Luci stood a few feet away, looking wary. “Did Mom know you were coming?”
“No, I was too anxious to get up here and give you photos of your dad.” I handed her the envelope. “The one of you as a newborn is on the top of the stack. But as I was searching for it, I discovered a bunch I’d taken of him over the years—while we were away on the ship mostly.”
Becca came out to the foyer, her face a question mark. “Dorian?”
“I brought photos. For Luci.” My voice cracked. “And I had the night free. You know …”
“What happened?” Becca asked, coming closer.
“I just needed to see you all,” I said.
“I’m going to get us a few beers,” Mark said, clearly wanting to give us space. “Maybe we can sit out back?”
“That would be great,” I said.
“Can I come?” Maria asked, slipping her hand into Mark’s.
“How could I say no to you?” Mark asked as they headed to the back of the house.
“We’ll be right there,” Becca called after them.
“Do you want to look at the photos?” I asked.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Luci opened the envelope and stared down at the photo of her as a baby.
“I really did look like an old man,” she said, voice thick.
“A very cute one,” I said.
Becca peered over Luci’s shoulder. “I remember that photo. I took it. You were only hours old.”
“He looks like he loves me a lot,” Luci said.
“He certainly did,” Becca said. “He often told me you and Maria were the best things he ever did.”
We flipped through the dozen photos I’d found. I told Luci what I remembered about the times they were taken. “We went all over the world. The Navy gave us that.”
“It took too much,” Becca said softly.
“Yeah, it did,” I said. “Way too much.”
“I’m going to my room to look at these again,” Luci said. “Maybe I’ll make a collage for my wall?”
“That’s a great idea,” Becca said.
Luci gave me a hug. “Thanks for bringing these. And finding them.”
“My pleasure.”
Luci took the stairs two at a time as she headed up to the second floor.
Becca studied me. “Come out back. You can tell us all about it.”
Like a docile lamb, I followed. The night was chilly now that the sun had set. Mark had turned on the patio lights and the gas fire pit. Several beers waited on the patio table. According to Mark, Maria had wandered off to study an inch worm she’d seen making its way up the patio wall.
“When do you leave for your honeymoon?” I asked, after taking a seat around the fire.
