Chapter 12
AJ had been all set to make sure Victor was going to do right by Harriett and not just treat her as a 'hot to trot' widow. But he should have known better. Victor had always been an honorable man and he should have remembered that. "It's good to know that you feel that way, but from what she told me, you told her that you've been interested in her for years!?"
"Yes, Sir, ever since I first met her at JAG. Do you have any idea how hard it is to love a woman that's married…happily married to a guy as nice as Bud was? There was nothing I could do, so I went away. But I did keep a check on her over the years never daring to hope that she would ever leave Bud. And Sir, just so you know I never wished him ill! All I did was envy him. Then when he died and I saw how devastated she was, all I wanted to do was to help! To make her feel better in any way I could, to lighten her burden, to help with the children, and anything that needed fixing around the house. It was only as time went on and I saw her getting stronger that I began to hope that she might someday think about dating again, and I wanted to be there when she did."
"That's very admirable…but have you really thought this through?"
"What do you mean Sir?"
"I mean that with your job there is a strong chance that she could end up a widow again. Do you want to do that to her after seeing what loosing Bud did to her?'
"I don't plan on getting killed, Sir. Only stupid or careless agents get killed."
"No one plans to get killed, Victor, but there's always the chance it could happen. Look at Bud, he was a lawyer and he lost his leg and then his life just doing his job. And I'm sure that he didn't plan on that."
"No, Sir, I wouldn't want to do that to Harriett or the children, but I will do my utmost to stay alive for her. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Any of us could get in a car accident or hit by a bus just crossing the street. All I can do is love her every day that we are given and do promise you that I will do that for her."
"I guess that's all any of us can promise others."
"Then I do have your blessing Sir?"
"As long as you plan on treating her and the children right, then I guess you have my blessing. Oh and don't plan on keeping her out to all hours on Friday, son, because I'll be the one baby sitting the children for her."
"Oh, I didn't know that Sir. So…ummm…I guess I'll see you Friday."
"Yes you will," AJ responded with a grin just to hear that he had put Victor a bit off his pace by the unexpectedness of him baby sitting for Harriett.
"Well good-bye then, Sir. It was good talking to you."
"And to you, Victor. I hope that things work out for the two of you, she deserves to be happy." Pleased with himself, AJ put away his laundry and then went into the kitchen to decide what to make for dinner. Remembering that his namesake liked his Fettuccini Alfredo or as Little AJ put it, 'the white spaghetti' and knowing Allison loved it too, AJ checked to see that he had all the ingredients to make that for the children on Friday.
Tuesday, March 31, 2010
1145 EST
General Counsel's Office
The Pentagon
At work, Harriett looked up in surprise when a floral deliveryman came into the office with a beautiful basket of assorted colored pansies. Harriett's smile when she found out they were for her had the deliveryman thinking the guy that sent them to her was a lucky SOB.
She opened the card and her heart melted. Victor had said, 'Pansies have always reminded me of you, shy and delicate, beautiful and complex when you see all the variations of colors in each one. I'm counting the days till Friday, Harriet my dear.' Pleased with the message and the flowers themselves, she nonetheless blushed when AJ came out of his office to go to lunch and saw them.
"From Victor?" he asked.
"Yes Sir," she said still blushing.
"They're lovely, Harriett, do you know what they mean?"
To be continued….
