Stranded

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komrad1156
komrad1156
3,770 Followers

"I know!" she replied as she attempted to do what her new teacher was doing.

"Okay, that's enough for one day, but it isn't that hard, is it?" he asked her.

"No. It's really easy! Mommy? Can I take ballet lessons? Pleeeease?"

Hannah was wiping her eyes as she hugged her daughter and Phaedra asked, "Why are you still sad, Mommy?"

"I'm not sad, sweetie. I'm...happy."

"You cry when you're happy?" she asked not sure what to make of that.

"Sometimes. When I see my little girl so happy then yes, it makes me so happy I cry."

"That doesn't make any sense," Phaedra said. "Can I play with Barrett, Mommy?"

"Oh, no, honey. He's very tired from his long trip. He needs to relax a little bit."

"Okay. Then can we play?" she asked with genuine excitement.

Hannah looked at Barrett and shrugged.

"Of course I can. I just need to recharge my batteries. You know, like when you plug something in so you can keep playing with it."

"Just like my Nintendo 3DS!" she said proud of knowing what he meant.

"Yes! Just like that. Give me a little while to build my power back up then I'll come play with you, okay?"

"Okay! You can play too, Mommy!" she said happily.

"Oh. Oh...goody," she said with a fake smile.

Phaedra ran upstairs and Barrett said, "Worn out?"

"You have no idea. I just sent the babysitter home. That was the first break I've had in days. She's truly like the Energizer Bunny. She keeps...."

"Going and going and going, right?" Barrett said completing her thought.

Hannah smiled and said, "That was really amazing. I haven't seen her that happy in quite a while. Thank you."

"My pleasure," he replied. "She'll do just fine. Small children just 'get it' so easily. They don't have the smooth coordination of older people yet, but their bodies are so supple and fluid and they catch on very quickly."

"Everything my body isn't," Hannah said with a laugh.

Barrett smiled but didn't tell her he thought her body looked just fine, especially now that the heavy, wool coat was off revealing a very tight waist and a very nice-looking um...upper body in addition to her very pretty face.

"I'm sorry about what happened in the car," she said out of nowhere. "My dad really, really doesn't like Harold who's a actually a really decent guy. He thinks I'm making this terrible mistake because Harold makes a lot of money or something."

"It's none of my business," Barrett said. "I'm sure you know what...and who...makes you happy and if...Harold...makes you happy then...."

He saw her smile fade then heard her change the subject.

"Can I offer you something to maybe eat or drink?"

"I could probably eat a sandwich or something easy to fix," he said.

A few minutes later, he was munching on a turkey-on-rye with pickle and mayo with a small bag of baked chips with a bottle of water to wash it down.

"This is perfect. Thank you, Hannah."

"My pleasure," she said. "I go all out on Christmas. If you were staying, you'd get a real meal." She realized she was smiling as she spoke then also realized she didn't want him there after tonight.

"I'll be out of your hair tomorrow," he told her. "Speaking of hair, yours is really...beautiful."

"Ha! I was going to say something similar about yours due to your 'getting out of my hair' comment, but thank you for saying that," she said smiling again. "So...I have Harold. Is there anyone special in your life, Barrett?"

"Not since before I enlisted," he told her. "I thought I was in love and looking back maybe I was but I...we...were both so young maybe I didn't know what love is."

"So you had your heart broken?" she intuited.

"And then some," he told her.

"Do you know what love is...now?" she asked but in a very polite way.

"I think I have a pretty good idea," he told her.

"Care to share it?" she asked not sure why she felt the need to hear his opinion on the topic.

"Okay. Well, first I'd say love is a verb rather than a noun." He saw Hannah raise her eyebrows and pressed on. "You don't just feel love, you show it. Love isn't passive. It moves us to act. If I love you, I'm doing something not just feeling it."

"That sounds overwhelming," she told him. "I'm tired just thinking about that."

"Not every second of every day, of course. But I see so many people who never do anything for or with the other person, yet they claim to love them."

"You don't think that's possible?" Hannah inquired now becoming both annoyed and interested in the way he was describing love.

"Maybe. I can't read minds, but I do see how people act. My parents are a perfect example. They've been married 35 years and I can't ever remember them kissing in front of me except for a goodbye peck in the morning. I can't even remember the last time I saw them hug. They don't really ever do anything together, either. Dad watches sports and the news on TV while my mom sews or knits or does word puzzles. They say they love each other, but if that's love...I'll pass."

Hannah remembered the first time she'd kissed Harold in public. He'd recoiled and although no words were spoken, it was clear that public displays of affection or 'PDAs' were not acceptable in his world. She'd chalked it up to a quirk and yet there had been so many other little signs; small things that set off warning bells. And yet he really was a very good, decent, and generous man, and after all the financial heartache she and her daughter had been through following her husband's death, she could overlook a whole lot of little things to have the kind of security Harold offered them.

"I understand what you're saying, Barrett, but what about things like security? Aren't they important, too?"

"Sure. Everyone want to feel safe and secure. I guess it's a matter of priorities. In my mind, love comes first. If you really love someone and they love you back in return, it follows you'll feel secure with them knowing you can handle anything life throws at you because you love each other."

"You can't live on love," Hannah offered.

"I'm not sure. I think I'd take love with less money over money with less love any day," Barrett politely told her. "I mean, what will you do with money when you learn you have only months to live? Would you rather have a roomful of gold or someone in the room to hold you and love you when it's time to leave this world? Or day to day, for that matter?"

"You sound like my dad only without the snarky insults," she said forlornly.

"Have you ever considered he might have a point?" There was no hint of any accusation. It was just a question.

"Maybe. I don't know. I...I can't really think about all that right now. I just have so much on my plate, you know? Harold will be here tomorrow and we'll be planning our wedding."

"Sorry, I forgot you mentioned you were engaged. Here I am talking to you like you already don't know your fiancee loves you the way you want to be loved. It's obvious he does or you wouldn't have said 'yes.' Um...if you don't mind I think I'll go see if Phaedra maybe wants to play a game or practice some more ballet."

Hannah had a glazed-over look in her eyes, and she hadn't heard the last sentence. All she remembered hearing was Barrett's assumptions about why she'd said 'yes'. And she had said yes, so why did it bother her so much to be reminded that she had?

"Is that okay?" he asked.

"Pardon? she said snapping out of it.

"I was going to see if maybe Phaedra wanted to play. I know you don't know me so we'd come back down here, of course."

"Um, right. Yes, I'm sure she'd like that. We have several board games and she loves playing UNO."

"Ah, UNO! I played it for many, many hours in Afghanistan," he replied.

"Did I just hear someone mention a card game?" Jeff said rubbing his hands together as he walked in on them. "How about the boys against the girls?"

"Dad, I don't know. I'm not really in the mood," Hannah told him.

"I'd be sad, too, if I knew Money Bags was coming tomorrow," he quipped.

Hannah made another 'grrrr' sound then said, "Fine. I'll go get Phaedra."

When she was out of earshot, Jeff said, "So how's it goin'? You makin' any progress here?"

"Um...it's not like I'm seriously trying to undermine your engaged daughter's plans, Jeff. We were just talking a little. That's all."

"Yeah? That's good. Smile a lot, kid. And laugh. She said you're kinda cute when you smile so play that up, would ya?"

"Hannah said that? About me?"

"Yeah. Yeah, she did. Why? Is that so hard to believe? I'm telling you, kid, she don't love this Homer guy. She just thinks she does. What she loves is his bank account. And my granddaughter deserves better than some stiff, wooden, talking head in a suit, you know what I'm sayin' here?"

Phaedra came running downstairs first.

"We're playing UNO!" she called out. "Come on Barrett. You can play with me!"

"Oh, I thought your grandpa and I were playing together."

"Uh-uh. You're on my team. Come on. Sit down and I'll show you how to play. So...what you have to do is...."

Phaedra droned on long after they started playing and explained every move to Barrett who couldn't bring himself to tell her he'd probably spent more time playing UNO than she'd been alive. Well, maybe not that much.

Thanks to some creative assistance from the other three players, Phaedra was able to call out, "UNO!" before anyone else. "We win!" she said smiling at Barrett.

"Wow, you're really good!" Barrett told her.

"I know," she replied matter of factly. "Now this time you play with my mommy and I play with my grandpa, okay?"

It wasn't really a question, it was more of a directive.

Hannah leaned over and whispered, "She can be a little bossy."

"I hadn't noticed," Barrett whispered back with a smile.

"She gets it from her mom," Hannah told him.

"Nah, her mom seems pretty great to me," Barrett commented. He smiled at her and Jeff winked and gave him a big thumbs up.

Hannah saw it and said, "Okay, Dad. What's going on here? What are you up to this time?"

"Who...me?" he said. "What do you mean, Han? Why would I be up to something?"

"Because you're always up to something. That's why."

She leaned over to Barrett and said, "I love my dad a lot, but trust? Oh, that's a whole other matter."

"What? What'd I say?" Jeff said in that same 'who, me' kind of voice.

Several minutes into the game, Hannah saved her team with a Reverse followed by a Draw Four to her dad.

"Nice!" Barrett said offering her a high five. Hannah returned it along with a smile and when their eyes met she felt some kind of...something. She immediately stopped smiling and got very serious.

"Okay, Fay-Fay, it's your turn," she told her daughter.

"I know," she said laying down a Draw Four on her mom then drawing a high five from her grandpa.

"That's my girl, Fay!" he said as Hannah picked up four more cards.

To no one's surprise, Phaedra's team won again then Hannah said, "Okay, that's it for tonight. Time to go take a bath and get ready for bed."

"But I wanna play with Barrett! Can we do more ballet?" she asked him directly hoping he might overrule her mom.

"Sorry, friend. The boss has spoken," he said nodding at her mom.

"Okay," she said dejectedly. "But we can play tomorrow, right?" she asked hopefully.

"Um, well, I have to go back to the airport tomorrow and fly home. I don't live here in Denver," he told her.

"Oh," she said her face now very sad.

"Come on, pumpkin. Bath time. Tell Barrett and your grandpa goodnight."

"Sweet girl," Barrett said when she and her mom were upstairs.

Jeff agreed. "She really is. That's why I don't want this, this...human dick with feet...in her life. She needs a real dad. Someone who can be a role model. Someone who's home most nights. Someone who'll take a personal interest in her and actually spend time doing things with her. Like tonight."

"I've always loved kids and Phaedra's pretty great. I'd love to have a daughter like her someday. Or a son. Either one." Barrett paused then said, "Maybe even one of each."

Jeff walked over to the window and looked outside.

"This isn't looking so good for you, kid."

Barrett got up and stood next to him.

"Oh, man! It's really coming down out there," he said when he noticed there were already several inches covering everything he could see.

At 10pm they turned on the weather report and Hannah sat down to watch with them.

"Denver International Airport is still closed to all incoming and outgoing traffic. Ground crews are working around the clock but the snowfall is so heavy crews can't keep up. Unfortunately, this storm is expected to last at least another 12 hours and barring some relief, holiday travelers will be unable to get in or out of the Mile-High city. I'm Aleesha Rankin reporting for...."

"Great," Barrett said.

"This is awful!" was Hannah's comment.

"Ah, gee! Shucks!" Jeff said pretedning to be upset and trying hard not to smile.

"I'm gonna have to call the company and let them know I won't be back for the Christmas Eve pageant," Barrett said.

"This means Harold won't be getting until Christmas Day!" Hannah announced once it hit her.

"Ah, gee," Jeff said again to no one listening.

Jeff waited for a minute then said, "So, kid. Since you're gonna be here tomorrow, maybe you could give me a hand stringing the rest of the Christmas lights outside. I didn't get 'em all up before I bailed on Hannah Banana here."

She glared at her dad then gave up. What was the use? Compared to her fiancee not showing up what difference did a silly name make?

"I guess it'll just be the four of us going for the sleigh ride tomorrow, huh?" Jeff said.

"Sleigh ride?" Barrett asked finally paying attention.

"Dad. That's private and you know that." She turned to Barrett and said, "I'm sorry, but we do this sleigh ride on Christmas Eve out to the Wishing Well and...."

Barrett put his hands up and said, "Oh, no! I wouldn't think of intruding. No way. You guys go ahead and...."

"Whaddya you mean intrude? Han, you were gonna let Howard come along and he sure as hel...heck...isn't family!"

"We're engaged, Dad!" she said with exasperation in her voice. "I'm marrying him and his name is Harold!"

"Ah, I give up!" Jeff said. "I'm goin' to bed."

"Dad, please don't be upset. Dad!" Hannah said as he walked away.

Barrett sat there not knowing what to say or do. Silence seemed the best course of action so he sat still and quietly and waited.

Hannah's head was in hands, her elbows resting on her knees. Barrett saw her body twitch once and then a second time and he knew she was crying or right on the verge.

He reached out a hand and couldn't decide where to put it. He settled for her shoulder then said, "Are you okay?"

She didn't answer. She just shook her head.

"My dad hates my fiancee," she said trying hard to regain control.

"I'm sure he doesn't...hate him. That's a pretty strong word, don't you think?" he said trying to sound supportive.

"He does," she insisted. "No one will ever be good enough to replace Bobby, my late husband." Her head was still in her hands when she said, "If the man I love isn't a police officer or something similar, he can't measure up in my dad's mind. His motives are automatically somehow suspect. It makes me so...sad. I...I love my father, but he just doesn't know how bad it was before he got here."

Barrett cautiously rubbed her shoulder then said, "From what he told me, it seems like he had a pretty good idea of how bad you and Phaedra were struggling financially."

"He said that?" she asked finally looking up and almost at him.

"Well, yeah. On the plane. He told me he couldn't stand knowing how tough it was for you and he left New York because of that. I know that losing his wife—your mom—played a role in that decision, but he did this for you and your daughter, Hannah."

"Really? He's never once told me that."

"He also said he loves being near his little girl and her little girl. That's pretty close to a direct quote," Barrett said smiling just a little bit.

"My dad said that? Jeff Wilcox?"

"He did. He loves both of you—a lot, Hannah."

She dried her eyes using the sleeve of her sweater then said, "This is so...strange. A total stranger is telling me things my father told him that he won't say to me."

"I hope I'm not making things worse," Barrett said.

"No. Not at all. It would just be so nice to hear him say something like that to me sometime. That's all."

"He's 'old school.' I'm sure he feels it; he just can't say it to you. To him, you're still his little girl and I'm just some stranger—some...guy—he say things to to get them off his chest. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you."

"I suppose," Hannah admitted. "It's just that I've lost my husband and my mom and to think my own father can't stand my future husband is...is really hard to deal with, you know?"

"I'm sure he'll come around," Barrett said.

"Ha! If I was marrying an Army vet like you maybe," she said unable not to smile.

"Well, maybe not just like me, right?" he said. She gave him a funny look then said, "I'm 23, Hannah."

"You have an old soul," she said sweetly with a kind smile. "Not old but...mature."

"Does he make you happy?" Barrett asked out of nowhere.

"Who? Harold?"

"Well, yes. Does Harold make you happy?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't he?" she said defensively.

"I've never even met him, so I have no idea. And I'm not the one marrying him," Barrett said with a smile. "So what about Harold makes you happy? What kinds of things do you enjoy doing with him?"

"Well, all kinds of things," Hannah replied.

"How about the obvious things people in love do? You know like holding hands, hugging, kissing, laughing, sharing their dreams and fears, and that sort of thing."

"Oh, sure. We've done all those things. Definitely." She didn't want to have to explain they didn't keep doing them, but that they had, at least to some extent—or at least once, done all of those things.

"So...you could be out to dinner or a movie and just hold hands or give each other a kiss. Okay, that's great," he said not knowing she'd only given a partial answer. "Do you guys laugh a lot especially at silly things only the two of you get?"

"Um, well, sure. We laugh. Sometimes." She was beginning to sound a little more defensive but Barrett kept going.

"I'm assuming you agree on the big-ticket items of politics, religion, child-rearing, money...sex."

"Well, Harold was raised a Presbyterian and I was raised Catholic, but that's not important to us as neither of us goes to church anymore. He's a liberal Democrat and I'm more of a moderate Republican or maybe a Libertarian so we don't really discuss politics all that much, either."

As Hannah contemplated child rearing, she sat and thought about the way Harold often seemed annoyed at Phaedra for asking the kinds of endless questions children her aged tended to ask but didn't voice her concerns.

"We both want what's best for Phaedra, of course," she said.

"You said he's generous so I'm going to guess money isn't an issue. That leaves only one major topic, and it's right up their with finances as the leading cause of unhappiness in a marriage and a leading cause of divorce."

"You seem very well-informed on marriage for someone who's never been married," Hannah said not wanting to go anywhere near this last topic. She'd been dating Harold for over a year and they still hadn't slept together. In fact, they'd never even been to second base, but Hannah was at a point in her life where that kind of thing could take a backseat to having the kind of security Harold could provide.

Barrett tried to explain. "My hope is that I'll marry once and for life—barring the kind of terrible tragedy you've experienced, of course. I don't claim to have all the answers. I'm sure I don't even know all the questions. I talk to other people and try to read as much as I can about as many things as possible so I can be informed. To me, though, the most important thing isn't so much finding the right person as it is being the right person."

komrad1156
komrad1156
3,770 Followers