Chapter 55

Two weeks after returning from their trip to Washington and West Point, Janice received a call from Susan Cassidy. Susan had just returned from her honeymoon along with the other girls and was back at work with Mary Jefferson. It had been arranged for Maureen to join the bank working in Cindy's unit. However, they were still staying with the Stewarts while they looked around for a place to live. Colleen was overjoyed since, for the first time in her entire life, she had money enough to get a nice place for Maureen and herself.

Susan finally got to the reason for her call: "Jan, Mary would like to meet the Callahans. There's something she hasn't told me, but she wants to meet them very soon and very badly. Could you ask Vangie to drive them downtown this afternoon?"

Jan immediately agreed and gave Vangie the keys to her BMW along with directions to the Jefferson apartment.

When she pulled up to the apartment house door, the doorman ran up and saluted. When she told him they had an appointment with Mrs. Jefferson and asked where to park the car, he snapped to attention, assured her it would be taken care of, and ushered them all into the lobby. The receptionist called the Jefferson apartment and they were shown to the elevator. Vangie was right at home in the luxurious surroundings, but it was clear that the Callahans were taken aback. The door to the Jefferson penthouse was opened by a black giant wearing a morning suit.

As he was greeting them, Susan came out to the hall with her hand outstretched. She greeted Vangie who then introduced Colleen and Maureen Callahan. Susan ushered them back to the library.

Mary Jefferson rose to greet the women when they entered the room. Another young couple was also present. The woman looked like she might be expecting a baby. Susan just introduced them as Kerry and Jim Vance with no further explanation.

After John Smith took refreshment orders and pleasantries had been exchanged, Colleen Callahan looked at Mary Jefferson expectantly. "Mrs. Jefferson, thank you for inviting us to visit," she said. "But I'm sure you didn't ask us over to admire the lovely furnishings. What can we do for you?"

Mary Jefferson looked incredibly beautiful. Since John Smith had been making love to her, she was now more relaxed than at any time since her husband died. Now sitting in the high-backed wing chair she looked like a queen on her throne. Picking up a letter from the side table she glanced at it and then looked at Colleen. "Mrs. Callahan, this is a letter I received a long time ago from my late husband, Tom. He was a platoon sergeant in the army. There are some things in this letter I thought you might like to hear. She read:

My darling Mary,

I can't tell you how lucky I am to be alive to write this letter to you today. You see, my life and the lives of the rest of our platoon were saved by our platoon leader, Lt. Sean Callahan, at the cost of his own. Lt. Callahan was a West Point graduate. We make a lot of jokes about the "ring knockers" sometimes, and all the old traditions up there at West Point. Of course, the real tradition is "Duty, Honor, Country." I guess it sounds pretty trite — just nice-sounding words.

All I can say is Lt. Callahan's actions exemplified that motto the other day. We were in a terrible jam. I can't give you the details but we were going to be wiped out. Lt. Callahan, all alone, charged an enemy machine gun that had been chopping us up. He dumped in a grenade and wiped them out. Then he singlehandedly took out most of the rest of the enemy who were shooting us up. Mary, he should get the Medal of Honor. All I know is I would not be alive if it had not been for him. I owe him my life.

I also learned that day what that motto means. It has a real life for me now. Incidentally, Lt. Callahan had only been married a few months and just learned that his wife is going to have a baby. I know this sounds silly because of who we are and what we are, but if at any time you can help that widow or her child, please do it for me. I know nothing about them, of course, except that if Sean Callahan loved that woman, she has to be very special. Please help her if you ever can, my darling.

All my love,

Tom

"Mrs. Callahan, those were my husband's last wishes. He was killed a few weeks later doing for his men what your husband had done for him. Now how can I help you?" As she said it tears were streaming from her eyes. She jumped from the chair, fell onto the sofa beside Colleen, and threw herself into her arms. Susan, for the first time ever, saw Mary Jefferson bawl like a baby in Colleen's arms.

When Mary finally looked up at Colleen she said, "You had absolutely nothing! And yet your raised this beautiful girl. I know it's late, but can I help you in some way? Please?" Sitting up straight, with an effort of will she regained control. She added, "Please, Mrs. Callahan, it's not for you. It's for me! It's something I must do!"

Colleen didn't know what to do or say. All she could do was to look at Maureen in utter bewilderment. To break the palpable tension Jim Vance quietly asked Colleen if she would mind sitting in an armchair with Maureen standing behind it. He arranged the chair and Colleen posed as he requested. His hand began to dart over the sheet of sketch paper with a piece of charcoal. As he worked Kerry was kneeling beside him and occasionally made a whispered comment. The Callahans were utterly baffled by what was happening.

In just a few minutes he tore the sheet from his sketch pad and brought it over to them. Mary Jefferson and Susan Callaway came over as well. The sketch he had just done was similar in composition to his painting of Emily Amelia Hardwick. As in that painting, there was a shadow box on the bookshelf. This time it contained an army officer's gold cap device on top, the Medal of Honor in the center, and below it the DSC, the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.