"He's your son, of course he's your responsibility and you will definitely have the final say. I just want to help out a bit, but only as much and as far as you want my help," he assured her quickly. It sounded like she was leaning towards taking him up on the offer.
"And we agree that this is temporary. If I agree to this, it isn't me moving back home and living off of you. I get a job in town as quickly as possible and help with the bills and such and while we're there," she stated firmly.
"Absolutely; you get a job, and when you have one, you can help out with the bills if you insist," he told her. "You're not coming home, and you're not living off me, you're just coming to stay with me while you get back on your feet, however long that takes," he replied, assuring her that she would not be losing her independence.
"Thanks, daddy, I just wanted to make sure we understood one another while I think about your offer," she said, giving him a hug. "It really is sweet of you to offer," she continued softly, with a teary sniff.
Hugging her back, the general helped her into the back seat, next to her son.
"Mom!" Frankie just about leaped into her arms.
"Hi, sweetheart," she said, hugging him tightly.
"Hi, did you lose your job?" He asked nervously.
"I'm afraid so, but it'll be okay," she assured him, smiling.
"We're going to have to move, aren't we?" He asked, swallowing hard.
"I'm afraid so, what you think about moving near Dayton and living with grandpa?" She asked.
"We can live with Grandpa?" he asked excitedly.
"Well, It's a possibility," she responded, mentally taking note of how excited her son was about that idea.
"Living with grandpa gets my vote!" he stated emphatically.
"I'll keep that in mind," she said, reassuring him with a hug.
"Morning, Nancy," Control greeted her the next morning as she came into their room after a knock to be certain both men were up and decent.
"Yes, it is," she answered sleepily, while taking the mug of coffee her dad was holding out, having gotten up and poured it for her. "Thanks, daddy."
"You've never been a morning person," he chuckled.
"I don't remember you ever sleeping past dawn," she grumbled.
"Growing up on a farm and then going into the military, I was expected to have half a day's work done by breakfast," he chuckled.
"Better you than me." she snorted.
"So, what's the plan for today?" Control asked, sipping his coffee and putting his current paper down with the other three newspapers he had finished reading. Luckily, he had already called China and gotten updates on everything, as well as connecting with Robert and having him run a few errands.
"Well, I've been thinking about your offer, daddy," she said, joining her cousin at the table.
"I'd love to have you come and stay if you want to," Frank reiterated, sending a silent prayer that she would accept his offer.
"Thank you, we accept," she said, laughing as the general scooped her into a hug when they had both put their mugs down.
"Are we really going to go and live with grandpa?" Frankie asked, bursting into the room and joining in the hug.
"You sure are, son," the general beamed.
"What exactly happened last night, Nan?" Control asked, after Frankie was sent to take a shower and get dressed before they all headed out to breakfast.
"Well, I was serving my tables and one of them ordered a round of beers. They looked a bit young so I asked for ID's. I make it a habit to card anyone who is not obviously over twenty-one. The guys raised a fuss, but I told them no beer until I saw legal ID's from all of them. That was when my boss took me aside and told me to quit chasing away customers. I told him that I didn't want to get in trouble with the law so I was not going to serve alcohol without checking ID's. He said if they ordered I was being paid to serve. When I told him that anyone underage would have to be served by someone other than me, he fired me," she explained.
"You did the right thing, baby," Frank said, beaming with pride.
"I just did what you would have," she smiled, basking in her father's approval; something she remembered as a rarely when she was child and was finding she still wanted.
"He can't legally fire you for refusing to break the law, Nan," Control informed her.
"I know that, but right now, whether I was legally fired or not is the least of Mike's problems. Seems he apologized for my behavior and served the group himself. At which point he was arrested for serving to minors. They raided the whole place, and Mike lost his license. I got off Scott free because I refused to serve them without ID's and because none of the minors in my area had been served alcohol," she laughed.
Control chuckled at the story.
"It sounds like that man had it coming," The general commented, snickering at the ironic justice.
"Did you call the cops like you did last time?" Frankie asked uncertainly from the door.
"No, I didn't call the cops, and how did you know about last time I lost my job?" She asked, looking pointedly at her son.
"I didn't mean to, but I overhead Hazel telling you that you were lucky to get a job at the bar after calling the cops last time, and since there were cops this time I thought you might have called them again," he answered, not looking at any of the adults.
"Honey, laws are made to protect people, and my last boss was breaking some of them and endangering other people because of it, I had to call the police and tell them. Mike wasn't endangering anyone with what he did, but he was helping some people hurt themselves, and I wasn't going to help him do that," She explained.
"I take it your last boss served minors as well and you called the police on him?" Control inquired.
"I didn't know he was until I saw the kids leaving and the next morning they were in the paper after a drunk driving accident. I called the police and told them where the kids had gotten the drinks. They looked into it and pulled Sam's license."
"Good for you, Nancy," Frank said, proud of his daughter for doing the right thing even when it meant her job.
"Mom, is the school bus going to come and get me from here?" Frankie asked suddenly looking nervous.
"Well, I called your school and talked to your teacher and since there is nothing important on the schedule today, you get to stay with us," Nancy informed the boy.
"Then can we have pancakes for breakfast?" Frankie asked, beaming that he was going to be spending time with the grandpa and cousin instead of going to school.
"Sure we can, sport; you still like everything omelets, Nan?" The graying man asked his daughter.
"Yes, Daddy, I still like those, although I'm surprised you remembered that I like them," she replied with surprise.
"I remember a lot of things, baby," the general smiled, wishing that he had let her know when she was a child just how much he made a habit of knowing about her.
"Your friend, Josh! He was the one you told about grandpa being a general!" Frankie said out of the blue as the group headed out.
"Actually it was his mother I mentioned it to, and how on earth did you know that?" Nancy asked in shock. She hadn't seen Josh for a couple of years probably, and had only met his mother a few times.
"I overheard the two of you talking," Frankie admitted sheepishly.
"You overhear more than you should," Nancy chided him gently.
"I don't mean to, but it's hard not to hear all of the conversations at home, and at Josh's I was coming in the room to ask you something when I heard you mention a general," Frankie explained, not wanting his mom, worse grandpa, to think he had been eavesdropping.
"Well, you remembered most of the conversation right," Nancy said, smiling and hugging her son who was in back with her.
"What brought about your mentioning Uncle Frank?" Control asked, his insatiable curiosity aroused.
"We'll I was meeting a boyfriend's mother. She had never liked me because in her opinion I was not in their class. But, Josh really wanted me to meet her, so I agreed to come to his house for the day and meet her," Nancy began.
"Doesn't sound like a very pleasant woman," The general commented, as they entered a Perkins restaurant.
"She wasn't. We were having coffee in the kitchen, trying to make polite conversation, and I saw a picture on the wall. I commented that it was a good picture of her husband in front of a B-52. She was amazed that I knew what kind of plane it was and asked me how I knew. I figure that we had finally hit on something in common and commented that my father had been in the military before he retired," Nancy continued, while buttering her toast.
Control muttered something under his breath at that, that he had heard China use for Jason Masur more than once.
"She snorted and said that her husband was a major who flew bombers, not some airman who picked up airstrips and did guard duty. I told her that was all right, because my Daddy wasn't an airman he was a three star general who not only flew bombers, but led the missions the bombers were on," Nancy laughed at the memory.
"I bet she didn't like hearing that," Frank chortled, before taking a bite of his scrambled eggs.
"Actually she didn't believe her," Frankie added sullenly while eating his pancakes.
"She did in the end, sweetheart. Josh's dad had come in and heard me say my dad was a general. He asked who my dad was, so I told him your name, Daddy. Well, it seems that he remembered you. I guess you had flown a mission with him once and he was very impressed. He had always been nice to me, and after that he really thought I was great," Nancy finished.
"I take it things didn't work out with Josh?" Frank asked. He hadn't seen evidence of a boyfriend, but that didn't mean there wasn't one in the picture somewhere. If there was, she would probably not have a been so quick to want to leave the area though, he reasoned.
"No, his mother never liked me much and he always did what she told him to," she explained. "I haven't really tried dating again since then," she replied in a tone decisive enough for there not to be any more questions about it.
"I'm sorry, honey," the general sympathized.
"Mom, when are we going to move?" Frankie asked a few moments later, breaking the silence that had descended like a fog over the table.
"How soon can you be ready for us, Daddy?" she asked.
"As soon as you can come, I'll be ready for you. Do you have a lot of things to wrap up here?" He asked.
"I rent by the month so I have until the thirty-first there. Other than Frankie's school, there's nothing that needs to be done here," she said, suddenly aware of how empty her life must seem.
"Well, If Frankie can start Christmas break a week early, you could come home with me now," the general offered quietly, hoping that she wouldn't think he was pushing.
"I could hire a moving company to follow with your furniture and things," Control offered.
"Not a whole lot of what we have is worth taking," Nancy admitted with a sigh.
"Well, if you want to come now, John and I can arrange for the Salvation Army to come and get the furniture, while you pack up what you want to take.
"Okay, let me make a few calls and we might be ready to go tomorrow," Nancy smiled, suddenly realizing just how possible it would be to move that fast.
"Does this mean that I can go in the plane?" Frankie asked excitedly.
The three adults chuckled at the child's enthusiasm.
"Yes, when we move we'll be flying to our new home," Nancy assured him.
"Since you and I have calls to make, Nancy, why don't we go back to the hotel and make our calls and Uncle Frank and Frankie can go find boxes. Then after lunch you and Frankie can pack while we haul the furniture downstairs for the Salvation Army?" Control offered, taking a last sip of his coffee.
"Sounds like a good plan," she agreed.
Having received their marching orders, the troops filed out to tackle the day. Or rather, three walked out while the youngest bounced out begging his grandfather for another story, and the oldest happily complied, telling one of his well known stories to a new audience.
"Between having you back in his life and having Frankie around, Nan, I think the general is about fifteen years younger than when he arrived here," Control chuckled.
"I think he's going into his second childhood or something," she smirked.
"Considering some of the tales my mother has told me about things he did as a child, I certainly hope he isn't going into a second childhood," Control responded with a snort, his eyes dancing.
"I have no idea what he was like as a child," Nancy said sadly. She had always wondered what he had been like when a youngster, but simply could not imagine her father as anything but a three start general.
"Well," the spy began once he saw that the odd couple were far enough ahead not to hear, "The story I remember most was about the time that Uncle Frank and some neighbor boys were playing together. They got the great idea of playing some kind of war game. Of course to do that they had to have a hostage, and my mother was chosen. I don't know if she was aware that she was chosen or not, but at any rate she became the hostage and was properly tied up so she couldn't get away."
"Why does it not surprise me that he would, even as a child have been playing a game like that," Nancy said, shaking her head.
"I got the impression that the other boys picked the game, and war is anything but a game to the general. He has lost far too many friends and seen too many people die to think of war as anything glamorous or fun," Control responded rather sharply.
"You're right, I'm sorry;" She apologized contritely,
"The boys continued playing and were finally called in to lunch. Granddad looked around the table and saw he was short one daughter. He very calmly asked Uncle Frank if he had seen Becca anywhere that morning. The three boys all went white as they realized that they had forgotten their hostage back in her jail. The boys were informed that lunch was not going to be served until they were ALL at the table so they had best go and rescue the hostage immediately. The problem was when they went to get her, the boys couldn't remember exactly where it was they had stashed her."
"Daddy had lost aunt Becca?" Nancy asked, doubled over laughing.
"We hadn't lost her, just temporarily misplaced her," came a growl from in front of them.
"Sounds to me like you lost her, Daddy," Nancy countered, still laughing.
"She was eventually found and no damage was done," the general responded, maintaining his dignity in spite of his nephew and daughter laughing while his grandson looked at him in shock.
"Five men from neighboring farms had to be called in to help search, before mom eventually decided that she would not be in trouble for wandering off the farm and climbed out of the hayloft where she was hiding, to tell grandma exactly what had happened," the younger man remarked.
"They had to call in help, and she was in the hayloft the entire time?" Frankie laughed.
"The farm is a big place, and she was a little girl, so they had to have help if they were going to find her," Control explained.
"Everything would've been fine if she'd stayed where we put her," the general complained, winking at the boy next to him and enjoying the laughter of his family.
"Why hadn't anyone looked in the barn for her?" Frankie asked, slightly confused; that seemed the first place to look.
"They had looked there, sport, but mom was afraid she would have been in trouble, so she hid from the people who looked in," Control illuminated.
The general snorted, sending his daughter and grandson into peals of laughter again.
"Why did she think she would be in trouble?" Frankie asked, still confused.
"She wasn't allowed out of the fenced yard, and we had taken her out of the yard, so she thought if mom knew she had been out she would get in trouble," Frank explained, coughing slightly.
"Oh, I bet you were popular once the entire story was known," Nancy chuckled.
"I admit that I was opting to eat meals standing for a bit after that," Frank confessed, smirking.
"I can imagine," John retorted, smiling.
"If Becca saw fit to share that memory, I just bet she didn't tell you about the time that she was coming home late from a date she wasn't suppose to be on in the first place," Frank began as the group piled into his nephew's rental and headed to the hotel, now laughing at the story about a young lady trying to sneak in a window that was now locked. It was a good morning.
"Mom, we're home!" Frankie called as he and his grandfather entered the boy and his mother's apartment.
"How did the calls go?" Frank asked, looking around and trying not to think about his daughter and her son living in this place.
"The Salvation Army will be here around two, we just have to have the things that are going, downstairs," Control informed the group.
"With the ice on the stairs, it'll be a trick, but we'll figure out a way get it done," Nancy assured him. "After school lets out, Frankie and I need to go to the school and get his desk cleared out and return his school books. I said I would call from the farm and let them know what school to send his records to."
"Nan, we've got the boxes, so you and Frankie work on packing, and John and I'll get the furniture down," the general informed her, not wanting to think about her on that ice carrying heavy furniture. He and John would find away to get the stuff down.
"Most of what we're taking is clothes and knickknack things. Frankie, why don't you get your clothes together and we can use our clothes to wrap the breakables in," she instructed.
The child excitedly ran off to get his clothes. They were really going to do this. He and mom were going to go and live on a farm with his grandpa, and they were flying there in grandpa's plane!
"Nan, do you want to keep any of the furniture?" Her cousin asked.
"No, I got it all at the Salvation Army and none of it's worth hauling it across the state," she stated.
"How about your kitchen things?" Frank asked. The women he had known could be very particular about their kitchen equipment.
"Unless there are things you don't have, may as well send those with the furniture."
"If we want to get it done, we had best get at it," the general informed his nephew, as he went to prop the front door open.
As he returned to his daughter's apartment he saw a young woman in front of the other apartment door. She was in her early twenties and balancing a baby on her hip, while holding a bag and trying to fish her keys out of her purse. Smiling he took the bag for her, freeing her to get the keys.
"Thanks," she said timidly as she dropped her purse inside the door and took the bag. As he handed her the bag, he saw that there was nothing in the apartment. It struck him that at one time this had probably Nancy as well; young, alone with a baby, and no money for anything.
"Honey, the woman across the hall is a young single mother and doesn't have anything. I was thinking maybe we could see if she would like the furniture we're getting rid of," he asked. The stuff was Nancy's so it would be her call.
"That's a good idea, daddy, I'll go over and ask her," she agreed, heading across the hall. It would be nice to help out her neighbor, she had been in that position when she had first moved here.
A few moments later she came back. "She would love to have anything we can offer."
The woman shyly smiled at Frank and John a few moments later as they hauled a couch over. Half an hour later she had two beds, a table and chairs, and a television, as well as two bookcases. Nancy had brought over one of the boxes full of the kitchen supplies.
Tears in her eyes, the young mother thanked them for their kindness in giving her the desperately needed items.
"Thanks for thinking of that Daddy, it was a really good idea," Nancy said, hugging her father. John smiled at them from the phone where he was canceling the Salvation Army pick up.
"She got what she needed, and I didn't have to kill myself moving furniture down those stairs," the general chuckled.
"We all won," John agreed, helping Frankie get his things together.
"Um, Nan, these are Frankie's clothes?" The General asked quietly, seeing the badly warn and too small clothes the boy was bringing out.
"Dad, he's a tall boy and good will is all I can afford," she responded, embarrassed. She knew that Frankie needed better clothes, but she couldn't do any better right now.
"I'd like to get him some new clothes, if you don't mind," he asked, knowing how it might sound, and hoping she wouldn't be offended. He was proud of how well she had done, but living paycheck to paycheck was hard at best. "I'm really proud of how well you've done, I know it isn't easy living check to check and I would like to do that for him."
"If you want to, that would be great," she agreed, her smile assured the older man that he had not offended her.
On the counter next to her, waiting to be carefully wrapped, was a photo of a young man in a bomber jacket with a cap on, standing in front of a bomber. He still remembered the day that Mary had taken that picture. It had been a nice summer day and he had actually been able to get away. He had checked on the Lily's repairs before they headed out and she got a picture of him in front of his beloved plane. It had been a good day. Neither one had known that he would be shot down on his next mission, resulting in his being a POW. So many times, the memory of that day had gotten him through until his release.
"I didn't know you kept a photo of me," he said as she took the picture and wrapped it in a towel.
"I got this one from Aunt Becca when I was a child. I liked it, so she gave it to me, and when I left I took it with me. I don't know why I did, but I'm glad I brought it along," she explained.
Another photo caught his eye; walking over, he picked it up. A short, red haired woman in shorts and a t-shirt smiled back at him. She was sitting on a log outside of a tent. He had forgotten how much they loved camping before Nancy came along.
Biting his lip, he brushed his finger against her cheek. "I still miss her, Nancy."
"I know dad, I loved her too," Nancy responded, hugging her father. Only a few short days ago she would have laughed if you had told her she and her father would be sharing their grief over her dead mother.
He handed her the photo, after one more look, and she lovingly wrapped it and placed it next to the first.
"Daddy, could you hand me my cigarettes?" Nancy asked as she picked up a picture of Frankie as a baby and wrapped it.
"When did you pick up this vice?" Frank asked, a slight look of disappointment. Hopefully she hadn't learned it from him, he had been smoking most of his adult life.
"About the same time I left home, but at least everything I smoke now is legal," she quipped back.
Balling his hands and closing his eyes, the general turned slowly around. "You lied to me. I trusted you and you lied to me," he stated in a soft, chilled voice.
"Nancy, Uncle Frank, why don't I take Frankie out for his clothes and to do his errands at school while you two discuses this in private?" Control offered. He had lied to his uncle once as a child, the results had not been good. His parents had found out and after they had finished with him, had handed him over to his uncle.
"Thanks, that's a good idea," Nancy thanked her cousin. She and her dad had best have this out now, and there was no reason for Frankie to be a witness to it. She hadn't thought about what she was saying before offering her flip answer, but this was probably for the best.
"Does this mean that we're not going to live with grandpa?" Frankie asked, sniffing. He had really, really wanted to go and live on a farm and get to know his grandpa who was a three star general and a war hero.
"No," came his answer in two part harmony.
"Looks like you're stuck with me, sport," Frank smiled down, ruffling his grandson's hair. Frankie beamed up at him, reassured.
"I did something bad when I was younger, and grandpa and I have to work it out, sweetheart, that's all," Nancy told her son, hugging him as he got his jacket on.
Reassured that his family was staying together, the boy followed his cousin out the door.
"You. Promised. Me. You. Were. Not. Doing. Drugs!" the general bit off each word, never getting louder, but with each one getting colder.
"Yes, I did," Nancy admitted, not looking at her father. She had always known his zero tolerance for drugs, but as a teenager hadn't cared and hadn't figured he cared much what she was doing. As a parent herself, she knew how wrong she had been.
"Why? Why did you..." he began, stopping as he saw tears in her eyes. He had seen her defiant, angry, hurt, he had even seen her happy a few times, but this was the first time he had ever seen her cry. At least the first time since her mother had died.
"Why did I use? I don't know, I was hurting and it made the pain go away for a while, I guess," she answered quietly.
"You did drugs, and I used scotch; neither one of us handled it well. What I was wondering, though, was why you lied to me," He told her as he laid a hand on her shoulder, uncertain if she would welcome a hug right now.
"With the way you felt about drugs? You would have ranted and raved at me for all night and grounded me for a month at least; but you would not have been interested in why," she explained, surprised at his having so easily accepted that she had used and even more surprised that he had asked why.
"You're right that I would have ranted and raved, and punished you; but I also would have asked why. And pain, sweetheart, is something I would have understood," he corrected her.
She had never heard her father sounding as tired, and as old as he did right now. Turning to him, she saw how hard her absence had been on him. Wordlessly, she turned and hugged him.
"I'm sorry I lied to you, daddy," She said, unable to think of anything else, and unaware that she didn't need to say anything else.
"I'm sorry that you didn't think I would listen or understand," he replied, hugging her back, relieved that she was part of his life again.
They stood holding one another. Instead of the anticipated fight they had found forgiveness, peace, and a brighter future.
Christmas:
John Smith smiled and soaked the morning in. He really and truly enjoyed time with his family. He tried not to think about the fact that in only a few days he would be heading to Prague with Robert, and at the very least would be gone for a couple of months.
The women were in the kitchen getting ready for the huge dinner they would be eating that afternoon. Becca, Annie, and China were all great cooks, and Nancy was eagerly learning from the trio. China's offerings to the table were unpronounceable to anyone but her, but were evidently a traditional holiday meal in the islands where her mother was from.
Frankie was still in shock from all his gifts, but could not have been happier. He had gotten a train set from Paul and his family. He had to wait to get home to set it up, but that was fine, since at the moment he was busy playing with a black puppy that had been a gift from hid grandfather.
All the women had ohhed and aaahed over the black pearl earrings and matching necklace China had received from Control, who had been properly kissed in thanks, even if the whole family was watching.
All in all a good Christmas.
"Thanks for your help," came a rumble from behind him.
"You're welcome, Uncle Frank, all I did was find her, though; you were the one who convinced her to rejoin the family," Control said, accepting with gratitude the cup of coffee the older man was holding out.
The two men sat in quiet companionship, enjoying the day and watching the kids out playing with the puppy.
"How are they doing?" Control asked.
"Well, she's got a part time job as a file clerk and is also working part time in the local diner. She's really liking both jobs," Frank answered, his voice radiating joy.
"I'm glad to hear it, How's Frankie adjusting?"
"Like a duck to water. He's already made friends with the sons of one of the men I board horses for," the general replied.
"You gave me my family back, son, you have any plans on getting one for yourself?" the older man asked with a slight smile, as he thought about hte looks his nephew and Chia nhad been sharing
"Actually I am planning on it. I have to go on a trip for a while but when I get back, I'm going to see just how insane China is. Hopefully she's crazy enough for take me," Control admitted.
"Good man," the general responded, clasping his nephew on the shoulder. He was glad that John had found someone who was as well suited to him as Mary had been to him before her death.
"Looks like the youngsters are starting a snowball fight," Control commented.
"So they are, not very good at it though, are they," the older man agreed, smiling evilly.
Not saying a word, Control followed his uncle out to the hall, and into his outerwear.
Moments later, the kids were squealing and running with the pup yipping and chasing everyone about in a four way free for all snow war. Before long, the other men were joining in as well, while the women watched chuckling in the house, commenting on the big kids' who were as bad as the little ones.
It was a merry Christmas, indeed.