P37

 "Cotton money," "my roots are here," and "playing tricks on him" are all phrases with specific meanings in the passage you provided. Let's break down each of these and a few others.

Key Phrases Explained

• "My roots are here. This is where I'm supposed to be."

  This phrase uses the metaphor of a plant's roots. Just as roots anchor a plant to the ground, Noah's "roots" are his deep connection to his hometown and family. It means he feels a strong sense of belonging and identity in this place and believes it's where he is meant to be.

• "Cotton money"

  This is an indirect way of saying the family's wealth comes from the cotton industry. It implies that the Hammonds are an old-money family from the South (since cotton was a major crop there) with significant and longstanding influence.

• "Playing tricks on him"

  This is a common idiom meaning his mind is deceiving him or that he's imagining things. When Noah wonders if his mind is "playing tricks on him," he's questioning whether he's correctly interpreting the distant tone in her voice or if he's just imagining it because of his own feelings.

• "The war?"

  This simple question from the woman ("She looked to him with questions in her eyes. 'The war?'") refers to a specific, significant conflict. In the context of a story set in the mid-20th century, this would most likely be World War II. For people of that era, it was a major, life-altering event that didn't need to be named more specifically.

• "He looked down when she said it, suddenly feeling just a bit weaker."

  This describes Noah's physical and emotional reaction to the news that she's engaged. The phrase "feeling just a bit weaker" suggests that the news literally drains his energy. He's not physically ill, but the shock and disappointment of her announcement hit him so hard that it's described in physical terms.