First Class Voyage

10.

DAY 8 – AT SEA

Maureen had asked for the family to have breakfast together. The time was set for nine and everyone would meet in the dining room. As usual, Peter and Maureen arrived first and sat patiently at the table waiting for the rest of the family to arrive.

Two by two they trickled in and finally all were assembled and the waitress came to take their orders.

“And where are you from?” Maureen asked her.

“Vietnam,” she smiled.

“Oh,” Maureen frowned. “Such a long way from your family. Don’t you miss them?”

“Yes, very much. But I go home next month,” she smiled. “You have big family.”

“Yes, we do,” Maureen agreed. She worked her way around the table introducing them all to the waitress.

She got to Derek and said, “This would be my grandson, but his mother hasn’t married my son yet.”

Mark gasped and was just about to speak but Maureen continued.

“But I love him just like a grandson,” she smiled and moved on to Ben who was sitting next to Derek.

Katy dropped her head and took a deep breath. She knew that Maureen meant no malice but she also was getting really tired of all the little digs, innocent or not, it was getting old.

After breakfast, as they all went their separate ways, Derek caught up with Mark and his mom just outside the dining room.

“Mom!”

Katy turned and smiled at her son.

“Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Sure,” she smiled.

“Come get a coffee with me, please?”

Mark kissed her on the cheek and said he’d meet her back in their cabin and politely excused himself. Derek took his mom’s hand and led her to the coffee bar. After placing their order, they went and sat at a table.

“That was a little weird at breakfast,” he said.

“It quite often is,” said Katy. “But Maureen means nothing.”

“Yes she does,” Derek disagreed. “She does mean something by it. We all think it she’s just the only one that will say it.”

Katy was shocked by her sons’ words.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Oh, come on mom!” Derek sighed. “It’s been three years. Don’t you think it’s time already?”

Katy had no idea how to respond. Her son was calling her out. For a split second she was angry, really angry. She was the parent. But, he was an adult. He was twenty-four and a college graduate. He had a great job working at MEL Holdings with Mark and Matt. Actually, it wasn’t just a job. When Mark retired, Derek would take over, the heir apparent. No, he was her equal and he had earned the right to call her out if necessary. And apparently, he thought it was necessary.

“I know you’ve never had it easy,” he continued. “Dad was a real jerk and we were better off alone. And then…” he couldn’t say it. His head dropped and Katy knew what he was thinking.

“I’m okay,” she insisted, taking his hand in hers. “Really. That was four years ago and I am okay.”

“I know,” he said. “But still, you haven’t had an easy time of it. Well until Mark,” he smiled.

“Until Mark,” she grinned.

“Mom, he’s awesome. And I know you love him. And I know he adores you. He worships you. So why? What are you holding out for?”

“I’m not holding out for anything?” Katy was offended.

“Then why haven’t you married him?”

Katy didn’t have an answer.

“Do it!”

Katy headed back to her cabin, Derek’s words swirling through her head. Do it!

*****

That afternoon, as scheduled, was another round of three-on-three. Tyler, Adam and Tim’s game was scheduled first. They played hard and won by only two points.

“A win is a win,” grinned Adam, as they came off the court, sweaty and tired.

“Now it’s your turn to protect the family name,” laughed Tim as Ben congratulated them.

“Oh, you were magnificent,” gushed April, as she ran over to congratulate Tim. “Simply wonderful.”

“Thanks, April,” beamed Tim.

He headed off with the young woman draped all over him. Paul, sitting close by, shook his head as his eyes followed them. They walked over to a couple of chairs and there sat Nic. Paul’s eyes stopped as they reached her, watching her smile as she congratulated Tim on his teams’ win. Then she went right back to reading a book.

Paul studied her while she wasn’t looking. He thought he should go over and say hello, but something stopped him.

“You look lost in thought,” Matt said.

Paul’s head whipped around to see his brother studying him.

“Nah, just enjoying the win.”

“Hmmm.” Matt smirked.

“Okay, let’s do this, shall we?” Derek yelled, as he and Mark and Ben made their way to the court.

The family settled in to watch the game and Tim, April and Nic joined them, Nic not looking overly thrilled. Paul tried to catch her eye as she walked by but she didn’t glance his way.

Katy cheered as the game started and was clapping wildly when Mark scored the first bucket. By the end of the first five minutes, the Lathems were up by ten points.

“Woo hoo!” Katy yelled, clapping loudly.

David whistled and watched as Derek drove to the basket. One of the opponents elbowed him hard as his feet left the ground to score and he hit the deck with a thud.

“Foul!” yelled Mark and helped Derek up. “Two shots.”

The other team argued for a moment and then lined up for the free throws. Derek made the first and missed the second, Ben securing the rebound. He dribbled out of the key and threw the ball to Mark who didn’t have a clear shot. He passed to Derek who took a step to the basket and was dropped by the same defender with another elbow to the ribs.

Katy jumped off her chair and tried to run to her son but Matt grabbed her arm and held her.

“No man wants his mommy running to rescue him,” he whispered in her ear.

Katy stopped trying to pull free and sighed and Matt released his grip. Mark was yelling at the opposing team.

“What the f*ck is wrong with you? This is a game you morons not the WWF!”

“Are you girls?” came the response. “Can’t take a foul?”

Ben stepped forward and stared at the man about six inches from his face.

“Look you a*shole, we just wanna play a friendly game, no trouble. Just keep your elbows to yourself.”

“Bitches!” the man’s team mate said.

Ben turned his head to see which man had said it and the man in front of him shoved him back. Mark caught him so he didn’t fall.

At that moment, Matt, David and Paul all jumped up and ran towards the three-on-three yelling match. As they arrived on the court, two men jumped up from the other side of the court and ran and stood behind the opponents.

“Oh shit!” whispered Katy.

“Ditto,” agreed Janie.

There was some more yelling and then Paul stepped in between the two groups and grabbed the throat of the last man to speak.

“I’ve slit men’s’ throats in the middle of the night without a second thought,” he said, teeth gritted, eyes like steel. “Don’t think a little punk like you scares me, even a little. Now stand down.”

He let the man go and he coughed and sputtered and grabbed at his neck and the five of them stepped back several feet. One of them threw their hands up as they continued backing away.

“No trouble here,” he said, shaking his head. “Just a stupid foul, k?”

At that moment one of the entertainment crew arrived and called the game. The Lathem team had won, as they were ahead when the ‘incident’ took place. He asked all the men to exit the court and they would take a ten minute break before they began the next game, giving the crowd a chance to disburse and tempers to cool.

The crowd all exhaled simultaneously and the Lathem men returned to their group. Katy grabbed Derek and asked him if he was okay. Mark chuckled and told her that Derek was a man and could take a foul. Derek grinned and agreed, but rubbed his ribs when she wasn’t looking, a slight grimace on his face.

The group started to break up and Paul walked to his chair to grab his sweatshirt. As he walked past Nic he saw the fear in her eyes.

Dammit! he thought.

“Sorry about that,” he grimaced.

“Was that true?” she asked.

Paul sat down next to her in the chair April had just vacated as she left with Tim.

“Yeah. Yeah it is.”

“Oh.” She looked horrified.

“I am a Navy Seal,” he said, matter-of-factly. “That’s what I do when I have orders. I follow them…to the letter…exactly…without question…without hesitation…without second guessing and without remorse.”

“Well, thanks for clarifying that for me,” she said as she stood and hurried away.

*****

That night as the family congregated for dinner, Tim retold the story of Paul’s involvement in the almost brawl. Paul had nothing to say.

Tim went on. “It was pretty cool the way you had him in that choke hold. Made him think twice before he said anymore,” he chuckled.

“I don’t think Paul wants to rehash it,” said Mark, knowing Paul the way he did.

“Well, I’m just glad you won,” smiled Katy. “On to the semifinals on the next sea day and then maybe the finals.”

“I hope we make it to the finals and then we can play you guys,” grinned Tyler. “That would be cool.”

“We have to win our next game first,” Adam chimed in.

“Well that’s four days away. We’ve got some different kind of playing to do first.” David, noticing Paul’s expression, tried to change the subject. “What’s everyone doing in St. Lucia tomorrow?”