CHAPTER ONE

Phoenix, AZ. June 1940

“Mary, how much longer do you have to go before the big day?” Maria asked.

“Shooooot, I still have about four weeks left. What about you?” Mary answered.

Maria was a little hesitant but answered, “I have about eleven more weeks to try and hide this big ole pot belly,” making a mock disgusted look, as she spoke.

“Well, don’t you think you should tell Roger soon? You know your hips are starting to spread and that belly of yours is poking out pretty far. You can’t hide it from him much longer girl,” Mary told her as they walked towards their neighborhood.

“Honey, I’m only speaking up because I truly care about you. We’ve been friends for a long time and God knows we don’t have many. Let’s see, it’s been going right on ten years now, ever since second grade,” Mary reminded her.

“I know and here it is, we’re eighteen, graduating from high school and we’re still good, close friends-besides my crazy daddy, “Maria agreed.

They laughed and hugged as tight as two women, big with babies within them could.

Mary had secretly gotten married during the first semester of her senior year in high school and no one knew it, not even Maria. Even so, they remained the best of friends. She married Joe’s father, Joe Sanders Sr. They all attended the only high school in Phoenix, Arizona, Central High, class of ‘40. Last October, when they married it was in secret and on that night they made love for the first time.

She remembered her husband telling her, “Tonight, for the two of us, there are no other people in the world,” he whispered softly, caressing her as he spoke gently into her ear.

“We have obstacles to over come-no money, no apartment,and worst of all, no blessings from your parents. But for two people in love, those are minor, little things, not even worth our