"Come in." Mac said as she opened the door to her apartment that evening.
"Thank you Sarah. What a nice apartment." Trish said as she entered.
"I like it. Hi Harm."
"Mac, can I talk to you in the other room for a minute?" He asked.
"Of course. Trish please take a seat, we'll be back in a minute." Mac excused them. Harm followed her into her bedroom. "What's going on?"
"I just needed to do this." He kissed her.
"Harm your Mom is in the other room." She whispered.
"I know." He looked at her for a second. "You knew she was coming didn't you?"
"I'd have to plead guilty to that one." Mac admitted.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because she wanted it to be a surprise. I need to go and check on dinner." Harm nodded, Mac opened the door and walked out. "Trish would you like something to drink? I don't drink alcohol anymore but I do have a bottle of sparkling grape juice."
"That would be nice Sarah."
"Harm why don't you show your Mom around and maybe she can come up a suggestion as to where to hang the painting."
"Sure." Harm smiled as Mac went into the kitchen.
~
When Harm returned from the bathroom halfway through desert. Trish was smiling brightly.
"What did I miss?" Harm asked sitting back down.
"I was just telling Trish about my offer to take Grams shopping for a sailor at Norfolk." Mac replied.
"Sturgis said he'd pay good money to see that." Harm said recalling his friends comment earlier in the day.
"I'm sure Grams would have a great time." Trish beamed.
"I'm sure she would, but Mac wasn't serious about it."
"Sure I was. It's great fun." Mac took a sip of her drink.
"Mac, my grandmother is over eighty years old."
"Harm that doesn't mean she doesn't know how to have a good time. Besides it really is good fun."
"Please don't tell me you've done this." Harm pleaded. Mac nodded. "Where exactly was I?" He asked.
"The first time.." Mac started.
"You've done this more than once?" Harm questioned. Trish looked on with amusement.
"Yes. The first time Carolyn Imes and I were on a case. There was a sailor who was stealing from the wives, girlfriends and daughters of sailors. I think it was when you were off flying your Tomcats. We did a couple of times after that for fun. There was this one guy who tried to convince us he was a pilot. He didn't know the first thing about Tomcats or Hornets for that matter. I knew more than he did. Then there was this Seaman who did laundry for a living, who tried to convince us he was a lot more important than he was by telling us all about this ship he worked on. Carolyn and I listen to him for about twenty minutes before we started asking questions. I don't think he lasted much longer after Carolyn and I flashed him our JAG id. For some reason they think any woman is going to fall for the whites as soon as they say something nice to you."
"The Navy tends to breed cockiness into its sailors, pilots are worse." Trish agreed.
"Hey." Harm protested. "Don't attack the Navy."
"Sorry 'Go Navy' and Hoorah and all that." Mac said with a playful smile.
"Thank you."
"But I'd rather stick with the Semper Fi" Mac added.
"What does Semper Fi mean anyway?" Trish asked.
"Harm?" Mac prompted.
"It's short for Semper Fidelis it means always faithful." Harm supplied.
"Good motto." Trish agreed.
"See Harm, we'll make a good Marine out of you yet. I'm sure Gunny would be impressed too."
"Mac." Harm said with a slight warning tone in his voice.
"Trish would you like some coffee?" Mac asked.
"I'll make it." Harm insisted. "Mac has her own marine style of coffee." Mac swiped him in the arm for the crack.
"And for that you can do the dishes too."
"I get hit in the arm and I have to do the dishes?" Harm asked.
"Sarah, cooked it is only polite that you do the dishes. Besides Sarah and I have to hang her painting." Trish said siding with Mac.
"Is this some female conspiracy?"
"No this is you doing something nice for your mother and your best friend. We'll have the coffee when you've done the dishes." Trish instructed.
"Yes mom." Mac couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you Sarah. What a nice apartment." Trish said as she entered.
"I like it. Hi Harm."
"Mac, can I talk to you in the other room for a minute?" He asked.
"Of course. Trish please take a seat, we'll be back in a minute." Mac excused them. Harm followed her into her bedroom. "What's going on?"
"I just needed to do this." He kissed her.
"Harm your Mom is in the other room." She whispered.
"I know." He looked at her for a second. "You knew she was coming didn't you?"
"I'd have to plead guilty to that one." Mac admitted.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because she wanted it to be a surprise. I need to go and check on dinner." Harm nodded, Mac opened the door and walked out. "Trish would you like something to drink? I don't drink alcohol anymore but I do have a bottle of sparkling grape juice."
"That would be nice Sarah."
"Harm why don't you show your Mom around and maybe she can come up a suggestion as to where to hang the painting."
"Sure." Harm smiled as Mac went into the kitchen.
~
When Harm returned from the bathroom halfway through desert. Trish was smiling brightly.
"What did I miss?" Harm asked sitting back down.
"I was just telling Trish about my offer to take Grams shopping for a sailor at Norfolk." Mac replied.
"Sturgis said he'd pay good money to see that." Harm said recalling his friends comment earlier in the day.
"I'm sure Grams would have a great time." Trish beamed.
"I'm sure she would, but Mac wasn't serious about it."
"Sure I was. It's great fun." Mac took a sip of her drink.
"Mac, my grandmother is over eighty years old."
"Harm that doesn't mean she doesn't know how to have a good time. Besides it really is good fun."
"Please don't tell me you've done this." Harm pleaded. Mac nodded. "Where exactly was I?" He asked.
"The first time.." Mac started.
"You've done this more than once?" Harm questioned. Trish looked on with amusement.
"Yes. The first time Carolyn Imes and I were on a case. There was a sailor who was stealing from the wives, girlfriends and daughters of sailors. I think it was when you were off flying your Tomcats. We did a couple of times after that for fun. There was this one guy who tried to convince us he was a pilot. He didn't know the first thing about Tomcats or Hornets for that matter. I knew more than he did. Then there was this Seaman who did laundry for a living, who tried to convince us he was a lot more important than he was by telling us all about this ship he worked on. Carolyn and I listen to him for about twenty minutes before we started asking questions. I don't think he lasted much longer after Carolyn and I flashed him our JAG id. For some reason they think any woman is going to fall for the whites as soon as they say something nice to you."
"The Navy tends to breed cockiness into its sailors, pilots are worse." Trish agreed.
"Hey." Harm protested. "Don't attack the Navy."
"Sorry 'Go Navy' and Hoorah and all that." Mac said with a playful smile.
"Thank you."
"But I'd rather stick with the Semper Fi" Mac added.
"What does Semper Fi mean anyway?" Trish asked.
"Harm?" Mac prompted.
"It's short for Semper Fidelis it means always faithful." Harm supplied.
"Good motto." Trish agreed.
"See Harm, we'll make a good Marine out of you yet. I'm sure Gunny would be impressed too."
"Mac." Harm said with a slight warning tone in his voice.
"Trish would you like some coffee?" Mac asked.
"I'll make it." Harm insisted. "Mac has her own marine style of coffee." Mac swiped him in the arm for the crack.
"And for that you can do the dishes too."
"I get hit in the arm and I have to do the dishes?" Harm asked.
"Sarah, cooked it is only polite that you do the dishes. Besides Sarah and I have to hang her painting." Trish said siding with Mac.
"Is this some female conspiracy?"
"No this is you doing something nice for your mother and your best friend. We'll have the coffee when you've done the dishes." Trish instructed.
"Yes mom." Mac couldn't help but smile.