The week passes in a blur between Natalie and I visiting the dollar store to pick up flowers (so I can begin what Temple’s doing with his daughter), searching the North Charleston area for a Senior Center for us, and Natalie forcing me to start a few puzzles, word searches, and crosswords. My legs are strong, but my dear daughter still wants me to walk with my cane. I’m growing older daily, but I want to reach ninety-seven. It’s strange—I’ve never feared death, but knowing now that I don’t have a decade left is beginning to get to me. I try not to think too hard about it, but it isn’t easy when coming up on ninety-two.
I wake in my room to Natalie knocking on my door. “Get up, Daddy,” she calls, “or you’ll be late for your shift!”
I don’t answer initially, but I groan and rub my eyes.
“Daddy?” Natalie repeats, concern in her voice now.
Oh, snap!
“I’m alive, Natalie,” I say. “Just give me a few minutes.”
She sighs on the other side of the door. “Teddy’s waiting out here for you. We have something to give you.”
Something to give me? What’s she talking about? Ted’s gone, and I don’t want anything besides him and Teddy. Well, there’s only one way to find out.
I climb out of bed and change into my Patriots Point uniform, setting my cap on my head and looking at myself in the mirror. Do I spot another wrinkle there? I don’t know what it is, but something feels different today.
Don’t let it bother you, Bill. Just get this shift over with.
I open my room’s door and see Natalie and Teddy in the hallway, Sophie between Natalie’s legs, Teddy beside her.
Natalie grins and offers me a medium-sized chocolate cake with frosting that reads: Happy Birthday, Daddy! “Happy birthday, Daddy!” she says, and Teddy howls.
Hold on, today’s my birthday? Don’t tell me I’m already ninety-two!
“Huh? Today’s my birthday?” I question, glancing at the cake.
Natalie nods. “It sure is, and I have something special for us after your shift today.” She reaches into her pocket and drags out two pieces of paper. “Two tickets for a Charleston Harbor Tour! Fort Sumter’s next week.”
“Natalie,” I say, accepting the cake, “thank you.”
She closes her eyes. “Ninety-two is a big birthday. No way are we going to waste it. Besides, this is only the beginning of the big surprise.”
“The big surprise?” I cock my head and lift my eyebrow.
“Yep,” Natalie coos, “but we’ll cross that bridge when we reach it. For now”—she lifts her hand over her head—“we have an aircraft carrier to get to!”
Wow, it’s been forever since I’ve seen her this excited. “Does the big surprise have to do with Temple and Tallulah?” I blurt unexpectedly before shutting my mouth and zipping my lips.
Natalie winks. “Like I said, we’ll cross that bridge when we reach it.”
I’m exceptionally curious now, but I must respect Natalie’s wishes.
I’m quiet on the way to Patriots Point because I’m still trying to understand how I’m suddenly ninety-two. It seems that Ted and I were eighteen and enlisting in the Navy just yesterday.
Stepping into the Volunteer Lounge when Natalie drops me off feels odd, too, for two reasons. One, Temple isn’t where he usually sits (the office is empty), and two, I thought Tallulah was supposed to begin volunteering today.
Am I early? I check the check. No, I’m right on time.
I know I shouldn’t do this, but I approach Temple’s desk, and my eyes land on the picture of his daughter surrounded by a bouquet. She has wavy brown hair and golden-brown eyes, and her smile is enough to melt the Wicked Witch. She looks no more than seventeen or eighteen in the photo.
I scoop up the picture and draw it close to my face. Looking at Temple’s daughter up close, I see she shares his eyes, nose, and ears, and I chuckle at the resemblance—in a good way.
A few minutes later, the lounge’s hatch opens. “Bill?” Temple asks.
“Oh, God!” I yell, quickly setting the photo down. I rearrange the flowers and add, “I’m so sorry, Temple. I’m so sorry. Go ahead; you can fire me.”
“What are you talking about?” Temple holds up his hands. “You’ve done nothing wrong. You were only curious.” He approaches me and picks up the photo, too. “This is my daughter’s senior photo, taken seven months before she died. It’s my favorite picture because she looks like she doesn’t have a care in the world; she’s only living like any eighteen-year-old would.” He sets it down. “Speaking of which—you and your friend joined the Navy when you were eighteen, right?”
I believe I know where he’s going with this, but I play along and sit at the round table. “We were.”
“And a little birdie told me today that someone has a birthday?” Temple questions.
As expected. “Yes, sir,” I say, “but I don’t want to get reminded that I’m one year closer to death.”
“Everyone fears death, but like the Incident, you must learn to channel it and live your best life. Anyway”—Temple claps—“Happy Birthday, Bill!” He reaches behind his desk and draws a small gift covered in polka dot wrapping paper. “I’ve got something for you.” He gives me a wry smile and offers me the gift.
“A gift?” I shake my head. “No, Temple, I can’t accept this. We’ve only known each other a few weeks.”
“Shut up, and take it,” Temple friendlily orders. “Your daughter, Tallulah, and I tracked it down together.”
Is this the big surprise Natalie mentioned? Regardless, I still feel like Temple and I barely know each other for Temple to give me a gift, even with Natalie and Tallulah’s help.
“Come on, I don’t have all day.” Temple bounces on his heels, and excitement flashes across his face.
“Okay, fine!” I accept the gift and examine it. Looking at its size and shape and feeling how light it is, it’s obviously a movie. What movie, though? I didn’t ask for any films this year. Hell, I even forgot that today is my birthday. “You still didn’t have to do this,” I mumble, tearing the wrapping paper. At once, my eyes light up. “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo!” Oops, I think I got a little excited there.
Temple giggles and scrunches the wrapping paper, tossing it into the trash can beside the kitchen sink. “Yep. Natalie told us how much you enjoy that movie, and looking at your notes last week, I can tell she’s not lying, even though you first struggled with the Doolittle Raid.”
“Thank you, Temple.” I hug the movie to my chest and feel it easing under it.
“Don’t thank just me.” Temple places his palms on the table. “Thank your daughter and Tallulah, too. Tallulah should be here in a few minutes. I will assign you to the Plane Recognition Cart today for more practice, and I was wondering if you’d be willing to teach her.”
Can I teach Tallulah about Plane Recognition? Considering how I reacted last time with the cart, I’m unsure if I can. However, I know this is another of Temple’s toying methods.
“Um…” I say, but Temple again claps:
“It’s settled, then! I’ll help you and Tallulah get the cart out, and we’ll set it up between the Avenger and Corsair.”
“The Corsair?” I squeak. Beads of sweat drip down my brow. Am I getting sick?
Temple shrugs. “Why not? You’ll be close to the Carrier Aviation Memorial and your friend. Besides, I believe that Corsair is lonely nowadays. She hasn’t had a Corsair flier friend in years.”
“You’re toying with me again, aren’t you?” I guess, lowering the movie and placing it on my bouquet for Ted’s memorial.
Temple’s wry smile returns. “Maybe—to get you ready for the big surprise.”
Oh, well, that confirms it. Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo isn’t the “big” surprise. This is killing me.
The lounge’s hatch opens again, and Tallulah enters, sporting khaki pants and a Patriots Point Volunteer shirt herself.
“I’m here, I’m here!” she says, touching her chest. “I can’t believe I’m really here volunteering!” She waves at Temple and me. “Hey, Temple and Bill! Oh!” Her eyes land on the movie. “You got the movie, Bill! Great!”
I remain quiet, but then Temple gestures, Go on, with his hand, and I release my breath. I stand and face Tallulah, who slips her hands behind her. “Yes, thank you, Tallulah.”
“Natalie invited me for a movie night tonight to watch it,” Tallulah includes, tapping her fingertips together. “Is that okay, Bill?”
Tallulah at Natalie and I’s house for a movie night? When was she going to tell me this?
Don’t be a bad dad, Bill.
“Yes, that’s fine,” I finally say. “And welcome, Tallulah, to the Patriots Point team. I guess I’m supposed to teach you about Plane Recognition today.”
“I’m excited!” Tallulah quips. “I’ve always wanted to learn about warplanes. My dad was a pilot, too, but I’ve never heard the full story.” There’s a pause in her sunny tone, but Tallulah smiles again. “Please, may you teach me, Bill?”
I sigh and glance from her to Temple and back to her. “I’ll try.”
Tallulah and I follow close on Temple’s heels to the empty Hangar Bay. A cool morning breeze passes through the doors lining the ship’s outer rim and blasts Tallulah’s hair. It feels great, but I know it’ll turn hot later today.
Tallulah grins the entire way down the Hangar Bay and points at the airplanes. Regardless, her smile fades once we pass the Corsair and stop beside the Carrier Aviation Memorial.
“Just a second, Tallulah and Temple,” I say, tightening my grip on my flowers. “I need to do something.”
Temple nods and clutches Tallulah’s shoulder. “Take your time, Bill.” They sit on a bench before the Avenger beside the Corsair and wait patiently.
I stop before Ted’s name on the memorial and dig my soles into the steel plates under me. I remove last week’s flowers (it looks like nobody touched them) and replace them with this week’s bouquet—a mix of yellow, red, and orange flowers, Ted’s favorite colors. I adjust them for a few minutes to ensure they look all right and then remove my hands.
“Hey, Roosevelt,” I say, backing away from the memorial. “I’m still here, and I still don’t know why. I wish you were here today; it’s my ninety-second birthday, and I can’t believe it.” A sudden tear drips down my cheek. “I’ll try to make it to ninety-seven for you. After all, you said you wanted to live until ninety-seven.” I place my palm on Ted’s name. “I love you, Theodore Eldon, and always will.”
Rubbing my nose, I turn and return to Temple and Tallulah, seeing that Temple hugs Tallulah close. Is she crying, too? But why?
Tallulah flicks a tear from her eye and releases herself from Temple. “I’m sure Ted would be very proud of you if he were here, Bill. Temple and Natalie tell me you’ve made incredible progress since a few weeks ago.” She stands, and her smile returns. “But we’re not here to boo-hoo all day. We’re here to learn.” She puts her hands together. “And I really want to learn.”
“Bill will be a great mentor,” Temple says, walking forward again toward the Smoky Stover Theater at the end of Hangar Bay 1. “With just a little more time, I’m sure he’ll be ready for the big surprise.”
There he went again—secretive and toying, Natalie and Tallulah caught in his web, but it has not yet seen me.
I stay behind Temple and Tallulah for the rest of the way down the Hangar Bay. Peering outside at the Charleston Harbor, I ask myself, “Just what is this ‘big’ surprise?” and continue my trek.
Will I live long enough to learn the answer?
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