Connie didn't want to go to the Canteen that night; but then again, she wasn't expecting to meet Tony LaFarge there. He sits behind her as comedians and sister acts take the stage, and she laughs at the entertainment even as she wishes it would end, so that she could speak to the handsome man looking at her. Connie and Tony form an instant connection. They dance through the evening and get to know each other; then he kisses her and she's sure she's in love with him. He takes her to a bar, and proposes a 'war marriage': a hasty marriage to solidify what they have before he ships out. Connie agrees. Tony has business in Boston, but he promises to be back on Saturday so they can get married. For a while, she is certain he won't return - but he comes, and they enjoy a whole week of marital bliss. There is one big fight, where she accuses him of infidelity, and he slaps her in anger, but Connie feels guilty for her rudeness and apologizes. All is forgiven, and she feels more in love with Tony than ever. They are both passionate about war, but in different ways: Connie is against fascism but longs desperately for pacifism rather than conflict, while Tony understands the 'necessity' of war and protecting what they have. Together, they plan for the future: years together in love and, someday, children. Then Tony ships out, but he dies on the North Sea. Connie tells herself fiercely to be happy for the time that they had together - had she not gone to the Canteen that night, they might not have even had that.