The Exception by Lauren H. Mae

Six

Trav grinned when his buddy Mike’s smirking face appeared on his laptop screen. When Tif suggested they set up a video chat, he’d been a little skeptical. Video calls were for couples, not for hanging out with your boys. Still, he’d agreed because no one argued with Tif. Ever.

“Hey, man,” he greeted.

Mike frowned and scratched at his neat beard. “Oh God. Now I remember why I didn’t want to do this video chat thing. Seeing your ugly mug is a definite con.”

Any doubts Trav had about the video call went out the window and he laughed. “You know you miss waking up next to this face every morning.”

“Oh yeah, about as much as I miss having sand in my ass crack.”

A petite woman with dark hair in springy coils stepped into view behind Mike with a roly-poly toddler perched on her hip.

“Language! You know your daughter is starting to pick up words,” she scolded. “Oh, hey, Trav!”

“Hey, Tif. Thanks again for the food. Everything was delicious, especially the mac and cheese.”

Tif’s smile took over her face. “Oh, you’re welcome, Trav. Couldn’t have you moving in with nothing to eat and nothing to cook.”

Mike and Tif had toured Trav’s condo for him while he was still in North Carolina, debriefing. Then he’d taken a trip to Pearl Harbor to visit an old high school buddy who was stationed there in the Navy. The first time he’d laid eyes on his new home was when he showed up with his duffle and the clothes on his back. He hadn’t cared much about the amenities as long as the place was in decent shape, but Mike had done better than decent. As far as buying a place sight unseen went, Trav had lucked out.

He looked around at the open concept and shiny hardwood floors. It would be even better once he had a chance to furnish the place.

“I appreciate it,” he told her sincerely. “And I owe you a meal or two when I see you.”

“Are you taking requests, because that chipotle chicken you make is bomb.”

“Done,” he agreed. That dish was one of his favorites too, and he made a mental note to get the ingredients so he could make it for meal prep next week.

There was a bit of a commotion as a little boy wearing Spider-Man pajamas came zooming out of the hallway around Tif, planting himself on Mike’s lap. He grinned and waved at the camera.

“Hi, Uncle Trav!”

“Hey, Ryan! What’s happening?”

“I lost a tooth, see?” The six-year-old smiled at the camera revealing a gap where one of his front teeth should’ve been.

“Wow, buddy! Did it hurt?”

Ryan shook his head. “I was brave when daddy pulled it out with his fingers.”

“Good job, bud! What did you do with the tooth?”

“Mama says I’m supposed to leave it under my pillow for the tooth fairy so she’ll leave me a surprise.”

“Your mama’s right. The tooth fairy used to leave me a dollar for every tooth I lost.”

Ryan’s eyes went wide and he looked up at his dad. “Daddy, will the tooth fairy leave me a dollar?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Okay. Are you done with ambulance school yet, Uncle Trav?

“Not yet, but I’m gonna try to come visit soon, okay?”

“Okay… and we can go to the trampoline park?”

Going to the trampoline park had been their thing before he’d moved, and if he was being honest, he missed going too. Watching Ryan have the time of his life was the main reason, but who didn’t like bouncing around doing backflips every now and then?

“It’s a deal,” he agreed.

A weird hollow feeling grew in his chest when he realized he had no idea when he’d be able to make good on that deal. Mike lived three hours away and had two kids. All of Trav’s other friends were stationed in various barracks around the world. It wasn’t lost on him that his new life was going to feel pretty empty for a while, and not just because he had no furniture in his condo.

Maybe he’d put some effort into making some friends in the neighborhood. He’d need the excuse of a barbeque or touch football game to effectively avoid his dad’s new wife’s calls for him to come over for dinner. Sheri or Shelly or whatever her name was. Sweet lady, but he wasn’t exactly itching to form another quasi-maternal relationship at his age. Especially one that may only last the next twelve to twenty-four months.

“Ry, if you want your TV time before bed, you better get to it. Say good night to uncle Trav.”

“Yes! Good night, Uncle Trav!”

“Good night, buddy.”

Ryan scampered off his father’s lap and disappeared down the hallway.

“He’s been watching Into the Spiderverse in thirty-minute intervals the last couple days,” Mike explained and Trav nodded. Tif was serious about not letting the kids grow up in front of the television, so there were strict limits on watch time.

Tif sat next to Mike on the couch and positioned the baby on her lap facing the screen. She had her mother’s big brown eyes and her father’s dark complexion, and no one could tell Trav that his goddaughter wasn’t the cutest baby, second only to Ryan when he was a baby.

“She’s getting so big,” he said, amazed at how much she’d grown since he’d seen her last.

A proud smile stretched across Tif’s face. “Asia, say hi to Uncle Trav.”

She pointed to the screen and Asia babbled something that resembled a greeting as she waved both her tiny hands in the air.

Trav’s cheeks hurt from smiling so wide..

Mike brushed his hand over his daughter’s curls. “Can you believe she’ll be a year in a few months?”

No, Trav couldn’t believe it. A year ago, he’d been on a satellite phone with a horrible connection in Afghanistan, listening to his best friend break down over becoming a dad for the second time after being deployed for the first. Trav had been just as excited as if it had been his own kid being born.

“Hopefully things’ll slow down by then so I can drive down for a visit.”

Mike jerked his thumb at his wife. “That’ll be good. She wants to have a party with eight other one-year-olds so I could use the backup.”

Tif poked out her bottom lip. “Babe, she’s only gonna turn one once.”

“She’s not even gonna remember it,” Mike argued.

Trav ignored their playful arguing and focused on Asia who was staring at the screen. He wasn’t sure if it would work virtually, but he covered his face with his hands and kicked off a game of peek-a-boo. When he uncovered his face, she erupted in that baby laugh that straddled the line between cute and maniacal, and he laughed right along with her with every turn.

“So… are you working on having one of these of your own yet?” Tif asked.

He looked up to see her lips twisted into a knowing grin. He should’ve known this was coming. Tif had been on him about finding a nice girl to settle down with for years, but unlike Mike, relationships while deployed hadn’t worked out for him. He couldn’t really explain it, but the handful of relationships he’d had while enlisted had been either too much or not enough. None had made him think they would survive deployment.

“I haven’t even bought furniture, so I haven’t found anyone to work on that with just yet.”

Mike punched the air in victory. “Looks like we’re getting pizza and wings on date night, Mrs. Brown.”

Tiff rolled her eyes. “Shut up.”

Trav looked between both of them, suspicion creeping in. “You guys had a bet?”

Mike laughed. “Tif was sure one of the nurses at the hospital would have you on lockdown on day one.”

Tif shrugged. “I just thought with you being ready to put down roots, you would’ve been looking for someone to put down roots with.”

“And I told her you still had some sowing to do,” Mike countered, earning himself a slap on the arm from his wife.

“Sorry to disappoint both of you, but the only woman I’ve met since I landed currently hates me.”

The corners of Tif’s mouth turned downward. “How could anyone hate you? You’re tall, good looking, smart, and responsible. You’re the definition of a catch.”

Mike gagged a few times until Tif’s glare shut him up.

“Thanks Tif, but I deserve it.”

With a sigh, he launched into the story about how the pissed off nurse on the plane turned out to be his preceptor. By the time he was done with the story, Trav could’ve sworn he was getting side eye from Asia as well as her mother.

Mike asked, “She’s hot, isn’t she?”

Tif slapped her husband’s thigh. “Mike!”

“What? We all know he’s met more than one woman but the one he has no shot with is the only one he can talk about. Therefore, she must be hot.”

Mike’s logic was sound, and Trav mentally kicked himself for not at least mentioning the nurses who were actually interested in him. Topping that list was the bubbly Nurse Sullivan whom he was sure would take him up on anything he offered. Problem was, he wasn’t motivated to make any offers.

He released a frustrated sigh. “Her being hot is beside the point. I need to pass, so if she could just not hate me, that would be great.”

Tif bounced an increasingly fussy Asia on her knee.

“She sounds like a stickler for rules, so if you want to pass, do good work. If you want her to not hate you, stop acting like a jerk,” she said. “Simple.”

Was it really that simple? It probably was and Trav felt like a complete idiot. The entire time he’d been in the army he’d practiced the “you catch more flies with sugar than shit” philosophy to get by. If it worked with drill instructors and commanding officers, it had to work with nurse preceptors.

Tif stood up and hoisted Asia back to her hip. “This one needs her bath so she can go to bed, so we’ll leave you two to your guy time.” She kissed Mike on the top of his head. “Take care of yourself, Trav. Don’t be a jerk.”

“Gotcha, Tif.”

“Say bye bye to Uncle Trav, Asia.”

Asia grinned and waved to the screen over her mother’s shoulder and Trav waved back. When they disappeared into the hallway, he looked back at Mike.

“You know you hit the freaking jackpot, right?”

Mike tried to hide the smile that brought to his face but failed miserably. “Yep, and I thank whoever’s listening every day for it.”

They were the closest people in his life, but being around Mike and Tif always made Trav feel like he was missing something. It had him questioning his decisions and wondering where he’d be if he hadn’t treated every relationship he had with a woman while he was enlisted as seasonal. Would he have a Tif of his own and an adorable baby instead of an empty house and no one to help him fill it? He didn’t know, but those thoughts were too deep for a video chat.

“So how’s everything going? Really?” Mike asked.

“It’s good. I barely know what day it is most of the time, but busy is better than bored.”

“Definitely,” Mike agreed. “I still don’t understand why you couldn’t stay here and work on your degree. At least we’d be able to see you more often.”

Mike had bought a house a few miles from the base they’d both been stationed at. He was a creature of habit and the place had grown on him. Besides, that was where he’d met Tif. It was natural for him to put down roots there. Trav had a different experience. A mostly rootless one.

“Marielle is here,” he said.

“I know, I know. She stuck around for you and you want to do the same for her.”

Marielle was his second stepmother, but the first who’d actually paid any attention to him. She’d put up with his dad for longer than she probably should’ve, and Trav had to think that was because of him. His senior year of high school had been straight out of an after school special, and by the end, his dad would’ve been okay with him ending up on the streets or locked up. Marielle had been the one to suggest the army, and that was the beginning of getting his life on track.

She and his father had finally split when he was in boot camp, but Marielle sent him letters and care packages the entire time he’d been in. She’d given him more over the last decade than his own father and Trav didn’t know how to repay her for that, but he was going to try.

He nodded. “She’s my mom.”

“Well, at least buy some damn furniture and put some pictures on the walls or something before our next video call. Your place looks depressing.”

Trav agreed with that assessment. All he’d bought so far were the matching bar stools at the kitchen island and that was only because he needed someplace to sit while he did his homework.

“I will.”

“You find some guys to hang out with yet?”

Mike wasn’t going to come right out and say he was worried about him, but his questions made his concern clear. Mike had been guarding his six for years and apparently being out of the military wasn’t going to change that.

“Not yet, but I get a free gym membership from the hospital. Maybe I can join a pick up basketball game or something.”

Mike nearly choked on his beer. “Yeah, they’ll love dunking on you every chance they get.”

Trav looked around to make sure Tif and Asia were nowhere in sight before whispering, “Fuck you. Not all of us can be All-American in three sports like you.”

“It doesn’t take an All-American to beat your ass.”

Trav smirked. “Maybe. But all it takes is a pint-sized school teacher to have you shook.”

Mike shrugged and took a swig of his beer. “And all it takes is a nurse to do the same to you.”

Trav did have a comeback for that so he just drank some of his beer like it was the penalty in some kind of drinking game.

“So how hot is she?” Mike asked.

Trav fought a grin as he thought about Sonya in her dresses and heels, her full lips pursed in annoyance and exasperation filling her dark eyes. There was no measuring how hot she was, and that was especially aggravating because he wasn’t supposed to have those kinds of thoughts about her. Especially since he’d blown any potential shot he had with her the second they met.

After downing another penalty drink, he finally groaned. “So hot that I think I must’ve really pissed someone off in a past life to deserve this.”