Chapter Eighty

This particular day wasn’t supposed to be any different. But at three o’clock that afternoon, the factory closed, turning out its workers without explanation. Mac stood on the sidewalk with the others, listening to the rumors flying around and wondering what had happened. 

And suddenly Katie was running down the sidewalk toward him, waving something in the air and shouting his name.

“Mac… Mac! You… you’ll never believe this… Mac…” she fairly flew into his arms, gasping for breath. “Oh Mac… I’m so glad… so glad… you’ll never believe it… I can hardly believe it myself…”

“Well try an’ catch your breath before you tell me, Lintie,” he laughed, stumbling to regain his balance. She had nearly knocked him over and now she leaned against him, half-fainting as she sobbed and laughed hysterically. “You’re gonna pass out, lassie.”

“The telegram…” Katie whispered, and he noticed it then, clutched tightly in her hand. 

“What is it?”

“Found…” Katie choked over the words, laughing happily. “Found… Mac… they’ve found him… Ronnie… he’s been found… released… German… prison camp…”

“Released!”

“Yes… and Mac… that’s not all… the…” She paused, turning her face up to his. “The war, Mac…” She broke down crying again and couldn’t speak. Hesitant, he laid his hand against her cheek, wiping her tears away with his thumb. She reached up, laying her hand over his as she closed her eyes,  leaning into his touch. For a moment, he almost leaned down to kiss her. But he thought better of it. 

Somewhere in the distance, a bell began to toll. Slowly at first, and quietly, but it grew louder. Not far from where they stood, another bell rang, matching the off-beats of the strike of the other bell until they became a continual song. Within moments, every bell in the entire city seemed to be ringing, the sound almost deafening. The streets were filling with people shouting, screaming, crying, laughing, singing, dancing. Katie didn’t need to finish what she had tried to say. The news was already being shouted across the streets and from every window and doorway.

“Germany has surrendered! Victory at last!”

Mac lifted Katie off her feet, swinging her in the air with a cry of joy. When he pulled her into his embrace, she didn’t resist, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. He was weeping openly, not bothering to hide his tears. He didn’t care if the whole world saw him standing there, crying and holding onto Katie as if his life depended on her. But then… maybe it did.

✯✯✯

The news of Germany’s surrender swept across the world like wildfire. In faraway Ohio, Rob caught wind of the news from a passing truck while out in the field. He vaulted from the tractor and tore into the house wildly, startling Myra to the point of dropping the tray of cookies she had just pulled from the oven. They hit the floor and went rolling in every direction and Rob stepped on them without even noticing. And he didn’t even get in trouble for it… he only had to gasp out the words that Germany had surrendered and the war was halfway over… and Myra stumbled over the cookies and the tray lying haphazardly on the floor to throw herself into his arms. 

Mickey ran all the way home from school, screaming at the top of his lungs. 

“GERMANY SURRENDERED! HITLER IS DEAD! RONNIE’S COMIN’ HOME… EVERYBODY’S COMIN’ HOME!”

Jim and Donna heard from Rob just before Mickey reached the house and were dancing wildly around the kitchen, breathless with joy. They had double the reason for delirious happiness, as proved by the yellow slip of paper clutched tightly in Donna's hand.

"SAFE AND FREE STOP IN ENGLAND STOP WILL WRITE SOON STOP LOVE YOU ALL STOP RONNIE"

But as wild with joy as the homefront was, the battlefront was a different story. 

“It’s not over yet,” they told each other, the scars of the battlefield mirrored in their eyes. Half the war was still raging, over there on the other side of the world... and already men were being shipped from Europe to the Pacific, just as fast as troop transport could be lined up. Men who had returned home already were being sent back into duty. Even the countries who had no direct battle with Japan were sending help to America. After all, everything that the Americans had done... they could do naught but help them finish out this war. As troops were pulled from Germany, Marci said a tearful goodbye to her Canuck... now her fiance... and Emma prepared herself to see Josh off... and everyone went on working and praying and fearing and hoping. 

And still, the world held its breath.