Under the Mistletoe

"I...I don't think so, Layton. But I really am flattered you asked. I'm just not ready to date...or even have coffee with...anyone just yet."

"I can't say I'm not disappointed, but I do understand," he replied sympathetically.

"Thank you. I think you're a really nice guy who's also...rather handsome. But even if I was ready, you're awfully..."

She stopped then said, "I'm just not sure that would be such a good idea."

"I understand that concern, too, but I'm confident enough to say that were you to give me the opportunity to get to know you, you'd find the very small difference in age between us no big deal."

Kodi was very tired, but still laughed politely.

"Either you're much older than you look, or you have no idea what age I am," she told him.

"Oh, my. Let's see here. I'm...28, and you're probably about..."

"Twenty-eight? Oh, my goodness!" she said, a look of 'I can't believe this' on her face.

He made a show of clearing his throat then said, "Okay, as I was saying before I was so...rudely interrupted."

Kodi laughed again and let him finish.

"I'm guessing you to be in your early 30s although it's possible..."

For the first time, Kodi let out a fairly loud, genuine laugh.

"Oh. You're good. I have to give you that," she said as she closed the door and rolled the window down.

"So...mid-30s then?" he asked with a shrug of the shoulders, honestly believing she couldn't possibly be more than 35 although his first guess was 31 or 32.

"Goodnight, Layton," she said as she turned the car on.

"I take it that's a 'no'," he said, his eyebrows raised high indicating either hope or surrender.

"Enjoy the rest of your time at home," she said before putting the car in gear and driving off.

"Drive safe!" he called out as the Beamer drove away.

"Nice work, Mav," he told himself, referring to the Tom Cruise character in the movie Top Gun, whose aviator call sign was Maverick.

Layton turned around and said to no one, " The show is over, ladies and gentlemen. Maverick has crashed and burned!"

When he opened the door, his mom was waiting for him.

"I couldn't help but notice you walked Mrs. Ellis outside," she said. "She's such a nice lady."

"Yeah. She really is," her son replied.

"You weren't by any chance, you know, thinking about..."

"Oh. No. Of...of course not, Mom. I just wanted to make sure she was okay."

"Oh, I see," his mother said with a twinkle in her eye. "That was probably wise. There are a lot of muggings around here, you know."

The way she smiled at him told Layton she knew, and he was grateful she let it go.

Christmas came and went, and Layton soon found himself packing up to leave. His father was waiting for him downstairs, and when he asked his son to sit down, Layton knew 'the talk' was coming.

"So I was just wondering if you're planning on staying in the service for a career," his dad began this version of the pitch with.

"I don't know yet, Dad. Maybe."

"Well, it's an honorable profession. It doesn't pay all that well, but as a single guy, I'm sure you do all right."

Layton did get paid well, but it was nothing like the money he could make were he to swallow his pride and come home and work for his father. But he didn't need more money. In fact, he didn't really need anything in life, except for the one thing that had been nagging at him for some time now.

That something was, of course, a woman with whom he could share his life and not just his bed. He knew the feeling would pass, but just the one, brief kiss he'd shared with Kodi had really done a number on him, and he hadn't been able to get her off his mind from that moment on. He also knew he was leaving the following morning, and that meant the odds of even seeing her again were slim. Having a relationship now seemed impossible.

When his son didn't respond, his father tried a more direct approach.

"Listen, I'm just gonna come right out and say this, son. I don't want my company ever going to anyone other than you and your sister. I know. I know. If I kick the bucket, it goes to your mother, but she has no interest in numbers. That means it would fall to you and Cassie, and well, if you're not interested in running it..."

"Dad. Stop already," Layton told him. "You're not even 60 years old. You're gonna be around another 30 years or so, and probably running the business until you're 80. So stop all the negative talk, okay?"

"Layton? It isn't negative talk," his father said so seriously it caused him to be silent and sit up a little straighter.

"Your mother is the only other person who knows this...well, other than my doctor."

"Dad, you're scaring the hell out of me. What's going on?" Layton said, the genuine concern written all over his face.

His father sighed then said, "I've been diagnosed with early-onset dementia."

He watched his son's face as he continued.

"It's still manageable with medication, but that's not a cure. It's just prolonging the inevitable. I can still function quite well, but I've been aware for a year or so something was wrong."

Layton was so stunned he couldn't speak.

"I was having a hard time finding the right words, you know, and it was frustrating as all get out. And I'd struggle to get things finished. Sometimes I'd sit at my desk and just stare at the wall when I had a full in-box to get to. And what really got to me was when I couldn't follow the storyline of a movie your mother and I were watching. She teased me when I asked her what was going on, but when she realized I was serious, she got worried. Long story short, she forced me to go see Doctor Monroe, and after a series of tests, well...that was it."

"Geez, Dad. Are you really okay?" Layton finally asked.

"As okay as I can be. The medication really made a huge impact. At first, anyway. But as I said, it only slows the process."

"Does Cassie know?"

"Not yet. I wanted to tell you one at a time, and I didn't want to ruin your time at home, so I apologize for waiting until you're getting ready to leave, but..."

"Dad. It's fine," his son said.

Layton was on the verge of tearing up as he stood to move over and sit next to his dad. Neither man spoke for a few seconds then Layton put his arm around his father.

"Now don't go getting all emotional on me," his father told him.

Layton didn't cry, but he didn't let go, either.

For the first time in many years Layton Russell told his father he loved him. His dad didn't say anything back, and that was just fine. But the reason he didn't was because he was the one tearing up and unable to speak.

Layton noticed but didn't mention it. He just pulled his dad a little closer then said, "If you really want me to come home, I'll do that."

Layton didn't look as his dad used his shirtsleeve to dab his eyes.

"I hate like hell telling you this, Layton, but I didn't want you hearing it from your mother or your sister somewhere down the road when I can't run the business anymore."

Layton had never seen his father cry before. Not even when his mother passed away when Layton was 16. But that changed when Edward Layton bowed his head and began to sob.

It didn't last long, and when it finished, his father said, without looking at him, "That's one of the worst things about this damn...thing. I...get emotional like a damned woman, and I hate it."

Choking back tears of his own Layton said, "It's okay, Dad. No one else is here, and no one will ever know."

His father drew a deep breath then said, "Yes, they will. Not about this one incident, but everyone will know at some point, and although they can't really tell me how fast this will happen, I think I'll be really lucky if I can hang on another year."

He finally looked over at his son and said, "This business is about details, Layton. You know that. And it's details that mean the difference between success and going out of business. And that's the main reason I couldn't let that Ellis character go."

It took Layton a second to recall that was Kodi's last name, but when it came to him he understood.

"I have to give a minimum of four months notice, Dad. But I have quite a bit of leave time built up, so I could possibly be back home as early as mid-March or maybe early April."

"That'd be great, son. But I have to ask you if this is something you want to do, because you can't take over if you're doing it for me. You're my son and I love you, but I wouldn't even let you take the reins unless you want this in the worst way."

Layton turned toward his father and finally said what he'd kept inside for many years.

"Dad? The main reason I left home was because I didn't want to work in your shadow. I didn't want people thinking I was there just because I was your son. I needed to prove to myself I could make it on my own."

He smiled a wry smile then said, "I just had no idea I'd end up working with money for the US Marine Corps, of all things."

His dad laughed and said, "I gotta tell you, the irony of that was not lost on me when you told me your MSO."

"M-O-S, Dad," Layton told him with a smile before realizing that might be yet another detail he couldn't remember.

"Nah. That's not the Alzheimer's, son. I just couldn't remember. The military has so many damned acronyms, it's worse than being a CPA, for heaven's sake."

Layton finally relaxed a little and laughed when his father did.

"Dad?" he said before they got up. "If I do this. If I leave the Marine Corps to come home, I'll give my heart and soul to the firm. And it won't be some kind of gesture of...sympathy. Okay?"

The two men stood up then hugged one another without another word being said other than his father saying, "Now comes the hard talk."

"Cassie?" Layton asked.

His father shook his head and said, "When you hear the crying, you'll know we're having the talk."

Fifteen minutes later, Layton, who was sitting with his mother to reinforce her, heard the screams coming from the den.

When his mom flinched, he squeezed her hand and tried to lighten the mood a little.

"Cassie's such a drama queen."

The comment was so unexpected, it actually made his mother laugh.

"You two are very different," she told her son.

"Yes, but she's my sister and I'd do anything for her."

"I know, honey," his mom replied. "And if you do come home, that'll be the best Christmas present anyone could ever give me."

"It might end up being an April Fool's Day joke, but...okay," he told her with a smile.

Two days later, Captain Layton Russell was back at Camp Pendleton, California, hard at work pushing papers around and crunching numbers on spreadsheets when he went in to ask his boss for a moment of his time.

"Jesus. Tough break, Layton," the lieutenant colonel told him. "But as hard as that is to swallow, the truth of the matter is, our career field is pretty brutal. Just making major is hard as hell, and anything after that requires all the stars to align."

He laughed then said, "And you can forget about every wearing stars. Or...eagles for that matter."

Layton knew all that, but just making major was another 4-5 years away, and he'd never really given it much thought. However, were he to be passed over for promotion twice, he'd be forced out and sent home with no retirement.

So as much as he hated to admit it, the colonel was making a valid point. Layton's record was good, but it wasn't perfect, and it really would be a crap shoot when it came to getting promoted.

"So if your decision is firm, we'll get the entry run and that's all there is to it."

"So there's no actual request to retire?" Layton asked.

"Well, sure. But it all goes on the unit diary. Admin will run an entry that says 'officer requests retirement' with your requested date, and that triggers everything."

"Seems almost trite, sir," Layton told him.

The colonel laughed and said, "True. But just wait until the day you leave active duty. You'll pick up some papers, shake a few hands, then drive off the base for the last time, and that's it. No parade, no ceremony, no...nothing."

The colonel smiled then said, "Well, we will have a farewell for you, but other than that..."

They shook hands and Layton's boss said, "I hate to see you go, but this way, you'll be home for your sister's wedding, so I suppose that's a small positive."

Cassie had called him and let him know she and Richard had set a date. They'd be getting married on the 15th of April, and that was roughly ten days after he'd get home.

It was actually the 4th of April when Layton picked up those papers and shook a few hands. He then0 drove out of the main gate for the last time and headed north on I-5. And just like that, he was a civilian. Well, technically he was still on active duty for another couple of months, but he no longer had to wear a uniform or get his hair cut every single week the way he had for the last five-plus years. But he'd still 'PT' which was Marine speak for staying in shape, and he'd always be a Marine.

It was 1,315 miles from Camp Pendleton to his parents' house, and a 20-hour drive under normal conditions. He stopped in Portland to avoid arriving in the middle of the night or early in the morning too tired to stay up. It was a nice break, and he'd always liked the city, so spending a night there made since, especially since the costs would be covered on his final travel voucher.

It was a little after noon when Layton pulled into his parents' driveway. He didn't go inside right away, but sat there looking at the house where he grew up for a couple of minutes. As he did he thought about the last five years of his life, and a part of him felt like he'd given up and gone nowhere; like he'd...surrendered. He was well aware this wasn't 'surrendering', but after all he'd done to establish his independence, a part of him couldn't help but feel that way.

But the truth was he wasn't giving up. He was doing the right thing for the right reason, and after those couple of minutes of self-pity, he got out of the car, rolled his shoulders back, and went inside.

There was no surprise party or welcome home banner, but his mother was there to hug him and tell him how happy she was, and for now at least, that was more than enough.

His first week with the firm was brutal. That was due to the learning curve being unbelievably steep, and that curve included more than just crunching numbers, something he wasn't as good at as he'd always assumed. Taking that many years off from something so technical demanded a price, and Layton Russell was paying it in a big way.

But there was more. He was going to be taking over for his father, and that meant learning all of the administrative things that went with it on top of the technical aspects of the job.

He spent 14 hours a day there every day until the day of his sister's wedding, and 'only' put in ten so he could take afford to take then entire next day off which was a Sunday. For the time being, the day of the week didn't matter to him until he at least had a handle on 'up from down', and he was nowhere near that yet.

The wedding was being held early in the day so they could have the reception dinner that evening and let everyone get back to work on Monday. Essential personnel had to be in by 8am, while everyone else had the morning off.

"Thank God for little favors," Layton thought to himself as he finished putting on his tux.

"Oh, my! You look so handsome!" his mother said when he came downstairs.

"Mom? What are you doing here? Why aren't you at the church with Cassie?"

"Your father is having a rough morning," she said quietly. "I called your sister and she insisted I stay here with him. Just don't say anything to him about it, okay?"

Layton had seen glimpses of the slow process that was claiming his father's mind, but so far, nothing had been so serious as to give him any real cause for concern. He also knew the medication his dad was taking was only keeping 'the beast at bay'. At some point it would lose its effectiveness, and things would begin deteriorating more rapidly. No one knew how long he'd be able to live a reasonably full and productive life, but it wasn't measured in decades but rather years, and according to what he'd learned from his mother, the number of good years could probably be counted on one hand.

His thoughts were interrupted when his father hollered for his wife.

"Kathryn? There's something wrong with this goddamned...tie!"

She looked at her son, smiled politely then said very quietly, "It's not the tie," before yelling back, "be right there, honey!"

As Layton watched his sister marry the man she loved, he stood there wondering when he might find someone he could love like that and know she loved him just as much. He'd thought about Kodi Ellis many times since the Christmas Party, but he'd returned to his old ways when he got back to California. It wasn't a surprise, because he had no real idea how to break the cycle of hooking up and saying goodbye, and when people didn't know what to do they often did what they knew. And Layton knew how to do the 'one-night stand thing' quite well. But it left him even more empty than it had in the past, and he promised himself he'd not only master the new job but break the cycle. He had no idea how he'd do that, but he vowed that he would.

He'd been drifting, and it was the sound of 'you may now kiss the bride' that brought him back to reality. He applauded with everyone else when Richard kissed his sister, and that's when he looked up and scanned the chapel. To his great chagrin, Kodi wasn't there even though there was no reason Cassie would invite her. Still, he was mildly disappointed until he was able to hug his sister and tell her how happy he was for her.

"Thank you, Layton! You're only the best brother a little sister could ever have!" she told him.

"Yeah, yeah. That's just the post-wedding-vow adrenaline rush talking. You'll remember what a pain in the...neck...I am soon enough," he told her, a bright smile on his face.

"Okay, I won't argue with you," she said sweetly. "But it would make me very happy if you'd try and find someone. Not pressuring you. Just sayin', okay?"

"Who knows, right?" her brother said before moving away so others could congratulate her.

Edward had rented out a huge hall for the reception, and everything was first class. Even Layton noticed and told his mother the same.

"You don't want to know how much this wedding cost," she said with a smile. "But then your daughter only gets married once, right?"

His mom laughed then said, "Or so we hope anyway."

Layton laughed as she excused herself to mingle, and he decided to have a drink. The last time he'd had one was at the Christmas party. And just as he'd done then, he reached for a glass of champagne when a female voice spoke his name.

"Layton. Hi," he heard.

He picked up the glass and turned around, and there she was.

"Oh, my goodness. Kodi. Hi," he said with a smile so big she smiled back.

"I can't believe you remembered me," she told him with a smile.

"Are you serious?" Layton replied. "I not only didn't forget you, I thought about you many times."

She smiled but looked away as she said, "I heard you're back home now. For good."

"Right. Yes, I am."

"I...I heard about your father, too. That was very brave of him to let everyone know," she told him.

"It was. But I can't help but think it was Dad's way of letting people know it was either him staying there as things get worse, or putting up with the new guy who's even worse."

"I like self-deprecating humor," Kodi told him. "If you can't laugh at yourself, you're taking yourself too seriously, right?"

Layton tilted his head, furrowed his brow, then said, "Hmmm. I've said something like that for many years now."

"Oh?"

"Uh-huh. I'm fond of saying, 'Take your job, but not yourself, seriously'."