Chapter One - Charlie Sommers - Charlie Fornau

Jeez, it was cold and wet on that hill. It doesn’t really matter who you are, cold and wet is cold and wet. We were sent there, repurposed “special operators”, backing up a last-minute operation to take out a really bad dude. Not the tough kind, the just yucky kind. An asshole with no conscience. Without his army of crazed minions, he’d be a nothing burger. He was just in the right place at the right time to take over leadership. They say he’s married to somebody’s sister or something. You know, actual qualifications for a radical leadership position. That and the correct pattern of cloth around his head.

Point being, even our country’s toughest, best trained, most durable soldiers get wet, miserable, and cold. I was, and my team was. It was a mess. But we were here to do a job. Not our real job, by any means. Our primary purpose was to save and recover downed pilots. Wherever that may happen to be. Mountains, deserts, oceans, anywhere in between, we trained for all of it. But we were handy, and there were no sorties going out for a couple days, so we were loaned out to some Marine Raiders squad as backup. I knew their boss. He was an OK guy, and his team members were top notch, so I didn’t mind. It was just another assignment, and it’s good not to sit around for too long.

Long story short, they had a SEAL with them, and we all knew what that probably meant. Boom. In just the right place, at just the right time. Gotta love ‘em. And the young man did his job perfectly. Boom. In just the right place and at just the right time. A few bad guys got out the back end of the target area but were quickly dispatched by two of my best. Our intel, very reliable and very current, indicated no innocents, so we were prepared, very specifically with hunting rifles. Danny had his .308 Remington deer rifle and Gus had his .338 Lapua AR10 Bushmaster with a 24-inch barrel. Both were government issue. More realistically ‘government procured’. Only the finest for our country’s finest, and these guys were definitely two of them. Danny could outshoot Gus, but you’d have to get them quite a ways down range before you could actually declare the winner. This was a 100-yard turkey shoot.

Now normally, the Marines or the SEALS would have their own snipers and back up and all that, but things had been pretty busy, and our special operations brethren were spread out all over the Middle East and the Pacific at that moment, keeping our country safe. This wasn’t normal. On the four-hour Osprey flight from our base in Florida, we were never over water for more than a few minutes. Do the math, but it was all within the intent of the law, if not the letter. And no, that we know of, no Latin types were injured in the making of this movie, even though it was their country. We were hunting radical terrorists from the sand box who were setting up for a major catastrophe on American soil.

After all of the known threats and targets were neutralized, we backed out, with no brass left behind, our boot prints matching the initial issue of the local military, and we got the hell out of there. This time we crossed the water, almost touching the swells, purposely. This time, someone would be watching.

The news of a shooting and subsequent fire and explosion at a tire dealership, in a small town, in a foreign country, doesn’t make the news here, so no one will be the wiser. The fifteen people on this mission, the pilot, copilot, A/C crew chief, six US Marine Mountain Raiders, 5 US Air Force PJs, and your token SEAL, and then our SOCCOMM commander and crew, and a couple of people in Washington were the only ones privy to it, and we ain’t talkin’.

My wife and stepdaughter were used to me taking off in the middle of the night giving them a peck in their sleep and coming back a day or two later. I’m sure it bothers them, but they let us tell our families, in some generalities, what we do for a living, just to keep them sane. Cindy and Sandy (yeah, tell me about it) know enough to know that their husband and stepfather, Chief Master Sergeant Chuck Sommers, known only to family as Charlie, is an Air Force Para Rescue Flight Superintendent with enough experience to make me valuable on missions. And I like to tag along. My desk is all right one or two days a week, but I’d rather be with my teams, and I’ve been asked before. They know I can help. You see, I’ve been doing this, and other Special Ops work for twenty-two years. I joined the Air Force right out of high school and haven’t looked back. I had to take a couple of years outside the Para Rescue realm for my career’s sake and wound up in the space program for a couple of years. I learned more than I thought I would about my own job and where we all fit in. Eye opening experience, to say the least.

Anyway, we were off that hill, out of that village, on the plane, and on the way back to Florida, with a flyover of Aruba and an aerial refueling. Yeah, out of the way. Waaay, out of the way.

Cindy, Cynthia to her mother and father, God rest their souls, was pretty distraught when I got home late that morning. I threw my bag in the extra bedroom slash home office and went back out to sit with her. Sandy was sitting with her, eyes red, Kleenex in hand, tear tracks recently wiped leaving pink on her cheeks. Cindy looked up at me and said, simply, “I’m sorry. I had the appointment yesterday after you left. It’s not good.”

She had made an appointment to follow up on some abdominal pain and intermittent vaginal bleeding we thought may be brought on by menopause. It’s not unheard of in 40-year-old women.

“Charlie, they found a mass and took a biopsy. The results came back a bit ago. It’s big, and it’s cancer. I have to go back in tomorrow to look for any spreading. I have an operation one way or the other on Monday. I’m so sorry, Charlie, I didn’t want to be a burden on you and Sandy.”

I fell to my knees in front of her and held her. “You’ll never be a burden to us, honey. Never. Don’t ever say that.” I reached out my arm and Sandy came over for a group hug. We all bawled for about a half hour. “We’ll know more tomorrow. Let’s don’t sink our ships ‘til they have holes in them, OK?? I’m going to call the General. I’ll be right back.” I went into the kitchen.

Thumbing the Air Division Commander’s office number, I raised the phone. “Colonel Bennet, please. Chief Sommers here.” (Pause.) Thanks. (Pause.) Sam, Chuck. Is he in? (Pause.) Cindy was at the doctor’s yesterday while I was out, and she got some bad news back from the tests this morning. Cancer. Looks like lady parts, and more, but we won’t know much more until tomorrow. If we don’t have anything pressing, I’d like to call Dana, I mean Sergeant Perkins, and have her put me in for at least a week, open ended, until we can get something straightened out. (Pause.) Yeah, thanks for that. She has a surgery scheduled for Monday morning, anyway. Not much time, this being Thursday. (Pause.) OK, I hate to trouble you, though. No, I don’t care if Elaine does it. Can you have her call Dana, so the office knows I’m out? It’d be better coming from you or her anyway. They might leave us in privacy for a few days. (Pause.) No, I don’t want my house full of PJs and SEALS while we deal with this. It’s bad enough at the parties. (Pause.) Thanks, Sam. I owe you. Bye.”

“Sam will take care of some time off for me. He’ll take care of letting General Patterson know, too. Look Cindy, I love you. We’ll be OK. Try to think positively about this. No need to worry and make it worse than it is, OK?” She nodded. I kissed her and held her for a bit.

Sandy came over again and melted into our arms. “I’m scared, Charlie.”

“Hang in there, Punkin’. Let’s go see the doctor tomorrow and then we’ll know what’s happening. We’ll get through this together.”

Dinner, and after dinner, was a sullen, mopey time for all three of us, me trying to cheer the others up now and again, but it was hard. Of course, it was. Cindy had just been kicked in the face, and all Sandy and I could do was watch and hold her hand. Such a helpless feeling. We finally all trundled off to bed, sharing quiet good night kisses all around.

About midnight, Sandy came in and snuggled into my other side, opposite her mom, and held her hand, over my chest. I was just as scared as Sandy was, but I had to maintain some sense of normalcy. I had to help my girls through this the best I could. I just wrapped my arms around them and held on to the most important part of my life. Sleep was fitful and not a bit restful for any of us. When the alarm went off, we all moaned, collectively not wanting to start the day. Not this day. With no rest and unknown news on the horizon, no one was smiling. The appointment was at nine that morning, so we got ourselves cleaned up, fed, and out the door. The cleanup, which normally consisted of Cindy and me having fun and committing copious groping in the huge walk-in shower we had in our master bath suite was a somber clean and dry operation today.

The doctor’s staff had us taken right in and set up in an exam room. After getting her vitals recorded the doctor came in and talked with all three of us, trying to keep things positive, but had scheduled us for an emergency PET Scan and an MRI which was going to take hours and blood was taken aplenty.

Sandy and I tried to stay occupied with each other and our electronic devices, with some modicum of success. I didn’t get one call from the office, which I thought odd, so I checked on them.

Dana answered. “First Up, Sergeant Perkins, how may I help you?”

“Just tell me everything is still in one piece, and the lieutenant hasn’t broken anything yet.”

Dana laughed. “You disrespectful piece of crap. Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get into if he heard you say that? Hey Lieutenant Pearson, Chief just asked me if you’ve broken anything yet?”

(in the background - “Tell the old fart to go to hell. Better yet, ask him how Cindy is doing and send her our love.”)

“You get that?”

“Yeah, I got that you ratted me out to our token foreign exchange student from the Navy. I’ll pass that on. She’s doing as well as can be expected. A little pain, but we don’t really know a lot yet. Full up PET Scans and MRIs going on now. I know she’ll appreciate that y’all are thinking about her.”

“Chuck, about that. You need to know that Elaine put the fear of God in everyone over here in the Special Ops Building. Her word is as good as General Patterson’s, you know that. She said you called the General’s XO and spoke to him while the General was out. She basically gave me enough info about Cindy to share with Lieutenant Brad and told us that come hell or high water, under the threat of Elaine’s violent providence, that we were not to bother you. Please, please, please, if you need anything at all, call us. Please!”

“I will, sweetie, I will. Go hug the commander for me and tell him thanks. And keep the joint together until I get back.”

“Will do, Chuck. Tell Cindy we’re praying for her and thinking about her. Miss Sandy, too. Please call. Bye.”

“Bye, hon.”

I knew she’d hug the lieutenant for me. They were having a secret love affair, real love if anyone asks, me being the only one that knew about it. Officers and enlisted don’t mix well legally. They were on thin ice, but I loved her and liked him, so… She was leaving the Air Force to be with him when her enlistment was up the next year. I’d miss her. She was sharp as a tack and kept us all organized and in line, but I’d rather she be happy. She deserved it. She deserved him. Him?? I dunno if he deserved her or not, but she thought so, so I guess… He was a cross service plant that we have throughout Special Operations. A SEAL officer, assigned as our commander. Lieutenants in the Navy are equal to a Captain in the Air Force. Their Captains were like one of our Colonels. Anyway, he was no rookie, but he caught some teasing about being a lieutenant from us Air Force types. He was, however, a great leader, a fantastic strategist, a great tactician, and braver than a rabid wolverine.

All in all, we could do a lot worse, and had before he showed up. Our last “commander” was a butter bar fresh out of PJ school, with a chip on his shoulder and a head as big as Gibraltar. The Air Division Commander had him shipped out to Spain about 6 months after he got here. “Special Duty Assignment”. Yeah, he got shifted to a deputy commander slot so a Major over there, with some actual experience and credentials in the field, could slap the snot out of him. And it worked, so we hear.

Meantime, back at the hospital’s radiology department, Cindy was still in the grinder. I felt for her. All that noise, all that time to think. To think about things no one wants to think about. What was it? How bad was it? Would I be there to take care of Sandy? She told me about her thoughts later that night. She couldn’t help it. Morbid, but necessary thoughts about what the future might look like for us without her.

They finally got done, and we went back to the doctor’s office. When they called us back it was to a different exam room, a little larger, with a couple of huge computer screens… and an oncologist. She introduced herself to us, then she and the OB/GYN went through what they’d found. All of it. She was going home tonight, and back into the hospital tomorrow. There were two clusters, lymph nodes, and the mass, and they needed them out now and to start directed radioactive treatments on some other places. That combined with chemotherapy was going to be tough, but the consensus was that she should be able to handle it, and the prognosis, while not good, was not terrible. We all went home in shock.

We never even made it to bed. Cindy sat in my lap on the couch and Sandy snuggled up to us and we cried ourselves into oblivion. The prep for the surgery was a nightmare for Cindy. She spent the entire evening drinking from a gallon jug of what she called “liquid chalk”, and most of the night getting it out the other end. We tried to sleep, but one of us got up with her each time. Four a.m. came pretty early. We showered, Sandy and I grabbed a banana and a juice each, behind Cindy’s back, and got ready to leave. We had a bag with some pajamas and personal stuff for Cindy packed up and ready to go. Cindy walked into Sandy’s room, took off her earrings and an emerald anniversary ring, her wedding rings, and without saying anything to anyone, with us watching, she opened Sandy’s jewelry box and set them inside. She hugged her daughter and said, “Don’t ask. Please. Just keep them for later. You’ll understand.” Then walked out. We followed her. Sandy started crying. She was old enough that she understood what her mom just did but didn’t want to accept it. No one would’ve.

She never made it back home. The operation was a success, in part. The mass was removed, but had ruptured before the operation, and the lymph nodes were cleaned as best they could be. The sepsis brought on by the ruptured mass was too much for her system to take, and they couldn’t reverse the damage before it shut down her liver and kidneys, then everything else. She wasn’t in quite as good of condition as we thought. And now, she was dead. Gone. That quick. It was only four days from “we’re worried” to “she’s gone”.

Sandy and I collapsed on each other and cried for hours. Dana came and got us at the hospital, on Elaine’s request. She took us and one of the guys drove our vehicle home. Being close to catatonic, it didn’t even register that we were at home, on the couch, snuggled together, grasping at all we had left. “She knew. She put her rings and earrings in my jewelry box. She knew.”

“Probably so, baby, prob’ly so.”

“What now?”

“I don’t know yet. Let’s talk about it later. Right now, I just want to crawl in a hole and die. You know, if not for you, I’d not have a reason to go on without her.”

“Don’t leave me, Charlie, you’re all I have now.”

“I won’t, baby, I won’t. I love you. I’ll be here for you. Gives me a reason to go on. For you. For her. For us.”

Yes, I was so… Catatonic is a good word, I didn’t notice Dana sitting across the room crying for us. I didn’t know what to do when I saw her there.

“Dana, you don’t need to be here watching us fall apart. We’ll be OK.”

“Chuck, you’re not in charge right now. You’re in shock. Grieving. As it should be. I’m here to take care of both of you until you can muddle alone. I’m to find out what you want to eat, and make sure you’re OK and tucked in before I leave for the night, if then. Sandy, can I do anything for you right now? Anything you need?”

“A hug from a friend would be nice.” Dana came over and sat on the coffee table and pulling Sandy into her lap, hugged her with just about everything she had.

“Anytime, doll face, anytime. Sandy, I know you’re old enough to take care of yourself, but if you need anything, anything at all, please call me. Your father is the most unreliable person in the world when it comes to being where he needs to be, when he needs to be there. Please let me help. I’d consider it an honor.” Sandy nodded and kissed her lightly on the lips.

“Thank you, Dana. That means a lot. I know you’ve always been there for Mom. All the wives, too, but I know you took a special interest in us. I appreciate that. And I will. I promise.”

“That was just because I was in love with your father, doll face. That’s the only reason. Hell, if he wasn’t married to your mama, I’d never have taken up with that nasty old squid.” Sandy laughed.

“Stop it. Brad’s a prince among idiots. You know that.” Sandy said, smiling at her.

“Yeah, I know. I’ll take second place, and you keep first. Remember. Call me if you need anything.”

“I will. I promise. Chinese. Mai Fun, House Special Mai Fun.”

“Chuck? Chinese OK? You don’t have to eat. You may not be able to, but it’ll be here, and I can warm it up for you later if you get hungry.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I don’t care.”

“Get ‘im a broccoli beef and a large egg drop soup. We can all share that.”

“OK. I’ll go order.” She left and came back in about 5 minutes. “Brad will be by with a six pack and the food in a little bit. You guys need anything else?” Both of us shook our heads, looking out the window at the woods behind the house.

We were going to miss that place. We weren’t from there, it was just an assignment. We bought a nice house in a nice neighborhood, because we could, and I wanted Sandy in the best schools we could get her in. This is close to a private school she really liked. I’d talk with her later, but I couldn’t see staying in the service if I was taking care of Sandy with no Cindy here to help.

Brad stopped by, we shook hands, and he hugged me. He’s a lot bigger than me. That’s saying something. We sat around the table, not saying much. Sandy and I were both still stunned. We finally ate a bit, then wandered off to bed. I heard Brad say goodnight to Dana, and he left her there. Sandy went down and got her and took her back upstairs to her room. That’s the last coherent thought I had. I cried myself to sleep.

I’ve lost a couple men in combat, and it’s rough. We live, eat, and sleep together, lie to each other about stupid stuff, fight like siblings, and pour our true hearts out to each other when the time is right, but losing Cindy was a whole ‘nuther thing. For a week, I could barely tie my own shoes. Without Dana and Sandy, I would have been lost.

Then about a week after she passed, I had a dream. I think it was a dream. Cindy came to me in bed. I was lying on my back. She sat on my stomach, hands on my chest, all five feet one of her, red hair hanging down over my face, and kissed me. She was naked and beautiful. She looked like she’d lost a few pounds and might have been a touch younger. She told me she was fine. She was with her mom and dad, and she felt better now. No pain, but she missed us. She’d try to keep an eye on us, but this was not going to be a regular thing. They weren’t allowed to do this, but maybe once, just to get someone’s head out of someone’s ass. I took the hint. She kissed me again, told me to take care of her daughter and keep her away from her jackass sperm donor. She got up, rubbing her hand across my cheek, told me that Sandy really loved me and not to worry about anything, then she put on a silky white robe, tied the sash, looked over her shoulder, blew me a kiss, waved and walked into the bathroom… And right through the wall where the sink was. I woke up smiling. With Dana and Sandy looking down at me.

“We heard you say, ‘Goodbye, Cindy, I love you’ and came in to check on you. Are you OK?” Dana looked like she was pretty concerned about me.

“I am now. We’re starting over. We need to talk, but this is our last assignment. I’m gonna get my princess through high school and into college and find something constructive to do with my worthless self.”

“Why are you smiling, Charlie? Daddy?”

“Oh, baby, come here.” I pulled her to me and held her in my lap. “I like it when you call me that. You know that, don’t you?” She nodded. “I had a dream about your mother last night, and in slightly different words she told me to get my head out of my ass and get on with life. Yes, I miss her. I will miss her. But she wants me to take care of her baby, so that is my new lot in life. If it’s OK with you, and you want to stay, we’ll stay and finish high school here. One more full year, right?”

“Yep, then what?”

“If you’re still wanting the engineering program at Washington University in St. Louis, we’ll head home. Otherwise, we’ll figure it out when we get wherever we go. Cross that bridge when we come to it, as they say. We’re not hurting for money, so we can pretty much do what we want, once I decide to change professions. Until then, though, I owe my soul to Special Ops store.” I sang the last part in my best Tennessee Ernie Ford imitation. Both of the girls smiled, and the funk was lifted. I felt like my old self. Almost. I was still lonely. But it didn’t hurt quite so bad.

Chapter Two - Charlie Sommers - Charles Fornau

“Daddy, you mentioned money. I know it’s not something we talk about, but I know we’re not poor. Did mom have life insurance?”

“Yes, Sweetie, she did. You don’t need to worry about anything. Probably ever, but just in case, you should have a marketable skill. That’s why when you mentioned that school in St. Louis and their engineering program, we were so happy for you. Much better than a liberal arts degree. ‘You want fries with that?’ or ‘You’ll need a bigger transformer relay circuit switch crossover thingy.’ Take your pick.”

“Daddy, there is no such thing, and you know it.”

“Sweetheart, the important part is that you’re a 16-year-old beauty queen, and you know it. That’s the real deal! I hope you grow up big and tall and strong so you can just go out and engineer the hell out of the whole world. You need to be at least five feet two to do that, right?” She and Dana broke up laughing.

“I guess I have one more inch to go then. But like you said, I’m only sixteen. Maybe, just maybe. But Mom was only five one, so I’m probably not going to do much better.”

“We’ll raise all the bars but that one then. You’ll be fine, doll. They have machines that move stuff around now. You don’t have to be Brad’s size to work these days.”

We got up and got around. Monday I’d go back to work and Sandy would go back to school. They had let her out for her mom’s death, so she had some make up to do, and I needed to start taking care of myself again. That was on Friday, and the funeral had been either Tuesday or Wednesday. I remember needing to ask. I was in too much of a funk to know. We had her cremated and were taking her home with us for burial later. Dana slipped out, headed back home, after kissing me on the cheek and making sure I was okay, then kissing Sandy on the lips. “See you, honey.” Maybe they were closer than I thought, I thought. I looked at Sandy in askance. She just shrugged. “We’re close. You never gave me a sister.”

“Well, it wasn’t for lack of trying!!”

“I know. Mom told me it was her. She explained that, and lots of other things and gave me enough advice to last right through menopause.”

“EWWWW. WTMI. Way too much information.”

“Oh hush. You’re my mother now, too. Get used to it.”

“Oh crap.”

The weekend was spent with Sandy doing makeup homework and studying and me looking on the web for property in Missouri both northwest and southwest of St. Louis. I did not want to live in the PRI. The Peoples Republic of Illinois. But I did plan on us moving back to the St Louis area when she went to school. I’d retire from the Air Force and maybe consult or something if I could find something suitable. I’d put feelers out over the next few months to see what I could come up with. I still had friends there from when I was stationed in Arnold and found Cindy and Sandy. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that Sandy’s “sperm donor”, as Cindy would say, may still be in that area.

Life sucked for a few weeks after that. Cleaning out Cindy’s stuff was hard. Thank God that Sandy could wear almost everything Cindy owned. Cindy’s bust was a bit bigger, B versus an A plus, but Sandy fixed that with padded bras, and just a ‘not so tight’ fit. She got some beautiful gowns and dinner dresses, lots of shoes, some nice lingerie, and a lot more out of my closets. Some of it, Sandy didn’t really want, so we passed those things on to Goodwill to find a home for them. She also took all of her mom’s personal stuff from my bathroom and took it to hers. Including the perfume. That would help a lot, over time. She had her own en suite, so some of the reminders would be out of reach. I never went in there.

Cindy had already removed her important jewelry and put it in with Sandy’s when she left for the hospital, so I simply called Sandy into our room and handed her a tall jewelry box. There were chains and such hanging down inside, and drawers full of earrings, rings, pendants, brooches and the like. Most of which I bought for her mother, but some were heirlooms from Sandy’s grandparents. Sandy and Cindy were close enough that she knew which was which and what was what. When I gave her the jewelry box, she wrapped her arms around it and lost some more tears.

“Not a good time?”

“It’ll never be a good time for stuff like this. I miss her. I hate this, but at least it’s more pieces of her I can keep close. You want me to have all this?”

“Yes, Baby, all of it.”

“You know there is a lot of money in here, right?” she asked me.

“I bought most of it. And anyway, it’s the same alarm system, Sweetie. You’re just moving it across the hall. She’d want you to have it all anyway. I do want that long heavy necklace out of there, if you can find it for me. It’s the only thing of hers that I think I can wear without putting holes in my ears.”

She smiled at me and took it to her room. “Daddy, come here, please.” I did. She opened the bottom drawer of the box and jiggled it all the way out. She reached in and pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar bills about an inch thick. Then another. Taking out a bill, she handed it to me. “Here. Lunch money.” And broke down on her bed laughing. She was not expecting me to grab her, throw her over my knee and spank her bottom about 5 times. The laughter got worse, or better, depending on your point of view. Bringing her back into a hug, I did, and rocked her. “I miss her so much, baby, but I have you, and that’s a lot. No, you’re not your mom, but it’s a lot, and it’s you, and I’m very thankful. Can I have another hundred? I think I I’ll buy the guys a beer after work Monday. She peeled another hundred out and handed it to me.

“Thank you for everything, Charlie. Daddy. We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.” She put her arms around my neck, kissed me lightly on the lips and hugged me closely, rubbing my neck in the back. “We’ll be fine.”

I patted her on the back, picked her up, spun her around, and set her on the bed. “Yes, baby doll, we will. The alternatives are unacceptable.”

I was walking out, but she called me back. “Daddy, here. This is both long enough and thick enough for you to wear. Put this on it,” she slid a little pendant of some kind onto it, “when you go on a mission. Wear it for both of us. No, wear it for all three of us.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. I’ll cherish it.”

I was back in my room, arranging the closet, when I hollered out. “Oh, by the way, where’d y’all grow the lettuce?”

“What?”

“The money. What’s that all about?”

“Oh, Grampa gave that to her before he died. Said that someday you were going to get into trouble, and she’d need it to bail you out. You know he loved you, right?”

“Yeah, doll, I do. He told me he’d do what he could to help us, even if I didn’t ask. Makes more sense now. I loved him, too. Treated me like the father I wished I could’ve had but never did. Well, stepfather.”

“Daddy, be nice.”

“Do I beat you, Princess?”

“No, why?”

“Not all stepfathers are like that. Just trust me on that one. I loved your grandfather, like he was mine, even though I only met him twelve years ago.”

“I understand. It’s all in the past. So much is in the past now. It’s hard to believe.”

“I know, princess, I know. Hey, don’t forget to put your money away. Do we need a safe or something?”

“You aren’t going to take it?”

“No, baby, I gave you the box. It was in the box. Have I ever gone back on my word with you?”

All I heard was a squeal and a very loud, “NOILOVEYOUDADDYILOVEYOUILOVEYOU,” and she hit me at a full run. Knocked me down on the bed and started kissing me all over my back.

Ah, kids, what’cha gonna do. I explained a few things to her. “Sweetheart, your mother probably told you about most of this, but your grandparents had a lot of money. When they were killed in the plane wreck, your mother got it all. And more from the accident. She was an only child. You will want for nothing. I don’t need your mother’s money, which is now yours, because my real father, who was not rich, but had some money set aside, also died young and left it to me, specifically, in a trust that no one had access to until I was 25. By then, I knew I was a lifer in the Air Force, and I just didn’t need it at that point. It has continued to grow, with very little help from me for divestiture, or reckless spending, if you will. By the by, if something happens to me, it’s yours as well. You’re my only little girl now.”

“You don’t have very good luck with women, do you?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Mom told me about your first wife and your baby.”

“She did, huh?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry for bringing it up. That was rude of me.”

“No, it’s all right. It happened. You have a right to know that you and your mom weren’t my first loves. But do you understand why I never drink and drive and always make sure my guys have cabs and stuff?”

“Yeah, Mom told me that’s why you’re so strict about it.”

“OK. Good. Enough. Let’s not be maudlin about this. We’re trying to be more ‘up’. Don’t worry, be happy, and all that.”

We recovered and got on with life. School was about to let out for the summer, then we’d have just one year left in Florida. I’d warned the chain of command about my plans, to which they said they understood, telling me they were glad to have me as long as they could, and they’d check into the after-retirement consultant thing among their friends.

Monday after work, I called and told Sandy I’d be late, and if she wanted to do the old man a favor, she could pick me up at the NCO club at about 7. Then she could take me to dinner and take me home and pour me into bed. She laughed and said it was a date.

I bought a couple of rounds and talked to each of the guys. We snuck Lt. Brad into the club in an unmarked jacket, but half the club knew who he was, anyway, and didn’t care, so we just “got away with it”. Not a huge problem, but I didn’t want him to feel like someone else’s guest. I thanked them all for their support and for helping me get back on track for the future. We were a team, and I appreciated every one of them. My baby girl came in and sat in my lap at about seven-fifteen, much to the chagrin and catcalls of my guys. Even some of the others not with us noticed. She was dressed to the nines, green cocktail dress, teak stockings, green 4-inch heels, and a gold necklace and earrings set. I recognized the jewelry.

“They look beautiful on you, darling. You just shine. Thanks for coming and saving me. Dinner time?”

“Yep, I’m taking you away.” She turned to the guys, “I’m taking the Chief to dinner. He’s done boozing for the night. Say your ‘goodnights’ now, or forever hold your peace.” They all catcalled, hollering ‘Wimp’, ‘Whipped’, ‘Lightweight’, and other derogatory comments at me, and said goodnight to Sandy. She whispered, “What’d you have, two drinks tonight? You can stop acting when we get down the hall.” A few that knew her well, like Dana, Brad and a couple of my crew chiefs, gave her a hug and asked how she was doing on the way out. We walked down the hall to the restaurant area of the club and split a chateaubriand for two with ginger ale and apple crisp a la mode for dessert. All in all, it was a great first day back at work, and I loved spending the evening with my girl. I looked straight into her eyes. “Thank you, Sandy. Thank you for this evening, thank you for being here for me. You know I love you, don’t you?”

She nodded. “I certainly hope so. Daddy, will you bring me dancing in a couple of weeks?”

“Of course. What’s wrong with this coming Saturday night?”

“Sleepover at Angela’s. Is that all right?”

“Of course. I’d be honored to bring you dancing. You want to bring Angela along? It might be fun, don’t you think?”

“Yes, and yes.” She pulled out the ever-present phone and texted Angela, getting a ‘hold on, checking with ‘rent, then a ‘yes, smiley face’. “She checked with her mom and it’s a go. Thanks, Dad. It’ll be fun.” WOW! I had a date with two beautiful teenagers, week after next.

Back to work, and a few more days of school for Sandy. She was all caught up, and had applications into Wash U, in St. Louis, and Mizzou, University of Missouri, in Columbia, Missouri, but wanted them in that order. I was hoping for Washington University, too, but we’d cope, either way. I warned her, though. It was a year away. She still had to keep her grades up. Advanced placement science and math classes needed four-point oh grades in order to impress anyone. She nodded.

I got home from work on Tuesday afternoon, and laid two hundred bucks in fifties on her dresser. It was a loan, I think. We’ll see.

Over dinner, I asked her if she wanted to take a vacation with me or stay here for the summer, to which she opted to tag along. She knew I was looking for property. “How long do you think we’ll be gone?”

“I’m taking a month, but we can come back whenever we want. Super flexible. Is that OK? Oh, and isn’t Angela’s mom a teacher at your school?”

“Perfect, and yes, she is. I know what you’re thinking. She’s already offered. Any time. Something up?”

“Might be possible. Could be short notice. One of those kiss you in bed and I’m gone things. We don’t know yet.”

“Might be possible. Isn’t that like a double maybe? Or would it be maybe squared. I need more math. Or English. Or something.” Giggle. They’re back. I’ve missed the sound of her sweet giggles. I love them. The sweetest sound there is. “Don’t even worry about me. I’ll keep a bag packed and if I don’t see you in the morning, I’ll lock up and leave ‘til you get home. I’ll go to school and go home with Angela and her mom. I don’t want to be THAT alone, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, Sweetheart. I would rather you not be alone overnight here, either. I mean I’d feel better if you were with them, that’s all.”

“I know, Daddy. You worry. It’s cute. And very much appreciated. You’d be surprised how many parents don’t give a damn about what their kids do at our age. Not really so much at the Academy, yet it does happen there with all the spoiled brats, but at public school it’s probably worse. It’s pretty bad. I still love that I’m loved. Believe that. Oh, and thank you for the money back, but it’s not necessary. Really.”

“I’ll remind you about saying that next time I forget to pay you back, sweetheart.” She giggled. God, thank you for those. They are really helping. She sounds so much like her mother. She kissed me lightly on the lips. “Thank you for being my Daddy, Charlie. I love you. Good night.” Then a peck on the forehead, and off she went.

And wouldn’t you freaking know it, the damned phone went off at four a.m. with a recall for a mission. I grabbed my gear and my PACCS bag and went in to kiss my baby girl goodbye. She was sitting on the bed waiting for me. She heard the phone go off.

“Mom went through this every time. I can, too. I love you, Charlie. Come home safe.” She hugged my neck and kissed me softly.

“I will baby girl, I will. I love you, too. I do. Be home soon.” I hugged her to me, felt a sniffle, and left without looking back.

Twelve hours later, in a jungle somewhere in Colombia, three of us were fishing a couple of gunship pilots out from under the forest canopy. They were on a drug raid support mission when some yahoo drug farmer got a lucky burst and hit the transmission. Could have been a softer landing. Could have been a lot worse, too. One had a broken arm, and the other a concussion, but they were alive. We naturally were worried about hostiles, but we had friendlies in the area as well, so there was that. Working our way to a clearing big enough for a chopper, we called in for pickup. Then it dawned on me. This couldn’t have been the operation they were planning. You don’t plan accidents, so I could probably expect another call-up in the next few days. I might have to take myself out of the rotation, just to make sure I don’t miss my date with the two gorgeous teens. Charlie, quit daydreaming. You’ve got work to do, and your job comes before the date. Not before the girl, she comes first, but the date?? Mehhhh, not so much.

The chopper ride to the forward air base and the flight back home were both quite uneventful. I had loads of time to think, and I’d confirmed my decisions. I was going to try to scale back my activities, and let the youngsters take over. As much as I could. There were still a couple instances where I felt, if it happened, I should be there with them, at least the first time. My unit had zero experience in an actual urban warfare environment. Training, yes, but no actual exposure. Lt. Brad and I were the only ones exposed to that. It’s a different animal. It’s three- dimensional warfare on steroids. It’s not often we’d be called into that arena, but it’s possible. Blackhawk Down, well, the real incident, proved that theory. A pilot, or a save of any kind, can be just about anywhere when we have to go in and get them out.

Woolgathering? I think that’s the British term for daydreaming. Our C-17 was coming in on final at home when I broke free from my musings. I had a mission, and I had one year to accomplish it. Do a data dump on the men that worked for me and leave our commander, be it Lt. Brad, or his replacement, with the best PJ outfit I could.

I texted Sandy to let her know we were back, and after debriefing I went home and napped. She found me, face down in bed, just before dinnertime. She woke me by rubbing my back, and gently squeezing and scratching the back of my neck. She must’ve seen her mother do that. So relaxing. I came to, not wanting to move and give up the wonderful massage.

“Oh, sweetie, you have no idea.”

“Yes, I do, Daddy. You do things like this for me all the time. Did them for Mom, too. We appreciated it. Still do. You know that. You OK?”

“Yeah, Sweetie, we just helped a couple guys get home, that’s all. No problems this time. How about you? Angela’s mom… What is her name anyway? When I introduce myself again, I don’t want to call her ‘Angela’s mom’. Their last name is, what, Thompson? Everything go okay at their house?”

“Yeah, it was fine. She’s nice. Oh, and correctamundo. Her name is Rebecca. Rebecca Thompson. We call her Mizz Thompson at school. Well, most of us do. Angela calls her Mom. Who’da thunk?” Giggles. (I love that sound!) “First thing she’ll do is bat her eyes at you and tell you to call her Becky, but I think she spells it B E C C I, for some reason or other. I think in Italian that would be Bechi and sound kind of weird. I’m so glad to have you home. Mom and I both used to worry about you when you were out, now I have to do it all. I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“Yes, and don’t stop. I love the sound of your voice, and your hand on my neck is the touch of bliss. It feels really nice, sweetie. You want to help me cook something or sneak out for a bite.”

“Tres Amigas? I love their tamales and the tomatillo sauce in the chili verde is to die for. You know one of the girls behind us a year, her mom is one of the Amigas. White as a sheet. So’s her mom. Tres Amigas, my butt. One’s black, one’s white, and one is just Mexican enough that she had her late grandmother’s recipe box and talked the other two into trying to make a go of it. They were college roommates. It’s quite a story, but I’m sure it’s true. No reason for Rosemary to fib about something so mundane.”

“That’s fine, doll. Are you going to talk this much every time I come home? I hope so. I love to hear you talk. Especially when you use like ‘mundane’, and ‘fib’. I don’t want to dredge up the darkness, but you sound a lot like your mother. I miss her so much, but I’m so glad I have you.”

“Me, too, Daddy. Me, too. Come on. Get up. There’s a chili relleno and a Tecate Light waiting for you at the taco stand.”

“Wait ‘til I tell Rosemary’s mom what you called their restaurant!!”

“Oh, my God, you were listening!! Don’t you dare tell her that!! She’ll put cilantro on my food!! Yuckkkk. Come on, Daddy, I’m hungry.”

“Go call Bechy and ask them out for dinner. No, it’s not a date. It’s payback for keeping you off the streets and out of trouble.” She laughed at my pronunciation then… Silence.

“She said thanks and asks if it’s informal.”

“Absolutely, as in come as you are.” Silence.

“I told them we’d pick them up in ten.”

“OK, lemme hit the water closet and we’ll jet.”

“You and those funny British things. Water closet, woolgathering, garden. It’s a bathroom, and daydreaming, and a yard with a pool, Dad. A back yard. Not a garden. Unless… I do like sweet corn.”

“Hell no. Too much work. That’s why we have Safeway. We’ll garden after we move. I’ll have more time. The heat down here would probably kill the corn anyway. Let’s go. You’re driving. I think I heard an angel mention a Tecate Light.”

“Yes, sir. I’m the designated driver tonight. Oh, and don’t let me forget a couple orders of the chili verde for the freezer. You know how good theirs is warmed over for a quick dinner.”

“Yes, dear.” Giggles.

I went to the door to get Rebecca and Angela. Sandy stayed in the car. I greeted them and held my elbows up to escort them to the car. Stopping on the passenger’s side, I looked to Rebecca and asked her to hold a sec, then opened the door for Angela and sat her next to Sandy in front. Rebecca raised her eyebrows as I opened the back door for her. I said, “If we sit in back, we won’t be caught in the crossfire of high school sociopolitical intrigue.”

Rebecca laughed, “Oh, Mr. Sommers, good idea.”

“Chuck, please. Or Charlie. Just Charlie, for now.” I closed the door and went around to sit behind Sandy.

She giggled. “Are we that bad?”

“No, baby, but I thought you and Angela could keep each other company up there, since you volunteered to be the getaway driver tonight.” The ladies all laughed.

Dinner was great. She did ask me to call her Becci, and told me how she spelled it. I thanked her profusely for keeping Sandy and she made sure to let me know it was no problem and loved having Sandy over at the house. It was just the two of them, Becci and Angela, since her father was killed in Iraq, and Sandy was fun to have around. Becci was a striking woman. Think Megan Kelly, in medium brown skin and dark brown shiny shoulder length hair. And blue eyes. Beautiful woman. Angela was a little lighter skinned with curly, bouncy, brownish red hair. And green eyes. Pretty girl. I’m thinking maybe parents had some Irish in them somewhere. They both had athletic figures, and neither was short. Angela had five or six inches on Sandy, easy, but Sandy was very athletic, so they played on the same teams at school, just different skill sets. Becci had an inch on Angela.

Rosemary’s mom wasn’t working, or at least that’s what Sandy and Angela said, so I couldn’t rat Sandy out for the “taco stand” remark. I’m sure it would’ve been taken well, anyway. These kids all seem to get along well together and their parents seem to be stand up people, too. I can’t imagine running a successful operation like this and being a pinhead.

That was a preview of Charlie Sommers. To read the rest purchase the book.

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