Navy Wives
Chapter 3-Leah Reynolds
Leah had given up on dating anyone of any substance, let alone marrying them. She concentrated on her career, her puppy and her Bible study group, where she had met Russ Jeter. He was not like anyone she had ever met before and they began dating very quietly. He was all about the Navy and Leah could tell he really loved the crew members of the Nathan James.
She knew that the Captain was on the intense side and that the Executive Officer was going through some family struggles. Russ felt it was his responsibility to support both men while also advocating for the enlisted crew and even junior officers. She could tell at the dock that they were not prepared to ship out again, nor excited about it. She stayed back with the other families, and immediately noticed two women. One blonde. One brunette. Everyone looked to the blonde for guidance, but they seemed to trust the brunette. And the two women seemed to avoid each other.
Russ walked up to her and smiled down at her before giving her a hug. It sort of surprised her but she welcomed it. She looked towards the two women and must have given off a look because Russ guided her away gently.
"The tall blonde is Captain Chandler's wife, Darien. The small brunette is Commander Slattery's…estranged wife, Christine. She brought the kids to see him off." Russ explained quietly.
"She's very pretty." Leah remarked.
"I suppose so. I'm glad she brought them." Russ remarked.
"Good mother?" Leah asked.
"Yeah, excellent. From what XO has told me, the oldest, Katie has really struggled with her parent's separation. They've held off the divorce to give her more time. I am just afraid it is going to give her false hope but that's up to the XO and Mrs. Slattery." Russ remarked.
"At least they are taking her feelings into consideration. I have a lot of families that its all about what the parents want." Leah replied, referring to her job as a family therapist.
"True." Russ said.
"So you won't be able to email?" Leah asked.
"Not this time, I'm afraid. Just take care of yourself. Soon as I get back, I'll get with you, I promise." Russ said before giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"You take care." Russ answered. They parted ways and Leah began walking towards the parking lot. She noticed Christine Slattery comforting her kids next to their older model SUV. The oldest daughter's face was tear-streaked and she was trying to control her breathing.
"Can I help?" Leah asked. Christine looked at her in surprise as she dug through her purse.
"She has asthma and forgot her inhaler. And I guess I forgot her other one." Christine admitted.
"My name is Dr. Leah Reynolds. I am a family therapist but I have some medical training. May I?" Leah asked.
"Please." Christine said.
"Her name?" Leah asked.
"Katie." Christine answered. Leah gripped Katie's shoulders and looked at her in the eyes.
"Katie, look at me." Leah said. Katie looked at her, obviously straining to breath and crying at the same time. "Okay, when I breathe in, you breathe in. When I breathe out, you do the same thing. In…out…in…out…" Leah explained. It took about five minutes but she finally got the asthma attack to stop.
"Thank you. I should have had her back-up inhaler. I worked last night and its just been…rough." Christine said.
"I understand." Leah answered.
"I'm Christine Slattery, the XO's…uh…wife. We're separated."
Christine said. She shook Leah's hand and gave her a warm smile.
"Look…here's my card. I'm not saying you or Katie need my help but it might be worth checking into it. If you don't want to have her see me, you can still call and I can get her into one of my partners. And the benefits package will cover it." Leah explained as she handed Christine her business card.
"I'll think about it. Normally, I'd refer to Mike but he'll be away and he has been worried about the kids adjusting." Christine said.
"I'm sure he won't argue with you getting the kids help. And Russ is away too. We just have to cope." Leah answered.
"You're…with Russ? I wondered why you were here." Christine
asked.
"Yes. We've kept it quiet." Leah answered.
"I understand. I'm glad. I always really liked Russ, but I'm not part of the group anymore." Christine replied.
"Mom, I'm hungry." The young boy stated. He looked exactly like his father. Christine smiled down at him.
"My cellphone number is written on the back. Call my office for an appointment and call me for coffee sometime." Leah said.
"Thank you. I appreciate it." Christine replied.
The women parted ways and as Leah watched Christine drive away, her heart went out to the other woman and her children. She needed a friend, even if it blurred the lines for Leah.