Chapter 7: June - Family Vacation

Soon, the time for their vacation had arrived and Mitch and Jayson packed a rented van with supplies and headed south to pick up Tory and Trent. Trent had arranged to borrow the troop's tents and cooking gear, so everyone just needed their personal gear, like clothes and sleeping bags, as well as food and utensils.

When the van pulled up to the house, Trent leaped out of the front door excitedly and started bringing gear to the van. Once everything was loaded, they were on their way. With Jayson navigating, it didn't take long to find the campground. All four worked to set up camp so they were settled in before dark. Mitch took a walk back to the Ranger's Station to check on the amount of firewood they had requested while Tory and the boys relaxed by their campfire.

"What's up, Mom? I thought you'd enjoy camping this weekend." Jayson noticed the somber look on his mother's face.

"I am enjoying it," she replied, thoughtfully. "Are you guys okay with it?"

"Sure," Trent chimed in, "why not?"

"I mean, camping with me AND the commander? Trent, you've been more exposed to us being together than you have, Jayson. How do you feel about it? I guess I thought you might want to have some time, just the three of us, before you ship out." Tory looked pointedly at Jayson.

"I thought we settled this at Easter. I don't have a problem having the commander here with us; that's why I suggested it," Jayson began. He sat up straighter and then looked directly at his mother. "When Commander Ross first made arrangements with me to drive down for Trent's ceremony, I did some checking. Up until that point, I hadn't heard much about him. Well, what I found out made me a bit nervous - straight-laced, no-nonsense, all that stuff. But, after everything he's done for us over the past six months, it didn't seem like what I heard was all that accurate; maybe professionally he was like that, but not personally. So, I thought it best to get to know him better. I couldn't do it on base — that might be considered fraternizing. I have stopped by his office to talk with him a couple of times, but that doesn't give me an idea of who he really is. After watching the two of you together at Easter ... Let's face it, Mom, he's good for you; he makes you happier than I've seen you in years!"

"And, you look great!" Trent interjected.

"She always has." Jayson playfully slapped his brother in the chest.

"Yeah, but now she looks better. She's been working out more and she's on the "Top List" at school."

"She's always been top 10."

"But, now she's top 5!"

"I can see that," Jayson agreed pensively.

"Whoa! What are you guys talking about?" Tory was grateful for the campfire as she had begun to blush while listening to her sons banter back and forth.

"Okay, Mom," Jayson began. "You know how guys sit around and 'talk'?" Tory nodded cautiously and Jayson continued. "Well, sometimes that 'talk' surrounds teachers; we don't just talk about the girls at school."

"You and your friends talk about us?!"

"When you're looking for something to talk about in the locker room, sure; not all guys lie."

"No," Trent offered with a smile, "we fantasize, too!"

"So, we've been the topic of some of these 'talks'?" Tory could feel herself get uncomfortable knowing that her students were rating her and the other teachers.

"Sure. A lot of the teachers are in there. But," Jayson continued, "you were always in the top ten."

"But, since Valentine's Day, I think," Trent added, "you've been moved up to the top five. Prom really put you over the top!"

Mitch had been listening in the bushes for the past couple of minutes and knew that Tory was getting a bit flustered by the topic. He remembered over-hearing those boys talking during prom, and began to smile as he walked noisily around the bend.

"They're going to bring more wood in the morning. They admitted they skimped a bit, but were willing to make good. I guess those wood bugs are still a problem," he called out.

Not knowing if Mitch had heard any of their conversation, Tory felt it best to change the subject. When Mitch sat next to Tory, she took his hand in hers.

"Okay," she began, "since we're all kind of relaxed around the fire. I've got something I want to talk with you two about." She made sure her sons were looking at her before she continued. "I think it's time we talked about what happened to me a couple months back with my surgery."

"Mom, is everything okay?" Trent asked.

"Medically, everything is fine now. I've just realized over the past couple of months how grown-up my babies have gotten. Once I got over my insecurities about everything, I realized that this was something you need to know. I just needed to find the right time to bring it up." Tory proceeded to talk with her sons about her surgery. There was an open discussion about the procedure and her feelings, and her boys' feelings. Periodically, when Mitch could tell Tory was a bit hesitant to answer, he would gently squeeze her hand as a quiet reminder of his support.

Soon their conversation shifted to the present and Tory quizzed Jayson on what he wanted to do during his leave besides the camping. After they had talked over some vague plans, Tory began to yawn.

"All this fresh air has done me in!"

"We just got out here, Mom!" Trent exclaimed.

"Maybe, you're getting too old for this!" Jayson taunted, smiling at his mother.

Tory tossed a couple of pieces of kindling at Jayson as she stood up and headed for the tent. "Good night, boys!"

"See you in the morning," Mitch added, as he also headed toward the tent. "Don't forget to put out the fire properly."

"We won't; we're good Eagle Scouts!" the brothers replied in unison.

After they were settled into the double sleeping bag, Mitch pulled Tory close to him. "Are you really okay with my being here, Tory?"

"Sure, why not?"

"I heard a little of the conversation with your boys; you seemed unsure."

"That's not that, really. I'm just not used to being attached and having someone else involved with us ... I'm just not sure what to do or expect."

"I really like being around you and your family, you know."

"I like having you around, but it seems like I had two separate worlds — one with you and the other with my boys — and now they are merging more and more; I'm not used to it. It's been just the three of us for so long. I just want to make sure they're okay with it, too."

"How long have you been divorced?"

"Going on twelve years." Mitch could hear Tory's voice drift off to memories unspoken.

"It sounds like I need to change the subject to happier things ... Jayson didn't really seem to have a lot he wanted to do during his leave — hang out with friends and visit a few favorite restaurants; spending time with his dad is a given. Did you have anything you wanted to do?"

"Trent leaves for summer camp in a few weeks. I was hoping to repaint my office upstairs before he leaves. I can then put his stuff in the office and repaint his room while he's gone."

"Sounds like fun," Mitch replied sarcastically.

"Oh, Mitch, I didn't mean you had to do it! Or that we had to do it this week."

"Nonsense," Mitch quickly replied and pulled Tory closer to his body. "It'll be fun being domestic! And, besides, it'll keep me busy enough that I won't be thinking of ravishing your body all day!" Mitch playfully growled in Tory's neck.

The next morning, while Trent and Jayson made breakfast, Tory was grumbling around the campsite.

"What's up, baby?"

"The one thing I don't like about camping is the lack of shower facilities..."

"There's a lake over there; want some help?" Mitch raised his eyebrows in a mischievous fashion.

"I didn't bring a suit."

"Even better!"

Tory playfully slapped his arm as she continued. "If I could, at least, wash my hair; it's a mess!"

"Would that make you feel better?"

"Yes," she answered definitively.

Mitch silently rose from the table and looked around. Tory watched as he entered their tent and then came back out a few moments later. He then went over to the boys and filled a medium pot with a mixture of water that was heating up and regular water from the cooler.

"Okay, Grumpy!" he began when he returned to Tory. "My dad used to do this all the time for my mom; granted it was at a lake on a dock, but this will do. Lay on the table with your head over the edge."

"What are you going to do?"

"Trust me, baby. Get on the table."

"Should I be on my front or back?"

"Lay on your back ... that's right ... just scoot a bit more so that your head's over the edge. Great!" Mitch proceeded to pour some water over Tory's hair. He then produced a small travel-sized bottle of shampoo and gently washed her hair. When he finished rinsing out the shampoo, he smiled triumphantly.

"No towel?" Tory asked impishly as she got off the table.

"Sorry, baby. Mom used to let her hair air-dry."

"I guess it's a good thing I have short hair, then," Tory replied as she began to shake the extra water off her head and onto Mitch's shirt. That began a little game of running around the table, to which Tory's boys put a stop.

"All right, children!" Jayson scolded.

"Settle down. Time to get ready to eat," added Trent, clapping to get the adults' attention. Playfully pouting, Tory trudged off to get her comb to fix her damp hair.

Breakfast was a time of good-natured ribbing. All seemed to be getting along well. After breakfast was cleaned up, they all went for a hike along one of the trails. As Jayson and Trent were more familiar with this campground and its trails, they would occasionally point out sights of interest to Mitch and Tory.

During their hike, Mitch stopped himself a couple of times from taking Tory's hand. It's not that he didn't want to, but he didn't want her to be too uncomfortable around her sons. When they got back to the campsite, Mitch and Tory made lunch and then they hung around the site; Jayson and Trent decided to do more exploring.

While Trent and Jayson were individuals and polar opposites regarding some things, they were complements to each other regarding other things. One such complement was photography. Both boys enjoyed the hobby. But, Jayson far surpassed his brother with his eye. He could easily size up an object or scene and produce a beautiful picture. Trent, however, took okay pictures, but could put together a presentation that would impress the most critical of viewers. It didn't surprise Tory when both boys took their cameras along for their exploration. She was looking forward to seeing Jayson's pictures in Trent's eventual presentation.

In Trent and Jayson's absence, Tory and Mitch went about preparing the food for dinner. As if they were in a kitchen, there was the occasional towel snap, and hip bump, and overall playful touching they both enjoyed when they were alone. Most of this stopped when Tory heard her sons coming back along the path.

After dinner, Jayson recommended going for a sunset hike; he knew just the spot where he wanted to capture some shots. As everyone was eager, they set out along the trail. Jayson stopped at one spot just as the sun was beginning to set, making note of the colors dancing along the horizon. But, after taking a couple of shots, he took Trent and walked further down the path and around a bend. Tory and Mitch, however, stayed behind admiring the view.

At this portion of the path, because there was a steep incline close to the trail, the Rangers had erected a wooden rail for safety. Tory stood along the rail, mesmerized by the colors painting the sky. Mitch came up behind her and enveloped her in his embrace. It was getting a little chilly, but both were warmed by the other. Tory leaned back into Mitch's chest, still hypnotized by the night sky.

When the colors were at their peak, Tory slowly turned in Mitch's arms and looked into his eyes. When he looked down, he slowly lowered his head until his lips met hers. Their kiss was not as much sexually passionate as it was emotionally intimate. Their tongues did not start dueling, nor did their hips start grinding. They just slowly kissed and enjoyed the magic of the moment.

The couple ended their kiss just as gently as it began. As if moving in reverse, Tory turned in Mitch's arms to continue watching the sun set. She kept her head resting on his chest as they watched the last sliver of sun slide below the horizon. As darkness began to slowly envelop them, Tory heard her boys so she called to them that they were going to start walking back to the campsite. Tory kept her hand in Mitch's as they led the way.

Sunday morning was similar in that Jayson and Trent were making breakfast when Tory and Mitch exited their tent. Mitch gathered some warm and cool water in a pot while Tory headed for the table. Without speaking a word, the young men watched as their mother, again, had her hair washed.

After breakfast, the campsite was a bustle of activity. Jayson and Trent washed the dishes while Tory and Mitch packed their gear and took down their tent. Once that was done, Jayson and Trent took care of their gear and tent while Tory and Mitch finished cleaning up the cook area and packed the van. By mid-morning, Mitch had the van pointed toward home.

Everyone was mellow when they got to the house. The guys finished unpacking the van while Tory got the clothes together for a wash. After that, the boys were holed up in Trent's room downloading and organizing the pictures they took. After lunch, they announced that they were going to run some errands and have dinner at their father's. While finishing up the laundry, Tory helped Mitch prepare her office for painting. Then, Mitch grilled steaks for dinner and the couple had a relaxing evening at home. The boys called and said they would be late, so Tory led Mitch to her room where they made love.