Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, never will.
Part 16
Six months later
Harm's POV
Coming in the front door, I sigh. It's been another long day of work. Days like this I wonder why I ever wanted a command position… But now my little bundle of energy is racing toward me and I feel a smile begin to spread across my face.
"Daddy!" she yells as she hurtles herself into my waiting arms. "Guess what Melanie and I did today!"
"I don't know Bethy, what did you do?"
"Girl stuff!" she announces gleefully. "We played with dollies and stuff like that. It was fun Daddy!"
"I bet it was honey," I say with a smile. Turning to Melanie, I hand her the check for the week. "Thanks Melanie, we'll see you on Monday?" I ask.
"Yep," she replies and hurries out the door. She knows she isn't needed once I get home.
"So what do you want for supper Bethy?" Friday night is her night to pick, with only minimal guidance from me. It's always an interesting meal.
"Macaroni and cheese!" she declares promply.
I breathe an inward sigh of relief as I pull the box out of the cupboard. This is definitely mild compared to what she usually requests—peanut butter and jelly bean sandwiches, to name one off the top of my head.
A few hours later, dinner is done and Bethy is struggling against sleep in my arms as we watch Beauty and the Beast. "I wanna see them kiss," she whispers sleepily as I shift to pick her up and carry her to bed. "I like the kissing part." So we wait five minutes more, and then I tuck my little girl in bed.
This is the part of the evening I used to hate the most—after Bethy's asleep, but before I go to bed. Those first few months I hated to be left alone to my thoughts for any period of time, and anytime I was, I'd bury myself in the paperwork I'd brought home from the office.
But recently, the pain of losing Jess has been fading, and I've been thinking about what she said just before she died. I know she was right, there's always been a part of my heart that I only let Sarah into.
Sarah… where'd that come from? I haven't called her that since the funeral. Maybe it's time. Picking up the phone I make a quick phone call.
"Hello?" a female voice answers.
"Harriet, this is Harm. Could you watch Bethy tomorrow night? I have something I need to do," I ask.
"Sure Harm, what time do you want to bring her by?"
"Could she eat dinner with you? And then I'll pick her up by 21:00," I propose.
"That's sounds good. We'll except to see you around 17:00 then," she says.
"Thanks Harriet, I'll see then."
After hanging up, it hits me… I'm really going to do this. I'm going to give Sarah and I a chance.
Sarah Mackenzie's apartment,
17:30 Saturday
Mac's POV
The knock at the door startles me. I've been jumpy ever since Harm called earlier and asked if he could come over tonight to talk. Since he's been back, our friendship has gotten back to where it used to be, and I'm wondering if he's thinking what I'm thinking… that it's time to put the past behind us.
I open the door and there he is. Well duh, who'd you think it would be, the Fuller brush man, I chastise myself. "Hello Harm," I say, surprised at how calm I sound.
"Hello Sarah," he replies. There. He did it again. He called me Sarah on the phone too, that was what's been making me so jumpy. But this time, seeing the look in his eyes as he says it… excitement begins to unfurl in the pit of my stomach. Yes, it's time.
"Have a seat," I tell him once I've found my voice again. That's what it does to me when he calls me Sarah and looks at me like that… it makes me speechless. I certainly hope he doesn't do that all evening, because I've got a few things to say before I let him completely off the hook.
"Thanks," he says and sits down on the couch. I take a seat on the couch as well, but on the other end. I need to be clearheaded if we're about the have the conversation I think we're about to have.
For a few minutes we just look at each other, each trying to guess what's going on in the other's mind. Finally he begins to talk. "Do you know why I wanted to talk to you Sarah?" he asks.
He did it again. Taking a breath, I reply, "I think so Harm, but if you want me to be sure, you need to tell me." There. I let him know I knew but I didn't let him off the hook without saying it. That was my goal.
Oh boy. His eyes have turned that color of blue they get when he's thinking about us, the color that reminds me of the deepest part of the ocean on a clear day… Pay attention Mac! He's starting to talk!
"Sarah… I never forgot you," he says simply. With those words, he does the one thing no other man has ever done to me—he takes my breath away.
I look him in the eye and realize he's waiting for a response, and I know it's my turn.
Part 17
Same place, immediately after
Harm's POV
Nervously, I look her in the eye. Well, she doesn't look mad, that's something, I try to reassure myself. Actually, she doesn't really look anything… that could be a bad thing. I open my mouth up to speak, but she holds her hand up. "I want to go first Harm," she says firmly.
Uh oh, that doesn't sound promising. You can take it Harm… she's talking now.
"Harm… I need to know something. What do you think I've been doing these last five, almost six years?"
Huh? This was not a question I expected, and believe me I went over a list so I'd have answers ready. I haven't studied that hard since finals at the Academy. "I… uh… being a Marine?" I stumble for an answer.
She smiles slightly, so at least I know I'm not saying something awful. "Funny Harm… I mean do you think I've been waiting here in this apartment, praying for you to come back to me? Because if you think that I've lain awake at night thinking only of you and that your being here is the only thing I need then you need to turn around and walk out that door."
Suddenly I understand the question, and it's one I know how to answer. "No Mac," I begin, purposely using her nickname so she knows I remember the tough Marine as well as the tenderhearted woman, "I don't think you've been pining over me. I think you're a strong, independent woman who has enjoyed her career and her friends, and who doesn't need a man to complete her. I know you haven't seen anyone seriously, although you've dated, but I never thought it was because you were nursing a broken heart."
I must have said the right thing, because she's smiling at me. I've missed those smiles… they used to light up my life, oh who am I kidding? They still do.
Focus Harm, she's talking again. "Well then Harm, I think I can safely tell you that I never forgot you either." Without realizing it, I reach out for her and pull her into my arms. Just before my lips settle on hers, I whisper, "I love you Sarah."
Part 16
Six months later
Harm's POV
Coming in the front door, I sigh. It's been another long day of work. Days like this I wonder why I ever wanted a command position… But now my little bundle of energy is racing toward me and I feel a smile begin to spread across my face.
"Daddy!" she yells as she hurtles herself into my waiting arms. "Guess what Melanie and I did today!"
"I don't know Bethy, what did you do?"
"Girl stuff!" she announces gleefully. "We played with dollies and stuff like that. It was fun Daddy!"
"I bet it was honey," I say with a smile. Turning to Melanie, I hand her the check for the week. "Thanks Melanie, we'll see you on Monday?" I ask.
"Yep," she replies and hurries out the door. She knows she isn't needed once I get home.
"So what do you want for supper Bethy?" Friday night is her night to pick, with only minimal guidance from me. It's always an interesting meal.
"Macaroni and cheese!" she declares promply.
I breathe an inward sigh of relief as I pull the box out of the cupboard. This is definitely mild compared to what she usually requests—peanut butter and jelly bean sandwiches, to name one off the top of my head.
A few hours later, dinner is done and Bethy is struggling against sleep in my arms as we watch Beauty and the Beast. "I wanna see them kiss," she whispers sleepily as I shift to pick her up and carry her to bed. "I like the kissing part." So we wait five minutes more, and then I tuck my little girl in bed.
This is the part of the evening I used to hate the most—after Bethy's asleep, but before I go to bed. Those first few months I hated to be left alone to my thoughts for any period of time, and anytime I was, I'd bury myself in the paperwork I'd brought home from the office.
But recently, the pain of losing Jess has been fading, and I've been thinking about what she said just before she died. I know she was right, there's always been a part of my heart that I only let Sarah into.
Sarah… where'd that come from? I haven't called her that since the funeral. Maybe it's time. Picking up the phone I make a quick phone call.
"Hello?" a female voice answers.
"Harriet, this is Harm. Could you watch Bethy tomorrow night? I have something I need to do," I ask.
"Sure Harm, what time do you want to bring her by?"
"Could she eat dinner with you? And then I'll pick her up by 21:00," I propose.
"That's sounds good. We'll except to see you around 17:00 then," she says.
"Thanks Harriet, I'll see then."
After hanging up, it hits me… I'm really going to do this. I'm going to give Sarah and I a chance.
Sarah Mackenzie's apartment,
17:30 Saturday
Mac's POV
The knock at the door startles me. I've been jumpy ever since Harm called earlier and asked if he could come over tonight to talk. Since he's been back, our friendship has gotten back to where it used to be, and I'm wondering if he's thinking what I'm thinking… that it's time to put the past behind us.
I open the door and there he is. Well duh, who'd you think it would be, the Fuller brush man, I chastise myself. "Hello Harm," I say, surprised at how calm I sound.
"Hello Sarah," he replies. There. He did it again. He called me Sarah on the phone too, that was what's been making me so jumpy. But this time, seeing the look in his eyes as he says it… excitement begins to unfurl in the pit of my stomach. Yes, it's time.
"Have a seat," I tell him once I've found my voice again. That's what it does to me when he calls me Sarah and looks at me like that… it makes me speechless. I certainly hope he doesn't do that all evening, because I've got a few things to say before I let him completely off the hook.
"Thanks," he says and sits down on the couch. I take a seat on the couch as well, but on the other end. I need to be clearheaded if we're about the have the conversation I think we're about to have.
For a few minutes we just look at each other, each trying to guess what's going on in the other's mind. Finally he begins to talk. "Do you know why I wanted to talk to you Sarah?" he asks.
He did it again. Taking a breath, I reply, "I think so Harm, but if you want me to be sure, you need to tell me." There. I let him know I knew but I didn't let him off the hook without saying it. That was my goal.
Oh boy. His eyes have turned that color of blue they get when he's thinking about us, the color that reminds me of the deepest part of the ocean on a clear day… Pay attention Mac! He's starting to talk!
"Sarah… I never forgot you," he says simply. With those words, he does the one thing no other man has ever done to me—he takes my breath away.
I look him in the eye and realize he's waiting for a response, and I know it's my turn.
Part 17
Same place, immediately after
Harm's POV
Nervously, I look her in the eye. Well, she doesn't look mad, that's something, I try to reassure myself. Actually, she doesn't really look anything… that could be a bad thing. I open my mouth up to speak, but she holds her hand up. "I want to go first Harm," she says firmly.
Uh oh, that doesn't sound promising. You can take it Harm… she's talking now.
"Harm… I need to know something. What do you think I've been doing these last five, almost six years?"
Huh? This was not a question I expected, and believe me I went over a list so I'd have answers ready. I haven't studied that hard since finals at the Academy. "I… uh… being a Marine?" I stumble for an answer.
She smiles slightly, so at least I know I'm not saying something awful. "Funny Harm… I mean do you think I've been waiting here in this apartment, praying for you to come back to me? Because if you think that I've lain awake at night thinking only of you and that your being here is the only thing I need then you need to turn around and walk out that door."
Suddenly I understand the question, and it's one I know how to answer. "No Mac," I begin, purposely using her nickname so she knows I remember the tough Marine as well as the tenderhearted woman, "I don't think you've been pining over me. I think you're a strong, independent woman who has enjoyed her career and her friends, and who doesn't need a man to complete her. I know you haven't seen anyone seriously, although you've dated, but I never thought it was because you were nursing a broken heart."
I must have said the right thing, because she's smiling at me. I've missed those smiles… they used to light up my life, oh who am I kidding? They still do.
Focus Harm, she's talking again. "Well then Harm, I think I can safely tell you that I never forgot you either." Without realizing it, I reach out for her and pull her into my arms. Just before my lips settle on hers, I whisper, "I love you Sarah."