"Somethin' tells me you're not exactly thrilled about Jamie bein' a Police Explorer," Doug said to his wife as they were preparing for bed that night.
"Oh, Doug, I'm just so worried!" Jo exclaimed. "The day Rick died was such a horrible day, and every time I think about Jamie possibly wanting to become a cop herself, that just all comes rushing back to me. I know it's a very dangerous job, and I just don't think I could stand it if something like that happened to Jamie!"
"Oh, hon." Doug went to her and put his arms around her. "I remember when I got drafted to go to 'Nam in '69. My Mom cried as I hugged her good-bye before gettin' on the plane. 'Always remember how much I love you,' she said. I was your typical kid, always tryin' to look tough on the outside, but the last time I saw my Mom before leavin' for that Asian jungle, I was almost cryin' myself. It was a real emotional time for us all."
"You never told me you were in Vietnam!" Jo exclaimed.
"It ain't exactly somethin' I like to talk about," Doug replied. "I saw a lot of sufferin' over there, a lot of dyin'. You ever see somebody die right in front of your eyes? I have. Buddy of mine stepped on a land mine. Body parts flew everywhere. I saw the whole thing. It gave me nightmares for months."
"That's terrible!" said Jo.
"It sure was," Doug agreed. "But the point I was tryin' to make is, when it's time to let your child go, you have to let 'em go. They have to make their own way in the world, just like we did. You don't stop lovin' 'em, but you can't hang onto 'em. I know my Mom was real worried about me the whole time I was over there. When I came back, I could tell she'd really aged. She'd never been so glad to see me."
"I'll bet!"
"Listen, darlin.' I worry about Clay somethin' fierce sometimes, especially after what happened to his Mom, so I understand how you feel about Jamie. But they're growin' up. and we have to let 'em go."
"Yeah, I know," Jo said softly. "But sometimes it's just so hard!"
"Ralph tells me you're a news reporter," Claudia Petronski said to Natalie. The elderly widow had invited the younger woman over for dinner because she wanted to get to know her better. Ralph and two of his sisters, Pam and Olivia, were also there.
"Yes," Natalie replied. "I've always been fascinated by world events."
"What do your parents do?" asked Claudia.
"My Dad was a doctor," said Natalie. "He died of a sudden heart attack when I was a teenager."
"We lost our Dad the same way," Olivia remarked.
"Does your Mom live near you?" asked Pam.
Natalie shook her head. "She still lives here in New York. I visit her as often as I can." She felt as if she were on the witness stand in a court room, being interrogated by an attorney.
The Petronskis asked her a few more questions about her family, and then Ralph took her back to the motel.
"She looks so old," Claudia said to her son when he returned. "She looks at least Olivia's age, if not even older."
"Kind of heavy too," Olivia commented.
"Look who's talking," said Pam.
'I'll have you know I lost ten pounds on my last diet!" Olivia retorted. "I'll never be precious Margaret's size, but I'm trying!"
"What if she's too old to give you a baby?" Claudia asked her son.
"Isn't it a bit early to be thinking about that?" asked Ralph.
"It's an important issue," his mother replied. "You need a son to carry on the family name. You've waited long enough as it is. If you never have kids, who will you leave the business to when you die?"
"I have plenty of nieces and nephews," Ralph pointed out.
"But I thought you wanted children!" Claudia whined plaintively.
"I do, and if it happens, great, but if it doesn't, that's OK, too," Ralph replied. "There's always adoption."
Claudia rolled her eyes. "Your poor father," she sighed. "He'd turn over in his grave if he could hear you now."
The first meeting of the Police Explorers involved mostly the introduction of the new members and an overview of the organization. Toward its end, Jamie had a conversation with Clay's best friend, Benjamin Cooley. She told him about her biological father's death. "At least your Dad died in a way you can be proud of instead of ashamed of," Benjamin said.
"What do you mean?" asked Jamie.
"My Dad was executed two years ago for killing a prison guard," Benjamin told her.
"You're kidding!" she exclaimed.
Benjamin shook his head. "I wish I was."
Jamie didn't know what to say. She couldn't think of a worse way to lose a parent than that.