August, 1956

Wilmington, North Carolina, United States

The letter that Hans Dietrich had received from Mark Hitchcock's mother, Irena, was concerning enough that he became impatient waiting for his next furlough. As glad as he was to be serving in West Germany's fledgling military, Dietrich admitted that he pondered taking a different job just to make it easier to check on his friends when they needed him.

It wasn't often that Irena wrote to him. Normally, her letters were quite long and warranted sitting down with a cup of tea or a glass of wine. This letter wasn't long, and Dietrich could tell that Irena had been anxious when she wrote her letter, judging by the waviness of her writing in some areas. He typically slept in during his leave periods. This time, he was booking a flight to North Carolina fairly early in the morning.

On one hand, he was eager to help out. On the other, he felt something terrible was going to happen.

Dietrich took some time to adjust and rest after his flight, which had required him to get up far earlier than he would have liked in order to drive all the way to the nearest international airport in Nuremberg. He had brought Irena's letter with him, and found himself rereading it over and over, the gravity of this predicament sinking in deeper each time. At the same time, he wondered why Irena hadn't wrote to Troy or Moffitt or Tully about this. He gave a sigh while thinking, Well, it is not exactly the first time I have thought "why me?"

After a hearty breakfast and plenty of coffee, Dietrich made his way to the beautiful old home overlooking the Atlantic that Hitch's parents lived in. It was on a hill, looking down over several other streets and roads, along with the beach. The smell of the sea was strong, but not nearly as strong as it was when Dietrich had been growing up in the northern German port city of Kiel. Kiel was also quite cold, whereas Wilmington was covered in a blend of temperate and subtropical greenery. It also wasn't littered with bad memories the way Kiel was.

Dietrich stood patiently on the wraparound porch after knocking, taking in the pleasant, late-summer warmth. The smell of the flowers that remained in bloom was quite sweet. He pulled himself from his thoughts when the door opened. "Hello, Irena," he said.

"Hello, Hans." The older woman stepped out to greet Dietrich with a hug. She was much shorter than he was, but her hugs weren't lacking in strength. "Oh, it's so good to see you. Please, come in. Did you have breakfast?"

"I did," Dietrich replied.

"Well, there is cake in the fridge if you want. Coffee?"

"I could go for a second cup." Surprisingly, Dietrich wasn't in the mood for cake. He followed Irena into the kitchen, unsure of how to bring up the reasons for his visit. He had a feeling she already knew, but kept quiet until they were out in the backyard. Dietrich took in the stunning view of the coast until noticing movement close to his boots. He looked down to see the black "mask" of an eastern diamondback rattlesnake staring up at him as the big viper had raised part of its body to greet Dietrich in its own way. "Hello, Raccoon," Dietrich said. "You recognize me, eh?"

"He's quite smart, isn't he?" Irena said, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Yes." Dietrich didn't trust Raccoon in the same way he trusted Anah, as the rattlesnake couldn't speak, but he also wasn't fearful, allowing Raccoon to curl up in front of the bench by his left boot. Touching the viper was off-limits unless Moffitt was present.

Things were quiet between Dietrich and Irena for a minute or two before Irena gave a sigh before speaking. "Am I to assume you're here because of my letter?"

"You would be correct," Dietrich replied. "I had to wait until my next furlough, but I came as quickly as possible. May I start this by asking… are you alright?"

He had never seen Irena upset like this before. Then again, he didn't think she would be happy with what she had learned. To make matters worse, it was something Dietrich knew about, but he never said anything because he wasn't sure what sort of effect it would have. Now, they all had to live with the consequences.

"Honestly, I don't know." Irena looked down at her coffee, suddenly looking so much older. "I feel like a rug was yanked out from under me. I… don't know my own son anymore."

Dietrich shifted, getting comfortable in order to listen.

"I really wanted to believe that woman who met me at the café was lying when she told me about Mark sleeping around with every nurse in the vicinity of his unit. I didn't believe her at first. I said, 'That's not my Mark. He would never do such a thing.' She laughed and said I had no idea what he was doing when he was in North Africa. No idea. As it turns out, no, I really didn't know what he was doing." Irena went quiet, watching Raccoon as he crawled over to lay between her shoes and Dietrich's.

Dietrich bit his tongue, wondering what could have been done differently.

"Perhaps it's a bit shameful for me to say that I haven't yet brought this up with Mark. I didn't because I was scared of the answer. So, I called Sam first. He said it was true. Jack said it was true. Tully said it was true." Irena let out her breath, and squeezed her eyes shut. "It's all true. Noah and I are both… we're angry, we're in shock. We don't know what to do."

"I am not sure how I can help," Dietrich said.

"I'm not sure, either, but… when I talked to Sam, he said he really didn't do anything about Mark's behavior. He wanted to keep things cohesive in his unit, and not have a lot of tension. Jack said he and Anah strongly disapproved, but they didn't do much of anything, either. Tully said he didn't know what to do. I'm… I-I shouldn't be angry with them, but I am."

"I am an outsider."

"Yes. An outsider with a unique perspective on life. I feel like this is unforgivable. It looks like Mark has changed. He and Molly haven't had issues in the six years they've been married. They have two sweet children. But… now, I feel like I don't know anymore."

Dietrich let out his breath. "I can say with certainty that he has changed. I was aware of his behavior, but that was not until after he had begun to change. He asked me not to tell you or his father due to his own shame."

Irena nodded. "Oh, Hans, I should believe Mark, but… in all his letters to us from when he was at Wake Forest and serving overseas, he… he lied to us."

"I did tell him that he should tell you and Noah, but on his own time. I did not feel it was my place to bring it up."

"I can respect that. What I want to know is… why? We didn't teach him that what he did was okay. Far from it. We never mistreated him. We never stifled him. He just… it's like a switch was flipped."

Dietrich remembered being a bit confused when he first met Hitch's parents. They were sweet, loving, and loyal to each other. There were some instances in which Hitch misbehaved as a kid, mostly due to his irritation with his older sister's music practice, but Irena and Noah's responses weren't harsh or out-of-line. They were certainly better than Dietrich's parents. There was no abuse or neglect. Dietrich wished he had what Hitch had with his parents. On the surface, it made no sense why Hitch had turned around and did the things he did. Then again, Dietrich understood the destructive power of loneliness. He found Hitch's previous behavior of sleeping around with his female classmates at college and nurses in the Army to be inexcusable, but he could at least understand how it came about in the first place when Hitch had told him several years ago.

"After a month or two of having trouble making friends, I fell in with the wrong crowd," Hitch had said. "They slept around with the girls, so that's what I started doing. It became a contest, and it was nice to hear girls talk about me. It felt good… in the way alcohol does."

Dietrich had chosen not to ask a lot of questions when Hitch went to him for advice about Molly, mostly because Hitch didn't want to discuss his previous behavior. He wanted to move on and Dietrich would respect that. In the back of his mind, Dietrich knew that Hitch's actions had consequences. It was only a matter of time before those consequences showed up, if they hadn't already.

Irena's letter explained her meeting with this strange woman at a café, but she didn't give a name, or much else in terms of details. Dietrich couldn't help wondering if there was more to this that had yet to unfold. So far, if this woman's goal was to damage Hitch's relationship with his family, it wasn't going to pan out. Not on Dietrich's watch. He was willing to be a mediator and get this resolved. Despite having the answer for Irena as to what happened to her son, Dietrich wasn't comfortable discussing it without Hitch present. "I do know why Hitch went and did the things he did. He told me a few years ago. However, I will not discuss it unless he is with us."

Irena sighed, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hand. "Forgive me for repeating myself, Hans, but I'm just… in shock. What did Noah and I do to cause this?"

"I doubt it was anything you did." Dietrich offered his hand to Irena. "We will fix things."

Irena took his hand and squeezed it. "That's the problem, Hans—there's nothing we can fix. Mark can't take back what he did. He can't erase it."

"No, but you can forgive him. I understand it will be difficult, but you must talk this out with him. At the end of the day, he is still your son, and he still cares about you."

Irena nodded. "I still care about him, too."

"You are angry. That is entirely understandable." Dietrich thought for a moment. He looked down at Raccoon, who seemed very content to sit by his boots, then back at Irena. "To start, how about I go talk to Hitch first? Try and clear the air so you two can talk without letting your emotions take over. At least, I can assure you, Hitch will not attempt to defend his actions from during the war or his college years."

"I certainly hope not." Irena glanced at Dietrich. "Alright, if you think this is the best thing to do, go ahead. First, would you like some cake before you go?"

"No, thank you. Perhaps later." Dietrich stood, being mindful of where Raccoon was the whole time. The rattlesnake raised his head from his coils to watch Dietrich, but didn't leave his spot.

"I wish you luck, Hans." Irena walked with him back inside. "I can't decide if it would have been better for me to have never known about this."

"I prefer honesty," Dietrich said. "I understand that I am in a profession where secrecy is quite important, but in my personal life, I am as honest as I can be."

"You will be a wonderful fit for any woman willing to put her time into you," Irena replied, smiling a little. "I take it you are still alone?"

"Yes."

"Have you tried meeting people?"

"No. I do not go out much, apart from work and getting the necessities."

"Yes, you like your alone-time. You'll certainly do well with someone who appreciates her alone-time as much as you."

"The trouble is, Irena, that sort of woman would rather stay home than go out as well."

"Good point. You'll find someone, someday, likely when you least expect it."

"I will keep that in mind." Dietrich turned to Irena with a more serious expression. "I am not sure how long I will be, talking with Hitch, but I should return before this evening."

"Thank you, Hans," Irena replied. "I hope we can get to the bottom of this."

"I am sure we will." Dietrich left the house, and began walking to the end of the street. Hitch's home was up in the northern parts of Wilmington, too far to walk, so Dietrich patiently waited for a bus. He got off the bus at a stop close to the quiet street that Hitch and his wife, Molly, lived on with their two children. Zachariah was two, and Carolyn was born only two months ago. Dietrich had watched Hitch with Zach countless times. He doubted Hitch would ever do anything to compromise his children's growth and wellbeing. He was also aware of the fact that both Zachariah and Carolyn were planned, rather than accidents. Hitch had certainly changed, but the past didn't change, and a bad past required special handling to prevent it from becoming a dominating force in someone's life. Dietrich knew that from experience.

He walked up the pathway to the lovely home that had been left to Molly by her grandfather. Dietrich remembered Hitch saying that it was so valuable to Molly and her family history and much too nice of a place in general for them to move elsewhere. He certainly didn't want to have her downgrade to his apartment, nor did either of them want to raise children in such a small space. Here, they had a huge yard and lots of rooms in the house to play in, and Hitch himself was glad to be in a bigger place as well. Dietrich was particularly fond of the wraparound porch and all the plants that both Molly and Irena had gotten for it. He looked around at the plants while waiting for someone to answer the door, and smiled when he saw Molly behind the screen door, holding little Carolyn.

"Come on in, Hans!" Molly said, shifting the baby. "I just made a big pitcher of iced tea, so help yourself."

"Thank you, Molly, but I came to speak with your husband," Dietrich replied.

Molly's smile faded. "Sounds serious. Is everything alright?"

Dietrich worked his jaw, trying to find the best way to explain everything. "It appears Hitch's past is coming back to bite him. His mother was confronted by someone that he 'dated' and was told the truth about his behavior in North Africa. She didn't believe this woman until talking with Troy, Moffitt, and Tully."

"Good gracious." Molly sighed. "Mark said he didn't want her finding out until he was ready to talk about it."

"It looks like he does not have a choice. Irena is very upset."

"I can't say I blame her." Molly gestured for Dietrich to come in. "We can keep talking inside. Don't want all the bugs coming in."

"Sorry." Dietrich followed, closing the door behind him. "Is Hitch home?"

"Yeah. He's upstairs, working on some blueprints for a house somebody commissioned. I'll go get him." Molly smiled at Carolyn, then at Dietrich. "Wanna hold her? I don't think she's met you yet."

"Uh… sure." Dietrich was no stranger to holding babies, but he was always baffled at why babies seemed to sleep so well whenever he held them. Carolyn made a whining sound when her mother held her out, but quieted down once Dietrich had her and began gently bouncing her. "Hello," Dietrich whispered. "Yes. We are going to stay quiet, okay? Okay." Like he had done with Moffitt's son, Jules, Dietrich began pacing the living room. The movement seemed to keep a baby calm. He looked down at Carolyn, noticing she was now smiling at him with her chubby little fingers in her mouth. "That is quite gross." Dietrich gently pulled Carolyn's hand from her mouth, and went into the kitchen to clean her hand with a damp napkin. In the process, Carolyn's other hand went in her mouth, and so Dietrich gave up. He went back into the living room, and sat on the couch.

Almost as soon as he sat down, Dietrich heard both Hitch and Molly coming down the stairs. Hitch was in a good mood, which told Dietrich that Molly hadn't said anything about the reason for his visit. He eagerly, but gently, took Carolyn from Dietrich. "Look at that, you met Uncle Dietrich!" Hitch said, smiling at his daughter. He cuddled her for a moment before handing her to her mother. "What brings you all the way out here, Dietrich?"

"Could we talk outside, please?" Dietrich said.

Hitch's smile faded quickly. "Yeah, sure. We… We can."

The two went out to the front porch, sitting on a bench in front of one of the living room windows. Hitch was looking down at his lap nervously. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"With me? Yes. However, I… received a rather distressed letter from your mother," Dietrich replied.

Hitch's blue eyes widened. "Mom? Is she okay? Why didn't she—"

"Yes, she is alright. Relax. But, she had a rather strange encounter with a woman at a café a little while ago, who told her about your behavior during your service in the US Army."

Silence dropped heavily over them like a knit blanket. Hitch took off his glasses and leaned forward, staring at the porch deck.

"Your mother did not believe this woman, so she called Troy, and Moffitt, and Tully. They told her the truth."

"I wasn't ready for her to find out."

"I know, but life has a way of forcing these things to the surface, whether we are ready to face them or not. Needless to say, she and your father are not happy."

"I wasn't expecting them to be." Hitch sighed. "How mad are they?"

"Your mother is conflicted. I did not tell her what you told me, about how this all started, how you thought sleeping around would be your key to acceptance among your peers." Dietrich looked at Hitch. "I felt it would be better to either have you tell her, or let me tell her in your presence."

"There's no defending it. You know that."

"Of course I do. I have no intention of defending your actions, merely explaining the cause behind them. However, I told your mother that I will mediate, and help her forgive you."

Hitch didn't respond for quite a while. He kept looking at the porch, then let out his breath. "Well, this was at the very bottom of the list of things I expected would happen today. Feels like I got hit by a train."

Dietrich wasn't sure what to say next. He really hoped he wasn't about to witness Hitch's relationship with his parents falling apart.

"Did Mom describe this woman at all?"

"No," Dietrich replied. "We can ask when we visit. If you feel comfortable doing so."

"Facing her feels like a really bad idea."

"I already told her I would speak with you and try to clear out the more volatile emotions."

"Look, no offense, but… come back tomorrow. I'm not…" Hitch clenched his fists, and drew in a breath. "I'm not ready. This caught me by surprise."

"Alright. If that is what you want." Dietrich stood. "I will let your mother know."

"Thanks."

Dietrich paused, looking back at Hitch after walking down the steps. "Are you going to be alright?"

Hitch shrugged. "We'll see, I guess." He went quiet for a moment, then spoke up again when Dietrich was about to head out to the sidewalk. "Hey, Dietrich? Ask Mom if this woman had dark hair, about shoulder length."

"Why that specifically?" Dietrich asked.

"Earlier this summer, when I was working in Mom's garden, this woman came to the house, claiming I'd said that I would marry her one day. The problem is, I said that while I was drunk, so I don't fully remember it. She did, though. She wasn't exactly nice or willing to talk. She hit me with her purse and told me that she hopes Molly knows 'it's only a matter of time before she's dumped for the next pretty face.'" Hitch looked down again. "That… stung. Really bad. I'm never going to dump Molly. I wouldn't have married her if I wasn't serious."

"I doubt you would have talked to me about Molly years ago unless you were serious about marrying her. You know my feelings about relationships."

Hitch nodded. "You're a better man than I was. And probably ever will be."

Dietrich shook his head. "While it is true that I have believed my whole life that a romantic relationship is special and should be treated as such, you did eventually learn that. You acknowledged your faults and you changed, and that makes you not just a good man, but a good person overall. Neither of us is better than the other."

"I don't know. It seems you had it all together from the start."

"Mostly. I do not know what would have happened if my aunt and uncle did not try to raise me. I suspect I would have been a lot more bitter toward everyone, feeling incapable of love. Now, I do want it, but I need someone who is willing to accept my history." Dietrich glanced down at his wrists. "All of my history. I do not care about that person having a pretty face, for what good is that if she is unwilling or unable to listen to me when my depression rears its ugly head? What good is that if I am having nightmares about my experiences and she does not want to discuss it for one reason or another? I need someone with courage and compassion. You never had to suffer the way I did. You had the freedom to do as you pleased, and so your acquisition of wisdom and experience was delayed, all because you found a path to quick gratification. Had you remained on that path, we would not be having this conversation."

"Nope. Still feels like… I don't just have a black mark on my past, but it's all smudged up and unreadable. Worse yet, I can't clean it."

"Your mother said something similar. I do not think any of us have pasts that are completely clean. But, you can move forward. You can acknowledge that what happened will never be forgotten, and try not to let it cloud every thought. For you, starting something meaningful with Molly was a huge step. Besides, I doubt you would be questioning yourself if this other person had not tried to hassle you or your mother. That may very well be her purpose—revenge by driving a wedge between you and your family."

Hitch took on a more inquisitive expression. "You know, now the question is, how did she know where to find me and what my mother looks like? Did she know I never told my parents? If so, how?"

"Someone looking for revenge will go to great lengths to stalk not just you, but the people you care about. It is how they will get under your skin. I suggest you be careful."

"Great," Hitch sighed. "So, now I have to talk to my parents about what I did, and worry about someone stalking me."

"We will get to the bottom of this," Dietrich said. "Have patience."

"If I was still living by myself, I'd agree with that, but I've got Molly and two little kids to worry about. I'd rather solve this sooner."

Dietrich couldn't argue with that. He certainly wasn't expecting to be dealing with something like this on his visit, but now he was, and he wasn't sure what the best path forward was.

Dietrich was glad to have some time alone in his hotel room after spending the last few hours with Hitch's parents. At least they were able to talk about other things beyond what they had learned about their son, though he could see that various memories were being tainted by this newfound knowledge, especially after Dietrich told them what Hitch had mentioned about being approached by one of his past "dates" in their yard. Naturally, neither Noah nor Irena were thrilled about the idea that this woman was stalking their son. At least Noah owned a few guns, and they had Raccoon roaming their property.

Before he returned to his hotel, Dietrich overheard Irena talking with Noah about how she felt even less certain about how to talk with Hitch about all this. Noah wasn't certain, either, but reassured his wife, saying they both needed to rest and would talk about this in the morning. Dietrich agreed with that sentiment, especially since he was quite stuffed and looking forward to lying down after Irena made an impressive spread of treats for him. He didn't want to seem rude, and with everything going on, he figured sampling everything would be a good way to make Irena happy. The Boston cream pie was the best out of all of them by far, though it was very rich.

Dietrich awoke the next morning knowing that day was probably going to be long, but he had no desire to deal with anyone until getting a cup of coffee. He decided to forego the hotel's breakfast, as he knew Irena was going to have a large breakfast ready for him. Frankly, he preferred non-powdered eggs anyway. Sure enough, when Dietrich arrived at the Hitchcocks' home, he was given a cup of coffee and seated at the table with a plate of fried eggs sprinkled with salt and pepper, bagels covered in a thick layer of cream cheese, bacon that was still sizzling a bit, and a huge, glorious cinnamon roll that was practically drowning in a vanilla glaze. Part of him wanted to tell Irena that she didn't have to go to this much effort for him, but decided to keep quiet. It was funny to think that not even ten years ago, he would have objected to this kind of pampering.

Noah glanced up from his newspaper at Dietrich. "Did Mark say when he's coming over?"

"No," Dietrich replied. "I should have asked, but I think I put him through enough stress for one day."

Noah went back to the paper, but the look in his eyes suggested his mind was elsewhere. Eventually, he closed the paper, and rubbed his face. "At no point did either of us teach Mark or Lucina that kind of behavior is okay. No point at all. I don't know what I'm going to say to him. I have a million things I want to say, but none of them are nice."

"I know it is many years too late. Yelling at him would be pointless, and only make him feel worse," Dietrich said. "You do still have a right to be angry. He is already aware that you and your wife are not pleased by this development."

Noah kept looking at the table. "What do you recommend?"

"As to what to say? I have no idea. I will be a mediator, but I will not speak for anyone. I think it may be best that you are honest with your son. Control your temper and your tone, but do not conceal your thoughts and feelings toward him."

"Alright." Noah gestured to his wife. "We're in agreement that we don't want this to tear our family apart. We just want to know what happened and why. I think it's also reasonable to wonder what else he hid or lied to us about."

"No matter what Mark did, there's no excuse or justification for that nurse to be stalking him or us," Irena added.

"Absolutely not," Dietrich said. "As long as I am here, I will do my best to make sure no harm comes to you. Hitch has already expressed concern about Molly and the children."

"I was thinking about that yesterday. Makes me glad you're here, Hans."

"Well, I appreciate the confidence." Although I am completely unsure of how to help, Dietrich thought while taking a bite out of one of the bagels.

After breakfast, Dietrich played a round of pool with Noah while they waited for Hitch to arrive. He did about an hour later, alone, and it was strange for Dietrich to see Hitch greeting his mother in a rather lifeless fashion. Already, the air in the house was tense, and Dietrich was beginning to feel a little awkward. I know Irena asked me to be here, but this still feels like none of my business. He stepped into the doorway of the poolroom after Noah left, and glanced up at a crucifix on the wall near the stairs. Could I have some advice? I think I used up everything I already have. Dietrich closed his eyes, and drew in a breath. Come now, Hans, you said you were going to help, now get your posterior out there.

He left the poolroom, joining the Hitchcocks in the living room—mostly. He stayed in the doorway, and became aware that he had taken a cue stick with him. While standing in the doorway, he noticed a flash of black and white running by the front fence. The pricked ears of a border collie appeared as the dog stood to rest its front paws on the fence. It looked around for a moment, then dashed away. Dietrich smirked, knowing that if Moffitt was here, he would immediately begin grumbling about how that dog needed to be on a leash and now the fence needed to be thoroughly washed and possibly repainted.

Dietrich's smirk faded when he saw Noah shift in his seat. The tension had become so thick that it was difficult to breathe. Dietrich glanced down at the cue stick that he had accidentally taken, and gulped as he anticipated things to go completely out of control. He closed his eyes, and began to pray once more.