The Island
Chapter 4
Mike and Christine both enjoyed their night thoroughly. They had spent a lot of time talking. They were both older and had been through a lot. Mike explained about the single date that he had been on and that was all that it had been, and Christine explained why she had secluded herself and their kids. It was not meant to hurt Mike. They talked, laughed, cried and finally fell asleep in each other's arms. Mike had blown out the candle's hours before, and they had drunk the wine and ate the chocolate and fruit as they talked but it had not been the reconnect that Sasha had imagined but exactly what they needed. About five; Hunter and Mia crawled into bed with them. The door hadn't ever been locked and Mike woke up enough to help them get situated. Mia had ended up next to him and Sadie had followed them in and settled next to the fireplace. Hunter had snuggled up next to Christine, but Mia didn't settle as easily.
"You okay?" Mike finally asked. He had tried to cuddle her, but Mia was resistant.
"I sleep on one side of Mommy and Hunter sleeps on the other." Mia told him, and Mike nodded. Christine had woken up and looked over at him.
"Alright, I have an idea. Come here?" Mike asked the little girl. She got up with him and he put her on Christine's side of the bed, next to her. There wasn't enough room for him and he knew he was going to have figure out a way to bond with Mia.
"She'll get there, Mike. It just takes her a bit to warm up; not that she's had a lot of interaction with other people." Christine told him after Mia had fallen back asleep.
"I figured; I just wish it had been an instant bond. Course, Hunter just loves that I brought a dog. Mia is not so easily impressed." Mike commented.
"It'll happen when you least expect it. Just don't stop looking for opportunities even when it is uncomfortable. So, not what Sasha and Tom had in mind for us, huh?" Christine asked.
"No. Not that I didn't want to. You know me, I always want to do that, but I think we needed this more. There will be plenty of opportunities for that later." Mike told her as he leaned over Hunter and kissed her.
"I would certainly hope so. I just wish that Hannah and Ella would come in. That would make this perfect." Christine admitted. They had talked at length about Lucas and he would also be missed. Mike sat up and got out of bed. "What are you doing?" Christine asked.
"Getting Hannah and Ella." Mike told her before walking out of their bedroom. He walked into the girl's room and gently shook both awake. "Mom and I decided we wanted you girls with us. The twins are in with us already. C'mon." Mike told them, and both girls jumped up and followed Mike. It took a bit of resituating but within a couple minutes; they were all cuddled close in the suddenly small bed.
"Now, this is perfect." Christine remarked.
"Beats my old bed anytime." Mike said with a laugh. Hunter had cuddled up to him and Ella was on his other side, with Hannah on Mia's side.
"Beats sleeping alone too. I was always thrilled when the twins came in beside me, but it isn't quite the same as you. I have definitely missed sleeping with you." Christine told him.
"Likewise. Better get some more sleep; I need to learn this shrimp and crab business of yours." Mike told her.
"Agreed." Christine stated as she turned and fell asleep. Mike never actually fell asleep, choosing to focus on his wife and kids. He had all but lost hope of finding them and now that he had them back; he would be on the island for good.
About seven, he got up; able to get around Ella and went downstairs to let Sadie out. He could see the ocean from where he was, and it was peaceful. Mike was the sort of person who could make himself at home, wherever he was. Whether it was the inner-city of Chicago, a destroyer in the middle of the ocean or a hunting cabin in Missouri; he could make it home but was sure better with his family.
Mike got Sadie back inside and began mixing up the ingredients for his pancakes. They had always been a favorite post deployment tradition and it was seven years overdue. About eight, Sasha joined him but was reading a book at the kitchen island as he worked on the breakfast.
"What are you reading? I have never known you to be so engrossed in a book." Mike asked.
"Its about the original owners of this house. Admiral John Carpenter and his wife Mary Catherine." Sasha explained.
"Oh. Hannah mentioned them last night. Said that this house was built from the ship that Admiral Carpenter captained. Was decommissioned after a sea battle and Admiral Carpenter limped it here to make repairs before getting it on up to Maryland." Mike answered.
"Tom remembers them talking about him in the Academy. You went right after him, right?" Sasha asked.
"Vaguely but I was not the greatest at the book work part of Academy. Hands on, weapons, absolutely. Otherwise, no." Mike admitted.
"Why?" Sasha questioned.
"Well, the difference between Tom and I was that he did the Academy before he was married. Me, I was a married man; had Ella and Hannah. Studying was not my priority. The fact that I got into Academy was surprising." Mike explained.
"I hadn't thought of that. Most of the students are younger and single. They don't have…attachments. Least, I didn't." Sasha admitted. Mike had poured them both a cup of coffee and just stood watching his pancakes cooking on the cooktop.
"I was almost thirty and had been a cop for several years before I joined. It was a rough adjustment for Christine and the kids." Mike told her.
"Why the career change?" Sasha asked as she drank her coffee.
"Sense of patriotism, doing more good on a larger scale. Better opportunities for my family. I didn't see what it would also cost. I was fast-tracked into the Academy because of my law-enforcement background. I wasn't at the bottom of my class, but I wasn't at the top like Tom. It was more important to be a decent husband and father." Mike explained.
"And yet you retired a four-star admiral. You are not the first Admiral to live in this house. Admiral Carpenter. Although; he retired a Captain but was brought back during the Civil War and become an Admiral then. Was only because they didn't have admirals until 1862. He had been retired over twenty years but helped with the Naval operations. More like a consultant. President Lincoln gave him the promotion as a thank you." Sasha told him.
"I would give that up to get back what I lost. And what my family lost. Christie is so tired and worn and I barely know my girls. Don't know the twins at all. Didn't get to say goodbye to my son." Mike told her in a dark tone.
"So, how was your night?" Sasha asked, more to change the subject.
"We talked a lot. Ate the chocolate and cheese. Drank the wine and then fell asleep. Ended up with the four kids in bed with us and the dog at the foot of the bed." Mike teased.
"That is not how I thought this would go. I had other…intentions for you two." Sasha stated.
"Most couples would have done that, and it did cross our minds, but we had things to sort out. When I left for the Arctic; we were in kind of a rough patch." Mike explained.
"But she was pregnant with twins?" Sasha asked.
"We had our moment the night before I left. Didn't solve any problems. Just took care of an itch." Mike admitted.
"And left you with twins. You don't have the same itch?" Sasha teased.
"Yes. It would have been special last night but I…its hard to explain. We'll get there though." Mike told her.
"I'm sure. Why the rough patch?" Sasha asked as she thumbed through the book.
"Frequent deployments, I had turned down a desk job in Miami, money issues, typical complaints of a married couple; lack of communication and time for dating, so the speak. Everything was kids, work, money, house and no time for us." Mike explained.
"Seems to me, it would be easy to fall back into that. You need to make time for each other; somehow. Tom and I will help with the kids. You and Christine have something special." Sasha told him as he put the last pancake on the platter. He had a plate of sausage links also ready and while he and Sasha had been talking; he was setting the table. His family was apparently still sleeping.
"We do have some room for improvement; I had better go wake them up. Cold pancakes are not good." Mike told her as he walked up the steps. Sasha concentrated back on her book and a diary excerpt from Mary Catherine.
"May 1st, 1865
Finally, Johnny is coming home. I have missed him desperately! He has been able to come home occasionally the last three years, but the country needed him. I am blessed that Sally, Josiah and Phillip stayed on even though they were technically free to go. We never forced them into slavery and so they always had their freedom. I suppose they have nowhere else to go.
The children are all doing well, and Johnny was able to serve with our oldest son; John Jr. He and JJ had a good time despite the circumstances. Susan just wrote me; she and Adam just had their third child; a boy named after his grandfather; John. I have warned her of having her children too close together. It is hard on a woman's body and ages them before their time. I didn't adhere to my own teachings as a mother and wife, but I can do better for my daughters and daughters-in-law. JJ and his wife Molly are moving to the island. The others write me often and are doing well.
JJ and Molly lost their baby girl earlier in the winter to diphtheria. She feels horribly about it and he has been away so much. Her parents also died in the same outbreak. She has no one and I feel badly for her. They are expecting another baby in the late summer and she is nervous about that baby being exposed to the diseases common in the cities.
I understand Molly's fears well. A lot of people believe I am insane for letting Johnny move me to this island, but I couldn't stand to lose another child. Now, I want to prevent my son and his wife from losing any more children. Not everything is preventable but it's worth trying."
Sasha smiled at the passage. In a few ways, the Carpenter story mirrored Mike and Christine's. It also gave Sasha a name to add to Susan's branch of the family tree. A son, named John born in 1865. She understood Tom's reasoning for not telling Mike about his possible family connection to the house, but it was fascinating. She heard the family and Tom coming down the stairs and shut the book. As she looked towards the entry way, she focused on the picture of John Carpenter. Something about the set of his eyes, reminded Sasha of Mike. Not necessarily the color of the eyes in the portrait but there was a similarity.
I had to do a bit of research and realized that they didn't have Admirals in the US Navy until 1862. So, I made it work for this story! Love reading the reviews.