by Kris Jacen
“Where’s Tristan?” Doc Mac started looking around.
“Follow me. He’s sitting on the couch across the room. Cal and Cam are guarding him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them that still.” Siah led the way across the room. When they got there, it looked like the boys hadn’t moved an inch. As he watched, a tear went down Tristan’s cheek and Cam leaned over to wipe it away. None of them said anything.
“Aw shit, my little man.” Doc Mac went over and knelt in front of Tristan and put his hands on top of his on the Stetson. Tristan looked up and crumbled. Cal grabbed the Stetson from being squished as Tristan launched himself at his uncle.
Doc Mac shifted to hold the little boy against his chest as he stood. Siah looked over and noticed the heptad watching the scene. Kevin seemed both relieved and sad it wasn’t him holding his son. A man walked up to Kevin and said something that had Kevin nodding.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please follow the family out to the transfer location,” the man said before turning to Britt and her mother.
Another woman stepped up and started to open her mouth to say something but Kevin cut her off, “Not now, Penny. Just follow us outside.”
She pursed her lips and looked pissed but didn’t say anything.
Siah turned to the twins. They looked so smart in their suits — Cal in blue, Cam in black. Ties a bit crooked but acceptable. He held out his hands to them. “Ready boys?”
“Yeah, it’s time to say goodbye to Papa Andy,” Cam said as he took Siah’s right hand.
“One second, Mister Kent.” Cal went to his uncle, still holding Tristan. “Uncle Liam?”
“What’s up, Cal?” Doc Mac was swaying slightly as Tristan cried.
“Tris is going to want this outside. He’ll want to wear it as we walk following our dads.” Cal held out the Stetson.
“I’ll watch it for him,” Doc Mac said as he took the hat.
Cal moved over to Siah’s left and took his hand. They moved as a group to follow. When they got to the point, the heptad minus Kevin approached the hearse. Each had their Stetson on and what Siah was coming to think of as “military face” — a stone expression that seemed to hide a lot, in Siah’s opinion. They took up position, three on each side, to assist in transferring the casket to the caisson. Once the casket was in place, as one, they saluted and walked in formation to behind the caisson.
A movement on the right caught Siah’s attention and he glanced over. Standing there was a riderless horse, being controlled by a soldier. The soldier’s bearing looked very familiar, as he turned, Siah realized it was Carter. He led the horse to the front of the caisson.
Kevin led Britt and her mother right behind the heptad, standing between them each of them had what looked like to be a death grip on his arm. The other woman was right behind them with two girls and a man. Must be Britt’s sister and her family? The heptad’s spouses and then remaining guests followed behind.
The procession walked through the cemetery; somehow a gentle breeze was blowing. Siah was surprised none of the children were acting up. They were walking quietly holding the hand of an adult. Cal had been right. Tristan was holding Doc Mac’s hand, Stetson on his head, tilted back a bit so he could see. Siah looked and meet Debbie’s eyes. She had the baby against her shoulder; she leaned her cheek against his head and nodded at Siah. And right next to her was Scott with Julia in his arms. Julia had her thumb in her mouth, head against Scott’s neck.
It didn’t take that long to reach the graveside. Maybe eight minutes? When they arrived, Kevin escorted the ladies to a set of chairs and then stood at attention. The heptad moved to the end of the caisson, waiting for the casket. As the casket was removed from the caisson, the military present snapped to attention and saluted. Other put their hands over their hearts.
Siah watched as the heptad ensured that the flag was stretched out, level, and centered over the casket. Once they backed away, the family sat down and a chaplain moved to the side of the casket.
“Dearly beloved, today we say our final farewells to Colonel Andrew O’Connor. Colonel O’Connor served this nation honorably for twenty-eight years spending most of his service with the Cavalry. Colonel O’Connor…” the chaplain continued to list where he served and his awards and medals. Siah lost track of it all. It didn’t make a lot of sense to him but he was sure that it made complete sense to the others. Cal and Cam stayed right next to him, not even fidgeting. What brave children.
Once the chaplain finished, the family stood and those in uniform raised their hands to the salute position and held it. A loud bang sounded, shocking Siah. He knew there would be a salute fired but he apparently wasn’t ready for the noise of it. After the last volley, there was a silence then a lone bugle started “Taps”.
Siah looked at those gathered. He saw silent tears falling across the cheeks of the heptad’s spouses. Haley was standing next to her mother and turned her face into Jeanine’s side, little shoulders shaking. Once the song faded, the family sat again and the heptad moved to the casket. This time Kevin moved to stand at the head of the casket. Siah noticed Tristan pull away from Doc Mac who tried to stop him. Tristan moved up to stand at the opposite end of the casket from his father and saluted when he did. The heptad reached out and grasped the flag. Siah watched as they precisely folded it.
As Mackey turned to hand it to Kevin, Danny dropped to one knee and whispered something to Tristan, who completed his salute and turned with the heptad to face his grandmother and mother. Mackey whispered something to Kevin as he handed the flag over but it was too quiet for Siah to hear. Kevin nodded and took the flag. Siah could see him take a deep breath before turning to his mother-in-law. He went down on one knee and presented the flag to her. She placed one hand on top of the flag and one hand on Kevin’s cheek.
“Andy was so proud to have you as his son-in-law,” she said, softly before she leaned in and kissed his cheek.
Kevin stood and moved back next to Britt. A woman approached Mrs. O’Connor and presented her with a card. From his research, Siah knew this was an Arlington Lady and the card was the condolences of the Secretary of the Army. The chaplain then approached the family. He spoke to them for a minute then backed away.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this marks the end of the service for Colonel O’Connor. The family wishes to thank you for attending to remember his service to this nation,” the man from earlier said.
Siah knew no matter what happened to him and Carter, from this day forward, he would do what he could to take care of those he dealt with connected to the military. What service members and their families sacrificed deserved his best.
Chapter Seventeen
Binge movies seemed to work well for everyone. Just some down time with friends. They bounced between Jack’s — everyone brought food to pass around, Bree’s, Siah’s and Carter’s. Wells, Randolph and Tank still lived in the barracks so there wasn’t a lot of room for visitors. This week was at Siah’s.
It had been a long week with the kids. Everyone was still getting into the rhythm of being back at school even though they’d been back for three weeks already. Siah knew he needed this downtime with Carter and their friends. He paused for a moment, closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to shake off the cranky before everyone got there. He didn’t normally get this frustrated with the kids but something about today…
Siah was setting things up while Carter took a shower. He’d gotten here late since he had to drop off an assignment. Carter had finished up with the English class he’d taken over the summer and was now taking Algebra 1 and U.S. History. Siah thought Carter was gaining more confidence as he took additional classes. Maybe Siah could convince him he was what Siah wanted in a partner sooner rather than later.
Carter’s phone rang from the counter, catching Siah’s attention. “Hey Carter, your phone is ringing.”
“Grab it for me? I’m on call this weekend,” Carter yelled from the bathroom.
Siah shrugged, that was news to
him but he answered the call. “Sergeant May’s phone.”
“Who the hell is this?” an angry woman’s voice asked.
“Who’s this?” Siah shot back. Who the fuck did this woman think she was? Okay, maybe he still had some cranky in him.
“This is Irene May and you’re not my son,” the woman introduced herself.
“Carter’s mother?” Since when did she call Carter? She’d taken the ex’s side in everything if Siah remembered correctly.
“Yes, I am his mother. Where is my son?”
“He’s in the shower.” Siah waited to see what the woman had to say. He wasn’t impressed so far with the maternal love coming over the phone.
“Why are you answering his phone and who are you?”
“I’m answering because he asked me to and I’m his boyfriend.” Let’s see how she reacted to that.
“His what?” she shrieked.
“Boyfriend.” Yeah, Siah wasn’t giving any ground on this.
“He can’t have a boyfriend. He was married even if he screwed that up. Put him on the phone,” she demanded.
“He’s still in the shower and I’m not pulling him out just for you, even though I do love it when he’s all wet and slippery.” Suck on that, lady. Yup, the crankies were still here.
“You disgusting— Put my son on!”
Siah heard the door to the bathroom open and looked up. Carter was standing there with one towel around his hips while rubbed another over his head.
“Was it Sergeant Love?” he asked, his voice muffled by the towel.
“Nope, it’s your mother and she’s not pleased she’s talking to your boyfriend,” Siah answered, waiting to see what Carter’s reaction was. He didn’t have to wait long for the towel to whip down from his face.
“Did you say it’s my mother?”
Siah just nodded. He could hear the woman yelling something on the other end of the phone but he wasn’t really paying attention. Siah hadn’t been lying when he said Carter wet and slippery was a sight to behold.
Carter walked closer and took the phone from Siah’s hand. “Mom?”
Siah just couldn’t resist the beads of water sliding down Carter’s chest and leaned in to lick one of them. Carter jerked and frowned at him. Siah just shrugged, not really sorry, but he did back off. He shifted to leave the room and give Carter a little privacy but Carter stopped him by wrapping an arm around him. He was almost using Siah as a touchstone as he talked to his mother.
“Yes, Carter. Who was that man? He said he was your boyfriend but you’re not gay so that can’t be it. He wasn’t really funny.” Carter’s mother’s voice was tinny now that Siah didn’t have the phone to his ear but he could still hear her.
“He wasn’t joking. That was Siah, who is my boyfriend. We’ve been seeing each other for about four months. Why are you calling? You haven’t called me in a few years. Since you listened to the bullshit Jill told everyone.” Seemed to Siah Carter wasn’t backing down either.
“I called to let you know Jill’s body was returned to her parents last week. She died a few months ago but it took some time to identify her remains.”
Siah could hear Carter swallow a few times before he replied, “Okay, yeah. I’m sorry she’s passed but she’s not my responsibility anymore.”
“That’s harsh, Carter James. I didn’t raise you like that,” she scolded Carter.
“Well you didn’t raise me to be a doormat either and that’s what I was for Jill for the last two years we were together. She was out partying and probably sleeping around while I paid for everything and deployed to combat zones,” Carter snapped back.
“Carter James!” she yelled.
“No mother, I’m not taking it any longer. I’ve changed. I’ve begun to accept I’m worth way more than how Jill treated me.”
“You’ve changed but I’m not sure for the better.”
“Oh yes, it is for the better. I have friends that accept me as I am. They encourage me to grow and learn. Siah supports me in getting a college degree. He doesn’t judge me and sees the best in me. Senior NCOs have given me guidance, shared their knowledge and families with me and Siah. Their spouses aren’t the type to play around when they deploy, unlike Jill.” Carter was breathing hard as he finished.
“When you decide to talk to me with the respect I deserve, I’ll be willing to speak with you. This is not how I taught you to respect your elders.”
“You’re right. You taught me to give respect when it was given to me… which you haven’t done. I didn’t disrespect you, you disrespected me and my decisions. I wasn’t the one that started the divorce proceedings from Jill, although I should have. I didn’t say anything bad about Jill to those back home. She did both, and you and everyone else believed her. So unless you’re going to apologize for your lack of faith in me, this call is over.”
Carter was quiet for a minute then said, “Obviously you’re still stuck in your ways. When you’re ready to apologize, you’ve got my number. I can’t guarantee I’ll be willing to listen at that point. Goodbye.” He touched the screen on his phone then threw it on the counter before dropping his head to Siah’s shoulder.
Siah just held Carter, not knowing what to really say. He heard the door open behind him but didn’t pay much attention. More worried about Carter than who was there.
“No one told me clothing was optional this week,” Randolph said.
He shifted Carter so his back was to the group and looked at Randolph, trying to convey… what he wasn’t sure. “Hey Dolphy, can you take care of setting up the movie? We’ll be out in a minute.”
Randolph nodded. “I’ve got this.”
Siah pulled back a little bit from Carter and said, “Let’s go.” He led Carter to the bedroom and sat them both on the bed then held his hand. They sat there for a few minutes before Carter said anything.
“Thanks.”
“For what? Outing you? Telling your mother off? Supporting you while you did?” Siah wasn’t sure he needed thanks for anything. If anything, he should probably be apologizing to Carter.
“All the above? I knew she was rigid but didn’t realize…” he trailed off, clearly upset. “When she called after all this time I guess I hoped…”
“I’m sorry but you were right when you told her about your friends and me. We support you and like you as you are. We don’t expect you to change to fit what we want.” Siah squeezed Carter’s hand. “I’d even go so far as to say, I might be falling in love with you.”
Siah wasn’t sure if this was the time to say the “L” word but it just came out. Carter’s head snapped around to meet Siah’s gaze.
“I might be too,” Carter whispered.
Chapter Eighteen
What the hell was he thinking? Standing for the Audie Murphy board at the same time as he took two college classes wasn’t the smartest idea he’d had this year. Carter was pacing outside the battalion conference room, mumbling to himself, trying to remember the highpoints of Audie Murphy’s bio.
“Audie Leon Murphy born in North Texas on June 20, 1924. Refused enlistment by the Marines and Paratroopers. Joined the Army a few days after his 18th birthday. Served in 15th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. Fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany. Battlefield commission for his courage and leadership. Highest decorated soldier in American history. Discharged from the Army on September 21, 1945. “To Hell and Back,” book and film about his war experiences. Killed in a plane crash near Roanoke, Virginia on May 28, 1971. Body recovered 2 days later on Memorial Day.” Christ, there was a lot to remember.
Carter checked his phone for the time. 1317. Still had another thirteen minutes until his board. He was going to give himself an aneurysm or an ulcer or just drive himself insane in those few minutes. Maybe he should check his uniform again? Since coming to the battery he’d gotten much more meticulous when it came to his uniform but another look couldn’t hurt.
Looking up and down the hallway, he spi
ed the bathroom sign not too far down on the right. Heading toward the bathroom, he wasn’t paying too much attention, still mumbling the facts. He knew the questions regarding military traditions and history, he had down pat but the bio…
Pushing open the door, Carter walked in and saw the mirror on the left. Just as he turned to inspect his uniform, a fist came out of nowhere and connected with the side of his head. The blow caused him to stumble into the counter, catching himself before he dropped to the floor. What the fuck?
Another blow to the back of his head, knocked him to his knees. He looked up in the mirror to see a guy in ACUs, shemagh covering his head and face, gloves on, with no name tape on his chest. Oh this definitely wasn’t good. Whoever this was, knew where Carter was going to be and had obviously thought this out.
His attacker grabbed him by the hair and slammed his face against the mirror. While Carter was trying to get his brain to work to defend himself, a kick landed against his ribs then his hip. A hit to his temple, following by… Carter wasn’t sure how many hits. He couldn’t think to fight back; he was in survival mode. Covered his head and went into a fetal position to try and protect his core.
It could have been minutes or hours before his attacker seemed to have done the damage he wanted. Carter heard his footsteps back away then he heard some whispering.
“Teach you a fucking lesson. See what that does for you. Think you deserve a uniform, not fucking likely.”
Carter heard the door open and close followed by silence. The last thought Carter had before blackness was, he knew the voice.
§ § § §
“What the fuck! May! May, can you hear me?” a voice woke Carter. He just wished they weren’t yelling. “May! Answer me, soldier!”
Carter heard a door open then the voice was yelling again. “Someone call the medics and the fucking MPs! Get me the sergeant major and someone fucking call Captain Harris. I need him here ASAP.”
He was turned on his back, gently, and felt hands running along his head and sides. “What the fuck happened to you? Need to wake up for me, May.”
