Authors: Willow Brooke
Sunday was spent packing and organizing the final preparations for the early morning departure. Alaina busied herself helping stuff the rucksacks and duffle bags with gear, tossing in extra clothing with candy treats hidden in their pockets. Little notes were added to Brody’s and Leland’s, complete with x’s and o’s at the bottom of each one. She wanted to make sure that where ever they were or whatever they were doing, they would find a little love from home to help them through. This was a mission with no timeframe. The idea of anything over a couple weeks made her want to vomit. Instead, she focused all of the mounting anxiety into her goodie packing. Every sock for every person contained some sort of ‘extra’ whether a drawing by Elizabeth or a simple Jolly Rancher. Elizabeth had also insisted that they sneak out and buy a small stuffed bear for each of them. Concealing those undetected took skill and was their ‘special ops’ mission.
Dinner was sullenly quiet. The meal prayer was extended, allowing each member at the table to speak their own peace. Michael had dressed in his nice jeans and a button up shirt, shocking them all. Instead of running to the safe haven of his room directly after, he stayed and engaged in conversation, showing more emotion than ever before. As everyone started to meander to their cabins for a good night’s rest, he pulled Leland off to the side and into the kitchen. Alaina and Brody both smiled, hoping that the two could make amends before their morning flight.
Leland dreaded whatever negativity he was about to get. Time and time again, his father was consistent on one thing—speaking his disapproval of everything he chose to do.
I don’t have the fucking patience for this tonight. Please Lord, keep me from flying off the handle.
“Son, I want you to know that I love you. I always have, boy. I know I haven’t been the dad you deserved, but I am trying to learn how to be now. You be careful out there, and hurry home to these two girls. You boys have something special. Don’t go getting shot up and ruin it, you hear?”
Leland almost fell over dead. Ironic…but somehow suiting. His father had just done three things in one statement he had never witnessed in his life—an apology, saying he loved him, and speaking without yelling or being negative. Miracles did happen. And for once, he was utterly speechless. When Michael took his silence as a cue to continue, he hugged him. An awkward, stiff, half golf tap half bro hug. Leland hugged him back, not wanting to ruin the probably once in a lifetime event. When his dad pulled away, he patted his shoulder again and added, “I am proud of you, boy. Go out there and give them some of that Reynolds toughness. They won’t stand a damn chance.”
“I love you too, Dad. Thank you.” Unable to think of anything else to say, and not wanting to ruin their moment, he kept it simple. After a nod of his head Michael walked away, leaving Leland to wade through everything that had just happened. He plunked his butt on a bar stool and sat, staring out the window. The softness of a gentle touch grazed against his back, offering reassurance and support if he wanted it. Instead of sitting beside him, she climbed up on the counter and reached to the top cabinet over the stove. The reach was so far she was dangling on the very tips of her toes, making him wonder if she had ever taken ballet or some other dance classes as a youth. He all but jumped over to put himself between her and the hard tile floor, just in case. Her reputation of outstanding clumsiness carried with her everywhere. When she started teeter-tottering on the ledge, he braced himself for the brunt of it. Before she tumbled backwards into his arms, the little tightrope walker had scored a new box of double stuffed Oreos and dismounted beside him. “Six years of ballet, except my balance was always bad so I sucked. I can jump off a counter like it’s nobody’s business though.” She smiled and thrust the package into his hands and turned to pour two cups of milk. If he wanted to talk, fine. If not, no biggie. Oreos were the best therapy for any situation, and she wanted to share her age old secret with her love.
“How come you never mentioned this before?”
“What, and let you guys eat all of the cookies? No way. Oreos are for medicinal purposes only. They are the best prescription money can buy.” She grinned a toothy, silly smile, succeeding in easing the tension lines in his features. Both settled at the bar and dunked in a calming silence.
After four cookies, Leland spoke. “He said he loved me. I don’t ever remember those words coming from that man…ever. I didn’t think it was in his vocabulary.”
Alaina waited, giving him time to go on without interruption. When it came to men, the best thing to do was let them talk. If she were to ask questions or turn it into a conversation, all would be lost. She dunked her cookie and nibbled, hoping he was ready to open up more. Leland didn’t disappoint. After another therapeutic cookie, he went on. “Ya know, as long as I can remember, the man has never so much as said ‘good job’, on anything. He said he was proud of me. Then, he went as far as to give me a hug. We have never hugged. Ever. Either I have stepped into the twilight zone, or you are a magical witch who has put a spell on him. I have never seen him take a liking to anyone…until you.”
“How do you feel about it all?” She wanted him to process it all and not jump to any irrational reactions, so short questions were the best way to open his viewpoint. Her heart swelled at the way he was handling the whole situation. Instead of turning into a raging Neanderthal, he was calm, cool, and collected. No grudges were incorporated. He actually took time to analyze and organize before he spoke.
Hm
mm
,
I guess all men aren’t the same.
“I don’t know. I mean, the past is the past. I just don’t know where we go from here, or what my feelings are. I think that is my major problem. As shocked and touched as I am to what he said, I have detached and became monotone. Maybe I can learn to feel again. Either way, at least it is a start.”
She kept her attention on him, watching the wash of different expressions float through his masculine features. It was like watching a flip book. Once he settled, she kissed his cheek. “I think you are going to be just fine. You have a good head about it all and nothing but good can come from this point on. My only advice is don’t force it. Let whatever comes come, and unfold as it will. Accept whatever it amounts to, and don’t overthink any of it.”
“Where did you get so smart about all of this?”
“Life experience. One can only set themselves up for failure and disappointment so many times before something has to give. If you don’t expect, you don’t get hurt. It is best to be grateful for whatever comes.”
“I think you are right, my sexy little smarty pants. Come on. We have one night together and I want to make the best of it.”
They found Brody kicked back on the couch watching television. He sat up and shot Alaina a questioning look then asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Yep. Everything is great. You ready for bed?”
“I am ready to take this sexy little minx to bed if that is what you mean.”
“Well, said minx is ready, so quit jibber-jabbering and get a move on already.” She turned and walked down the hall, shaking her hips seductively the whole way.
****
At four a.m. the alarm buzzed relentlessly, sounding off in a nightmarish squeal. Leland fought the urge to flip the snooze, and sat up begrudgingly.
Fuck. Time for work.
He wiped his hands over his face, rubbing the sleep away, but more to rub the emotions away. There was no room for any feelings in this job. It was time to snap into soldier mode and get on the road. He stumbled to the bathroom to relieve himself, stopping at the mirror before rousing the others. The reflection was of a man he didn’t recognize. Soldier or not, he looked different, the hardness that once creased his forehead and around his eyes had lightened. He looked…happy. Without a doubt, it was the magical workings of a certain sleeping little beauty they had found only months before in the tiny town hotel. It still shocked the living shit out of him how upside down and assbackwards their life had turned, but it had all been for the better. Instead of marching over to the God forsaken land to fight without any other reason but to extract his anger onto the no good bastards that preyed on innocent people, now he did it for the future of his family, and out of compassion for the other families that had to endure their wrath on a daily basis. The need to jump into battle was still there, but a new willful drive fueled it. This was for his family, to provide a better life.
Family. Fuck if someone would have even suggested I would
want
to plant roots and get hitched a few months ago
,
I would have laughed and punched them in the face. Now here I am, planning a future with not just a woman, but a kid too. Elizabeth is the best kid in the world though. Most would see her as baggage. I see her as an added bonus prize. Maybe we can have her a little brother someday. Baby?
Where the hell did that idea come from? Shit. Time to get moving. This kind of thinking is going to be my fucking downfall, that is for damn sure.
Ten minutes later, he had shaved, brushed his teeth, and quietly stepped out into the kitchen for coffee and a few minutes of quiet to get his head clear and in the game. They had a job to do, and there was no room for mistakes. This had to go down flawless.
The sweet smell of fresh brewing coffee filled his senses, signaling he wasn’t the only early bird this morning. When he rounded the kitchen, his dad stood, pouring two cups full of the hot steaming liquid. “G’mornin’, son. Coffee?”
“You are up and at ‘em early and yes, please.” He reached for the cup Michael offered and took a sip, sitting on the barstool.
“Yeah. I wanted to make sure you guys didn’t need any help before you left. I couldn’t let you leave without seeing you off. I wasn’t there for you all of the other times, and I will be damned if I ain’t now.” He turned and topped off his cup, having already consumed almost half a cup in the matter of a couple drinks.
T
hat is where I get my coffee addiction from. Is the man spiking his? Either he
's been bitten
by
a radioactive spider or the man has really changed.
This is weird…a good weird I guess…but weird.
“I am glad you did. Thanks, Dad. We do have a lot to do this morning. Plus, I am sure the gang would like to see you before we head out.” He hesitated before going on. “Can you keep an eye on Alaina and Elizabeth for me while we are gone? They have been through a lot. I don’t want her stressing.”
“Of course. That little girl is growing on me. Yesterday she somehow got me to have a tea party with her, a hippo, a teddy bear, and some other unidentifiable stuffed thing. Before I knew it I was talking to them.” He grumbled and sat down, keeping his eyes on his cup like it was something interesting.
Leland busted out in laughter. “That sounds like her alright. She is a force to be reckoned with, that is for sure. Hell, she has Kodiak wrapped around her little finger.”
Michael snickered, giving Leland yet another emotion he had never seen from his father. Either the ghosts of Christmas past paid him a visit early, or the man upstairs beat common sense into him. Either way, he was beginning to like the new dad. “Well, I guess I better go get Brody up. The others are supposed to meet here in an hour to start loading. I figure they will start showing up for coffee any time now.”
“Okay. I will keep the pot full.” He turned back and started setting out cups, knowing from the last few months who drank coffee and who didn’t. Leland paced down the hall, not wanting to prolong the inevitable any longer than he already had.
He slid in the door, quiet so as not to wake Alaina. He knew that Brody would want to be awake when he did, so he eased over and shook Brody awake first. “Psst. Hey, dude, time to rise and shine,” he whispered softly, earning a few grunts from Brody. “Coffee is ready. Get up. We gotta wake Alaina.” That seemed to get his attention, sending him vertical and hovering over their sleeping beauty.
“Damn. This is going to suck. Do you think she will get all emotional?”
“Naw. She will after we leave, but that is one thing about her. Our girl is tough as nails.” Leland stretched out on her other side and sighed. Brody had begun to stroke her hair gently, rubbing the soft velvety skin of her cheek against his rough calluses.
Leland leaned down gently and pecked a kiss on her cheek. In a soft whisper, he began singing “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver. Her eyelids floated open, immediately tearing up at the sudden remembrance of what the day would bring. Brody joined in, alternating lyrics back and forth, taking a sweet peck to her lips as he said, “So kiss me and smile for me.” Leland leaned in, did the same, whispering, “Tell me that you’ll wait for me.” That was all it took. From zero to sixty, she burst out bawling. Tears seemed to be dripping from her eyes, sobs wrenching from her chest. Every word of the song tugged at the strings of her heart. Never before had lyrics been so relative. As if they were written just for this single moment in time, for her and the two men she loved so very much. Their voices harmonized with her deepest most inner emotion. Between sobs, she said, “Hold me like you’ll never let me go.”
They both immediately wrapped her in their arms, trying to calm her but not knowing exactly what to say or do. She folded into them as if trying to permanently attach herself in their safe comfort. They got her settled and mobile, leading her into the kitchen in hopes that a couple doses of coffee would ease her nerves, and their hearts.
Thankfully, it did seem to work just in time before the house started flooding with the rest of the troop. Perched on the counter in Leland’s sweatpants tied up around her waist and his t-shirt that she swam in, she was the sexiest sight Brody had ever seen. Her hair was ruffled, and her skin shined natural, not holding a drop of makeup. He couldn’t resist. In two steps he closed the distance between them and took her lips, kissing her deep and hard.
“Get a room,” Zane said, playfully pushing them out of the way to get to the coffee pot. Brody pulled back and smiled, kicking sideways to land a quick jab to Zane’s shin.
“Ouch! Asshole. Good morning, Alaina.” He went from his mad face to his sweet face in one sentence, one arm hugging Alaina through Brody’s embrace around her, shoving his hand out of the way. Alaina giggled and Brody growled, and Zane flashed his teeth in a ‘see I am a good boy’ grin.
“Hulk, you are going to make this a long ass flight. Get out of here you big bastard.” Brody said jokingly. The two scuffled in a bout of tomfoolery.
“Take it outside, boys, no fighting in the house,” Alaina scolded.
“Aw, we aren’t fighting. Just a playful round of grab ass, mom,” Zane said, using his kid in trouble face to get out of trouble.
“Grab ass?” She raised an eyebrow at him in question.
“He means wrestling or rough housing. It is a military term. Speaking of which, we gotta make a pit stop. No one got the TA-69s for the trip,” Wesley chimed in, hugging her before grabbing a cup of java. She giggled at the term, wondering what other crazy acronyms they used.
“Do you want me to run to town? What is a TA-69? Do you have to get them at a military surplus store or something?” She was already walking toward her purse, ready to rush when Alex came through the door and stopped her.
Alex chuckled, shaking her head while saying, “TA-69 is the term the pervs all use for nudie magazines. I think they can do without their pornos.” She hit the last of the coffee, frowning at the half cup in her hand. Michael walked in and went straight to work making a fresh pot, reassuring her that she would be the first to get the new brew. The kitchen was humming with life from the group that had slowly congregated. Laughter and voices woke the more coffee that was ingested, bringing a lighter air to the house that masked the thickness of the situation.
Elizabeth came stumbling out in her fuzzy Care Bear pajamas and teddy bear slippers, scooting her feet in a run straight for Brody and Leland in a hug ambush. They took turns holding her, trying to peel her away long enough to ask what was wrong. When they did get her to answer, she said, “I don’t want you to leave!”
“Oh, sweetheart. We will be back I promise. We just have to go to work, okay? This is all part of being a soldier, sweetheart. You want to be one when you grow up, right?”
“Yeah,” she said over her pouty bottom lip. Kodiak walked over and picked her up, distracting her with promises of coco puffs smothered in chocolate syrup for breakfast. By the time she had finished eating, she was bouncing off the walls and had sat with everyone of the team.
The team started wandering out, loading up the truck with all of their gear. It wasn’t long before everything was ready to go and the time to leave. Each team member hugged Alaina and Elizabeth, and gave Michael a handshake on their way out. Brody and Leland were the last ones left. You could have heard a pin drop.
“We gotta go, baby. You girls be careful, and hold down the fort until we get home, okay?” Alaina could hear the change in Leland’s voice and knew this wasn’t easy on them either. Elizabeth had crocodile tears rolling down her angelic face and her arms affixed to Brody. She knew this was the time to be strong, for her men and her baby girl. As much as her heart was hurting, she put her shoulders back and nodded. He kissed her goodbye, meeting her lips in a sweet, reassuring short joining. He took Elizabeth and hugged her, kissing her tears away while Brody said his goodbyes.
“Hey, baby. Sorry we gotta go, but we will be back before you know it. Go out and keep yourselves busy. My bankcard is in your wallet. Use it. I love you.”
“Okay. You better hurry or I will just have to come over there and drag you both back. I love you too.” He heated her mouth with passion, leaving a lasting impression for her to hold until they returned. One final peck from them both and they walked away.
“We will email or call when we get to a place where we can. Don’t worry if you don’t hear from us. I promise we will check in the first chance we get, baby.”
“You guys be careful!” she yelled after them, as they hugged Michael on the way out.
“Bye, boys. You two keep your heads down and your guns loaded.” Michael walked away, heading straight for the back door. Alaina and Elizabeth glued themselves to the porch, watching and waving until the truck faded out of sight. After a long moment, Alaina turned to her and wrapped her arm around her. “Come on, baby. Let’s go back to bed. No school today, okay?”
“Okay, Momma.” Her little head hung, and together they crawled back under the covers and snuggled into a nap.