The morning of the funeral Annie was dressed and seated in the living room reading the newspaper when Kyle came downstairs, ready himself.
"Morning Annie, where's Auggie?" he said looking around.
"He's getting dressed," Annie smiled warmly.
"Oh, does he, um, should I?" Kyle stared at the door to the basement. "Should we help him?"
"Get dressed? No Kyle, he does that on his own every day. In fact, he tends to go faster if I am not there to undo his work," Annie lowered her tone.
It was mean to tease Kyle, he really did mean well, but the oldest Anderson brother was clearly uncomfortable around Auggie and Annie couldn't help making him feel slightly foolish for it.
"Sorry," he hung his head, "Annie, you have to understand that Auggie has hardly been around since his accident, none of us really know anything about his life. There was a year there not too long ago we never even heard from him, then he sends an email about you. He is a huge mystery to us, we are going to get some things wrong."
"I know. Auggie is intensely private, he has worked incredibly hard to be independent though and he is. It is hard for me too, I love him Kyle and I always want to help him, but he doesn't need me to and when he does there is a fine line between being helpful and smothering him, which I walk all the time. Don't feel bad for caring about him, but know that most of the time he is perfectly capable of doing what you think he can't. That being said, don't let him talk you into letting him drive your car," she was completely serious and Kyle looked terrified.
Then she smiled, the wide open Annie smile that disarmed so many hostiles and won over so many assets. She won Kyle over too and he chuckled. Just then Auggie emerged from the basement, fully dressed and looking gorgeous.
"Morning Auggie," Kyle greeted as he clapped his youngest brother on the shoulder and moved on to the kitchen.
"Morning," Auggie grinned unsure of what had just gone down.
"Hi, you look nice," she mentioned as she smoothed down his perfect lapels and leaned in to kiss his freshly shaved face.
"I skipped the aftershave, didn't want you to barf during my father's funeral," he joked macabrely.
"Thoughtful. You still smell really good," she mentioned as she nuzzled against his jaw a little.
"Well that's good, don't want to be a trigger," he chuckled and pulled her close and held her tight.
"You alright?' she asked quietly.
He nodded slowly, took a deep breath and stepped back, holding her still in his arms.
"Thank you for coming here Annie," Auggie said sincerely, his eyes a little shiny.
"I just told your brother about the line I walk all the time between wanting to assist you and not wanting to encroach on your independence," Annie began with a deep breath, "but that line only exists for physical tasks. I will cross it without question if I think you need me emotionally Auggie. I will leave you to fight with cuff links all day, but the second I think you need somewhere to rest your soul, I will be here as quickly as I can."
***555***
A good crowd came back to the Anderson house following the funeral. Annie tried to be as helpful as possible, following the lead of the other daughters-in-law she pitched in wherever she could. Late in the afternoon she was doing up some dishes with Chloe when Gary walked in.
"Have you seen Nicholas?" he asked not really concerned.
"No," Chloe said looking about for the 2 year old.
"He's with Uncle Auggie," Alli piped up from the table where the cookies were.
"Oh?" Gary asked.
"They are in Grampa John's office," she clarified.
Annie, Gary and Chloe approached quietly. Sure enough Auggie was sitting in a big leather arm chair, the toddler asleep and drooling on his shoulder. Auggie's eyes were closed, but Annie could tell by the bend of his knees, the set of his shoulders that he was awake.
"Hey," she said quietly.
"Hey," he smiled.
"Everyone OK in here?" Chloe announced herself.
"We're fine. We were both a little fussy so I found us a quiet place to chill," he stroked the soft hair on his nephew's head.
The tender gesture, the image of her husband with Nicholas in his arms, brought instant tears to her eyes. Chloe saw the hormonal response unfolding on Annie's face and squeezed her arm, gave her a soft smile.
"You want me to take him?" Chloe offered, she knew Nicholas got a little heavy after a while.
"Nah, we're good," Auggie shook his head.
"Holler if you need reinforcements," Chloe herded Gary out of the office and left Annie alone with her husband and the sleeping child.
Annie shut the door behind them and went to Auggie. There was a leather foot stool near the chair and she tugged it close and sat on the edge. She reached out and squeezed his knee with one hand.
"Even before I was blind," Auggie began, "I would come in here and sit in this chair when Dad was at work or out of town and I could imagine him just from the smell of the leather. I sat on his lap in this chair when I was a kid and he read me books or told me stories. I would hide in here from my brothers, do my homework or play with my Game Boy. I was quiet so Dad would let me in here even if he was working," Auggie just kept talking and Annie was too stunned to do anything but listen.
"I always think our problems started when I came back from Iraq, but sitting here today I remember so clearly the day I told him I was going to Iraq. He was so angry, I can understand it now as fear, but that day it felt like anger. "
"Hmmmm, deflecting fear with other emotions, I wonder if he passed that on to his kids…." Annie teased and got the desired chuckle from Auggie.
"I don't know what I expected to feel today Annie, but I just feel sad," he admitted.
"Oh Auggie," Annie sighed and stood, making room for herself on Auggie's lap.
There was enough room for her on one shoulder and Nicholas on the other. Auggie's long strong arms encircling both with ease.
***555***
Annie emerged from the study with Nicholas in her arms. Chloe and Joyce were having tea at the breakfast nook.
"Look who woke up," Annie smiled at the sleepy toddler.
"Oh good, I was going to wake him soon, so he sleeps tonight," Chloe said.
"Now Auggie's asleep," Annie laughed.
"Juice?" Nicholas asked as he looked at Annie slightly confused.
Annie turned an eye to Chloe for permission and Chloe stood to help.
"I can get it, what's his usual?"
"Apple, there's a low sugar bottle in the fridge, sippy cup in the cabinet by the sink. Would you like some tea?"
Annie managed the small boy and the cup and the juice with little trouble and soon was joining her mother-in-law and Chloe at the table, Nicholas slurping away on his juice.
"Is Auggie OK?" Joyce asked quietly.
"I think so," Annie smiled, "he's let distance replace his good memories with bad ones, but I think being here has been really good for him."
"He always loved that study," Joyce laughed as her eyes shifted to the closed door.
"He was telling me about hiding in there, having time alone with his father, it meant a lot to him."
"I was thinking of asking him and you, if you want the chair and the ottoman. I don't know what kind of house you have in the city, if you have room, but I always see Auggie when I look at that chair, it should be his now," Joyce offered.
"I think that would mean a lot to Auggie. We have plenty of room for it, it would be a really nice addition," Annie assured.
"It is a great place to rock a baby to sleep, well you know, short of a rocking chair," Joyce laughed.
Annie's eyes went wide, then she flashed a look over to Chloe who looked just as stunned.
"Annie, I've been pregnant five times, I know the signs. You are very subtle and a good actress, but I figured it out on day 2," Joyce smiled and patted her hand.
"We weren't keeping it from you, I just found out and haven't even had it confirmed. It is very early days," she explained, noticed Auggie emerging from his brief nap.
"I'm not angry, I couldn't be happier. We had no idea Auggie had such a light in his life Annie, we had no idea you were so happy together. "
"You had no reason to know Mom, I certainly haven't been very good at sharing, ' Auggie admitted.
Joyce turned towards her son, all the love in the world written on her face. Annie had been told by so many people that she, herself, always looked on Auggie with unhidden affection, maybe it was Auggie or maybe it was the idea that you didn't have to hide it from him as people often do , since he couldn't see.
"Maybe we could share a little bit more, with the baby and all," Joyce said and everyone enjoyed the reaction on Auggie's face.
"She guessed, I wouldn't have told her without you," Annie explained quickly.
Auggie made his way to the table and sat with Annie on the bench she was occupying, wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against him.
"Annie and I make each other better mom, we belong together in a way I thought was mythical before I met her. At first it was just professionally, we clicked and worked very well together, that developed into an instant and easy friendship. This took longer," he kissed her cheek to illustrate, "we were afraid to ruin the original relationship with anything more."
Even without the element of stress the CIA played in their relationship the story Auggie told was true.
"I am glad you both took the risk, I know that can be scary, but watching you these short couple of hectic days it is obvious how well you fit together," Joyce leaned over and patted Auggie's cheek.
TBC….