The idea of such access to the monolith in the West.His heart beat a little faster.He hated the tropics.He hated the languages, the people, and the food.Oh, but he hated the United States of America more.What he could do with so much access and a puppet under his command!
“I will be in touch,” he said, standing.He tossed his untouched tea into the trash bin next to the bench.
Clarksville, Tennessee
November
Olive eased the front door shut and dropped her keys in a dish on the little entry table.
She walked through her living room, the late afternoon light spilling through the big window onto the worn hardwood.Her beige couch held a riot of mismatched pillows—pink, yellow, orange.A crocheted blanket from her sister draped over the back, its bright stripes a splash against the brick hearth’s quiet gray.
As she kicked off her shoes, she pulled the band off the end of her braid and finally freed her hair from its confines.Her scalp sighed as the auburn strands spilled free, and she rubbed the ache loose, fingers gently massaging her scalp.
She needed a shower and bed, but as tired as she felt, her mind raced ninety-to-nothing, reliving the three-hour lunch with Sergeant First Class Gerald A.“Jerry” McBride, thirty years old, O-negative, decorated Special Forces sniper.She went into the kitchen, the white tile cold against her socked feet.After she turned on the kettle, she grabbed an herbal tea bag from the box on the counter and plopped it into the waiting mug.
A mischievous grin pulled on her cheeks when she thought about the way he’d retreated when she first said the word, “Captain”.Clearly, lunch would not have happened today if she had required Jerry to render her a parade ground salute from time to time.Jerry continued to serve as a Non-Commissioned Officer.Mixing ranks like that would break so many rules, hers and Uncle Sam’s.
That didn’t matter now, did it?Her mind flickered back to the way amusement filled his eyes while he told her an anecdotal story, his hand strong when he shook hers, his grin that made her heart thump like a cannon inside her chest.She hadn’t felt anything like this in a long time.
Post surgery, he’d oozed with a careless kind of anesthesia-induced charm.Today, he radiated a sober strength and steady character.He’d stirred something inside her she didn’t really recognize yet.
She poured steaming water over the teabag.The chamomile’s soothing floral mist rose, already relaxing her before even taking a sip.
With a sigh, she carried the mug to her couch.She settled in, pulled her legs up under her, and stared blankly into the cold hearth of her fireplace, letting her mind relax.
The vibration of her phone startled her out of an almost doze.She glanced down and read her sister Irene’s message to their family chat.
Irene: Thanksgiving!Excited to do Tennessee instead of Mobile.
Thanksgiving already?How had the last week gone so quickly?
She wrote back:
Olive: So excited.Can’t wait to see everyone and show you my new place.
It took seconds for her mom to reply.
Mom: Freddy’s flight arrives in Nashville Wednesday morning.We’ll pick him up on the way to your new place.Dad confirmed we’ll be in the motorhome.
She glanced around her home.Her sister could sleep in the spare room.Her brother could take the couch in here.She had plenty of room for the motor home next to the house and an outlet right there for her father to plug into.She could not wait to open her home to the people she loved most in the world.
Olive: Sounds good.
She hesitated, her fingers hovering over the keys.Even though she knew her mom well, she went ahead and asked:
Olive: Did you already buy food?
She chuckled at her mom’s reply.
Mom: Turkey’s already in the fridge, getting ready for dad to brine it.We’ll bring it with us.I’ll send you a shopping list for the fresh items we’ll need once we get there.
She took a sip of her tea and leaned further back against the couch cushion, yawning a jaw-cracking yawn that made her eyes tear up a little.Her phone buzzed again, and she glanced at it, expecting to find her mom’s shopping list.Instead, to her delight, she saw a new text from Jerry.Her heart rate increased slightly as she opened it.
Jerry: Enjoyed coffee.Hope we can do something again soon.
The grin she couldn’t erase after leaving the food court matured into a toothy smile.Her fingers hovered over the screen, then she typed back.
Olive: Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?
