Unforgotten Love - Book 2

On the Lobster Boat

LENA POV

"Thank you for taking me out here, Daddy. I've missed this so much!" I smile as I stand on the stern and breath in the cool, salty sea air. The ocean always had a way of keeping me calm, and I wouldn't live inland for anything.

"No, problem, honey. We've sure missed you around here. I know you were busy with school and all, but it's been so quiet."

"But not the past few weeks, I presume!" I laugh as he smiles widely.

"I've missed those babies! They've grown so much, and Corey lost a tooth. So I gave him a dollar, well, the tooth fairy did."

"I know! He showed me! Dad! I only give them a quarter! This tooth fairy isn't rich!" I tease.

"Well now, let me spoil my grand babies," he moves to adjust the wheel on his boat.

"I know. I know. Can you believe that Frankie will be in third grade this fall? And Corey in first? Time is flying, and I need it to slow down."

"You still have the house here, baby. You can always move back here. You have your family here supporting you all the way, and don't forget the money Thomas left you, guys."

"Daddy, it sounds nice, but I just can't. It's way too difficult."

"How much more difficult can it be living thousands of miles away from your family and friends?"

I sigh as I adjust my hat. "Daddy...I have family and friends out there. Plus, it's all Frankie and Corey remember. Corey was a baby and Frankie was two when we left here, remember?"

Sea gulls chime in every now and then as well as seals. I lean over the railing and watch the ocean waves lap over each other as a couple of dolphins leap out and chase each other. "It's Will, Daddy. I don't know where he is. He made me take his cut of the money in our divorce settlement. I never told you that..."

I feel his strong hands run over my back and pull me to him hugging me close. "I hate that this happened to that boy. The Army surely let him down big time after that wretched war."

I turn to bury my face in his shoulder and cry. "Daddy, I messed up so much! I did! And I thought he would get better! I did! And I tried for him! I tried so hard for my..our babies! And they'll never know their father!"

"Shhhhh, my love," he soothes as he lets me cry my eyes out. After a while, I pull back, and he pulls his hankie out of his back pocket and hands it to me so I can dry my eyes.

"But that's over. There's nothing I can do."

He nods as he takes my hand in his. "What about Stef? The blonde army wife you told me and your mother about?"

I sniffle as I turn to dig in the bag I have wrapped over my shoulders and pull out a picture of us, handing it to him. "You mean her?"

He pulls his glasses out of his pocket now and slides them on his nose as he looks at the picture of us from 1969. We are in Gary and Marty's backyard out by their giant tree swing, and she's on my back as I hold her legs. I'm laughing and she's also laughing but looking at me. I've been carrying this picture with me for years unable to shake the feeling that I messed this all up.

"She made you happy."

I nod as I don't look at him but out over the water once more. "She did, is the word. But I messed that up."

"How so? You never told your mother and I what happened...just that you lost touch."

I'm quiet for a moment before I turn to look at him. "I was so hard on her. I wanted her to do everything right, and I tried to control her. And maybe I reminded her of her hard-nosed husband, I don't know. But I did. She...she tried to defend me because I was being bullied non-stop by this one woman and her crew of army wives. And I yelled at her. I told her she shouldn't have, and I don't much remember all that I said. But that wasn't the first time I yelled. I was young and immature, and the feelings I had for her were so overwhelming, I took even my confused ones and took them all out on her when I should have focused on loving her...she...she was timid and shy and so reserved, Daddy. I broke her."