EPILOGUE - The Rest of the Year
After Mattie had opened up, and she and Mac had talked, the tension between them diminished. They enjoyed sightseeing and shopping while Harm worked during the week after Christmas. Each night over dinner, they'd tell Harm of their exploits of the day. They'd be smiling and happy as they spoke, leaving Harm no doubts that they'd truly had a good time together.
Not being a traditional family had the potential for many pitfalls, and Harm had no illusions about his family. This wasn't the movies or television, so having gotten the feelings out in the open didn't magically propel Mattie into feeling like a member of the family and have her calling them mom and dad, but the lines of communication had been opened, giving Harm hope that, between that and the memories of their first Christmas as a family, bonds had been formed between them that would grow stronger over time, cementing their family together.
As someone once said, with joy comes sorrow. Never had the saying rung more true than on New Year's Eve when the joy of preparing to ring in a New Year together also brought the sorrow of their impending separation.
New Year's Eve Day, Mac and Mattie packed up their belongings while Harm went for a short morning run. When he returned, they went out to breakfast and spent time walking around, letting Mattie take more pictures of London.
They returned to the apartment after breakfast and their morning walk to get their luggage. Since Mac and Mattie needed to take all their luggage for their flight tomorrow, there wasn't going to be a way to get their belongings and them in Harm's little car at the same time, so they opted to take a taxi to the hotel. Mac and Mattie had anticipated having to wait for Harm to pack a bag since he'd run this morning while they were packing, but they needn't have been concerned that Harm wouldn't be prepared. His habit of keeping a sea bag packed and ready for last-minute case assignments that sent him across the country or half way across the world to investigate hadn't been broken, even though he was now the one giving and not receiving assignments. This habit, after returning from his wedding trip, had been the inspiration for him to keep a bag of civilian attire packed in case a spur of the moment opportunity to take a trip to see Mac and Mattie presented itself. So, when the taxi arrived, everyone was ready, and once all the bags were loaded, they were off to prepare to ring in the New Year at the hotel where Harm's parents were staying, which had been a Christmas gift from them.
The trio enjoyed lunch at a café within walking distance of the hotel. There was no wind, and the sun was shining, so even though it was winter, they sat outside. Mattie took advantage of the outdoor environment to snap pictures of the skyline, her parents and at least a dozen other things. Looking through the lens to take one picture, Mattie saw that look in Harm and Mac's eyes, the one they got when they wanted to be closer, but were resisting – like in the kitchen when Mac had first arrived. Mattie wanted to greet the New Year and watch the fireworks at midnight with Harm and Mac, but 'that look' told her that they needed time alone, too.
Physically, Mattie was doing well, but they never questioned her if she said that she needed to rest. So, she had a plan. Once lunch was over, Mattie told Harm and Mac that she'd like to take a nap so she wouldn't be too tired to watch the fireworks. It worked like she knew it would. Harm and Mac walked Mattie to her room and said that they'd come back in a few hours and, if she needed anything, to call their room. They'd be taking a nap, too - napping, yeah, right, Mattie thought.
A bed was involved in their plan, but not for napping. Having a teenager in the house in a room mere feet from theirs had them repressing the sounds of their lovemaking. The odd feeling of 'doing it' in a room so close to their teen daughter's had them making another housing note the first night they'd made love at the apartment - master bedroom on another floor, the opposite end of the house, but not next to another bedroom.
Lovemaking in their hotel room this afternoon allowed them the freedom to make noise if they chose to and, somehow, that freedom made a difference, even though nothing more than a few low moans escaped.
A few hours later, Harm called Mattie to wake her. The trio met the Burnetts, and they walked along the street and stopped for a cup of tea while Mattie continued to work on using up her roll of film. They went back to the hotel for dinner and dancing, waiting for midnight. The Burnetts and the Rabbs rang in the New Year together and watched the fireworks before returning to their rooms.
After lovemaking, Harm and Mac drifted to sleep, but he woke three hours later. Their time together was coming to an end, and he couldn't get that thought out of his head and go back to sleep. He held Mac and watched her sleep, moving with her when she moved until the morning light began to seep into the room through a gap in the drapes.
The morning light illuminated her face, accenting her facial features: her high cheekbones, her olive skin, her exotic eyes. Dark circles from fatigue and worry had marred her features ten days ago, but now she was less stressed and looking much more rested. He couldn't watch her any longer without waking her, but he didn't want her to return to work tired. She needed to rest, so he quietly slipped from the bed.
Harm took a shower and shaved, trying to keep things 'normal.' Unfortunately, days like today were becoming too much the norm, waking up next to the woman who had his heart and with whom he wanted to spend his life, and one of them having to get on a plane to leave.
Even though no time was easy, times like these, when they didn't know how long it would be before they saw each other again, were harder than the other times. He emerged from the bathroom, wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist. He was placing his shaving kit back into his travel bag when Mac stirred.
Her eyes were closed, but she wasn't asleep because she spoke in a sleepy voice, "Harm, we don't have to leave for the airport for two hours and twenty-one minutes. Come back to bed."
With a request like that, how could he do anything else? He pulled off his towel and crawled into bed. They stayed spooned together until the phone rang with their wake up call.
Mac showered while Harm dressed, and once dressed, Harm went across the hall to make sure that Mattie was getting ready while Mac dressed.
The Burnetts, Mac and Mattie were all going to the airport via the shuttle supplied by the hotel. The goodbyes were hard, but they got them said, and Harm watched as the shuttle pulled away.
Harm took a taxi home and, upon entering the apartment, it immediately felt so empty and quiet, and so much bigger now that he was alone in it that it made him miss them desperately already.
The 'what' that the New Year had in store for them was uncertain, but each of them had hopes and dreams of what they wanted to happen.
The one wish that appeared on all their lists was that, in 2006, the family would be together for more than a weekend or a holiday…and soon.
