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“Not really; all I did was submit my DNA and they matched us up. These two have new babies at home, but they arranged this so I could be part of it because I’m leaving for Afghanistan next week.”
“My head is swirling,” he replied.
He asked questions of each one, wanting to hear about Bridget’s deployment, what the men did for a living, about their new babies. They, in turn, got a good understanding of Chris’s current life. And then the question they expected, who were his birth parents.
As planned, Bridget talked about Val. They had decided to leave out the awful story of Chris’s conception for now. It would have to be brought up eventually because the Chastain brothers had no intention of communication with Val Amotte.
Justin talked about his mother, several times overcome with emotion where he’d have to stop talking to compose himself. Fortunately, Chris had to leave after two hours, so the visit didn’t linger.
“I enjoyed meeting you. Now, what’s next?” Chris asked.
“We’d like you to come to us when you can. If you can make it before Bridget has to leave, that would be great.”
They would let Val make his own plans to meet Chris.
“I’d love to visit you. We’ll talk this week.”
In the parking lot, they talked for a few more minutes and then hugged goodbye.
The hour ride was made almost entirely in silence, there was so much to think about. Finally, Justin spoke. “Bridget is leaving in one week. We should try to spend as much time as we can with you.”
“I want to spend time with you both, too. But I’m not sure how much I’ll have. I’ll need to go back to New Orleans to say goodbye to my parents. And so that everything is aboveboard with you guys, I’m seeing Luke Esprit.”
“Okay! Is it serious?” Dave asked, turning around to face her.
“I’m serious about him until I leave. We aren’t going to make any commitments to each other or anything like that. It would make it too difficult for him and I don’t want to be distracted while I’m there.”
“That’s a lot,” the brothers chorused.
They’d arrived back in Cypress Cove. “Where to?” Justin asked.
“Do you mind dropping me off at Luke’s? I’m not in the mood to rehash the visit with my uncle Val.”
“Luke’s it is. Where is his place?”
She gave him directions to a multifamily triplex off Main Street just outside of the city limits.
“Stay in touch,” she said, climbing out of the truck.
“I will,” Justin said. “If it’s okay with Dave, I’ll have everyone out to Maggie’s place. There’s more room to spread out if it gets weird. It’ll be fine, I’m sure, but it’s hard to tell from one lunch visit.”
“It’s okay with me,” Dave replied.
“Right. Maggie’s will be great. I might have a date,” she said.
“That’s fine. We like Luke,” Justin said, chuckling.
They watched her climb the stairs to his door, then turn around and wave to them. The door opened and Luke Esprit stepped aside to make room for her to pass and waved.
“Barbie and Ken,” Justin said, laughing. “It’s what Maggie calls them.”
“I don’t see her in a field hospital though, do you?” Dave asked.
“Evidently, that’s her calling. Nursing and the Marine Corp.”
“You came back,” Luke said, holding the door for her. He waited until Justin Chastain’s truck was out of sight and as soon as it was, he took her by the arm and pulled her into his house, shutting the door behind them.
In each other’s arms, they kissed like it was their last chance, and it almost was.
