Page 51 of Feeding Hope
It didn’t surprise me Jamie decided he wanted to enter the training pipeline for the Raiders. For all his wild ways and flouting authority as a teen, he was a natural Marine, and already a bit of a legend on the base for his physical capabilities and marksmanship.
The surprise came from Jesse. He planned to follow his twin. While he didn’t have quite the same “superpowers” as his brother physically, he gave him a very good run for his money in terms of marksmanship. He was a natural leader, unlike Jamie who didn’t want to lead
The thought of him being involved in combat at some point was nerve-wracking enough. But Special Operations? That was terrifying. It meant he’d be in some of the worst places and worst situations possible. Despite my concerns, I felt incredibly proud of him, and I supported his choice even if I lost sleep over it at times.
Raider training had been tough on the twins, but they helped each other out and made it through with flying colors. The ink was barely dry on Jamie’s paperwork certifying him as Special Operations when duty called. He didn’t even have time to say goodbye, but Jesse said he’d known it was coming. Apparently, Jamie had as well, because that’s how Jesse knew. Rumor had it he was in Iraq within twenty-four hours.
As soon as we arrived, Jesse applied for housing on the base. Six weeks later, we received word a unit opened up, and the day we moved in, amidst the boxes, the pizza leftovers, and some of his battalion buddies, he proposed. We were married two weeks later.
Thirty-six months from the day he entered the Marines, both were on their first deployment god-knows-where doing god-knows-what. The first week of his deployment, I did well. I tricked myself into believing he was just away for training.
This week? Not so much.
Today had been an off day at work, so I went into the food bank to volunteer, and the shift was probably contributing to my melancholy mood as well. A single mother came in today, two little children in tow, and new to the procedures. She struggled with being there. It wasn’t uncommon. People’s pride often stopped them from seeking needed and deserved help, but they became more willing to seek it when children were involved because it meant ensuring their provision.
Luckily, I wasn’t there alone and could walk her through her first experience. She seemed grateful, especially when she needed a moment to visit the restroom. I watched over her little ones while she collected herself when her emotions overwhelmed her.
Back at home, I’d barely put my purse away when someone knocked on my door. I was too tired to think about who could be looking for me, and while I normally looked through thepeephole since I was a woman who lived alone most of the time, today I neglected to do so. Therefore, I did not expect who greeted me on the other side.
James Forbes. Jesse’s father. How the hell did the man get on base without an invitation? His reach was long, but it extended this far? I wondered who owed him a favor, or worse yet, who he’d bribed.
“Miss Mewes.”
His greeting was distant. Almost as if he were meeting a client for the first time. I’d only met him once, and he’d struck me then as a cold man. While he hadn’t been overtly hostile when Jesse introduced us, he hadn’t been friendly either.
This would clearly not be a pleasant visit, and the frustration I was already feeling over him being allowed to be here at all built.
“Mr. Forbes. This is a surprise. Jesse’s not here. He’s on deployment, and I’m unsure when he’ll be returning. I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing.”
“I’m aware Jesse is overseas. I didn’t come to see him. May I come in?”
My heart began a faster tattoo. What could he possibly want other than to see Jesse or Jamie? Words stuck in my throat, not that I was exactly sure how to respond, so I merely pulled the door open wider and stepped aside, the invitation implying he was welcome to enter, although really, he wasn’t. However, I didn’t want to create a scene. I’d let him say what he came to say and usher him on his way.
He took several steps into the foyer and looked around while I closed the door behind us. Nervousness at being alone with this man behind a closed door sent my stomach into a boiling vat of acid. Nothing good would come of this.
Tearing his gaze away from the small living space and simple furnishings, his eagle-eyed stare returned to me. He definitelyfound me and our home, wanting. I was proud of what I’d been able to accomplish to make the space homier with the little we had, especially since I refused to touch Jesse’s money from his grandparents, but I knew what he thought based on his sour expression.
“I’ll come right to the point, Miss Mewes. I know Jesse has foolishly made an eight-year commitment to the Marines. Despite my efforts to cancel his contract, I’m forced to accept he will not be home regularly for at least four years, and even then he’ll need to be available as part of the reserves. However, what I can do is ensure he is free of any other… obligations when that time comes.”
Obligations. He meant me.
Steeling my spine, I stood tall. I felt no shame in the circumstances of my birth, nor the history of my family. I’d been an excellent student, had a job, and I was a good person. Jesse had helped to stamp out a lot of my insecurities, and I was much stronger than ever before. I would not allow this man to make me feel small.
Instead of asking what he referred to, I stood silent. He was a man of action and didn’t want to be in my presence. He’d be quick to tell me what he wanted. He held out an eight-by-eleven manila envelope to me. I didn’t want to take it. Suspicion snuck through my brain, bleeding into my bones, seeping into my organs, and clutching my heart.
When I refused to reach out for it, he threw it on the kitchen table, as if he couldn’t stand touching it himself. The gesture seemed symbolic of throwing something away. Something not worth its contents.
I didn’t blink. Didn’t follow its trajectory to the table. I just stood there, holding his steely gaze with my own.
“Inside is an agreement. In exchange for your breaking off this… arrangement with my son, we are providing you with fiftythousand dollars. That should be a sufficient amount of money for you to move to another state, one besides Wisconsin or North Carolina, and keep you stable until you find another place to live, a job, whatever you need to get started.”
Irritation flared. “Keep it,” I responded.
“It’s not an insignificant amount of money.”
“You can’t buy me, Mr. Forbes.”
“Miss Mewes, be reasonable.”
