The branches of the phone tree had been shaking with calls going out to all the wives. Shelley Stilton had called Jo the night before and shared the good news, cryptic but perfectly understandable to a navy wife. “The family event will take place tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. at the bowling alley.”
Tomorrow. The very word had started Jo’s heart fluttering. It had been a long three months, but now Mike was coming home.
For all of three months. The baby wouldn’t even be crawling by the time he left again. The fluttering had stopped in a hurry.
But that was yesterday. Today she was excited to see her man.
Early in her marriage, she and the other newbie wives had gone to the pier to meet the sub. It had been late coming in to the Bangor Naval Base, and they’d spent two hours waiting and almost froze to death. Of course, it hadn’t helped that they’d all dressed sexily. Big mistake. The waterfront piers where the boats tied up had cranes and various cables and other obstacles waiting to trip an unsuspecting woman wearing heels. One of her friends had tripped and sprained her ankle. The cold wind coming off the water had raced up their skirts and left them all shivering.
They got smart after that and became more practical in their choice of clothing. They also took to waiting at the bowling alley where it was warm and they could order pizza and let their excited offspring run wild. When the time came, buses hauled them to the pier.
Jo still was going to dress cute, but it was winter so maternity leggings and a long sweater would have to do. After she’d fed Mikey and put him down for his nap, she got into her welcome home outfit. Her legs still looked great and the sweater helped hide some of the baby fat she needed to lose. Concealer took care of the dark circles under her eyes that proclaimed her a new, sleep-deprived mother. Mascara, eyeliner and lipstick brought her face to life. She inspected herself in the mirror and gave herself a passing grade.
Her mom showed up for baby patrol a little before one. “You look lovely,” she said, hugging Jo.
“I feel like a whale.”
“Everyone does after having a baby. You’ll lose it in no time. Now, where’s my adorable grandson?”
“Napping. I’ve pumped some milk for him in case he wakes up. It’s in the fridge. I tried him on a bottle last night and he took it fine so that should hold him until we get back. If he spits up I’ve laid out another outfit on the changing table. And if there’s any problem, call me. I don’t know how long I’ll be. If the boat is late coming in...”
“Don’t worry, dear. I’ve done this a few times before,” Mom assured her.
Still... “I can come back if necessary and Mike can catch a ride to town.” That probably wouldn’t make him happy but now they had someone in their lives to consider besides themselves.
“We’ll be fine. Go,” Mom said.
Yes, she needed to get out the door.
She made the drive to the naval base outside Poulsbo in record time. In fact, she arrived at the base bowling alley a little early. Most of the other wives were already there. Pizzas had been ordered. Someone had hired a face-painter and she was busy painting stars and lightning bolts and rainbows on the younger children. Many of the kids were bowling. Some of the older ones were playing arcade games. The toddlers were mostly fussy, wanting their afternoon naps.
Jo found her pal Arlene Mendoza seated at one of the lanes, holding a sleeping six-month-old on her lap while her two older children were bowling. Both had their faces painted. Her four-year-old daughter, Amanda, sported a rainbow on her cheek and her six-year-old, Anthony, wore lightning bolts.
Arlene greeted her with a disappointed expression. “You didn’t bring the baby.” Then, multitasking, she called to her son, “Anthony, it’s your sister’s turn to bowl. Let her have her turn.”
Jo sat down next to her. “My mom’s watching him. It’s his nap time.”
Arlene gave a knowing smile. “And you don’t want him around all these germs.”
“Well, yeah.” That had been the main reason. The little guy wasn’t quite two weeks old. No sense taking him out and exposing him to heaven only knew what.
“I was the same way with my first. With Maxie here I haven’t bothered. And you know, he hasn’t been sick a single day.”
“So far.” Who could tell what horrible snotty cold poor Maxie would pick up around all these people?
“He’ll be fine,” Arlene said.
Well, it was her kid.
Amanda dropped her ball instead of throwing it, and the ball crawled down the gutter, bouncing off the alley bumpers as it went. Pleased with her efforts, she jumped up and down, clapping.
Meanwhile, her brother, impatient for his turn, ran over to the alley and launched his, too, even as Arlene said, “No, not yet, Anthony!”
Anthony’s ball bounced into his sister’s and she sent up a howl of outrage. Arlene got up, gave her son a stern talking-to and pointed out to her daughter that her brother’s ball was helping hers on its way. All was well once more.
Three kids. How did she keep from going bonkers when her husband was gone?
“I don’t know how you do it,” Jo said when she returned to her seat. “Dealing with them all by yourself, I mean.”
“You get used to it,” Arlene said.
“I don’t know if I want to.”
“Girlfriend, you don’t have a choice. You may not know it, but you’re in the service, too.”
That made Jo scowl.
Arlene nudged her shoulder playfully. “Hey, it’s not so bad. Come on, look at all the fun we have when the guys are gone.” Her son took his sister’s ball and hurled it down the alley for her and the little girl broke into angry wails. Arlene was up again. “Now, why did you take your sister’s ball?”
“I was helping her,” Anthony protested.
“Now you can just help yourself to a time-out,” Arlene said, pointing to a plastic chair.
He obeyed, crying all the way.
“Yeah, you’re sure having fun,” Jo said as Arlene walked back to her own seat.
“You think this stuff wouldn’t happen when your husband was home? You’re delirious.”
“Well, at least I’d have someone to share the misery,” Jo muttered.
“There are benefits to being on your own. I like it when Tony’s gone. I’m in charge of everything and it all runs smoothly. No one to fight with over money or what I buy for the house or the kids. When Tony’s home, Anthony plays us against each other, the little stinker.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll find out. Of course it’s not all bad when Tony comes home. Honeymoon sex all over again. Oh, yeah. Today it’s out for hot fudge sundaes with Daddy, then the kids are staying at Grandma and Grandpa’s overnight and we’re off to the Alderbrook Inn for a romantic dinner and a night of wild monkey sex. Of course, by the time he’s been home for three months, I’ll be done with this normal life stuff and ready for him to ship out again,” she added with a grin.
What a crazy, emotional, seesaw way to live. Arlene was right. The men weren’t the only ones who were in the service.
Their conversation came to an end, since the buses had arrived. It was time to go meet the sub. Jo put in a quick call to her mom to make sure the baby was doing okay.
“He’s fine. Don’t worry. Go greet your husband.”
The noise level had risen to high tide with excited chatter and children yelling and jumping up and down like crazed kangaroos as the families made their way out of the bowling alley and onto the buses.
Everyone buzzed with excitement as the bus lumbered down to the pier. Jo felt as if she was on caffeine overload. The air was cold and unwelcoming when she got off the overheated bus, but she barely noticed because there, among the other uniformed seamen walking down the pier, was a tall, handsome sailor. Her sailor. She joined the throng of wives rushing to greet their men.
He smelled awful, the scent of submarine and men living in close quarters for too long was woven into the very cloth of his uniform but she didn’t care. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him for all she was worth.
“Oh, baby, I missed you,” he said once they finally came up for air.
“I missed you, too.” He couldn’t keep doing this to her, darn it all.
He kissed her one more time, practically devouring her right there on the blustery pier. It was an epic kiss, equal to the one in that famous World War II photograph you saw everywhere. Of course, there were a lot of epic kisses taking place on that pier. And then, hurrying off the pier, couples anxious to get home and celebrate.
“Where’s our son?” Mike asked as they followed the crowd.
“With Grandma. I didn’t want to bring him out so soon.”
“I can hardly wait to see him,” Mike said. He hugged her close to him as they walked. “It’s good to be home.”
“It’s good to have you home.” Where you belong.
“Man, I can hardly wait to get out of these clothes,” Mike said once they were on the road. “I stink.”
“Yes, you do,” Jo agreed and he chuckled. They both knew about that peculiar odor that seeps into clothes and possessions after three months in confined quarters. Mike’s boat things would be stored in the garage.
Little Mikey was awake when they got to the house and had just had his bottle. He was changed and contented, and to look at him you’d think he didn’t even know how to cry. Looks were deceptive.
“I imagine you’d like to hold your son,” Mom said. She got up from the couch and put the baby in Mike’s arms.
He beamed down at the baby. “Hey, there, buddy. Sorry I wasn’t here to greet you.”
So was Jo. That was such an incredible moment. It would’ve been great if they could have shared it.
“They had quite the adventure,” Mom said. “Did Jo tell you they got stopped by the police on their way to the hospital?”
He looked at Jo in surprise. “Really? What was that about?”
“Riley was speeding.” A detail she hadn’t planned on sharing. Mike didn’t have a very high opinion of her sister’s driving abilities.
Mike shook his head. “And whose idea was it for your sister to drive you to the hospital?”
“Not mine, that’s for sure. But we were at the mall when my water broke. Anyway, you weren’t here to take me.”
Mom, ever the peacemaker, sensed a potential bump in the happy homecoming road and quickly added, “He gave them a police escort.”
Mike smiled down at the baby. “A police escort. Already an important man.”
“Just like his daddy,” Mom said and Jo felt a little guilty. She should’ve been the one to come up with that supportive remark. Once upon a time she would have.
Mom left and Jo got the baby out of his now contaminated outfit and put him in his bassinet while Mike deposited his smelly clothes and gear in the garage. He came into the house naked and looking like Michelangelo’s David.
“You’re a tease,” Jo said as he came through the kitchen, where she was making him some coffee.
“No teasing here.” He lifted her hair and kissed her neck. “Come take a shower with me.”
“Babe, I just gave birth,” she said sadly. “It’s too soon.” Not only that, but what was he going to think when he saw her post-baby bod? Oh, but it had been soooo long.
“We can get creative,” he said softly, nibbling on her ear.
A few more kisses, along with sweet whispers of love and, well, what the heck. She wouldn’t mind another shower. And, after three sex-deprived months on a sub, he probably wouldn’t mind that she had some extra weight around her middle.
He led her off to the bathroom and quickly reminded her of one of the many things she loved about him. Darn it all, if only he’d stay put.
Dried off and comfy in sweats, they went to the family room for coffee. Jo also put out Mike’s favorite cheese and salami along with some of the cookies her mom had brought over.
“Man, I love Christmas,” he said.
“I’m glad you’re going to be home for the holidays.” At least they had that.
The baby monitor on the kitchen counter announced that Mikey was stirring. She could hear the little snuffling noises he made when he was warming up for a good cry.
“I think somebody’s hungry again,” she said.
“Does he need to be changed?”
“Probably.”
“I can do that,” Mike offered, so they both went to the bedroom where she had the bassinet.
En route they passed the nursery. Pink Land. The walls were pink, and so were all the accents from the curtains to the changing table and the crib blankets. The only blue thing in the room was the stuffed bear Noel had bought for the baby, which was sitting on the (pink) dresser.
“We’re going to have to change that,” Mike said.
“We were expecting a girl,” Jo reminded him.
“Are you disappointed you didn’t get your girl?” he asked as they approached the bassinet.
She smiled down at her son. “No. This little man is perfect.”
Mike stood next to her and put an arm around her. “We’ll have a girl next time.”
Another child to be upset every time Daddy left. There was a depressing thought.
The baby was starting to cry in earnest now. “We’d better get this guy changed. He’s ready for some chow,” Mike said.
“Are you sure you can handle this?” Jo asked.
Mike made a face. “I’m not an idiot.”
“Okay,” she said and handed him the baby, but she followed him to the nursery and stood next to him at the changing table, supervising the procedure.
Meanwhile, Mikey’s cries became ever more lusty.
“Okay, time for Mom to take over,” Mike said, handing him back.
Jo settled in the rocking chair and gave her baby the breast. The whole nursing thing was getting easier, thank God.
Mike watched with rapt interest and she suddenly felt a little shy. “What?” she said defensively.
“My baby feeding our baby. That’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.” He whipped out his cell phone and snapped a picture.
“If you post that on Facebook I’ll kill you.”
“Facebook, hell. This is just for me.” He came over and knelt beside her, putting an arm around her. “I love you, Jo. Thank you for our son.”
She smiled down at her boy and stroked his downy head. “He is beautiful, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he is.”
She almost asked, “And do you really want to leave him in three months?” But she held her peace. It was Mike’s first day home and there was no sense in spoiling it with a fight. Because she was sure that was exactly what would happen.
While she finished feeding the baby, Mike went to fetch Chinese takeout and stop by his parents’ for a quick hi. While he was gone, she tried to imagine what her life would be like if they continued this pattern. She couldn’t picture herself coping like her pal Arlene. All she could envision was Mike missing important milestones like the baby’s first steps, his first words, kindergarten graduation, important sports events.
When he came back, she tried to push the images out of her mind but they didn’t want to leave. In bed that night, she lay awake stewing over how things were going to work out between her and Mike. Between that and getting up with the baby, it was a wakeful night.
She was just settling into a decent sleep when Mike brought her breakfast in bed—orange juice, a fried egg and toast. She groaned and dragged herself awake, shoving her hair out of her eyes. She’d have taken sleep over breakfast but it was a nice gesture and a reminder of what a good man she had.
“Wow. Do I have to tip you?” she joked, sitting up.
“Maybe.” He laid the tray on her lap and sat on a corner of the bed. “You look gorgeous.”
With dark circles and bed head. “You need glasses. Where’s your breakfast?”
“I ate. Still used to getting up at 0-dark-hundred.”
That brought the old elephant lumbering into the room. Mike’s reenlistment plans. She hated to bring up the subject when he was being so sweet. But the elephant was on the bed with them now and couldn’t be ignored.
“I don’t want you to leave again.”
His easy smile fell away. “Do we have to talk about this right now?”
“Yeah, we do. We need to settle this, Mike.”
“And how are we going to do that? You don’t want me to re-up. I think I should.”
“Do you really want to miss out on your son’s life for months at a time?” She’d seen how he’d looked at the baby. He was already crazy in love with his child. “What kind of relationship can you have with him when you’re gone so much?”
“You and I manage okay,” he pointed out.
“I’m not a child.” Although he probably thought she was acting like one about this.
“Jo, I’ve been in the navy for eight years. It doesn’t make sense to pack it in now.”
“It does to me.”
“Yeah? And what am I going to do when I get out?”
“Plenty. You’re smart. You can do anything.”
“Yeah, I can. But I won’t find a job here doing what I do. You like being near your family. How far away are you willing to move? And what about Mikey? Do we want him to be able to go to college? We could fund an education account for him with my signing bonus and never have to worry about money.”
“We don’t have to worry about money now. We have plenty saved.”
Jo felt overwhelmed. It had to be the darned hormones. Or the fact that she was tired. Whatever the cause, she started to cry.
Mike moved the tray from her lap and sat next to her, slipping an arm around her. “I’m sorry, babe. I’m not trying to upset you. I’m just trying to be practical.”
“I don’t want to be practical. I want to be happy!” Oh, yes, that was mature. Now she was really crying. Where were those chocolates Georgia had given her?
“I hate to see you like this,” he said softly. “What can I do?”
“You can go away. I need a nap!”
That was when the baby started to snuffle and stir in his bassinet. “Oh, never mind,” Jo said, dashing away the tears and throwing off the covers.
Mike sat on the bed and watched as she picked up their son and settled back in bed with him. She pretended to ignore him, but she was aware of him looking at her sadly. She didn’t say anything. The old silent treatment, just what a man wanted when he came home from sea.
Finally he heaved a sigh and left the room, leaving behind her unfinished breakfast.
Great, Jo, fight with your husband on his first full day home. Obviously, there was more than one baby in this bed.