The New Ship
Chapter 4
` Grace stressed about what to cook for Mike but finally settled on a roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans with onions, rolls and a nice green salad. Fortunately, her mom helped her get things started and made sure the house was extra clean. She even made sure that Eli and Liv were dressed decently, which involved a pair of mermaid tail print leggings, and a Cinderella dress.
She had learned not to argue with Liv's wardrobe choices because the more she argued, the more outrageous Liv became. Lily had been very easy but Liv was giving Grace gray hairs. As she set the table, Eli came down and surveyed the kitchen.
"Mom, do you need Liv and I to eat somewhere else?" Eli asked.
"No, why?" Grace asked.
"Because you are dressed like it might be a date? And this food?" Eli answered. Grace looked down at her paisley dress, wide belt and tall boots.
"Maybe I should change?" Grace said as the doorbell rang.
"Too late. I'll get Cinderella." Eli answered as he scaled the stairs, two at a time. Grace watched him and realized, she would be buying jeans again soon. His pants were getting too short again. She walked to the door and smiled at Mike as she opened it.
"Just a warning…Liv is dressed as Cinderella." Grace said.
"Does she have glass slippers?" Mike asked. Grace let him in and he surveyed the entryway.
"No, but don't tempt her. The more I correct her, the more outrageous she becomes." Grace remarked.
"It's a fun age." Mike remarked as he handed her the container with the pie that Liv had insisted on and a bouquet of sunflowers. He followed her into the open living area. "Your home is really nice." Mike said.
"Thank you." Grace said.
"You're welcome." Mike answered. Just then, Eli and Liv came down the steps. And now, Liv was wearing a purple cowboy hat.
"Liv? Seriously?" Grace said.
"Its alright." Mike said with an amused smile.
"I warned her." Eli said.
"Mike…Admiral Slattery, this is my son, Eli." Grace made the introduction. Eli shook Mike's hand, almost as if he was sizing him up. Mike stood six inches taller then Eli, if not taller, but Eli was protective.
"Hi, Eli. And you can call me Mike. Not Admiral Slattery." Mike said.
"Nice to meet you." Eli said.
"Eli, can you help me carry this stuff to the table?" Grace asked, indicating the food on the island. Mike was inspecting Liv's cowboy hat. Grace put the flowers in a mason jar and settled them in the middle of the table. A nice finishing touch and she loved sunflowers.
"Sure." Eli said. He was watching Mike closely. As they carried the items to the table, Grace shook her head at Eli.
"Don't stare." Grace warned, very quietly. "Mike, I have sweet tea, water, red and white wine, coffee, milk and soda?" Grace asked.
"What are you drinking?" Mike asked.
"I figured I would open a bottle of the red wine." Grace answered.
"That sounds good." Mike answered.
"I'll have milk." Liv announced.
"It's 'Can I please have a cup of milk, Mom?'" Grace corrected the little girl.
"Can I please have a cup of milk, Mom?" Liv parroted. Grace could tell that Mike was struggling to keep a straight face.
"I'll get it, Mom." Eli said, while Grace poured the two glasses of wine.
"I won't promise this is high quality wine, but it is pretty good if you like sweet wines." Grace explained. She carried the glasses to the table and smiled at Mike helping Liv into her chair. After he helped Liv, he pulled the chair out for Grace. "Thank you." Grace said. He pushed the chair back in and then settled in his own chair. Eli gave Liv her cup of milk and began helping her put food on her plate.
"I'm sure it will be fine. This looks delicious. One of my favorite meals." Mike said. They were passing around the food, and Mike was not shy at all of filling his plate.
"Did you get the pie?" Liv asked.
"I did. Eli, do you play any sports?" Mike asked, trying to make conversation with the much less friendly Eli.
"Basketball. And in the spring, I want to try out for track and maybe baseball." Eli said.
"Ah. I did football, basketball and baseball in school. I think I did maybe one year of track, but it was not a favorite and it didn't correspond well with the other sports I played." Mike remarked.
"They don't have football at my school. Some of the kids play rugby though." Eli said.
"Much rougher. Rugby doesn't have the same rules." Mike explained.
"Nana said I might try ballet soon." Liv said, obviously wanting in on the conversation.
"I bet you'd like it." Mike replied.
"I like the tu-tus." Liv said.
"Of course you do." Grace remarked.
"My older daughter was in ballet. At one point she had a leopard print leotard." Mike said.
"I want one! What's a leotard?" Liv asked.
"They are a special pair of tights that you wear for ballet." Grace answered.
"Liv, can you please put your hat on the chair?" Eli asked. Grace thought about correcting him, but it was good manners. Mike reached over and helped Liv hang her hat on the back of the chair.
"This is delicious and the wine is amazing. What is it?" Mike asked.
"It is from a small winery in the Texas Hill Country. While I campaigned, I visited it on an agricultural tour. I bought a few bottles. Since, I've ordered a few more bottles." Grace explained.
"I never knew that there were wineries in Texas." Mike remarked.
"Because of it being kind of a dry heat, grapes grow well. But, this particular wine is blackberry." Eli explained.
"Eli?" Grace asked with raised eyebrows.
"I read the bottle. Didn't drink any." Eli said.
"I've never had blackberry wine. This is amazing." Mike said.
"I would offer you a second glass but I'm sure you'll be driving?" Grace asked.
"Yes. I better not. The only thing that Illinois grows is corn and soybeans. Boring things like that." Mike said.
"Well, agriculture is huge in Texas, even now." Grace answered.
"What part of Texas were you all from?" Mike asked.
"Originally, north of Amarillo, but after law school, we settled near Waco. My husband worked out of Houston quite a lot too, so we traveled some." Grace explained. Eli looked down for a second. He missed his dad a lot. And Lily. Mike seemed to pick up on it.
"Turns out I am going to be in Washington longer than I originally thought. I got tickets to the Army Navy game. Just two though. Eli, would you like to go? If its okay with your mom?" Mike asked.
"Please, Mom?" Eli begged.
"Sure." Grace answered.
"Eli, I will be here about ten am Saturday. Did you have any other plans?" Mike asked.
"No. We don't have basketball practice this week." Eli answered.
"Just let me know what he needs?" Grace asked, dreading the cost factor.
"Just a jacket. It tends to be cool." Mike answered.
"Remember, you have to cheer for Navy." Grace instructed her son.
"Mama, can we do something fun?" Liv asked.
"I'm sure we can." Grace answered. She would send some money with Eli, but since it sounded like there was no cost to the ticket for Grace, she could come up with some for a fun day with Liv.
"I'm excited. I wanted to go but knew we couldn't afford the tickets." Eli said.
"ELI!" Grace warned. She gave him a withering look. "Sorry, Mike." Grace said.
"No problem. I know how it can be." Mike answered as he finished eating.
"Would you like more?" Grace asked.
"I'd better not. I'm saving room for that pie." Mike said with a wink to Liv. It made Liv giggle.
"Eli, can you help me clear and once I have the pie cut, you can bring the plates over? Liv, behave yourself." Grace suggested. Eli jumped up to help and Mike helped him. "Would you like some coffee?" Grace asked.
"That would be good." Mike answered.
"Alright." Grace said with a smile. Mike had plucked a sunflower out of the vase, cut the stem with his pocket knife and settled it behind Liv's ear. Liv giggled in response. Mike was amazing with kids. Grace and Eli carried the pie plates over and they enjoyed the delicious pie.
"I was just thinking…the game should be done by four, but it would probably be closer to six before we got back. How about I make reservations somewhere? Where would you like to eat?" Mike asked, looking to the kids.
"Mike, you don't have to do that." Grace said.
"Chinese." Eli answered.
"Egg rolls?" Liv asked.
"She likes egg rolls. More than about anything." Eli explained.
"Chinese food it is." Mike said. He gave Grace an encouraging smile.
"Eli, did you have any homework?" Grace asked.
"No, ma'am." Eli answered.
"Liv, did Nana help you take a bath this afternoon?" Grace asked.
"Yes." Liv answered. Grace gave her a look. She was still teaching Liv manners. "Ma'am." Liv finished.
"Eli, could you please help Liv pick out her pajamas? I think its going to be kind of cold tonight." Grace asked.
"Yes, Ma'am. Liv?" Eli requested. Liv jumped up to go with her brother, but before she did, she turned around and grabbed her hat, and then gave Mike a hug. It made him smile.
"Good night, sweetie." Mike said.
"Mom, I'll come down and work on dishes so that you can kiss Liv goodnight." Eli said. He shook Mike's hand before escorting his sister upstairs.
"Your kids are great. Liv is sure a character." Mike said as he helped her carry everything to the island.
"Thank you and thanks for taking Eli to that game. He adores my dad but I think he's struggling a bit. He misses his dad." Grace said.
"I kind of gathered that when you mentioned him." Mike said as he scraped plates off.
"Did you have tickets?" Grace asked.
"Yes. All admirals are given two tickets. I could get more but I figured that Liv would be bored to tears and it might not be a politically sound move for you." Mike explained.
"And a dinner out with me and my kids is any better?" Grace asked.
"I will ask for a private dining area." Mike answered.
"Its okay and I appreciate it. It'll be nice for the kids. They don't get many dinners out." Grace said.
"Good, but I also want it to be nice for you." Mike said.
"It will be. What is this?" Grace asked as she gestured between her and Mike.
"Honestly, right now, nothing, but eventually I hope it will be something. Just have to get that damn ship named." Mike answered.
"U.S.S Alicia Carlton. A combination of both of their first names." Grace suggested.
"I like that." Mike said.
"Run it around in your group and see what the consensus is and I'll suggest it." Grace remarked.
"Thank you." Mike answered simply.
"You're welcome." Grace answered just as Eli came down the stairs.
"She was brushing her teeth and got toothpaste all over the sink and mirror. I had only turned away for a minute." Eli said.
"Alright, I'll be up in just a second." Grace said. Eli turned around and headed back upstairs.
"That'll be fun to clean up." Mike remarked.
"Kids. So, I hope you enjoyed this?" Grace asked.
"Very much so." Mike said.
"Good." Grace answered.
"So, I'll be here Saturday right at ten to get Eli. And don't worry about sending money with him. Do something fun with Liv." Mike ordered.
"Why are you doing this?" Grace asked.
"Well, as much as Eli misses his dad, I miss my son. Lucas would have been Eli's age. While Eli can't replace Lucas, it is refreshing to do something with a kid. Sometimes, kids can put stuff into perspective." Mike explained.
"I am sorry. I lost my husband and Lily. I can't imagine having lost more than one child." Grace said as she walked Mike to the door.
"Thankfully, I've stayed busy. Its things like football games that catch me at times." Mike admitted.
"Well, I am glad that Eli and Liv can help you out." Grace said.
"They aren't the only ones helping me." Mike said. He winked at her before leaving. It made Grace smile in response. All too soon, she had to clean toothpaste off the sink and mirror and put Liv to bed.