Deathly White Thighs

The two sisters fell against one each agreeing it was rather far-fetched but ever so romantic.

On the drive home Meg told her weepy sister that their mother was locked in her bedroom reading the manuscript while Tom was pacing outside the house drinking beer.

Once they settled in at home with their father, Tom having been called into the bedroom, their father said, "Far fetched do you think? Oh yeah?"

Stewart returned to the room with an embossed slim volume the sisters had never seen. It was the official citation for the presentation of an extremely high award to Captain Shawnee Wellington (their mother's maiden name) for valor and acting above the call to duty to save eleven wounded commandos being guarded by the USAF Special Ops unit in the temporary field hospital and waiting for evacuation. The remaining uninjured commandos were only lightly armed.

Crying the young women read in the citation how their mother had led her wing to attack the enemy, the two other pilots young and not yet battle hardened. It was cited who she guided them compassionately and with inspired leadership and they performed bravely and with ruthless precision.

On an inserted page they read about the posthumous award to the combat logistics support officer heading the team to service the wing. He'd blown up the munitions dump and rescued their mother-to-be from her burning aircraft only to be fatally sliced through the spine by a piece of flying metal from the exploding aircraft as he crouched over to protect Shawnee.

The women, weeping copiously, rushed to the side of their father and they hugged.

"We call you Jessie because his name was Jess Maitland," her father said, wiping his eyes."

Jessie said she'd already made that assumption when reading the name.

Shawnee emerged from the bedroom, trailed by a delighted Tom.

"I have been talking to publisher Charlie Maitland," she said. "He and I have agreed to jointly meet the publishing costs and he'll take care of marketing. We are doing this because he likes the closing theme of the book although he has yet to sight the manuscript. Jess Maitland was his elder son. I'd sent Tom some of my Air Force and earlier background when he'd required it. Charlie has commissioned Tom to write the true story of my life with publication two years from now. He says I'm getting longish in the tooth so there is no need for me to shy of my past, that I should be proud of it and he wished Jess was still with us to recall his past. When he said that I kinda caved in. You see Jess and had been lovers and I first met Charlie when I helped bring Jess home to him."

Jessie and Meg stood uncertainly. They'd never seen their mom cry but she looked mighty close to it. She held out here hands and they ran to her. Shawnee laughed, "Come on, cry; you're women."

Stewart spoke up and that was unusual for him. "Jessie, in view of what you're read and heard today you may be wondering if Jess was your father. The answer is no. I married your mother and fathered you almost two years after Shawnee brought Jess home. Shawnee and I are the bona fide parents of both of you. I'd gone all through school with Jess. You know the rest of the story how your mother and I met at a memorial service. Well that service was for Jess."

"Thanks for that reassurance daddy, the thought had crossed my mind," Jessie said, smiling again.

Stewart said, "You get your inquisitive mind and academic ability from me and Meg gets her athleticism and tendency towards promiscuity from her mother."

Three women chased after Stewart, brought him to the floor and forced him to recant his comment about promiscuity.

The afternoon went by happily with the family and Tom looking at old photo albums and reading about Shawnee's military service and listening to her stories. The guilt of pancaking her near-disabled helicopter and to have her former lover die attempting to shield her had at last crumbled.

Prior to dinner Tom and Jessie then went walking.

During dinner Jessie rang the little silver bell left to her by her paternal grandmother and said Tom wished to make an announcement.

Tom stood and said, "Sorry folk I regret having to shock you but Jessie and I plan to marry the day after her college graduation. What's for dessert?"

There was uproar of course and un-chilled champagne was handed around.

Meg said to Jessie when they were dishing up dessert, "I was sure that announcement would have made mom cry."

"I didn't expect tears," Jessie said. "We have made her and dad very happy. But be there when mom holds her first grandchild for the first time. As far as I'm concerned even one tear will count as crying."

THE END