is a sacrifice." 

"Well," Francis smiled embarrassed with Connie, "I would still get him to put a babe in you before he goes off to war. You don't know if a man that small will be coming back." 

Edith shifted uncomfortably at the thought. She couldn't imagine her Steve not fighting tooth and nail to get back to her. He had promised. And she was going to make sure he kept that promise, even if she had to storm into a Nazi base and pull him out by the tip of his ear. Hitler could just try and stop her. 

The sound of glass shattering pulled Edith from her thoughts, all five girls turning to see what was once a glass pitcher of water now all over the floor, glass littering in the area. Edith and Colette got up to help, Connie and Dorothy passing over their napkins to help with the spill. Francis was looking around for a broom of some sort to help with the glass, while the other patrons went back to their tea and pastries. 

The rest of their lunch went on without incident, the girls laughing and talking about the gossip around their neighborhoods, the stars in the picture shows. Connie was going to purchase a new pair of shoes after she was done there, her old Oxfords worn and ready to be replaced. Everyone else was going home or running some kind of errand. And when they had decided to call it for their meal and gossip, Edith was a little surprised when each girl pulled her into a short hug before they were splitting up to go their own ways. 

Edith made her way back to Brooklyn, knowing there was a shop on the corner of a street that was pretty good with prices on their stock. She made sure to have her list handy as she made her way through the store, picking out what she needed with the stuff that Mr. Finch had given her on his list. Soon enough, she had two heaping bags hugged to her chest, calling out a thank you over her shoulder to the store attendant that held the door open for her. 

The street wasn't too crowded, thank God, and Edith started making her way back to her apartment building so that she could deliver the groceries and put away her own. Distantly, she could hear the sound of what could have been gunfire, but was probably a car backfiring on the street. Edith smiled as she walked, humming lowly to herself with the sounds of the city around her. Which, listening to it, the cars were honking more than usual. 

A yellow taxi cab sped down the street, way over the speed limit. Edith stopped and turned to look, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked on. Was it also in the wrong lane? Edith hoped that nobody was getting hurt and that the police were taking care of it. 

A shriek left her mouth when suddenly someone jumped over the fence that was in the mouth of the alleyway to her left. Her bag fell from her arms, landing on the sidewalk with a thud, Edith just barely managing to grab a hold of the Finch's own bag. She watched as the blonde man ran out into traffic, yelling whoa whoa whoa at the driver's as he started to run through the street. Edith continued to stare at him, watched him run faster than any man she had ever seen, thinking about how somehow he was so familiar. 

She was sure she had heard that voice somewhere. 

Edith stood, watching him run faster than some of the cars on the road, before he turned the corner and was out of her sight. A man helped her pick up the dropped bag, Edith thanking him with a bright smile, glad that she hadn't needed eggs. Though, there was a nagging feeling telling her that she should follow that man, whoever he was. Only because of how familiar he really was to her, with his ashy blonde hair and his voice. 

He reminded her of Steve. Which, Edith shook the notion from her head about following him. The man reminded her of Steve and that's why she wanted to chase after her. He was too tall and muscular to be him, but she was excited and missing him that any blonde man was going to remind her of him, she decided. So, she kept the trek to her place, picking up her speed so that she could get home and wait for the newspaper to come out. 

He was obviously chasing something bad, with the determined set of his shoulders and how fast he was pushing himself. There was definitely going to be some kind of story about it and she was going to read about it as she waited for Steve. Then, she would show him the paper and ask for his thoughts. And maybe hug him. Forever. 

She really did miss Steve, gosh. 

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steve, steve, steve. he didn't even notice edith on the street. his sorry fell upon deaf ears because she was staring at him, and he was off before he could really get a good look at her. and before edith could really get a good look at him. 

next chapter, edith is going to be introduced to this new steve!