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As they were about to sit, Melanie noticed an extra place setting. “Dinner guests?” Bixby answered by running and yapping at the kitchen door, and she heard the familiar voice of her brother Justin. “Jus!” She dashed toward his wide-open arms.
“Mel!” He picked her up and swung her around, careful not to knock over one of the many potted plants their mother cherished. He set her back down. “Look at you, all grown up.”
It had been two years since they’d seen each other. Justin was deployed and constantly on the move to parts unknown. He wasn’t at liberty to discuss his whereabouts. If his family wanted to get in touch with him, they had to send letters to a special military post office box where communications would be forwarded to him. If they wanted to talk to him, they had to go through a secure line with the permission and cooperation of his wing commander.
They took their usual seats, said grace, and began to pass the serving bowls. Dorothy looked at both of her adult children. “Who would have thought we’d be sitting here one day with both of you doing secret spy stuff.”
Justin was the first to break in. He cleared his throat. “Mom, we are not spies.”
“Yes, we do secret stuff, so the bad guys don’t know what we’re up to,” Melanie quickly added.
Dorothy raised an eyebrow. “If you say so.” She knew there was a tremendous amount of secrecy involved in the work both were doing. It worried her from time to time. She had no idea if they were in danger or not. “I can’t help being concerned about your well-being. I am your mother, after all.”
“Remember what you once told me?” Melanie asked, and then repeated it. “ ‘Worry is like paying a debt you don’t owe.’ You can try to be prepared for the obvious things when you are driving, cooking, working.”
Justin took it from there. “Mel is right. There are things that are totally out of your control. Dwelling on the what ifs is a waste of time.”
Peter chimed in. “Seriously, Dorothy. You could worry yourself to death if you let every possible negative scenario into your head.”
Dorothy was never one for being soppy, but having both her children working in high-risk careers wasn’t ideal. Why couldn’t Justin have become a real estate lawyer? Or Melanie a college professor? Or vice versa? It doesn’t seem right. “Well, I don’t think it’s crazy for me to be uneasy.”
Peter reached over and took her hand. “Be proud. They are doing good work for our democracy. We raised two very smart, educated kids. Adult kids.” He winced. “Is that an oxymoron?”
“We’ll always be your kids.” Melanie clucked.
“Thank you for the clarification.” Peter smiled. “My point is, neither of you are reckless. You’re bright. Sharp. I don’t recall anything ever getting past either of you.” He said thoughtfully, “I have complete confidence you will be cautious, wary, and mindful.”
“Thanks, Pops!” Justin grinned. “See, Mom? That’s the way to think about it.”
Dorothy smiled. “I know you’re right. Must be something in my DNA.”
“Like you said, you’re a mother.” Melanie chuckled, as did everyone else, including Dorothy.
With Justin in special ops, he couldn’t discuss what he was working on or where. Anyone could find out where the Air Force bases were located, but not everyone in the Air Force worked specifically at the base. Operatives could be in a safe house hundreds of miles away, depending on the mission. But he could talk about layover cities he had visited, as long as they weren’t in chronological order. He’d enjoyed Amsterdam and England and talked about the tourist-type things he’d experienced.
“But the most incredible thing was Stonehenge. A testament to human ingenuity.” He went on to describe the prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain. It was an outer ring of vertical stones standing about thirteen feet high and seven feet wide, with several connected by horizontal stones.
“It dates back to four or five thousand years ago. We took a VIP tour called the Stone Circle Experience. It’s a small group of about thirty people, and you get to wander around through the pillars and walk on the same path as people who lived thousands of years ago.”
“Many connect the Druids with Stonehenge,” Melanie added. It was on her bucket list. “Historians believe it was a place of worship.”
Justin broke in. “I can believe it. The sunset was spectacular. It was a very humbling experience.”
“You? Humble? That is to laugh.” Melanie shot him a devilish grin.
“London was a different story.”
“How so?” Dorothy asked.
“Pubs. Everywhere you turned there was a pub. Or so it seemed.”
“That’s because you were probably looking for them.” Melanie shot another jab.
“It’s so nice to have both of you home.” Peter laughed and leaned back in his chair.
For Melanie, there wasn’t much glamor to share. Actually there was none except her visits to the Arboretum, which she’d visited often before her afternoon with a sociopath. If only she had punched him in the face.
They sat and talked for over two hours. It was after ten p.m. when the conversation began winding down.
