It Has to be Fate Pt. 01

He shut the engine down and removed his helmet. He turned and grinned at Melissa, "Wheew! Back on the ground without breaking anything, AGAIN!"

She smiled back, "I do not think there was any doubt about that. I have a Private Pilot's license and I know what I just saw was a smooth, virtuoso performance. I didn't see a single error in judgment or performance except when you scared the hell out of me with that approach, I have never been in one like that, but the landing was perfect."

"Thank you, girl, I have to get the patient out of the back, the ambulance is here." Mack climbed out of the cockpit and opened the canopies over the rear compartment. He helped the orderlies lift the gurney out of the compartment and down off the wing. The nurses thanked him profusely and he secured the plane and left instructions for the refueling. He helped Melissa down from the wing and took her hand and escorted her to the yellow 'follow me' jeep for a ride to the Ops (Operations) office. He sent a RON message and advised that they would continue the flight to Japan the next day, weather permitting. Melissa waited while he changed out of his flight suit and into utilities. They found a staff car waiting outside and were driven to the Admirals quarters.

Mack's mother greeted them at the door; she was a lovely, elegantly dressed, and perfectly coifed woman who appeared to be about 40. She hugged Mack and kissed his cheek, then she turned to Mellissa and took her hands, "Welcome to our home Lieutenant, I am Mack's mother, Betty McDermott." She smiled at Mack and raised an eyebrow.

Mack said, "Please forgive my manners ladies, mother, this beautiful lady is my fiancée, Melissa Murphy. Melissa this is my mother."

His mother's cool serenity dissolved instantly. "FIANCEE?" she squealed. "Really? God! I hope it is true." She grabbed Melissa's hands again, she looked the younger woman up and down. "I think you are very lovely under that Marine outfit. Come with me, we are about the same size, I know I will have something more appropriate for you to wear. Call me Betty. Tell me all about yourself."

Melissa looked back over her shoulder at a grinning Mack as his mother dragged her down a hallway. A smiling Navy steward asked Mack if he would care for a drink. Mac requested a beer and asked if there were a family room or den where he could wait for his mother. The young Filipino sailor suggested the sun room. The view from the enclosed porch was spectacular with craggy cliffs and moss and vine covered rocks framing the vista of the sea beyond a cove below.

It seemed as if it took forever before he heard the clicking of high heels behind him. He stood and watched his mother lead Melissa into the room. His mother smiled, "What did I tell you, Mica, she is gorgeous." Melissa wore a red oriental style dress and high-heeled sandals. Mica was familiar with that style of Chinese dress, it was called a cheongsam, the dress was form fitting and had a Mandarin collar and was slit from the hem to high on the thigh on each side. He stood with his mouth open as the beautiful girl walked over and stood in front of him.

"You like?" She asked as she slowly turned in front of him.

"Bbbboy! Do I ever like, no, I love!" he stammered.

Mack's mother gushed, "OH Mica, I love her already! She is so sweet and will be just a perfect wife for you! I can't wait for Daddy to meet her. We are almost the same sizes in everything, even our shoes. 'Lissa says you are going to be married when you both get to Cherry Point. I can't wait, we think a Military Wedding would be appropriate. Daddy and I will fly back of course. We can reserve the VIP lodge at Cherry Point for the reception and have the wedding at the base chapel. How does that sound?"

"Hunh? Wha---er um." Mack stared at the two of them.

Then both women started giggling, then laughing. Mack stared at them. Melissa jumped up and pulled him to his feet. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly on the lips."Mack, I love your Momma, and I am beginning to think it would be fun to have her for a mother-in-law."

He looked at both of them and grinned, "Well, you guys got even for the surprise engagement, you had me really believing we are getting married."

Mrs. Mc Dermott looked at him seriously, "Son, I'll disown you if you hurt this girl and don't marry her. I gave her my totally unbiased opinion that you would be a wonderful husband. And, most important of all, we know it is meant to be! It has to be preordained that you two should marry."

A voice behind them said, "Who is getting married?"

They turned and saw Mack's father, he was an imposing figure in his khaki uniform with gold shoulder boards, each bearing three silver stars, and he had a chest full of ribbons. He shook Mack's hand and turned to Melissa. "Wow! Where did you find this lovely girl, Mica? I thought you were stranded out in the jungle."

"Dad, let me present First Lieutenant Melissa Murphy, U.S. Marine Corps. Melissa this is my poor henpecked father, Vice Admiral Charles Mc Dermott, U.S. Navy."

"Henpecked?" The Admiral looked all around, "He can't possibly be talking about me. I might be teased, bitched at, and a victim of feminine wiles, but never henpecked, right my love?"

"Pop, when Mom says jump! You say 'How high?'."

"Of course I do, haven't you ever noticed how beautiful your Momma is? That is not henpecked, that's smart."

Melissa took the Admiral's arm, "Mica, don't tease your father, it's not nice." She rose on her tip toes and kissed the older man on his cheek.

He looked at his son, "Mica I don't know how you did it, but you found a real keeper. Do not let her get away." He turned to his wife, "What did you mean when you said they are meant for each other?"

"Oh! Honey, do you remember Maryalice Connor, my best friend and my maid of honor at our wedding?"

"Sure I do."

Well, when I met 'Lissa she said she was from Clifton Forge, Virginia. I asked her if she knew any of the Connor family. She said she was part of the Connor family because her mother was a Connor. Guess what, she is Maryalice's daughter. It has to be fate. They meet in the jungle in the Philippine Islands on the other side of the world. It has to be fate."

The mother and father turned and saw their son holding the hands of the beautiful girl and looking into her eyes. He softly said, "It has to be fate."

She gently smiled back, "I know."

They had a nice lunch and his parents showed them the sights of Taipei. They all had a wonderful afternoon and when they returned, Mack checked with the operations office a got a weather briefing for the next day. He grinned at 'Lissa, "Bad news Miss Melissa, they are forecasting weather below minimums at Atsugi and the rest of Japan for tomorrow and possibly the next day. We might be able to sneak into Okinawa but it is chancy. What do you think, stay here, or try Okinawa?"

Melissa looked at Mack's parents, "Would it be too much of an inconvenience for us to stay longer?"

Mrs. Betty McDermott walked to the girl and hugged her tightly, "I want you to stay forever. I have never met a girl I liked so much, and our boy has dragged a bunch of them in for our inspection. He had a thing for beautiful blonde coeds for a long time; most of them hadn't learned to speak in sentences yet."

"Mom, that's not true, I can't remember a single dumb blonde."

"Well I can, how about Betsy, Joanie, Mona, and Marcie to name a few?"

"Ok, there WERE a couple that weren't exactly rocket scientists."

"Melissa, those dummies couldn't spell 'dog' if you gave them the first and last letters."

"Mom, they weren't that bad, were they Dad?"

His father grinned, "They were all cute as hell and I do not think our boy chose them so he could have long philosophical discussions with them."

His mother looked lovingly at her son, "Daddy you are right, he never said one thing about how he felt about any of them. Here he has only known Melissa for half a day, and he is head over heels in love with her."

"Mother!" Mica grinned at Melissa, "She teases all the--- timmm--." His smile faded, "She IS right you know, she knows her boy."

Melissa stood in front of Mica. She looked up into his eyes, she said two words, "Me too." Her arms slipped up around his neck and she lifted on her toes and pressed her lips to his. The kiss lasted several minutes while Admiral and Mrs. McDermott smiled at each other. The two young lovers broke apart and smiled at each other. Mack took her hand and led her to the couch, they sat but he did not release her hand.

Mrs. McDermott laughed and said, "Son, don't press this sweet girl too hard, she probably doesn't believe in whirlwind romances. It runs in our family. Charlie and I knew each other for about three hours before he proposed and I accepted. I knew when I met him he was the one. That was on December sixth, 1924. He took me to meet his family after we were married a week later. His mother told me that she and Grandfather Mack only knew each other for two days before they were married, that was in 1887 during the Indian Wars out West. She got pregnant on their wedding night I guess. Charlie's older brother was born exactly nine months later."

Melissa smiled, "My parents knew each other all their lives, they played together as infants and I don't think either of them ever even thought of anyone else. One always knows what the other is going to say before they say it. My older brothers and sisters always told me that when I met the right man I would know it. They were right." She smiled at Mica.

Mica smiled back, "How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

'Lissa giggled, "A bunch, I have three brothers and two sisters, there are David, John, and Mike and Helen and Susan. I am the baby of the family. They all chipped in to send me to college but I found a program that would pay my tuition plus a wage if I joined the Marine Reserve Program. I would get a commission upon graduation would be obligated to serve for four years. It was a good deal for all of us. I have less than a year to go. I haven't decided what I am going to do yet. Today has changed everything."

Mrs. McDermott said, "Honey, I knew Jack Murphy as long as your Momma did. She always said she was going to marry him someday, she never even looked at another boy. He felt the same way about her."

Mica looked at his parents, "We are both have orders to the 2nd Marine Air Wing in Cherry Point. We report within a week of each other. Is that fate again?"

His mother answered, "Of course it is. There is no doubt about it! I just know the two of you will produce lots of beautiful grand babies for me to spoil. That's what grandparents are for! Now, Mica do you have any nice civvies with you suitable for a dinner out at the Officer's Club? I have lots of pretty things Melissa can try on. I have a brand new little black dress I think will be sensational on her. I think it is too young for me."

The Admiral said, "Darling, nothing is too young for you unless you mean diapers."

Melissa said, "I agree, I thought Mrs. McDermott was about 35 when I met her but I figured that if Mica is 28 then she was probably a little older. Now that I know she was Momma's best friend she has to be about the same age as she is and that is 50." Mica grinned and gently squeezed her hand.

Mica smiled and said, "I have a pair of grey slacks, a Naval Academy Blazer, and a loud Hawaiian flowered shirt."

"That will do, Daddy can lend you a dress shirt and a tie. We are all set then." She smiled and looked at Melissa, "Honey, do you want one room or two?"

Melissa blushed, "We can get by with one, but I prefer two. I am still a bit too shy for one room."

"I don't blame you sweetie, it is a big step to reveal all your secrets at one time. My mother always said to wait until you have a ring on your finger."

"So did mine."

Mack's mother stood and said she would be right back and walked away. She returned carrying a black dress, other lacy black items, and a pair of high-heeled shoes. She gave everything to Melissa. "Here Sweetie, these are your things for tonight and to keep, everything is new." She raised her voice a little and said, "Juan", and the Filipino Steward entered the room.

"Yes Ma'am."

"Please show Miss Murphy to the blue guest room." She turned to Melissa and said, "When you want to, you can change for dinner, we will have a cocktail here before we go to the club for dinner. Let's say cocktails at six. OK?"

Melissa smiled and said that she would love to take a long soak in a hot bath tub because she had had nothing but cold showers for weeks. She followed the young sailor down the hall.

"She is perfect, Son." Said Mrs. McDermott, "Now I have something for you, your Grandmother McDermott gave this to me just before she passed, she specifically asked that I give it to you." She handed him a ring box. "It was her engagement ring from Grampaw Mack. You must tell Melissa that the ring is a family heirloom and must stay in the family, if you break up it must be returned to me. You might tell her that you will also give her another everyday ring set when you have time to find one."

Mica opened the box, the ring was beautiful and the stone was huge. His mother smiled, "Yes, Dear, it is a monster, we don't know where Gramps got the money to buy it, he was a lowly Corporal in the Army when they were married. He would not make the cost of the stone alone in twenty years on his Army pay.

"The antique setting appears to have been modified to take the stone. That stone is a rare natural blue diamond of an antique cut called an old mine cut. It is about fourteen and a half carats. We had it appraised about fifteen years ago and it is insured for over a hundred thousand dollars. You need to get it appraised again when you get settled."

"Mom, I can't let you do this, this should be yours."

"I suppose you want me to take off your father's rings I have worn for over thirty years to wear this one? I could never hurt him that way. I have never worn it and I never will, your father's rings are the most precious things I have. Your brother and your sister are already married so they can't use it. No, it belongs to you."

"Mom, I really feel Melissa is my soul mate, that it really is fate that keeps pushing us together, I will probably propose tonight. I want you to explain about the ring tomorrow, will you please do that for me. I don't like to put conditions on the ring like that. I don't want her to think I value the ring more than I value her."

"I'll talk with her after you give her the ring. I know that girl loves you too, she has a good head on her shoulders, she will understand and approve. I think she will know it will be hers forever."

The dinner that evening was superb, Melissa was radiantly beautiful in the 'little black dress'. Mica could not take his eyes off her. The music was very modern and danceable. Mack and Melissa danced almost every dance. Melissa was very impressed by her handsome escort, his manners and decorum were impeccable. He was a graceful dancer and made her the center of attention. She had never felt so protected and comfortable with a date in her whole life.

He seemed to anticipate her every wish, he had a drink for her before she realized she was thirsty. He led her back to the table before she felt tired. He held her close when she needed the comfort of his strong arms around her. He took her on the balcony overlooking the sea and found a quiet spot for them to set and kiss for a few sweet moments.

He stood and walked to the rail of the balcony and looked out over the moon lit sea. He felt Melissa move close beside him. She said, "What is wrong? Did I say or do something to displease you?"

"NO! No it wasn't anything you did." He was silent for several moments then his head drooped forward and he whispered, "That is not true, it was something you did, but it was nothing you did that was wrong. It was me, I just can't help reacting that way to your sweetness and beauty. You just keep me aroused, we need to go back to the table and I cannot do it without embarrassing you and my parents."

"For heaven's sake, why should you embarrass me or your folks?"

He looked at her. "Why, because you give me an erection that will not go down."

"What?"

"You heard me, I have a hard on that won't quit."

"That doesn't embarrass me in the slightest, as a matter of fact it thrills me to hear I can do that to you. I pray that I will always please you that much. Come on, no one will notice, and if they do, they will just be envious or jealous. Can I feel it?"

"Oh! God, how I would love that. But if you do it will be a while before I can walk across the dance floor."

"Here Mica, let's just dance our way off the balcony and across the floor to the table. I'll stay in front of you."

"Wait! I have something I need to say to you." He took her hands in his. "Melissa Murphy, I love you with all my heart and soul, I know this is sudden, but will you marry me and be my wife forever?" He reached in his pocket and watched her carefully. She stared at him.

"Do you really mean that? Please don't tease about that."

"Dearest girl, I mean it with all my heart, I love you. I give this ring to you as a token of my love for you. Please just think about it. OK?"

"Yes."

He stared at her.

"Yes Micaiah McDermott, I love you and I will marry you. Now kiss me please!"

They kissed for a long time. He grabbed her hand and hurried across the dance floor. He stood holding her hand and grinning before his parents. "She said YES!"

Betty McDermott smiled up at her son, "Of course she did. It is meant to be, it's fate." They sat at the table while the Admiral signaled a waiter and ordered Champagne.

Mica's mother giggled and said, "Now you can never again sing the little old song you sang when you got mad at the world."

Melissa asked, "What song was that?"

Mica laughed, "I had forgotten about that. It isn't really long enough to be a song. It is more of a chant. It goes;

"Nobody loves me,

Everybody hates me,

I'm goin' out and eat worms."

Melissa's hands flew to cover her mouth as she convulsed with laughter, when she recovered she asked, "Did you really eat worms?"

"They are not bad if you use plenty of Catsup."

"Eeuuu! Gross! Did you really do that?"

"No, I usually just sulked in a corner somewhere."

Mack's mother grinned, "If he got really mad at someone he would just 'transmorgafy' them into a frog."

"He would do what?"

"Mica had a large cardboard box in the basement he claimed was his invention, the 'transmorgafier', he had drawn gauges, switches, and dials drawn all over it. One day he was furious with Fred, his older brother, he came to me and showed me a large frog, he said he had transmorgafied Fred into the frog. I told him he had better get Fred back before their father got back home from work at the Navy Base or he would be in deep trouble. He ran off. An hour or so later Fred walked in and said he had taken a nap and had a weird dream about being a frog."

Mica grinned, "Tell her about Bubba Franklin."

"Bubba Franklin was the neighborhood bully. One day he disappeared and the whole neighborhood was looking for him.

Finally someone said that the last time anyone saw him was when he was chasing Mica and was threatening to whip his ass. We found Micaiah and he claimed to have 'transmorgafied' Bubba into a frog and threw him in the pond in the woods. Everyone rushed to the pond and found Bubba hiding there, he was stark naked. He would never reveal exactly what had happened to him, but he told all the kids not to mess with Micaiah."

Melissa looked at Mica, "Do you still have your 'transmorgafier'?"

"No, I don't know what happened to it. I tried to transmorgafy Sis one day and left her in it for a while. When I came back, the box was gone. I guess a foreign spy got it or something."