Sweethearts #100

When a young woman joins the WACs, she finds herself swept up in the excitement of military life and the attention of the men around her—until she sets her sights on Ed Fowler, a reserved sergeant who seems immune to her charms. As Joan pursues him with increasing boldness, she discovers there's far more to Ed than meets the eye, and her carefree approach to romance begins to crumble against the weight of what he's carried.

Fran arrives in the city with big dreams of breaking into cartooning, but her pride and impatience leave her broke and homeless—until she meets Mack, a struggling veteran with malaria and an old war wound. Seeing a chance to help them both, she convinces her landlady to let Mack stay in exchange for his military pension, and as they settle into life together, she finally has the breathing room to pursue her art. But as Mack regains his health and begins to resent living off that pension, tensions rise between them, forcing them both to confront what they really want.

When Jerry meets Nancy at a business appointment, he's charmed by her intelligence and easy manner—but his carefree, commitment-free lifestyle seems at odds with the deeper connection she's building with him. As they grow closer through launching his new textile shop together, Nancy begins to hope for something permanent, while Jerry remains reluctant to trade his freedom for the responsibilities that come with marriage and family. Their conflicting visions of what the future should hold put their relationship to a breaking point.