Chapter 40 Devotion
It was Veterans Day again, a day very significant to Special Agent Seeley Booth. Fortunately, it was officially observed as a federal holiday by all government agencies and schools. If it hadn't been, Brennan believed, her husband would have kept his children home from school. As much as he expected his sons and daughter to study hard and obtain a thorough education, she knew he felt this day would provide them with an equally important lesson. She had never asked him about this, because she would never risk Booth misinterpreting her question as disapproval of his personal attachment to this day. Quite to the contrary, she admired his deep devotion to his country, its military service members, and honoring their sacrifices.
Seeley Booth had been raised faithfully observing American patriotic holidays with his family; Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day. His parents, his Pops and Grams; they'd go to place small flags on veterans' graves in the nearest cemetery and then celebrate with a picnic lunch of peanut butter sandwiches and Coca Cola; the tastes of home which Pops' war buddy had missed the most.
As a weekend custodial father, Booth had continued these yearly traditions with Parker since Rebecca understood his need to do so and always gave him visitation on those holidays. So when Christine and Zach came along, they went along on these family outings in front carriers worn by Brennan, back packs worn by Booth or strollers until they could walk. Few sights were dearer to Pops than that of his tall grandson bending to help each great-grandchild carefully push a miniature flag into the earth in front of the tombstones and grave markers; or Temperance placing flowers there with Christine.
Living in Philadelphia had given Pops the ability to bring Seeley and Jared to several military cemeteries; Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Washington Memorial Chapel churchyard at Valley Forge. Booth had worked for the FBI in New York and visited national cemeteries there. Once he was assigned to Washington DC's office, Booth's proximity to Arlington National Cemetery made his annual pilgrimages much more personal, since Corporal Edward Parker and Ranger Jamie Richards slept therein. Here also were Pop's close buddies and several veteran friends of his dad. Their tragic combat deaths had nonetheless prevented the PTSD traumas which haunted Joseph Booth and scarred his family. Yet his father rarely drank on these holidays, denying his demons to honor brothers in arms.
Brennan mused that Booth's devotion had drawn them together. He admired her dedication; identifying the lost souls in Bone Storage, untangling cadaver puzzles, revealing forensic clues which allowed him to catch 'bad guys' and her stubbornly refusing to give up until she solved mysteries and found answers concealed by victims' bones. She served as his interpreter for science's complex and confounding anagrams. She discovered that he was as fiercely determined as she, to find justice, to protect, to treat others fairly. She didn't think she had an open heart, but he'd known better. She didn't trust easily, had lost her will to do so, but he restored it. She'd never risk loving again, but he made her want to gamble, to leap, to try.
And so, v-e-r-y eventually, the two of them had realized their shared devotion to each other as well. They summoned the nerve and courage to proclaim their love, and from their deep and mutual commitment they built a life together, a family to cherish, a forever to share… .
oooooooooo
Much to Booth's delight and her own great relief, this Veteran's Day had dawned unseasonably warm and sunny. They'd take the children's coats and pack some warmer wear for insurance, but there would be no chattering teeth, impossibly-chewy peanut butter or icy Coke this year.
Brennan pulled out of her reverie, slapped the last slice of bread atop its peanut buttered mate, wrapped and placed it in the cooler next to cans of Coke she didn't protest, closed the lid, and walked out the front door where Booth had just snapped the last car seat buckle, turned to offer her a smiling kiss, and off they went to Arlington and Teddy.