George gave the woman a sour look. “No, I live here. Name’s George Blanton. I live out south of town. This girl here is Anna. Don’t know her last name. She’s from that farm where the miners rescued the family.”
The woman was nodding as she listened. “Now I know who you are. Well, there’s a meeting for all residents who care to attend here in the auditorium tomorrow morning. That’s when the science types are going to announce what they have found out about how we got here, and how to get back.”
George nodded and led Anna outside and put her in the truck. “Well, Anna,” he said as he got in, “I think that we need to go see Beth and Jimmy.” Anna’s expression brightened at the mention of Beth’s name, and he chuckled. “I’m going to get that dictionary so we can communicate better.”
Little Jim was out front when George and Anna drove up, and he hurried inside to announce their arrival. Elizabeth and Marge met them on the porch and took them inside. “Beth, I need to borrow that dictionary of yours.”
“Talking to her is harder than you expected, isn’t it, George?” Elizabeth asked as she walked across the living room.
“Yep. There are a lot of concepts that I just don’t know how to convey to her.”
“Such as?”
“Well, such as who we are and where we’re from. America doesn’t even seem to register as a country to her.”
Elizabeth stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. “If what we’re hearing is true, America isn’t a country yet, George. Just some English and Spanish colonies in the new world. I don’t even know if they call it North America yet.”
That stopped George in his tracks. “Not even America yet? Oh, God in Heaven, how could I have forgotten that?”
“Because it hasn’t really sunk in yet. You know it in your head, but you don’t really know it in your heart.”
“No, you’re probably right. I keep expecting something to happen, something that will make everything the way it was. It’s almost like… it’s almost like when Mary died.” George looked at the floor and slowly shook his head.
Elizabeth nodded and stepped closer, putting her hand on his arm. “And when Jim died. I know. It’s surreal now. We’re still in shock. But the reality is going to set in soon enough.”
George nodded. “They’re having a meeting about it tomorrow at the high school.”
“Jimmy told us,” Elizabeth said softly. “He was talking to Mr. Ferrara, Lizzy’s science teacher. He doesn’t think that there’s any way to get back.”
George nodded and looked at Anna, but she was gone. He whipped his head around, scanning the room, but there was no sign of the girl. Marge saw his look and smiled. “She’s with Liz and Mel. I think that they’re trying on dresses in their room.”
George sighed. He didn’t have the experience for handling Anna. Not really. Dave had been his only child, and boys were easier than girls. “Well, since we’re alone now, I have a favor to ask.”
“Ask away,” Elizabeth answered.
“Well, Anna is a teenager. I’m sure her mother took care of the basics, but, well, things have changed. I’m just not comfortable with the idea of trying to discuss it with her.”
“Discuss what?”
“Well… her period,” George answered somewhat sheepishly. He had been married for over thirty-five years, but that was part of Mary’s life that he hadn’t intruded on.
Elizabeth shook her head. “Men. Jim never wanted anything to do with the girls when they were going through puberty either. I’ll take care of it. Or we will.” She glanced at Marge and received a nod of agreement.
“Thank you. It’s just something that I never wanted to learn anything about.”
Elizabeth led George into the kitchen and poured two cups of coffee. “She’s a pretty girl, George. You may have other problems as well.”
“How so?” George was seated at the kitchen table and accepted the cup that Elizabeth handed him.
“You saw how the boys reacted to her.”
“Oh, no! Not my problem. That’s for her daddy to deal with.”