Chapter Fifty Six

1900 EST
September 13

King George, VA

The night he left was a grueling night for Mac, she was numb. She tried to keep life as normal as possible for the children. At dinner, Mattie was so distraught, Mac didn't know what she could do to help her. Mattie went outside and started gazing at the stars and Mac went into the office to call in for more time off. Just as she was getting ready to dial the number for the office she saw a note that Harm had left her. The note instructed her to open up the locked file cabinet.

She walked over to the cabinet and pulled out several wrapped gifts. There were two for her, and three each for the girls. "Oh Harm, you always know when you are needed." She scooped up Mackenzie from her pack-n-play and went out to Mattie.

She walked out to where Mattie was and put her arms around her. "You know your Dad loves you."

"I know."

"Well, he left some presents for you." Mac handed her the gifts starting with the larger on. Mattie unwrapped it and found a black and white picture of her and Harm standing by the biplane, and on the matt around the picture, he had written a message.

Dear Matts,

Leonardo da Vinci once said"When

once you have tasted flight, you will

forever walk the earth with you eyes

turned skyward, for there you have

been, and there you always long to

return. Mattie, I love you, and when

you turn your eyes skyward, remember

that I am there soaring in the sky.

Love always,

Your Dad

Mattie turned her eyes skyward and felt immediately better. "Can Uncle Sergei help me hang this up?"

"Sure Matts. You dad left you something else too." She handed her another small package which contained a small MP3 player with songs that Harm picked out and put on it, one was her favorite song, Against the Wind. She went to listen to it and realized that it was her father singing to her. They had listened to the Forrest Gump soundtrack on their way out to fly one day, and it was her favorite song. The last gift she was instructed to open when Mac opened hers. They went inside and opened up the last gift together. Mattie and Mac eagerly tore into theirs, and Mac opened up Mackenzie's present. They had all been given star necklaces with engravings on the back.

Mattie's simply said "Wish Always, Love Dad."

Mackenzie's said "Paint the world, Love Dad."

Mac's read, "You'll always have someone who loves you."

Mac shed a tear when she placed her pendant around her neck. She put Mackenzie's in her hope chest for when she got older, and helped Mattie put her necklace on. She put the children to bed and went to sleep alone for the first time in a long time.

Mac woke up around 0500 not being able to sleep. She reached over for Harm and realized he wasn't there. "Damn," she swore softly to herself. Mac stumbled out of bed and rummaged through his drawers until she found what she was looking for, his favorite t-shirt. She unfolded it and something fell to her feet. She picked up the object, another one of Harm's hidden surprises.

She opened up the case and popped the disc in the player. She started smiling when his face popped on the screen. She sat on the bench at the bottom of their bed and heard his voice filling the room.

"Mac, honey, I know you are missing me right now, baby, right now I am missing you so much. Anyway, I was sitting around one day, and I was tinkering on my guitar, and I wrote this song for you." She was awestruck; a man had never done anything like this for her before.

Promises Melody (lyrics by me)

I promise you we will spend a lifetime together

We will make that lifetime last forever

Honey, our souls will always intertwine

Baby for you I would spend my last dime

I promise you it will all be okay

This war won't last for long

There are so many things that I will remember

That will help me through those long days

Chorus:

Tell our friends I'll see your face again

I'm so sorry that I had to go away

Our memories will help me make it through

And baby, there is one promise I'll make to you

I'll love you until the end of time

Our love was made to last forever

Mountains may crumble and oceans may go dry

Your heart is always with mine

I promise you, we will make this last forever

Throw your shoes in the corner

I'll make dinner

And then we will tuck the kids in together

Moonlit nights I remember

When we drove out to the edge of town

I promised you I will catch you when you fall

And baby, I'll hold you, I won't let you down

Chorus:

Tell our friends I'll see your face again

I'm so sorry that I had to go away

Our memories will help me make it through

And baby, there is one promise I'll make to you

I'll love you until the end of time

Our love was made to last forever

Mountains may crumble and the oceans may go dry

Your heart is always with mine (repeat chorus twice)

Mac always knew that her fiancé was talented, but she didn't realize how talented he was. She had heard him sing a couple of times as they were sitting at McMurphy's together with the jukebox, and she had heard him sing the children to sleep, but listening him sing his own words struck a different chord in her heart. The guitar played a haunting country melody, one that she had never heard before. She missed him so much and knew that this DVD would be worse for wear by the time that his deployment was over.

The song brought Mac to tears as she watched Harm put the guitar down. He gave her one of his flyboy smiles, "I know the song wasn't Oscar caliber or anything, but it is your song, it is called the Promise Melody. I know it isn't anything fancy, but the song is forever yours." He blew her a kiss, and the video faded out. Mac smiled and turned off the equipment and started getting ready for work. Soon her baby would be getting up and her teenager would be fussing over what to wear to school.