It was late. Duke tiptoed carefully over and around the mass of teenage girls sprawled in sleeping bags all over the floor. He took pains to navigate round all the empty ice cream bowls and half-full cups of soda. It took some doing. He switched off the big screen. Sixteen Candles had finished with a slumbering audience, and the tape had reached its end and rewound itself.
"Con?"
Duke turned to see Jenn looking at him with eyes at half-mast from her sleeping bag on one end the couch. Laura on the other end, sighed and rolled over. He stealthily picked his way back to his sister and crouched close.
"It's past one, go back to sleep Jenn." He kept his whisper close to her ear.
"You're still up."
"Yeah, well, I usually am. But I'm going to bed now. You go to sleep, now."
She pulled herself close and kissed his cheek sleepily. "OK. Goodnight. Thanks for-" she yawned, "-all your help."
Duke gently stroked her hair. "No problem, Jenn. I'm glad I'm home to lend a hand. 'Night."
She cuddled back into her bag. Duke crept to his room and pulled the door shut as quietly as he could. He stood there, thinking for a minute, and then set the lock.
Not that anything would happen. Still...you never know. It's probably all in my head, but better safe than sorry...teenagers can do some pretty stupid things.
Duke remembered quite a few stupid things he had done himself, at that age. He turned on his bedside lamp and flicked off the main light.
Yawning, he went to his bathroom, pulling off his shirt and tossing it in the hamper on the way. Brushing his teeth, he eyed himself in the mirror. A small scar on his forehead was all that was there to mark his plummet from the platform. Some piece of something had caught him right as the shockwave blew him over the railing. After that, he could only remember bits and pieces. The inside of the S.H.A.R.C., Shipwreck hanging on to him, frantically checking his vitals. The expressions on Flint, Stalker and Gung Ho's faces. Lights passing over him as he was wheeled down a bright hallway, Doc barking at a nurse.
Really freaky dreams. Joes' voices coming out of dead POW and Vietcong's mouths. Polly biting my ear.
Duke spit out his toothpaste and rinsed his mouth. He ran his toothbrush under the tap.
Then I woke up. She was the first person apart from Doc in my room, which is fitting, I guess. She's the first person I wanted to see.
Duke peeled off his jeans and boxers, climbed into the sweats he preferred to sleep in and sat on the edge of his bed.
Scarlett...
He leaned over to his nightstand, pulled open the drawer and lifted out the picture. Duke would just about die if anyone knew he carted it around with him. Stalker had taken it sometime last year. The man had found time to set himself up a darkroom to pursue his passion for black and white photography. You never could be sure when he would pop out from somewhere and snap a candid shot. Duke had been nervous-cameras always made him antsy. Photographing parts of the base, as well as vehicles and equipment was a risky thing. A lot was classified. But Stalker developed his own film and prints, and only took pictures of the Joes themselves. They hung on walls throughout the living quarters. He made presents of them to his unit mates. The man had a gift; his photographs captured a lot of the personalities the people
This picture...this one was Duke's favorite. There she was, sitting at one of the picnic tables by the baseball diamond, eyes merry, a smile just beginning to lift her lips. Lady Jaye sat on one side, hands raised as she explained...something. Cover Girl sat to Scarlett's right, head thrown back in laughter. Scarlett looked straight at the camera, boldly sharing the joke, "Stalker, can you believe this?"
Duke remembered curiously wandering into the darkroom to see how it all worked, accidentally exposing almost a day's worth of prints and incurring Stalker's wrath. This one had survived. Stalker had made about 5 copies of it before he got the contrast right. The best print hung in the lounge. Duke smiled to himself as he gazed down at the print in his hands. This particular copy had been a reject-a hair had gotten onto the paper and interfered with the exposure, leaving a white curl on Lady Jaye's arm. Duke didn't care.
So when 'Ol Stalker wasn't looking, you swiped it, Hauser. Naughty, naughty. Bad Top.
If Stalker had noticed it missing, he'd had the brains not to mention it.
Duke climbed under his covers and lay with one arm behind his head, looking up at the print. She'd smiled down at him in his hospital bed with pretty much the same expression.
"Thank God you're OK. You scared the Hell out of me, Duke."
He'd stared at her through the haze of one major headache. He would have said something sarcastic or witty, but the breathing tube was still down his throat, and it was impossible. She held up a small J.C. Penny bag.
"I couldn't think of what to get you, so I bought you some pajamas. I think they'll fit you. Better than those hospital gowns, right?" She pulled a set of mustard-yellow pajamas out of the bag. "Hope you like the color."
It had been so surreal to him, he wasn't sure if he was awake or still dreaming. Then Doc had come with a few nurses, sent her out, and yanked out the breathing tube and catheter. That had convinced Duke he was awake. He'd swung on the male nurse holding him down, knocking the man into the opposite wall. Next he knew, Doc sedated him so they could manage him safely.
Duke let the photograph fall to his chest and stared at the ceiling. He remembered coming to a little later to Scarlett, Nurse Matthews and a tray of dinner. He was famished, and wolfed through it in no time flat. He smiled at the memory of the way Scarlett had laughed at him.
"He'll be OK."
And then he was reinstating Dusty and talking to the kid's mother.
Odd that they let her into my room, but not my own family. What's with that?
Duke looked at his picture again.
You could have gone out tonight, gotten laid, and been figuring out right about now if it was a good time to get dressed and slip away. You could have, Hauser, but you didn't.
He rolled on his side, slipped the picture back into his nightstand and slid the drawer shut. Switching off his lamp, he rolled to his other side and closed his eyes.
You didn't.
Duke woke while the sun was only threatening to rise. He slid out of bed and right into his running shorts and a t shirt. He didn't have to make his bed, but it had been years since he had left his room without being able to bounce a quarter off the covers, so he did it out of habit. Lacing his shoes, Duke decided to make up for it by not shaving till after his run.
He quietly unlocked and opened his door to find the girls had not budged. Jenn and Laura still covered the couch. Vikki and Susan lay perpendicular to each other, a half eaten bowl of popcorn spilled over where their sleeping bags met. Erica, Jessica and Mary Jean splayed across the floor right in front of the big screen. Susan lay atop her sleeping bag, a battered spiral notebook under her head. Danielle, Persephone and Liz were surrounded by make up cases and scattered loose lipstick, blush, mascara and eyeshadow. Several bottles of fingernail polish covered part of the coffee table. It was a mess of teenage girl ephemera, the like of which Duke had never seen before.
Duke quietly crept to the stairs, carefully stepping over Susan to avoid knocking over a melted bowl of ice cream. She stirred as he was right above her and opened her eyes. Duke found himself straddling teenage girl in her pajamas. She smiled and wiggled her fingers in a small wave.
"Hey there."
"Uhhhh, good morning, Susan." He tried to keep his voice low and quiet. "Sleep well?" He quickly brought his other leg over and stood looking down on her.
"Sure." She yawned loudly.
Duke put his fingers to his lips. "It's early, yet, Breakfast won't be for a while. Sleep in, huh?"
"Sure, Duke."
Over by the big screen, someone giggled. Duke glanced that way and saw Jessica and Erica sitting up and smiling at him. Jessica waved.
Oh, lord.
Duke nodded at them and quietly dashed up the steps to the kitchen. He was surprised to see Vincent waiting for him at the table, dressed in sweats and his football jersey. Vince stood and grinned at his older brother.
"Hey, figured I'd join you. That is, if you don't mind."
"Don't mind at all. Didn't think you'd be up so early." Duke started stretching his legs a little.
"Yeah, well, I have to make sure I stay in shape over the summer, right? Plus, you know, I'm gonna be enlisting and all. Helps to be fit going in, right?"
"Can't hurt. But, you know, in truth, it's going to be a lot harder than you'd think." No sense keeping reality from the kid. He was in for a good fourteen weeks of Hell, induction, basic and AIT all added up.
Then, if he goes Special Forces, like me and Jack, there's Airborne school, SOPC, SFAS and SFQC, maybe LET...it's a lot of hard work.
Vincent looked nervous. "You think I can hack it, Con? Think I can make Green Beret?"
Duke smiled at his brother. This is the kid that made Eagle Scout last year. This kid runs headlong into defensive linemen to protect his QB. Guards home plate like a demon and blazes through math classes like a forest fire. This kid spends hours absorbed in the tiniest detail in perfect replicas of planes, tanks, helicopters, cars. Hours. This is the kid who taught himself to ride a horse at 6 and drive the truck when he was twelve-may Mamma's tomato patch rest in peace.
"Vince, kid, don't let anyone tell you that you don't have it in you to do anything you want. Do I think you can hack it? Hell, yeah. If you want it, you go out and do it."
"I'm scared, Con. What if I can't do it? What'll Pop think?" Vincent followed Duke as he went out the back door.
Duke jumped down the steps of the back porch and began a light lope towards the pastureland. Vincent caught up and set himself to Duke's right.
"Kid, geez, don't start worrying about failing at being a soldier 'til you graduate from High School. Enjoy your senior year, why don't you?"
"But what if I can't do it? I can't let Pop down. Poppy was an Alamo Scout. Pop a Green Beret. You're a Green Beret and a Joe and you've got all these medals...the Medal of Honor, even. You keep doing all this amazing shit..I can't do that, can I? What if I can't do that? I can't ever be like you."
Duke stopped and grabbed his little brother's shirt. Vincent turned and looked at him, his eyes full of doubt. Duke stepped close, leaned down, and put his hand on the back of his brother's head, pulling him till their foreheads touched and he could look the kid in the eye.
"Kid, when have I not looked out for you? When have I not been on any side but yours? Listen to me...you don't have to live up to anybody but yourself. You'll do great. You may screw up once or twice. We all do." Duke found himself looking into the eyes that he, his brother, and their mother shared. "I know you can do it. I knowyou can do it. You have it in you to go as far as you want. When things get tough, and they will...when you get down-and you will- just remember, I'm behind you, all the way." Duke put his other hand on his brother's shoulder. "I've got your six, Vince. I'll always have your back."
Duke let his brother go and waved towards the river. "Running every day is a good start. C'mon. Show me what you've got!"
Vincent nodded, and they took off once more. The sun was slowly rising now, lazily dragging rays over the pastures and the woods. It was still cool, and the morning dew glistened on the spider webs along the fence. They made it to the Willy's land in good time. Vince followed his brother in tagging the fence post and turning back. By the time they reached the east pasture the sun was up and Jack had already let the horses out.
Misty, Rusty, Wally, Jack's quarter-horse Buck, Mamma's walker Ranger and Rabbit's little pony Sparkle watched them as they ran by. Wally neighed and trotted to catch up and jog alongside them. Duke could see Wally was watching him from his near eye. He felt guilty; he hadn't spent time with his own stallion yet, and he had been home a day. Duke whistled to his horse, and the big black bastard whickered back. Soon, all the horses were keeping even along the fence. Vincent laughed as Misty tossed her head and kicked at Buck.
Without saying anything, Duke picked up the pace. Vincent kept up without thinking. Duke added more speed. Still, his brother matched pace without much notice. Soon, they were sprinting, the horses now at a canter. Vincent gasped, but managed not to fall back too far. The horses were forced to stop at the pasture gate. Both boys sprinted past the paddock, the stables and the barn and onto the grassy backyard. Duke pulled to a stop before he hit the porch. Vincent slammed into his back and collapsed onto the dewy grass, gasping for air.
"Oh...geez...oh...shit..." He lay with his arms flung wide, chest heaving. "What...the...fuck...was...that?"
Panting, Duke grabbed Vincent's hand and hauled him up and then held him there by the shirt.
"Walk around a bit, kid. You know it's no good to stop all of a sudden." Duke walked slowly towards the barn. "Cool down." He dragged Vincent with him all the way to the barn door and back. They walked up the porch and into the kitchen. Mamma stood at the counter, whisk in hand, french toast batter dripping from it's tines back into the pyrex dish beneath. She watched in shock as Vincent stumbled across the room and collapsed in his chair at the kitchen table.
"Good lord! From this window I watched two bolts streak across the yard, blond and black." She turned from Vincent to Duke. "What on Earth were you doing?"
Duke filled a glass, drained it, filled it again and took it over to his brother. "Just a morning run. Kid did pretty damn good at keeping up with me." At the table, Vincent glugged his water, coughed, and slid down in his chair to a low slouch. He pulled himself back up to sitting, took a huge deep breath, and then flopped over right down on the table top.
Duke smiled and slapped Vincent on the back, making him cough again. "Nice work, Kid."
"Thanks." Vincent's voice petered out into a wheeze.
Jack walked in with the paper. "I swear, if Bobby can't make it anywhere but the bushes at the end of the drive, I might as well go into town and get the damn paper, myself." His eyes fell on Vincent. "What's wrong with him?"
"Just did the run to Willy's place and back."
"That's a good five miles!"
Duke grinned. "Closer to six. We sprinted most of the last one."
Vincent lifted a fist, "Hooray, us..."
Jack turned to his son, smiling broadly, "Keep that up, and you'll be in great shape for football next season. Heck, you'll blow the other boys away in basic. You should run with Conrad every morning he's here! Then we can start training you on the heavy bag downstairs...get you back into the shooting range..."
Duke looked at his brother, then over at Jack. Oh yeah, he's pushing. Just like with me. Maybe worse. Stakes are higher for the kid.
"Jack," Mamma put both hands on the counter and stared hard out the window, "Jack, let him get through his senior year coming up.. He's right now finishing up baseball season. At the end of summer, he'll be doing two a days for coach Broderick, getting ready for football. He's going to have his senior year. His senior SATs, his senior prank, ditch day, homecoming, his prom...all of it. Then if he wants to, he can enlist." She gripped the counter top. Duke saw her knuckles turn white.
"Hey, he doesn't have to run with me. You know, I like the company, but it's just for fun."
Vince sat up and grinned at his brother. "I'll do it again tomorrow. I want to."
Jack sat next to his son and pulled him into his shoulder with one arm, "Atta boy, Sport, keep it up. We have to think about the ASVAB, too. Jane, he will have to take the ASVAB. He can get books to help him study. Excellence runs in this family."
"Jack..."
"Sure Pop, sounds good." Vince stood. "I need a shower. Thanks for the run, Duke." He pushed through the door.
Duke? It's always been 'Con'.
Duke watched him go, then turned to Jack. "You're pushing, Jack. Leave him alone. Let him go his own pace."
"You heard him, Champ, he's ready to run. He'll make a fine soldier, he's a my boy, dammit. Soldiering is in our blood." Jack opened the paper, shook out the front page and beamed.
"I'm not saying he won't be a good soldier...what if he wants to try college?"
"You tried it. How did it help you?"
"Who knows? I never finished." Duke tried to sound nonchalant. He filled a mug with coffee and leaned next to Mamma. She faced the window, still gripping the counter. Her eyes were closed. He laid a hand softly on her arm.
"Hasn't held you back, from what I can see, Champ." Duke knew Jack was too swept up to notice Mamma's anger. "Right from the beginning, you fought to stay ahead of the crowd. In terms of careers, I doubt there are many that match yours, Conrad."
Even when I've waded through blood-soaked mud dotted with corpses. Even when I was hand to hand ignoring a seeping bullet wound in my side. Even when I was dealing with shit so crazy, no one would believe me if I told them.
"Thanks, Jack, that actually means a good deal to me. But, hey, back off of Vince for a bit, huh? He'll get there, but it'll be better if he does it at his own speed. You let me make up my own mind, right? Give him the same chance. All of us combined make for a lot to live up to. He's still a kid."
"Jack, let him finish being a boy before you make him a man." Mamma took a deep breath and went back to whisking her batter. Looking up, Jack suddenly seemed to become aware of her discomfort. He dropped the paper on the kitchen table, pushed his chair back, and came over to embrace her. Duke stepped aside.
"Okay, Jane, I'm sorry, you can keep your baby for a while longer." He smiled as he whispered comfort to her. "But look at Conrad. Look at the man your first baby has grown into. Won't you be proud if Vincent does that, too?"
She turned in his arms and held his face in her hands. Duke could see she was no longer angry, more sad.
"Oh, Jack, he's our son. They're both our boys. I'd be proud of them no matter what they did."
"Jane...I'm sorry..."
Duke slipped away and out of the kitchen to shower and shave.
The girls were still in their pajamas, but they were all awake. Most sat on their sleeping bags, chatting with each other. Laura, Danielle and Erica stood by the heavy bag. Duke watched as Laura gave it a few jabs.
"Coach says its really great cardio. I really get out of breath. Plus, it's great for your abs; you really have to hit from the gut." She followed a jab with a cross and a hook.
"Plus," added Danielle, "You can sock the Hell out of Matthew Gimbauer when he's being a prick."
"I guess." Laura jabbed a few times.
"Matt Gimbauer's brother Tyson in is my class. He's really nice. Not like Matt. Matt's a bastard. Tony says so." Duke turned to see that Drew had come through the door at the top of the stairs. She was still wearing her She Ra Pajamas. When he turned back, he found all the girls were looking at him. Drew walked the few steps down to his side. "Why do you go all slow like that, Laura?"
"That's not slow. I'm faster than I was when I started."
"Really? You hit way slower than Duke. How could you fight Matt Gimbauer hitting that slow? He hits a lot harder, too."
"Rabbit..." Duke didn't want to be thrown into a pissing match with a teenage girl. Especially his sister's best friend.
"Duke does it for a living."
"Laura, there's slightly more to what I do than hitting people."
"Drew," Jennifer stretched as she stood up from the couch, "Duke's been boxing since forever. Of course he's better. He's got more weight to throw behind his punches, too."
Jessica beamed. "Show us, Duke!"
Drew hopped down the last few steps to the bag. "Yeah! Show them, Duke! Go Beast on the bag!"
"Rabbit, you know..."
The rest of the girls began to plead.
"Oh, no, please show us!"
"C'mon, Duke, show us!"
"Please! We want to see!"
"Look, I don't like to show off." Duke rubbed the back of his neck. His hair was still damp with sweat.
"It isn't showing off, Con." Jennifer walked over to the heavy bag and gave it a few tentative punches. "You are fast. Besides, Laura wouldn't mind a little extra coaching. Please. You're good, show everyone."
"You know, Jenn, hitting a bag doesn't show much. In a fight, you're going for a target that's moving and trying to hit you back."
"Sure, but this is still good. There's no one here for you to fight. C'mon, just for me."
Drew windmilled the bag. "Do it, Duke! Do it! Then do a kick flip!"
"Wait, what's a kick flip?" Jessica looked at Jennifer.
"He jump kicks up in the air, but goes all the way over and lands on his feet. He can also sort of flip spin horizontally."
Drew kicked the bag. "It's badass!"
"Oh wow! Do that, too!" Danielle clapped.
"Rabbit, honestly." Duke felt his neck get hot. He looked at her pleading face and sighed. "Fine. Fine. I'll show you a few combinations. Then I've got to take a shower."
"And the flipping?" Persephone sat on the bench.
"Maybe." Duke walked down the stairs and to the equipment cabinet. He pulled out his half finger light gloves and slid them on. "Jenn, do me a favor. You know how to hold a bag and get out of the way, get there for me." Jennifer went and braced herself on one side of the bag. The girls all gathered around a few feet back as Duke came up and took his stance. "Laura, your coach has taught you pretty good form. You want to make sure you have balance and mobility, and even weight on each foot. You need to maybe bend your knees a bit more." Duke crouched a little. "It gives you way more power. Keep your back heel up, just a bit. Don't stand so square; your stomach is open." He watched as she matched his stance off to one side. "Right. Keep your hands up and your chin down."
"Like this?"
"Yeah, but, relax." He dropped his fists and walked behind her, shaking her gently by the shoulders. "Relax. Relax, Laura. Keep your arms and shoulders relaxed." He felt her loosen up. "Good." Duke moved back in front of the bag and took a deep breath. "Right. I need to sort of get into a rhythm first. Lead with a jab, then cross, jab, jab, cross, hook, uppercut." Duke went through the combination a few times at half speed. "You should move, but never step when you're punching. Step between punches. Then play with the combinations." He started to slowly circle the bag, Jennifer moving to always be opposite.
"That's not so fast, though." Vikki sounded unimpressed.
"That's just warming, up!" Drew countered. "Beast it, Duke!"
"Will do, Rabbit." Duke increased to his full power and tempo, working out combinations as he circled the bag. He added in a few body punches. Each hit knocked Jennifer almost off her feet. The outside world faded, all he saw was the bag, all he heard was the smack of his light gloves against it. Duke settled in and worked the bag like he'd work any opponent: he held nothing back. He ended his routine with a haymaker that jerked the bag so much, Jennifer was knocked back on her butt. The girls' cheers pulled him out of his trance.
"Hey, sorry, Jenn."
"It's OK. Now kick flip." She smiled up at him.
"Oh...fine." Duke took a step and swung up into a kick that carried over his head and around to land back on his feet. More cheers from the teenage audience.
Laura smiled. "And that, girls, is why Duke Hauser is a stud."
"Thanks, I think." Duke helped Jenn to her feet and turned to Drew. "Now may I take a shower, Rabbit?"
"Sure, I guess. You should probably shave, too. You look scruffy."
"If you say so."
"My son, the scruffy stud." Mamma stood at the top of the stairs. "Girls, breakfast is ready. Go on upstairs and help yourself to french toast and sausage. There's plenty. Conrad, I'll set aside a plate for you, go ahead and de-scruff."
"Thanks, Mamma." Duke stripped off his gloves, tossed them in the cabinet and went to shower while the girls pounded up the stairs to breakfast.
When he got back to the kitchen he found the table nearly hidden under platters of french toast, sausage patties, syrup, powdered sugar, fresh strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate chips, two pitchers that had at one time contained juice, one that still had some milk left and a bottle of ketchup.
Ketchup?
"Ketchup?" Duke pushed a platter aside so he could sit down and accepted the plate Mamma pulled from the oven. It was hotter than he expected, and he set it down quickly. Jack, squeezed into a small space at the other end, looked around the paper.
"Modern women like it on their sausage, apparently."
A flurry of laughter from the other side of the screen door revealed that the girls were breakfasting al fresco. Drew pushed her way inside, a perturbed expression on her face.
"What's up, Rabbit?"
"I tried to kick flip off the porch." She rubbed her back; it was covered in dirt and mulch. "They laughed at me."
Vincent came in for seconds. "She landed on her butt. I don't think she made it a quarter way around. Flew right off the porch and landed on her butt and back." He loaded more french toast onto his plate and grabbed a sausage patty. "It was great. I wish I had a camera." He laughed and gamboled back outside.
"Drew! Sweetling! Are you all right?" Mamma rushed over and started examining her.
"No! They all laughed at me!" She pushed away from Mamma, climbed into her chair and sat with her arms crossed over her chest.
"I mean, do you hurt anywhere?"
"Oh." Drew grabbed a strawberry out of the bowl and popped it in her mouth. "No. It's OK. I landed in the flowers. They're pretty soft, actually."
Duke failed at holding in a chuckle. Mamma put her hand to her forehead and sighed. "Ohhhh, my begonias. So much for this year's garden club contest."
"Could have been worse. You could have planted roses." Jack folded the paper and rested his chin on his hand. "Kiddo, what possessed you to try that?"
"I watched how Duke did it downstairs. I thought I could do it, too. I figured doing it off the porch would give me more room to flip."
"Rabbit, have you ever done a flip before?" Duke reached over and brushed a few flower petals out of her hair.
"Well, no. But you make it look so easy!"
"It is, if you know how and are in shape for it." He poured syrup on his toast and brought a forkful to his mouth.
"I thought I figured it out."
"Guess you learned the hard way. Look, Rabbit, how about this? I'll teach you to backflip off the bank into the river while I'm here. I'm pretty sure you can handle that."
"That sounds good, Sweetling." Mamma filled two coffee mugs and brought one to Duke.
"Sure, I seem to recall Conrad taught Vincent how to backflip off the diving board at the YMCA near Benning when he was right about your age."
Duke thought back, "Younger, I think. That was the post before your post at Leonard Wood."
"You're right, he would have been a few years younger."
"Who taught you to flip, Duke?" Drew poured herself a glass of orange juice.
"Poppy, when I was really little. When we moved down to Bragg. Right after Mamma and Jack got married." Duke smiled at the memory.
"Poppy's cool. He knows all sorts of stuff." Drew finished her juice and ran back outside.
Duke turned his attention back to his breakfast and memories of the first time he had really gotten to know Poppy and Omi Falcone.
Mamma and Jack had returned from their honeymoon to Hawaii, snatched him back from Gramps and Gran, dragged him down to North Carolina and into a strange little house with a tiny yard. Jack had re- introduced him to the tall, dark haired, rangy man and a chubby cheerful woman that he had only just met at the wedding. Duke had then been reminded to call them Grandpa and Grandma.
"But I already have two grandpas and two Grandmas. Grampy and Grammy and Opa and Oma."
Mamma pulled Duke aside and crouched down to smile into his eyes "Yes, and you're so very lucky. How many people do you know who have three grandpas and three grandmas?"
Jack had looked down on Duke, "He's my Pop, Conrad. So, really, he's your Step Grandpop. By why bother with all that 'step' nonsense? Just call him Grandpa, and it will all work out."
"But..."
The chubby woman swept down from the front step and grabbed his hand. "Look, Conrad, you just ignore Jack, he's silly. You call us whatever you want. Now, I hear you're a pretty good judge of cookies. I just baked up a batch of Snickerdoodle and a batch of Chocolate Chip, and I need you to tell me which is best."
"Oh, um, OK, ma'am. But I might have to test each a few times to be sure."
"Oh, Jack, Jane, he's a treasure." She grabbed his hand and lead him over to the rangy man. Duke had craned his neck to look up at his face. "Now, Conrad, remember Reggie?"
"Yes, Ma'am. Hello, sir."
The man leaned down and picked Duke up. "Don't call me 'sir', boy, I work hard for a living. I seem to recall you like football."
"Yes, s- yes. I do."
He was carried into the house and set down on a stool in the kitchen. Mamma and Jack and the cheerful woman followed them in. "Well, just so happens that I can get us in to see the Wolf Pack play up in Raleigh next Friday. It's a drive, would you like to come?"
"A game? In a real stadium?"
"Yes, a real stadium. Wanna come?"
"Do I? Heck yeah!"
"Conrad!"
"I mean, yes, sir. Thank you."
The man turned to Mamma. "Jane, he simply cannot keep calling me sir. I refuse to allow him to do so. Here, Conrad, you call me what all the kids in this neighborhood call me."
"Sir?"
"No, not sir. Or Grandpa, or Grampy, or Opa. You just call me Pops. Heck, why not?" He ruffled Duke's hair.
"Pop...he can't..."
"That's it, Jack. I want him to call me Pops. He can call your mother whatever she wants him to. By the way, tomorrow we're going to the pool."
Jack had sighed.
Two plates of cookies floated in front of Duke, "Now, Conrad, you taste all you need to make up your mind."
"Gretchen, you'll spoil him."
"Good, that's my job. Boy's had a tough time, he needs some spoiling. Go ahead, Conrad."
Duke had helped himself to one of each, thought about it, and took two more. He had deemed it necessary to take alternating bites of each. "Mmmm."
"What do you think?"
"I like them both. I can't be sure."
"You'd better taste more, then."
"Good idea." He had slowly finished all four cookies. She brought him a glass of milk partway through. Mamma and Jack had wandered off with Pops to talk about housing at Bragg.
"Well?" She sat across the table from him, knitting.
"I still like them both, but the snickerdoodle is better on its own. The chocolate chip is better with milk." Duke gave what he felt was his honest assessment.
"Now that, Conrad, sounds like the opinion of someone who put a lot of good thought into it."
"I guess... Ma'am, do you mind? Can I call you...Omi?"
"Omi?"
"It's like 'Oma', but not quite. It means the same thing. You're like Oma, but different."
"Darling boy, you can call me that if you like." She smiled, stood up, and pulled him into a warm hug.
"Hey, looks like we got us a snuggler!" Pops came into the kitchen, grabbed Duke and swung him high into the air.
The next day, they had gone to the crowded public pool while Jack and Mamma went to go over final details at Fort Bragg.
Pops had backflipped off the high dive to cheers from everyone. He swam over to where Duke was treading water. "You think you can do that, Son?"
"If you show me, if you help me, I can try."
"Good answer. Always try new things." Pops had taken Duke to the edge of the pool and guided him over the first few times as he jumped up. Within a half hour he was backdiving off the edge. Within the hour, he was backdiving off the low board. By the end of the day, he could do a passable flip. By the end of the week he was ready to show Mamma.
They were all at the pool that day. Mamma and Jack, Pops, now Poppy, and Omi. Duke had scaled up the ladder to the high dive and called out to his mother far below. "Look! Mamma, look! Look at me!"
She waved. "I see you, Conrad. Is it safe, Jack?"
"It's not much higher than that oak tree he rockets up in Missouri. He'll be fine. He can just cannonball off."
"Mamma! Look at me! Watch, Mamma! Look what I can do!"
"Yes, Kinder, I see you!"
"Nein, wirjkich blick auf mich, Mamma. Schau! Schau!" Duke did a double backflip and landed in the water with a kerwhap. He surfaced to cheers and swam over to where Mamma and Jack stood with Poppy and Omi. Mamma was speechless. Jack's mouth was hanging open.
Poppy chuckled and helped him out of the water. "We have to work on that landing."
"My God!" Jack looked down at Duke. Mamma recovered herself.
"When did you learn that?"
"Poppy showed me."
"Kid's got a gift, Jack, and more energy than he knows what to do with. You should seriously think about getting him some gymnastics classes. That'll help him as much as the boxing."
Omi hugged a towel around him, "I told you, he's an absolute treasure, Jane. Let's go, I have a watermelon just waiting to be sliced into."
Within a month they had settled into Bragg. It was rough, leaving the ranch, but Duke had found that little house in Fayetteville a comfort. When he returned to Bragg for Special Forces school, he would visit whenever he got the chance. It a shock to discover he had to look down to meet Poppy's eyes. The man he used to think of as so tall was five inches shorter than Duke. Omi made gave him fresh cookies and milk every time he visited. The last visit was just last year...
Duke looked down at his plate and realized that he'd wolfed down four pieces of french toast and three sausage patties without even noticing. Mamma had already cleared up most of the table and was washing a mountain of dirty dishes at the sink. Jack was gone, he must have left to the stable. Duke got up and stood by the sink.
"Here, Mamma, let me do that." He held out his hand for the brush.
"That's OK, Conrad, you sit and enjoy your leave."
"No, Mamma, you've been cleaning up after these girls all weekend. You sit down, read the paper, and have some coffee. I've got this." Duke gently took the brush from her and set it down by the sink. He put his arm around her shoulders and guided her to her chair. She sat slowly. He poured her a glass of juice and moved the paper where she could reach it. "Did you eat yet, Mamma?"
"Not yet, dear."
Duke fixed her a plate of toast and sausage, poured a mug full of coffee, added cream and sugar and brought it all to her. "Here. Relax, Mamma." He set the plate in front of her, came back with a knife and fork, and kissed her cheek. He walked to the screen door. "Jenn, get in here, please."
"Yes?" She stuck her head in the door.
"Come dry for me."
Jennifer looked at Mamma, then sighed, "But, the girls are leaving soon..."
"That wasn't a question, Jenn."
She stared at him for a moment. He could see her weighing her options.
"Now, please."
"OK, Con." She sighed and walked over to the sink. He handed her the dishtowel and started in on the large pile of breakfast dishes. It took a while, and he had to refresh the water twice, but eventually every dish and platter was squeaky clean, every glass spotless, and all the knives and forks shining like new. Duke gave the counter a final wipe down while Jennifer put the last of the glasses away and hung up the dishtowel to dry.
"Jenn, you all should be helping Mamma every chance you get."
"We do, Con. I help with the laundry and bathrooms and Drew helps with the dusting and vacuuming. Vince helps Pop with the stable, and we all sort of take care of our horses. Pop and Vince take care of Wally for you."
"That's good. Make sure you do all that for her today, if you can." Duke looked over his shoulder at their mother. "She teaches all day and then comes home and cooks dinner and on top of that washes the dishes. Every day of the week. Then she takes care of you and your friends all weekend. You owe her a big 'thank you', Jenn. That's a lot of work. I want you to help out with the dishes every night, if you can. Rabbit, too."
"I guess that's fair. Mamma, I really do appreciate it. Thanks a lot." Jennifer went to give Mamma a hug.
"Thank you, sweetness. Go and spend the rest of the morning with your friends. I know their rides are coming before lunch." Mamma watched as Jennifer bounced back outside. "Conrad...that was...that was wonderful of you."
Duke refilled his mother's coffee, gathered her dishes and went back to the sink. "You know what, Mamma? I'm going to take you out to dinner."
"You don't have to, dear."
"I want to. Let me take you out somewhere nice. Someplace fancy. My Mamma deserves a fancy dinner out." He dried her fork and knife and returned them to the drawer. "We'll go to the City. To Chez Leon. You've always wanted to go there."
"Conrad, that's so expensive!" She smiled and shook her head.
"I can afford it, Mama. Take a break from cooking, for once. I love your food, I dream of it on base, but I hate to see you working over the stove and the sink."
"You know what I'd really love?" She looked dreamily out the back door. "I would love a nice dinner with the entire family. When's the last time we all dressed up and went out together?"
Duke thought back. The last he could remember everyone was together in formal attire would have been a wedding or funeral. Great Uncle Robert's funeral would have been it. Drew was tiny then. "Well, frankly, I think I could probably swing that. The whole family at Chez Leon? Why not?"
"Conrad, no, that's way too much. It could cost a few hundred dollars. More."
"Mamma, I hardly spend any of the money I make. Most of what I spend is the few bills I have. I don't go out much, heck, I haven't bought a car since the Charger, and that and my bike is paid for. I pay for Wally's upkeep and my part of the ranch, but that's not as much as you'd think since we own the land outright. I've invested pretty well, Mamma. Little Willy handles all that for me, and he's a whiz at mutual funds and stuff. My money's making me money."
"You need to save for your own future, your own family." Neither of them voiced the thought that hung in the air between them.
If I live to have a family.
"No, that's it, Mamma, that's final. You want us all to go to dress up and go to a fancy dinner, we're all going. I'll make reservations for six of us for next Friday. Eight if you want Uncle Timmy and Steven to come along." He sat across from her and took her hand.
"Conrad..."
"Let me do this for you, Mamma. Let me treat you like a queen for once."
"I'm not one to ask for frivolous things." She looked down at the table.
"No, but you asked for this, and you should have it. I'm gonna do it." He kissed her hand and smiled.
She reflected his smile. "Well then, I won't turn you down." She put a hand on his cheek. "Mary Ann was right. You've grown into quite a man. One day, some woman's going to be very lucky."
Duke felt his ears grow hot. He kissed her again, stood, and walked to the back door. He stopped at the screen. "I'm going to go see if Jack needs help and give Wally a little exercise. Why don't you relax with your coffee somewhere quiet, huh? Go and read in the den, or maybe on the swing on the front porch."
"If you insist, dear."
"I do." He pushed out the screen for the stables.