Mommy Dearest
Chapter 13
Go Navy!
Harm awoke on the Saturday morning after a restless night with the vague feeling that he needed to be up early and doing, but for a few moments couldn't think why he felt such a pressing need, and then as he sat up in bed, he was reminded by Jen's absence from that same bed that today was his wedding day.
Fortunately for his unexpected and surprising queasiness he had delayed the arrival of Jack Keeter and Beth Hawkes until today so there had been no pressure on him last night to have a traditional bachelor party, so he had escaped even the slightest trace of a hangover. Feeling comforted by his foresight, no matter how accidental, he took a leisurely shower and then shaved with extra attention to both the closeness of the shave and the safety of his face. He had in the past seen more than one bridegroom's face or neck showing the evidence of a shaking hand. Showered shampooed and shaved, he made a breakfast of coffee and oatmeal which went some distance to settling what he now wryly acknowledged was a nervous stomach.
Finishing his breakfast and then rinsing pot, crockery and cutlery under the tap, he moved into the bedroom and laid out his uniform ready for wearing. Everything was in order, as it should be; he had made thorough preparations before departing for La Jolla, the uniform was fresh from the cleaners his shoes highly spit-polished, and giving his medals and his gold pilot's wings one final rub with a soft cloth, he carefully pinned them into place on his jacket. Checking his watch for the one hundredth time, he could no longer restrain his impatience, but taking his time he donned his dress whites, until satisfied that he could do no more and confident in his turnout he left the apartment as a single man for the last time, and making his way down to his waiting car, he started the familiar drive from Washington to Falls Church.
Jen woke after a blissful night's sleep with absolutely no trace of nervousness but rather with a sense of joyful anticipation. Climbing out of bed she made a brief visit to the bathroom to check her face for any overnight blemishes and to clean her teeth before ordering a breakfast of eggs, bacon toast, OJ and coffee from room service.
Whilst eating she reviewed her plans for the day. Thank God, she thought, that Harm had reminded her about collecting her dress whites from her old apartment; but it was so like him, prepare for the worst and then you won't be caught flat-footed if things go wrong. If he hadn't reminded her last night, then by now he would have been pounding on her door in a panic demanding that she go and get them on the instant, and then spent the rest of the morning worrying that she hadn't had time to make sure they were immaculate for the main event of the day. She smiled to herself; he had absolutely no grounds for worry as far as her dress whites were concerned. She just hoped he enjoyed the two little surprises she had dreamed up. OK. One of them had been cooked up while at La Jolla and was mostly Trish's doing, but the other had been all her own work and hadn't been finalised until after a lengthy 'phone call the previous evening after she had at length managed to get rid of Harm for the night. As she finished her breakfast she double checked that everything was ready to her satisfaction before returning to the bathroom for a long shower and shampoo before she started her real preparations. Stripping out of her pyjamas, she caught sight of her reflection, and gave herself a critical inspection. Not too bad she thought; although she wasn't quite so rigorous in her devotion to a vegetarian diet as Harm, she ate sensibly, exercised regularly and while she enjoyed a glass or two of wine on social occasions she rarely over indulged in alcohol and she had never even in her most rebellious days smoked tobacco. Turning so that she could see her profile, she squinted long and hard at her image. Was that just the tiniest beginning of a bump? Or was she imagining it? She came to the sad conclusion that the bump that she thought she saw was only a product of wishful thinking. Stop daydreaming, woman, she told herself, you need to be out of that shower and with your hair dry before Trish and Loren come to check that you hadn't run away during the night. As if!
Loren also awoke early, but unlike Jen she had not had an uninterrupted night's sleep, although Alexandra was no longer demanding to be fed every two hours, her insistence on her need for nursing had woken her mother twice during the night. Loren, again in contrast to Jen, did not have time for a leisurely breakfast, her daughter needed both another feed and to be changed, while she needed to get out of the hotel as soon as the store she had in mind opened its doors. Breakfast for Loren consisted a hasty cup of instant coffee made with the hotel provided in-room facilities, and as soon as she had swallowed that she made her way to Trish and Frank's suite where she passed her sleeping child to a bemused Frank with the greeting "Hi, take care of her for me, please, I'll be back in an hour!" and was gone before Frank had really registered what was happening.
"It's all your fault he accused Trish, "if you hadn't adopted her, she wouldn't be treating us as... free baby sitters!"
"Oh, Frank, hush up now," admonished a smiling Trish, "You know you love Alexandra. You just want to be the grumpy old Grandpa, doesn't he precious?" she continued but addressing her last remark to the supremely oblivious Alexandra.
"True, alas too true," he replied in a mock-mournful voice. "But you'd better take her, so I can finish in the bathroom before you settle in for the duration!"
Trish glowered at her husband in pretended indignation.
Jack Keeter glowered at his passenger. "Whose bright idea was it to leave the drive down here until this morning?" he growled.
"Ah, that would be you, sir," responded Beth Hawkes.
"Dammit, Skates, you're supposed to be my RIO, why didn't you warn me about the traffic on this road on a Saturday morning?"
"I didn't warn you, because if we hadn't had to turn round to get our swords, we would have been in Falls Church twenty minutes ago! And why do we need our swords? I thought Harm specified no swords!"
"Well maybe he did and maybe he didn't, but if he or you think I was going to turn up at my old buddy's wedding without the means of paying him honours on that day then you are both mightily mistook!"
"Good point, Keeter!" Beth smiled. She hadn't much liked Keeter when she had first met him on her assignment to Andrews Naval Air Facility. He had seemed to represent the worst of the old-school navy aviators who actively resented women aircrew, whether as pilots or RIOs, and his jokes and various remarks had her more than once calling him on a yellow light and at one point almost resulted in her lodging an official complaint against him. His string of first dates with very few second dates also left her with the impression that he was rather shallow, a player who was attracted to superficial physical appearances, and as he himself had put it, one 'would rather go to the library than buy a book.' It sounded inoffensive in itself until his listener realised that he was expounding his philosophy on women, dating and marriage. It wasn't until she'd had what started out as a casual lunchtime conversation with an Air Force Major from Andrews AFB Air Traffic Control, who had been one of Keeter's few follow up dates, that she found out that the chauvinistic Keeter of the Naval Air Operations Centre was regarded as a charming and courteous, if slightly old-fashioned date, who not only believed in footing the bill for whatever entertainment was involved in a date, be it dinner, the theatre or even just a picnic, but that he believed in opening doors and holding chairs for whomever he was escorting. Beth didn't have much time for such old world courtesies, she had been trained in the tough world of naval aviation where the women who had succeeded had been compelled to give up some of what being a woman entailed in order to become accepted as one of the guys; a compromise which she thought, but rarely said, sucked. But given Keeter's opinions on sexual matters, she had been mildly and pleasantly surprised that he also had the reputation of being one who never pushed the envelope, accepting that a 'no' meant just that and was not a coyly disguised come-on, and that despite his widely known bluster, he was accounted by the female population of Andrews AFB as being one of the good guys.
Keeter for his part had at first been annoyed by Hawkes' loudly and often expressed feminist views. He was by no means, despite his outer, and self-created, veneer opposed to women in uniform, or even to women in the air, but he was uneasy at them being assigned to combat duties. Not because he doubted their abilities, hell, Rabb had repeatedly told him that the best RIO he had ever flown with was Skates, and his own regular RIO until he had been reassigned to fly a desk had been Lieutenant Jorgenson, also by coincidence named Beth. No, Keeter's objection to women in combat was visceral, women were life givers, life bearers, it was just wrong that they should be exposed to the risk of disfigurement, dismemberment and an ugly, violent death. He realised that these deeply held convictions, if they became known, could cost him his career in the navy but he had been raised by his old-fashioned parents who had instilled in him strongly traditional values, and he could no more overcome them than he could fly without being strapped into a pilot's seat.
His opinion of Skates had changed subtly and slowly over the months he had worked with her. She was not only conscientious and damn' good at her job, but she had a strongly developed sense of right and wrong and possessed both the physical and moral courage to stand by her convictions when she believed she was in the right. He had also discovered when he organised training flights for them both, that Rabb was right, she was a damn' good RIO, and he had no reservations about flying with her - on training missions. Her over assertiveness he had decided was a form of defence against those who slighted her because of her gender or her size. She was, he admitted rather petite, although he had no wish to bring her wrath down upon his head by making comments adverse or otherwise on her lack of stature. He had once witnessed her verbally ripping into a fellow Lieutenant Commander who had unwisely referred to her as Shorty Hawkes within her hearing. She had no patience either with compliments, considering herself to be on the plain side of attractive and all such compliments as misplaced, patronising and condescending. Keeter didn't agree with her self-judgement, but he wasn't stupid enough to say anything to her on the subject. Alright, she wasn't standard Hollywood or Playboy beautiful, but she was attractive in a strange sort of way, and had really beautiful deep brown and hugely expressive eyes set in a strong, distinctive and extremely mobile face that could change its whole aspect in a fraction of a second.
Such thoughts occupied the two occupants of Keeter's Ford until he finally drew up at the guarded entry to the parking lot outside JAG HQ in Falls Church. IDs checked by efficient and polite Marines, Keeter and Skates climbed out of the car and waited for Harm to arrive and give them a lead to the courthouse. They didn't have long to wait until the scarlet Corvette pulled into the car park and a visibly nervous Harm unwound himself from behind the steering wheel and stood to greet them. He was first enveloped in a surprisingly strong embrace from his diminutive former RIO, who pulled his head down and kissed him on the cheek, saying, "Dammit, Hammer, I never thought I'd see the day."
"Hey, it's good to see you again too, Skates. I didn't know you were at Andrews. If I would have known I'd have called you, maybe taken you out on few dates. Who knows, you might have saved me for yourself!"
"Not in this world, Superman! You're way too high risk!"
"Oh, I'm wounded!" he quipped, dramatically clapping his right hand over his heart.
"The hell you are!" she retorted, grinning up at him.
"Hey, Keeter, glad you could make it, buddy!" The two pilots shook hands and gripped each other's upper arm with their left hands.
"I gotta agree with Skates, Rabb; I never thought I'd live to see you in front of judge... well not as the condemned anyway... although if what I've heard of your courtroom shenanigans maybe that's not true either! Skates did you ever hear the story about him letting off a burst of live rounds through the courtroom ceiling during open court?"
"Yeah, I heard something about that, but I just put it down to scuttlebutt."
"Nope. All true, I heard it off that Marine Major he used to partner... is she still around?"
"Mac? Yeah, she's around."
The neutral tone of Harm's voice warned Skates that Keeter was treading on dangerous ground, so she tried to apply a warning nudge without alerting Harm to the by-play. Her efforts were doomed to immediate failure as the target of her attention turned to her with an aggrieved look and demanded, "Hey! What the hell was that for?"
Feeling a rush of blood to her face Skates gave thanks to her unknown ancestors who had given her a dark complexion rather than the red-betraying fair skin of a blonde. "Oh, sorry, I slipped!" she responded with more truth than she realised.
Still, she reflected she had diverted Keeter from what might have been a disastrous line of questioning. Which was just as well, she thought, as Harm sipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small red-velvet covered box. "These he said, clearly enunciating each word, are the rings that are needed for today. Do. Not. Repeat. Do. Not. Lose. Them! Copy?"
"Aye, aye, sir!" Keeter automatically responded to the authority in Harm's voice. Harm turned to Skates, and said, "Skates, I owe you an apology; I've brought you all the way down here under false pretences. I asked if you would be Jen's maid of honour, but she chose someone else, someone she knows, who when we spoke on the 'phone I didn't even know was going to be around. I hope you don't mind, and the truth is, I'd rather have you on my side. I'd really appreciate you having my back today, just like old times when we were flying."
"That's OK, Pappy... sorry, Hammer... I reckon it's best if your woman has someone she knows anyway."
Harm had to bite his tongue to prevent him from saying that his old call-sign would be only too accurate some eight months down the track.
Jen's shower and shampoo had taken her comparatively little time when judged against the long minutes she'd had to spend with hair-dryer and brush in hand. She was disturbed twice, once by Trish who had come to help finish dressing her and again by Loren who to Jen's amazement entered the room rather shyly, but resplendent in her brand new dress whites.
"Loren," Jen gasped, "How did you... where did you...?"
Loren smiled uncertainly, "I take it this is as much a surprise to you as it was to me. These were a late arriving gift especially for me to wear today. I'm not ungrateful for the dress, and I thought I'd wear that to the Club this evening, but I don't want to be the only officer at your wedding not to be wearing the uniform of the day."
Jen gave Loren one of her lop-sided, quizzical grins and said only one word, "Harm?"
Loren just nodded. Jen said, "I'll kill him, I really will! He had no business springing a surprise like that on you! Loren, I think it's fantastic. You look really great. But I wonder how the hell he managed to get your size and get the uniform to fit in such a short... Oh..."
"Yes, 'oh'" replied Loren, "where did you think he got my measurement from? No, it's alright, I can't get mad at you today, it's probably illegal. Anyway this is will be more convenient than the dress if I have to feed Alexandra."
"Damn! I'd forgotten all about that," confessed Jen.
"Well, if you two have quite finished forgiving each other, we need to get started on finishing you off Jen!" interrupted an amused Trish.
"Yeah, let's get this over with or Trish won't have time to see to herself."
"Oh, you just hush up, and don't worry about me, this is your day, I can just about throw on anything and nobody'll notice; I'm not sure that anyone will even see me today!"
The idea that the always exquisitely presented Trish would ever just throw on anything was so ludicrous that both Jen and Loren giggled.
It didn't take much longer for the three to finish final preparations until Jen stood ready to take the first step on the next stage of her life. Promptly at eleven-forty-five hours, as arranged, Frank knocked on Jen's door to say that the cars were ready for them at the Porte Cochère, but having passed on the message he delayed their leaving for a moment as he took a deep breath, smiled and said, "Jennifer, I know it's traditional to say that a bride looks lovely, but in this case, I can honestly say that you do. I could stand here all day, just looking at you, but if I did, Harm would probably me kill me for making you late. I know how particular the military are about punctuality! So we had better not... miss movement... as you people say."
There was one more surprise in store for Frank, Trish and Loren, as they entered the hotel foyer they were approached by a further naval officer, this one from an older generation and whose presence caused Loren to hastily shift Alexandra's portable crib from one side to the other to free her right hand for the required salute. "At ease Lieutenant, Petty Officer. Good morning, Mr and Mrs Burnett, I presume."
"Frank, Trish", said Jen, "may I present to you Rear Admiral Chegwidden, who has consented, after a great deal of persuasion, to give me away today!"
"Rubbish," grunted the Admiral, "I was flattered by the request and jumped at the chance. It's not every Flag Officer that gets the chance to give away one of his Petty Officers! But before we go on to the main event, if you'll grant me a few moments? Thank you. Lieutenant Singer, I am happy to see you looking fit and well... and happy."
"Sir, thank you, sir."
"And is this the source of your happiness?"
"Yes sir. If you will permit me sir," here goes, thought Loren, there's not going to be a better time, "may I present to you Alexandra Maria Rabb."
For a second both Jen and Loren thought that the Admiral was about to have a stroke. He looked wildly around in confusion as his colour mounted, obviously torn between demanding an explanation that he really did not want to hear and mindful of both the surroundings as the occasion. He contented himself with a "Congratulations, Lieutenant, I am sure I'll have the opportunity to make your daughter's better acquaintance in the future," and turning to Jen, he continued, "Legalman Two, I am now entirely at your service."
Jen was safely bestowed in the lead car, and as the Admiral walked around it to open the far door for himself, she looked up at the hovering Loren and said, "I thought that went well, didn't it?" accompanying her words with a reassuring and yet somehow naughty smile.
Harm, Keeter and Skates had already arrived at the Court House, and were installed in the waiting room. Keeter and Skates were talking desultorily while deriving a great deal of quiet amusement from Harm's nervous pacing up and down, and his almost constant glances at his wrist watch. His nerves hadn't been helped by the argument that had ensued when he had noticed that Keeter and Skates had belted their swords. None of his legally trained arguments were of any use against the duo's simple refusal to remove the swords. Keeter only once giving the reason he had given Skates, he would not be found lacking in any particular that might enhance the honour he felt his long-time friend merited on his wedding day.
"Relax, hombre," drawled Keeter in manner that he knew would only increase Harm's nervousness, "she's navy; she'll be here on time."
"Unless of course she's got cold feet," contributed Skates in a helpful tone, "It does happen sometimes, doesn't it Keeter? I mean we've all heard of that movie, 'the Runaway Bride', haven't we?"
"Yeah, very funny," snapped Harm, his once again nervous stomach seemingly determined to complete some impossibly complex aerial combat manoeuvres of its own devising.
Then to his relief, the door opened and Trish and Frank entered, Trish carrying a shawl-wrapped and peaceful Alexandra Maria to allow Loren to carry out her duties of matron of honour. Their entrance was sufficient to bring a halt to Keeter and Skates' teasing and bring them to their feet. The arrival of this advance party was the signal that the groom's side should enter the court room itself. Harm took up his position in front of the Justice, with Keeter as his wingman and Skates at his six, with Trish, Frank and Alexandra standing off, while the party waited for the bride's entrance. When Jen entered, all heads automatically turned to watch her walk down the court room towards them, and Keeter opened his mouth as if to address a remark to Harm, but what, if anything, he had intended to say was stopped by the look of stunned incredulity on Harm's face. Jen was wearing a white dress, but it could not by any stretch of the imagination be termed dress whites. She was wearing a high-necked, long-sleeved, full length dress of some heavy silk weave, so skilfully cut that while it was extremely modest it drew the eye to the figure it covered. Her hair she had left unbound and she had covered her head in a wisp of veil that fell to her waist on all sides and was secured by a silver Celtic knot-work chaplet, and she was carrying a simple bouquet of white roses. Harm was so dumbfounded by this unexpected sight that it took Keeter and Skates' stiffening into a brace before he could drag his eyes away from Jen and focus, to his further stupefaction, on the fact that Jen was being supported by the Admiral.
In after years Harm said that he remembered Jen joining him in front of the justice and handing off her bouquet to the waiting Loren, but while he could never recall what the Justice had said during the brief ceremony, he had never forgotten either the sound of Jen's voice, or the words she had said as she had repeated her vows. He just about remembered that somehow or other he had stumbled though his own responses, but he vividly remembered the look on Jen's face as he slid his mother's first wedding ring onto the third finger of her hand. He did remember the justice pronouncing them to be husband and wife together, and taking full advantage of his saying that he could now kiss the bride.
He was so thoroughly engaged in the kiss that he failed to notice Keeter and Skates slip out of the courtroom until he left the building with his wife on his arm, and heard Keeter's voice give an order, "Present arms!" and out of the corner of his eye he saw that his two friends had taken post one each side of the door and had raised their swords to the 'salute'. He pressed Jen's hand for her to pause as he stopped, knowing, and touched by, just what was about to happen. In stentorian tones Keeter pronounced, "Presenting for the first time in public, Commander and Mrs Harmon Rabb, Junior." He paused for breath while some the few passers-by smiled and applauded as they witnessed the impromptu little ceremony. The ripple of applause dying away, Keeter continued with "Carry swords!" and as the swords came down from the salute and Harm led Jen forward he turned the flat of his blade towards Jen and swatted her gently on her butt crying out enthusiastically as he did "Go Navy!