We made it to Chapter 20! Almost there! And there might be another ficlet posted in just a little while...we'll see...

Pride

"Stand up straight, darling," Trish reprimanded her son, tugging on the lapels of his tuxedo.

But Harm didn't feel like anything could lift the heavy sadness weighing on his shoulders that day. His mother's wedding to her second husband was a grand event, in a beautiful old church with stained glass windows and a cathedral ceiling, along with an extensive guest list and a reception menu that must have cost a small fortune. But there were no pilots, no planes, no military uniforms – and to Harm, no point.

"How could you forget Dad?" Harm hissed at his mother, his voice laced with hurt and anger.

"Harmon Rabb, Junior," Trish said sternly. "I loved your father more than you could ever understand. But I'm marrying Frank today, and that's final."

Harm recoiled as if he had been shocked. How could his mother no longer feel that pain? Harm wondered if maybe she didn't love Harmon Rabb, Senior, as deeply as she said she did. The loss of his father had permanently crushed a piece of his heart, and that pain wasn't something he ever wanted to feel again.

And so the young Harmon Rabb, Junior, started building impenetrable iron walls around his heart so that he wouldn't ever love enough to feel the hurt of losing anyone ever again.

~*~o~*~

"Need some help with that?"

"I got it, Frank," Harm called from atop the ladder, his voice muffled by the extra nails he was holding between his teeth while he used both hands to hammer them one at a time into the top of the trellis. "Just a couple more."

Once all the nails were in, Harm made his way down to where Frank was waiting for him on the ground.

"Looks good, Harm."

Harm dropped the extra nails and the hammer into the toolbox and took a step back to inspect the majestic wooden arch that he would soon be married under. "Well, now it won't fall over when Mac puts the roses up tomorrow."

"Getting nervous about the wedding?" Frank asked.

"No," Harm said with surprising confidence. "It just…feels right."

Frank chuckled. "I was a complete wreck when I married your mom. I had so many doubts that she didn't really love me, and that I wasn't good enough for her, and that her son would always hate me."

Harm looked away a little ashamedly as Frank laughed.

"But I love your mom, Harm."

"I know you do, Frank."

"Believe me when I say that I'm glad you don't have the same doubts that I did." Frank laid a hand on Harm's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Harm. And your father would be proud of you, too."