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From his back porch, Capt. R.E. Ludlow listened to his neighbors celebrating in the early morning – not too loud, just loud enough to impart the joy – and smiled.
Sgt. Trent and Mrs. Trent would be remarried in a week, and their children, especially the little ones, were all excited about it.
Sgt. Trent himself was more circumspect, knowing the massive responsibility he was again taking on, but the captain had sensed the sergeant's joy as well.
Capt. Ludlow's mind went back to his decision to marry the second time, to the widow Thalia Green … it was a big deal and he was deeply moved about it … overjoyed to have found the love of his life the second time around, sobered by the fact that if he messed this up, it was over for him.
“I barely survived losing one I didn't really love because my ego couldn't take that,” he said to a friend, “and now I'm doubly messed up – I actually am in love with Thalia, and I still have the big ego!”
Sgt. Trent, though younger, was a bit more mature at that age than his neighbor had been … Capt. Ludlow deeply admired the younger man's calm humility, the mark of a different temperament, but also a different kind of upbringing and spiritual growth upon that foundation. He was going to do well; he was fitted to the task at hand, and there was deep love and healing between him and Mrs. Trent that they could build upon with their family.
Capt. Ludlow checked his watch – still just 6:15am, three good hours before what for him would be late breakfast because he had been at work at 7:00 up until three days earlier. The Trent little ones were up exceptionally early for them, but the Ludlow grandchildren were not up. Even Lil' Robert (5) and Amanda (7), the early risers, were sleeping so hard still that the world could end and they wouldn't know until they woke up in the arms of the Lord.
Of course, this left time for other appetites and celebrations … Mrs. Ludlow was up! Both she and her husband had been so exhausted the day before that it had been lights out when they hit the bed – which, as custodial grandparents of seven children under 12, was the generally expected outcome! But, now that he didn't have to be at work by 7:00, and they were up anyway …
At 9:20, all the Ludlow grandchildren were at table and were overjoyed for the third day in a row by the idea that Grandpa was having breakfast with them.
“Yep, those are all Ludlows!” Mrs. Ludlow said. “No matter how many times you give them what they want, they act all brand new and are planning the next time before it is even over!”
Capt. Ludlow's blue eyes lit up almost back to the level she had seen three hours before … he was never all that far from the approach to the height of his passion, even after an extraordinary ascent and descent.
“That's how they got here, dear,” he purr-rumbled with a smile. “Twice removed, but still!”
Edwina (8) and Amanda (7) of course missed the joke, but they sort of got it anyway.
“I love when they do that,” said Edwina.
“Sounds like home and happiness to me, and that we can stay in it!” said Amanda.