LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
October 1946
Gisela pulled her lightweight jacket around her as the sea breeze whipped across the tarmac, tangling her green silk skirt around her legs. She craned her neck to look into the blue sky. The buzz of the plane’s engines grew ever louder as it approached its landing.
She stood on her tiptoes, as if she might be able to reach up and pluck it from the sky. It took eons to circle the airport, tipping its wings in one direction, then the other, finally straightening.
“Is the plane here yet?” Annelies mimicked Gisela and stretched.
Renate copied them both. “I want to see too.”
“It’s coming, it’s coming.” If only the plane would contain Ella. It had taken some doing, but several weeks ago they received word of Ella’s and Opa’s deaths. She wiped away her stray tears.
She returned her attention to the aircraft mere feet from the runway.
When its wheels touched the ground, they sent up a puff of dust. Gisela had all she could do to keep from dancing in circles. She silently urged the ground crew to hurry and wheel the stairs to the doorway.
Mutti held her shoulder to restrain her from climbing over the fence to the runway. “He will come soon enough. All of your jumping around will only tire you out and make you warm.”
Gisela aged another ten years before the cabin door opened and the passengers began to disembark.
Her breath caught in her throat when he appeared at the head of the stairs. He was more handsome than she had remembered.
She waved. Even from this distance, his smile shone, his dimples deep. He took the steps two by two and raced across the airfield.
“Oh, Mitch.” She fell into his arms.
He picked her up and swung her in circles. “Yee haw!”
She laughed. “What was that for?”
“Isn’t that what you Americans say?”
“No, we say this.” She kissed him on the lips, hard, not caring if Mutti saw them.
“I’m so glad you got out of Berlin.”
“It’s good to be home. You finally came.” The past year of separation while both of them had waited for permission to come to the States had been excruciating.
Mitch leaned in to whisper in her ear. His breath tickled her neck and started a funny fluttering in her stomach. “I have three surprises for you.”
“Isn’t you being here enough excitement for now?”
“Look.” He stepped out of the way and pointed to the airplane.
At the top of the stairs came a wonderfully familiar silhouette.
“Vater! Mitch, you brought Vater home to me.” She hugged Mitch’s neck.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Hand in hand they raced across the tarmac.
She fell into Vater’s arms, but only for a minute. He released his hold as Mutti joined them, tears racing down her cheeks. The three of them clung to each other.
“We thought you were still waiting for approval from the embassy.”
Vater stepped back, wiping the dampness from his wrinkled cheeks. “That is cleared up. But I didn’t tell you because I wanted to surprise you. Mitch worked to get me on the same flight as him from New York. You have a very fine man, Gisela. I’m proud.”
Then, from the corner of her eye, she noticed a woman with platinum-blond hair. “Audra.” She turned to Mitch. “You brought Audra too?”
Audra laughed. “I’m in California. Where Hollywood is. Are there actors and actresses here?”
Now Gisela giggled. “Not right here.” Then she embraced her former foe. “I’m glad you are here. May all of your dreams come true.”
Gisela turned to Mitch. “That’s only two surprises. What’s the third?”
Right in front of the whole world, he got down on one knee. Her hands shook. Could he really be . . . ?
“Gisela Cramer, will you do me the honor of being my wife? For real this time?”
She squealed like a little girl. “Oh, yes yes yes.”
He pulled a box from his pocket, opened it, and slipped a ring on her finger. The engagement ring had a large center diamond with small diamonds surrounding it. It looked like a daisy.
“It’s gorgeous.” She helped him stand.
“No more beautiful than the woman with whom I’m going to spend the rest of my life.”
No more beautiful than the life they would have.