Chapter 21
Harm's clothes had been laid out on the bed for easier packing and while sorting through things, Jen had kept reaching out to caress Harm's pillow. Trish quietly offered Jen his bed and with a gasping sob, Jen accepted.
Seeing Jen start to cry again was all it took to have Mattie in tears as well. Trish sat down on the bed, put an arm around each of them, and all three of them had a good cry.
Frank Burnett, Harm's stepfather, was working along side Admiral Chegwidden packing up Harm's music and video collections, he asked why AJ was the only one that hadn't chosen a keepsake.
"I'm not the only one, Sir," AJ told him. "Sturgis hasn't selected anything yet either."
"Actually Sir, I did. There was a model of an F14 in Harm's office that I requested after packing up his things from there," Sturgis said, having overheard the comments.
"Well in that case, there are a few movies here that I haven't seen, so might I take them?"
"That's all?" Frank asked.
"Like Mac said, in nine years of working with Harm, there are so many memories that no objects will really make a difference to that."
"I understand. I think you all knew him better than I did. When Trish and I were first married, I think he resented me for taking his father's place in her life. But after his trip to Russia and finding his brother, Harm seemed more accepting of me and we started to get to know each other. I just wish we'd had more time."
"At times like this, I think we all wish that," AJ offered.
Frank nodded and went back to work.
They ordered pizza for dinner because they were so close to finishing and no one wanted to stop till they were done. With everything boxed up and labeled as to where it was going, people started saying their good-byes. Each took the items they had chosen along with the food that Harriett had divided up for them.
AJ told Mac to wait in the apartment while he went out to warm the Escalade up before she came down. She huffed at him and reminded him that she was a rough-tough Marine and could take a little bit of cold. As Mac slid on her coat to hurry after AJ, Jen commented that she was glad she didn't have to go out in the cold. Mattie, who was spending the weekend with Jen, agreed.
The blast of frigid air that hit her when she walked out of the building had Mac regretting her rough-tough Marine comment, but she was NOT going to let AJ know that! She climbed into the passenger seat, trying to suppress a shiver, but wasn't very successful.
AJ, ever the gentleman, refrained from saying anything, but the grin he couldn't hide let Mac know that he'd seen her shiver. However, since he'd already started the Escalade and turned on the heater, he reached over and turned it up full blast without a word.
"What?!" she demanded defiantly. "I defy you to tell me that you aren't nearly frozen too! It's colder than the grav…aw damn!" Once again reminded of the loss of her best friend, tears started down her cheeks.
Letting the engine run so the vehicle would get warm, AJ undid his seatbelt and turned to Mac. Taking her in his arms he let her weep on his chest.
A few minutes later, that was how Sturgis saw them when he was heading to his car. Tapping on the driver's window he waited until AJ lowered it to ask, "Is she alright?"
"She will be Sturgis. It'll just take some time."
"Actually I was surprised at how well she was holding it together so far, knowing that she loved him and all," Sturgis replied.
To be continued…..