I felt like a dead man walking when I grabbed the food from my car and followed her inside.
****
Jessica
The second I put Ruthie’s seat on the floor by the table, Alan unbuckled her and pulled her out.
“I’ve missed you, baby girl,” he cooed as he put her against his shoulder, then planted a kiss in her wispy blonde hair.
I couldn’t help but smile.
“I think she’s missed you, too.”
That seemed to surprise him because his eyebrows went to his hairline. “Yeah? You think so?”
I nodded solemnly. “I do.”
This was the perfect segue. The entire time I was getting ready, I’d practiced what I was going to say.
But this worked out even better.
Reaching inside the diaper bag, I pulled out the manila folder I’d wanted to give him.
“Here. This is for you.”
He looked at it like it was going to bite him, and he shook his head as he turned away with Ruthie in his arms.
“I don’t want it.”
Well, dang.Him refusing to take it had not been what I’d rehearsed.
“Um, the attorney said it should be pretty straight forward, although there might be a couple of extra steps we have to go through since we haven’t been married for two years.”
“Extra steps?” He scowled. “Like what?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe you can look at it and tell me.”
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll look at it on two conditions. One, we eat dinner first. And two, while we’re eating, you let me explain.”
I nodded my head. “We can do that.”
****
Alan
We sat across from each other at the kitchen table, and I pushed my food around, unsure where to start.
I decided the beginning was the best place.
“You know I was in the Marines for ten years.”
“You told me that.”
“Four years ago, after surviving two roadside bombs that others didn’t, I decided it was time to try something new. So, after I was honorably discharged, I started my construction business.”
She nodded. “So that part’s true.”
“That part’s true. I am a very successful builder in New England.” I paused, then continued, “I think I also told you, once a Marine, always a Marine. So even though I’d been discharged, I couldn’t help feeling that my mission was incomplete. That I needed to make amends to the brothers I’d lost.”
