“This needs to be addressed now. Not tomorrow.”
“Admiral, I think you are overreacting. O’Brien is…”
The admiral slammed his fist on the desk. “O’Brien knows more than you give him credit for. And he has information he should never have had, thanks to you.”
“I should think this would be a conversation for your daughter. Where is she this holiday, Bill? No family Christmas this year?” Strickland struck at the admiral.
“Listen to me. O’Brien is a bigger liability than you think. No moves until he is taken care of,” the admiral said. “No moves.”
“And just how do you propose to do that, Admiral Brackett? Another car accident? I doubt your daughter will be so willing this time,” the president responded.
“No. No car accident. Claire didn’t create this. You did. So you are going to help me solve it,” the admiral said. He picked up the secure phone line and handed it to the president. “You have some calls to make.”
“And just what are you suggesting? I have made commitments, Bill,” Strickland said.
Admiral Brackett handed the president a paper. “Read it. You think this is a joke? You just stirred the hornet nest, Larry. You have no idea who you are dealing with. You’re worse than Claire. She once told me she was like a cobra,” the admiral shook his head. “You think that a title, an office somehow puts you in control? Who do you think Viktor Ivanov is? What about Jon Krause? Alex Toles? Edmond Callier? Commitments? You don’t know the meaning of the word. You treat these people as if they are simpletons. Like they are insects that you can swat at will. That might be true if it were only one. Ever seen hornets protect their nest, Larry? Protect their young? Their home? They’re workers by nature. They build a formidable fortress to protect their family. Threaten their nest, they swarm violently, and when they attack…well, let’s just say you don’t want to disturb a hornet nest.”
Strickland attempted to swallow the sudden dryness in his throat. “You work for this office, Admiral. This is your department to deal with.”
Admiral Brackett laughed. “Not today, it’s not. Merry Christmas, Mr. President.”
Dylan and Cat had run off to play with one of Cat’s new video games while the adults continued talking in the dining room. Christmas at Nick’s began as it always did; with a family dinner that was more akin to a festival brunch. Between Alex’s brother and mother, there was always enough food to feed a family three times their size. Alex chuckled slightly as the thought passed through her mind that in a few years they might actually need this much food. The boys were content for the moment, although Alex had spied them shaking some of the boxes under the tree when they thought no one was looking. She laughed quietly at the sound of Dylan’s voice in the distance and then returned her attention to Cassidy, who was seated beside her.
“Do you mind?” Barb asked Cassidy, placing the baby in her arms. Cassidy just looked up and smiled, accepting the small package gratefully. Little Jacob was quite wide-eyed at the moment; doing his best to focus on and explore the face looking down on him. Alex looked on, watching how Cassidy’s eyes softened when the baby grasped her finger. She heard Cassidy whisper endearments to their nephew and felt her heart rise dramatically into her throat.
Helen watched from across the table, a smile tugging at her lips. She noticed that both Alex and Cassidy wore their charms from Dylan underneath their sweaters. She was curious how Cassidy’s news was received. At the moment, she was deriving great pleasure from the expression on her daughter’s face as she watched Cassidy with the baby. She cleared her throat slightly and reached her feet. “Those boys will be restless soon enough,” she said. Helen made her way behind Alex and squeezed her daughter’s shoulder. “Alexis, help me clear this; will you?”
“Mom, I can do that,” Nick piped up.
“No. No. You and Barb go with Cassidy and Rose and wrangle the kids into the other room. Alexis and I have a system,” she smiled.
“Geez. Mom finally got you trained, huh?” Nick laughed. Alex rolled her eyes at him.
“Come on, Cassidy. We get a free pass today,” Nick said as he left the room.
Alex leaned over and touched Jake’s tiny hand. Cassidy looked up and sighed, receiving a tender kiss on her cheek from her wife. “Looks good on you,” Alex whispered. Cassidy winked and followed Nick into the other room. “So,” Alex said as she picked up plates and brought them to the sink. “Let’s get this mess cleaned up so we can get to the presents!”
Helen grasped her daughter’s forearm and pulled her back. When Alex turned, she could see her mother’s eyes had grown misty. “I’m so happy for you, Alexis,” she said as she enveloped Alex in her arms.
“You’re sneaky,” Alex whispered.
“You’ll learn,” Helen chuckled. “Comes with the parental territory.”
“Mom?” Alex began to grow serious.
Helen looked curiously at her daughter. “What is it?”
“I don’t even know how to tell her,” Alex said softly.
“Tell her what?” Helen asked.
Alex looked up with pleading eyes. “How much I love her. How much I love them.”
Helen smiled and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “She knows. Dylan knows. That baby will now, Alexis. It’s written all over your face. You couldn’t hide it if you tried.”
“That reminds me,” Alex said, holding up a finger. She ran to the far side of the room and retrieved a box wrapped in special paper. Cassidy had wrapped the box in bright red foil with a metallic green bow. She had Alex scrawl out a card for Dylan in an unfamiliar hand.
Alex handed her mother the box and winked. “That has to be last. Like you found it here; okay?” Alex explained.
Helen read the inscription and shook her head. A warm smile painted her lips and she patted her daughter’s cheek affectionately. “You two are too much,” she said.
“It was Cassidy’s idea,” Alex shrugged.
“I’m sure it was. I’ll take care of it,” Helen promised. She watched as Alex hurriedly set about cleaning up the kitchen. “Let’s go,” Helen held out her hand.
“We’re not done,” Alex observed.
“We are for now. I can’t take this suspense. Besides, Rose is going to kill me when she finds out I’ve known for over a week,” the older woman chuckled.
“Yeah, aren’t you the little conspirator,” Alex poked.
“You’ll forgive me when you need a babysitter,” Helen said.
Alex kissed her mother’s cheek. “I don’t think she’ll ever know how much it meant to me that she chose to confide in you, and wanted you to be the one to help.”
“She knows, Alexis. That’s why she did it,” Helen said with a wink, heading off into the other room.
Alex sighed. “You really are something, Cass.”
Alex watched as the boys opened their last presents. Cat was doing his version of a happy jig over the authentic Boston Red Sox Jersey Rose had purchased for him. It had his favorite player’s number emblazoned on the back, and it was topped off with a new team hat. Cat loved all things baseball, and Rose loved to hear him rattle off statistics about his favorite team. Being the best of friends, Dylan had begun to follow suit, and his grandmother had bought him an identical jersey with the number ‘15’. The gifts came complete with a promise to take the boys to Boston for a day in the city and a game at Fenway Park when the new season began.
Dylan had followed his cousin’s lead and donned his jersey, but rather than dancing about, he sat quietly fiddling with a toy. “Dylan! It’s so cool! We’re gonna go see a game with Grandma Rose!” Cat prodded his cousin. Cassidy nudged Alex knowingly, and Alex looked over to her mother with a raise of her brow.
On cue, Helen disappeared, returning with a colorful box in her hands. “Umm? This was in the foyer,” she said. “It has a note addressed to you, Dylan.”
Dylan accepted the box and looked at the card that was taped to its front. He began trying to sound out all of the wor
ds. Seeing his forehead wrinkle in concentration, his grandmother stepped in from behind to help him. Rose looked at the card and read it out loud. “It says: Rudolph found this in my bag after we left your house. He says thanks for the carrots. Tell your mom she makes great cookies. Merry Christmas, Dylan. Santa.” Rose looked at Cassidy suspiciously. Cassidy grinned and shrugged innocently.
“Well, open it!” Cat urged.
Dylan ripped off the paper and held his breath. He peeled back the tissue and traced the item with his fingers. “Big…”
“Brother!” Cat yelled. “It says Big Brother!”
Dylan looked puzzled for a moment. He pulled out the T-shirt and studied it. Rose closed her eyes momentarily as the message suddenly hit her. She bent over and whispered in his ear and pointed to the Batman symbol in the middle. “It says Big Brother, Sidekick Coming in July. It means, you’re going to be a brother, Dylan,” she explained.
Cassidy had placed her head on Alex’s shoulder and was smiling broadly, waiting for the outburst she knew was due any minute. She hadn’t expected it to come the way it did.
“Mom!” Dylan screamed in excitement. Cassidy and Alex both jumped slightly as Dylan darted toward them, dropping the box. “Santa got your letter, Mom! I told you. You’re gonna have a baby!” he exclaimed as if he were delivering her the news. He jumped up in between his parents. Helen and Rose fell into a fit of laughter as they looked on. Nick looked at Barb, still somewhat confused and Barb pulled him close to whisper in his ear, “Cassidy’s pregnant.”
“Yes, I am, Dylan,” Cassidy said.
“Santa is magic. I told you,” he said earnestly. “Alex, I’m gonna have a brother!”
Alex laughed. “Well, you might have a sister, and that would be just as cool.”
“Yes, it would,” Nick agreed.
Dylan flashed Alex a toothy grin and gave her a high five. Cassidy shook her head. “Have you two been talking behind my back?” she joked.
“Us?” Alex feigned innocence.
“Mom, is there a baby in your tummy like Jake was in Aunt Barb’s?” he asked.
Cassidy adored her son and cherished his innocence. “Yes, Dylan, there is.”
“That’s so cool!” He hopped off the couch, grabbed his box and ran off.
“Where are you going?” Alex called after him.
“I gotta put on my shirt!” he yelled back.
Alex noticed Rose making her way toward them and immediately reached her feet. She was taken slightly off guard when Rose took her into a tearful embrace. “Thank you, Alex.”
“I didn’t do anything….honest,” Alex joked. “Ouch,” she winced as Cassidy pinched her backside.
“You are fifty percent responsible, Alex Toles,” Cassidy said flatly.
“And happily so,” Alex agreed.
Rose sat down beside Cassidy and hugged her. “I’m so happy for you, Cassie.”
“So?” Barb asked from across the room. “Come on, I want the skinny! When did you find out?” she asked Alex.
The moment was interrupted when an exuberant seven-year-old danced back in the room. “Big brother, Batman!” he danced in, singing a tune of his own creation.
“All right, the inquisition will begin in the dining room with desert,” Helen announced.
Alex grasped Cassidy’s hand. “See you in a minute,” she said, leaving her wife and mother-in-law on the couch.
Nick grabbed his sister’s arm. “Alex, you’re going to be somebody’s mom,” he said. Alex looked back at where Dylan was dancing around in his ‘big brother’ T-shirt, making up some song and putting on a show for his mother and grandmother. “Alex?” Nick called for his sister’s attention.
Alex took a deep breath, enjoying Dylan’s antics and delighting in his excitement, thinking how much she loved him. “I already am, Nick,” she said proudly. “I already am.”
Wednesday, December 31st
nd? Is it done?” Admiral William Brackett asked through his secure line.
“It will be,” the replay came.
“Will be is not good enough. The sooner, the better,” Admiral Brackett responded heatedly.
“Daddy, calm down,” Claire Brackett answered. “I’m surprised you would call me.”
“Claire, I don’t have any illusions about you; daughter or not. Believe me, I don’t. You do know as well as anyone that this has to be contained. And, you do know that if it isn’t, Dimitri will hold you responsible. It compromises everyone’s work. I have Edmond and Strickland to deal with now. You need to…”
“Well, it’s nice to know you have such confidence in me,” Claire answered sardonically.
“Your abilities were never what I have questioned, Claire. Just take care of it.”
“All right. We’ll start the new year off with a bang,” she chuckled.
“I’m glad you find it so amusing,” her father sighed. “You do realize that innocent….”
Claire Brackett rolled her eyes on the other end of the call. “There is no such thing as an innocent person, Daddy. You taught me that a long time ago. Now, I have to go. It appears my father found me a date to ring in the New Year,” she said as she hung up the call.
Admiral William Brackett stared at the phone in his hands. He struggled against the sudden wave of nausea that swept through his organs. “Jesus, Claire,” he whispered.
Alex had been up for a few hours, eagerly awaiting Cassidy’s appearance. She wondered how a short week could have felt so long. Alex had enjoyed the Christmas holiday immensely. She hated having to pull herself away and back to Massachusetts for the week. The news of Cassidy’s pregnancy had motivated Alex to finish moving the executive offices at Carecom as soon as possible. There were T’s to cross, I’s to dot, and loose ends to tie up. While Carecom was, at its heart, a CIA sanctioned business; in order to operate efficiently it functioned as a legitimate corporation that employed nearly a thousand people. Alex understood that the vast majority of people within her father’s company remained completely unaware of the true nature of the business. They depended on Carecom for their livelihood and the well-being of their families. It was a responsibility that Alex had not considered when she agreed to take her father’s place. Her intention was to achieve greater access for her investigation, not provide for the workers. It weighed on her at times; the deception that was her life. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She was startled from her thoughts by the sudden feeling of two arms encircling her waist.
“Hey there,” Alex said. Cassidy just grumbled. Alex turned and kissed her wife’s forehead. “You want some breakfast?” Alex asked. “Speed had his usual delicacy. You know….cereal,” she laughed. “I can make you an omelet.” Cassidy shook her head. Alex noted that the color had drained from her wife’s cheeks. “Cass?” she asked with concern.
“No food,” Cassidy answered and rested her head against Alex’s chest.
“You all right?” Alex asked as she stroked Cassidy’s back.
“I’m not puking,” Cassidy said bluntly. “I can’t even look at food right now.”
“Are you sick?”
“Mm,” Cassidy groaned. “I’ll be all right,” she mumbled.
“Cass, maybe we should cancel having people over tonight.”
Cassidy pulled back and narrowed her gaze at Alex. She patted her wife’s cheek and smiled. “Honey, I’m fine. Believe me, if this is as bad as it gets I will be grateful.”
“As bad as what gets?” Alex asked in concern.
Cassidy chuckled. “Let’s just say that I would prefer not to test my driving skills from the couch for the next couple of weeks.”
Realization dawned on Alex. She kissed the top of the smaller woman’s head and recalled one of the first stories Cassidy told her about herself. Cassidy had just handily beaten Alex and Dylan at a driving game, and Alex couldn’t help but be curious where the teacher had learned the skill. Cassidy laughed and explained that she had spent several weeks on the couch keeping close company w
ith a bucket and a PlayStation when she was pregnant with Dylan. “Oh,” Alex said softly. “Let’s just cancel, Cass.”
Cassidy smiled. She was looking forward to their New Year’s Eve. She hadn’t seen Jane Merrow and her daughters since the early fall. Life had been insane for everyone. Stephanie and Alexandra Merrow were both away at school. Jane was still adjusting to life without her husband, and the press had been relentless is pursuing all things Jane Merrow. Cassidy spoke with Jane quite frequently, and it infuriated her that the public could not seem to respect the former first lady’s time for grieving. Cassidy had distanced herself from most of the friends in her life. They had been part of the social scene she traveled in as a congressman’s wife. When she left that life, her social calendar diminished considerably. She had come to cherish Jane’s friendship, and she was anxious to see her.
“No. I promise, I am all right. At least for now, okay? Besides, I want to tell Jane and the girls about the baby,” Cassidy explained.
Alex nodded. “I know. Me too. But there will be quite a few people here and Cat for the rest of the week. They’ll understand if you’re.…”
“Alex, I’m fine,” Cassidy promised. She kissed Alex on the cheek and made her way toward the family room to see Dylan.
Alex paced the floor a bit and sighed, sipping her coffee thoughtfully. She could hear the determination in Cassidy’s voice and she was certain that any effort to dissuade her wife would be futile. Ten minutes later she walked into the family room with a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice.
“What’s this?” Cassidy asked.
Alex shrugged. “You have to eat. Better to have something on your stomach even if you do get sick,” Alex said as she placed the items in front of Cassidy. “Just try; okay?” Alex asked hopefully. Cassidy nodded. “Take it easy today; all right? I’ll take Dylan with me to get Cat this afternoon. I called Rose, she’ll be here early. No one will be here until at least five. Just relax.”
“Alex…”
“You won’t win the argument,” Alex chuckled. “You can play hostess tonight.” Alex smiled and placed a kiss on Cassidy’s forehead before leaving the room. “She’ll be fine. It’s all worth it, right?” she mused to herself quietly as she left the room.
Commitment Page 18