My Journal

By Harriman Nelson

 

In God We Trust

 

Authors Notes: Written by Carol aka Catfish Foss

 Presented with grateful thanks to Carol Atwood and Janet Robertson for their undying help and assistance with this tale. Any mistakes or oversights in grammar and content are mine alone.

 

~1~

 

Had another bad dream last night. At least I was home with Emmie, so I didn’t scare the crew. I didn’t tell Emmie about it either. She certainly doesn’t need anything more to worry about, what with the impending arrival of the twins soon.

 

Bad enough we’ve had some disagreements in selecting their names, the doctors think it will be a difficult delivery.

 

She fixed me breakfast though we hired a housekeeper for the duration. I can’t say I’m too pleased with Mrs. Cannon. Her chief claim to fame as a cook is calling one of local eateries for take-out. Otherwise, she keeps the house reasonably clean and tidy, and renders whatever personal assistance Emmie needs at times.

 

She also has her own ideas on what to name the twins when they’re born. I can’t say I like names after flowers and animals for them. My own choices are Emily and Harry. Emmie’s are Louise and Leon.  Neither of us have come to a compromise.

 

I have to report to Seaview tomorrow, and it still pains me to see her in Navy 

Gray, since Lee had been so happy with her as a scarlet lady. But placed on active duty since the declaration of war with People Republic’s Alliance, it was thought best to have a uniform presence with other subs the Pacific Fleet.

 

Saw Lee on the news last night. Looks haggard, but at least Winston and Sweetie  were by his side in the Oval Office. They can give him some comfort that no person can.

 

Some of his advisers have said he should be in uniform, after all he’s still a Navy Reserve officer, technically anyway ,  as well as the military’s commander in chief. But so far, he’s only pinned on Seaview’s ship’s wheel insignia onto his civvies.

 

I was glad to see him wearing the George Washington ring. I can only hope it will help strengthen him, emotionally, anyway, as   old George had his share of incredibly difficult situations and got through them okay. While nobody knows that it was me who purchased it, I still feel it best that little fact is still unknown, even by Lee.

 

Lee’s also still wearing the Nelson family ring, a reminder of his adopted family, his wedding band, and his own onyx ring, something from his past that he’s hardly ever been without.

 

His new digital eyeball looks almost normal, as they’ve given the iris some color. Almost matches his real eye, but not quite. Joe tells me it bothers Lee a lot, oh, not the color but the occasional pain with his optic nerve. The new socket was supposed to prevent that. Perhaps he’ll need further surgical procedure. But he just doesn’t have the time right now. In the meantime, if it gets too bad, he can still just detach the eyeball from the metal socket. I just hope he doesn’t leave it laying out unsecured. We all remember the damage his cat caused her impromptu toy.

 

Speaking of toys, what the hell do I purchase for the twins? I’m afraid I’ll need some expert advice about such things as times have changed so much, I’m a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to the kinds of things deemed appropriate for boys and girls. In my day there were definite divisions by gender. Now, who knows?

 

Breakfast has arrived, and I can only wonder what my poor old credit card is up to now. These new delivery services aren’t too much extra, but then, we Nelsons are good tippers.

 

 I plan to spend a leisurely day with Emmie, one of the last, I’m sure, that we’ll have for a while.

~***~

Chapter Two