24. Chapter 24
I”m on my way down to meet with Noah in his office. Ever since he told the lawyer I have a job, I”ve been anxious to hear what he has to say. I know without a doubt, he never would have said what he did about me working full time at Oakside without a plan.
When I get to his office, there is a man and woman I”ve never seen before sitting on the couch talking to Noah and Lexi.
Zane. Come on in and close the door. Let me introduce you to Storm and his wife, River. Their son Jason is back at the house with my sister, and we were talking about the kids. Noah says filling me in on what I didn”t hear when I walked into the room. I need to remember to tell him how much I appreciate his consideration.
River smiles at me and starts talking, but I look over at Noah, who is translating for me.
Storm was in the military with my husband and was his best friend. Right after we found out we were expecting, he was killed in action. We had some trouble, and it turned out to be a long battle, but I had Storm by my side throughout it all. In the end, he fulfilled the promise he made Jason to take care of me if anything happened to him.
Noah pauses so I look over at River and Storm and they are smiling at each other with love clear in their eyes. I know there is a story, but it”s not why I am sitting here so if I get the chance later, I will have to ask them about it.
I know many surviving spouses of fallen military men and women don”t have the support and help I did. Storm moved me to Whiskey River, Montana and his friends rallied around me, no questions asked. Now that I”m on my feet and our son is a bit older, I really want to help those spouses. A friend of ours suggested reaching out to Noah here at Oakside, and he issued us an invitation.
Then she proceeds to offer me a job. Even though she answers all my questions, it actually leaves me with more. Thankfully, Noah takes over from there.
I want you to be in on this new service we’ll provide at Oakside. You have the connections we need. We”d get you an assistant to take phone calls, but everything can be done by email, contracts, proposals, all of it. Anything that has to be done in person, we will provide you with a translator. It would allow you to work here with Carlee. You will have an office set up for you down the hall. The hours are flexible, so you can be there for Liz as needed. Noah says, as I attempt to process it all.
You would work with Becky. She is bringing on a new girl to help with her workload and once she is trained, we are budgeted to bring on one more that will work directly with you and the spouses you are helping, Lexi says.
When I got the news, my husband had been killed in action, I was given thirty days to get out of military housing, plan his funeral, and figure the rest if my life out. If it hadn”t been for Storm, I don”t know what I would have done. I had nowhere to go, River says.
I don”t know if you know this, Lexi says, but I was married to an Army guy before I met Noah. Tyler was also killed in action, and I was given thirty days to make plans. But I was one of the more fortunate ones, as I was able to come back here with my parents and lean on them while I recovered. Becky was my biggest support. Without them, who knows where I”d be.
I had no idea. Even though I know a few men who didn”t make it home on deployments, I never knew what happened to their families. By the time I got home, they were gone. Noahcontinues to translate for me.
I want you to go home, think about the job and talk it over with Carlee. Don”t give me an answer right now. I know everything you guys have going on and you have a lot of plans to make. But if you say yes, you would be involved in setting up this entire department and work with Becky on what you will need to do the job. River and Storm here have donated some of the money we require getting this up and running. Also, Oakside has allocated a budget for this too. Mandy is working on grants and some fundraising as well. That means there will be some public events for you to speak at too, Noah says.
Even though I want to say yes and jump at this opportunity, if I want to make a life with Carlee, and I do, then he”s right I need to talk to her.
I”m definitely interested. Let me talk to Carlee tonight and get back to you.I tell him.
Holding his hand for me to stop, he pulls his phone out and frowns at it.
Zane, it looks like you have a visitor at the front desk. I will walk up with you,Noah says.
We say our goodbyes and leave.
Any idea who it is? I ask him on our way back to the lobby.
Carlee”s dad,he says.
I stop in my tracks. She isn”t here today. I tell him.
I know. He”s asking to talk to you. That”s why I”m going. Not just to translate, but to be there as a witness to what is said.
Taking a deep breath, I walk into the lobby with Noah at my side.
I don”t know if I should be relieved or on guard that he is alone, and Carlee”s mom isn”t there.
Can we talk? Her dad asks.
You know sign? I say shocked.
I helped Liz learn it. It might be best to bring your friend with us, as I”m not great at it.
Noah leads us to the dining room and gets us lunch. We sit in a back corner before he starts talking.
When I learned my wife was suing for custody, I was shocked. I went back and forth about telling you that, but I feel it”s important. I don”t know you and I want to since you mean something to my daughter and are around my granddaughter, he says.
What do you want to know, sir? I ask to keep it formal.
First, call me John. Second, I want to know where you came from, and your plans now that you are leaving Oakside. But most of all, I want to know if you can take care of my girls.
I grew up in North Carolina, but don’t plan to go back. I didn”t have a great relationship with my parents, so I joined the military to get out of the way. I loved the military, and it suited me. After I became a SEAL, they became my family. I planned to do twenty or more years with them. But my injury derailed those plans.
As far as my future employment is concerned, Noah and I have been talking about me setting up and heading a new department here at Oakside. I need to iron out the details and discuss it with Carlee. But it would allow me to be flexible and be there for Carlee and Liz, I say.
Before I can say anymore, Noah chimes in. We will be providing him with a translator for work, and he doesn”t know it yet, but after this he is meeting with Paisley who trains the service dogs here at Oakside. We are getting him a hearing dog. Noah has a big grin on his face as he claps me on my back.
My jaw drops open. I didn”t even know this was a thing. We hadn”t talked about it.
I didn”t know that was a possibility. I tell him.
Paisley reached out to some contacts and found a dog that was mostly trained when you transferred here. She finished the training and he”s now ready to work with you. I just heard from her this morning before our meeting, Noah says.
What would a hearing dog do? John asks.
Basically, the dog will alert him if the doorbell rings, if an alarm goes off, if the phone rings, if someone is calling his name, or if there is screaming. Paisley will work with the dog to let Zane know if something is wrong with Liz and a few other commands helpful for working around here. That is, if he takes the job, Noah says.
I can’t be upset that there will be someone else looking out for my granddaughter, John says.
During the rest of lunch, he asks me questions about my life, like growing up, my military time, and other subjects that pop up. We talk for quite a while. He tells me some stories about Carlee, how she was as a child and teenager and some of her exploits. How he loved her painting and was happy she could use it in her job. All in all, we got along, and in the end, I think we’re going to be friends.
Right now, I”m going to go home and talk to my wife. I”m going to be honest. While I love Liz, the thought of raising her full time is a bit much. Since Carlee wants to and is much better suited too, it should be her. I”d rather respect Kaylee”s wishes. John he takes a moment to wipe his eyes as they tear up.
After I shake his hand, he leaves me standing there in the lobby dumbfounded.
If you have the time, I think I”m ready to head home. I have a lot to talk to Carlee about before Liz gets home from school,I say.
Let”s go. Also, I set you up with a driving instructor who will go over some small changes you need to make. Then you’ll be able to drive again, Noah says, grinning.
How can I not smile? Everything”s coming together, and I owe so much to this man right here. I don”t know if I will ever be able to repay him for his kindness and thoughtfulness. Someday I will have to try to express to him how much everything he”s done means to me.