Chapter 26
Christmas arrived, with the holidays once again being spent at Bella’s, but this time joined by Jack’s parents.
The Calloway’s and the Genovese’s had hit it off right away, and the house full of people filled Bella’s heart with love.
Big G and Mary had loved the Calloway’s Christmas Eve tradition of Taco Bar dinner and of course Bella and all four girls had ‘midnight margaritas’, with Jack watching on in amusement from the doorway.
Christmas morning was a bustle of activity, with gifts exchanged - Bella thought she would burst into tears when she opened her gift from the girls - it was a framed photo of all four girls from Sloane’s birthday party.
Jack had gifted her with a tiny astronaut charm for her necklace, and she’d gotten him a pair of Puma Scuderia Ferrari Speedcat, which gave Sloane and Piper the giggles.
A few days after Christmas and the night before both sets of parents were due to leave, Bella and her mom made a huge feast for everyone, and afterwards Jack and his dad sat outside on Bella’s deck - the weather had stayed mild - talking about the launch and the lead up to it.
Both his parents and the Hansens had been genuinely relieved when Jack told them Bella would be staying at the house during the mission.
“Can I join you gentleman? I brought refreshments.” Big G announced from the doorway, holding up a bottle of scotch like a trophy.
“Of course, pull up a chair.”
Big G grabbed one of the chairs and pulled it next to Jack and sat down. He poured three small measures, and they talked about the day - David and Big G had played golf, with the girls going with them. Piper had again managed to talk them into letting her drive the golf cart.
“All I’ll say, Jack - hide the keys to the Porsche!” David said, to much laughter from Big G.
A few minutes passed before Jack felt a firm hand on his shoulder — Big G.
“So. Commander.”
Uh-oh, what did I do?
“I understand that you are allowed to take a few personal small items to space with you.”
“Yes sir.”
Jack had already been thinking about what to bring. Sloane and Piper had given him a journal this year - a handmade journal decorated with photos of them. He planned to take that — and a photo of him and Bella.
Big G stuck his hand in his pocket, pulled something out and placed it in Jack's hand. Jack looked down at a well-worn silver medallion.
“Saint Christopher. The patron saint of travelers. My grandfather pressed it into my father's hand the morning he boarded the boat from Sicily. I want you to take that if it’s okay. You take that with you, do your job, then come home. Our girls need you.”
Jack felt something shift behind his eyes.
“Yes sir, Roger that.”
Angela and Madeline left to go back to school the next day- both girls would be coming to the launch - but before they left, they Facetimed their dad.
Peter had asked to speak to Bella, and he told her he was happy for her, he’d be keeping Jack in his thoughts, and hoped he could meet him after he returned.
Bella thanked him - he was a good guy, and she was grateful every day for how naturally they'd found their way to friendship after the divorce.
Bella and Primmy spent New Year’s Eve in Houston again, although this year was slightly quieter as the girls were both attending parties with friends - sleeping over and back the next day.
They decided to watch Andy and Anderson again this year - they actually had been pretty funny.
A few minutes before midnight Jack muted the television and turned on the stereo.
Dancing in the living room to Frank Sinatra's 'The Way You Look Tonight', they rang in the New Year, knowing that 2028 would be a year full of great highs, and worries.
But tonight was all about the future - bright as the moon in the night sky.
They spent the first few days of the new year making room for Bella’s things - due to arrive the following week - rearranging his office and clearing space in the master closet - though Bella was already certain she'd need more space than he'd allocated.
“Jack, can I have a bit of the closet in one of the guest rooms?”
“Really, Bella, you’re not going anywhere while you’re here - how much stuff do you really need to bring?”
“I can’t believe you’d even ask me that. Just because I’m not going out doesn’t mean I don’t want to look nice.”
“Fine - fine - take part of the closet, I’m just giving you a hard time.”
“Oh, good - let me go have a look at how big it is,” she said heading towards the stairs.
“Wait - give me a kiss before you go.”
Walking back into the room, Bella wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a kiss that promised there would be more later that night.
“Ugh - old people kissing, so gross. You people need to stop that, you’re going to scar me for life!” came Piper’s voice from the doorway.
Giggling, they kissed again before Bella headed upstairs, still laughing as she went.
A few days before the move, a small crew arrived at Bella's, to load up her home office, clothes, and things she would need with her while she was there.
Jackie would be stopping by the house every few days, just to check on the place.
She'd barely seen the moving crew off before realizing she was going to be late meeting Jackie for dinner.
Walking into the restaurant, Bella spotted Jackie waving to her and made her way over to the table.
“Happy New Year Bella! 2028 looks good on you!”
“It’s only been a week, Jackie, give it time. I swear the closer to the launch date the more gray hairs I get.”
With a wink, Jackie slid her an Aperol Spritz, saying “Then you’ll need this.”
Laughing together, they ordered their dinner, then spent the next hour catching up and cracking jokes.
As the evening wound down Bella's smile faded slightly. “I’m scared, Jackie. What if something goes wrong?”
“Bella, you don’t have to go to outer space for something to go wrong, it happens here on earth every day. You know that.”
“I know, but space!”
"Take it one day at a time — hell, take it one hour at a time. It'll go faster than you think."
“Really?”
“Yes really - Captain Cutie Pants is going to want to get back to you as soon as possible.”
“You’re terrible.”
“It’s true - he’ll have been in strict quarantine for 14 days, and then 14 days to the moon and back. He’s a sailor, Bella. He’ll be looking forward to some shore leave, if you get my drift.”
Laughing, they paid the bill, walked to their cars, and gave each other tight hugs.
“I’m here for you Bella, night and day. If you get scared, you call me, no matter the time of day.”
“I love you, Jackie.”
“Love you too, Bella.”
She left early the next morning, ahead of the moving van, so she could be there when they arrived.
Bella waved to the neighbors as she got out of her car.
They had grown used to the sight of Bella’s Audi in the drive.
The movers arrived and made quick work of setting her things up, and then asking for a picture with Jack before they left - it wasn’t every day they met an astronaut!
She settled in at Jack’s, adjusting to her new routine.
Waking each day, making breakfast for everyone, taking the girls off to school while Jack went off to NASA, where a small, trusted group continued working with them, under the same quarantine protocol.
Morning dog walks provided her daily fresh air, before settling into the home office they'd set up for her where she worked until the end of each day. Jack had a treadmill in the garage, and she made use of it daily since she couldn’t visit the gym during this time.
It was harder for Sloane and Piper - they had to give up all their extracurricular activities, as well as seeing friends outside of school.
And they had to submit to regular testing.
They grumbled but they understood and knew it wasn’t going to be like this forever.
In the evenings they gathered in the kitchen, cooking dinner together, talking about the day, Jack sharing whatever he could about their work at NASA.
It had quickly become one of Jack’s favorite parts of the day, watching Bella sing and dance around the kitchen, while she cooked, the girls often joining in.
Mindful that Jack needed to eat healthy, more so now than ever, Bella got creative with nutritious meals, slipping in the occasional treat.
He and the crew had already picked their meal choices for the mission, and he’d managed to bring a few home to her and the girls, so they could sample the food.
Piper took one taste and declared she’d rather have Big G’s lasagna.
The girls would usually head up to their rooms for homework and watching videos on TikTok before bedtime, Jack and Bella would take advantage of the quiet, and watch one of the many films the studios sent them; because they couldn’t go to the theater they got to watch the new releases from the comfort of home.
Most nights they simply sat together in companionable silence, holding hands on the sofa, and that was enough.
Jack had quietly set aside his occasional Laphroaig for the duration — pre-mission protocol — and Bella, not much of a drinker anyway, joined him without question.
Because she wasn’t going out as much, Bella had gotten into the habit of saying “Fire up the Quattro” each morning when she booted up her computer.
Jack had overheard, and asked about it, so she introduced him to “Life on Mars’, and he quickly became a fan.
The days ticked by. Both of them knew the time together was growing shorter. Finally, the night before he was to leave arrived. He’d be flying to Kennedy Space Center in the morning, on NASA aircraft - the T-38 Talon supersonic jet. The pilot in Jack was looking forward to the ride.
They’d discussed it and agreed the occasion warranted taking the girls from school and staying in Florida for the days he’d be in quarantine, so Bella booked a small house nearby for them so they wouldn’t be exposed to people.
Neighbors would be looking after Primrose and Daisy while they were gone.
Both Jack and Bella’s parents would arrive the night before the launch, as would Angela and Madeline.
Carrie and her daughter Madison would also be there, to see Mike off.
Jack wanted breakfast for dinner - his traditional meal before leaving on a mission - so Bella, Sloane, and Piper made French Toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, along with a bowl of sliced melon.
They toasted with orange juice. They kept up the conversation during dinner, laughing as always — inevitably at something Piper said.
Daisy and Primrose hovered under the table, hoping for a dropped morsel they could pounce on.
Piper slipped them both a piece of bacon when she thought no one was looking.
“Piper. How many times have I told you not to feed Daisy from the table? It’s not good for her, and she’s looking a little chunky.”
“Dad! Don’t fat shame her, you’ll give her a complex!”
Chiming in, Sloane said “Yeah, Dad, she’s just big boned!,” making everyone at the table laugh.
After dinner, Bella cleaned up, while Jack went to pack.
He didn’t take much - most of what the crew needed for the next 14 days would be waiting for them in Florida.
After getting the girls in bed, the dogs let out for the last time in the evening, Bella set the alarm system and locked up, knowing sleep would probably not come easily.
She went into the bedroom, sat on the bed, and watched as Jack packed, double-checking everything.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
"I'm fine. It's only a few days and then we'll be there,” she replied. “Jack, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Aren’t you scared? You’re so calm about it. Like you’re just going to the market for a loaf of bread and not the moon.”
"Yes, I'm scared. Every time I took off from an aircraft carrier I was scared — there is always that 'what if' in the back of your mind, but I have to tune that out.
Jim Lovell — astronaut, Naval aviator, test pilot, NASA legend — and I'm paraphrasing — but he said something like: 'You have to put the fear in a box — because if you think about what could go wrong, you'd never go at all.'
That's what I do. The fear goes in the box. Then I focus on the task at hand — then the next one, and the next — until it's time to come home. Does that make sense?"
“It does, you’re the bravest man I’ve ever known, Jack. I hope you know that’s one of the things I love about you.”
Jack set down the shirt he'd been folding and sat on the bed beside her, taking her hand.
“I need to say something before I go. The last year and a half with you have been some of the best times of my life. You’ve filled a hole I didn’t even know was there,” he paused.
“I love you, more than I thought possible. If something happens, I want you to know I’ve cherished every second with you.
My will and everything you might need — it's all in the safe in the office. The girls know all of this. I want you to promise to stay in the girls’ lives, they love you too, and they will need you. ”
“Shh,” Bella said, putting a finger to his lips. “None of that tonight. All I want tonight is for you to make love to me. Can you do that?”
“Affirmative.” he said and pulled her closer.
The next morning Bella, Piper, and Sloane drove to Ellington Field, near Johnson Space Center, to see Jack and the crew off — Carrie would be there as well, to see Mike off.
Wow — there is so much press here. I wasn't expecting that. But it makes sense — this is a big deal.
She and the girls had to keep their distance, but that was fine with Bella. She watched on with a mixture of pride and fear, seeing Jack laugh and smile with his crew and the waiting press — completely at ease with the cameras and questions.
This man is a natural-born leader. They'd follow him anywhere, knowing he'd have their backs.
Jack climbed into the jet, the canopy came down, and she watched him hold up heart hands to them, mouthing I love you — before taxiing down the runway and lifting into the sky.
There goes Superman, she thought.