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I had woken up before him that morning and managed to get through a couple hours of work. I missed my old job, sometimes, at the online news publication, but being a freelance photo editor afforded me so much more freedom so the trade-off was totally worth it. I could work when I wanted to and the pay was pretty good. It was actually the perfect job for someone like me.
I took a sip of my coffee and looked out over the ocean, I could never get enough of all that fresh air. I guess in many ways I was still recovering from that stifling, choking feeling of life in The Green Zone. Even though it was two years ago, those three months of relentless dry heat made me feel as though I could never really take a full deep breath of fresh air. I think that’s what had attracted me to this house when I returned. The openness of it. I needed a change, that’s for sure. The first step was to change jobs, which I did.
Next, I finally found a good use for my inheritance from my dad, which was modest but enough to put a down payment on an open concept bungalow built into the mountains just outside of Carmel. The town was a tiny, sleepy little beach community and I loved it. And since I was working from home, we could go visit my family and Libby in Santa Cruz anytime we wanted. Two years later, I felt as though I was truly healed from what happened in The Green Zone. I
realized I had zoned out just then and Walker brought me back to the present moment.
“Sorry, love, I guess I lost myself in thought there for a moment. Now, let’s make some fun plans for today! I would really like to… I would love to…”
I couldn’t help it, I suddenly became overwhelmed, as I did often, by the way he looked at me. A little tear began to well up and I tried hard to stop it but it rolled down my cheek anyway.
“Walker,” I sniffed.
He cocked his head to the side, seemingly unaware of why my mood had changed all of a sudden.
“I’m sorry baby, it’s not you. You just look so much like your Daddy when you smile.”
“Mamaaaa,” he garbled.
“That’s right, love,” I smiled through bittersweet tears, “I’m your Mama.”
Twenty-Nine
Axel
“Thank you so much for seeing me, sir,” I shook Mr. Powers’ hand as he welcomed me into his home.
I had never met Ty’s father but I knew that he would appreciate my visit. Especially after everything that had happened and especially since Mr. Powers was himself, a retired member of the Elite Force Protectors. Of course, I never knew exactly what Ty’s father did in the force but I knew he was a legend. All the harder then, I imagined, for the Powers family to deal with what happened to their son.
Just a month after the helicopter incident Mr. and Mrs. Powers had been personally visited by the Vice President and thanked profusely for Ty’s part in the safe return of his granddaughter as well as for his bravery in fighting The Fear Division. Public acknowledgement of any kind was, of course, impossible due to the secret nature of the Elite Force Protectors but Mr. Powers was well-aware of this and very proud of his son.
“Please, come in Axel,” said Ty’s mother as she ushered me into the family’s living room. I sat down on an big tan couch and accepted her offer of coffee. “I’ll be right back,” she said with a kind smile.
Ty’s father sat down in a red and gold wingback chair directly in front of me and nodded again in my direction. Sometimes I couldn’t help but laugh inwardly at how us military guys spend so much time being formal and obeying “the rules” that we miss out on how to be natural and normal. I nodded back awkwardly. What was there to say? It’s not as though I truly knew these people. I just felt it was the right thing to do. Thankfully Mrs. Powers entered the room again with a tray of coffee and round chocolate balls. I couldn’t help but stare at them. It seemed like a weird treat to offer a guest.
“They’re called chocolate bombs,” Mrs. Powers laughed softly, “I invented them for Ty. Ever since he was a boy he loved things that go boom. This was his calling, to be in the military. He’s the most talented explosives expert and the military is lucky to have him.”
“Was,” Mr. Powers corrected her. “Was lucky to have him.”
“I know,” she said, her face saddened. “I know.”
We all stared at the ground for a moment.
I spent the next twenty minutes or so paying my respects before excusing myself. I knew it wasn’t going to be a comfortable visit but that’s what EFP brothers do. Still, I couldn’t help but feel his parents’ eyes on me as though they thought, why him and not you? Plus there was the fact that it had been two years and I just showed up at their home completely unannounced, after all this time. It must have brought back a lot of emotions for Ty’s parents. Eventually I had stayed long enough and politely let them know I had to leave.
“So, where you off to now?” said Mr. Powers as I stood in the doorway and thanked him for his hospitality one last time.
“Well, sir, I’ve spent the last two years in forced hiding due to The Fear Division’s bounty on my head and the head of anyone related or known to me closely. To say I’ve felt like a caged animal is quite the understatement. I’ve got some family business to attend to and some personal matters as well.”
“So you’re finished with the military then?”
“Not exactly, Mr. Powers,” I said. “I’ll be moved into a different role after I take a short leave and breathe some much needed fresh air.”
“Well listen, son, thank you for your visit, I know Ty appreciates it. Tell him his mother misses him very much.”
What?
Oh no.
