“You look awesome!” the sisters chorused at each other after their initial heartfelt hug.

“Seriously, you do! I see all that stomping through the ‘glades is doing you well huh?” Catherine examined her sister critically, noting the medium tan and the sun bleached hair and most striking, the loss of 30 pounds.

“I wish… I have to do the gym thing mostly. I’m either stuck in a classroom or a meeting or something other than getting to do field work. Price of getting to do the research or so it seems.” Lori grumbled.

“Eh, work has its downsides for sure. I was lucky to get a break myself.”

“I know you better than that sis. You’ve got some kind of job lined up and you’re expensing the whole trip!”

“Me? I can’t imagine why you’d think such a thing of your dear sister. Why the gall!” Catherine couldn’t hold it anymore and burst out laughing at the exaggerated look of offense her sister pulled.

It took a moment for them to get it together and stop making faces and laughing at each other and Catherine reflected on how good it felt to joke around like they had as children. “I didn’t plan it that way anyhow, it just happened. I’ve got till a couple days after the service before I have to do any work so it won’t get it the way and yes the trip is expensed… although I’m not using my hotel room.”

At an arched eyebrow she continued “Remember Bobby? We kinda ran into each other and I’m staying with him.”

“About time. I know you’ve been in town more than a few times and you never looked him up before?”

“I figured let sleeping dogs lie, ya know? I thought I’d managed to put him out of my mind finally and, well, you know. I couldn’t imagine that he’d be attracted to me, much less feel the same way I do…” Catherine trailed off.

“That boy has been in love with you since you were both 5 and you with him. It’s a shame his dad messed him up with all that macho bullshit and made Bobby try so hard to be a neanderthal like him. Anyway, you’re staying with him and that grin you can’t manage to wipe off your face says you two did the nasty, yeah? So dish!” Lori demanded.

“Um… you pretty much said it. We kinda picked up from 20 years ago but with everything on the table and it was just like we fit so well together…”Catherine mocked slapped her sister on the arm at the smirk that drew. “Not like that! Well, ok like that but I meant like emotionally. Its like we’d both been waiting for the other and doing our best to have a life while waiting and suddenly that was all past and there we were and he was so perfect…”

“Aww that’s sweet. I’m really glad for both of you. How exactly do you run into a state trooper at random anyway? Get a ticket or something?” The inquisitive single eyebrow was raised again.

“Oh no, nothing like that. You see I was just driving like normal and…”

*******

“Why am I not surprised my sister the secret squirrel drives a supercar? Pretty hot looking for a sedan too. Anyway… you ready for this cause I’m not. I never have figured out what she has against me…”

Catherine sighed. “I’ll never figure it out. You’d think I’d be the outcast but nope, they talk to the trans atheist and not to the cis daughter that bore them a grandchild and all because of religion. I wonder how hard she’d flip her lid if she discovered you’re a Wiccan?”

“I dunno, she’d probly try to guilt us into apologizing for being alive. Anyway, I’m not going to let it bother me. I’m not here for her, I’m here to pay my respects to dad… getting to watch how that whole congregation reacts to us both showing up… that should be pretty rich.”

“I couldn’t decide what to feel about it myself. I finally decided to just go with the flow and we’ll see what happens. Bobby’s coming in uniform and we’re wearing Dad’s pins so at least someone there will honor his service. If they don’t like that then to hell with em!”

“You said it! Now come on, we’re supposed to be there at 4.” Lori closed the door of her own rental car and backed the rumbling mustang out with Catherine following suit. They made their way through narrow streets and soon found themselves crossing an expansive cable stay bridge into the sprawl that had been a bucolic beach town a mere 20 years before. A few minutes later Lori pulled up into the driveway of a tidy brick cottage behind a dusty Subaru while Catherine’s lower slung vehicle was parked on the street.

The sisters joined hands in the driveway, each offering the other comfort and support and taking the same in equal measure. A brief moment passed between them before Catherine led the way though the arched trellis of the front gate, up the curving sidewalk to a front porch just large enough for two rockers and a small round table between. The door stood open but she stopped and pushed the doorbell anyway, listening for a response.

“Door’s open! Come on in and I’ll be with you in a minute!” They did, to find their mother wiping her hands on a dish towel in the kitchen. For a moment they all stood there until she finished and she walked over to hug them both tightly. After a brief glance at each other and an eyebrow shrug they returned the embrace and for a long moment the three held each other. She disengaged and then took her older daughter into an even tighter individual embrace first before turning her attention and her hug to Catherine.

“Mom” They’d separated and she was beginning to bustle around the kitchen again. “How are you? Want me to help?” Catherine moved toward the canning grip.

“I’ll be better in a few minutes. I have to finish these last few jars and then I’ll be done with the Purple Knuckles. Get yourselves some tea if you want and pour some in my glass while you’re at it.” She pulled a jar out of the boiling water and sat it on a thick towel to cool, the top already in place. “I’ll have to finish the greenbeans and pickled okra sometime tonight if you’re in a rush.”

The sisters shared a look of exasperation as Catherine got tea for them all, adding a few cubes of ice to the half glass of warm tea already on the table and pouring it full.

“No rush mom. We’re here for you and for dad.” Lori said a little flatly. “We meant how are you doing emotionally?”

“I’m fine. I have lots of friends in the congregation and I have things to keep me busy.” She continued pulling jars out, finally setting the grip down and flexing her hand. “Mind helping me fill these?” She gestured to a row of empty mason jars and a large pot of green beans that had been blanched and shocked in icewater to stop them cooking further.

“Here, let me…” Catherine put her tea down and rose hurriedly to head off an old argument. With her filling the jars with beans and her mother pouring the canning broth they made quick work of the beans and started on the okra as soon as the pot was filled with jars, the boiling water an inch or two below their rims.

That was soon finished as well with each jar being filled with pickling liquid. Lori had come over and washed each pot as they finished, wiping them dry with a towel before putting them in their familiar locations. Catherine snuck glances at the women on either side of her satisfied that a microaggression had been foiled for now.

“You want to do something when we’re finished?” she said it to the air in front of her, leaving it there for either to pick up.

“Well I have Bible Study in an hour or so, you can come if you want?”

“I think we’d rather skip that if you don’t mind. That’s only 2 hours, how about after?” Catherine was now trying to avert blowback from the overt macroaggression clearly aimed at them both.

“Well I was going to dinner with Phyllis and Mickey, then over to their place for a while. Surely you both have plans?” She looked up at two carefully pleasant expressions.

“I didn’t actually have anything planned, Mom. We came here to be with you. Surely you could skip bible study for one night?” Lori was being careful not to let her irritation show in her voice but Catherine could hear the ever so slightly clipped tone she couldn’t quite hide. It was an ingrained habit for them both to retreat into a more reserved and proper mode of speaking when being careful to keep self control.

“Oh I couldn’t do that… I’m sure you girls can occupy yourselves tonight and we’ll see each other tomorrow.” She was again pulling jars out to cool and refilling the pot.

“Sure mom, we’ll find something to do.” Catherine nudged her sister gently.

“Yeah we’ll be fine mom. Enjoy your bible study and tell Mickey and Phyllis we said hi, ok?” Lori turned to her sister, drying her hands. “Want to catch a movie?”

“Sure!” Catherine quickly dried her own hands. Retreat it was then, and well advised in her opinion. “Got a show in mind?”

“I thought maybe Necromancer? Its up to you, we can see whatever…” Lori’s eyes were flashing.

“I’ve wanted to see that!” Catherine was entirely willing to back her sister’s parting riposte. Pulling times up on her phone she continued “OK, if we leave now we’ll just have time to get snacks and get seated. You good mom?”

“I’ll be just fine, I have to finish this and then get ready. Enjoy your movie!” She put the grip down and gave them both a hug that seemed at odds with her words before turning back to the stove. “If Dodger’s inside close the door so I don’t have to chase him down, will you?”

They made their escape as quickly as possible, their progress followed by the eyes of a rather portly tabby cat of some advanced years who seemed the antithesis of his name and reputation. His only motion was the barest twitch of a tail-tip but they both knew he’d run for outside on a whim so the door was pulled closed as instructed.

“Can you believe her?” Lori hissed as they made their way down the sidewalk.

“Well she is our mother so… yeah, pretty much. You just gotta overlook her petty bullshit sis. Its not worth rising to the bait. Look, lets talk about this somewhere else, we have to look like we’re hurrying off for a movie. Pitt Street Bridge work for you?”

“Yeah that sounds nice. Meet you there!” They’d separated and Lori was in her car already. She pulled out first, carefully given the gradient of curb and driveway that had prevented her sister from even trying to park there. They made their sedate way through quiet leaf shaded streets to the old ruined bridge they’d played on as children. Both noted the newly paved approach as well as the enlarged parking area.

“Wow, they’ve really done a lot of work on this place. Remember when it was just the piers and what was left of the roadbed?” They were off the asphalt and onto a boardwalk. Smaller walks led down along the length of the piers where the roadbed was long gone except in the middle, a few steps down to small decks good for fishing or crabbing in the shallow tidal water. The wood had been there long enough to take on a weathered silvery grey and provide a pretense of benign neglect.

“I remember both of us climbing way out onto the last pier to crab and getting in trouble for it. Can’t say I blame them for that one really, it was kinda horribly unsafe…” Catherine laughed. “Worth it though!”

“That was so much fun… that and playing in the tunnels at Fort Moultrie… shame they closed em up but it was pretty dangerous… Was there anything we did as kids that wouldn’t be thought of that way these days?” Lori mused

“Um… Nope, can’t think of anything offhand…” They both chuckled. “But we managed to survive to adulthood somehow. I wonder if mom caught the Necromancer reference? I didn’t see so much as a twitch but with her who’d know? Nicely done though, I was beginning to get a little irritated and you were about to go off on her.”

“Why does she always have to be like that? I mean she knows we’re coming over this afternoon and yet she deliberately plans to have her time filled with everything else. Its just so infuriating! I shouldn’t let her get to me….” Anger ebbed quickly into disappointment as Lori leaned back against the railing.

“We always have handled them differently, I was just better at keeping my mouth shut. We’ll just have to deal with her for a few days. Just remember… the difference between when we were kids and now is that she has none of the power in the relationship. That likely gets right up her nose!”

“I certainly hope so! Anyway… Feel like doing anything?” Lori had turned and was looking out over the water toward the bridge they’d crossed earlier.

“If there’s something you want to do, sure. I’m fine with just hanging out.” Catherine thought for a moment. “There’s a great little coffee shop just off King, we can sit in there and chat, maybe join in on the singing or drumming or whatever it is today.”

“Maybe in a bit, I want to just enjoy being here for a while. You don’t realize how much a place is home to you until you come back after a long absence, ya know?” She lapsed into silence and the sisters gazed out over the harbor, each lost in their own memories.

********

“So how was your mom?” She’d been back at Bobby’s house for only a few minutes before he pulled up and she met him at the door to be greeted with an embrace followed by a kiss that lit her toes on fire.

“Huh?” Was all she could manage for a moment. “She was herself. Hyper religious, oblivious to any sort of attempt at emotional connection or caring and too busy with make-work to bother paying attention to her kids.”

“Wow… don’t hold back now, tell me what you really think!” he gently chided her.

Catherine blushed. “Sorry, its just… she bugs me and I have to try to keep the peace and… anyway, I shouldn’t load that on you. You put me off my stride with that hello!”

“I’ve finally found a truth serum! Bwahahahaha!” His mad scientist laugh had her giggling. “Seriously, its ok. I remember how things were when we were kids, I just wish it’d gotten better for you and I want to share this stuff with you, all of it. I have my own ration of shit too you know?”

“I do… it just that I usually try to keep them… her… in the past where they belong and I can’t do that right now cause the shit is all front and center. I can even manage to deal with her one on one pretty well but add Lori to the mix and things escalate over the tiniest little comment. I’d rather not think about any of that right now though. How was your day?”

“I spent about half of it in the office finishing up paperwork from yesterday, then gave out a ticket or two, helped the odd stranded motorist and spent all of it daydreaming about you.” He stole another quick kiss as he removed his utility belt and holster, storing them in a small gun safe inside an entry closet.

“Aww that’s sweet. I thought about you a lot too you know. You hungry?”

“I could eat but I don’t feel like cooking. Anything in particular you want?” Bobby was busy peeling off his undershirt and spoke through the fabric as Catherine watched appreciatively.

“I could go for a bit of seafood, maybe the Crab Shack? I think I want to have a drink or few though so either you’re driving or we take a car.” She stroked a fingernail down his stomach and the undershirt soon joined his uniform shirt, draped over the back of a chair.

“I need a shower first” he said as they broke from a kiss. “I’ll be fast!”

“Sure!” she smiled up at him. “I could use a shower myself!”

******

“Just let me know when to request the car” he tossed over his shoulder an hour and a half later as she put the final touches on her makeup. He retreated downstairs to wait in the afterglow of their shower activities and Catherine smiled to herself, thinking how different his approach was to her former husband’s constant joking about how she took so long to get ready.

It only took a few more minutes before she pronounced herself ready if still a bit too angular but happy that makeup did a great deal to soften her face. She came downstairs to see Bobby engrossed in a news program. When she came into the room he turned to take her in and simply stood there for a moment.

“I’ll never get over how women can go from looking like a hard as nails businesswoman to looking soft and casual and just so beautiful and free with just a change in hairstyle and clothes.” They shared a quick kiss.

“You look pretty hot yourself you know, and you seem pretty comfortable.” He was dressed in jeans just loose enough not to be tight and a kelly green polo shirt that had to work to accommodate his frame but had no trouble at all enhancing his eyes. “Car’s on the way?”

He checked his phone. “8 minutes. I guessed based on how long it used to take Leigh Anne from about the same point. Shoulda known you’d be a bit faster than that.”

“Yeah? Why’s that? She bristled a little but managed to keep it out of her voice.

“Oh gods I didn’t mean it like that! I just… When we were doing the paperwork I had to deal with your part in the whole thing and I ran into the sort of access issues I only see when dealing with Operators. Remember I told you about Martinez? She went on into Intel and the things I saw trying to look her up some years later are similar although honestly yours seem to be… I dunno, more hardcore I guess. Anyway I know the kinds of training they do for that sort of work and I figured being super fast and skilled with makeup might be a part of it so you’d be faster than the average woman at it…” He trailed off at her grin.

“I’m sorry I thought the wrong thing Bobby. Its just that… I’ve had to deal with a lot of shit just to be myself and do what I do and its hard not to be ready to slap down some jackass making snide comments. I’ll try to be better about that.” She kissed him lightly. “I’m sure you know I can’t really talk about what I do but… there are certain allowances to be made for properly vetted family and Significant Others.”

“I’m sure I don’t want to know too much, I suspect it would only make me worry about you… more, I mean. You’ve always been the daring one out of all of us and it doesn’t surprise me at all that you’d be doing that sort of thing. I won’t ask questions unless I really want to know the answers, ok?”

“That’ll work for now. I can give you a lot more answers than most can because you still have active clearances so feel free to ask. If I can’t tell you something I’ll say so but if I can I will answer as fully as possible.” The sound of a horn from outside coincided with a trill from his phone announcing the arrival of their car. “We’ll talk more about this later if you want.”

They soon settled into a spacious sedan and were off down the driveway, Catherine noting with amusement that their driver was a member of her team. “I’m looking forward to the crab. I’ve had it all sorts of ways in all sorts of places but there’s nothing like the taste of local fresh caught with just some drawn butter.”

“I feel the same way. Even better if you catch it yourself but somehow I just never seem to find the time, you know? Here I am not 2 miles from a tidal creek and all I’d need is some string and a rotten chicken neck, just like when we were kids. I miss going out crabbing and shrimping with you when we’d just be out the whole day, totally free and enjoying each other’s company…” He looked out the window for a moment in silence.

“The more I think about it the more I realize I’ve been in love with you since we were kids and I was just too stupid to see it.” He turned to face her and took her hand into his own. “Can you ever forgive me for that?”

She captured his hand in both of her own and raised his knuckle to her lips, brushing it lightly. “There’s nothing to forgive. We both had things to overcome before we could find our way back to each other. Along the way we lived and learned and maybe even grew a little toward being the people we wanted to be. No shame, no wrong done, just lives lived as best we could.”

They sat half facing each other, holding hands until the car drew up in front of the nautically themed restaurant. Catherine smiled up at her date as he arrived on her side far too late to open her door but just in time to offer a hand which she took.

The hostess took them back to a table almost immediately and she noticed the table was one that allowed them to have their backs to a wall and was near the emergency exit. “I see they know you here…” she murmered.

“What makes you say that?” he replied in kind.

“They put you in the most defensible position in the house, that’s what. That and I’m pretty sure I see Monique headed this way. Wow, she looks really great!” He held her seat, then slid it in as she sat before taking his own seat.

“Hey Bobby, good to see you. Who’s your lady friend?” The woman standing before them was a far cry from the chubby acne ridden girl with no confidence that Catherine remembered. Her long hair was caught up in an intricate arrangement of tight braids before it spilled down her back and she carried herself with an assurance that spoke of comfort in her own power.

“Monique, so good to see to you as well, sorry I haven’t been in for a while. Allow me to introduce Catherine who has graced me with her presence this evening.” Her eyes wandered from his face over to hers with a puzzled look of half recognition and Catherine decided to get it over with.

“Hey Neecy” she gave a little finger wave. “Its been a few years. You look good, girl!” She watched with amusement as her old friend examined her face for a moment before recognition finally dawned and she almost squeaked with excitement before stopping herself and looking around.

“You and I have got to talk later girl! Here’s my card, call or text or whatever when you get a chance and by that I mean tomorrow!” She shook her head as if to clear it. “Bobby I know you want the crab, you too Catherine?” They both nodded before she continued. “Bobby you want the house brew?”

“Make it a pitcher Neecy, we’re gonna make pigs of ourselves and get a little tipsy before I take this lovely man home and… well I’m sure you can guess…” Catherine laughed at her date’s flush.

“Nuff said but I’m serious, I want to have a chat soon!” She turned away and hustled off to the kitchen.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think…” Bobby started but she held up her hand to stop him.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. If I’m going to be around town then I’m going to run into people I knew… we knew… from back then and I’m okay with that. You heard Mindy yesterday, everyone knew anyway, even when I tried to hide it and you couldn’t handle it. I’m glad to finally stand up and say ‘You were right, I am a girl and I’m in love with Bobby!’ to them. I’m proud of who I am and everything I had to overcome to be that girl.”

Two thick frosted mugs arrived along with a frosty pitcher so expertly drawn there was no visible head and he took a moment to slowly fill both mugs to the same standard. They both took a sip and sighed. “You know her daddy made really great beer but her daughter? She’s in a class by herself. Straight out of high school she went to an apprenticeship program in Czechia and was named BrewMistress just 2 years later. Totally bypassed Journeyman status and won the highest award given, then came back here and took over the brewery Cletus started a year ago. She’s working on expanding now and you’ll find Copahee Lager in a fair number of local bars and restaurants. Last I heard she was working on a regional marketing and distribution plan so she’ll probably be on store shelves in at least 3 states by the end of this year.”

“Wait, Neecy has a daughter?” Catherine paused” Well, It has been 20 years but… wow!”

“Yeah she married Derrik in Senior year and had Collette 2 months after graduation so no prizes for guessing about how that went down. They both went off to college while Cletus raised her mostly until they both graduated. She went into finance, he became a bioengineer and still Cletus mostly raised their daughter so its no surprise she learned brewing at his knee. When she went off to Czechia Neecy had a bit of a rethink about what was important, cashed out of her finance job and bought this place. They both seem a lot happier now so I guess it was the right move.”

Catherine nodded. “I can totally see that. You grow up poor like we all did and you get a bit driven to never be in that place again. I can identify with it to a large degree… its just that for myself I never had any desire to do those things. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors, to serve my country even though they wouldn’t have me in the military. The rest? Just stuff even if it is easy to get attached to some of it.”

“I get that, I’m a lot the same. I’d never have bought a house like that but Leigh Anne wanted it and I couldn’t say no.” He took a sip of his beer. “It became home though and I’m kind of attached to it.” He stood up and dug in his pocket for a moment before getting down on one knee in front of her.

“Catherine, I meant what I said. I want to make sure you never lose that tan line and I’d love to share the place I’ve come to regard as home with you, as our home. I should have asked you this all those years ago but…” he paused for a moment and held up an open box with a ring in it. “Catherine Bridget MacConnell, will you marry me?”