Chapter One: The Beginning
Page Five3, July 1999 Saturday Bill had told Jensy Fraiser about her granddaughter and of course, she couldn't wait to meet her.
No mention of Bill, as
expected, but no one else even knew about Cassie…and even if someone did, Bill was the only one who still visited Janet's paternal grandmother every weekend.
She was exactly the type of woman he admired.
Strong, but willing to drop everything to wait on a real man.
Feeling rather derisive now, Janet reached for her fork, only then realizing she
hadn't gotten one. "I am just really out of it this morning." Sitting back down, utensil in hand, Janet quickly finished the pair of waffles, not wanting to take a chance on getting any syrup on Cassandra's letter.
7:28 AM Putting the dishes in the washer, she walked the bills and invitation to her desk before settling into the couch, fully aware she still had a good thirty minutes before she needed to
leave to get back to the base.
Opening the letter, she could almost hear Cassie's voice in her mind as she devoured each word.
She was delighted to find small droodles adorning the margins
of the letter along with the lovely leaves glued to the paper.
The scent of the leaves was enchanting, having had time to fill the sealed envelope for the entire length of the trip to Colorado
from Maui.
Settling in, she imagined being there with her beloved girl, enjoying the beach and sun, too. * * * * * * 7:35 AM Rush…rush…rush…rush.
Sam had actually overslept.
After
having been forced to go home and sleep, she overdid it…just like she'd warned the Colonel she would when he'd literally ordered her out.
The alarm had still been blaring away when she nearly
rolled off the bed and now, she had less than half an hour to be dressed and at work.
Breakfast consisted of a diet soda grabbed while whizzing through the kitchen and heading towards the
living room where her boots were still sitting.
The accumulating dust on the coffee table made her sigh, thinking maybe she should just go ahead and install a small apartment under the Gate
room's ramp.
Much less trouble than actually driving home whenever the Colonel got a bee in his bonnet about her getting a life.
One last glance around the room and then Sam ran to the
door, pulled to a surprised stop by the phone ringing.
A gusty sigh showed the receiver how annoyed she was as she answered, fully prepared to have it either be a multi-level marketing
salesman, an incredible opportunity to have her apartment appraised, her credit cleared up - which would make it where the bank would actually be in debt to her at this point, or a commanding
officer letting her know she was going to be late. "Hello?" "Guess what I did?" "Janet?" "Yup." "Okay…what?" "I got ready to go to work."
"Janet, that's what most people with jobs do." "Not on this Saturday…you did it too, didn't you?"
Eyes growing impossible wide, Sam just…stood there.
Stunned.
Today was Saturday and while it was rare, this one they
actually had…off....continue to page six... |
