Memories of a Perfect Night

Jane Parrish sat at her desk, tapping her pen. She had started the job when she found out she was pregnant with Gracie. She needed the health insurance and the base had a great daycare center. And she also knew that deep down in her heart she hoped that someday he would come back.

It had only been one night. And it wasn't the kind of thing that she normally did. But she had seen his sad green eyes across the bar. He was getting ready to deploy. They had danced and he had whispered in her ear how pretty she was. Eventually they left the bar, and they took his truck out in a pasture and watched the stars and talked all night between sessions of making love.

If she closed her eyes she could still feel his thumb rubbing across her cheekbone, his soft whisper against her ear as he called her his pretty girl. They had made love all night and she held him close and promised him he would be fine and he would come back to his real life after his deployment.

It was two months after that that she discovered she was pregnant. She knew that Thomas Moore was the only possibility for the father. But she didn't want to give him any other burdens as he was deployed and she didn't know when he would be home. Plus, she feared that he wouldn't want Gracie and they had found a way to be happy.

She had a nice little apartment right off of the base. She liked her job and the people she worked with. She loved her daughter. Picking up Gracie from daycare was the highlight of her day. She would rush from work to bundle Gracie up in her arms. Then they would play at the park if the weather was nice. Gracie had her father's jade green eyes, but Jane's pale skin and reddish brown hair.

Her family was still angry with her that she hadn't told them who fathered Gracie but they loved Gracie and her parents took Gracie from time to time so Jane could get her nails done, or have a drink with the girls at work.

At five o'clock, Jane turned off her computer and said her goodbyes at the supply office where she worked as a file clerk. She walked down to the daycare center and scooped Gracie into her stroller and took her for their playtime at the park. Gracie was about a little over a year now. When they got to the park, Jane held her hand as she toddled to the swings.

There were some soldiers playing football in the field. Jane didn't really pay attention to them as she pushed Gracie in the swing.

It felt good to be back

Thomas breathed in the fresh air his heart pounding from the adrenalin of the pick up game he and the boys were playing. He looked around taking in the green and cloudy skies. It was such a stark contrast to the world he had just come from. His six month long deployment on the Eisenhower had taken him to many exotic locations but nothing compared to the green of the United States.

"Get your head out of your ass Thomas!" One of the men playing shouted tossing him the ball. He got it easily his big hands wrapping around the pig skin as he jogged over to them. He had only been back a week but he was already settling back into the grove of being back on base. After fighting overseas and being on a ship every patch of ground and tree seemed extra special to the man.

He was half way to the players when a flash of metal caught his eyes. He turned noting a park just to the left. A woman was there pushing a baby in a swing and a sudden stab of realization when through him as his eyes settled on her face.

It was her

The magical night before deployment came rushing back to him. He was suddenly back in his truck stroking his thumb across her cheek as she rode his cock. The night had gone long with their talks, love making, and whispered words. He had dropped her off the next day and they had forgotten in the magic to exchange information.

But he hadnt stopped thinking about her

He turned tossing the football back to his friends before racing over to see her. He was halfway there when he stopped realizing that she was with some one.

With a child

He froze hesitant, she hadnt said what she did could she be baby sitting? Or doing some thing with a family member? She hadnt seem to have been married.....

Or had she

He cocked his head uncertain whether to go over there or not. He hung by the shadows of a large tree watching her and admiring her from afar as he struggled to figure out his next move.

Jane was enjoying standing in the fresh air and the sunshine. She closed her eyes and felt the warm sun on her face and the breeze in her hair.

Gracie began to cry and Jane picked her up and snuggled close. Jane kissed and cuddled her, and picked up the baby bag and tossed it in the stroller. She pushed the stroller with one hand and made her way to the sidewalk.

Thomas' friend Pete Gilbert walked up beside him.

"That's Jane Parrish. She is a civilian clerk in the supply office on base. She is really pretty, started working at the base after she had the baby. Come on..." He trotted back to the other guys, leaving Thomas in the shade of the tree.

Jane nestled the baby in the stroller and then made her way to the gate. She offered cheerful goodbyes to the MPs and then made her way to her little apartment.

She unlocked the door, and then put Gracie in her crib so she could make dinner. She turned on the radio and hummed along to the music as she worked. She thought of Thomas. It was hard to be around the base all of time, the servicemen made her think of him. But it was the best place for her to work in the area and she needed to do what was best for Gracie.

She slid dinner in the oven. She heated a bottle for Gracie and then settled in the rocking chair to feed her.

The baby

Thomas watched her go the bolt of realization rooting him to the spot. It could be some one elses......

But she didnt seem like that type of girl

He needed to think and so he left leaving the gang and the game itself and climbing onto his motorcycle. He rode for a while around the large base his mind tossing and turning the revelation over and over again. There was almost a ninety percent chance that the baby was his which meant he was almost certainly a father.

Why hadnt she told him? I mean if she went with the baby to the base and explained who he was they might have been able to find him? The thought bugged him throughout the night and he found himself needing to know the answers, needing to know the truth.

And so he would figure it out

He gunned the engine and raced back to his small apartment on base. He slept fruitfully that night dreaming of their time together and the face of the baby he had only gotten a glimpse of. The next day he let his boss know that he would be taking care of some stuff on base and raced over to the office his friend had said she had worked in.

He waited in the front lobby while they went to go get her nervously rubbing his hands as he did. He had no idea what he was going to say to her yet all he knew was that he was more nervous than he had ever been before.

Jane was tired. The baby hadn't slept well and she had rushed into work and was almost late. She already had a pile of files on her desk.

She had a cup of steaming coffee with lots of milk and sugar. Her head was pounding. She took a few sips and then one of the other women in the office came to her cube.

"There is someone here to see you, Janie." Mallory offered with a smile. "He seems nervous, so I am sure it is official."

Janie looked up from her work and nodded. She tucked her dark hair behind her ear and then smoothed her skirt. She picked up her clipboard and headed out to the lobby.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw him. It took a moment for her to be able to speak.

"It's you." She whispered. Even though she was shocked, she couldn't help but smile at him. Her smile lit up her pretty face.

"I saw you yesterday" Thomas said standing up brushing and pulling at his fatigues "At the park playing" He said his voice low but not angry.

"I already asked your boss if I could steal you for a early lunch" Thomas explained nodding at the door "I am sorry to pull you away from your work but I have questions in need of answers please if you dont mind" He said holding out his elbow to escort her out.

Jane swallowed and nodded. She left her clipboard and walked over to him. Her knees were shaking as she walked. She hadn't allowed herself to hope that she would see him again.

"Colonel Jacobs has been a great boss. It doesn't surprise me that he allowed you to steal me away. He is always very understanding when..." She stopped herself. "When things come up."

She took his arm and let him lead her out of the office.

"It is good to see you." She whispered.

"It is good to see you to" Thomas said sighing and shaking his head "however I have questions and we need to talk before we move to such pleasantries"

He helped her onto his bike and slid on starting and gunning the engine "I hope you dont mind riding" He called before he kicking the stand up and they were moving across the base. He took her outside of the base for lunch but not far going to a small dinner on the highway and rolling to a stop.

"Are you okay?" He asked turning to her as he parked the bike raising an eyebrow.

Jane held him close as he drove them to the dinner. She rested her head against his shoulder. She closed her eyes. Being so close to him brought back that night, she could feel his touch, hear his voice. But she made herself stop thinking about that.

Before she knew it, they were parking.

"I am fine. Just a little surprised. I didn't know you were back. You said you saw me yesterday.... did you come by supply?" She asked as she slid off the back of his bike.

"No I was in the park" Thomas explained helping her off and into the diner "I noticed you at the park and went to go say hi before I noticed who you were with" He said leading her to a table by one of the large windows.

"I froze unsure of my self and what I had seen and then one of my friends made mention of Where you were working and when you had started" Thomas said moving into the booth across from her "Order whatever you would like" he said ordering himself a soda before turning to her.

"Is it true?"

Jane's mouth was dry. She ordered an iced tea. Nervously, she stirred in some sweetener.

"Gracie is our daughter." Jane couldn't think of a gentle way to break it to him. And she didn't want to lie. "When I found out, you were deployed and I didn't feel like it was right to make you worry."

She nervously fidgeted with the pink wrapper from the sweetener.

"I didn't know what to do. And I didn't feel like it was right to burden you." She lowered her eyes. "I got a job, and got my own place. She goes to daycare on the base."

Jane was blinking hard, trying not to cry.

Thomas swallowed hard the realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. He had a daughter.... she was the mother of his daughter. He had no idea how to feel about it or approach and a combination of fear and nerves were filling him as he regarded her.

"Why didnt you tell me" Thomas said shaking his head "you could have found me... I am sure you didnt.... Even if you didnt think it was your place to drop that bomb on deployment I would have wanted to know... You knew that" He said looking at her trying to make sense of it.

Jane took a deep breath. A few tears slid down her cheek, she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"My family was pretty upset with me. I didn't want my father causing problems for you. I wanted you to concentrate on staying safe." Jane's voice broke. "If something had happened to you... I couldn't have handled that."

Jane tried to still her breathing and keep herself from crying even harder.

Thomas sighed leaning back "But what about when I came back did you make plans to tell me"

He reached out taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeaze "I am sorry I do not wish to upset you but I must know so I can understand and we can move forward is that clear?" He asked meeting her eyes.

Jane brushed her tears away.

"You have every right to be angry with me." She laid her other hand on top of his. "I imagined telling you. I have been saving pictures of her for you. I have told her about you. I know that doesn't mean much. I just.... I wasn't sure what to say. And I was afraid that you might be angry or disappointed or.... I don't know."


She shrugged her shoulders.

"I know I sound like a coward."

Thomas said his eyes softening "I would not say that I just wish you had trusted me with thek nowledge.

Their food came and he studied it before looking at her "so where do we go from here? I am angry still but I want to move forward with both our daughter and you" He said folding his arm and raising an eyebrow "how much does she know about me? Does she have my name? And you have you been with any one have any one?"

Jane took a few bites of her meal.

"She has your last name. And I gave her your mother's name as her middle name. The night we met you told me that her name was Ann. I thought Grace Ann Moore was a pretty name."

Jane looked at him and smiled. "I haven't been with anyone... several guys have asked me out on base, but I didn't say yes. My family has been supportive, but it took a while to get them to come around. My dad especially was pretty angry with me. All sorts of girls I grew up with dated guys from the base and came up pregnant, trying to marry their way out of here. My dad expected more of me.... I wasn't one of those girls. I didn't hang out in bars and try to find a guy to take me away."

"I see" Thomas said leaning back to regard her as he ran a finger through his hair "it sounds like your dad is some one we will have to work on impressing"

Thomas leaned catching her eye "I wish to make my intentions clear" He stated taking her hand

"We had a magical night together" He said looking at her smiling softly "and now we have a daughter I would like to meet her and date you and see if some thing more cant come from it if you are interested of course"

Jane sighed with relief.

"My dad has no right to be angry with you." She clung to his hand. She thought about what her dad was going to say, but she shook her head. Thomas was here and he wanted to get to know her, and he wanted Gracie.

Jane took a few sips of her tea.

"We can go see her after lunch if you would like... or your could come over to the apartment. I found a picture of you online... I have it framed in her room. I keep it in a drawer, but I take it out and show her."

"How abotu we go to my place" Thomas said softly his heart racing at the thought of meeting his daughter "I have a small apartment off base we can have dinner there if you would like maybe even do some thing together" He said softly giving her a small smile before leaning back.

"And what about you? How do you feel about all of this?" Thomas asked curious "Our night was over so fast have you sparred much though about it?"

Jane blushed and then stammered.

"I think about it a lot. I think about your thumb on my cheek and the way we whispered to each other under the stars. I think about the way it felt to be in your arms."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her cheeks flushed a deep red.

"I must sound silly."

"I do not think you sound silly" He said softly smiling at her "I thought about you almost daily and had every intention of finding you when I got back"

"I would have been upset if you did not have fond memories of me" He said smiling and paying for their meal "I have to get you back to work I am afraid" he said giving her a small smile as he offered his hand.

Jane took his hand and allowed him to lead her out to his bike.

"I get off at 5. Then I pick up Gracie and take her for the park. Then we walk to my apartment."

She took her seat behind him on the bike, snuggling against his back, laying her head on his shoulder.

Thomas nodded "I will grab the truck and pick you up then" He said leading her back to the bike. He drove her back weaving his way through traffic to get her back there on time.

"Here we are" He said gliding to a stop and parking "Thank you for lunch it was lovely" He said helping her off and reaching out to stroke his thumb across her cheek.

She closed her eyes and kissed the back of his hand sweetly.

"Thank you." She whispered.

She wanted to say so much more, but she knew they needed to get back to work.

"I will see you after work."

She waved shyly and then rushed back into the office.