Mac and Harm

Two weeks later
Outside the church
The day was as bright as a day could ever be. But had the rain poured down and had lightning torn the sky, it was doubtful whether Harm and Mac would have noticed it. After all, it was a day they had looked forward to for a long time. It was their wedding day.
Only ten minutes ago the minister, Reverend Turner, had spoken the liberating words "I now declare you husband and wife" and they had shared their first kiss as a married couple.
Now it was the well-wishers' turn and there were quite a few. Among the first were of course Harm's mother, stepfather and grandmother. They welcomed Mac in the family like she was a long-lost daughter and Mac couldn't help tearing up at the eagerness, love and joy they showed.
Next there were their friends and co-workers, all adding a few well-chosen words. The Admiral grinned from ear to ear and that was so rare, both Mac and Harm had to look a second time to make sure their eyes weren't deceiving them.
At the end of the line three people showed up and Mac nudged Harm when she saw them.
"Mr and Mrs Schonke, Lacey, how nice of you to come."
"We wouldn't have missed it for the world," Mrs Schonke told them. "We will for ever be grateful that you gave us our granddaughter back."
She reached inside her large bag.
"I know you will have a reception in an hour, but unfortunately we won't be able to attend."
"My cousin's first son will be baptized later this day and I am one of the Godparents," her husband explained. "It will be a kind of family reunion, and an opportunity to introduce Lacey to some family members she has yet to meet."
"So I hope you don't mind when I give you this already," Mrs Schonke went on. She produced a somewhat floppy package and handed it over to Mac. There was a tension in her eyes that had Mac on alert and she realized this was not just a nice gift. Handing her bouquet to Harm she started to unwrap it carefully. Out came a beautiful embroidered tablecloth. At first Mac didn't know what to say. "It's splendid," she finally sighed. "You must have worked hours and hours on it."
"I did," the elderly woman confirmed. "I …" She swallowed. "I started working on it years ago. In our family it's tradition that the mothers make a tablecloth for their daughters, as a wedding gift. It is used on the table at the banquet. I made it for Diane, but …" For a moment emotions threatened to overwhelm her, but then she pulled herself together. "It was not going to be, and now I want you to have it."
Mac knew all words would be inadequate; instead she pulled the other woman in a warm hug.
"Thank you so much."
Harm kissed the woman who once might have become his mother-in-law on the cheek and held her close for a moment.
"Thank you," he said, too. His voice sounded hoarse. He looked at Lacey; wouldn't she be disappointed? After all, it was a bit of her mother's legacy.
Mrs Schonke saw his look.
"Don't worry. Lacey and I discussed it and she is fine with it. I'm working on another one, for her to have one day, when she marries."
Next to her her husband cleared his throat, both because of his own emotions as to draw his wife's attention.
"Sweetheart, we have to go. We have a plane to catch."
His wife nodded. Mr Schonke shook hands, his wife and granddaughter gave Harm and Mac another hug and off they were.

A year later
Rabb-MacKenzie Residence
Afternoon
It was almost four o'clock and downstairs cups and saucers, pie plates and of course tea and pie awaited the guests to come.
Upstairs Mac just finished changing little Matthew Harmon Rabb's diapers, while Harm looked at his family with the smile that hadn't left his face since he had brought Mac and his son back from the hospital, three weeks earlier.
The baby lying in a breech position, the delivery had been very hard on Mac and, still a bit wobbly on her legs, she preferred Harm to carry their precious bundle of joy downstairs. She smiled; in a few minutes Lacey and her grandparents would arrive to admire their little boy.
And there, right on time, they were. Hugs and greetings were exchanged and Harm ushered everyone into the living.
"My, you look good," Mac said, looking at Lacey.
The girl smiled confidently. "I feel good, too. I'll tell you later. First I want to see the baby."
Her grandparents nodded their agreement and as a proud father Harm led them to the corner where his baby son was dozing in his bassinette. He flipped back the little blanket a bit so they could see better.
"He is so cute," Lacey sighed, caressing a little cheek, and her grandparents agreed wholeheartedly.
Harm tucked the baby in again and invited them to sit. While he busied himself with the tea and pie, Mac answered Mrs Schonke's and Lacey's questions. After that she asked how Lacey was doing.
"I'm fine. I started college again last September and I just got word I passed my first test. Me and Marylyn are roommates again, although in a different apartment. A bit larger." She smiled at her grandparents.
"I bought an apartment for her. That is, she and Marylyn rent it from me," her grandfather explained. We were not entirely happy with the neighbourhood they lived in. I know you never have guarantees nothing will happen, but you don't have to look for problems."
"And I have a ... well, I met someone I like very much." Lacey blushed.
"Do tell," Mac urged.
"His name is Brent and he is in his third year. He studies law. He is two years older than I." She grabbled in her purse and produced a photo of a blond young man, with a pleasant, yet bit irregular face. He smile broadly into the camera.
"He looks very nice," Mac commented.
"He is," Lacey nodded.
"And your dad? And Jeff and Petra? Do you still keep in contact?"
"My dad is happy I restarted my study. He likes Brent. He is fine with me having my grandparents around, and still a bit apprehensive about me and my birthfather," Lacey told. "And Jeff and Petra, yes. We keep in contact. We call regularly and I visited them a few times. In fact, I was there last week, during the weekend."
"How do Timothy and Diane take it, having a big sister coming out of nowhere?"
"No problem. They accepted the explanation Jeff gave, that he and Diane had a baby, but were too young to take care of it. Diane is elated to have a big sister. We get along very well and she constantly wants to do things together. Timothy, well, he needed a bit more time to get used to the idea and he is a boy. But he likes to play baseball with me and last time we had a nice outing to the museum."
She bent over to grab her bag.
"In fact, they gave me something for you, too." She handed Harm a large rectangular package, wrapped in blue paper, tied together with an equally blue ribbon.
Harm removed the bow, folded the paper away and found a box and an envelope. The envelope contained a card, signed by Jeff and Petra, as well by Tim and Diane. There was also a letter from Jeff and pictures drawn by the children. The box contained a little steam engine with several accessories like a little saw, a hammer and a drill. Harm grinned. He knew Matthew would love it when he was older.
"I make sure to call and thank them," he promised.
Matthew started to fuss and Mac took him out of his bassinette. She caught Mrs Schonke's longing look and handed the little baby over to her. The elderly lady gently rocked the little boy, but after a while it wasn't enough. Matthew wanted his afternoon snack and didn't hesitate to make that known to the world. With an apologizing smile Mac took him again and disappeared into the study where they had set up a nursing unit.
Harm poured a second round of tea and the conversation became more general. After twenty minutes Mac came back, a now well-fed and satisfied baby in her arms.
"He needs a diaper change and then I will lay him in his crib," she announced.
"Can we see the baby room?" Lacey asked and Mac nodded. Leading the way she took both women upstairs. In the meantime Mr Schonke sat with Harm.
"Harmon, you're a lucky man."
"I know," Harm agreed. He sensed there was more to it. Mr Schonke lifted his head, listening whether the women came downstairs already.
"Why don't we sit in the study?" Harm suggested. He sensed the man wanted a heart to heart in private.
And he was right. As soon as they were seated, Mr Schonke started to speak.
"Harmon, please hear me out before you react." He waited for Harm to nod before going on. It was clear he had rehearsed his speech. "We, my wife and I always liked you. You were good for our daughter and she benefited a lot from your friendship. We don't know whether you and Diane would have become an item. Seeing you and Mac together, we see a chemistry you didn't have with Diane, but I'm sure the two of you would have stayed good friends."
Harm listened intensely, but had no idea where this was heading to.
"Over the years you stayed in touch and we appreciated that. It meant a lot to us that Diane was not forgotten. Then came Lacey and you handled it so well. Not only by contacting us, but also by all the care you and your wife bestowed on her. You gave us back our granddaughter. Caryn and I talked about what to give you for your son's birth." He reached into his inner pocket and came up with an envelope, which he handed over to Harm.
A bit surprised Harm took it and, when his guest gestured him to proceed, tore it open. Inside he found a legal paper, telling him there was a trust fund set up for the study of Matthew Harmon Rabb, of $20.000.
Harm gasped; he was stunned.
"Let me tell you some more," the older man continued. "It's something Lacey told us just recently. She is okay with me telling this and you're free to share it with Mac, but we trust you won't speak about it with others."
"You have my word," Harm said. He still didn't get it and was curious to learn where this was heading to.
"First you have to know it's not only our money; the Pachners, both senior and Jeff and Petra and Lacey's father also chipped in. Don't worry; we all can afford it."
He wetted his lips.
"A few days before Matthew was born Lacey had us sit down, telling she had something to confess. You know in what state she was when she thought Mac was her mother and how devastated she was when it turned out not to be. She was an easy target at that moment, a target to one of her fellow students."
Harm tensed. "He harassed her?"
"No, he offered her some release of the pain, or so she thought."
"Drugs," Harm was quick to understand.
"Yes, a little pill and for a few hours she was oblivious to the pain. He waited a few days before approaching her again. That was the weekend you told her about Diane. Had it not been for Mac keeping her at your place, she surely would have taken another pill or two." He rubbed his hand over his face.
"Anyhow, over the last year there have been a few od's; two kids died as result of it and several others were saved in the nick of time. The last one was a few weeks ago and that was when Lacey remembered the pills offered to her. They were still in her spare toiletries bag. She talked to us and we decided it was best she would go to the police. She did and as a result they arrested the boy. Yesterday we got word they rounded up the production line. It turns out it was a potent homemade semi-crack stuff." He took a deep breath.
"So you see, you didn't only give us out granddaughter back, you saved Lacey's life or at least, you saved her from getting hooked. And a lot of other kids, too"
Harm was shocked to the core and didn't know what to say. "Wow," he uttered after a while. "I didn't know …"
"You don't need to say anything," Mr Schonke told him. "We just wanted you to know."
Silently Harm reached out and the two men shook hands.
From the living came sounds; the women were back. Mr Schonke nodded at the envelope Harm was still clutching.
"Put that in a safe place and let's join the women."
Harm did as suggested and they found Mrs Schonke on the couch, chatting with Lacey, while Mac poured a fresh round of coffee. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Harm, instantly noticed something had really shocked him. Harm gave her a reassuring smile. He walked over to her to give her a peck on the cheek and whispered into her ear "Everything is all right; I'll tell you later."

After another half hour of cheerful conversation the guests left, with promises to come back soon. Harm brought the cups and saucers to the kitchen and popped a dish of lasagne into the oven.
Mac went to check on Matthew and when she had made sure he was fine, she sat on the couch and called Harm to her.
"Sit down and spit," she all but ordered. And Harm did. As he had been earlier, Mac was shocked to the core.
"I didn't know how to refuse," Harm ended.
"No," Mac agreed. "I don't think there was a polite way to do that." She scooted closer and laid her head on his shoulder.
"I'm glad we could help. And that it brought closure for you, too."
Harm nodded his agreement.
"So the money?"
"Goes to Matthew for his study, as Mr Schonke said. We didn't do it for the money; we won't touch it. Maybe we can talk about it with him later. Mr Schonke, I mean."
"We can, but I strongly doubt whether he will change his mind," Harm voiced his opinion.
Mac nodded. The oven clock ding-donged and Harm rose to fill two plates.
Coming back he first gave his wife a kiss before handing her a plate.
"All's well, that ends well," he said and looking around in their cosy home, photos of their new-born at the wall, the love of her life sitting next to her, she couldn't agree more.

The end