by T. K. Leigh
“I don’t want to make the same mistakes Dad did,” Alexander whispered, wondering if he already had.
After everything he had endured this past week, he was forced to come to terms with the stark reality that his job and professional responsibilities had always come first. Yes, he was physically present at his house, but even then, he seemed to spend most of his time in the office, answering phone calls, never truly just spending time with Olivia and Melanie.
He felt a squeeze on his arm and looked to his right, meeting Olivia’s eyes. Then he glanced down at Melanie by her side. He never wanted her to see him the way he viewed his father. He was well aware that his father’s devotion to his security firm had saved countless lives, including several lives he held very dear. Still, he shuddered at the thought of Melanie holding a grudge because her daddy was never around. He’d missed so many of her firsts because of work — her first word, the first time she rode a bike, her first lost tooth. He didn’t want to miss any more of them. He wanted to be there the first time she scored a goal in soccer. He wanted to see her first homerun in softball. He wanted to look the first boy she brought home in the eyes and remind him that she was his baby girl and no one was good enough for her.
He had devoted his life to his country, then his father’s company, wanting the legacy he’d left behind to live on. Staring into his wife’s and daughter’s eyes, surrounded by the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to further that legacy, he knew the decision he made earlier was the right one.
“We’re ready to begin, sir,” one of his agents informed him.
“Thank you.” He gave him a slight smile, then turned toward the podium set off to the side of the casket.
“Wait, Daddy.” Melanie tugged at his arm. “Where are you going?”
Alexander crouched down to her level, meeting her concerned eyes. Ever since her ordeal, she’d suffered from separation anxiety. She didn’t want to leave Alexander’s or Olivia’s side for fear something bad would happen. It was going to take more than just a few nights for her to come to terms with what she had been through. He was thankful to have his daughter back in one piece, even if it meant the bed he shared with his wife was just a little bit more crowded these days.
Grasping her arms, he said, “You see all the people who are here?”
She glanced over her shoulders, her brown curls springing with the motion. “Yes.”
“They’re all here to say goodbye to Uncle Martin, too.”
A sadness washed over her face, her bright eyes growing dull. “Do we really have to say goodbye to him?”
He nodded, thinking how being a parent was a strange thing. He’d been dropped into some of the most dangerous places on earth and survived, but he hated having to teach his daughter about death. It was too dark, too bleak. She was joyful and vivacious. She deserved to keep living in her world of fairy tales and make-believe, not in a cruel world where death could take a loved one at any moment.
“Yes, princess. We do.”
“Grandma said he died trying to save those girls.” She looked down at her feet, fidgeting with the skirt of her black velvet dress. “And me.”
“He did,” Alexander answered honestly. Grabbing her chin, he forced her eyes back to his. “And he would do it again in a heartbeat. That’s how much he loved you, Melanie. How much he loved all of us.”
“I miss him,” she choked out.
He brought her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. “I do, too, but remember what I told you the other day?”
She pulled her head from his chest and nodded, wiping her eyes. “That he’s not really gone. That he’ll live on.”
“That he will, princess. He’s touched all our lives with his devotion, his loyalty, his love.” Sensing a presence hovering, he glanced up and saw his mother standing just over Melanie’s shoulder, tears flowing freely down her face. “And because of him, our lives are infinitely better than had he never touched them the way he did. If you ever find yourself missing him, all you have to do is look in the mirror and you’ll see him.”
“How? All I’ll see is me.”
“And in you, he’ll live on.”
“Melanie, dear,” Olivia said, approaching her. “Daddy has to go make a speech to say goodbye to Uncle Martin now.”
She nodded slightly. “Okay, Mama.” She took Olivia’s hand and they walked to the front row to sit with the rest of Alexander’s family.
Closing his eyes briefly, he made his way toward the casket, glancing at the large portrait of Martin that sat on an easel. Alexander paused, taken aback by the finality of it all. The past few days had been a whirlwind of interviews, phone calls, and trying to find some new normal. He never had a chance to let Martin’s death really sink in…until this moment.
Stepping behind the podium, he looked at all the faces in attendance. Martin had touched each and every one of them in one way or another. He feared no words would do justice to his bravery, loyalty, and kindness.
Taking a breath, he addressed the assembled mourners. “On the day I came back to run my father’s security firm, Leroy Martin had a few words of wisdom for me. He said, ‘The best day in a man’s life is the day he finally makes his life his own. No more excuses. No more apologies. No more acting like the world is out to get him. That’s the day he finally becomes a man and proves his worth.’” He paused, remembering that day like it were yesterday. He could almost hear Martin speaking those words to him.
“He got up from behind my father’s desk and walked over to me. He shook my hand, then said, ‘I’m proud of you, Alex. Now it’s time to prove your worth.’”
His eyes roamed the chapel, everyone dressed in dark colors and wearing heavy coats. This wasn’t how he wanted to spend Christmas Eve. He should have been at home with his family baking cookies, watching Christmas movies, not saying goodbye to the person who had molded him into the man he was today.
“That was the last time he called me Alex…until recently. He’d always followed protocol, never straying, no matter what. It didn’t matter that he was the person who taught me how to swim or showed me how to tie a tie. At that moment, I was no longer that little boy in his eyes. But I still looked up to him. I still needed his guidance, his advice, and sometimes his approval. And up until he took his last breath, I still did.
“He devoted his entire life to his country, then to the company, sacrificing everything so many people took for granted — friends, family, a normal nine-to-five job. Martin was a permanent fixture in my house growing up. I remember wondering why he always spent time with us when he should have been with his own family.” Alexander looked down briefly, then returned his eyes to the faces in the crowd. “But now I know he was with his family. Blood makes you related, but loyalty makes a family, and Martin was as loyal as they come. I stand here and look around the room, able to see his influence in the face of every single one of you. He was a man of few words, but when he spoke, you damn well better listen because those words had impact. So I want to share with you some of Martin’s last words.”
Alexander clutched the podium, drawing strength from the sturdy wood. “He said, ‘Don’t make the same mistake I’ve made, that your father made. Family first. Always.’” He paused, allowing those words to sink in. “It’s so easy to get caught up in the business of making a living that we forget to actually live. Our lives revolve around our work, and I know I’m not the only one who’s guilty of this. When was the last time anyone here sat down to a dinner with their family, without their cell phones, and actually talked? And I mean really talked. Not just about work or things that needed to get done around the house, but talked about your hopes, your dreams, your fears. Because that’s where the beauty of life truly lies. It’s hidden in the little things. In the Saturday morning pancake ritual.” He glanced at Melanie, seeing tears falling down her cheeks.
“It’s in the family dinner at your ma’s house where she makes enough lasagna to feed a small army.” He met his
mother’s eyes, wishing he had the words to tell her how sorry he was that she was back here, having to say goodbye to the man she loved again.
“And it’s in those quiet moments you spend with your wife.” He looked at Olivia, a warmth radiating through him, despite the chilly temperatures. “It’s in falling in love all over again each and every morning you wake up and can stare into her eyes. It’s in the way sharing a simple cup of coffee in bed makes your day complete. It’s in the way you feel like the luckiest man alive because you get to fall asleep next to the woman of your dreams every single night.”
He returned his attention to the rapt crowd, men and women alike dabbing at the tears falling freely down their cheeks. “Don’t take any of that for granted,” he said in a soft voice, fighting back his own tears. “For too long, I took my family for granted. Never again.” Clearing his throat, he continued. “From this moment forward, I will be fulfilling the promise I made to Martin. I will be putting family first. Effective immediately, I will be stepping down as President of Burnham and Associates Security Firm.”
A gasp echoed from the crowd. Then he looked to Tyler, who simply nodded in agreement. “My brother, Tyler, has agreed to take over temporarily while we vet a replacement. He doesn’t want the job permanently. Unlike me, he’s always put family first. I will be keeping my place on the Board of Directors, but will no longer be involved in the day-to-day operation of the company.” He drew in a deep breath and looked at the portrait of Martin in a black suit sitting in front of an American flag. “Family first, Uncle Leroy. Always. Semper Fi.”
A Marine appeared next to the casket and played Taps on his bugle, six more Marines approaching, folding the flag with meticulous precision. Outside the chapel, the boom of rifles echoed, sending chills through Alexander.
As the sound of the bugle diminished, one of the members of the Honor Guard approached his mother with the flag, slipping the traditional three rifle casings inside, and handed it to her. The Marine stepped back and saluted her.
As she stared down at the flag in her hands, sobs consumed her. Over the past few days, Alexander had wavered on whether stepping down from the company was the right decision. Now he knew it was. He didn’t want his family to have to sit through another 21-gun salute any time soon.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
December 24
6:00 PM
THE LIGHTS OF THE Christmas tree twinkled as Olivia sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around Melanie. The smell of fresh baked cookies emanated from the kitchen, the fire in the hearth warming her. From the outside, it was the picture-perfect Christmas Eve. Inside, it was anything but. A somber feeling invaded their home. Last year, this day had been filled with movies, eating, and celebrating with friends and family. This year, it was marked with uncertainty.
“Have you heard anything yet?” she murmured to Alexander as Melanie slept, cradled in her embrace. Her strong, independent girl had transformed into a child frightened of the smallest noise. It was understandable and something they knew would take time to overcome. One of the best psychiatrists in the country had been to their house every day to work with her. Olivia wasn’t going to pretend what her daughter had endured wouldn’t affect her. She knew it would. She also knew it was okay to need help to overcome it. Melanie was a beautiful, spirited girl. She would get through this and be stronger because of her experience. For now, Olivia was enjoying the snuggles again.
“No.” He shook his head. “Moretti said he was going to try to do everything he could with the connections he has, but he has to fight the bureaucracy.”
Sighing, Olivia returned her eyes to the tree in front of her. She still found herself thinking of all the women she saved. She knew they would be okay, especially considering the Secretary of Homeland Security had taken an interest in their well-being. In the hours following the FBI’s rescue, the story of why Melanie had been abducted hit the news. Despite the rhetoric of politicians wanting to ban Muslims from this country, there was much public outrage at the thought of these women going through removal proceedings and being sent back to Afghanistan, where they faced almost certain death. This pushed the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant them all asylum status just a few hours ago, even though they didn’t exactly meet the standard.
Still, Olivia couldn’t help but worry about Landon. He was so little and had no one left. The Department of Children and Families had to get involved, taking him into their custody, frantically trying to find a foster home to place him in right before Christmas. According to Moretti, it wasn’t going well and he’d yet to leave the children’s hospital. Olivia hated the thought of that poor baby being all alone. Landon needed to be surrounded by people who would love him every second of every day, not just a nurse or foster care worker who had too many other kids to tend to.
“It’ll be okay,” Alexander assured her. “I promised you I would never stop fighting for him, and I won’t, Olivia. I failed his mother—”
“Alex, you—”
“I did, Olivia,” he said sternly, then softened his voice. “All of this has made me reevaluate my priorities. It’s no longer about following the rules or protocol. It takes a strong person to never deviate from the rules. But it takes an even stronger person to know when to bend them.” He squeezed her hand, placing a soft kiss on her head as they settled in to watch Bing Crosby sing “White Christmas” against the backdrop of World War II.
“This movie again?” Melanie groaned. She stretched, then snuggled back between Alexander and Olivia.
A small smile crept across Olivia’s lips, thankful for this moment. For a time, she wasn’t sure whether they would be able to celebrate Christmas together. She would never take anyone for granted again.
“Yes. This movie. Again.” Alexander nudged her. “Don’t even try to pretend you don’t like it. I see you moving your lips along to all the songs.”
“Whatever, Dad.” She rolled her eyes, then closed them.
Alexander caught Olivia’s gaze and she stifled a laugh, grateful to see snippets of the Melanie they knew before all of this happened. She would never be the same again. No one would be after seeing and enduring what she had. As time went on, Olivia knew they would see more and more pieces of the girl she used to be.
“Did she become a teenager overnight?” he joked.
Olivia shrugged. “She is your daughter, and that includes her snarky behavior.”
He reached toward the coffee table, then handed Olivia her glass of champagne. “I’d argue she got that from her mother.”
Olivia rolled her eyes.
Smirking, Alexander said, “I rest my case.”
The sound of a dog barking rang through the house, followed by Runner bolting from his bed in front of the fireplace, barking at the window, then at Olivia and Alexander, then the window again.
“Runner,” Melanie scolded. “Where were you the night that crazy woman broke into this house? You couldn’t be bothered then, could you, boy? Some guard dog you are.”
He stopped his barking and came up to Melanie, placing his paw on her leg and nuzzling against her. When headlights from a car shined into the window, he raced toward the foyer.
“Did your mother change her mind?” Olivia glanced at Alexander.
“I don’t think so. I told her she was more than welcome to come over, but she said the last thing any of us probably wanted to do tonight was pretend we were happy.”
“Then who do you suppose is here at six o’clock on Christmas Eve?”
“There’s lights on one of the cars,” Melanie observed.
Olivia shot her head toward the window, able to make out a familiar silhouette trekking up the stone walkway. Seconds later, the doorbell rang, setting Runner off once more.
“I’ll go see what he wants.” Alexander pushed himself off the oversized couch, heading down the hallway.
“Is that the FBI agent who helped find me?” Melanie asked as she and Olivia continued to watch White Christmas.
; “It is, sweet pea.”
“What’s he doing here?”
“I’m not sure.” She glanced toward the foyer, then returned her attention to her daughter.
“Doesn’t he have a family? Shouldn’t he be with them on Christmas Eve?”
Olivia shrugged. “Some people make work their family.”
“Like Daddy used to?”
“Yes.” She met her daughter’s eyes. “But not anymore.”
Melanie snuggled against her. “Does this mean we can have pancakes every morning from now on?”
She laughed at her, always the opportunist. “You’ll have to take that up with your father.”
Olivia sensed rather than heard Alexander enter the room and looked toward him, seeing Agent Moretti at his side. Extracting herself from Melanie, she stood up.
“Mrs. Burnham.” He nodded a greeting at her. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you, as well. Is everything okay?” She walked toward them, stopping in her tracks when her eyes fell on a woman accompanying him. But it wasn’t the woman who surprised her. It was what the woman held in her arms. “What’s going on?” she asked, swallowing hard.
“Mrs. Burnham, my name is Jacqueline Pierce. I’m a social worker at the Department of Children and Family Services.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Pierce,” she said, her eyes glued to the baby she held, trying not to get her hopes up. “What can I do for you?”
“You must have friends in very high places. The director got a call from the governor himself, telling us this child wasn’t to spend another minute out of your care.”
Olivia exhaled a short breath, relief washing over her. Tears welled in her eyes as she caught Alexander’s gaze, a content smile on his face.
“This is certainly a huge breach of protocol, but like I said, this came all the way from the governor. It’s my understanding you have everything you need? Formula, clothes, diapers, a crib?”
“Yes. Yes, of course. One of my friends seems to pop out a kid every other month. All her husband has to do is look at her and she’s pregnant,” she joked. “We have plenty of baby stuff here for when they stop by.”