code, brothers weren't allowed to be interested in their sister's best friend. It broke too many rules.
If it didn't work out the sister was put in a bad situation. Besides, that would mean the sister could date her brother's friend and there was no way that was happening.
"She's waitressing at Sam's Diner on Sixth Street," Chrissy said, her eyebrows narrowing.
I quickly diverted attention by giving Mom a Persian Cook book. She collected cook books and had something for almost every cuisine in the world but I was pretty sure she didn't have that one.
"And Mom," I said. "No Cooking Persian food until after I leave." She laughed as she started rifling through the pages.
Pulling out a white envelope I handed it to Dad.
"These are seeds from the sweetest watermelon I have ever tasted. They're small, about the size of a cantaloupe but man they are good. They should grow around here. The climates pretty much the same even if they are from a higher elevation."
He smiled and I knew that he was pleased. Vegetable gardening was his only hobby. He worked two jobs. Road crew at night and a side business operating a back hoe. The man worked seventy hours a week but he never missed a football game or choir recital.
Home, there is no place better. I flashed back to where I’d been and what I’d done since leaving. I wasn't the same person, but this place, these people where a big reason why I was who I was.
We gathered in the living room and talked. They filled me in on what was going on, most of it revolving around school. Eventually the afternoon drifted into night and we moved the conversation into the dining room.
After diner the kids started doing their choirs without being told. Johnny asked if he could take my Sea Bag up to our room. I said yes and a smile three feet wide broke across his face.
Dad pulled me aside. "I know you probably want to take off for a little bit, see your friends. Go ahead, I'll handle your mother. She's going to get weepy every time you leave the house. But I understand."
"Thanks Dad, I appreciate it. I would like to go out for a walk."
"Sure, you go do that, this place can be a little overwhelming at times."
I smiled and headed for the door. "Tell mom I won't be late. Do you still keep the spare key in the same place?"
Dad nodded then looked at me for a moment. "I wanted to tell you son that I'm proud of the man you've become. I think that a man is judged by the children he raises. If that is true then I will be judged as being a huge success in this life.” His eyes grew a little misty and he turned away to adjust the pillows on the couch. I thanked him then got out of there before I hugged him and we embarrassed each other.
The hot August heat had tapered off into a pleasant night. I remembered sitting in a listening post on an Afghan mountain only a week ago and now I was walking through a small town on the eastern side of the cascades. It was almost surreal.
Without any forethought I began to walk. I didn't know where I was going, didn’t really care, just walking. Letting my mind wander and adjust to this world. Putting the last one behind me. The smell of fertilizer from the green yards, faint exhaust, and the smoke from a Bar B Q made me smile. So different.
Putting one foot in front of the other I continued to walk until I got to where I had unconsciously wanted to be all along. Sam's Diner.
My heart raced as I stood outside trying to get the courage to go in. What would I say? What would she say? We'd exchanged six letters each over the last three months. In Ashely's case they had been accompanied by care packages. All of them stuffed to the gills with cookies.
What did it mean? Was it my sister's best friend being nice? Even if she was interested in me. It couldn't really go anywhere. I was headed back to Southern California in thirty days. Even if that transfer to the Navy base over in Bremerton came through, it would still be a couple of hundred miles away. Plus it'd be at
If it didn't work out the sister was put in a bad situation. Besides, that would mean the sister could date her brother's friend and there was no way that was happening.
"She's waitressing at Sam's Diner on Sixth Street," Chrissy said, her eyebrows narrowing.
I quickly diverted attention by giving Mom a Persian Cook book. She collected cook books and had something for almost every cuisine in the world but I was pretty sure she didn't have that one.
"And Mom," I said. "No Cooking Persian food until after I leave." She laughed as she started rifling through the pages.
Pulling out a white envelope I handed it to Dad.
"These are seeds from the sweetest watermelon I have ever tasted. They're small, about the size of a cantaloupe but man they are good. They should grow around here. The climates pretty much the same even if they are from a higher elevation."
He smiled and I knew that he was pleased. Vegetable gardening was his only hobby. He worked two jobs. Road crew at night and a side business operating a back hoe. The man worked seventy hours a week but he never missed a football game or choir recital.
Home, there is no place better. I flashed back to where I’d been and what I’d done since leaving. I wasn't the same person, but this place, these people where a big reason why I was who I was.
We gathered in the living room and talked. They filled me in on what was going on, most of it revolving around school. Eventually the afternoon drifted into night and we moved the conversation into the dining room.
After diner the kids started doing their choirs without being told. Johnny asked if he could take my Sea Bag up to our room. I said yes and a smile three feet wide broke across his face.
Dad pulled me aside. "I know you probably want to take off for a little bit, see your friends. Go ahead, I'll handle your mother. She's going to get weepy every time you leave the house. But I understand."
"Thanks Dad, I appreciate it. I would like to go out for a walk."
"Sure, you go do that, this place can be a little overwhelming at times."
I smiled and headed for the door. "Tell mom I won't be late. Do you still keep the spare key in the same place?"
Dad nodded then looked at me for a moment. "I wanted to tell you son that I'm proud of the man you've become. I think that a man is judged by the children he raises. If that is true then I will be judged as being a huge success in this life.” His eyes grew a little misty and he turned away to adjust the pillows on the couch. I thanked him then got out of there before I hugged him and we embarrassed each other.
The hot August heat had tapered off into a pleasant night. I remembered sitting in a listening post on an Afghan mountain only a week ago and now I was walking through a small town on the eastern side of the cascades. It was almost surreal.
Without any forethought I began to walk. I didn't know where I was going, didn’t really care, just walking. Letting my mind wander and adjust to this world. Putting the last one behind me. The smell of fertilizer from the green yards, faint exhaust, and the smoke from a Bar B Q made me smile. So different.
Putting one foot in front of the other I continued to walk until I got to where I had unconsciously wanted to be all along. Sam's Diner.
My heart raced as I stood outside trying to get the courage to go in. What would I say? What would she say? We'd exchanged six letters each over the last three months. In Ashely's case they had been accompanied by care packages. All of them stuffed to the gills with cookies.
What did it mean? Was it my sister's best friend being nice? Even if she was interested in me. It couldn't really go anywhere. I was headed back to Southern California in thirty days. Even if that transfer to the Navy base over in Bremerton came through, it would still be a couple of hundred miles away. Plus it'd be at
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