“Whoa… No one thinks you’re crazy.” She smiles all friendly-like but I’m not buying it.
“Don’t you? Isn’t it why you all ganged up on me? Help the poor vet who’s gone off his rock-ah?”
“Angry?”
“Yeah, I’m pissed. What kind of friends stage a bloody intervention?”
“Friends don’t, Lucky. We’re family and we all care about you, about Callie.”
At the mention of my wife, I stand and pace. “She’ll be fine.”
“Will she, Lucky? If you reenlist? How do you see it playing out?”
“I’ll work and she’ll go back to teaching at MIT or some other muckety-muck uni. Eventually, she’ll get tired of waiting for me and find some other bloke, a yank more near her station in life.”
“So, you’re expecting your wife to cheat on you?” When she puts it that way, it doesn’t sound so likely.
“Yeah, nah. I guess not.”
“Has she mentioned wanting to teach? That she doesn’t like her job with Patten?”
“I think she hired on to be with me.”
“Did you ask her?”
“Don’t have to.”
“Would you like to hear what she told me?”
I shrug. “I suppose you’re going to tell me, no matter what I say.”
“She said she hated working for MIT. Hated grading papers, lecturing, and making lesson plans. The only part she enjoyed was the research lab to which Grayson gives her unlimited access.”
I smile. “That does sound like her.”
“Has she any experience being the wife of a military man?”
“Nah. But after a while, women adapt. It’s the way of things.”
“And you’re okay, only seeing your baby when on leave? Maybe a few weeks a year.”
“Somebody needs to stop terrorists from coming into our bloody country and blowing up buildings. It’s hard, but we need to stop them, yeah? What if everyone takes the easy way out?” I stand. “This is over. I’m done here. Thanks, doc. Send me your bill.”
I head down the stairs and stride past my wife. “Going for a run, luv.”
“Hold on…” She tries to keep up with me and follows me up and over the dune. “Lucky, God damn it, stop!”
Her rare cursing makes me turn. “What?”
“I’m sorry but I don’t have the faintest clue how to deal.”
“So, you unman me in front of me mates, eh? Christ, Calliope. Don’t you know me at all?”
“I guess not.” Big tears drip down her cheeks and my fucking heart cracks.
“Do you want to call it off?” she asks.
“Of course, I do.”I’m done with this intervention.
