TEN YEARS AGO

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Major Charles was rocking the swing on the front porch, comfortably sitting in silence on his own. His wife was inside with Jarod and Miss Parker, trying to explain the story of a lifetime. It was nearly evening and they were still waiting for Lyle to arrive with the baby. They had conceived a plan to give Parker’s twin a warm welcome, but Jarod had also conceived a Plan B, as usual. In spite of what his son kept claiming, all the Major wanted was to drag his son and wife far from that place and disappear forever.

Miss Parker’s presence bothered him. And the Major blamed himself, because he knew very well how much that woman meant to his son. It wasn’t the first time he was present to notice the looks in their eyes when they gaze at each other.

He remembered the first time he had discovered that bond.

He could almost hear the tires screeching on the asphalt as Miss Parker’s car arrived at the airport, his son walking fast to approach her, angry for her betrayal and yelling, “I told you, Sydney comes alone!”.

What kind of sick and masochist fugitive would stay to help and save his pursuer, if not for love?     

She inspired slowly, revelling in the sensation of that springy fresh fragrance.

“I wouldn’t blame you, if you hated me, Major.”

The Major smiled at her ability to go straight to the point, “I don’t hate you, Miss Parker. I just need some time to cope with all the news.”

Parker smiled to herself because for the first time since the reunion she could hear something in Major Charler’s voice reminding her of Jarod.

“I wanted to thank you.”

“For what?”

The Major was prepared to every kind of nonsense coming from Miss Parker’s mouth, but not for that.

“For the day we spoke about my mother’s death. Well, at that that time I wasn’t aware that she didn’t die in that elevator, but, anyway…you really helped me back then.”

“How?”

“Since Jarod and I spoke with Fenigor, I was convinced that you had killed my mother. I was seeking revenge, but you made me realize how wrong I was.”

The Major smirked, “In revenge and in love, woman is more barbarous than man.”

“Yeah, and Nietzsche never met the Parker women!”

They had a frank laugh together, until Miss Parker cut it off, “I can’t believe I blamed Jarod for that.” She sighed in frustration.

Major Charles stared intently at Miss Parker’s wonderful eyes. The strenght and stubborness were still the same. Regret was something new.

“Catherine tried to help us with Jarod, signing her death warrant. I owe you for that, Miss Parker.”

She nodded imperceptibly.

“If I could give her back to you, I would. She was the kindest person I’ve ever known.”

The bitter smile plastered on Miss Parker’s face spoke for her, “I wish I could be half the woman she was.”

Major Charles forgot his previous predicament and took her hand in his, “But you are. More than you think.”

Parker shook her head and responded in a whisper, “I should have helped him before.”

“Who?”

“Jarod…” she murmured.

Major Charles chuckled, “My son would have never let you, you would have been in danger and he could have never lived with that thought.”

“I’ve been an idiot! Chasing him for five years while we could have joined forces before...he could have found you and Margaret five years ago, if it wasn’t for me!”

“It wasn’t your fault, Miss Parker.” He soothed her. “Now I’m starting to see it, too.”

Major Charles couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth, and yet he was speaking honestly. Miss Parker was spilling her guts right then and there, sitting on that swing; She was trusting the Major by confessing her feelings, probably thoughts that she’d never even mentioned to the pretender.

“We’ve lost so much time...”

The Major took her chin between his fingers and lifted it so that Miss Parker could look at him, “You’ll make up for it.”

“How?” she asked him, desperate.

“We stick to the plan. Lyle comes, we take your son, we leave. Nobody will ever hear from us again. You, Jarod and the child are a family, now. And you’ll be more, very soon.”

Miss Parker managed to smile when she remembered that a life was growing inside her. The Major put his hand on her abdomen and caressed it tenderly, deciding at once that all his bad feelings about Jarod loving a Parker would eventually fade away in time. He couldn’t blame Miss Parker anymore: She was just a victim, like her son. She’d learned from her mistakes and she deserved a second chance.

As the Major caressed Miss Parker’s back to console her, Jarod was exiting the house, but when he noticed them on the swing, he stopped, willing not to intrude such a lovely moment.

“You think he’d rather have a girl or a boy?” Miss Parker asked her father-in-law-to-be.

“I don’t know my son as much as you or Sydney do, Miss Parker.”

Parker noticed the sadness in his voice as he answered, and so did Jarod, who felt his heart almost breaking for the truth in his father’s words.

Major Charles sighed, “But – I’m pretty sure that if Jarod loved so much that little girl that he met at the Centre...he’s gonna love her daughter even more.”

Miss Parker’s smile enlightened the environment.

‘She looks wonderful when she’s happy’, the Major thought. Jarod wanted to kiss his father for putting such an incredible expression of joy on Parker’s face.

The Major had finally understood that Jarod falling in love with Miss Parker was something natural and unavoidable. They were just meant to be.

And the pretender was grinning from ear to ear because he was having the very same thought.

He chose that moment to join them, deciding not to mention what he had just casually overheard.

“Lyle’s gonna be here in two hours. We need to get ready.”

“What if he doesn’t follow the instructions?” Major Charles asked him.

Jarod wiggled his eyebrow at him, “Then his sister will have to kill him.”