by Annie Stone
“Are you checking on us, Mama Bear?” Carey asks, splashing water in my direction.
Hazel’s eyes light up. “Carey,” I hiss, but he just laughs. Boys. They’re so childish.
The little one keeps splashing around till Hunter threatens to call the Coast Guard to come save her. Then he washes her hair and makes horns out of the suds. Carey gets the mirror so she can see herself. She laughs and smacks her head until she starts crying because she’s got shampoo in her eyes. Carey gives her a cloth to hold in front of her eyes as they rinse out the shampoo. Hunter looks a little pained.
What a wuss.
I drag Hunter’s bags into my room and start unpacking. Good thing I’ve already made room in the wardrobe.
A nice smell wafts through the apartment, and I hurry back to the kitchen. Bubbles are popping inside the oven. Delicious! I set the table, and when I put the lasagna on the table, they come in like I’ve hit a gong.
Hunter puts Hazel in her chair, and I hand him her plate. “She can eat by herself. Just put the plate in front of her.”
“Okay.” He hands her a spoon and checks whether she’s sitting properly and makes sure the chair isn’t wobbling. There’s just one word for that overprotective character: Dad.
It’s so good to have my two boys with me again. My family. It feels so…normal. After we eat, Hunter takes Hazel to bed and reads ten entire books to her. Carey and I lie on the couch, neither of us willing to save him.
When he finally joins us, he sits down so I’m lying in his arms. “How many books do you usually read to her?”
“One,” I say. Carey says: “Three.”
I pretend to gasp and nudge him with my foot. “I didn’t know that! She’s got you wrapped around her little finger.”
“But I’m her uncle.” He grins. “I get to spoil her.”
Hunter laughs. “Okay, I’ll break it to her tomorrow night that we can’t read the whole shelf every night.”
“Mac just told me you’re going to play babysitter,” Carey says. “I’m working tomorrow, but I’m off Monday and Tuesday. Just in case you want some help to get you started.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it. I don’t want to break anything.”
“Not possible,” Carey says. “In the beginning, I thought she was made of spun sugar too, but she’s pretty tough, actually. And now she can say if she doesn’t like something. Plus, you’re not going to be able to say no to her anyway. You’ll get on great.” He grins at his brother.
Hunter rubs his neck. “Yeah...”
“Wuss,” I say, interlacing my fingers with his.
“Guilty.”
Carey hits the remote and throws Hunter a video game controller. “Want to play?”
Hunter nods, and I slide down a little so my head is on his lap. It’s cool watching them do regular things young men do. And I like it because they’re both with me.
I wake up when Hunter puts me in my bed. He undresses both of us before he snuggles up to me from behind. “Night, baby.”
A few hours later, we hear Hazel crying on the baby monitor, and I put on panties and a shirt to go get Hazel. She stretches out her arms, her face wet with tears, and is so relieved when I squeeze her tight. My darling girl.
I go back to the bedroom and tuck her between us.
Tears in her voice, she whispers, “Hi, Daddy.”
Hunter kisses her forehead. She snuggles up close to him before she closes her tired eyes and falls asleep again. Hunter grabs my hand and pulls it to his lips.
“Thank you, baby,” he says.
I nod, thinking of my tattoo. Free at last. And finally, finally, it’s true.
Epilogue
I am standing inside a room wearing my gala uniform. My superior pins the Silver Star for valor in combat onto my chest. I have no idea what for. I get the Purple Heart. After all, I was wounded. But valor in combat? I just did my job, really. The job I was trained to do. I didn’t do anything special. I’m a Marine, that’s all. You do the job. Period. You don’t expect any awards. Nobody goes to war to get a fucking medal.
I look at Mac who is standing by the wall with Hazel and Carey, beaming at me. That’s a much better medal. My wife and my daughter. My brother. My family. Those are the only decorations I need. The fact that they love me and think I’m a good person.
“Thank you so much for your service, Sergeant Tilman,” He holds out his hand, and I shake it before we both salute.
Then the formal part of the ceremony is over, and my superior gives me a paternal pat on the shoulder. “I hear you want to join the J.A.G. Corps. We need lawyers with combat experience. We are very happy we get to keep you, Sergeant.”
I nod, mumbling some polite phrases in response, and he gives me a friendly smile before he excuses himself.
I walk over to my family.
“Hey, soldier,” Mac says, smiling. Her eyes show me how proud she is.
“Marine,” I correct her before I kiss her. I take Hazel on my arm and grab Mac’s hand. Together, we leave the building and get into the car. I drive to Hazel’s favorite park.
It’s pretty amazing what a gala uniform can do. People look at you completely different. The women undress you with their looks, the men give you respect. Or maybe they undress Mac with their looks, I don’t know. I can’t blame them. I do it almost every hour.
It’s not easy to get used to civilian life again but this time it is much easier than after my first deployment because I’ve got them. My three people. Sometimes I still wonder how I could be such an idiot. How could I shut them out of my life for so long?
I squeeze Mac’s hand again, and she looks up at me. Smiling. No, beaming. She is happy.
Hazel takes off my peaked hat and drops it. Mac bends down and picks it up. After that, she holds on to it. Good thing we’re so far from the base so nobody sees how disrespectfully I’m handling it. Or Hazel. Which takes it back to me, really.
Mac spreads a picnic blanket.
“Does it suit me?” Mac asks, and I turn around to face her. She’s wearing my peaked hat on her head, giving me a seductive look.
I grin, wrap my arms around her and swing her around. She laughs burying her head in my neck.
“I love you, baby,” I say quietly.
She looks up at me, wraps her legs around my hips and holds my face. She smiles, then she kisses me.
We’re like a modern version of An Officer and a Gentleman. I look into her beaming eyes and see exactly what I feel inside: THIS is forever.
Thanks
Now we are at the end of this story. I hope you loved it as much as I do. Thank you for taking a chance with an unknown author.
- Thanks to LanguageBIZ for translating the story.
- Thanks to Annie Cosby for editing and americanizing the story. Without you it wouldn’t be as good.
- Thanks to Neda Amini of Ardent Prose and her team for helping me promote this series.
- Thanks to all the bloggers for their support. I appreciate it more than words can express.
My biggest thanks is always to my readers, because you are the reason my author heart is fluttering. So thank you for reading!
Love, Annie
If you like to stay in touch, find me on Facebook or visit my website annie-stone.com.
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Copyright: © 2018 Annie Stone
Translation: LanguageBIZ
Editing: Annie Cosby
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