Page 8 of Destiny Reclaimed
He stepped through the doorway and leaned his tall slim bag against the bed, pulled it open, and dug deep for the service uniform which had worked its way to the bottom during his journey home. He pulled out the drab, olive-green coat, gripped the shoulders, and shook it vigorously hoping to shake out any wrinkles. Then, he shook out the pants, and then the gray undershirt.
A knock sounded on the door drawing his attention.
"Come in."
The door pushed open, and his mother stepped into the room with a hair clipper gripped in her hand. He chuckled at her lack of subtleness. His hair was a bit longer than normal, but it still didn't touch his ears.
"I can cut your hair before you go to Gwendoline's."
Her gaze darted to his uniform. "And, I can press that while you wash."
He followed her back down to the kitchen and took a seat as she fired up the clippers. When she was finished, he padded off to the bathroom for a shower.
By the time he returned to his bedroom, she had his freshly pressed service uniform draped over the footboard of his bed. He slid into the uniform and eyed himself in the mirror on the back of the door as he worked the four gold buttons on the jacket. His skin itched where the polyester touched him, especially his thighs where the fabric gripped around him a bit tighter.
He placed the palm of his hand over his heart, closed his eyes, and drew in a deep breath. He'd debated wearing his uniform to the Tebon home, and in the end, felt it appropriate in light of what had happened to Marvin.
When Jack descended the staircase, his parents stepped out of the living room.
His mom closed the gap between them and lightly brushed her palms over his shoulders as she flashed him an encouraging smile. "You look so handsome. Gwendoline will be lucky to have you."
"I am the lucky one," he replied.
His dad held a set of keys in the air. "Take the Pontiac."
Jack pulled the vehicle out of the garage and drove the short distance to the Tebon house. With each block, his nervous fingers tightened on the steering wheel. He wasn't sure which made him more anxious, facing Gwennie and her parents knowing Marvin had been killed, or proposing to his love. The timing couldn't be worse, but he loved her and couldn't go another moment without making her his.
He parked in front of the old two-story home his girlfriend and best friend had grown up in. Nothing had changed in the two years he'd been gone. The home was painted standard white with black trim and shutters. A detached, single-stall garage sat to the left of it. The basketball hoop still hung at the center of the garage peak, but without the net, probably disintegrated by now.
With sluggish steps, he walked up the sidewalk to the front door and reached for the gold-colored knocker. All the shine had been erased from years of sun.
The door flung open before his fingers could grip the metal, and Mrs. Tebon flung herself into his arms.
"Oh my God. You're home. You're safe," the compassionate woman said with a shaky voice.
Relief sifted through him. The way she gripped him he was thankful she wasn't upset he'd survived when her son hadn’t.
"It's good to be home."
After a moment, she eased back and swiped the tears from her face with her sleeve. "Gwendoline will be so happy. She's not here right now. She went to help Mrs. Harman this morning after she finished her shift at the hospital. She'll be home soon."
The plump woman rubbed her hands over her arms. "Where are my manners? It's chilly out here. Come in. Come in," she said excitedly as she stepped back into the house.
He followed her into her home and turned to shut the door behind him. By the time he spun back around, Mr. Tebon stood a few feet behind his wife. The burly man stared at him with a blank expression. Mr. Tebon was one of those tough, man-of-few-words men. Truth be told, he scared Jack when he was a kid. Scared him even more when he began dating the guy's only daughter. And, right now, he was scared shitless this guy would be angry with him that he survived the war and his oldest son had not, and then hold it against him and not permit him to marry Gwennie.
The man's gaze pinned him into a frozen state. Tears pooled in the brawny guy's eyes. He swallowed audibly then stepped toward him and took him into a bear-hug. Jack would bet his soul this man never hugged another guy in his life. Not even his sons. It wasn't his style.
Jack returned his gaze to Mrs. Tebon. Her lips shaped into a warm smile, and she swiped away more tears.
Without a word, Jack stayed in place until the man broke off.
"Welcome home, son."
Son.Tears stung the back of his eyes at the touching endearment.
"Thank you, sir."
“No need for the formalities. You can drop the sir.” Mr. Tebon pointed to himself and then his wife. “It’s Walter and Mary Lou, now.”
