Page 23 of Spring UnVeiled
When his ex-wife fell into her friend’s arms, they burst into tears.
Evan opened his door and grabbed a few boxes.He was met halfway to the house by his boss.“When your men heard about your loss and the baby, everyone asked what they could do.”He chuckled as he looked at his administrative assistant still holding Genevieve.“Leave it to Marta to organize a work party.”He gestured to the door.“Their wives, fiancées, and girlfriends have been here most of the afternoon cleaning house—not that it needed it in my opinion—and cooking for tonight’s supper.It’s just spaghetti, but smells fucking awesome.I haven’t had home cooking since…” He didn’t need to finish that sentence.
Two young men single-handedly carried the heavy cribs toward the house.
“One of those stays in the truck.It needs to go—” Evan’s instructions were interrupted.
“Put the light oak one upstairs and the dark cherry one in there,” Genevieve ordered as she opened the garage door.So much for his plans of filling the VIP temporary housing with baby stuff that will end up in his new quarters.
The SEAL carrying the dark wood crib looked at the captain, his eyes requesting confirmation or new directions.“Do as the lady says.”Evan’s gaze met Genevieve’s.It was as though their old nonverbal communication had locked back into place.Without a word, he said thank you.Her smile confirmed that she understood that she’d opened the door for him…for them.
Half an hour later, Evan peered into what was once Kylie’s room.Marta had parked Genevieve in the rocking chair and given her a glass of wine.She hadn’t been allowed to lift anything, simply give orders.
He’d seen his daughter’s bedding come down the stairs in the arms of one of the wives.
He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer, but he asked anyway, “What did Genevieve want done with those?”
The lieutenant junior grades’ wife gave him a small smile after she introduced herself and mentioned her husband.“I’m going to take them home and wash them.Ms.Hubbard said to give them away.I’ll take them to the Navy Relief Society.There always seems to be some sailor’s family in need.These are beautiful, and hardly used.”
“Thank you.I appreciate everything you’re doing.”Evan then returned to putting together the changing table with the help of the vice admiral.
“I’m just glad Ms.Merkel called.This is something I can do for both of you.”She quickly added, “I’m sorry for your loss.”She smiled then.“I’m excited to start transforming the room for Ian.Jack and I wanted to wait until he was promoted to lieutenant before we started our family.”On that, she disappeared out the front door.
Shortly afterward, four of his men wrangled the mattress and box springs down the steps and out the door, headed to one of the many pickups.Someone would deliver all the garbage to a base dumpster.
As Evan looked in on his ex-wife and Marta, the room was nearly bare.Several of the wives were washing down the walls while two more were on their knees cleaning the baseboards.Another had tackled the window.Two others had brought wardrobe shipping boxes, obviously from a recent move, and were emptying all the hanging clothes from the closet.
“Excuse me, sir,” a man in his mid-thirties said from behind him.“We haven’t met.I’m Commander Jake Burton, C.O.of Team 5.It’s a pleasure to meet you.I just wish it were under better circumstances.”
Evan gave him a half-hearted grin.“Me, too,” he said as they shook hands.
The man next to him held out his hand.“Commander William Dennis, better known around here as Wild Bill.I’ve recently taken over Team 1.”He glanced in the room.“Our wives are clearing out the closet.Thank goodness Susie always keeps boxes after every move.She was the one who thought about them when Ms.Merkel called her.That woman really is Ms.Miracle.”
“She’s one hell of a woman.”Vice Admiral Maddox’s booming voice echoed in the stairwell.
Marta Merkel stepped to the door.“I was just doing the unwritten part of my job description.Or maybe it comes under the clause, other duties as assigned.”
Vice Admiral Maddox smiled at the sassy woman who worked for him.“I didn’t ask you to do all this.I just asked you what you thought Evan and Genevieve needed.”
Marta raised her eyebrows.“They needed all this.”
Trevor Maddox put his hand over his heart.“Thank you.”He dropped his hand.“Now, what needs to be done next?”
“The two of you old men can move out of the way so Commander Dennis and Commander Burton can take these boxes out of here.”She turned to Genevieve.“Do you want those to go to Navy Relief, too?”
Genevieve didn’t say anything, just rolled her lips between her teeth and nodded her head up and down.
The two Team commanders slid into the room and grabbed boxes.
Evan watched as his ex-wife fought back tears.He couldn’t stand it.He went into the room that had been their daughter’s and pulled her out of the chair and into his arms.
“I know this is hard for you, but this is the best place for Ian.”His words were quiet, next to her ear, only for her.
“She hasn’t even been gone twenty-four hours and it’s as though I’m erasing her from my life.”Her tears started to flow once again.
He looked at the open box next to the rocker.He recognized several things.Bare Bear, the now ragged teddy bear he’d given Kylie the first time he had to leave Vivi alone with their baby and head out for several weeks of training.Their daughter had named him after Evan had read her the story of Winnie the Pooh who wore clothes, but her bear was bare.From that moment on, he was Bare Bear.
Grief suddenly hit Evan.He would never have moments like that with his daughter again.
