New Beginnings

By Kara H.

“Why, Dad, why did you have to die?” If she’d expected an answer from the smooth white headstone, it wasn’t forthcoming. She laid the flowers on the grass in front of the grave and straightened up, “I miss you,” she said slowly, “Mom’s met someone else, he’s a Captain. I wish she hadn’t, I don’t think I can love him the way I loved you. Oh Dad-” tears ran unchecked down her face and she swiped them away with the back of her hand.

“Here,” a gentle voice said and a handkerchief was in front of her.

“Th-thank you,” she stuttered, taking the crisp piece of square cotton. Then she looked up to see a young man looking down at her. He was holding a bouquet of flowers in his arm. She noticed the dark hair, hazel eyes and full dress whites, “Hi,” he said kindly. “My name’s Lee.”

“Portia,” she replied, and then scowled, “Yes, I know it’s a terrible name.”

“The Merchant of Venice,” Lee said slowly.

“My Mom has a fondness for the classics,” Portia replied, “I suppose I should be grateful she didn’t call me Juliet.”

He laughed, “I like Portia. Shouldn’t you be at home, Portia?”

She nodded, shame-faced, “I was supposed to go the Naval Dance but I didn’t want to – I’m supposed to be meeting my Mom’s new fiancé.”

“Ah,” he responded.

“Why are you here?” she asked curiously, “forgive me for saying so, but you seem a bit over-dressed for a cemetery.”

“I came to pay my respects too,” he replied, “my wife.”

“Oh,” she flushed.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed,” Lee smiled, “I needed to come here tonight.”

“I keep feeling that Mom wants me to think of this man as my Dad, but he isn’t and I don’t know how to tell her. I want to please her, but-” she wrapped her arms around herself and bit her lip to stop herself from crying again.

Lee laid the flowers on other grave and then returned to sit beside her, “What do you think your father would say if he were here?”

“You mean his ghost?” she asked, and when Lee nodded she smiled, “he’d be pleased for Mom, and I suppose I’m pleased for her too, but I’m just so damn confused – I just don’t think that he’ll be able to replace my Dad.” Portia looked down at her hands clasped in her lap.

“Maybe he knows that,” Lee said quietly, “I loved Cathy very much and no-one can replace her, nor would I want them to, but I never thought that I’d ever fall in love again.”

“So did you have somewhere else to go too?” Portia asked.

“The Naval Dance, I’m going to meet my fiancée, but I wanted to come to the cemetery.”

“To say goodbye?”

“Sort of,” he paused, “to tell Cathy that I still loved her very much but that I’d fallen in love again.”

Portia sighed, “I wish that I knew how to react to this man, I mean Mom likes him – whenever she comes home she’s glowing –”

“Sounds like your Mom’s happy,” Lee said.

“She is,” Portia said wistfully, “I just wish I knew how this man felt.” She managed a faint smile at him, “I mean he’s getting a ready-made family.”

“Would your mother have told him?” Lee asked.

“Absolutely,” Portia was firm, “she wouldn’t have gone into the relationship without telling him about Michael and I.”

“Then perhaps he is as nervous as you,” Lee said slowly, “I’m sure that he knows that he can’t replace your real father – nor I suspect would he want to try.”

Portia handed his handkerchief back, “But what do I do? I can’t think of him as my Dad.” She sighed, “Michael is young enough to though.”

“And you don’t like that?”

“I don’t want him to forget his real Dad,” Portia sighed, “and that makes me sound like a self-centred teenager.”

“I don’t think that would happen,” Lee sighed and ran a hand across his face, “I think that your Mom would make sure that your brother knows who his father is.”

Portia didn’t say anything and Lee said, “Come on, I’ll take you the party.”

She got up and Lee offered her his arm, “It won’t be as bad as you think you know.”

Sighing, Portia slid her hand into his elbow, “I hope you’re right.”

“Will you make me one promise,” he said as he helped her into his bright red Cobra. “Will you give him a chance – if nothing else - to be your friend?”

Portia nodded, “All right. I promise.”

The vehicle drew up up the hotel and Captain Crane got out of the car and then opening the passenger door helped her out, “Ready, Portia?”

“Ready,” she smiled, just as a familiar figure stepped out from the foyer, “Tia! There you are! What did I tell you about coming here early – Seaview’s crew will be here any – Lee!”

“Susan, love,” Lee took two steps forward and gathered the woman into his arms bending his dark head to kiss her lips.

“You’re the submarine captain she’s been dating?” Portia stared at him and then started to laugh, “Actually, that figures. All right, Captain, I promise.”

Lee took her hand and squeezed the fingers warmly, “A pleasure to meet you at long last, Tia. Your mother’s told me a great deal about you.”

To her surprise, Portia blushed, “Not everything I hope, Sir.”

“Lee,” he corrected, “we’re going to be friends aren’t we?”

“Yes, Lee,” she smiled, shaking his hand, “we are.”