Chapter 88
Alex sat in the living area with Annie snuggled next to him as they watched cartoons together. Chelsea had just gotten back from physical therapy and was getting a shower. As they were watching TV, there was a knock at the door.
"Stay put, 'Pumpkin'," instructed AJ as he got up to answer the door. He was surprised to see Major Whitlock standing there. "Good morning, sir."
"You must be Alex," greeted the major as he shook hands with him.
"Come on in. Chelsea is getting a shower," explained AJ when he suddenly felt Annie's arms around his leg. "'Pumpkin', what are you doing?"
"Tell him to go away, Papa J!" insisted the little girl.
"Come on, let me go so I can let your grandfather in the room."
"NO! He was mean to Daddy."
AJ pried the little girl off his leg and picked her up. The little girl wrapped her arms around his neck and tucked her head into his neck. "Annie, this is your grandfather…your mama's daddy, and he's here for lunch with us."
"I don't wanna go with him," she whimpered without looking up.
AJ moved so Major Whitlock could get into the room and as the door was being closed, the major said, "It's okay, Alex. Her first time meeting me wasn't exactly the most pleasant experience for a child."
"I was there but it's not an excuse for her acting like this now."
"Well, I hope after today, she won't feel this way," answered the older man as he took a seat. "Is Kevin joining us today?"
"I don't know. Chelsea didn't mention him coming."
"I invited him, so I can make amends all the way around."
"I'll give him a call," offered Alex.
"Thank you."
"Annie, you need to stop with this nasty attitude or go sit on your bed until you can get it straight," said Alex firmly.
"Can I go sit on Mama's bed?"
"No ma'am."
In a huff, Annie went to her room but was smart enough not to slam the door.
With Annie in her room, Alex called Kevin and got him to come to their room. He didn't explain, just that they needed to talk.
A few minutes later, Kevin knocked on the door and AJ let him in. "What's up, 'J'?" asked Kevin before realizing that Major Whitlock was in the room. "Oh, lunch…I….Major Whitlock, I didn't respond because I thought it would be a good time for you to get to know Alex better…before the wedding."
"I understand your reluctance but you are Annie's father. I thought….well, Annie didn't have a very good first meeting with me and I was hoping if she saw all of us getting along, it would make things easier."
"Where is Annie anyway?" asked Kevin.
"In her room trying to get her attitude straight," explained AJ.
"What about Chelsea?"
"She had a PT session and had just gotten back when Major Whitlock arrived."
"As soon as she's ready, we'll deal with Annie but I'm going to talk with her now," said Kevin.
Kevin disappeared into Annie's room and Chelsea came from her room. She moved to her father first and gave him a kiss before joining AJ on the couch. "Where's Annie?"
"I sent her to her room. Kevin's in there now talking to her."
"Seems she wasn't too happy with my arrival," explained Major Whitlock as Kevin and Annie emerged from her room.
Taking a seat, Kevin took Annie in his lap. "What do you need to say?"
Annie tucked her head but Kevin prompted her to look up and she said, "I apologize for being rude to you, sir."
"I accept your apology, Annie, and I apologize for being so rude to your daddy."
Chelsea motioned for Annie to join her and the little girl slipped off Kevin's lap to go stand facing her mother. "Annie, when my dad met Kevin, things were very scary. Your father was trying to protect us, you and me."
"Because your daddy is bad?"
"No, my dad, your grandfather, and I had a really bad argument before you were born and we hadn't worked it out yet."
"Have you worked it out now?"
Chelsea looked at her father and smiled, "Yes, we have. He asked us to join us today so he could get to know you and Alex better. He wants to take us to lunch and the beach."
Annie's eyes lit up, "The beach…like when we went with Aunt Moni?"
"Yes ma'am," smiled Chelsea, seeing the excitement in Annie's eyes.
"I know someone else who loves the beach," spoke Major Whitlock. "I recall your mother, at your age, would stay on the beach until I would have to carry her home and she'd fall asleep in my arms."Annie's eyes grew big, "Really?" and she moved to stand beside the major.
"Oh yeah. She would play in the water and chase sea gulls and she was THE best sand castle builder."
"Only because I had you helping me," smirked Chelsea.
Major Whitlock smiled, "Well, you were only six and your brothers were older. Someone had to help you. And Annie, your mother LOVED to walk the beach looking for starfish. She used to say if you could find a starfish, mermaids were close by. She was always asking how she could become a mermaid and I'd have to swim out past the waves to keep her from going too far."
AJ and Kevin snickered as AJ whispered, "A mermaid?"
"YES!" snarked Chelsea, rolling her eyes at the expressions on Kevin and AJ's faces.
Annie was fascinated now and climbed into the major's lap, very much like Chelsea used to do. The major got her settled and continued to tell Annie about Chelsea's adventures on the beach.
Kevin spoke up before the stories went too far. "If we're going to lunch, we'd better get going. Alex and I have to be at the venue at two."
"Daddy, are you staying for the show?"
"I'd enjoy that. Haven't seen them perform since Germany when you were thirteen."
"YOU took her to our shows?"questioned Alex in amazement.
"Sure did."
"He was the coolest dad at the base school too," bragged Chelsea. "There were five teenage girls and my dad."
"Totally blows my mind after all I've heard of you, Major Whitlock," snickered Kevin.
"Oh, I promise you, I didn't exaggerate," said Chelsea. "My brothers and I didn't step out of line. That's why we're here now."
"Which wasn't fair to you, Chels," frowned Major Whitlock. "You needed me…you and Annie. I don't even know how to make up to you both for what I did."
"Just be the daddy you were before that night…and a grandfather."
"I can do that. Now, I found a seafood place near the venue on the beach … it's called 'Crabby Amy's' and has excellent reviews."
"Sounds good," said Alex.
Kevin looked at Alex, "Is all your stuff on your bus?"
"Yeah, I handled it while Chelsea was doing her physical therapy. She just needs to grab her bag."
With that, the entire group headed downstairs where Chelsea put her bag on the bus and then they all piled into the vehicle Major Whitlock was driving.
