Title: Family Life Part 3 of 8
Rabb/Mackenzie Apartment
North of Union Station
Washington, District Columbia
1800 EST
Harm had spent the day on the Hill advising Bobbie Latham's committee staff so he was the first one home. Mattie had left a message saying she was at Amy's house and would be home in time for dinner at 7:00. (Mattie was still not used to telling time the military way.) Mac was making her way home from JAG.
Amy lived just south of Union Station on Capitol Hill. Mattie and Amy had become good friends. Amy's father, Bill, worked at a think tank and her mother, Jane, was a freelance writer who worked from home. Both sets of parents had met several times and become friends. The parents preferred that if the girls were to be together after school that they go to Amy's where there was adult supervision before dinner.
Harm was figuring out what to make for dinner when the phone rang. It was Jane asking if Amy could spend the weekend with them. Bill was going to a conference, and a last minute airfare deal would allow Jane to go, and they could turn it in a mini-vacation. Harm told Jane that it would be fine. He pointed out that the two girls were usually together for the weekend at one house or the other. Jane said Mattie would be on her way home in a few minutes.
Just then Mac walked in the door greeted Harm saying "Hi Flyboy, I missed you today. What's for dinner?"
"I missed you too. We're having chicken stir fry," said Harm. "Also, Jane just called and asked if Amy could spend the weekend here so she and Bill could get away for awhile. I told her it would be no problem."
"I guess this means I need to take Mattie to the store since you would never buy any food suitable for a slumber party," said Mac grinning at Harm. He just rolled his eyes at her.
Mattie came in the door and said "Hello, thanks so much for letting Amy spend the weekend."
Mac replied "Mattie we like having your friends around. We're happy to do it. Why don't we go shopping tomorrow after dinner for proper slumber party food?"
"Great," replied Mattie. "Harm would NEVER buy the right stuff."
Just then Harm announced that dinner was ready so Mac and Mattie joined him at the table. Harm started in with the standard dad question, "What happened at school today?"
"'Well," said Mattie, "That art seminar I was supposed to take as an elective got canceled so they reassigned us new electives. Some how I ended up being put in a child development elective," Mattie said less than enthusiastically.
"Why does that bother you?" Mac asked. "I know its not art, but you like kids. I know you enjoy babysitting for the Robert's boys."
"I don't fit in with the others in that class," Mattie replied. "It's all girls and they are bubbly cheerleader types who want to be elementary school teachers, not girls who want to be fighter pilots."
Harm drifted off thinking of Mattie graduating from the Academy and then flight school.
While Harm was apparently lost in thought, Mac said, "Well, I can see how you might feel a bit out of place, but it's only one class and it could be useful with the new baby coming."
Mattie sighed, "I guess so." She paused for a moment. "Harm, I've got a couple of proofs for geometry I can't get to work out right. Can you help me after dinner?"
"Sure," replied Harm.
They continued eating. Mac entertained them by telling them stories of some interesting cases that had come through JAG and deserved to be in the stupid criminal file.
Rabb/Mackenzie Apartment
North of Union Station
Washington, District Columbia
2230 EST
Mattie and Amy were in the living surrounded by every kind of junk food imaginable, watching movies and painting their nails. Mac had joined them for a while, but then went off to soak in a bubble bath before going to bed. Harm was in the study hiding from all the estrogen in the air. He still found life with women to be a little strange at times. The obsessive need for chocolate and the desire to have purple toenails escaped him.
Harm finished up in the study, went and checked to make sure all the doors were locked and the alarm set. He popped his head into the living room and said, "Good night you two, Mac and I are going to bed. Try to keep it down to a dull roar. Mac really needs her sleep these days."
Mac had finished her bath and had just climbed in to bed. Harm took a minute and got ready to join Mac. As he slipped into bed beside her he said, "I was just thinking about how much my life has changed in the past 18 months. If someone had told me then that now I would be married to you, that you'd be pregnant and that teenage girls would regularly take over my living room I would have thought that person was on drugs. I do like all the changes though."
Mac pulled Harm to her and said, "Come here and make love to your pregnant wife."
"MAC," Harm yelped, "There are teenage girls in our living room right now!"
Mac laughed at Harm and said, "In the living room being the operative phrase, we'll be quiet and nothing short of the apartment being on fire would prompt the girls to come knocking on our door."
Harm smiled and pulled Mac close to him, saying, "I guess you're right."
Rabb/Mackenzie Apartment
North of Union Station
Washington, District Columbia
0800 EST
Harm awoke Saturday morning to the smell of muffins baking in the kitchen. After getting up and dressing he joined Mac. Sliding his arms around her from behind he softly spoke into her ear.
"Hey, Ninja Girl, what's the idea of disturbing my Saturday morning sleep-in by baking those mouth watering muffins of yours?"
"Good morning," said Mac. "I thought we could use a treat. We can have warm ones in a few minutes and the girls can have their's whenever they wake-up."
"Good idea," said Harm. "I heard on the radio that we should expect a big snow storm followed by an ice storm tomorrow and Monday, so I think I'll go to the store and stock up in case we end up snowed in."
"Good idea," Mac replied.
