Disclaimer: as in ch. 1
1000 EST
Saturday, 18 July 2026
Rabb Residence
McLean, VA
Harm and Mac, as predicted, had agreed to let the boys get together at their house. Harm, sitting in his favorite rocking chair, watched contentedly as the young men played.
"Is she here yet?" Mac asked as she handed her husband a glass of lemonade.
Fully aware of who Mac was taking about, Harm answered dryly, "Well, I told her she'd better be here soon or else Trey'll wake up tomorrow with a huge crick in his neck." He waved toward their son, who kept turning his head to look over his shoulder.
Fifteen minutes later, the long-awaited guest finally arrived. Trey grew restless as Jeremy and Grace walked in to the porch.
"Aunt Sarah, Uncle Harm, how are you doing? Thanks for letting us use the house." Jeremy smiled as he firmly shook Harm's hand and gave Mac a quick hug.
"No problem at all! We love having you here." Mac smiled back at the young man.
Grace quickly greeted the two, and then an awkward silence descended on the porch.
"I'll go and join John and Matt." Jeremy quickly jogged over to the two young men.
"I need to check on the chicken for lunch and get all of you some drinks." Mac turned and headed into the house, Harm close behind.
"I'll help you with those, honey."
"Yeah, thanks, Harm."
Now, the young couple were alone.
"Hey..."
"Hey..."
"Grace, listen...I...uh..."
She watched, outwardly emotionless, as Trey struggled to find the right words.
"Grace, I'm...I'm sorry for not telling you about the mission. I...I didn't want you to get upset...I..."
Before Trey could finish, Grace's self-control snapped. "Excuse me?! You didn't want to upset me? Am I your best friend or not?!"
"Of course you are! What are you talking about?!"
"Shut up and just listen, Lieutenant!"
Stunned, his military training took over. "Yes, Ma'am!"
"You decided that you'd like to play hero, but you just 'forgot' to mention it to me because you were afraid that you might upset me?! How upset do you think I was when I got a call from Bethesda telling me you'd been injured!? You had no right to make that kind of decision for me!" Grace's tone still reflexes her anger. "Can you imagine how afraid I was when Uncle Harm called me at my dorm? You, of all people, should know how vivid my imagination is!" Her voice trailed off as she recalled seeing that all-too-pale face at the hospital.
Trey hung his head, then quietly pulled her into a brief hug. "I'm really okay. Honest. Don't worry about me." The soft tone and guilty expression melted Grace's previously furious mood.
"Please don't do that again."
"I promise I won't. Are we ok now?"
"Yeah, I guess." Grace smiled slightly, before her concern for him overcame her relief at getting all their issues out. "So, how are you doing now?"
"You mean other than stuck at home for the next two weeks?"
"Oh, quit complaining, Lieutenant! You're lucky I didn't decide to kick your six from here to China and back." She teased, and then the two of them fell into a comfortable silence.
Harm and Mac, coming back to the porch, smiled at the young couple. They knew Trey'd had a soft spot for Grace since he was young, and it seemed that Grace returned the feeling. However, the two of them danced around the issue continually.
Meanwhile in the yard...
"You think they're ok now?" John wondered out-loud as he watched Grace's verbal explosion and then the touching embrace.
"I think so. My sister never could stay mad at Trey for more than one day. I guess this time Trey really pushed all her buttons."
"I'm positive my brother got his six kicked!" Matt grinned slightly, but quickly added, "However, I'm sure they'll be fine."
"Hey, Matt, why isn't Albert here?"
"I got liberty this weekend, he didn't."
"He still going for the medical line?" John asked, still slightly amused by the thought of a Rabb man not being an aviator.
"Yep! Planning on specializing in neurology, too!"
"Man, that is something. I hope he doesn't turn into a reclusive book-worm or something." Jeremy shook his head.
"Albert Rabb?!" Matt mock-gasped.
"Nah!" The three chorused, grinning as they remembered all the outlandish stunts Albert had pulled. There was no way that'd happen.
TBC…
