Chapter 9

I'll Miss You

The play was only days away and Judy became more conflicted as September approached. She had spent more time with her family than in school and she continued to be haunted by Captain Miles comment, 'family left behind…' She would never see them again once the Jupiter took off, and if Don was on that ship too…

Don called her earlier in the day from a restaurant and was due to arrive in a matter of minutes, so she and Penny sat on the porch to wait for him.

"Judy? Did you tell Don that you're not going back to Houston with us?" Penny asked.

"No, Penny, I didn't… not yet."

"When are you going to tell him?"

"I don't know. I guess when the time is right."

Penny sighed. "I'm going to miss you, Judy. I mean, I love Mom and Dad and Will, but it's good to have an older sister to talk to. This time next week we'll be in Houston and you'll be here."

"Oh, Penny, you know you can call me anytime you want to talk."

"Sure, Judy, that's okay for now, but…"

The sporty red Datsun zoomed up the driveway and both Judy and Penny jumped to their feet. Judy's heart beat at least ten times faster when he stepped out of the car. He wasn't in uniform and looked so relaxed and happy. She let Penny run to him first and he picked her up and spun her around. "How's my brown-eyes girl?" he asked.

Penny laughed and hugged him. "I missed you!" she said.

Judy wished she could be as free as Penny was with him. She walked sedately over to him and he took her in a bear hug before she could say 'how 'ya doin.' He held her at arm's length and said, "You look great." To Don, it seemed as if she had aged two years. There was a maturity about her that hadn't been there when she had left Houston in June.

Will ran out with his ball and glove and shook Don's hand. "Did you bring your glove, Don?" Will asked.

"In the trunk!" he replied.

"Can we toss the ball before dinner?"

"Let me say 'hi' to your parents first and meet your relatives, then I'm all yours."

Penny and Will each took a hand and pulled him into the house to finish the greetings and introductions. Will hadn't played ball all summer and he wasn't about to let the adults claim his playmate. Colleen and her husband greeted Don warmly and Joan had to consciously hold her mouth shut to keep it from dropping open. He was ten times cuter in real life than in the pictures she had seen. And that twinkle in his eye! She was ready to swoon. When he smiled, she almost did. John and Maureen were relaxing by the pool and stood when Don came out to greet them.

Don shook hands with the Professor and Mrs. Robinson. "You both look well rested," he observed.

"As do you, Lieutenant… very well rested for having traveled across the country. What's your secret?"

"Secret, sir?"

"Yes. What did you do to stay so… relaxed?"

Will came running out and called, "Don? Hurry up or we won't have any time to play."

"Will wanted to toss the ball around before dinner. If it's all right with you, I'll fill you in later," Don said.

John nodded. "Go ahead."

"Would you, uh, would you care to join us?"

"No, you go ahead. I'd like to spend some more time with my wife."

Will tugged at Don's hand to leave and they walked back into the house.

"I can't believe he drove half way across the country just to see a play," Maureen said as Don went off with Will.

"Humph… it's not the play he came to see," John commented.

"You don't think he's just trying to get into your good graces, do you?"

"If he is, he's chosen the wrong way to do it."

It wasn't long until dinner was on the table and Don sat next to Judy, ready for the third degree from her father. He ticked off each family member's name and where he visited. "I started in New York with my parents and my brother Mike and my sister Melissa and their families. Then was Philadelphia to see my sister Suzie and then Boston to see June and Chuck and their families."

John asked, "And whom did you travel with?"

"My parents."

"In that little car of yours?"

"No, sir, in my father's Camry."

"How about from Houston to New York?"

"I flew, sir… alone." He knew what John was fishing for, as Red had warned him that the professor had gotten wind of his reputation with the ladies, so he plunged on ahead, "I've been alone ever since I started the astronaut training program."

"Then what happened on Thanksgiving night?"

Judy's eyebrows shot up. She hadn't heard about this one.

"An old girlfriend came to visit me and made some, uh, erroneous assumptions. I was taking a walk so we could both cool off. She finally accepted how things were and went back to the Academy."

Colleen's husband, Jim, felt sorry for Don. It was obvious that John was giving him a hard time, and he decided to rescue him. "Tell me about your car, Don. I haven't seen one of those in years."

Don's eyes lit up and he laughed when Judy warned, "He could go on about this for hours."

"I'll give the short version, I promise! It was a gift from my parents when I was accepted at the Academy… I rebuilt the engine… Did the body work… Exchanged the eight-track for a CD player… The End."

"You took out the eight-track? No!" Jim exclaimed. "You destroyed the authenticity of the vehicle."

Colleen laughed and added, "And he has about two hundred tapes he would have given you."

"I still have the eight track packed away in Houston. I can install it in your car next time I see you… no charge."

This time Jim's eyes lit up. Colleen stood and put her hands on her hips, "Oh, no you don't, Jim. Don't even think about it."

As they dawdled over dessert, talk of returning to Houston and training came up in conversation and Judy bit her lip. She was beginning to have doubts again, but hadn't told anyone about it, not even Joan.

"I can't wait to get back there, I miss flying with the pilots," Will stated.

"Dad, do we have to make-up our four hours from July and August?" Penny asked.

"Yes, Penny, we do, but that shouldn't be a problem. What about you, Lieutenant?"

"I kept up with my flying back east, but I'll be happy to take any of you up when we get back." He looked directly at Judy as he said this.

"Don't bother talking to her," Will blurted out. "She's not coming back with us."

Silence fell over the dinner table. Don continued to stare at her. "Huh. I didn't know that," he replied softly.

Judy's face flushed a bright pink. Colleen loudly asked, "Would anyone like any more dessert?"

"I have to check into my motel, so I should leave," Don stated.

"You don't need a motel, Don, you can stay with us," Colleen offered.

John cleared his throat and Don took the hint.

"No. Thank you, anyway. Dinner was great," Don replied as he shook hands with the adults and hugged the kids.

Joan coaxed Judy to follow him. "Judy will walk you out, Don."

The screen door slammed behind them and they stood on the porch, both with their arms crossed, Don too upset to look at Judy, and Judy too embarrassed to lift her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Don," she mumbled. "I should have told you."

He continued onto his car, but turned around and leaned against the door. He couldn't leave without finding out what was going on with her. "When did you decide?" he asked.

"Last summer, before I met you."

"So that line you told me about keeping your options open with USC was a lie?"

"No! Well, not really. It was then, but… it's not now."

"Explain."

"I realized this summer how much I'll miss my family if I'm not with them... and I know that… I'll miss you if I don't go back to Houston."

He grinned, "Really?"

She nodded and he leaned forward to kiss her when a flash of light lit up the bushes. Don dove in and pulled out a phantom photographer by the collar. Judy ran in to get her parents. Don had the man shoved up against his car and the camera in his hands by the time they came out.

"Lieutenant! Let him go," John commanded.

"Yes, sir, as soon as I get this film out of his camera." Don removed the film and tossed the camera back to the man.

"You just cost me a lot of money, kid," the photographer snarled.

"Send me a bill," Don snarled back at him.

John strode up to the man and threatened, "I will not have my family's privacy invaded. I will press charges if I see you near any one of us again."

"Freedom of the press, buddy. Unless I'm on private property, there ain't much you can do about it," the photographer stated.

Jim walked up beside John "You are on private property. Now, get out."

The three men stood shoulder to shoulder with their arms crossed. The photographer smiled and winked at Judy. "I'll catch ya' later… sweetie."

Don reached out to grab the man again, but John held him back. "Forget it, Lieutenant."

Colleen came over and took Don by the elbow. "That settles it, you're staying with us. You would be a sitting duck for the paparazzi at a motel."

Don hesitated.

John nodded and said, "She's right, but you sleep downstairs."