| Subject: Worth the Wait- Ch. 9 |
Author:
Grandma JAG
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Date Posted: 23:21:45 10/26/02 Sat
In reply to:
Grandma JAG
's message, "Worth the Wait" on 22:59:22 10/26/02 Sat
Chapter 9
Mac’s Apartment
13 April 2002
0900 hours
Mac gulped down a bagel and some coffee as she blew dry her hair and put on some makeup. Harm had called an hour ago and said he needed to drop something off at her apartment before he headed out to Springfield to work some more on the house. Harriet was throwing her a shower at 1100 and then they were going to work on the centerpieces for the reception. It seemed like she hadn’t even seen much of Harm in the last three weeks. She had actually seen him more at work than at home. Between him working on the house and her taking care of wedding details, they never seemed to have any time alone! Oh well, Mac thought, after next Sunday we’ll have the rest of our lives! Just the thought of it sent shivers down her spine.
A knock at the door made her jump back into reality. She threw open the door, ready to greet her sailor with a big hug and kiss. But what she saw made her gasp, and almost stop breathing!
Standing in the doorway, beside Harm, was her mother. At least Mac thought it was her mother. A much thinner woman than she had seen a few years ago, and much grayer hair--- but yes, Mac was sure this was her mother!
“M-M-Mom?” Mac stammered, still not believing what she was seeing.
“Hello, baby,” Mac’s mother responded, unsure of her daughter’s reaction.
Mac looked at Harm as she tried to ask all the questions that were swirling around in her mind. “But....... how........... where........... why..........?”
Harm flashed his flyboy grin. “You sound like my high school English teacher covering the parts of a news story. Here, both of you sit down and I’ll tell my story.”
It seems that after Harm’s success in getting Uncle Matt out of Leavenworth, he decided to see if he could find Mac’s mother. Mac had not seen her since her father died several years ago, and she didn’t particularly want to see her. But Harm was sure with the upcoming wedding, that Mac would want her mother there.
So he got in touch with all his old contacts, even Webb, and had Harriet working on this end, and finally located Mac’s mother in southern California. He called her and brought her up-to-date on Mac’s life and offered to fly her out the week before the wedding, to share in all the festivities of her only daughter’s wedding.
“But, Mom, you’ve changed! You look so----- so------” Mac was so amazed at the transformation, she couldn’t even think of the words she wanted.
“Thin?” Mac’s mother finished for her.
“I was going to say ‘different’, but yes, you’ve lost a lot of weight since I saw you last,” Mac said in wonderment.
“I haven’t just lost weight,” sighed her mother. “I’ve lost that other negative, selfish, wimpy side of me. I felt so badly after I saw you that I decided that I needed to make some major changes in my life if I was ever going to have a relationship with my only daughter again. So I underwent counseling and learned to deal with my fears and problems instead of running away from them. Your father stripped me of all my self-confidence, but with the help of my counselor, I’ve been able to gain it all back, and then some.”
“Why didn’t you call me?” asked Mac.
“When we buried your father, you were so angry and bitter toward me that I was afraid to call you and tell you I’d changed. I didn’t think you wanted me in your life. But then this wonderful young man called me to tell me you were getting married, and, well ------- I just had to come,” Mac’s mother looked at her with tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe I’ve missed out on the most important things in my baby’s life---- all because I didn’t know how to deal with my fears.”
By now, Mac was crying, too, as she leaned over to hug her mother. “I’m glad you’re here, Mom. You may have missed out on other things in my life, but this is by far the most important one. And I’m glad you’re here to share it with me.”
As the two embraced, Harm said, “Well, you two have a lot of catching up to do, so I’ll be on my way. Gotta finish up the house, you know!” He turned to leave.
“Harmon Rabb, Jr., you come right back over here!” Mac commanded.
Oh, oh, Harm thought. I’m in trouble now. She doesn’t really want her mom here at all. I should have left well enough alone.
Harm walked slowly back over to the couch where Mac was now standing with a stern look on her face and her hands on her hips. As he approached, she gave him a huge smile and threw her arms around him.
“Thank you so much for finding my mom!” she whispered in his ear. “First, Uncle Matt and now my mom. I don’t have any other family members you can bring. What other surprises could there possibly be?”
“It’s only the beginning. I have a whole lifetime to shower you with surprises,” Harm whispered back. To both of them he said aloud, “Well, you two girls have a good time at the shower and I’ll see you tonight for dinner.” With that, he headed toward the door. As he looked back to shut the door behind him, he could see the look of complete happiness on Mac’s face as she started to relate to her mother everything she has been doing the last few years. As long as I live, I will never forget that look, Harm thought.
Mac and her mother spent the next two hours catching up, and then headed over to Harriet’s for the shower. Mac was delighted to introduce her mother to all of her friends, something she had never enjoyed doing before. Her mother was content to just sit back and listen to the talk among friends, occasionally throwing in a story or two of her own about when Mac was a baby. Those were happier times, Mac thought, before Dad started drinking.
After the guests left, Harriet, Mac, and her mom worked on the centerpieces for the reception. Harm and Mac would take them up to Annapolis the following Saturday, so the caterers could put them on the tables as they set up for the reception. Harriet and Mac filled her mom in on all the wedding plans. Mac looked up to see that her mother was in tears.
“Mom, what’s the matter?” Mac asked, concern showing on her face.
“You’ve done such a beautiful job with all the preparations. I’m just sorry that I wasn’t here to help you plan all of this,” Mac’s mom said, sadly.
“Well, you’re here now,” Mac said, reassuredly, “and that’s all that counts!”
Later at the apartment, they stayed up well into the wee hours of the morning, talking about everything and anything. By the time they both decided it was time to get some sleep, Mac felt like she and her mother had never been apart. For the first time since all the wedding plans had begun, Mac was able to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep.
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