Chapter 13
Jack and Bella had kept in touch since dinner at his place - the occasional text throughout the day, even if it was just a silly gif or meme they thought the other might find funny.
She had never been one of those ‘I have to hear from you every day’, especially neither of them knew where this was going.
Jack appreciated that she understood how demanding his job was, what it entailed, and how important the work he and everyone at NASA were doing.
He hadn’t been joking about how busy he would be, and that would only intensify the closer they got to launch.
Bella’s work had kept her busy as well with meetings, new products to formulate, as well as the daycare center - it was behind schedule, so that was adding stress to her plate.
Homecoming Dance had come and gone, and Jack had sent Bella photos of Sloane in her dress, complete with the shoes she’d loaned her. The whole night had been perfect, and Jack was happy and relieved her first real date had been everything she dreamed it would be.
A few weeks later Jack was preparing dinner for the girls - their favorite stir fry - and called them down when it was ready.
“Piper, pass me the soy sauce please.”
“Dad, these aren’t the chopsticks I like.”
“Do we have fortune cookies for later?”
Chatting among themselves as they ate, Jack was reminded that this was his favorite part of the day. Clearing his throat, he said “Hey. I wanted to talk to you two about something.”
“Sure, Dad - what’s up?”
“So, it’s been five years now that your mom is gone.
And I’ve been thinking, uh, maybe feeling, like, I don’t know, maybe I’m ready to date.
And I wanted to know how you’d feel about that.
You girls are my world, and I don’t want to do anything that might upset you.
” I’ve flown to space, launched fighter jets off the deck of an aircraft carrier in rolling seas and I can’t believe this conversation scares me more than those!
Sloane and Piper stared at Jack, not saying a word, and then shared a glance between themselves.
“I guess it would depend. I mean no one is ever going to replace Mom, and you dating isn’t going to, like, take anything away from your love for her, we know that.
It’s cool that you want to - you shouldn’t be alone, especially since it will only be a few years before we go off to college.
But it’s got to be someone cool, not one of those ‘moms’ from school. Or some ‘space bunny’.
“Space bunny? What’s a space bunny?”
“C’mon Dad, you know what a space bunny is. It’s those women who hang around all the astronaut bars,” replied Sloane.
Piper chimed in, “Groupies dad, they’re groupies, who hang around the places the astronauts go to, hoping they will meet one.”
“How do you know about those? I didn’t even know those were a thing!”
“We live in Houston, we go to school with space program kids, you’re an astronaut - of course we know what a space bunny is. I’m just shocked you don’t,” Sloane said with a snort.
“And not one of the moms from school. We see how all the single moms look at you at Parent-Teacher Night, and the school events. Like you’re a cookie and they are starving. Probably because they are, I swear some of those women never eat. It’s kinda scary.”
“Okay, okay, I get your point. But no, not one of the school moms and definitely not a space bunny.”
“It’s Bella, isn’t it?” asked Sloane. She’d clocked what was happening between them before Jack and Bella themselves had.
“It is, it is - it’s Bella. Bella Bella Bella” chanted Piper
“Why do you say that? Did you like Bella? Jack asked. Please say yes.
“We saw you two making googly eyes at each other when you thought we weren’t looking at the mall. We’re teenagers, Dad, we know ‘things’.”
“Well, you better not know too many ‘things’! And yes, I would like to date Bella. Would that be okay?”
“For sure, she’s really cool, pretty, and she’s nice, genuinely nice, not that fake nice we’ve seen some women do, because they think it will give them a chance with you.
We think you’re a big dork but for some reason the school moms think you’re a total snack,” Sloane said, pulling a face at Jack to show she was just teasing him.
“A what?”
“You know, like a silver fox, the total blueprint.”
“I have zero idea what that means, I’m going to assume it’s complimentary”, Jack said.
“Dad and Bella sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g” sang Piper, dancing around the table, and setting Daisy off, with her barking and dancing around the table under her feet.
“Alright, that’s enough you two. Pass me a fortune cookie, I’m feeling lucky.”
After dinner, Jack called his parents in California. His mom, Debbie, answered on the second ring, “Jack! Honey, how are you? What a nice surprise. Is everything okay? Nothing wrong with the girls?”
Jack smiled, “No mom, everything is great, the girls are fantastic, nothing to worry about. I just wanted to call and say hi to you and Dad. Is he there?”
“He is - let me get him, David - David,” she called out. “Jack’s on the phone, he wants to talk to us. Let me put this on FaceTime so we can see each other. There - that’s better.”
He saw his dad move into the frame. “Hey Dad, what’s up?”
“Oh, not much, I was just working on something in the shop -"I've got an idea for a new engine configuration — you know how it is.”
“That sounds interesting - you’ll have to show me when we come out to visit. So, um, anyway. I wanted to let you both know that I’ve met someone. A woman. That I really like, and I’d like to spend more time with her, and get to know her.’ Jack watched their faces on the screen and waited.
His mom spoke first. “Oh honey, that’s really nice. We wondered if you were ever going to date again - losing Susan was devastating — but she would have wanted you to be happy again. What’s she like? Where did you meet her? Do the girls know - have they met her?” The questions came rapid-fire.
“She’s pretty amazing. Her name is Isabella Genovese - everyone calls her Bella. She’s a widow - she has two daughters of her own - older than Piper and Sloane, but not by much. I met her through NASA. And yes, the girls know - they’ve met her and they approve, so far.”
“You met her at NASA? Is she a scientist?” David asked.
“No, she actually owns her own skincare company - Bella Pelle. They were contracted to make something for the mission and that’s how we met.”
“I know that brand, I’ve seen it at Nordstrom. David, do you have your phone - let me have that, I want to Google her.”
“Mom!”
He could see his mom typing into the phone, “Jack - she’s lovely, really. And if you and the girls like her then we already know she’s lovely on the inside too. I hope we can meet her sometime.”
“Let’s see how it goes Mom, but I think you and Dad would like her.”
He ended the call with a promise to FaceTime later in the week so they could talk to the girls. Well, that went okay.
Later that night, Jack lay in bed staring at the ceiling, failing completely to sleep.
Am I doing the right thing? Is this the right time to start something?
What if it becomes more than dating - she doesn’t seem like the type to do casual, not that I'm the casual type either. I’ve got a lot going on, not the least of which is a mission to the moon.
I mean, how much time can I give Bella with the schedule I’ve got?
And the girls - will they resent any time I spend away from them?
And Christ, she lives in Dallas, there's the not insignificant matter of logistics, not to mention her job is busy too. But. She’s pretty fantastic, and I’d be a fool to pass up spending time with her, and I’m no fool.
Yes, yes, it is the right thing to do. We can see where it goes, and if it develops into more, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
“Scoot over, Daisy, and stop hogging the pillow. And get your big snoot out of my ear.”
The next morning at NASA, after the morning briefing to go over the day’s schedule, Jack and Mike were in the model of the capsule, running simulations on possible mission scenarios.
“So, I think I’m going to start dating again. I feel like it's time," Jack said, not looking up from the manual.
“Oh? Going feet wet again?” asked Mike. “Anyone I know?”
“Yeah, you’ve met her - Bella Genovese.”
“HA! I knew it — I had good tone on that from the moment you met. And she seems like a really nice lady. “
“She is Mike, she is.”
“How do the girls feel about this, they okay with it?”
“Yeah, they like her. They were cool with it — said they were just relieved it wasn't one of the school moms or some ‘space bunny,’ can you believe it? I didn’t even know there was such a thing as an astronaut groupie, did you?”
“No, never heard of such a thing” Mike replied, suddenly very interested in the overhead switches. “Anyway, remember I’ve got your back. And hey, do you think she can put in a good word for me with Carrie?”
That night after dinner had been cooked, the kitchen had been cleaned, and Daisy had been walked, Jack sat in his office going over the next day’s schedule.
His mind drifted to thoughts of Bella. He picked up the phone.
He set it back down. What’s wrong with you Jack?
Just pick up the phone and call her. Ask her out.
This isn’t rocket science. Well, the papers on my desk are, but this isn’t!
Glancing at the time to make sure it wasn't too late, he hit the call button next to Bella's contact details — yes, he'd saved her number in his phone. It rang several times before she answered, sounding out of breath.
"Hello!"
‘Hi Bella, it’s Jack. Jack Calloway.”
“Yes, I’m aware. How are you, Jack?
“I’m good and you? You sound out of breath - am I getting you at a bad time?” he asked.
“I just finished up on the treadmill, so not a bad time at all. What’s up?”
“Um, so, well, I was wondering, would you like to get dinner one night?”