13:56 EST
Rabb Home
Clifton, VA
3 Days Later
Harm heard the honking of a car horn, and he smiled down at Miranda, who was comfortably lounging in his arms, sound asleep. "Mommy, Grampa , and the girls are home," he murmured, standing.
He looked at his mother and grandmother, smiling. "Well, let's go see what she picked out," he said.
They followed him out to the driveway, and Harm smiled in puzzlement, as Mac climbed out of the vehicle. "What is it?" he asked.
Mac grinned at him. "Isn't it neat?" she asked.
Harm eyed the vehicle, and couldn't decide if it was a minivan, a SUV, or a station wagon. "What is it?" he asked, again.
Mac laughed. "It's a Pacifica," she said.
"You let Frank talk you into a Chrysler, huh?" Trish asked, smiling.
Mac shook her head. "Actually, I picked this out all on my own," she told her.
"She really did," Chloe confirmed, hugging Grammy Sarah. "The guy kept trying to talk her into a regular minivan, once he heard she was a new mom, but Mac finally told him to let her look around, and she would call him when she was ready to talk to him. You should have seen his face!"
"You agreed to play nice if I let you go without me," Harm said, smiling at Mac.
"I did play nice," she replied. "He was still standing when I left. I hate pushy salespeople, and he was really bad."
Harm chuckled, as he handed Miranda to Mac, and climbed into the vehicle to check it out. He adjusted the seat, and looked at the features, nodding. Sticking his head out the window, he looked at his wife. "Mind if I take it out for a spin?"
Mac shook her head. "The keys are in the ignition," she told him.
Harm looked at Frank, who was still sitting in the passenger seat. "Coming?"
Frank nodded, and put his seatbelt back on, as Harm started the ignition, and pulled out of the driveway.
Mac kissed Miranda on top of the head, as she motioned for them to head back into the house. "How was she?" she asked Trish and Sarah.
"An angel, as always," Trish smiled at her. "She took the bottle without any problems, and Harm held her until she finally fell asleep."
"Glad to hear it," Mac said. She looked at Mattie and Chloe. "How would you two like to go to a movie tonight? Harm was thinking he'd drop you off at the theater, and then go and pick you up later."
"Sweet!" Chloe exclaimed.
"Sounds like fun," Mattie concurred.
"We can check out all the hot guys there," Chloe told Mattie.
Mattie grinned and nodded.
"Just as long as you behave yourselves," Mac said, smiling at them. "I want you to have fun, but I want you to be safe, too."
"We will, Mac," Chloe told her.
14:08 EST
Residential Neighborhood
Clifton, VA
Harm glanced at Frank, as they drove around the neighborhood. "Can I ask you a personal question Dad?"
Frank smiled. "Of course," he replied. "I can't promise an answer, but you can ask."
Harm nodded. "Why didn't you and mom ever have any children of your own? Was it because of me?"
Frank sighed softly, and shook his head. "We almost did," he said quietly. "Do you remember when you were eleven, and you went to stay with your Grandma and Grandpa Lansing?"
Harm frowned. "Yeah, I got out of school and they were there to pick me up. They said that mom was sick, and needed to be in the hospital for a few days, so I was staying with them…" he looked at Frank, understanding dawning. "She miscarried?"
Frank nodded sadly. "We almost lost her that day," he told him. "She miscarried the baby… a girl… and she started hemorrhaging. They had to rush her to surgery, and they ended up having to do a hysterectomy in order to save her. So, of course, we could never have any other children after that. The loss of both the baby, and the ability to have more children, was very difficult on your mother; it took her a long time to move past that."
"Why didn't you and mom ever tell me?" Harm asked softly.
"I told your mom you could handle it, but she didn't want to upset you. You were so… consumed… with the loss of your father, I think she was trying to protect you from the knowledge that you'd lost a sibling, as well," he told him.
Harm closed his eyes briefly. His obsession with his father had hurt his mother more than he'd ever realized. "It must have been hard for you, as well," Harm said.
Frank nodded. "It was, but it was harder for me to watch what your mother was going through, and not know how to help her." He looked at Harm. "I heard what you told Clayton Webb; about Mac's condition. Son, if there's anything your mother or I can do, don't hesitate to ask."
Harm had just pulled into the driveway, and as he shut off the engine, he looked at him. "Thanks, Dad, that means a lot to me."
22:04 EST
Rabb Home
Clifton, VA
Harm entered the house behind Mattie and Chloe, who were still chattering incessantly about the movie, and boys. He followed them through the laundry room, into the door that led to the kitchen, and watched as they flopped down on the sofa. He looked up towards the stairs as Mac came down, and smiled."Hey you two," Mac said, grinning at them. "I take it you had fun?"
"It was so cool!" Chloe told her. "We got to the theater and these two totally hot guys were there, and they kept flirting with us. They were seeing the same movie as we were, so they asked us if they could sit by us."
Mac raised her eyebrows. "Did you let them?" she asked, noting Harm's concerned look.
Mattie nodded. "One sat by me, and the other sat by Chloe, and we kind of talked a little through the movie, though not too much. We wanted to see it, after all, and we didn't want to be rude to the people around us."
"Then after the movie, we went and sat at a table in the concession area, and talked while we waited for Harm to pick us up. They wanted to know if we wanted to go somewhere with them, but we told them we couldn't," Chloe told her.
"So, what were the names of these hotties?" Mac asked, smiling.
"The one that sat by me was Troy, and the one that sat by Chloe was Josh," Mattie told her. "They were really nice."
Chloe bounced up and went to the kitchen. "Want anything anyone?" When they all told her 'no', she nodded and got herself a glass of lemonade. She drank it down quickly, and then rinsed her glass and put it into the dishwasher. "I'm ready to head out to the tent," she said to Mattie. "Are you?"
Mattie nodded, standing. "Yeah." She went over and hugged Harm, kissing him on the cheek, before she did the same to Mac. "Good night," she said to them.
Chloe repeated Mattie's actions, and Harm and Mac watched them slip out the back door and head towards their tent.
"I don't know if I like the idea of them talking to strange boys," Harm said, frowning slightly.
Mac smiled at him. "It's perfectly normal," she assured him. "Besides, at least they were in a public place, and they refused to leave with them. They're both smart girls; try not to worry so much."
"Miranda isn't leaving the house until she's thirty," he said decisively.
Mac's musical laughter made him smile. "We'll see," she said, as she stood and moved to put her arms around his neck. She gave him a deep, lingering kiss. "Come to bed with me? Miranda should sleep for at least another hour."
Harm's eyes darkened, and he took her hand and led her upstairs to their room.
09:16 EST
Rabb Home
Clifton, VA
Mac, Harm, Sarah, Frank, Trish and Chloe, all stood outside in the driveway, hugging Mattie while her dad waited in his pickup for her to finish saying goodbye to everyone.
"We'll see you in a couple of weeks," Harm promised, when it was his turn to receive a hug. "Be good for your dad."
"I will," Mattie said, smiling. She hugged Chloe. "Bye, Sis," she said, and they grinned at each other. "Next time we're here, I'll have my driver's license. Maybe Mac will let us take the 'vette out."
Mac laughed, as she hugged her. "Don't hold your breath," she said. "We'll buy a car for teenage use, before you come out again."
Mattie leaned down to look at Miranda, who was being held by Mac. "Bye baby Sis," she said, laughing when she got a smile from her.
"She has the cutest smile!" she said, as she stood and hugged Trish, Frank, and Grammy Sarah. She climbed into the truck with her dad, and waved goodbye one more time, as they drove away.
Chloe sighed. "When does my flight leave?" she asked.
"In two hours, forty-one minutes," Mac replied. "You're all leaving for the airport in a few minutes."
Chloe nodded. "I can hardly wait to see my dad, and my grandparents, again, but I miss being here with you. You're all my family, too."
Everyone hugged her, telling her they felt the same way.
Mac watched as Harm put Chloe's luggage into the SUV, and Frank put his, Trish's and Sarah's luggage into the car he'd rented.
"We'll see you in six weeks," Trish said, hugging Mac, then accepted Miranda from her. She kissed her granddaughter, beaming when she smiled at her. "She's doing that a lot more," she noted.
Mac nodded. "Once she figured out it turns everyone to mush, she pretty much perfected it," she agreed.
Trish laughed, handing the baby girl to Sarah. "She looks so much like Harmony did when she was a baby," she told Harm, when he came to stand beside her. "But I think she's going to have her father's darker looks."
Mac looked surprised. "You think so?"
"Oh, yeah," she said. "Her eyes are already darker blue than they were when we first saw her, and her hair is darker, too."
"I think her hair is going to be curly, like Donny's was," Frank added. "Before he got his military haircut."
Harm smiled at that. The pictures he'd seen of Donny reminded him of Mac in a lot of ways. Dark hair and eyes, and an olive complexion; it wouldn't be a bad thing if Miranda looked a little like Mac.
Finally, everyone had said their goodbyes, and it was time for them to head to the airport.
Harm kissed Mac, and then Miranda, who was once again in her mother's arms, and then climbed into the SUV.
Mac waved goodbye, before she carried Miranda into the house. Sitting on the sofa with her, she turned Miranda so that she was facing her, and began talking to her in high-pitched tones, smiling at her, and laughing with joy every time Miranda smiled back.
It wasn't long before Miranda was hungry, so Mac fed and changed her, and then laid her down for a nap, before climbing into bed for a short nap herself. She wanted to be well-rested when her husband came home later.