A Quiet Lady's Place 03: Clancy

***

Clancy experienced a traumatic life for the next three years, up to just before Riley's Sixth Birthday. Initially, she remained in their Tacoma home, alternating between hope, despair, and denial. Clancy could not arrange a funeral since Jeremy was only officially MIA, without a body or witnesses to his death. Only Clancy's frequent conversations with Mom-W helped her maintain her sanity during the stressful first six months while she coped with her and Riley being in limbo.

Nine months after Jeremy was MIA, Clancy and Riley traveled to France at her parents' urging, staying there nearly a year. Since Clancy and Riley resided in a huge military complex area near Tacoma, she was able to rent her home for one year to a transient couple. Clancy discussed her travel plans with Mom-W, saying she would try repairing the rift with her parents since they were Riley's grandparents. Clancy also promised Mom-W that she and Riley would stop in Charleston for a month on their return trip to Tacoma. Clancy would phone Mom-W every month while in France and email her many photos of Riley as she was growing fast.

Clancy's next ten months were positively miserable as she tried her best to mend her relationship with her parents. Jon and Marie wanted to help her, but their looks of pity/anger always spoke the 'we told you so' crescendo. Secondly, for some reason, Riley never took to either parent as she had with Mom-W. She would never nestle in Grandmom-Marie's lap the same as she instinctively did with Grandmom-W. Riley's uneasiness with Grandmom-Marie, and Granddad-Jon really concerned Clancy. She mentally questioned herself if Riley was subliminally feeling her grandparents' continuing discomfort or anger at Clancy.

Since leaving GU, Clancy had maintained loose email contact with Raleigh and Jeanette Rae but chose not to continually burden them with her life's problems. She tried being light-hearted with them, but she could not really hide her sadness. Clancy was totally different from the easy-going friend they had first met at GU or joked around with Thomas at the Jazz Club.

After ten months in France, Clancy decided to return to Tacoma. The military couple renting her home for a year had received early orders and stayed for just ten months. This change in their plans prompted Clancy's decision to leave France, returning to Tacoma early. She had not really seen any improvement or thawing in the relationship with her parents, nor had Riley become any more relaxed with them after ten months.

ENJOYING LIFE AGAIN:

Clancy and Riley were in Tacoma for over two months when Clancy thought to herself, "I have Been Barely Surviving for nearly three years and Not Really Living. Both Riley and I deserve more happiness in our lives, and I seriously need to move forward from the past three years."

Subsequently, Clancy purchased non-stop airline tickets from SEA to Charleston, SC for her and Riley. She booked a nice junior suite at the Andrew Pinckney Inn and had just checked in. Riley was very excited to surprise Grandmom-W and wanted to go and see her right away. Clancy knew they were both exhausted after the long cross-country travel to Charleston. So she convinced Riley to have a lite snack, who was out like a light before finishing half of her sandwich.

Early the next morning, Clancy rang Mom-W, saying, "Guess what, Mom-W? Riley and I are in Charleston for a surprise visit!"

Clancy had the speaker on with Riley excitedly saying, "Grandmom, we are here! Grandmom, we are here!"

Mom-W was so excited she said, "You two come over here right now, and I will start making us breakfast!"

When they arrived at Mom-W's, there were hugs and kisses all around. As they relaxed on the couch for a few minutes, Riley instantly climbed right into her grandmom's lap for a snuggle. Riley was happy and contented, seemingly knowing she was finally at home.

Riley was still tired from the travel and excitement of seeing grandmom again, so Mom-W gently placed her in bed after breakfast. Riley was fast asleep in less than a minute, happily knowing she was with Grandmom-W.

As Riley napped, Clancy shared her thoughts on moving permanently to Charleston with Mom-W. She explained that the idea of moving here had subconsciously come to her on several occasions. Riley never seemed happy in France, and neither was Clancy.

Clancy went on to tell how she and Riley returned to Tacoma two months earlier than initially planned because the rental tenant received early transfer orders. After two months of soul searching, Clancy decided Charleston was the best place for them to start over and begin enjoying life again. Riley truly loved Grandmom-W, so two days ago, Clancy bought them plane tickets, and they arrived early evening yesterday.

Clancy talked openly about her heartbreak in learning about Jeremy being MIA/KIA. She had not gotten past the three years of misery missing Jeremy in her and Riley's lives. Clancy was also concerned about Riley not taking to her parents after living with them in France for ten months. She wholly opened up with Mom-W on the many hurts of the past three years. Clancy said she would marry Jeremy again in a heartbeat because she truly loved him with all her mind, heart, and soul.

Mom-W held Clancy in her arms on several occasions when she broke down crying during their many talks. Mom-W insisted that Clancy had handled this horribly difficult situation better than most other women would have. Riley was well adjusted, and anyone could see right away that she loved and adored Clancy.

Mom-W welcomed Clancy into her home and would help her in any way possible during their transition from Tacoma to Charleston. Mom-W was so excited to become a vital part of Riley and Clancy's lives that she was literally steaming with emotion.

Jeremy was her only child, and his life being lost somewhere in Asia devastated her. She didn't even know if and/or how much Jeremy suffered before dying. Actually, neither she nor Clancy even knew for sure Jeremy was dead or possibly being tortured daily in some hell-hole Asian prison. It really hurt her more not knowing than if Jeremy was really dead.

Mom-W had loved Clancy from the first time they spoke on the phone when Clancy had called Mom-W and introduced herself as a new good friend of Jeremy's. Clancy had told her, "Jeremy said, 'Clancy, you are just like my mom!' I was so happy with that because I knew how much he loved you. Also, he was working to help ease your financial burden in paying for his education as GU."

Clancy then followed up, "I really like Jeremy and hope to be his special friend with your approval. I am American but have been raised in Europe since age three. My parents are US diplomats, so I have lived mostly in France and Switzerland. I am a good girl, not smoking or going to bars, and I have not been sexually active with anyone. I do like red wines, as most European families have wine with their evening meals, usually giving the teenage children a half glass."

From that moment on, Mom-W loved and respected Clancy. Clancy has regularly spoken with her since that first conversation. Jeremy was gone, but Clancy and Riley were now here in her arms, so Mom-W would give her daughter and granddaughter all of the love stored up in her heart for the past three years.

During this first visit, Clancy and Mom-W planned a schedule for Clancy and Riley to fully relocate to Charleston in four to six months. Clancy and Riley would visit Charleston every two to four weeks as needed. On their third visit to Charleston, Riley would remain with Mom-W until Clancy was permanently settled in Charleston. Living with Mom-W during the transition phase would provide Riley with solid stability during the four to six-month-long relocation process.

Clancy needed to sell their Tacoma home and transfer all financial investment business and insurance details to Charleston. She also needed to search for a home in Charleston and many other local items. Clancy would subsequently request the US Army 1st Special Forces Group transfer Jeremy's file to Command Headquarters at Ft Bragg in Fayetteville, NC.

Two days after arriving in Charleston, Clancy and Riley moved from the hotel to Mom-W's. This living arrangement would be temporary during their transition since Mom-W and Clancy agreed that she should have their new home ready by the final move. Since the move would be taking place so quickly, Clancy's initial home would very likely be a rental property.

Clancy was delighted with her decision to move to Charleston after only a week of living at Mom-W's place. By then, Riley had completely renewed her initial affection and genuine love for Grandmom-W when she was only a year old. Her loving attachment to Grandmom-W was altogether much stronger now that she was six years old.

On their third visit, Riley told Grandmom-W, "When Mom and I are in Charleston all the time, I want to stay with you every weekend. After you left Tacoma when I was one year old, I missed you so much. Mom said I looked for you everywhere and cried a lot because I did not see you anymore. I am never letting you go away from me again!"

Mom-W pulled Riley in close, saying, "I missed holding my beautiful granddaughter Riley so much after leaving Tacoma. I am never letting you go away from me again either!"

Clancy's and Mom-W's plans moved forward perfectly. On the third visit to Charleston, Riley remained with her grandmom when Clancy returned to Tacoma for three weeks. She prepared their home for the move and packed their personal belongings for the transition to Charleston. Their house had recently sold to a military couple retiring in Tacoma, and the deal would close in four to six weeks. She had also resolved some insurance issues for transferring Riley's educational trust funds to Charleston, where she would reinvest them locally.

Clancy really missed Riley during the three weeks in Tacoma since this was their first time ever being separated. However, she definitely knew this was the best way forward since all this detail stuff would bore Riley stiff. She spoke with Riley and Mom-W several times each week, and they were getting along famously.

On their most recent talk, Riley said, "Mom, I have made a new friend, and she will be my best friend ever. Her name is Mina, and we met on my second day staying with Grandmom. Me and Mina play together almost every day. I cannot wait for Mina to meet you when you come to Charleston soon. She will stay with me at Grandmom's on Friday night, so you can meet her here on Saturday for lunch."

"Oh, Riley darling, I am so happy that you met Mina and will have her as your best friend in Charleston. I will bring Mina and you some very special presents when I come from Tacoma this time."

Clancy felt this was wonderful news since Riley never had any close friends with all of the grief, misery, and travel for the past three years. Clancy was really excited about meeting Mina on Saturday when Mom-W was making a special lunch for all of them.

***

Clancy's SEA flight had just landed at CHS for her fourth visit, now traveling alone for the first time. She took a deeply discounted one-stop flight which was tiring but doable since Riley was staying with Mom-W. Clancy was exhausted after a busy three weeks of organizing several final details of their Charleston move, so she hoped to sleep much of the red-eye flight.

Clancy spoke with Mom-W and Riley an hour before departure and would quickly ring them after arriving at the CHS gate. She had booked a hotel room for three nights but was now questioning whether she should stay there for a week while regrouping from the past three months of several coast-to-coast trips.

After speaking briefly with Mom-W and Riley upon arrival, Clancy made her way through incoming security to baggage claim. She took a taxi to the hotel and entered her junior suite at the Andrew Pinckney Inn.

Clancy had not been out socially in three years, so she had scheduled her arrival for early Friday afternoon. She could rest for a while, then get dressed and go out for a nice glass of wine, hopefully relaxing for the first time in three years.

Clancy still needed some crying space privacy, so she would split her Charleston visits equally between Mom-W's home and this hotel. During her previous Charleston visit, a hotel Guest Service Specialist had recommended A Quiet Lady's Place for a wine break. She said this restaurant has a lovely lounge where Clancy could enjoy a glass of excellent wine in solitude.

A Quiet Lady's Place was quite a high-quality and spacious restaurant. It had a separate lounge/bar and two small dining areas open only to ladies on weekends. So Clancy would feel quite comfortable enjoying a nice glass of Cabernet there alone.

Clancy stood nearly 6' tall in her stocking feet, so the 2'' Jimmy Choo Coal-Black heels placed her at almost a svelte 6'1" tall. She was definitely a striking figure as she entered the main restaurant asking the hostess to be served in the lady's lounge.

As she strolled through the restaurant, Clancy felt the watchful eyes of males and females deftly tracking her progress. This was not unusual since Clancy was a gorgeous tall, and sexy lady when dressed for cocktails or dinner. She was in all black tonight with a beautiful knee-length fitted dress, stylish thigh-high black patterned silk stockings, and a small black clutch with gold trim. This all-black ensemble really highlighted her shoulder-length blonde hair and gorgeous bright blue eyes.

Clancy entered the lounge, walking directly to the bar, which was a bit hectic. All the lounge cocktail tables and the tables in both dining areas were filled with groups of women enjoying themselves. She spoke with the bartender about the wait time for a small table, with the cute lady advising her it could be a while since Fridays were pretty busy.

The cute bartender introduced herself as Jackie, with Clancy responding, "I am Clancy Marie Williams and in the process of relocating to Charleston. I do not know anyone here, so I was hoping to enjoy a nice Cabernet and maybe meet new friends."

Jackie pointed to a small table with one guest, "That lady is very nice and also new to the Charleston area. She usually stops in for a few glasses of Cabernet on Fridays, unwinding from a long work week. I just started interning in the Engineering Design group at her company, where she is the President. Go on over and introduce yourself, asking if it is okay for you to share her table."

Clancy asked, "Are you certain, Jackie? I do not want to disturb her."

"She will either say yes or no. My bet is yes since she has often experienced being alone in this type of social/business environment," replied Jackie.

Clancy walked over to the table, quietly saying in a soft melodious voice, "Please excuse me miss. May I join you here since the place is a bit crowded?"

The lady stood to greet Clancy, who was utterly amazed at their being both over 6' tall in heels!

The tall lady responded, "Of course, you may. Please forgive my delay, as I was deep into my Friday night contemplation time while relaxing with a nice glass of Cabernet." She continued, "I am Eva Jane McAdams, and close friends call me Eva or 'J'."

Clancy responded, "I am Clancy Marie Williams, and a nice cabernet is just what the doctor ordered." Her sparkling blue eyes were seeking out a lounge waitress.

Eva caught Jackie's eye behind the bar, indicating another glass was needed.

"Clancy, please share a glass from my opened bottle, which has perfectly breathed. You may buy a second bottle for us later if needed."

"Absolutely, Eva, and it is so lovely meeting you!" replied Clancy.

The End

Epilogue:

On two or three occasions, Clancy tried to repair her relationship with her parents, Jon and Marie. Unfortunately, they never regained the comfort level they previously shared for Clancy's entire life before attending GU and marrying Jeremy.

This is the final story of A Quiet Lady's Place trilogy. If this is your first of the three stories, please read the others as follows:

A Quiet Lady's Place

A Quiet Lady's Place Sequel -- Anna Lee Wilson

A Quiet Lady's Place Prequel -- Clancy Marie Williams

Thanks for enjoying my stories!

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