Grandpa and Grandma Hale's house
Location redacted
Somewhere outside Washington D.C.
June 16
1100 hours
I was back at the Hale's house for another afternoon lunch. This time for my birthday. To be honest, I had completely forgotten it. With all that happened, and the excitement of a mission, it just slipped my mind. Before I joined spy school, I would have been planning it out for weeks, trying to figure out who would be invited or if Elizabeth Pasternak would be willing to come. Now, it just seemed less important.
It was Erica that reminded me. We were all exhausted after flying iver night to Washington D.C. And had arrived back at the campus in the middle of the day.
As we grabbed our bags from the back of the van, she sad, "Happy Birthday," and gave me a peck on the cheek. "My parents invited you over tomorrow. It won't be a party or anything. Just us. Mike can come too, but he can't mention anything about Trixie in front of grandma."
"I don't think he wants to do that. Thank you. I'd love to come. I actually completely forgot my birthday is tomorrow. You're not giving me another tooth are you," I asked, smiling.
She smiled back and turned to leave.
"Hey," I said. "By the way, you still haven't told me your birthday."
She looked back at me over her shoulder "You're a spy, figure it out."
"I'll just ask your mother," I said.
She scrunched up her face and narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything in response.
I did have some reservations about going there again. After all Erica's grandmother would be hosting. But Erica reassured me later that it would be okay. Her father had spoken with his mother about us. I wasn't sure that was such a good thing. But, it turned out, Erica's grandma that had suggested an afternoon birthday party for me. I knew Alexander could be a smooth operator, but I wasn't sure how he pulled that off. Part of me suspected she was plotting to prison me.
After Mike and I arrived, Erica told me she had to finish her training with her grandfather. I was a little surprised she wouldn't take a day off for my birthday, but also knew the kind of person Erica was. I was also surprised Cyrus had already returned from scoping out Murray's condo. I took this to mean that he hadn't found anything. I went out to the back porch to watch her in the backyard, working through an obstacle course and set of weights. Mike and Trixie set off somewhere by themselves, trying to stay out of her grandmother's sight. I was staring through the screen when I heard the back door spring strain as it stretched open, then slam shut. I didn't turn to see who it was, assuming it was Catherine or Alexander, and it wasn't till they were standing next to me that I realized it was Grandma Hale. She was the last person I wanted to talk to, but really couldn't say this.
I stiffened and straightened myself, trying to remove any slouch, and any reason for her to be critical of me. She spoke first, as I braced myself.
"She's amazing, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is," I said.
I must have looked relieved, because she turned and looked me up and down.
"I'm going to tell you something, Benjamin, and I want it to stay between you and I. I know you think I've been hard on you. And, maybe, I have been a little unfair. I do know what you did to help Erica, and Trixie." She had piqued my interest so I stayed quiet. She continued, "Not many know this. Even Erica doesn't. I was once a field agent for the CIA." My eyebrows raised and I turned sharply to her. "This was before Alexander was born. It was actually how I met his father, Cyrus," She sighed and I could see her face soften, and eyes look off into space like she was imagining a distant past. "It was a passionate affair."
Now, I was less eager to hear about grandma and grandpa Hale's love life, but I knew better than to interrupt her. I shouldn't have been surprised to learn any of this, suddenly remembering the knitting needles she spun around her fingers like Erica did with a knife. As far as I knew all the members of this family were spies, except for Trixie. It made me wonder what else she could do with those needles.
"He was quite dashing, if bullheaded. Always, rushing into a room full of bad guys and coming back out with barely a scratch on him." She shook her head like she just snapped out of a dream. "Anywho, we fell in love, got married, and Alexander came along not long after." She sighed deeply. "There was already a bias against me when I chose to get married, 'Married women can't be field agents'. That's what they used to say to me. It was hard enough before being married, and almost impossible afterwards. It's different now, of course. You know, I've always been a little bit jealous of Catherine in that regard."
I couldn't help myself, "You knew Catherine was a spy?" This was Catherine and Erica's closely guarded secret. Even Alexander didn't know before a few months ago.
She gave me a sly smile, "I was a very good field agent. Now, I love my son with all my heart, but he can be a bit of a dunderhead if you know what I mean."
I started to nod and then thought better of it.
"The CIA sent me into the field less and less, and I worked more and more in the office," she said picking up her story again. "The baby sealed my fate, and I was completely cut off from work at the agency. Not even allowed my desk job anymore. After a year of motherhood, I tried going back, hoping to find my old position again. It was gone. Now, I was told I was too old. I was only 27 for Pete's sake. A bunch no good..." she cut herself off abruptly, remembering I was there.
"That sounds pretty awful," I said, trying to sound supportive, because it really was a terrible thing for her.
"Don't get me wrong. I love being a mother, and grandmother. But I had other things I loved doing too. I didn't want to give those up. I thought Cyrus might help, but he was happy to have me at home taking care of Alexander and the house. You may have noticed, he isn't the most sympathetic person to begin with. Then he was always disappearing. Off on some mission, leaving us alone. That was hard for Alexander. A lot of time passed after that. And then Erica came along. When Cyrus saw Erica's natural abilities he started to train her. He saw her for what she could be, he changed a lot because of her," she said and then looked to the side. I thought she was hiding a tear, but she was looking at something, "He missed the boat on that one though." She nodded to a tree off to the edge of the backyard.
Trixie and Mike were sitting at the base of a large tree in the backyard. They were watching Erica and Cyrus train. Trixie had a mixture of jealousy and pain on her face. I didn't have siblings, but I imagine that's the feeling a younger sister might have seeing the older one get something you wanted too.
"There's still time. Yes, still time," she said, eyes narrowing in determination. "After all, look at you. They managed to turn you into something resembling a half decent spy."
I wasn't sure how to respond to this. It sounded like a compliment, but was also insulting. Then I saw her smile. An actual smile from Grandma Hale. This didn't help me though. I felt even more flustered.
"Why tell me this," I finally asked.
"To help you understand what I'm going to say next. I want this for Erica." I knew by this she did not mean Erica and I's relationship. "It's what I never had. Times have changed, but it's too late for me. I won't let anyone stand in her way to becoming an agent."
I thought of pointing out that it wasn't really her decision, but Erica's, instead I said in defense, "I want that for her too. I mean, the world would be terrifying if I didn't know Erica was trying to protect it."
She looked at me skeptically, and said, "It's easy to say this now when you are young, but what if it becomes a choice between your relationship and her career?"
I chewed on the inside of my lower lip, pausing before answering. I wanted to think about how to respond to her. It hurt inside my chest and my stomach filled with butterflies at the thought of being forced to breakup with Erica, but she had always been honest about her drive to be a field agent. I knew I couldn't stand in her way. And wouldn't. At the same time, I didn't think it would have to be that choice. Finally I said, "If it has to come to that, then I won't stand in her way."
Grandma Hale nodded and gave a soft smile. I don't think she entirely believed me, but I gave the right answer.
"Why didn't you tell Erica any of this," I asked.
"I guess I was embarrassed at having never made it in the business. Once I stopped telling people the truth, it just became easier to deny I'd ever happened."
"Erica would have would never judge you for this, and would be thrilled to know."
"You're probably right."
"But, why tell me this at all?"
She paused, weighing her words carefully. "Erica cares for you more than I realized. I thought maybe it was school crush. A passing phase. Alexander told me everything you two have been through together and your bond is stronger than I thought."
My heart pounded in my chest, but I couldn't say anything. We looked at each other a moment longer.
Finally, we noticed Erica and Cyrus watching us. They had finished their routine and were walking slowly back to the house. Erica was holding a medicine ball, casually tossing it between her hands. I really hoped she didn't toss it to me, because I knew it would knock me over. They reached the back porch stairs, and grandma smiled sweetly at Erica.
"Well, I expect you both will be getting hungry after a workout like that," she said, then turned to go back in. She paused, deciding to say one more thing. "You're a good boy, Benjamin," she added and patted my shoulder. Then walked to the door.
Between her words and her gesture, I felt more like a family pet than Erica's boyfriend. Still, this seemed to be a step up from how she viewed me before. Erica, on the other hand, was so startled by her grandmother's compliment, she missed catching the medicine ball, and dropped it right on her right foot's big toe and yelped, "Ouch!" Then she hopped over to one of the Adirondack chairs on the porch and sat down, rubbing the sore spot.
"What just happened," she asked me.
"I don't know. I guess I helped her answer a question."
She eyed me suspiciously, "What question?"
I was at a loss. I knew I couldn't tell her the truth, only a few weeks ago I promised her I would always try to. But, it seemed like the truth should come from her grandmother and not me. For now, I made something up on the spot, "She just asked if I wanted to join the next knitting party."
Erica rolled her eyes, but a smile played at the corners of her mouth.
"You're a terrible liar, Ben Ripley."