It couldn't be. Izzy held the slightly crumpled letter in her hands, unfolding it for the fifth time. She blinked as she reread the signature at the end. Rita. She couldn't believe it—she'd actually written her.

Her finger traced the perfectly etched words on the page as she sat in her pajamas on her bed. Rita was getting married. In Hollywood, California of all places—in just two weeks. The smorgasbord of emotions she felt left her exhausted as she folded the letter once again and slipped it back into the envelope.

Closing her eyes, she rested her head back against her wooden headboard. Of course, there was no way she would go. It had all been a farce—a pact they'd concocted to cope with the fact that they'd never see each other again. Rita must've taken it more seriously than the rest of them. Surely, she didn't want to bring the past back into her new happy life.

But, then again, maybe Rita was feeling the same emptiness that Izzy felt. Perhaps, she was suffering from keeping it all inside. It would be a welcome release to talk about what happened with the only people in the world who would truly understand.

It was the end of April, nearly six months since she arrived back home. Janet's wedding had come and gone. She'd attended for Janet's sake, but the whole thing had been a nightmare with Janet's mother's disdainful looks and Lou's careful avoidance.

Unfortunately, the wedding wasn't the only place she felt uncomfortable. It seemed everywhere she went, people she knew made an effort to avoid her. Perhaps, it was just in her head, but she felt like a leper every time she ventured out.

Most days, when she wasn't working at the diner, she stayed in her room and listened to the radio. Wes' voice regularly drifted through her room. She was back to daydreaming about the two of them on the island, and how things might have been if they'd met somewhere other than that place and time.

She also thought of Lou and how she might've thrown away the chance at a perfectly constructed life. She and Lou and Fred and Janet, playing bridge as couples on Saturday nights and taking their kids to the park on Sunday afternoons.

A sharp pain hit her chest as the image of a pink little bundle flashed before her eyes. It was followed by the sound of Francine screaming for her baby, and she brought her hands to her ears, closing her eyes tightly. Go away. Sometimes those awful memories crept up out of nowhere.

Her baby would be around seven months old. Izzy thought back to what Sammy was doing at that age. He'd been a fat, happy baby, sitting on the carpet surrounded by toys. She couldn't breath.

Jumping from the bed, she slid open the curtains and lifted the window. A cool breeze drifted in through the screen, along with the classic sounds of spring. Birds singing, children laughing, and dogs barking. She breathed it all in deeply—fresh cut grass, blooming lilacs, rustic pine—shoving the painful memories back into the dark crevice of her mind.

Long winter months in Michigan always mustered an appreciation for spring. There were times when days would go by without the sun making an appearance. She didn't realize how much she missed the sun until it was spring.

A sharp rap on the door. She quickly hid the letter underneath her mattress. "Come in."

"Isadora." Her mother opened the door, her belly round and large. The baby was due any day. "I'm having a ladies tea this afternoon. I'd like you to take Maria and Sammy to the park for awhile."

"Alright, mother."

Izzy knew that the women who attended her mother's ladies tea had heard the rumors about her. It would be much less awkward for both her and her mother if Izzy wasn't around.

After a shower, a quick change of clothes and breakfast, Izzy and her siblings headed off to the park. It was a lovely day, the wind had a touch of warmth to it that caressed her skin as they walked along the sidewalk. As a child, she'd walked that path so many times she'd memorized every crack and dip in the pavement.

Sammy ran ahead of them, pointing his toy rifle at squirrels as they scurried up the trees. "I'm gonna be a soldier just like Daddy when I grow up, so I can fight all the damn commies," he announced.

"Shush your mouth," said Maria. "You know what Daddy said. You're not supposed to talk about that, or say that word."

"Which one? Damn or commies?"

"Both," Maria and Izzy said together.

With all of the fear spreading in the news about actors and politicians secretly working as communists against the government, no one felt comfortable bringing up the subject.

It made the front page of the newspaper that morning. Her father had taken an extra puff of his pipe as he read it, muttering, "damn commies." Which is where Sammy had picked it up.

The park was on the same street as their house, a few blocks south. Most of the houses that lined the street were small and square. They'd been built quickly after the war when all of the soldiers came home and started their families.

Everyone on the street took pride in their yards, regardless of how small they might be. Red and purple tulips carefully planted in rows created a welcoming feel on one lawn and round and square trimmed bushes lined the walkway of another. Fences were freshly painted and clean and cars were shiny works of art in the driveways.

Growing up, Izzy had always dreamed she would live near her childhood neighborhood, in one of those pristine little houses. Now, she wasn't sure how she could live there for the rest of her life. Everywhere she went she felt their judging eyes on her, even at the diner she'd started to feel the stares.

She needed a fresh start. Somewhere where no one knew her name. Rita's letter crept back into her mind. Rita had moved away. Now she was getting married and starting a new life. She'd escaped her past, perhaps she needed to do the same.

The park laid in a wide open grassy area at the end of the street, nestled in the middle of a patch of tall oak trees that hadn't been disturbed by all the building in the area. She watched Sammy run to the swings, his toy gun swinging in its holster. Maria turned to her with a toothy grin. "Wanna play hopscotch, Izzy? I brought chalk."

Her heart dropped. She couldn't leave them. It would break their hearts, and hers as well.

They spent a few hours at the park, more than enough for her mother's ladies tea to be over. On the way home they ran into Mr. Nelson, one of their older neighbors, walking his dog.

He always carried butterscotch candies in his pocket to hand out to kids in the neighborhood.

"Your mother and father just left for the hospital," he said, handing them each a candy. "Looks like you'll be having a little brother or sister soon."

"Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!" Maria exclaimed, racing towards the house. Sammy raced after her.

Izzy stood, her feet planted to the ground. Numbness spread over her from head to toe and the world turned fuzzy.

"You alright, Izzy?" Mr. Nelson asked.

"Yes," she said robotically, not recognizing her own voice. She brushed her hair from her face. "Yes, Mr. Nelson, thank you."

He put his hand on her shoulder, smiling. "A little bit nervous for your mother, aren't you? She'll be fine. After all, she had the four of you without a hitch."

"Thanks, Mr. Nelson," she said, her feet like lead as she walked towards the house.

A vivid flashback of the pain of labor took over her mind. For a moment, she was back in the stone prison, screaming in agony, certain she would die. Every bit of it felt so real.

When she was able to take back control of her mind, she felt disgusted with herself. She should be worrying about her mother. No—she should be happy for her mother.

Soon there would be a baby. Her mother's baby. A baby that would be cuddled and loved and accepted. A baby whose presence would be an occasion for joy, not consternation and shame.

She stood at the porch steps, her hand to her mouth, tears filling her eyes. No. She couldn't do it. She couldn't be there when the baby came home. There was no way she could see it.

A few hours later, her father returned home, a big smile plastered on his face as he walked through the door.

"The Twiss family just gained one more member!" he announced, his arms spread wide as Maria and Sammy raced up to greet him.

"What is it Daddy?" Maria gushed. " A boy or a girl? Please tell me it's a girl."

"You get your wish, Maria. It's a girl," her father said. "Her name is Jane. Jane Agatha Twiss."

Izzy listened from the sink, her hands in the water, focused on washing the dishes. She looked up and forced a smile, willing herself to be happy.

"When do we get to see her?" asked Maria.

"Your mother and the baby will stay at the hospital for a week, but I'll bring you all to see her tomorrow," her father said. "We'll let your mother get some much needed rest for tonight."

Izzy realized she'd been washing the same dish for a long time. She rinsed it and laid it on the towel to dry. She nodded to a pot on the stove. "I made goulash if you're hungry, Daddy."

Her father kissed her on the forehead. "Now that you mention it, I'm famished. Thank you, sweetheart."

As soon as she could get away, Izzy climbed the stairs to her room. Her heart heavy, she pulled the letter from under the mattress, once again unfoldIng it. She sat on her bed, head down and stared at it, thoughts racing.

She would go. Tomorrow. All of her money from the diner was lying in her dresser drawer unspent. She'd take what she'd earned and buy a train ticket. She'd have enough left for a decent room for two weeks. She'd attend the wedding, then she'd return home.

Perhaps by that time she would be able to come to grips with the baby. She wanted to be happy like her siblings. She wanted to love her new little sister. But, she knew she couldn't—not now.

Her mind made up, she felt a tiny thrill of excitement as she opened her closet and pulled out her dresses one by one, packing them into her suitcase. The idea was insane; an unescorted young woman traveling across the country. She didn't know a thing about California and had never taken a train anywhere other than St. Mary's Home for Unwed Mothers. She should've been scared out of her mind, but she felt free, as if she'd spread her wings for the first time.

When she finished, she hide the suitcase inside her closet. Sitting at her desk she pulled a piece of stationary from the drawer and wrote her family a letter.

She didn't expect them to understand and she didn't try to explain. But, she didn't want them to worry about her either. She made sure to let Maria know that she would be returning very soon, she knew that the little girl's heart would be broken when she left.

Maria and Sammy were up early the next morning, anxious to see the new baby. She could hear them downstairs clanking around in the kitchen.

Her stomach fluttered as she thought through her plan. She hated lying. She'd never been good at it.

In the room next to her, the springs on the bed creaked. She heard her father's footsteps travel down the hall to the bathroom. The toilet flushed and the sink started running.

"Daddy!" Sammy called from the bottom of the stairs. "Maria's makin' breakfast, but there's lots of smoke."

She heard her father sigh as the bathroom door opened. "Tell her not to burn down the house. I'll be down in a minute."

A light tap on her door. "Izzy?"

"Yes, Daddy," she said, making her voice weak as she pulled her covers to her chin.

The door opened a crack and her father peered through. "Good morning, sweetheart. Looks like we're getting an early start."

She forced a cough. "Is it alright if I sleep a little longer, Daddy? I'm not feeling well."

He flipped on the lights, stepping in to have a better look at her. As his hand rested on her forehead, she felt awful for lying to him.

"No fever, but you look pale," he said.

"I should be fine if I sleep for awhile."

"You've been working so many hours at the diner," said her father. "It'll do you good to stay in bed for a while. We'll go see Mother and baby Jane. You can come later when you're feeling better."

He was going to feel like she betrayed him when they came home and she was gone. Izzy swallowed, fighting back tears. "Alright, Daddy. Tell Mother I love her and kiss the baby for me."

Her father cast her a worried look before he rose. "Sure you'll be alright here on your own?"

She couldn't look him in the eyes. "Yes, Daddy. I will."

Hey Everybody! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Votes and comments are always appreciated. California is a long ways away from Michigan, how do you think Izzy will do on her own? Was it a good decision?