But Gale had left him standing in the darkness. She almost ran through the streets to her own home. Her Mother was sitting on the porch and Gale dropped breathlessly beside her.
“The show let out early, didn’t it, dear?” her Mother asked, smiling.
Gale felt more ashamed of herself than she had ever done before.
“I didn’t go to the movies,” she said in a rush, her words tumbling over each other. Swiftly she told her Mother of the pilot, how they had seen him crash, how they had taken him to the lodge—everything up until the minute she left the island tonight.
“I’m glad you told me,” her mother said simply.
“And you aren’t angry?” Gale whispered.
Mrs. Howard smiled. “No, I’m not angry.”
“And I can go to see him whenever I want?”
“Perhaps it would be best to go when the others go,” her Mother said after a moment.
Gale left it at that. She took a cushion and sat on the top step, watching the stars overhead. A figure crossed the street and entered the yard. She recognized Bruce and stood up. She looked about but her Mother had disappeared.