"Let it rest, Mar," Shabazz said, trying not to smile as he stared at Carlos. "Baby, just let it rest."
* * *
"As long as I live, and for as long as I die, Damali Richards-Rivera, I never want to be that out of control over any substance again in my life - not even you."
"I hear you," she said in a faint murmur, holding on to the side of the bed with her eyes closed as he tied a Windsor knot in his uniform. "Just keep your voice down. I don't even know how you're gonna go with Dan and Heather right now ... you know his mom is gonna feed you."
Carlos held up his hand. "D, please," he said, taking in a deep breath through his nose. "I just barely got my stomach back. I'll make it up as I go along." She peeked up from the bed at him and had to admit that the uniform was blowing her mind. Under any other circumstances it would have made her try to get up and coax him to stay. The brother had more braids and medals on than made any type of sense. And although it was "borrowed" from some top brass owner for just a little while, the ruse was all for a good cause. If people knew the real deal, not a soul would argue that one Neteru general, Carlos Rivera, had definitely earned his stripes.
"You look good," she finally said, and dropped her head back to the pillow. He kissed the top of her head. "Think I'll pass inspection for Mom and Pop Weinstein?"
Damali opened one eye. "Just give 'em the strong, silent, steely jaw - if-I-tell-ya-I-have-tokill-ya look."
"Aw'ight," he said, glancing back and looking concerned. He stood in front of the mirror, then put his hat on, then took it off and whipped it under his arm, standing at attention a few times, practicing. "Okay. I'm out."
From a very remote place in her mind as she drifted back to sleep, she caught that nervous anticipation in him - saw and felt just how much he wanted to do a good job for his team brother and not mess up. It endeared him to her even more, because by rights, with everything else that was go ing on, Carlos could have begged off and no one would have argued. But he didn't. Because it was important to Dan and Heather, it was important to him. That was just one more thing she added to the list of things she loved about her man.
* * *
"yo!" jose said, laughing. "You clean up real good, brother." He walked around Carlos and let out a long whistle.
Carlos laughed and opened his arms, then looked at Dan. "I pass inspection?"
"Whoa ... Rivera ... My mother will have a coronary and then tell the entire neighborhood that I work for the Pen tagon."
"Well, get the story straight, dude, before you go in," Rider said, laughing. "Rivera can make you a Black Ops agent, Bond - as in 007 - or a Secret Service aide to the president of the United States of America, in that uniform."
"Generals can do that, you know," Mike said with a wink, teasing both Carlos and Dan.
"You better work it, brother," J.L. said, shaking his head and laughing as Krissy came over to kiss him. "And here you introduced me to the Berkfields with fangs. Where's the jus tice? No wonder they gave me a hard time about marrying their daughter."
"Honorable fangs, though," Tara said with a smile.
"Yeah, but Mom would have taken it a whole lot better if she'd seen Rivera in Heathrow Airport in that getup - right, Mom?" Bobby said. "Be honest."
"He does look very handsome in that uniform," Marjorie crooned. "Just dashing, Carlos. Almost as handsome as you looked in your wedding tuxedo." She glanced at Heather. "It's going to be just fine."
Carlos bowed and gave Marjorie his most professional rendition of a general's voice that he could muster. "Ma'am, thank you, ma'am." Then he started laughing. "Oh, maaan, what have y'all gotten me into?"
"Impersonating an officer is how many felonies?" Berk field said with a grin, causing the color to drain away from Marjorie's and Heather's faces.
"The man is fine," Inez argued, folding her arms over her chest. "Dang, Carlos, just imagine if you'd gone that way years ago."
" 'Nez, why'd you have to mention that?" Krissy fussed. "Geez!" Carlos looked down at his duds, refusing to get sad about the things he couldn't change.
"Naw, Inez is right," he said, looking up with a half-smile. "But see, 'Nez, if I had this on years ago when I met your girl, guaranteed she wouldn'ta been no virgin by the time she reached twenty-one."
With that said, the group burst out laughing as Shabazz, Mike, Marlene, and Rider grabbed Carlos and Dan by the arms and hustled them out the door.
* * *
"this is never gonna work!" Rabbi Zeitloff said as he met everyone at the airport baggage claim.
"Please keep your voice down, Rabbi," Dan said, looking around nervously. "Let's just get your luggage, go to the real far end of long-term parking, and let Carlos do his thing." Dan glanced around nervously as other military personnel slowed down, stopped, saluted Carlos, and kept going. Heather squeezed Dan's arm and also squeezed her eyes shut when another high-ranking official rode up an escalator and hailed Carlos.
"Before someone puts a camera in my face for a media comment - because it would be just my luck that something major's kicked off in the Middle East while we're standing here - ya mind if I wait in the car?"
Dan, Heather, and the rabbi said no in one voice.