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Chapter 47
I didn’t driveto my hotel. My recent experiences told me nothing good happened at that place. I’d had to talk to people I didn’t want to. I’d even had a scuffle with someone. And everyone seemed to know the address.
Instead, just a few minutes after I left Roberta, I found myself headed north. North on I-95. The only slowdown I hit on my four-hour trip to New York City was in Philadelphia. And it wasn’t too bad.
It didn’t matter how rough the trip was. It would be worth it when I saw the faces of my wife and kids as I stepped through the door. It was a risk. I might catch them on a night when everyone was out. Or I might catch everyone in a bad mood. It didn’t matter to me. I just needed my family. Even if it was for only a single night.
The first face I saw as I stepped through the door was Juliana’s. She was working on the dining room table, frantically writing on a legal pad as she paged through books spilling all across the width of the table. I stood in the doorway and stared at my beautiful oldest daughter.
She had the tip of her tongue stuck out the left side of her mouth. A sure sign of concentration since she was a little kid. She turned her head to see who’d opened the front door but not come through the dining room yet. That’s when I saw the grin spread across her face. I didn’t know what was more stunning: the dimples from her smile or the white, perfect teeth giving me faith she’d make it as an actress one day.
She was on her feet and running to me as she squealed, “Dad.”
That brought a chain of responses throughout the house. I could hear Mary Catherine asking what the commotion was about as she marched toward the front door.
Juliana literally leapt into my arms. She hadn’t done that since she was a little girl. Instantly, I realized I’d made the right decision to come home.
Then I was hit by guided missile after guided missile. Chrissy, Shawna, and Fiona would’ve made good linebackers the way they hit me and held on.
My world seemed to freeze as I saw Mary Catherine. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and looked like she’d been helping Fiona craft. Sparkles and some glue globs clung to her fingers. A blue ribbon was stuck to her leg, but I wasn’t going to mention it. I just stared at her beautiful face. Her blond hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. Her blue eyes opened wide as she saw me.
The kids made way, and she came right at me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and planted a big kiss on my lips. Big enough for a couple of the younger kids to turn away in disgust. To me, the kiss was just right.
When Mary Catherine stepped back, she said, “Where’s your bag?”
That’s when I had to level with her. “I’m only home for a visit.” It hurt to see the kids’ smiles drop almost immediately. I thought Chrissy was going to cry.
I looked to soften the blow. “I just missed you guys so much that, after lunch, I couldn’t go back to my hotel. Once I got on I-95, I didn’t even think about turning back.”
Brian and Ricky wandered in from the living room. Their greeting was much more restrained. “Hey, Dad.” They both gave me a quick hug. But the others were still staring at me like they deserved an explanation.
I said, “I have to go back to DC tomorrow. I hope I won’t have to stay long. What I’m doing in DC is really important to me.”
Mary Catherine still had her arm around my waist as she said, “If it’s important to you, it’s important to us.” When she didn’t get the rousing response she’d expected, Mary Catherine looked at the kids and said more forcefully, “It’s important to us, right, guys?”
Now I saw where the term commandant came in. Every kid immediately chimed in. It was very impressive to influence so many people with just one command. She could work for the NYPD. Maybe even the marines. Either way, I was glad she’d taken on this job instead.
I owed Roberta Herring a lunch. Hers was the best advice anyone had ever given me. I’d been home only a couple of minutes and I already felt like a new man.
