Silver Moon by Jenny Knipfer

Author:Jenny Knipfer [Knipfer, Jenny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781733320245
Publisher: Jenny Knipfer--Author
Published: 2020-06-29T22:00:00+00:00

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

But when it comes, it is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12

Chapter Eleven

October 30th, 1917

Victoria General

“You have a visitor, Lt. Wilson,” Rose tells me.

I squint, focusing on her, and things become less blurry. Then my eyes shift to who stands behind her—Felix.

“Dad!” I get out of my chair and embrace my surrogate father when he comes forward.

“Luis. We were so worried.” He hugs me fiercely then backs up at arm's length to read my face as if it were a book. I can tell he finds an unexpected ending in me. “We thought you were missing. Just recently your mother received a letter telling of your treatment here. This kind nurse, Nurse Greenwood, wrote.” He looks towards Rose, whose eyes flick to me and back to her shoes. “Vanessa sent a telegram to us and asked if we could come. Valerie is too poorly to travel far, but I came first thing.”

This was news to me. Well, I knew my parents had been contacted, but I didn’t know Rose had written.

“I’m sorry to hear about Aunt Val.”

“That’s just how it is now.” He sums up Valerie’s health.

“Why don’t you two sit and visit. I’ll be back when I finish my rounds,” Rose tells us and walks away.

I can hear the smile in her voice. I can tell she’s happy for me.

I sit in my chair. Felix sits next to me in another seat.

“I hope I can take you home. I checked with the doctor before I came. He said he’ll evaluate your condition and let me know before I leave today.”

Felix quiets, and I can sense he wants to ask me something. He does.

“What happened, Luis? Why did you stop writing? Why were you missing so long? We had almost given up hope of ever hearing from you again and then out of the blue comes a letter.”

His words hold puzzlement, and his expression matches. He’s close enough that I can see his concern, but my ears have become my second eyes. I can hear it in his voice.

“It’s complicated. I can’t really talk about it.” I want to tell him everything, but I was instructed not to tell anyone I was a spy or give out any details. “Maybe someday I can tell you, but . . . not now.” I keep my voice low.

His puzzled expression has not changed. He sighs but doesn’t press me for answers.

“How are Mom and Michael? And Lily?”

“Oh, fine. Did you know Terrance has come to live with them? Well, no . . . I suppose you wouldn’t.”

I try not to feel pain at his last sentence, but it hurts that I couldn’t write my family. It hurts still that I can’t tell them why.

“He’s finally taken Mom up on her offer, huh?” I grin despite my edge of regret.

“Yes. She seems happy.”

An uncomfortable silence stretches between us.

“Did you know Lily has a beau?”

He keeps asking me questions he knows I can’t answer. “That’s a surprise. Who?”

“Don’t remember the name now, but Vanessa said he was an old classmate of hers.

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