The morning after "the talk" shined bright against the backdrop of a crisp, fall sky. The weather seemed to betray the humiliation and uncertainty that Matilda Grace Rabb was currently feeling. Her present emotions, coupled with the few hours of toss-turn sleep she had endured, only served to amplify her agitated state. Deciding to take a shower to clear away a few of the proverbial cobwebs, and hopefully calm her heart, Mattie collected a towel and a few other essential items to head off to the bathroom.

Harm was the first to hear his daughter moving around. Checking the time, 0547, Harm groaned and rolled back over. At the noise beside her, Mac was instantly awake.

"She got her early rising habits from you, you know." Harm's morning voice was muffled in between pillows and blankets.

"Oh really?" Mac, who never seemed to be affected by an early hour, was already out of bed preparing for her own shower. Coming over to Harm's side of the bed, she tucked her hair behind her ear and dropped a quick kiss on his cheek. "Go make me coffee, Sailor—Marine style." Harm mumbled something akin to an okay and then rolled back over for fifteen more minutes of sleep.

After his shower, Harm walked downstairs to the kitchen and discovered his two women eating breakfast at opposite sides of the table. Mac was drinking a glass of OJ while Mattie munched on buttered toast and chatted at IM.

Harm paused, realizing his first battle was about to begin. "Mattie," he queried, "What did I tell you about chatting on IM during meals?"

Mac glanced across the table, interested in her daughter's response. She had purposely chosen to leave the initiating fight to Harm, also realizing that Mattie really had chosen to test her limits as Harm had suggested. She had a feeling that there would be many more obstacles to come within the next fourteen days.

Mattie also paused, weighing her choices. "Harm, it's Kevin," she finally stated matter of fact.

"Matilda, I don't care if you are talking to the SecNav. I asked you to not chat on IM during meals and I expect you to follow that rule."

Turning back to her computer, Mattie barely flinched at Harm's comment.

Not to be outdone, Harm unplugged the battery from the laptop and the wall outlet.

"It's not like it matters anyway—my battery can last for up to two hours," Mattie snipped, once again going back to her computer conversation.

Finally, Mac began to get frustrated, "Mattie, are you really going to argue over something so little? All you have to do is finish your breakfast at the table, and then you can talk on IM over at the desk, or even in your room."

"That's not the point, Mac. It's a dumb rule and I don't think I should be expected to follow it. You and Harm do work at the table all the time. Why can't I talk to my friends?"

"Because, meals are supposed to be family time. Harm and I decided before we adopted you, that we would work to keep as normal a routine as possible. Since you didn't have too many chances to experience a real family growing up, we wanted to keep things as 'normal' as possible."

"Well, it's been long enough. I don't need 'normal' now. Besides, I've dealt with un-normal for so long, that it doesn't really matter to me."

Harm, finally seeing a solution to the problem, hesitated only a second before responding. "Okay, Matilda, we won't push family time on you at the table. But, by choosing to chat on IM instead of enjoy our conversation at the dinner table, you are going to have to give up family time of your own."

Pausing for effect, Harm continued, "Mac and I won't be coming with you to physical therapy tonight. We have a date."

Now, ignoring the blinking IM message in front of her, Mattie's mouth dropped. "Harm, no—don't make me go alone. It hurts so bad afterwards. I need you there." And then, as an afterthought, "Besides, I need a ride."

"You can ask one of your friends to take you."

"No!" Mattie's voice was tight with fear. Most of her friends, even the close ones, had not been privy to the crash incident.

Acting with the same indifference that Mattie had earlier, Harm replied in a monotone voice, "I'm sorry, Matilda Grace. You brought this on yourself."

Immediately, Mattie slammed her laptop shut and stood up to go to her room, tears cascading down her face. "That was a low blow, Harmon Rabb, and you know it."

Harm remained silent until she left, slumping down in a chair next to Mac as soon as she was out of sight.

"You did good. I didn't think she would cry over us not going to physical therapy with her, though. That must have really upset her."

"She's not crying about us not going to PT with her, Mac. She's crying because I called her Matilda Grace.'"

It took Mac a full ten seconds to realize Harm's meaning.

"You left off the 'Rabb.'"