12. Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
Lachlan
Lachlan hauled his heavy duffle bag onto his shoulder and shut the Uber car’s trunk.
“Thanks, man,” he called to the driver, who waved from his driver’s window. The Toyota zoomed away, leaving him in gasoline fumes.
He faced his parents’ house. The living room’s light glowed through the lace curtains. Home. He adjusted his strap. Well, for tonight, it would be. He wanted to see family on his first day back, not arrive at his empty bachelor pad.
Sprinkles of rain touched his cheek. He clamped his jacket collar closed as he strode toward the front door. He hoped Mom had heated the spare room.
He pressed the doorbell, then ran his fingers over the familiar wooden door, well-worn over the years. He stood back and faced the peephole, waiting to hear Mom’s squeal.
“It’s Lachie.” Muffled words from the other side.
Yes. Open the door. Freezing out here.
The door flung wide. “My baby. Come in, come in.” Mom grabbed his sleeve and yanked him inside.
As the door closed behind him, his bag fell with a thud as he wrapped his arms around his little mother. “Missed you.” His voice rattled with emotion.
“Son.” Dad embraced him next. The human contact refreshed his soul like drinking a gallon of water after months in a lonely desert.
Dad squeezed his bicep. “Your guns are loaded. Man, you got big.”
Lachlan chuckled, wiping away an escaped tear.
“Let’s sit in the dining room.” Mom pointed down the hallway. “I have some of your favorite chicken noodle soup warming on the stove. Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.” He tapped his belly. “Saving room for my mamma’s cooking. The ship’s food isn’t bad, but nothing compares to your recipes.”
She pinched his cheek and grinned. “You’ll keep.” Mom always said that.
Once they settled around the ten-seater walnut table, Lachlan dug into the soup as his parents told him the latest family news. The warm liquid soothed his throat, along with the familiar voices that relaxed him.
“Mark’s flooded with work. So, if you need a job in the interim, he could do with a laborer.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He didn’t want to do bathroom renovations, but if he didn’t find work in the first week with his qualifications, he could help his brother for a while.
Mom placed her hand on the table and leaned forward. “And Kayce’s dating again. She’s met a nice fellow. A young widower with two children.”
“Wow. Instant Brady Bunch. That’s big news.” He took another sip of his soup.
Dad gave a wry grin. “Everyone’s engaged or married off since you left.” He peered over his thin-framed spectacles. “Did you meet anyone overseas?”
Lachlan gulped hard and glanced from his bowl, the condensation warming his chin. “No.” A pair of blue vivid eyes flashed in his mind. He sat straighter. “I wanted to wait until I finished with the Navy. Less complicated that way.”
“Well, there’s always online dating. That’s how Kayce met Daniel.”
“Really? That’s good for her.” He preferred not to rely on Internet dating after the majority of horror stories he’d heard.
Dad continued to chat about Kayce and Daniel, but Lachlan’s mind wandered back to Beth. How did life pan out for her? The image of Beth looking up at him with innocent eyes, almost vulnerable at times, remained in his head. If she’d met someone, he hoped the guy would treat her well, love her like she deserved.
An upstanding woman like Beth would be his benchmark. If he could meet an American version of Bethany Michaels, he’d be a happy man.
That night, as Lachlan stared toward the ceiling in the dark, he contemplated the conversations he’d had. Life in San Diego seemed to move on well enough without him here. He adjusted his position on the memory foam mattress. The bed was super comfortable compared to what he’d been used to in the last few years. Why couldn’t he just fall asleep? Many sailors found civilian life strange for a while. He’d need to keep himself busy and establish a new routine. He’d get up early and exercise first thing. That seemed to clear his mind and help him focus for the day. That and coffee.
“What is my life about?” he whispered into the chilly night. Should he stay in San Diego? He’d been gone for so long. Did he belong here anymore?”
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and released it slowly. There were no decisions to make right now. He’d take one day at a time and wait to see what doors opened.
The next day, back at his own place, Lachlan crouched low, and pulled the weeds from his garden bed. It was a monotonous job, but he needed to keep occupied, and the front lawn and hedges needed trimming next. Mark must’ve been too busy. The tenant moved out four weeks ago, and the house smelled stale from being locked up for a month. The people before must’ve liked curry or something. There was an unusual smell, and it wasn’t his. He smiled to himself.
The next-door neighbor’s garage squeaked as it opened. Lachlan stood with a crack from his back and brushed the dirt from his hands. A blue Lexus reversed over the brick-paved driveway, then the car braked when Arnold noticed Lachlan. His neighbor switched off the engine, got out, and strode across his lawn. Lachlan greeted him over the half-fence.
“Buddy, you’re back.” Arnold gripped his hand in some kind of cool handshake, then they bumped shoulders.
“Returned last night. It’s good to be home.” Was that a lie? It was great to be off the ship, that was true.
“Thought you had a couple more months left?”
“When the ship needed to dock on the West Coast for supplies, my team captain suggested I skip the last few months since the last bit of training didn’t involve me.” He shrugged. “So we started the discharge process.” Lachlan had joined in extra, non-required training to build friendships with the men, and he’d established trust over the years. But it was time for a new season.
Lachlan rubbed his hand over his two-day stubble. “How’s Marnie and the kids?”
Arnold’s eyes lit up. “Great. Really good.”
Lachlan looked Arnold up and down. “You’ve lost weight. A lot. Have you been taking your meds?”
Arnold chuckled. “Yes. Don’t worry. There’s no way I’d risk losing everything I’ve recovered these eight years. I changed prescriptions last year. A new drug, slow-release. No food cravings or slow metabolism. I lost forty pounds in the first three months.”
“Whoa. Dude, that’s awesome.” He was so happy for Arnold. The guy deserved a normal life. Eight years ago, his manic episode had him in the hospital for two months and unable to work for the rest of that year. Lachlan had awoken when he’d heard all the commotion from next-door. Then Marnie had rushed over, at one in the morning, and asked for assistance to get Arnold to the mental health unit. Not much made sense to Arnold at the time, but thankfully he’d trusted Lachlan enough to get in the car.
“Yep, work is good. Promoted to senior manager. The pay is enough that Marnie’s cut her hours to part-time.”
“Your girls must’ve grown. What level are they in now?”
“Nineth and tenth grade.”
“I can’t believe Annie is a Sophomore student. Man, the time has gone fast.”
Arnold crossed his arms. “What about you? You must have some stories to tell.”
“I do. The emergency relief projects were life changing. Such a privilege to be a part of rebuilding communities. I’ll never be the same. It’s hard to come back here and settle. I’m ruined for normal.”
“That’s what it was like when I had the manic episode. My brain got so high that it was hard to return to normal. My doctor says that’s why a lot of patients don’t stay on their meds. But the low isn’t worth the high.” He shook his head. “Or wrecking the family life. I just had to get used to a new way of life.”
“Well, I’m glad you’ve stuck to your regime and the check-ups.” He stood back and lifted his palms. “Look at you now, no one would ever know you have Bipolar. You’re a walking testimony to modern medicine.”
“Thanks, man. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s as good as it’s gonna get, and I’m a happy husband and dad. Life’s good.”
“It is. Even I need a reminder now and then.”