Open Case File [COMPLETED]

Meeting The Family

As they entered the living room a man in his fifties rose from the couch. His gray hair was military short, his face hard with earned lines and though he wore a button-down shirt and slacks it was all with the air of a uniform.

A door at the end of the room swung open and Donovan's mother stepped out. She was in every aspect a contrast to her husband. A soft face with caring blue eyes sat atop of rounded figure. Before Donovan could say anything, his mother rushed forward and hugged him.

"My boy is home," she said.

Donovan had to bend down to hug her and even then still managed to look like a little kid for a brief second. When he shook his father's hand, that boy was tucked away.

"Donovan," his father said.

"Sir."

Donovan stepped back and gestured Carter forward, placing a hand on her lower back. The feel of it was a comfort as her nerves had doubled.

"Mom, dad. I want you to meet my girlfriend, Carter Owens."

Eleanor closed the distance first, taking Carter's hand and resting her other on top.

"It is such a pleasure to meet you," she said.

"The pleasure is mine," Carter said.

Up close she could see that past the caring blue eyes was a keen intelligence underneath. An intelligence that Donovan had inherited and one that Carter felt could pick her apart layer by layer until it saw the core of who she was. But Eleanor's smile was welcoming and Carter let herself relax. When she shook Ted's hand, it was callused and as strong as a rod of iron.

"I'm happy you're here," he said.

"As am I."

Ted offered up a smile. It was a look that didn't come quickly and Carter could see that this gesture was rare for him, as if smiles were only meant for easing the spirits of a dying man.

"Ted," Eleanor said. "Why don't you and Donovan catch up and I'll show Carter around."

Beyond the swinging door was a dining room and off that was a kitchen, the smell of cooking food doubling.

"I'm not great in the kitchen," Carter said. "But I would be happy to set the table or do dishes."

The offer had been a suggestion of Maggie's when Carter had confided her lack of culinary skills and that she would have nothing to give. Eleanor's smile widened in appreciation but she shook her head.

"You're our guest, you don't have to do anything. Come, I'll show you Donovan's room."

They cut across the hallway into one of the bedrooms. Sunlight illuminated the two different single beds pushed to opposite sides, a desk that sat in the middle and odd assortment of posters and framed photos.

Without having to be told, Carter knew which side was Donovan's. Though both beds held the same military neat corners, the one on the left had a more rigid tidiness to it. The items on the bedside table were all set into straight lines and even the old pair of shoes beneath the mattress were perfectly positioned side by side.

Carter walked over and settled onto the bed, peering around the room. It was easy to see how in such a small space Donovan would butt heads with his brother. Eleanor sat down at the desk chair, resting her head on her fist. The casualness of her posture seemed at odds with the air of Marine strictness Carter could sense around her.

"He was so young when he left," she said, eyes traveling around the room.

The comment brought Carter's focus on her.