grandmother's home, Grace teaches them secrets of how to survive in the household. In return, one of the skills she learned from the boys and Honey was how to dismiss May and to simply state how things are to her face without feeling completely crushed by her. Grace was once so delicate, May barely had to say anything at all and she would have an anxiety attack. She gained more confidence, though, in speaking the truth to May. Both Grace and Honey never use harsh language with May, unlike Hub, who really could not care less if May knows the truth of his feelings. These outbursts leave room for Grace to explain to her mother where she has gone wrong and that if she keeps it up she "won't be there to hold her hand." After seeing Honey's little family fight May so hard to stay together, Grace finds her courage and decides it is time for her to move out. She begins a job as a telephone operator and then a job as the local radio station supervisor. She later moves away from home and shares a house with her former sister-in-law, Toppy. Grace is involved with a series of men, but nothing ever works out between them. Once, a "true love" was mentioned, but for reasons unknown, it never worked out. Grace eventually becomes involved with a man named Van and after a short whirlwind affair, she marries him. She quickly finds out that he is actually a con man and has lied to her about everything, except how he feels about her, something she no longer cares about. He tries to win her back and for a very short time it looks as if he has succeeded, but in due course, Van discovers she is trying to run a game on him. He does not reveal that he is onto her, letting it all play out as she wanted. This con was something that Toppy tried repeatedly to talk Grace from doing. Grace's ire was so hot it was nearly beyond her. She wanted him to feel something of what she had at his hand. In the wake of her disgust, Van joins the army and goes to fight in Spain. In the moments before he leaves, his real name is revealed as James. During the fighting, he is killed. Grace is sent and then accepts a