Chapter Fifty Two

AN-I have spent summers in Buffalo, NY so I am basing weather from that area around lake Erie, and I always wear jackets there in the summer. That is my only stick for right now.

1300 EST
Sarah Rabb's Farm
Belleville, PA

Sergei and Gram were sitting on the front porch sipping their ice tea when they saw the gold SUV pull up into the drive. "Sergei, darling, help me up."

"Yes ma'am."

"Sergei, I may be old, but I am your Gram, so call me that sweetheart."

"Yes Gram." He helped his grandmother up from the steps and walked out to the car. Mac was trying to wake an asleep Mattie and Harm was unstrapping a wide eye Mackenzie.

Harm flipped Mackenzie around so she could see his grandmother. "Look Mackenzie it is your great-grandmother Sarah."

Mac finally was able to wake up Mattie and ran her fingers through Mattie's hair quickly. "Honey, we are here. Your great grandma is waiting to meet you."

"Okay Mom." She replied rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Mattie quickly got out of the car and stood at her father's side. "Gram, this is Mattie, my other daughter. You have spoken with her over the phone."

"Ma'am."

"Let me make this announcement on last time, it's Gram. That includes everyone," she said winking at Sarah. "Now, Harm hand me my great grandbaby, and Mattie come give me a hug. Sarah, Sergei has told me that Harm proposed to you in an unusual way. Was it better than his grandfathers so eloquent speech of 'So, you know, what do you think?' Then he tossed the ring to me."

Mattie laughed. "Well now I know where Dad gets his eloquance from!" Harm playfully swatted Mattie's arm.

"Sergei, show Mattie to her room. Harm, I have you and Mac with Mackenzie in your old room."

"Yes ma'am." Harm immediately got to work unpacking the car while Mac and Mackenzie went inside with his grandmother. He heard the sound of laughter coming from the house and decided it was music to his ears.

He finally got finished setting up the pack-n-play for Mackenzie when he heard her high pitched wails coming from downstairs. Mackenzie never cried when left along with anyone, so he immediately went into father mode and ran down the stairs. Harm turned the corner and found his family gathered around the entrance to the family room, and Mackenzie was in the room on her play mat.

"Mac, what's going on?"

"There is a snake in the living room with Mackenzie. Harm, go get her!"

Sergei came running in the house with a garden hoe. "I found something we can kill the snake with."

Harm looked at the snake, it was a large brown snake that was uncoiling from the woodpile basket by the fireplace. "Sergei, you kill the snake, I'll grab Mackenzie."

"Sounds like a plan."

Harm gradually walked in the living room and got on the couch above were Mackenzie was screeching. Mattie was hugging Mac. He reached down and grabbed her right before the snake got to her. Sergei beheaded he snake that was going after his niece.

Harm held the baby close to his heart and that calmed her down. "Mackie, Daddy has you. Daddy loves you." He told her in between her cries. He drew lazy circles on her back and she started sucking on her thumb. "Gram, when did you start having problems with snakes?"

"I don't. He must have been hiding in the woodpile that Jefferson brought in for me yesterday."

He handed Mackenzie to Mattie when she had finally calmed down and walked over to the woodpile and started sifting through it looking for anymore unwanted vermin in the house.

His grandmother escorted everyone out to the porch to have some lemonade before she started dinner. Mackenzie reached over to grab her father's cup. "Do you want to try some?" he asked her as he brought he cup up to her lips. He was rewarded with her puckering up her little lips and then her laughing.

Mattie was sitting next to him. "Dad, can we go riding tonight?"

"Sure Matts."

His grandmother walked out of the house and looked at her family sitting on the front porch. "Harm, Sergei, go scrub up for dinner."

"Yes Gram." The boys answered together.

"Mattie, go upstairs and clean up for dinner too." Harm instructed her.

"Okay Dad."

Mac took Mackenzie and got her situated in the high chair while helping the older Sarah in the kitchen.

"Sarah dear, tell me how are you really coping with Harm being deployed?"

"Just fine Gram. He is coming home to me and to his girls."

"Good to hear dear. You must have incredible strength, I was scared to death when both Harm Sr. and Zachary, Harm's grandfather, left for war."

Mac had her back turned to the older Sarah. "I have to believe he is going to be fine, or else my knees would buckle from underneath me and I would cry just at the thought of him going over there."

"Sarah, its okay to be weak."

"No it's not. I have to be strong for my girls, I have to be strong for Harm." Harm was right behind her. Mac walked out the back door.

Grams looked at Harm with pleading eyes. "Go to her," she mouthed to him. Sarah exited quietly with Mackenzie and Harm pulled Mac close to him.

"Go for a walk with me Sarah, then we will come back and have dinner, just me and you."

"Will Grams be fine with Mackenzie?"

"Sure, besides she is not alone, Sergei and Mattie are with her."

"Let me run upstairs and grab our jackets." Mac suggested. She found that summer nights in Pennsylvania were a little cooler than what she thought they would be.

She found Harm standing out on the porch waiting for her. "You ready for our walk sailor?"

"Sure am." He slipped on his jacket and then helped Mac on with her jacket. He saw the glint of her engagement ring in the setting sun. He walked her down to the creek and had her sit on a fallen down tree. "Mac, I have been thinking."

"Don't do that too much, it may hurt you."

"Mac, this is serious." He slipped the engagement ring off her finger. "I don't want you to wait for me to return home. I can't ask you to wear my ring, not with this much uncertainty." He whispered it off into the sunset.

"Harm, don't you dare shut me out. Of course I am going to wait for you to come home, because you are going to, I know you are going to." She added for an extra hint of confidence.

"My father didn't, my grandfather didn't. Now my nightmare is coming true, I get shipped off to war, and I am leaving my wi – fiancé and children behind."

"Your father's fate is not your own fate. Damn it Harm. I love you, do you hear me! Look at me." She turned him around and made him face her and looked at her engagement ring. "I will wait for you no matter what, ring or no ring."

He looked in her eyes and saw a determined look in her eyes only secondary to the love that was burning with intense desire. "I love you so much Mac. What if I don't come back?"

"Then your legacy lives on through two little girls and a woman who will never let them forget how much you love them." She said with her voice cracking full of emotion. She tried to steal her emotions up and he immediately saw the walls starting to go up again.

"Mac, I heard you in the kitchen. You don't have to be strong for me. I am going to be strong for the both of us and even though there is a small chance I may not return, I promise you I am going to try my hardest to make it home to you."

She fell into his arms and allowed the stress to come out in the forms of tears. "Promise me you will come home."

"I can't promise you something that is beyond my control, but I promise I will stay in touch as much as possible."

"I guess that'll have to do." She sighed into his chest and let his strength be her comfort. "Can I have my ring back now? It may sound silly, but it helps me find the strength I need for our family, and I feel the connection to you so much more when it is on."

"It doesn't sound silly at all. Knowing that you are wearing my ring gives me strength and hope. It helps me remember that after all this craziness is over, I am going home to the most beautiful woman and two of the most beautiful daughters that any man could ask for."

Her stomach started rumbling and he started laughing. "I need to feed you, don't I."

"Yes you do." She said as he slipped the engagement ring back on her finger.

"I love you so much it hurts to know that I'm leaving you." He whispered into her ear.

"I love you too. Don't forget it flyboy."

They made their way back to the house where they ate quickly so Harm could take Mattie out on their ride.

They spent one week at Gram's farm, and when it came to an end, they knew that they would have to face a very uncertain future.