from the atmosphere. When I saw his eyes, the most ferocious butterflies began fluttering in my stomach. The rest of the evening was a blur as I got to know this beautiful man, and I’m fortunate that I got to spend nearly forty years with him.”
“That’s beautiful,” I sighed.
“It wasn’t all easy for us. For the first several years, especially after Carol was born, we were barely scraping by. He was over in Vietnam for years, so I was forced to raise Carol without him. When he returned, she was already four. He had missed all of her firsts. After finding out he volunteered to stay in Vietnam after his first tour was over, even after he told me he didn’t have a choice, I kicked him out. His lies hurt, Mackenzie, so I know how you feel. But the time apart gave us both an opportunity to realize how much we couldn’t survive without each other. We both realized what was important in life. Thomas vowed never to lie to me again. He wanted to be there for all our next baby’s firsts, but we were in no position to try again. We were living in a studio apartment, barely making ends meet. I couldn’t find a job, even with the college degree I eventually got after having Carol. Employers didn’t want to hire me because I had a child. They wanted someone reliable who wouldn’t have to miss work because of an ill child. Things were a lot different back then.”
“I guess so,” I responded, shaking my head. I couldn’t imagine what she went through raising a baby while the father was overseas fighting a war.
“Then, one day, he got a letter. He had been trying to get in with the CIA for years, and had been faced with rejection after rejection. Finally, they agreed to see him for an interview. It was a long process but, two years later, we moved to Connecticut, bought a house, and he began working for the agency out of one of the satellite offices. He eventually started his own private security firm and we moved back up here.
“After he passed away, I traveled a lot. It wasn’t until my granddaughter was born that I decided to make Massachusetts my home once more and I’m glad I did so I could be around for all of her firsts.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is, even though things may look bleak right now, life has a funny way of working itself out.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Excuse me, Mrs. Burnham,” an imposing man clad in a dark suit interrupted, popping into the kitchen. Based on his stature, I knew he worked for the security company. Maybe he was Colleen’s version of Eli.
“Hello, William.” She looked away from me and gave him a congenial smile.
“I apologize for interrupting, ma’am, but I have news.” He slid an envelope in front of her and she opened it, examining the contents.
I turned my head to allow her to read whatever it was without me trying to look over her shoulder, but I was certainly curious. Instead, I occupied my mind with my surroundings. The kitchen was modern and homey. It opened into a laid-back sitting room with a large screen TV, and I could tell this was where most of the entertaining occurred.
“Thank you, William,” Colleen’s voice cut through, bringing my attention back to her and the formidable-looking man standing at ease next to her.
“Ma’am.” He nodded, retreating from the kitchen.
As if on cue, the stove buzzed, indicating that the lasagna was done. “Perfect.” She jumped up from her chair. “Hope you’re hungry.”
“Are you kidding me?” I responded, rubbing my stomach. “This little guy has a monster appetite.”
“Well, he’s got Burnham DNA in him. He’s going to be a big baby.”
“How big was Tyler when he was born?” I asked, almost scared to know the answer.
“Nearly ten pounds. Word of advice, dear,” she said, looking over her shoulder as she retrieved the lasagna from the oven. “Don’t turn down the epidural.”
Tyler
THE WHEELS OF THE plane finally touched down at Logan International in Boston after midnight, the end of three very long days of traveling. The drive to the closest airport in Sudan was nearly fifteen hours, then a thirty-hour series of flights back to the States. It was torture. Every minute that passed was another minute Mackenzie believed I was avoiding her. After clearing customs, I debated continuing on down to Texas, but I was exhausted. No commercial