~~~~Part 11~~~~
1307 est
Pizza Hut
Georgetown
(Harm's POV)
This place is really crowded today. We waited fifteen minutes to be seated, and we're still waiting for someone just to take our drink orders. Luckily, the person who seated us gave AJ a kid placemat to color on. At least he's occupied. Mac and I are just sitting here, not really talking about anything, just watching him color.
Finally, a server comes up to our table and says, "Good afternoon, what can I get everyone to drink?"
"AJ, sweetie, what do you want to drink?" asked Mac.
"Umm...I don't know."
"Do you like fruit punch?"
"Yeah," he says and then goes back to coloring.
"Okay, then he'll have a kid-sized fruit punch, I'll have a sweetened iced tea, and..." she looks over at me.
"Oh, I'll just have water, please."
"Okay, I'll be right out with your drinks, and then I'll take your order for your food." She smiles and leaves.
Both Mac and I turn our attentions back to what AJ is doing. He has completely filled up the coloring part on the front and has started drawing on the back.
I look over at Mac. She's talking to AJ and gesturing to his pictures, commenting on some of the drawings, and occasionally asking what some of the others are. They are animatedly carrying on a conversation, and I just sit in awe of how great she is with our godson.
"This is so much fun. I don't want to have to wait another year and three months...well, it'll be two years by the time the baby is born. Why did he have to make the time so long?" I thought she was okay with the length of time I picked. She could have said something to me when I asked her a few weeks ago. I don't know if I should bring it up. I mean, I know now isn't the appropriate time, but I mean...I'm not sure if I should bring it up at all. It is only a little over a year away. My thoughts are broken by the server with our drinks.
"Here you go, one kid's fruit punch, one sweetened iced tea, and one water. Are you ready to order your meal?"
"Yes, we'd like a medium pizza, half veggie-lover, half meat-lover, and one personal pan, extra cheese and not a lot of sauce. Did I get that right, AJ?"
Without looking up at Mac, he responds, "Uh-huh."
"Okay, your order should be ready in about fifteen minutes."
"Thank you," both Mac and I respond at the same time.
We go back to watching AJ again.
"I hope they hurry up with our food, I am starving." Starving? She just had ice cream about two hours ago, and she's starving?
After about three more minutes, AJ's entire placemat is colored, and he looks up at us and says, "I'm bored."
Mac looks at me and I shrug my shoulders, so she turns back to AJ and says, "Well, do you want me to go get another placemat for you to color on?"
"No, I don't want to color anymore."
I ask, "Well, what do you want to do?"
He looks around the restaurant and thinks about it and then says, "I want to play video games."
I look over at the mini arcade, and then at Mac, who is contemplating.
"I don't know if Bud and Harriet let him play video games...I mean, he's kind of young. I don't want to get in trouble with them."
"Have you ever played video games before?" I ask him.
He nods his head. "Yes, I play them with Daddy all the time."
"Oh, yeah, I played with him last time I was over there."
I guess that's my confirmation. "Alright, let's go then."
"Yay! Aunt Mac, do you want to play, too?"
"No, I think I'll just wait here for our pizza. You guys go have fun."
"Besides, I think you'd have more fun with Harm than with me."
"Oh, come on, Mac. Are you sure you don't want to join us? It'd be more fun if you were there."
"I don't know..." "Nah, you boys go play your games. I'll watch you from here."
Damn. "Okay, if you're sure..." I press.
"God, why does he give me that look?" "I'm positive."
"Unca Harm, come on!"
"Go, Harm, don't keep the child waiting."
"Alright, let's go, big guy."
I take him to the games, and he immediately goes to the Air Strike game. What can I say? I've taught the kid well.
"Unca Harm, I wanna play this one!"
"Alright, that one it is." I fish some change out of my pocket and put it in the slot. He's too short to reach on his own, so I pick him up and hoist him onto my knee.
"Unca Harm, you help, please?"
"Sure." I put my hands on the controllers and he puts his on top of mine. We start playing the game, and before we know it, fifteen minutes has passed and Mac is standing behind us.
"Okay, boys. Lunch is on the table. Let's go eat."
Without looking back, I respond, "Yes, Mom."
AJ giggles and says, "Yeah, yes, Mom."
"Ha, ha. You're so hilarious."
I laugh and say, "Alright, Mac, we'll be there in a minute, we're almost done with this game."
"Take your time." "I don't mind the view."
I falter on the controller, and we're shot down by the enemy's ground launch.
"Aww, Unca Harm! We were almost winning!"
"Oh, come on, Harm, how could you not see that missile coming? I certainly hope you don't perform like that the next time you're in a Tomcat." "'Cause I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."
I look at her as I'm putting AJ on the ground. "Don't worry, Mac. I don't know that I'll be going up into a Tomcat anytime soon. And especially not in a war zone."
"Can I quote you on that?" "Please, please, please..."
"I'll try my best."
"Well, that's better than nothing." "Okay," she smiles resignedly.
We head back to our table and I help AJ back into his seat before sitting down myself. We are eating for the most part in silence, and AJ is getting sauce all over his face (I can't quite understand how, because he barely had sauce on his pizza to begin with). Luckily, Mac thought enough ahead to put a bib on him, just in case. They weren't kidding when they said Marines are prepared for anything.
I take a bite out of my third slice and end up with sauce above my lip. Mac sees and says, "Geez, Harm, you're as bad as he is. Maybe we need to get you a bib."
"Ha, ha, Marine." I stick my tongue out and lick the sauce from my lip.
"Mm...he is so damn sexy when he does that..."
I hear this just as I'm taking a sip of my drink, and I swallow wrong and start to choke.
"Harm, are you okay?" Mac asks, concerned.
"Yeah," I choke out, "just went down the wrong tube." My eyes are watering, and I know my face is red.
"What tube is it s'pose ta go down?" AJ asks innocently.
Amidst my attempt at calming breaths, I laugh, and it doesn't help matters any. I'm overcome by another fit of coughing.
Mac looks at me worriedly, but I wave her away.
"AJ, sweetie, it's just an expression. It means that Uncle Harm was trying to breathe in when he was drinking his water, and he just choked on it a little bit."
That explanation seems to satisfy him, and he says, "Oh...okay," and goes back to eating his pizza.
Mac turns her attention back to me. I've stopped choking now, but my cheeks are wet where the tears were running down. She just looks over me in scrutiny, and I manage a weak smile. She squints her eyes in suspicion.
"Is he really alright?"
"I'm fine, Mac. I just need to not drink so fast."
"There's something he's not telling me."
I hate keeping things from her, but what am I going to say? 'Mac, the reason I choked is because I heard what you thought in your head about me licking my lips. By the way, do you really think I'm sexy when I do that?' Somehow, I don't think that would go over too well. So, I'll just ignore it and try not to seem too obvious with my "gift."
The rest of lunch goes without incident, and once we're finished, Mac asks me if I'd mind taking AJ into the men's restroom to get cleaned up a little. He takes this opportunity to use the facilities, as well. Once we're done with that, I pay the cashier and we head out the door to the car.
"Grocery shopping now, Mac?" I ask.
"Uh, yeah, if you don't mind."
"Not at all. Let's go."
1445 est
Safeway Grocery
Georgetown
(Harm's POV)
We step into the store and I lift AJ into one of the carts and start to push.
"Um...Unca Harm...I have to go to the potty."
"Again?" I ask incredulously. "You just went at the Pizza Hut."
"Well, I have to go again."
"Alright. Mac, I'm going to take him to the bathroom. Here's the cart. We'll just look for you when we're done."
"Okay."
I take him to the restroom and wait outside for him after making sure there wasn't another door leading out. Not only would Harriet and Bud hate me forever, but Mac would kill me if I were to lose him. I hear the sound of the toilet flushing, and the sink being turned on and off. AJ steps out shaking his hands, and I ask,
"Did they run out of paper towels?"
He looks up at me and grins and says, "No, I just like to shake my hands dry."
"Ah, I see. Okay, let's go find Mac."
We look down a few aisles and find her in the canned food section. AJ runs down the aisle towards her. Mac asks him, "Did you wash your hands?"
He nods his head and offers his hands up for inspection. She carefully looks them over and finally acts satisfied and turns back to the cans of soup.
At the end of one aisle, there is a sample table set up, and AJ pulls me over to it upon the realization that the woman is handing out samples of some new ooey-gooey ice cream.
"May I try, please?" he asks.
I nod at the woman's questioning look, and she hands him a cup with a miniature spoon.
"What a perfect little gentleman. Your little boy is so adorable!"
I open my mouth to correct the woman when Mac calls to me, "Harm, could you come here, please?"
So I say to the woman, "Uh, thank you. Could I get one more of those, please?"
"Of course. Have a nice day."
"You, too."
I walk back to Mac and AJ and hand her the sample. She accepts it and takes a taste then looks at me and says, "Mm...you're too good to me. Here, try it."
She holds out the spoon to me and I take a bite, then say, "Mm...sweet," and I grin, because I can't help what comes out of my mouth next, "and the ice cream wasn't bad, either."
"Oh, God. Harmon Rabb, if we weren't in public with our godson, I might just be forced to show you how sweet I can be."
Oh, please show me.
She just gives me a sugery smile and flutters her eyelashes. I love flirting with her, because she plays along so well. We start walking again, and when we reach the bakery, AJ runs to the counter and catches the attention of the lady.
"Excuse me, may I please have a cookie?"
"Is it okay with your mommy and daddy?" she asks, looking over at Mac and me.
Instead of correcting her, we just both nod, and she hands him a cookie. I look at Mac and say, "Do you want a cookie, too?"
She smiles and says, "No, thank you. I'll leave them for the kids." AJ runs back to us, holding out his cookie to show us, then proceeds to shove it into his mouth.
"Alright, big guy, are we ready to go?" I ask.
"Ymph," he says, spraying little crumbs of cookie all over.
"What did you do, stuff that whole thing in your mouth?" Mac asks.
This time, he just nods his head and grins. He's got chocolate all around his mouth from a combination of the ice cream and the chocolate chips in the cookie.
Mac looks at me, and before she has a chance to say anything, I say, "Yes, Dear, I'll go get him cleaned up while you go to the check-out line."
"Any other guy, Harm, and you'd be down on your six for calling me that, but I like hearing stuff like that from you." Instead of voicing her thoughts, she just smiles and rolls her eyes.
"Oh, wait, do you want to give him a kiss first?" I hold him out to her, and he stretches his sticky hands out towards her and makes kissing noises and purses his lips.
"Hm...I think I'll pass on that one." "I'd much rather kiss the big kid who's holding him."
"Okay, come on, Buddy, we can take a hint...I know when I'm not wanted."
"Please, you have no idea how much you're wanted." I wouldn't bet big money on that, Marine.
I take AJ to the restroom again to get him cleaned up. Of course, he has to go to the bathroom again, too, so I let him take care of that, and then we both go out to join Mac. She's helping the cashier load the cart with the grocery bags, because they're short on baggers. I come over and tell the cashier that I can take care of it so he can get to the other customers. We finish loading the cart and head out the door to the SUV.
"Here, Mac...you load the kid, I'll get the groceries."
"Okay," she replies, and takes AJ from me and puts him in the car seat.
Once everything's loaded, I put the cart in one of the holding areas in the parking lot and then get in the car, then once again head to Mac's place.
1307 est
Pizza Hut
Georgetown
(Harm's POV)
This place is really crowded today. We waited fifteen minutes to be seated, and we're still waiting for someone just to take our drink orders. Luckily, the person who seated us gave AJ a kid placemat to color on. At least he's occupied. Mac and I are just sitting here, not really talking about anything, just watching him color.
Finally, a server comes up to our table and says, "Good afternoon, what can I get everyone to drink?"
"AJ, sweetie, what do you want to drink?" asked Mac.
"Umm...I don't know."
"Do you like fruit punch?"
"Yeah," he says and then goes back to coloring.
"Okay, then he'll have a kid-sized fruit punch, I'll have a sweetened iced tea, and..." she looks over at me.
"Oh, I'll just have water, please."
"Okay, I'll be right out with your drinks, and then I'll take your order for your food." She smiles and leaves.
Both Mac and I turn our attentions back to what AJ is doing. He has completely filled up the coloring part on the front and has started drawing on the back.
I look over at Mac. She's talking to AJ and gesturing to his pictures, commenting on some of the drawings, and occasionally asking what some of the others are. They are animatedly carrying on a conversation, and I just sit in awe of how great she is with our godson.
"This is so much fun. I don't want to have to wait another year and three months...well, it'll be two years by the time the baby is born. Why did he have to make the time so long?" I thought she was okay with the length of time I picked. She could have said something to me when I asked her a few weeks ago. I don't know if I should bring it up. I mean, I know now isn't the appropriate time, but I mean...I'm not sure if I should bring it up at all. It is only a little over a year away. My thoughts are broken by the server with our drinks.
"Here you go, one kid's fruit punch, one sweetened iced tea, and one water. Are you ready to order your meal?"
"Yes, we'd like a medium pizza, half veggie-lover, half meat-lover, and one personal pan, extra cheese and not a lot of sauce. Did I get that right, AJ?"
Without looking up at Mac, he responds, "Uh-huh."
"Okay, your order should be ready in about fifteen minutes."
"Thank you," both Mac and I respond at the same time.
We go back to watching AJ again.
"I hope they hurry up with our food, I am starving." Starving? She just had ice cream about two hours ago, and she's starving?
After about three more minutes, AJ's entire placemat is colored, and he looks up at us and says, "I'm bored."
Mac looks at me and I shrug my shoulders, so she turns back to AJ and says, "Well, do you want me to go get another placemat for you to color on?"
"No, I don't want to color anymore."
I ask, "Well, what do you want to do?"
He looks around the restaurant and thinks about it and then says, "I want to play video games."
I look over at the mini arcade, and then at Mac, who is contemplating.
"I don't know if Bud and Harriet let him play video games...I mean, he's kind of young. I don't want to get in trouble with them."
"Have you ever played video games before?" I ask him.
He nods his head. "Yes, I play them with Daddy all the time."
"Oh, yeah, I played with him last time I was over there."
I guess that's my confirmation. "Alright, let's go then."
"Yay! Aunt Mac, do you want to play, too?"
"No, I think I'll just wait here for our pizza. You guys go have fun."
"Besides, I think you'd have more fun with Harm than with me."
"Oh, come on, Mac. Are you sure you don't want to join us? It'd be more fun if you were there."
"I don't know..." "Nah, you boys go play your games. I'll watch you from here."
Damn. "Okay, if you're sure..." I press.
"God, why does he give me that look?" "I'm positive."
"Unca Harm, come on!"
"Go, Harm, don't keep the child waiting."
"Alright, let's go, big guy."
I take him to the games, and he immediately goes to the Air Strike game. What can I say? I've taught the kid well.
"Unca Harm, I wanna play this one!"
"Alright, that one it is." I fish some change out of my pocket and put it in the slot. He's too short to reach on his own, so I pick him up and hoist him onto my knee.
"Unca Harm, you help, please?"
"Sure." I put my hands on the controllers and he puts his on top of mine. We start playing the game, and before we know it, fifteen minutes has passed and Mac is standing behind us.
"Okay, boys. Lunch is on the table. Let's go eat."
Without looking back, I respond, "Yes, Mom."
AJ giggles and says, "Yeah, yes, Mom."
"Ha, ha. You're so hilarious."
I laugh and say, "Alright, Mac, we'll be there in a minute, we're almost done with this game."
"Take your time." "I don't mind the view."
I falter on the controller, and we're shot down by the enemy's ground launch.
"Aww, Unca Harm! We were almost winning!"
"Oh, come on, Harm, how could you not see that missile coming? I certainly hope you don't perform like that the next time you're in a Tomcat." "'Cause I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."
I look at her as I'm putting AJ on the ground. "Don't worry, Mac. I don't know that I'll be going up into a Tomcat anytime soon. And especially not in a war zone."
"Can I quote you on that?" "Please, please, please..."
"I'll try my best."
"Well, that's better than nothing." "Okay," she smiles resignedly.
We head back to our table and I help AJ back into his seat before sitting down myself. We are eating for the most part in silence, and AJ is getting sauce all over his face (I can't quite understand how, because he barely had sauce on his pizza to begin with). Luckily, Mac thought enough ahead to put a bib on him, just in case. They weren't kidding when they said Marines are prepared for anything.
I take a bite out of my third slice and end up with sauce above my lip. Mac sees and says, "Geez, Harm, you're as bad as he is. Maybe we need to get you a bib."
"Ha, ha, Marine." I stick my tongue out and lick the sauce from my lip.
"Mm...he is so damn sexy when he does that..."
I hear this just as I'm taking a sip of my drink, and I swallow wrong and start to choke.
"Harm, are you okay?" Mac asks, concerned.
"Yeah," I choke out, "just went down the wrong tube." My eyes are watering, and I know my face is red.
"What tube is it s'pose ta go down?" AJ asks innocently.
Amidst my attempt at calming breaths, I laugh, and it doesn't help matters any. I'm overcome by another fit of coughing.
Mac looks at me worriedly, but I wave her away.
"AJ, sweetie, it's just an expression. It means that Uncle Harm was trying to breathe in when he was drinking his water, and he just choked on it a little bit."
That explanation seems to satisfy him, and he says, "Oh...okay," and goes back to eating his pizza.
Mac turns her attention back to me. I've stopped choking now, but my cheeks are wet where the tears were running down. She just looks over me in scrutiny, and I manage a weak smile. She squints her eyes in suspicion.
"Is he really alright?"
"I'm fine, Mac. I just need to not drink so fast."
"There's something he's not telling me."
I hate keeping things from her, but what am I going to say? 'Mac, the reason I choked is because I heard what you thought in your head about me licking my lips. By the way, do you really think I'm sexy when I do that?' Somehow, I don't think that would go over too well. So, I'll just ignore it and try not to seem too obvious with my "gift."
The rest of lunch goes without incident, and once we're finished, Mac asks me if I'd mind taking AJ into the men's restroom to get cleaned up a little. He takes this opportunity to use the facilities, as well. Once we're done with that, I pay the cashier and we head out the door to the car.
"Grocery shopping now, Mac?" I ask.
"Uh, yeah, if you don't mind."
"Not at all. Let's go."
1445 est
Safeway Grocery
Georgetown
(Harm's POV)
We step into the store and I lift AJ into one of the carts and start to push.
"Um...Unca Harm...I have to go to the potty."
"Again?" I ask incredulously. "You just went at the Pizza Hut."
"Well, I have to go again."
"Alright. Mac, I'm going to take him to the bathroom. Here's the cart. We'll just look for you when we're done."
"Okay."
I take him to the restroom and wait outside for him after making sure there wasn't another door leading out. Not only would Harriet and Bud hate me forever, but Mac would kill me if I were to lose him. I hear the sound of the toilet flushing, and the sink being turned on and off. AJ steps out shaking his hands, and I ask,
"Did they run out of paper towels?"
He looks up at me and grins and says, "No, I just like to shake my hands dry."
"Ah, I see. Okay, let's go find Mac."
We look down a few aisles and find her in the canned food section. AJ runs down the aisle towards her. Mac asks him, "Did you wash your hands?"
He nods his head and offers his hands up for inspection. She carefully looks them over and finally acts satisfied and turns back to the cans of soup.
At the end of one aisle, there is a sample table set up, and AJ pulls me over to it upon the realization that the woman is handing out samples of some new ooey-gooey ice cream.
"May I try, please?" he asks.
I nod at the woman's questioning look, and she hands him a cup with a miniature spoon.
"What a perfect little gentleman. Your little boy is so adorable!"
I open my mouth to correct the woman when Mac calls to me, "Harm, could you come here, please?"
So I say to the woman, "Uh, thank you. Could I get one more of those, please?"
"Of course. Have a nice day."
"You, too."
I walk back to Mac and AJ and hand her the sample. She accepts it and takes a taste then looks at me and says, "Mm...you're too good to me. Here, try it."
She holds out the spoon to me and I take a bite, then say, "Mm...sweet," and I grin, because I can't help what comes out of my mouth next, "and the ice cream wasn't bad, either."
"Oh, God. Harmon Rabb, if we weren't in public with our godson, I might just be forced to show you how sweet I can be."
Oh, please show me.
She just gives me a sugery smile and flutters her eyelashes. I love flirting with her, because she plays along so well. We start walking again, and when we reach the bakery, AJ runs to the counter and catches the attention of the lady.
"Excuse me, may I please have a cookie?"
"Is it okay with your mommy and daddy?" she asks, looking over at Mac and me.
Instead of correcting her, we just both nod, and she hands him a cookie. I look at Mac and say, "Do you want a cookie, too?"
She smiles and says, "No, thank you. I'll leave them for the kids." AJ runs back to us, holding out his cookie to show us, then proceeds to shove it into his mouth.
"Alright, big guy, are we ready to go?" I ask.
"Ymph," he says, spraying little crumbs of cookie all over.
"What did you do, stuff that whole thing in your mouth?" Mac asks.
This time, he just nods his head and grins. He's got chocolate all around his mouth from a combination of the ice cream and the chocolate chips in the cookie.
Mac looks at me, and before she has a chance to say anything, I say, "Yes, Dear, I'll go get him cleaned up while you go to the check-out line."
"Any other guy, Harm, and you'd be down on your six for calling me that, but I like hearing stuff like that from you." Instead of voicing her thoughts, she just smiles and rolls her eyes.
"Oh, wait, do you want to give him a kiss first?" I hold him out to her, and he stretches his sticky hands out towards her and makes kissing noises and purses his lips.
"Hm...I think I'll pass on that one." "I'd much rather kiss the big kid who's holding him."
"Okay, come on, Buddy, we can take a hint...I know when I'm not wanted."
"Please, you have no idea how much you're wanted." I wouldn't bet big money on that, Marine.
I take AJ to the restroom again to get him cleaned up. Of course, he has to go to the bathroom again, too, so I let him take care of that, and then we both go out to join Mac. She's helping the cashier load the cart with the grocery bags, because they're short on baggers. I come over and tell the cashier that I can take care of it so he can get to the other customers. We finish loading the cart and head out the door to the SUV.
"Here, Mac...you load the kid, I'll get the groceries."
"Okay," she replies, and takes AJ from me and puts him in the car seat.
Once everything's loaded, I put the cart in one of the holding areas in the parking lot and then get in the car, then once again head to Mac's place.