Chapter 53

The food was good and the conversation was pleasant. Every once in a while one or two of the teens would come up for more food and go right back downstairs to their music and games. Periodically one of the adults would go upstairs to check on the younger children and as they wound themselves down, would tuck one of them into any free bed. Before long all of the younger ones were asleep.

As the adults caught up on the goings on in their lives, something became clear to Harmon Rabb. He saw where everyone else was in their life and knew that he should have been there too. He was the one with fewest success stories to tell. The only thing he was proud of these days was that he had been sober for just over a year now. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for his friends; it was just that he was jealous of the lives that they were living.

He wondered, if he and Mac had married, if he could have made her as happy as she was, sitting there nestled in AJ's arms. Then there was Bud and Harriett. If it hadn't been for Bud's help and Harriett's encouragement he wouldn't even be here today. Entering Bud's law firm was the best thing that had happened to him in years. Well, that and Jen Roberts! Why hadn't he seen the potential in her years ago when they had been at JAG together?

She had even told him just last week that back then she had been in love with him. It was for that very reason he had taken a long hard look at his life and assessed what he wanted for his future. He had come to one conclusion; he wanted Jen and her boys in his life. He had gone out and bought her a ring in the hopes that she would say yes to being his wife. Now all he had to do was decide when would be the perfect time to ask her. He had been carrying the ring with him for the last three days, just waiting for the perfect moment.

Then it finally occurred to him that he could wait forever and not find the perfect time. In fact, what was wrong with right now? It would be taking a big chance of humiliation, if she turned him down in front of all their friends. However, from all indications he'd had from her lately, he really thought that she would say yes. So, why not? What was he waiting for? Drawing on his courage, he looked across the room where she was talking with Jason Tiner's wife, it was now or never he thought. Getting up and crossing the room, Harm got down on one knee in front of Jen.

Seeing what he was doing, she gave him her full attention. Jen had been hoping that Harm was getting ready to propose. She had been giving him every hint that she was ready for him to do so, and it looked like he finally had gotten her clues. She knew, of course, of the way the whole thing with him and Mac had come about all those years ago, that they had decided where to live on the flip of a coin, so when she found a special quarter a few months back she thought it was fate and had been carrying it with her ever since.

"Jen, I love you and I would be the happiest man on earth if you would be my wife. Will you marry me?" Harm asked, simply holding out the ring box he'd taken from his pocket.

Knowing what her answer was going to be, she nonetheless had to have just a bit of her own back for all the wasted years they could have had together. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her 'special' quarter and said, "I think a decision as important as this should be decided on the flip of a coin." Throwing it into the air she added, "Heads, I'll marry you, Tails, I won't!"

Harm knelt, frozen and speechless, not believing what Jen had just done. Everyone there gasped at her cavalier attitude to his sincere proposal, but Harm was watching the coin. It was deja vu all over again. As the coin reached the top of its arc and started down, everyone was watching closely to see the result. When Jen made no move to catch it, Harm reached out just before it hit the floor. Everyone held their breath. Jen looked down and asked, "Well?"

To be continued….