Disclaimer: PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR ALL DISCLAIMERS!
Roxy wanted nothing more than to slam the door, but instead she smiled politely. "Thanks, Heather." As the lady left, Roxy closed the door and leaned her forehead against it. Tears flowed easily these days and she found that she actually hated Trevor. How dare you leave me! For what? FOR WHAT!? She silently screamed in her mind. She knew that she couldn't stand there forever, hoping that Trevor, known for surprising her, would open it, telling her that it was just to see if she really meant those vows she said before his deployment.
A knock on the door nearly made the young widow curse until she heard Claudia Joy's voice. "Roxy?"
Roxy slowly opened the door. "Hey, Claudia Joy."
Claudia Joy needed no invitation to enter. Roxy moved and the Brigadier General's wife walked in. "You okay?"
"For someone who just lost her husband, I'm fine." She held up the dish she was holding. "Seems everyone thinks that when you lose the one you love, you forget how to cook."
"Not that you ever could." Claudia Joy smiled.
"True." Roxy wiped her tears. "I mean, I appreciate it and all, but there are people I'm not even sure I know that are bringing me food and flowers and offering to watch TJ and Finn for me so that I can grieve or whatever." Roxy put the dish down on the coffee table. "Why can't they just leave us alone?"
Claudia Joy enveloped Roxy in a hug. "We've lost a family member."
"A family member most of them don't know. They don't know how Trevor liked his eggs in the morning or how he…"
"I know. But, he was Army. He was military. That makes him family."
Roxy heard this from Major Sherwood. "If he was family, why doesn't the Marine Corps come and cook dinner? Or the Coast Guard offer to watch my boys? Or even have the Air Force come and help me move? See, now those would be a big help."
Claudia Joy couldn't help but smile. "I see Frank has been talking to you."
Roxy smirked. "Yeah. It was the last thing he told me a couple nights ago." She sat on the couch. "I never knew how much I didn't know about the Army or the military until now."
Claudia Joy sat next to her. "You'd have never figured it out either. I've been married to Michael for eighteen years and I'm still discovering things about the Army."
"You know a lot about how this all works, though, Claudia Joy." Roxy placed her head on the brunette's shoulder.
"A lot, but not everything. I've had how many years more of this than you?" She placed her head on top of Roxy's. "You would have had more ideas of how this works the longer you and Trevor had been married. He was helping you understand, like the rest of us." A knock on the door broke Roxy out of her reverie. "I'll get it." Claudia Joy stood up and answered the door.
"Oh, hi, Mrs. Holden." Roxy recognized Marilyn's voice. "I brought this over for Roxy." She handed Claudia Joy a plate of brownies. "Would you also let her know that I would be willing to watch her boys if she needed?"
"I will." Claudia Joy smiled.
"Thank you." With that, Marilyn left.
Claudia Joy shut the door and looked at Roxy, who was holding her hand up, pointed towards the door. "See? See what I have to deal with? That woman likes me as much as Lenore Baker likes you."
Claudia Joy laughed. "You could say 'no', you know."
Roxy rolled her eyes. "And what? Look ungrateful? I mean, I appreciate the effort every one of these women are putting forth, but, with few exceptions, none of them even knew me until Trevor…"
Claudia Joy put the brownies down. "I know." Another knock on the door and the General's wife looked at the Private's wife. "Go. I'll tell whoever it is that you're gone." As soon as Roxy hid in the bedroom, Claudia Joy opened the door. "Denise."
"How's she doing?" Denise entered, looking at the food and flowers. "See a lot of people heard."
"It's okay, Roxy. It's Denise." Claudia Joy softly yelled as she closed the door. Seeing the look on Denise's face, she explained. "Roxy was tired of people she didn't know offering her food and child care."
Denise smiled in acknowledgement. She had been there before after Frank's Black Hawk had gone down. "I know all too well." She looked at Roxy. "Trust me. You never get used to it."
"Does that mean I go all psycho and tell every one to get out of my house and leave me the hell alone?" Roxy teased Denise.
Denise laughed in memory. She had, in fact, yelled at people to leave her alone and to all go home when they were only trying to be nice. "Of course. I think I showed you how to do it properly."
The three women shared a laugh. Roxy sat hard on the couch. "Thanks, ya'll. Think I needed that."
Denise and Claudia Joy sat next to her. Once again, Claudia Joy hugged Roxy. "You'll be fine."
Denise weakly smiled. "You'll cry a lot more and a lot longer before you can truly laugh. Right now, your laughter isn't honest. It's covering your hurt and the grief you're feeling and…" seeing the look on Roxy's face, Denise leaned in and her smile wasn't so weak. "It's okay. If it helps, it helps. That's all that matters, right?"
Roxy tearfully nodded. "I just didn't think I was capable of shedding this many tears."
"Even though you and Trevor weren't married very long, the love you both had for each other was enough to rival those who were married for many years." Claudia Joy whispered. "When Trevor called you his soul mate, he meant it. If two people were ever meant to be together, it was you and him."
"I just miss him."
Denise patted Roxy's thigh in understanding. "I know. But, your last words to him were how much you loved him, right?"
"Not really. I think I called him a sneaky son of a bitch." Denise and Claudia Joy were surprised. "I'm kidding." Roxy laughed weakly. "Of course they were. Right after I told him I was pregnant."
Claudia Joy took a deep breath. "You're pregnant?"
"Yeah. Happened during his two week R and R three months ago." Roxy's smile and laugh weren't so weak this time. "At least I got that." Claudia Joy and Denise gave her hugs and congratulated her before heading off. After she closed the door, Roxy sat once again on the couch and put her hand on her abdomen. "You better turn out like your father." She told the life inside. "The world could use more like him."