Chapter 52

The next few days were spent going over the letters and other things they had found in the desk. Whenever they were both off-duty, they would take their finds to the hidden cove they loved so well, and read them to each other. They also relived the lives that came before them, just as the others who had found the secrets had.

Thanksgiving was drawing near and Shelia still had not told any of the other nurses of her engagement. She was afraid of how they would react, and she wanted some time to just enjoy being engaged before she would have to start defending her love for Adam.

Adam did not understand why she would not tell her friends. He just understood that they were meant to be together and he felt that even more after all the things they had found in the desk. On the other hand, he had told all of his shipmates and they were eager to meet this wonderful girl that Adam could not stop talking about. So as the days passed, one by one, and sometimes by twos, Shelia was introduced to Adam's friends.

As it will, word spread on the base, and before long Kris heard about the engagement. There was an ugly scene when she confronted Shelia about it. The yelling attracted the other nurses in the barracks to come and see what the commotion was all about. When they heard, they also added their negative comments about the engagement to Kris'.

The fight went on for hours and just as Shelia had expected, she had to defend her love for Adam. He finally arrived for their date that evening and the fight was still going on. Hearing the shouting he did not even wait to knock on the door, but ran into the living room to find Shelia on one side and the other nurses standing there yelling at her.

Adam put himself between Shelia and the other nurses and told them in no uncertain terms to 'back off and leave Shelia alone!' He also said that since this was Thanksgiving weekend coming up, he and Shelia would be out of town so she could meet his parents, and that when they got back he would be helping her look for a new place to live. This quieted the nurses quickly. They did back off and down after seeing how vehemently Adam was defending Shelia.

They were still sure that this relationship would not work out because of their age differences, but they could also see that for now, at least, these two were really in love. Kris stepped forward and told Shelia that they would all back off if she continued to live there with them. Wrapped in Adam's strong arms, Shelia looked at the other nurses and after assessing their level of sincerity, she agreed to stay as long as their attitudes towards Adam and her changed. After getting their agreements, she and Adam left for their date.

"I can't believe that those women call themselves your friends!" Adam exclaimed as they left the house.

"Adam, that is the very reason that I was reluctant to get involved with you in the first place. Their reactions are quite common. I am dreading this visit to your family because of that also. You have told them that I am older than you, haven't you?"

"No, I haven't, because it is not important. I told them the important things they need to know about you," he answered.

"Like what?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Like you are the most important person in my life, and that I will love you till the day that I die. And that you are the woman that I want to have half a dozen children with and grow old with."

She tried to remain upset that he had not told them about her age, but she couldn't in the face of what he had just said. "Oh, Adam," she sighed. And then something else that he had said hit her, "Half a dozen!?"

"Not enough?" he teased, when he saw the look on her face.

To be continued…