Chapter 115

Moving their bags into the living room by the door, she figured that Angela could sleep in her carrier tonight until she could go out and get her some things tomorrow. She was just about to take the bags out to her car when she heard the Escalade pull up in the drive. Mac sank into a chair, she was shaking…she needed more time before facing AJ, but time had just run out.

He walked in the door and called a cheerful, "I'm home, darling…" he was going to say more, but he saw the suitcases sitting by the door and his heart fell to his stomach. It was happening. Sarah was leaving him for Rabb. He was going to lose her…

"Don't call me that, A…Admiral."

'Admiral?' he thought, 'why not at least AJ?' Then it hit him that something more was happening… "Sarah, what's going on?" he asked, coming into the room further. He could see the ravages of tears on her face. Something was wrong! His eyes searched for the baby and seeing her safely tucked into her carrier, he sighed in relief. She was all right. But there was still something wrong…

"After 'meeting' Mattie again, today, I got to thinking I couldn't even remember the last time I had seen Chloe. So, I came hom…back here…

His heart sank to his knees at her verbal correction…

"And called her, I needed to tell her we had had the baby…" she looked him in the eye for the first time since he had walked in, "the baby she had no idea I had been expecting, even though she had been here at Christmas when I would have been five months pregnant!"

"Darling, I can explain…" he started to say.

"I TOLD you not to call me that, ADMIRAL. I remembered everything! It all came back, every horrible evasion, cover-up, fiction, LIE!" She held up her hand when he started to speak again, and he saw her rings were gone.

His heart hit the ground…

"I would have been out of here before you came home, but I needed to know what the status is on Angela."

"She's ours, you won't take her from me, will you, Sarah?" his eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"No, A…Sir, I would never keep you from seeing her. I know how much you love her. We will work something out. I'll be at my apartment, just call before you come by to see her. I'm leaving now, I don't know how this mess will work out, but I will have to find some kind of job."

"Sheffield said he would keep the position of his legal aid open for you, if you ever wanted to return to work. He will also reinstate your commission."

"Thank you, that means a lot. I loved being a Marine." She looked from the two large suitcases to Angela's carried and hesitated, not wanting to return to the house, but not able to figure out how she could make less than two trips.

"Would you let me bring Angela out after I say good-bye to her?" AJ begged her.

Swallowing at the pain in his voice, she couldn't speak. Nodding, she picked up the bags and walked out.

AJ bent over the baby's carrier and spoke softly to her, as the tears finally gave up the battle and fell down his cheeks, "Oh, Angel, what am I going to do without you and your mommy in my life? I thought it was empty before, but it will be desolate now."

Angela's eyes opened and she stared right at him as if reading his soul. "You know how much I love your mommy, don't you, my Angel? Well, I'd better get you out there." He walked out to Mac's car and fastened the car seat into its frame. Mac wouldn't even turn her head to look at him. But she heard him whisper, "Remember that I love you…Angel." He prayed that she might somehow know that the hesitation had been meant to include both of them. Standing, he closed the door and tapped on the roof to let her know it was safe to pull away.

He stood there in the drive watching his life drive away.

To be continued….