Prologue
Clutching her daughter to her chest, she opened the door wide enough to peek out into the hall. Eva was shaking with fear. How could she have forgotten to keep her arm covered? The exhaustion must be wearing on her to overlook such a thing. Checking three times to be certain none of the other boarders were awake and the hallway was empty, she slipped out the door and bolted to her room.
Closing the door quickly, she turned and set the infant in the middle of the bed. They had an hour to get to the train platform, she wasn’t taking a chance on being late. It had been nerve-wracking few days, waiting to get papers signed that would clear them for travel.
She had been terrified through the entire process that they would ask her to remove her jacket. When the doctor had finally decided she and her child hadn’t been exposed, and were displaying no symptoms of the virus, she had almost fainted with relief.
Her heart skipped a few beats, thinking what would have happened if they’d been denied. There were camps filled with those afflicted. And each time the medical trucks passed, they carried others to the quarantined areas. It was horrifying, what the country was going through. To survive the years of war and then have millions fall ill with some deadly influenza. She only glimpsed the headlines of the newspapers as she passed them in her travels, but it was everywhere, it seemed.
Moving to the mirror, she studied her reflection. Her cheeks were hollowed and dark circles were under her eyes. The months of stress and worry were catching up to her. She sighed, her white cotton shirtwaist wasn’t stained, but the wrinkles were adding up. How many days had she been wearing it now? If there had been more time, she would have given it a rinse, but she couldn’t risk missing one of the few trains still running out of the city. “Lord knows my brassiere and bloomers are in desperate need of a rinse as well,” she whispered to the scared woman looking back at her. Smoothing a hand down her skirt, she smiled, thankful it was a little longer then current fashion dictated, as her stockings were beyond any condition that a mere washing could remedy.
Her heart ached as she looked at the tattoo covering the length of her left arm. She touched it gingerly and closed her eyes, willing the tears not to fall. He had to be all right. She didn’t know what was taking so long, but she knew that he would come back to her. When he did manage to cross back over, the caretaker of their building would give him the message, then he would come and get Alona and her. Please, Levi, come soon.
The baby’s soft whimper made her open her eyes. She turned and smiled. “Not to worry, love, your daddy will find us at your aunt’s.” Going over, she sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at her child, her whole world. “We have to go, I don’t have a choice. The sickness is spreading, and if we stay here any longer,” She let out a ragged breath, “we won’t be able to get out.” Alona was a beautiful baby, she looked so much like her father. Picking up her bonnet, she placed it on the child’s head, over her thick black hair. “You’re my strength, little one, never forget that.” The baby watched her with pale eyes. She was certain they were going to be the same pale green his were, well when his weren’t red that was.
Leaning down, she kissed the soft cheek. “I would be lost in a sea of despair if I didn’t have you my precious Alona.” It was the truth. The only thing that had prevented her from dissolving in the constant pain of being without him, was their child. While she’d been growing inside her, Eva knew she had to overcome the feelings of grief and continue on until he returned for them.
Tucking the blanket around the baby, she reached over and picked up her worn satchel. Getting her coin purse out, she dumped the contents in her hand and counted. The train fare was going to cost nearly seven dollars, which was the most expensive thing she’d done in as long as she could remember. After that they’d have to get by on what was left, which would be a week’s grocery money, maybe two, if nothing unexpected came up. Putting the money back in the purse, she snapped it shut and tucked it safely into her bag.
“You’ll like it in the country, doll, once you learn to walk, there’s so much to explore.” She gathered up the few items not in the suitcase and folded them. Glancing around to be sure nothing was missed, she picked up her jacket and gloves. It was quite warm today, but she had no choice, her arm and hand had to be covered. Telling those curious enough to ask that her husband had died in the war was one thing, and that usually brought a halt to any further questions. Explaining why she had a tattoo that covered the length of her arm, well, that was unexplainable. The scandal it would cause would not end well, something like that was unheard of and completely unacceptable. Levi had said in his world the tattoos were a wondrous and cherished thing. She couldn’t wait to see his world.
She missed him with all she had. For months she’d worried that something had happened. Was the outbreak where he was too? Had something happened to him? He told her he would know if she was harmed through the connection of their tattoo, so she had to hold onto the belief that the connection went both ways. She knew he lived, but couldn’t understand what was taking him so long. He had to go back to arrange for her to come with him, then they could be together always.
Until he did return, she had to make certain their child was safe and happy. They hadn’t discussed children, but he was such a loving man, Eva was sure the surprise of being a father would be something he would welcome.
Tucking her hair up under the embroidered velvet toque, she studied the woman looking back at her. “Just a few more days and you’ll be safe, and won’t have to worry about someone finding out.” She nodded to herself and then turned to pick up her daughter. Cradling her in one arm, she smiled down at the beautiful face as she made sure her mouth was lightly covered by the blanket. They’d managed to avoid infection this far, she wasn’t taking chances. Hooking the satchel on the same arm, she opened the door and picked up her case. Taking a deep break, she exhaled and stepped out into the hall.
She had to hold onto the hope that her sister was well. If the sickness had reached the country, there were no other options to take… they’d be lost.
