Don't put of till tomorrow...

[WillowMcDaniel 0]

Willow was sitting on the tire swing, watching the sunset. Her brother came over to give her a push, then sat on the picnic table. She looked away from him. “I can’t do this, Terrence.”

 

He brought his feet up on the table top and rested his arms on his knees. “What’s that?”

 

“I’m incompetent.”

 

“That’s not true,” he told her.

 

“How many people have died while I was the CMO? Huh? Tell me that much.”

 

Terrence looked at her thoughtfully. “The people who died did so because of circumstances outa your power. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

 

She got off the swing and walked over to a fence, leaning against it. “I don’t know, Terrence. I just don’t know.”

 

He followed her, standing next to her, playing with a strand of her hair like he had ever since he’d been tall enough to do so. They stood there for a moment, silent. “Got a boyfriend?” he finally asked. His sister snorted.

 

“I’m there to work, not to socialize, you.”

 

“Just askin’,” he said, grinning, knowing that he’d caught her off guard. “Look, how ‘bout this? You go back there, yah work real hard, and if no one dies while under your knife, yah stay.”

 

“No one has died ‘under my knife’.”

 

“Exactly!” He tugged at the strand of hair and started walking away from the fence. “One good thing came outa this, yah know. Yah got over large crowds in smaller rooms.”

 

“Yeah, I can see how barfin’ would be getting over it.” She chewed on her upper lip. “I still got to send his family a letter. Ensign Lucky’s seemed easier to write, yah know? I didn’t know him. It was just a report, as cold as that sounds. This guy… I knew this guy. He was a nice guy.” Willow looked out into space. “I remember the first day, at the launch. While I was avoiding everyone, he came up to me and introduced himself. Now he’s dead.” When she stopped talking, Terrence led his sister inside the house where their nephew Jay ran up to them, waving a picture he’d drawn.

 

“Hey big boy,” Willow said, picking Jay up. “How’s it goin’?”

 

“I drew stars Aunt Wiwwow.”

 

“Wil-low,” she corrected.

 

“Will-whoa,” he “repeated”, slowly.

 

Abby, Willow’s sister, came up to them. “Has he told yah what he wants to be when he grows up?”

 

“Which one?” Willow asked, laughing and looking back and forth between the guys.

 

“Both.”

 

“You first, Jay.”

 

He grinned. “I’n gonna be a space man who flies the ships. A… a helmmm-sman. Then I can see the stars like you, Aunt Wiwwow.”

 

“And you, Terrence?” She barely got the question out, choking up.

 

“I’ve decided to explore the universe when I graduate.” He smiled. “They need scientists out there, colonizing the galaxy. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet me out there, ten years from now, me and my alien wife.”

 

“Maybe.” She was really crying, now.

 

---

 

Later, the whole family was in the living room, sitting at various spots, listening to Willow. “And then what happened?” Abby asked.

 

“They posted guards inside the shuttle and I’m tellin’ yah, these guys stink.”

 

“How did yah get outa there?”

 

“They eventually let us go. The old man wasn’t too bad after he got some real medical attention, but I was worried what would happen if he stayed there too long, bleedin’ like that.” Willow paused, then looked around at her family. “Yah know what? I missed ya’ll.”

 

Jay hugged her legs, saying, “I missed yah, too.”

 

Hugh looked up from where he was picking at his calloused hands. “Yah know what, honey?”

 

“What’s that, Dad?” Willow asked.

 

“We’re proud of yah. I, for one, think you’re doin’ a real good job.”

 

Willow smirked. “I’m glad somebody does, Dad.” She picked up Jay. “Time for bed, you. When yah wake up we’ll go for a ride before I’ve got to get.”

 

Jay leaned over from his perch in Willow’s arms to kiss his mom and dad goodnight, and then wrapped his little arms around Willows neck, laying his head down on her shoulder. “I love yah Aunt Wiwwow.”

 

After tucking him in, Willow went to the desk in Abby’s room, sat down, and did what she knew she needed to do.

 

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Marks,

 

I regret to inform you…

[WillowMcDaniel 0]

Yes, I realize I put "of" instead of "off"... don't remind me... :wacko:...