“Pearl Harbor. It’s time for some history.”
He found a country station on the radio and headed out of Honolulu, north toward Pearl Harbor. The endless blue sky arched over him, the sun kissing his skin as he sang along to Jake Owen. “‘I’ll go anywhere, anywhere with you.’”
Grace hummed with him.
They cut off the highway, followed the signs to Pearl Harbor, found a parking spot, and headed toward the monument.
“One of my favorite movies is Pearl Harbor,” she said, and he had the urge to hold her hand again.
He fished out his wallet, paid for their tickets despite her protest, and rented a couple headsets for the tour.
He’d visited Pearl Harbor before, during his first year in Hawaii, and the depth of the soldiers’ sacrifice had taken more from him than he’d expected. Too many young lives cut down. Destroyed. It skirted too close, so the next year, he’d avoided the monument.
Now he listened to a minute-by-minute account of the attack on the naval base, imagining the boys stationed here, fighting for their lives. He stood at the wall, studied the map that outlined the Japanese attack, and imagined a blue-skied Sunday morning, the sun glorious, no hint of disaster on the horizon.
It felt too close again. The sense that death, or at least pain, lay anchored just out of sight, waiting to attack.
Max stared across the water of the bay to the white monument built over the battleship Arizona, and that’s when he felt Grace’s hand slip into his.
He held on and didn’t care.
They took the ferry to the monument in silence, hands clasped, watching the oil still rising from the massive ship–turned–tomb.
He couldn’t speak with the immensity of it all.
When they finally took the ferry back, he deliberately hung on to her hand, wishing.
After they turned in their headsets, Grace went to sit in the garden overlooking the harbor.
He slid onto the bench next to her and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. Took off his sunglasses. Glancing at Grace, he saw her eyes reddened, watched as she whisked a tear from her face.
“Sorry. I thought this would be inspirational,” Max said.
“It is. The bravery. The sacrifice. These men had no idea they’d give up their lives when they joined the military. We were in a time of peace, despite the turmoil in Europe, and these boys were in the prime of their lives, stationed in beautiful Hawaii. What could go wrong?” Another tear rolled down her cheek. “It just makes you think about life, stepping out and not knowing what is out there and—”
“And the tragedy that could happen.”
“Or the glory.” She let a smile tug up one side of her mouth. “Not that any mother or sister or wife might see it like that, but still, these men are heroes. Their legacy is one of honor. That’s what their courage to step out earned them.”
He clasped his hands together, staring out at the water. “Do you think any of those wives or girlfriends regretted loving their soldier?”
She frowned. “Because of the grief? Are you saying they might’ve been sorry they loved? Of course not. You don’t know what’s going to happen when you fall in love. You don’t think the man you give your heart to is going to die.”
“It’s a possibility. Especially in war.”
“Yes. But he could also come home, and no woman is going to not fall in love because her man might go to war and might not come home.”
“But what if you knew someone you loved wouldn’t come home? What if you knew your . . . let’s say boyfriend or husband . . . would die? Would you still love him? Marry him?”
Max wasn’t sure how he got here, to this moment, to these words, but he couldn’t take them back. He found himself holding his breath, waiting for her answer.
She shook her head. “How could anyone know that?”
“Let’s just say that you had a crystal ball and could see the future.”
“What kind of crystal ball? Where do you get this crystal ball?”
“I don’t know! It’s just a crystal ball, okay?”
“Like the witch’s in The Wizard of Oz?”
“Oh, for crying out loud. Forget the crystal ball. Let’s say you could travel forward in time . . .”
“In a time machine? Like a DeLorean?”
“Yes. You can travel forward in a DeLorean—”
“Or maybe it’s like a portal, a rip in the space-time continuum—”
He closed his eyes, shook his head. “Please, Grace. Let’s just say you could. However you see the future, you know with certainty that the man you love will die. Would you marry him?”
She leaned back, giving him a hard look. “Tell me about this man I’m in love with. Is he good-looking?”