Secrets From The Med

Chapter 12

Tabitha sat on the sofa in the lounge and looked down at the two unopened envelopes that had been given to her during mail call that morning. One was from her dad and the other was from Brad. She was sure that Brad had censured her for something in his letter, like the fact that she hadn't written or called home in quite awhile. With that thought in mind, she decided to open her dad's letter first.

Dear Tabby,

Hi sweetheart, I hope everything is going well with you. Brad and Kevin both came home for a visit last weekend. It was great having them here but there was one major thing missing and that was you. I find myself thinking about you every second of every day and wondering what is going on in your life.

Tabby, I'm sure you've grown tired of hearing this, but I'm going to say it again anyway. I'm sorry I was in such a fog those months after we lost your mother and Penny. I should have been paying more attention to you instead of walking around in a daze. Please, Tabby, I ask you again to forgive me. Please let me hear from you.

Love,

Dad

Tabitha choked back tears as she folded the letter and put it back in its envelope. It was chow time and the lounge was full; she didn't want to do anything to draw attention to herself. Maybe she would answer her dad's letter. She'd been told she could get a calling card when the ship went to France and she wouldn't have to call collect. Maybe she would even call home then. Maybe. She tried to ignore the talking and giggling from the women around her as she opened her brother's letter.

Tabitha,

Kevin and I went home to visit Dad last weekend. He says it's been a long time since he's heard from you. I'm still kind of ticked at you for not letting him visit you in Norfolk. What harm could that have done? I know losing Mom was especially hard on you and on top of that you lost your best friend, but shutting the rest of us out won't bring them back. Please, Tabitha, at least write to Dad and let him know how you're doing.

I thought you'd be interested to know that Melinda and I have started seeing each other. I'm talking about Melinda as in Penny's cousin who came to the house to tell us about the accident. She's majoring in social work here at UK and we ran into each other. In other news, I'll have my bachelor's degree at the end of this month and I start law school in the fall. In about three years you'll be calling me Brad Sherfey, Attorney at Law (if you ever speak to me again, that is).

Please, Tabitha, contact Dad. He's really hurting.

Brad

Tabitha reread the letter and placed it back in the envelope. She'd been right; Brad had started his letter off by jumping on her for having not called or written home in a long time. So her dad was hurting? She'd been hurting all those months after her mother and Penny had died and her dad had been completely oblivious to it. Couldn't she be oblivious to his pain now? She was a little surprised that Brad and Melinda were seeing each other. Then again, the tall strawberry blond former high school dance team captain was exactly the type of girl her oldest brother usually went for.

Tabitha pushed thoughts of her dad and brothers away from the forefront of her mind. Right now she had more immediate problems to worry about. The ship had pulled into Naples yesterday and today would be the first duty day with Marple, Garwood, and Fletcher in charge. That meant that when the division knocked off at 1600, she and the other duty section members would have to stay on the ship and remain on duty. She replayed Reid's warning in her mind about Garwood and Fletcher saying they were going "get" her, O'Connor, and Thornton. Somehow it seemed more real and more serious coming from Reid than it had coming from Babbling Barnett. Those two third class petty officers were going to make their lives miserable during this cruise, she was sure of it. Just how far would they go?