One in a Million (Wish 5)

17 - Hot, sand

Tom didn't have the luxury to settle into the time zone. He was back to working his regular schedule. When he had been home two weeks, Paco made another trip to Washington and had tension in his smile upon his return. Tom cornered him.

"What's going on?"

"I need to go."

"Go?"

Paco sighed. "Hot, sand." Tom nodded and wondered why he didn't just say Kuwait. They had both been there enough it was not a secret. "Man, it isn't an overnight. You got to take care of my girl."

"I always do. Three amigos, right?"

"Tres amigos."

Unlike when Tom left, the three friends had dinner together two nights before so Ricky and Lucy could say goodbye the last night alone. Feeling restless at home, Tom sat at the bar. It was a Wednesday night, so the place was quiet. The only thing on the big screens was the replay of the Hawks's game. He didn't follow basketball, but it helped pass the time. He always thought of Sloane when he saw baseball, but no one he knew was a basketball fan. He wanted to move his leave until Paco came back. He didn't want to leave Katie. He had just about convinced himself to make a surprise trip home, if only for a few days. He had a black tie benefit with Bella in a week. The only part he was looking forward to was the talk he was rehearsing for when it was over.

Murph leaned against the bar. "She's going to be lost."

Tom nodded. "She's got us."

"You're a good man. You and Paco both take good care of my girl."

He shrugged. He didn't think he did anything out of the ordinary.

"She worries too much. After we lost her mother, she would have to stay with my sister anytime I was deployed. Then I made the mistake of thinking she needed a mother and married for about two years too long. I was gone more than I was home, and my Katie worried about me the whole time. I think she was afraid I wouldn't come back, and she'd be stuck with her stepmother. It was different back then. Guys weren't coming back, you know."

Tom nodded. "We sit at a computer all day."

Both he and Kate were at work the following morning when Paco left. He appeared at her apartment as soon as his day ended.

Her eyes were red. "Are you okay?" She nodded. "You made it through work?"

She sighed. "I told you sick children help put it all in perspective. So he's gone for a while, I'll miss him like crazy. Thank God, I have you."

"Hungry? I can try to cook for you."

She laughed. "You can do more than try. You had a great teacher."

He was glad to hear her laugh. When they sat down to dinner, he confided in her.

"I have another thing with Bella next Saturday."

"Thing?"

"You know, black tie."

"You have to rent another tux?"

He shook his head. "My mother bought me that tuxedo. It wasn't a rental."

"You own a tuxedo! Who are you?"

He laughed. "These events are common for my family. At least the ones who live in Boston."

"The only gown I'll ever wear is my wedding gown."

"Who knows, he may end up part of the Washington movers and shakers." Paco was brilliant. It wasn't that far-fetched. "I'm gonna end it with her."

"You are?" She didn't even hide her smile.

He nodded. "I kept thinking of how things ended with Tori."

"Tori! Do you know that is the first time you ever said her name?"

He shook his head. "I wonder if we'd still be together if I had gone to a different college"

"Do you think you and her could get back together?"

He looked at her. "I think I've changed a lot from the kid I was at eighteen."

"I guess you won't know until you see her again. Did you know he's been saving money for a ring?"

Tom smiled. It didn't surprise him. If Paco hadn't caved to Mama's pressure, he never would. "Mama C will come around. She'll see an auburn-haired little Paco and fall in love."

Katie smiled. "Don't tell anyone, but working in peds has made me realize how much I want to be a mother."

"You'll be an amazing one." He was sure of it.

He avoided Bella by working over the weekend. Once Paco emailed he had arrived, Katie relaxed, but kept herself busy picking up shifts for her father which was something she gave up for Paco. He often perched himself at the bar, because it was better than being home.

He walked into The Barracks and Katie went right to him. "Have you heard from him?"

He shook his head. "Not since I woke up. It's the middle of the night over there."

She nodded. "I didn't hear from him all day. He usually responds to my emails. My last email came in the middle of the night last night. I think he sent it so I would see he loves me when I woke up."

Tom didn't hear from him as much as she did. He thought about the email he had received from Paco that morning. "He was probably busy all day."

He woke to his phone ringing. "I didn't get an email this morning."

Tom knew that whatever he was doing, it was probably the result of all those briefings in Washington. Truthfully, he had never said Kuwait. Tom assumed, but if it was a joint task force, he could be wherever the other entity had facilities. He could be on a Navy vessel for all he knew. He assured Katie it was not a big deal. He could be working at night.

Once at work, he contacted a friend who was stationed over in Kuwait. He asked if he'd seen Álvarez. His response came back quickly. "Yeah, but he rolled out of here. I thought it was strange when he left base."

Whatever he was working on, it was beyond anything they had done before. He could speculate, but it wouldn't help Katie. He could only try to keep her calm. If Paco was off base, he may not have the ability to communicate.

"I should cancel my thing on Saturday to stay with you."

"No! She'll hate me."

"Who cares. I told you I'm going to end it, anyway. We'll never cross paths unless she hangs out at The Barracks."

"I'll just work and keep busy."

"You can't work around the clock. You need to sleep."

"I can't sleep."

He sighed. "You have to try." He was a hypocrite. He was having trouble sleeping. Neither he nor Paco had any real training since they were cadets. At least Paco had started running. What if he was training? What if those trips were really preparing him for something else? The more he thought about it, the more worried he became. He thought about the email Paco sent him. It had to be just before he left base.

Friday morning of the longest fucking week of his life, his phone rang. It was a Miami area code.