The Big Dig

As Mac stepped into the yard she was greeted by a small mound of dirt and the three foot deep, four foot wide hole that said dirt came out of. The area around the hole was surprisingly muddy with prints that belonged to a certain sized foot which trailed to a stop in front of a small, inflatable pool.

"Men," she thought, rolling her eyes when she found her husband "floating" in the water. Mac almost laughed at all six foot, four inches of him that was stretched across a kiddie pool that they'd bought for Maggie, their three year old.

Harm's neck rested on the edge which was so deflated, his head was tipped back. The National's shirt he wore might have been white at some point but was now muddy, dirty and seeping its funk into the water around him. The pool was shaped like an octagon and at five feet in length, Harm's legs draped over the opposite end.

There was mud on his face, his hands and she thanked God that he hadn't trudged any of that dirt into their clean house. She frowned at the hole he intended to dig by hand for the 'real' pool they'd been planning and with a sigh, squatted down to his level. "Are you okay?"

Four years of marriage and they still bickered like they did as partners. He once said it was part of their charm but to Mac it was all about pushing buttons and Harm manipulated hers too well.

The sound of her voice made him open one eye and with a groan he shut it again. "Go ahead and say it, Mac."

"Say what?"

"I told you so - I think I deserve it."

Harm had given himself a project with a timeframe so rigid it was hardly attainable. Because the contractor was booked solid, the main detail of digging up dirt for an inground pool fell solely on his shoulders. It was Mac who doubted his abilities suggesting that waiting was a better method over back breaking manual labor.

She suggested hiring another company or even a small digger to help him clear the earth but the man was as stubborn as ever claiming she didn't believe he could do it.

Harm was irrational, upset and had said a few things he shouldn't. Mac yelled a few things of her own, grabbed their daughter and marched out. The anger fueled his work for about two hours until he stopped to realize that nothing had progressed. He felt like a heel and as he shoveled more and more dirt the summer heat had finally got to him. Maggie's kiddie pool seemed like a reasonable choice and so he unceremoniously plopped into it.

"I'm not gonna say it and I wasn't trying to undermine what you wanted to accomplish." Mac offered. Much like Harm, she needed a few hours to cool down and reassess the situation. Now she felt terrible and not like the supportive wife she should be but as she surveyed his progress, Mac realized she was right. "I was just trying to be sensible."

"I know and I was being an asshole. A lot of guys do these things and lately I feel…I'm always busy and-"

"You recently took on your own command. You can't expect to be everywhere at once and I don't expect that either. You're an amazing husband and father, don't forget that."

"Where's Maggie?" He opened the opposite eye and glanced around noting their rambunctious daughter was nowhere to be found.

"Asleep." Mac waved the baby monitor at him. "Playing at the park always knocks her out."

"Mmm. Digging my pathetic excuse of a hole knocked me out."

"You managed to make a dent. A tiny one but, it was a valiant effort."

"Oh please." Harm snorted and then threw an arm over his face to block out some of the sun. He accepted defeat begrudgingly and was still annoyed that dirt and mud had beaten him. The more he dug, the less the project moved ahead and there was the matter of a drainage tube he nicked and patched with duct tape - he'd tell Mac about that later once his emotional wounds were sufficiently healed.

Mac's eyes inventoried the bumps, scrapes, mud patches and even the way his hair stuck up all over. He was a proper mess and the clothing he wore would be dumped in the trash the very moment he stripped. For now, she decided to make amends.

"Scoot over." The man really was a good husband and an amazing father. She loved him, he loved her the rest didn't matter.

He raised his head to look at her, noting Mac was taking off the pretty sandals she wore which left her barefoot on the muddy grass. "You're coming in here?"

"Yep."

"Mac, I'm disgusting. The water is more mud than water and-"

"And, I don't care. Scoot." With determination, she stepped into the tiny pool using Harm's outstretched hand for balance. He slid over and she lowered herself down until she was able to stretch and drop her head on his shoulder.

Her feet touched the end as brown water slushed around and out of the small pool. For a moment they lay in silence until Harm took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"I'm sorry I yelled back."

"It was stupid."

"Very stupid." Mac agreed and when she turned her head towards his she found the glare of his blue eyes softening. "I still love you."

"I know." He kissed the tip of her nose and held one of her hands in his, the absurdity of the moment washing away with every breath. "I still love you."

"I know." Mac replied but, as her eyes began to close a starling crack followed by a 'woosh' of rushing water snapped whatever peace they found.

She sat up to see a spray of water shooting skyward from out of the hole; water that didn't take long to begin raining down on them like the most torrential rain. When Mac turned to Harm he shrugged and offered a lopsided grin.

"I forgot to mention. We may need to call a plumber."