Chapter 9 The Plans
When Harm had the bi-plane safely in the hanger, they drove back to DC and Sherri's apartment.
"Can you come in for a minute, Harm?" Sherri asked. "I will miss you."
" I will miss you too, Sherri." Harm held Sherri closer to him and kissed her tenderly. "I'll be home before you know it." Sherri knew that this was just part of loving an aviator, Navy or Air Force.
"Yup, I have so many things to do. I probably won't even notice that you are gone." Both Harm and Sherri knew that wasn't true. Harm also realized how difficult it was for Sherri that he was going for his QUALS.
"I better go sweetheart. I'll be ok, I promise. Harm kissed Sherri long and tenderly. "Bye, babe." Harm said as he left Sherri's apartment.
"Bye, Harm." Sherri answered as she waved slowly to Harm. She felt a single tear fall from her eye.
She had a lot of plans to make for the wedding. Her mother would arrive in DC with Christina. Yes, this would be a good time to talk to Chris about things. Sherri had already talked to Harm about what sort of setting they wanted for the ceremony. They both agreed that there would be one Navy and one Air Force chaplain to share the ceremony equally. The colors of course, would be blue and white. She would wear her white wedding dress and Harm would wear his dress whites. The groomsmen would all be wearing their dress whites and the ladies would wear long blue formals with a slit up to the left thigh. Sherri's flowers would be a combination of white and blue.
The next day Sherri's mother and daughter, Christina arrived in DC. Christina was a beautiful girl with blue eyes and long blonde hair, like her mother.
"Hi, mom. "Christina said to Sherri as soon as she got off the plane. "Where's Harm?"
Sherri was dumbfounded when she heard the nine year old call her mom and ask about Harm. Sherri looked puzzled at her mother.
"We'll discuss it later, dear."
Back at Sherri's apartment the two now arrivals to Washington settled into their new surroundings. Sherri's mother, Barbara would stay as long as Sherri needed her, but this would be Chris's new home.
While Chris took a nap, mother and daughter had a chance to talk.
"Ok mother, what's going on?" Sherri asked eagerly.
"I took the opportunity to talk to Chris during the long flight. I thought it would be easier for all of us this way."
"Well yeah. You could have told me, mom. How did she take it?" Sherri was nervous.
"She was surprised and asked all of the usual questions like why? And I tried to explain things so she would understand. I used baking a cake metaphor. About mom was like the flour and sugar and daddy was like the eggs, and when they are all put together you have a cake."
"Where did the Harm comment come from?"
"Oh by the way, where is your nice young man?" Barbara asked. "When I was explaining the cake to Chris, Harm became the icing."
Sherri chuckled. "I never thought of Harm as icing, but he is sweet."
"My nice young man, Harm is on a Navy carrier in the Persian Gulf."
"What is he doing there? I thought he was a lawyer?" Barbara was surprised.
"Mom, Harm is a lawyer. Most of the time. Now he is doing his QUALS in a F-14 tomcat. He'll be home in a few days."
"Sherri, that sure sounds close to what Trevor did in the Air Force."
"Trevor flew a F-15. I'm not worried, Harm is a great aviator. He knows what he's doing. He 's a top-gun." Sherri's pride in Harm shined through.
"Ok, dear. I can't wait to meet him. He sounds wonderful."
"He is wonderful, mother. You will see. I know, Chris how would you like to talk to Harm on the video phone on the computer? I don't know if he will be able to talk or not, but we can try."
Sherri booted up Harm's e mail address. Harm, Are you there? Can you talk a minute?
I'm here, sweetheart. How is everything?
Can you turn on your vidiocam? Somebody wants to meet you.
Instantly, Harm's image appeared on Sherri's computer screen. Hi, hon. You sure do look wonderful.
You don't look bad yourself, sailor. Sherri touched Harm's image on the screen gently.
Harm, this is my mom and Christina. They couldn't wait two days to meet you.
Hi Mrs. James and Christina. I'll see you in a few days. Take good care of my girl until I get home.
We will commander. Stay safe. See you in a few days.
I know you're busy Harm, so I'll talk to you soon. I love you.
I love you too, babe. Bye.
As Sherri was finishing her talk with Harm, Chris stated in the background that Harm was cute.
"I think you mean handsome, Chris. Ladies are cute, men are handsome." Sherri corrected her daughter.
"Yeah, he's handsome."
Sherri chuckled. "I think so too, Chris."
The day finally arrived when Harm was coming home. Sherri and her mom and Chris drove to Andrews AFB to pick him up.
Harm's helo arrived and Harm entered the hanger where Sherri was waiting. Harm had his arms full of gifts, but he managed to hold Sherri close and kiss her tenderly.
"Mmmmm, you taste so good." whispered in Sherri's ear.
"You taste wonderful too darling, but we have company." Sherri reminded Harm.
"Oh hi guys. These are for you." Harm handed Barbara a bouquet of yellow roses and gave Sherri a dozen long stem red roses.
"Harm, they're beautiful." Sherri kissed Harm gently.
"Yes thank you Harm." Barbara said.
"Here is something for my petite princess." Harm handed Chris a white teddy bear dressed in a Navy uniform.
"It's wonderful, Harm. Thank you. Mom it is ok to call him Harm, isn't it?"
"Of course it is." Harm answered. Surprised that Chris called Sherri mom already.
The group drove back to Sherri's apartment.
When Harm had the bi-plane safely in the hanger, they drove back to DC and Sherri's apartment.
"Can you come in for a minute, Harm?" Sherri asked. "I will miss you."
" I will miss you too, Sherri." Harm held Sherri closer to him and kissed her tenderly. "I'll be home before you know it." Sherri knew that this was just part of loving an aviator, Navy or Air Force.
"Yup, I have so many things to do. I probably won't even notice that you are gone." Both Harm and Sherri knew that wasn't true. Harm also realized how difficult it was for Sherri that he was going for his QUALS.
"I better go sweetheart. I'll be ok, I promise. Harm kissed Sherri long and tenderly. "Bye, babe." Harm said as he left Sherri's apartment.
"Bye, Harm." Sherri answered as she waved slowly to Harm. She felt a single tear fall from her eye.
She had a lot of plans to make for the wedding. Her mother would arrive in DC with Christina. Yes, this would be a good time to talk to Chris about things. Sherri had already talked to Harm about what sort of setting they wanted for the ceremony. They both agreed that there would be one Navy and one Air Force chaplain to share the ceremony equally. The colors of course, would be blue and white. She would wear her white wedding dress and Harm would wear his dress whites. The groomsmen would all be wearing their dress whites and the ladies would wear long blue formals with a slit up to the left thigh. Sherri's flowers would be a combination of white and blue.
The next day Sherri's mother and daughter, Christina arrived in DC. Christina was a beautiful girl with blue eyes and long blonde hair, like her mother.
"Hi, mom. "Christina said to Sherri as soon as she got off the plane. "Where's Harm?"
Sherri was dumbfounded when she heard the nine year old call her mom and ask about Harm. Sherri looked puzzled at her mother.
"We'll discuss it later, dear."
Back at Sherri's apartment the two now arrivals to Washington settled into their new surroundings. Sherri's mother, Barbara would stay as long as Sherri needed her, but this would be Chris's new home.
While Chris took a nap, mother and daughter had a chance to talk.
"Ok mother, what's going on?" Sherri asked eagerly.
"I took the opportunity to talk to Chris during the long flight. I thought it would be easier for all of us this way."
"Well yeah. You could have told me, mom. How did she take it?" Sherri was nervous.
"She was surprised and asked all of the usual questions like why? And I tried to explain things so she would understand. I used baking a cake metaphor. About mom was like the flour and sugar and daddy was like the eggs, and when they are all put together you have a cake."
"Where did the Harm comment come from?"
"Oh by the way, where is your nice young man?" Barbara asked. "When I was explaining the cake to Chris, Harm became the icing."
Sherri chuckled. "I never thought of Harm as icing, but he is sweet."
"My nice young man, Harm is on a Navy carrier in the Persian Gulf."
"What is he doing there? I thought he was a lawyer?" Barbara was surprised.
"Mom, Harm is a lawyer. Most of the time. Now he is doing his QUALS in a F-14 tomcat. He'll be home in a few days."
"Sherri, that sure sounds close to what Trevor did in the Air Force."
"Trevor flew a F-15. I'm not worried, Harm is a great aviator. He knows what he's doing. He 's a top-gun." Sherri's pride in Harm shined through.
"Ok, dear. I can't wait to meet him. He sounds wonderful."
"He is wonderful, mother. You will see. I know, Chris how would you like to talk to Harm on the video phone on the computer? I don't know if he will be able to talk or not, but we can try."
Sherri booted up Harm's e mail address. Harm, Are you there? Can you talk a minute?
I'm here, sweetheart. How is everything?
Can you turn on your vidiocam? Somebody wants to meet you.
Instantly, Harm's image appeared on Sherri's computer screen. Hi, hon. You sure do look wonderful.
You don't look bad yourself, sailor. Sherri touched Harm's image on the screen gently.
Harm, this is my mom and Christina. They couldn't wait two days to meet you.
Hi Mrs. James and Christina. I'll see you in a few days. Take good care of my girl until I get home.
We will commander. Stay safe. See you in a few days.
I know you're busy Harm, so I'll talk to you soon. I love you.
I love you too, babe. Bye.
As Sherri was finishing her talk with Harm, Chris stated in the background that Harm was cute.
"I think you mean handsome, Chris. Ladies are cute, men are handsome." Sherri corrected her daughter.
"Yeah, he's handsome."
Sherri chuckled. "I think so too, Chris."
The day finally arrived when Harm was coming home. Sherri and her mom and Chris drove to Andrews AFB to pick him up.
Harm's helo arrived and Harm entered the hanger where Sherri was waiting. Harm had his arms full of gifts, but he managed to hold Sherri close and kiss her tenderly.
"Mmmmm, you taste so good." whispered in Sherri's ear.
"You taste wonderful too darling, but we have company." Sherri reminded Harm.
"Oh hi guys. These are for you." Harm handed Barbara a bouquet of yellow roses and gave Sherri a dozen long stem red roses.
"Harm, they're beautiful." Sherri kissed Harm gently.
"Yes thank you Harm." Barbara said.
"Here is something for my petite princess." Harm handed Chris a white teddy bear dressed in a Navy uniform.
"It's wonderful, Harm. Thank you. Mom it is ok to call him Harm, isn't it?"
"Of course it is." Harm answered. Surprised that Chris called Sherri mom already.
The group drove back to Sherri's apartment.
