Go Baby Grow

Chapter 67 – What We Do, We Do for Each Other

Friday, June 26th

The Caldwell family, minus Sam, gathered in front of the Chaplain at the front of the church. With such a small gathering, there was no music and no processional. The Chaplain confirmed, "Everyone ready?" and offered a brief prayer and Bible reading.

Julie stood to Adam's right and Tessa to his left. Hannah stood on Tessa's left and held Tessa's daisy and rose bouquet hastily made using flowers from housing yards on the Base. The bride, groom, and Hannah wore their service khakis, and Julie wore a soft plum dress with a lace overlay that hit an inch above the knee. Her heels brought her height just over six feet, dwarfing Hannah who was wearing her black, Navy-issued shoes.

The ceremony was over quickly, and Adam hummed happily as he dipped Tessa and kissed her repeatedly at the end. Hannah was tempted to holler, Get a room! but held herself back. She did, however, catch Julie's eye and grin. In response, the corners of Julie's mouth formed into a soft smile. As Adam stood and brought Tessa with him, he extended his arms and wrapped the girls into his embrace. He kissed each of their foreheads and shared how happy he was that they were present. Tessa and Hannah kissed, followed by Tessa and Julie hugging.

"Picture! We need a wedding picture!" Julie declared. Reluctantly, Adam posed as Tessa wrapped her hand around his left arm formally and held her bouquet of stolen flowers in her other hand. Then the Chaplain offered to snap a family picture using Tessa's and Hannah's phones.

"That's it, then," Adam declared with slight surprise. He shook the Chaplain's hand and thanked him profusely, then the Chaplain offered his best wishes and also wished Julie and Hannah the best at the Academy.

"What's next?" Hannah asked with a smile, ready to celebrate.

"Your mom and I are stealing away for the night and leaving the two of you to your own devices," Adam announced. Tessa had insisted the girls could handle the responsibility for one night and eventually convinced Adam to agree.

"Party!" Hannah hollered with enthusiasm.

"You're in the house of God, Hannah," Adam pointed out gently.

"Jesus knows how to party, Dad. Water turned into wine? How cool would that skill be?" she pointed out with laughter.

"Be good," Adam huffed softly as he hugged his daughters. "I love you both." Each daughter returned the sentiment and congratulated Adam.

"Love you, Sweetheart," Tessa proclaimed to Hannah. She turned to Julie and looked her in the eye before hugging her again and stating, "I love you, Julie."

Caught by surprise, Julie sputtered gently, "Thanks… Tessa. Congratulations." Tessa didn't skip a beat or react outwardly at all. The girls walked to the Navigator with the couple and waved goodbye as they drove away.

Once the parents were out of sight, Hannah inquired, "Who are we inviting over? It's party time." She saw Nate out of the corner of her eye and ran toward him. Still completely unaware of his history with Julie, Hannah invited the officer to the house. Julie turned her back and sent a text with the wedding picture to loved ones. She hoped that Hannah wasn't making a fool of herself as she interacted with Nate.

"I'm not sure I can make it," Nate grimaced. "With the Captain gone, I'm in charge." He was relieved to have a solid excuse.

"Well, damn," Hannah declared. "You seem like a great guy."

"Thanks," Nate smiled awkwardly as he scratched his forehead.

"You're a Navy grad?!" Hannah exclaimed when she saw the class ring on his raised hand.

"Yes, Ma'am. Actually, Sam was my Battalion Training Officer and Brigade Commander. I can't seem to escape your family," he chuckled.

Hannah flirted, "Then we'll have to keep you around, Ensign." As Nate watched Hannah return to Julie, he couldn't help but miss Julie's presence and their relationship. Even though he'd spent hours attempting to deny it, Nate knew he'd fallen deeply for Julie and continued to miss her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

After dinner, Owen strolled upstairs and leaned against Ryder's open doorway. Ryder was packing and re-packing his bags for the umpteenth time, and Owen watched briefly with a bittersweet grin.

Sensing someone's presence, Ryder glanced over and apologized, "Oh, I said I'd help with dishes, didn't I? I'll come right down."

"No worries," Owen insisted. "The Littles came through for you." Owen gazed around Ryder's room silently.

"Did you need something, Dad?" Ryder inquired.

"I'm going to miss you, Ry," Owen sounded softly. "It won't be the same around here with this corner of the house sitting empty."

"I'll miss you too," Ryder offered authentically.

"What? You'll miss our arguments and power struggles?" Owen chirped with a slight scoff.

"Nah… the times you gave me money or let me drive the Boxster," Ryder quickly came back with a laugh.

"Smartass," Owen labeled.

"Best one you'll ever know," Ryder confirmed as he squared his shoulders.

Without asking as he usually would, Owen stepped inside the room and sat on Ryder's bed. "Any decisions about Julie?"

"She keeps blowing me off," Ryder mumbled. "Well… her sister came to town and her dad's getting married tonight. She's been busy. Still…"

"Sister?" Owen questioned with confusion.

"Yeah, ends up the Captain isn't as perfect as he seems. The other Captain – the one he's marrying, they had a daughter together a year before Julie was born," Ryder disclosed.

"Oh, wow," Owen nodded thoughtfully. "That must have been a tough situation. He knew about the other daughter?"

"I guess so," Ryder shrugged. "He and Julie's mom were legally separated and he was planning to marry Captain Rice once the divorce was final. The condom broke or something else happened and boom! She was pregnant. Then Julie's grandpas got involved and flipped out on Captain Caldwell, insisting he and Julie's mom stay married. I guess he didn't dare stand up to his dad or father-in-law. The whole story is pretty warped."

"Sounds like it," Owen reflected. "Funny, isn't it? How Adam's dad was overbearing and how he is too?"

"The more I learn about him, the more I feel for him. He's had a bunch of unlucky turns in his life," Ryder mused. "Maybe that's why he's so intense – he's pissed that life has turned out differently than he wanted or expected."

"Sounds like a wise and apt insight, Son," Owen confirmed. "Could be."

Ryder's phone sounded and he leaped across the room. "It's Julie," he announced as he read the screen. Her text, which was sent as a group text to a number of people, read, The deal is sealed. Husband and wife. A picture of Adam and Tessa accompanied the words.

Looking healthy and happy, Ryder wrote back before handing his phone to Owen.

"They look radiant," Owen observed. "Beyond happy."

"They really do," Ryder agreed. He grasped his phone and wrote a text just to Julie that read, Where's the family pic?

Later, she responded. Talk tonight? Maybe you could come over?

That would be perfect, Ryder replied quickly, feeling relief pour into his body.

"Owen!" Amelia shrieked from the Master bathroom.

"Duty calls," Owen grinned. "Excuse me."

He ran up to his bedroom and discovered Amelia standing on the bathroom counter. "Mia! Get down. If you slip…"

"Mmmm-mmm-mouse! Over there. In the corner," she sputtered and pointed.

Owen walked over and stood directly in front of Amelia. With serious concern, he declared, "You need to get down." He reached up and she knelt down. She wrapped her arms around Owen's neck and surveyed the room with terrified anticipation.

"Where'd it go?" she asked anxiously.

"I have no idea," Owen responded flatly. "Do I need to carry you all the way downstairs or can I put you down?"

With shock and disbelief, Amelia declared, "I'm not walking in this mouse-filled room!"

"You are adorably annoying, Mia Shepherd," Owen chuckled as he carried her to the bed. "Didn't you have to work with mice in med school?"

"That doesn't mean I like them… especially when they run over my foot," she stated. As Owen set her on the bed and handed her a pillow and blanket, she cooed, "Thank you, Prince Charming. You're my favorite first responder." Owen popped his head into the hall and called to Ryder, requesting he run to the garage for some mouse traps. When the Littles saw Ryder with a handful of traps, they asked what he was doing and began hatching their own plot.

Minutes later, Ryder wandered into the Master Bathroom with traps in hand. "I brought cheese too – is that really a thing?"

"Yeah, that'll work," Owen answered as his head was examining a small crack between the tub and wall. "Let me teach you how to set it." Walking through the various pieces and the fragile connection that would be tripped when a mouse ate the cheese, Owen offered, "Be very careful – this part here can snap your finger and cause serious damage. Getting snapped could disqualify you from Plebe Summer and could keep me from operating."

"How about if I bring the dogs up? Won't they go after a mouse?" Ryder wondered aloud.

With a slight laugh, Owen commented, "I doubt Bogey will even raise his head – he likes his naps far too much nowadays. Barkley might go after it."

"Daddy?" Anna stated as she stood in the bathroom doorway with an adorable smile and her hands grasped behind her back.

"What's up, Annabelle?" Owen inquired as he leaned against the tub.

"Can we adopt a kitty?" she asked sweetly.

"No," Owen stated clearly but kindly.

"But we have mice. The kitty could catch mice. I promise I'd feed the kitty and take care of it," she begged.

"We're not adopting a cat, Anna," Owen emphasized. "But you can go get Barkley and bring her up here."

She dropped her shoulders and walked to the stairs. Halfway down, she reported loudly, "He said no."

"Try again," Ria encouraged.

"I tried twice. He wants me to get Barkley," Anna explained with disappointment.

Lucas shot up from behind the couch where he was reading a Captain Underpants book. "I'll get the dogs!" He ran out to the back porch and called for the Golden Retrievers. Bogey came plodding slowly toward Luke and Barkley ran up and barked. "C'mon dogs!"

Bursting through the door, Lucas led Barkley upstairs with Amelia exclaiming from the bed, "Did you wipe them off with a towel, Luke?"

"Forgot…sorry, Mommy," Lucas explained as he hung his head. A trail of muddy paw prints graced the carpet.

Ryder whistled and Barkley charged toward her boy. She sniffed the crack that Owen had been examining and began barking. She pawed at the spot and panted, looking up at Owen and Ryder. Bogey remained downstairs, already napping on the entry tile.

When the initial excitement faded and no mouse appeared, Lucas lost interest and returned downstairs. Ryder and Owen remained in the bathroom. One leaned against the tub and the other against the bathroom cabinets.

"Now what?" Ryder inquired as he scratched Barkley's ears. She was snuggled alongside him, relishing the attention.

"We could just leave the traps set and close the door," Owen offered. "The problem is that they might not come back up here. I'm guessing there are tunnels inside the wall. For all we know, the next mouse sighting will be downstairs."

Ryder scoffed quietly and shared. "Bancroft, the Academy dorm, has mice. Maybe I'll adopt one as a pet," he joked.

"It'll keep you moving fast if a mouse is skittering around, I guess," Owen chuckled.

"They probably buy the mice and let them lose on purpose to keep the plebes hopping," Ryder smiled.

Owen patted Ryder's shoulder and softly explained, "I'm going to go lie to your mother and tell her we caught the mouse. Mice and snakes – the only instances when it is completely acceptable to lie to one's spouse."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

After the panicked mouse sighting, Ryder called Nolan and explained Lucas' earlier disappointment. "He needs some major brother time, Nole," Ryder emphasized.

Nolan invited his younger brothers over and the trio played soccer in the back yard. Lucas was on offense, regardless of whether Ryder or Nolan had the ball. He liked watching his older brothers guard and knock into one another as they passed him the ball. The three had a blast.

"What's with the fancy new van in the driveway?" Ryder wondered aloud as he chased Nolan.

"Oh sheesh… please don't go there in front of my wife," Nolan groaned as he stopped the ball and rested his foot on it.

"I won't if you fill me in," Ryder assured him.

Nolan sighed and whined, "I brought it home to surprise her – a brand new, fully loaded van with leather seats. Her response was lackluster at best no matter how many features I pointed out."

"Lissa's never cared about stuff, Nolan," Ryder reminded his brother.

"What do you mean?" Nolan asked with cluelessness.

"She grew up poorer than hell and went to school on full scholarships. The idea of having enough money to go to Goodwill for one two-dollar shirt was the highlight of her week," Ryder overstated.

"I know," Nolan scoffed. "All the more reason she should be blown away when I spoil her, right?"

"She thinks it's silly – all the money. She doesn't need it to be happy, Stupid," Ryder stressed. "She's always been like that."

"I like buying her presents to remind her how much I love her," Nolan explained, not considering how his actions appeared to his wife.

"You do that and she thinks you're trying to buy her love," Ryder chuckled, amazed by Nolan's confusion. "Dude, she's a text-her-during-the-day-to-say-hi kind of girl. She doesn't need diamonds and vans with killer stereo systems. She wants your time, not a bunch of expensive crap."

"That van is not crap," Nolan huffed, thinking about its price tag.

"To her it is," Ryder scoffed. "Trust me, Idiot. She wants to know you're thinking about her when you're not with her. She wants time with you – playing with the girls together on the floor, walking and holding hands at the pier, watching a movie together. That's her speed. If she needs a new van or something else, she'll tell you."

"Meanwhile, I drive a decked out Tesla and my wife has a crappy minivan," Nolan commented.

"Because you like the money and prestige, Big Guy," Ryder emphasized without judgment.

"Come on, guys," Lucas called out. "I thought we were playing soccer!"

As the trio resumed their game, Lissa and the girls looked on from the sliding glass doors inside. Molly desperately wanted to join her daddy and uncles outside and slapped her hands on the glass to get their attention. When they would glance over, she would flirt and play peek-a-boo hoping to charm her way out the door. Eventually, Nolan gave in and helped her learn to play. Lucas took his turn with her, happy to have found a willing protégé. Ryder played keep-a-way, but toned down his regular tactics so Molly was able to successfully steal the ball from him.

"Me, go!" Molly called whenever anyone else had the ball. "Ma-yee. Ma-yee kick."

Once the babies were in bed, Lissa joined the game. She and Nolan played against Ryder, Lucas, and Molly. Of course, the second team won the loosely scored game. Molly experienced deep delight, especially when Uka Wy picked her up high and made sound effects.

Halfway through the game, Ryder kicked the ball her way then stopped it in front of her with the bottom of his foot. She kicked it and her leg flew out from under her, leaving Molly giggling and rolling in the grass. After that play, each play included an intentionally not-so-graceful tumble onto the grass or a collision with a fellow player.

"Hey, Little Man, want me to call Mom and Dad to see if you can spend the night?" Nolan asked once Lucas' bedtime approached.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Please," Lucas jumped up and down in celebration. Nolan and Lissa laughed as Nolan popped a text next door. The answer, an approval, arrived promptly.

"Want to take a bath in the big tub?" Lissa offered, referring to the jetted tub in the Master Bathroom.

"Yes!" he hopped toward the door. He stopped and turned to his brothers, "Hey, guys! Thanks for the soccer game!"

Ryder and Nolan both offered Lucas a high five. Ryder mused with a bittersweet expression, "Fun times, Little Man."

A few minutes later, Lissa came outside with a grin, explaining, "Hey, Nole… you'll need to keep an eye on him while he's in the tub. I was thrown out because I'm a girl and he's quote, 'almost a man.'"

With a chuckle, Nolan said goodnight to Ryder and kissed Lissa's cheek before heading inside. Ryder bent down and grabbed his phone.

Lissa mentioned, "You're leaving? You know you're welcome to hang out."

"Heading to JJ's," Ryder mentioned as he tried to fix his sweaty hair. "I'm gonna run home and take a quick shower then stop by her place."

"Amma mentioned her dad married his girlfriend today," Lissa said.

"And JJ found out this week she has a sister. Did Mom mention that?" Ryder chuckled, still letting the reality sink in.

"She did," Lissa nodded. "Families and their realities are so peculiar sometimes." Ryder nodded and Lissa added, "You saw the van in the driveway?"

"I talked to Nole about it," Ryder grinned.

"I know he means well and loves to spoil me, but it's such an unnecessary way to spend money," Lissa sighed.

Ryder patted Lissa's shoulder and pointed out, "This is Nolan we're talking about. Do you really think he would buy something he couldn't easily afford?"

"Good point," Lissa agreed. "but I don't want the girls growing up entitled."

Ryder looked at his watch, "I really need to skate, Liss. Talk to Nolan – when you two talk to each other everything always works out."

"I'm going to miss you," Lissa grieved as she hugged him. "Say hi to Julie for us."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

Within half an hour, Ryder had showered, gelled his hair, dressed and driven to the Caldwell house. By the time Ryder had arrived, Julie's sister had slipped out to bar hop with some of the sailors from the base. When Ryder commented that the sister didn't waste any time making new friends, Julie simply blew air toward her forehead and quipped, "That's my sis. She's a bubbly female version of you on a lethal dose of enthusiasm-inducing steroids."

"She sounds like a blast," Ryder commented with intrigue. "Can't wait to meet her."

"It's a beautiful night. Why don't we sit out back?" Julie suggested. "Have you eaten?"

"At 6:00 pm, of course. What would ever change in the official Major Hunt schedule?" Ryder teased.

Julie grinned and shared, "I'll bring out some chips and dip. Soda? Water?"

"Water would be great. Can I help?" Ryder offered.

"I got it. I'll be right out," Julie promised.

Ryder sat in an Adirondack rocker and moved back and forth. He stood when Julie arrived and helped her with the load in her hands.

"I'm glad you're here," Julie shared as she dipped a chip into salsa and didn't make eye contact.

"Me too," Ryder stated. "Things have been weird since the beach. I… I want you to know I didn't mean to be an ass or hurt your feelings."

"I know," she affirmed softly. "I didn't expect you to say what you did and was surprised. I'm sorry I weirded out."

"You don't have to apologize for that, Goofball," Ryder scoffed.

"I could have been less emotional and not distant," Julie admitted, finally making eye contact.

Ryder shrugged and said, "Whatever."

"At the risk of sounding like a girl…" Julie began with an uncomfortable laugh, "where does that leave us?"

"You do sound like a girl," Ryder teased.

"Shut up, Jerk," Julie laughed.

"I'm pretty anxious about this summer, JJ. I don't want to f#2$ up," Ryder disclosed. "If I'm dating someone, I'll be distracted and thinking with the wrong brain all summer."

Julie chuckled, "As always, I appreciate your honesty."

"You know me. You get it, right?" Ryder pressed.

With a nod, Julie agreed. She gazed down at her hands and confessed, "You know, I'm never sure either."

"What do you mean?" Ryder inquired.

"About whether we should be close friends or something more," Julie explained. "I wonder about it too. A lot. I don't have any clear answers either."

Ryder and Julie shared a meaningful discussion that deepened as they talked. Their mutual tears, laughter, and vulnerability was an enormous and reassuring gift. The night ended with both of them having a bit of clarity about their relationship and a sense of assurance that their friendship was secure as they faced Plebe Summer. They promised each other that dating, if it were ever to happen between them, wouldn't be on the radar until after Plebe Summer.

Before Ryder headed home, Julie shared, "If we can find some time to talk before I-Day, I'd really appreciate a chance to process what's going on in my family. It's too late now, but maybe we can find a few minutes."

"There isn't much time between now and then, JJ, but we can try," Ryder pointed out and promised. The two shared an extended hug at the front door, and Julie promised she and her family would see him the next day at his goodbye party.