The Perfect Weapon Chapter 2010: Part 3 Section 2 of 2
Chapter 2010 Part 3 section 2 of 2
“This is Jack?” Laura asked eagerly, as she picked up a small wooden picture frame. She smiled at the black and white photo of a small boy with a too-serious expression and a head of short dark curly hair. "The curls..."
"Look at that hair." Mrs. Bristow shook her head with a soft smile on her face. "The style at the time was for...I think it's called a buzz cut, but I couldn't bear to cut off those curls."
"Oh geez..." Jack groaned as Dave laughed.
"Be quiet," Mrs. Bristow laughed in her son's direction and then looked back at his fiancee.
"I don't blame you," Laura confided. "I would have kept the curls too. Who cares what the fashion is?"
Dave watched surreptitiously as Laura touched Jack’s face in the photo. Of course, she noticed the hair. She probably hoped that someday she’d have a little boy with hair like that. He wondered if she was even aware of the needy look on her face or how the softness in her eyes made her appear like a kid herself. Good. Jack wanted kids.
Dave knew Jack and Laura had had an argument or two already about when to start their family but with that wistful look on her face, he would make a bet that they’d have a baby sooner rather than later. Knowing Laura’s stubbornness, she’d probably refuse to admit changing her mind and just make a mistake with her birth control. Maybe he’d start a betting pool at work. He turned back to helping Jack with the bookshelves they were installing for his mother’s ever-expanding collection of books.
“Yes. He was five years old. First day of school. Kindergarten.” Mrs. Bristow smiled fondly before dropping her voice to a whisper. “He was scared, but of course, would never-“
“Show it?” Laura nodded. Of course not. Natural ability combined with the hints he’d given her of his life with his father had combined to create a skill at hiding fear even by that young age. Good training for later life, she prosaically told herself without thinking further about it. “I’m sure he walked straight into the classroom, refusing a hug or kiss from his mother?”
“Of course.” Mrs. Bristow nodded. “You know him well.”
“I try.” Laura smiled tentatively, the way she thought would be most effective with Jack’s mother who clearly lacked self-confidence.
“I’m glad,” Mrs. Bristow whispered. “I...sometimes still see him as that little boy, I admit, even though he hasn't been little for a very long time.”
“That shy little boy?” Laura whispered. She picked up another photo of an older Jack. How skinny he’d been. Still too serious. It made her want to make him smile.
“Yes. Although he’ll never admit it,” Mrs Bristow whispered back. “But how do you know that?”
“I realized that the first time I met him. Did Jack tell you? I met him by volunteering for one of Dave’s stupid psych tests.”
“Now, now...” Mrs. Bristow smiled fondly at Dave. “He’s a good boy.”
“Is he?” Laura rolled her eyes.
“He took Jack under his wing, you know.”
“Did he?” Laura asked, turning her gaze toward the two men, busily hanging some shelves for Mrs. Bristow. She was glad she brought along a few books as a hostess gift for her; they had been the perfect choice. “Why?”
“I’m not sure. I think perhaps he originally felt bad since Jack was so much younger than everyone else. That’s what Jack said. But they hit it off immediately and have been thick as thieves ever since.”
“Yes.” Laura nodded. Once again, she cursed the poor intelligence she’d been given on this mission. Dave had been barely mentioned in Jack’s file and any idiot should have known that the close friendship the two men shared would be a critical factor in the successful outcome of the mission. If Dave had hated her, she had no doubt that Jack would no longer be dating her.
“I felt better about Jack being so far from home once he met Dave.”
“I can see why.” Laura smiled encouragingly at Jack’s mother.
“Do you? As a mother, I worry about him, so far from home...” Mrs. Bristow smiled, but then seemed to become embarrassed. She confided hesitantly, “Jack would be angry, although he...”
“He wouldn’t show it?” Laura supplied helpfully, knowing that Mrs. Bristow had stopped speaking as the press of the fear of old memories closed her mouth.
“Yes. He wouldn’t. But he would tell me I’m babying him and if ever - truly - there was a young man who didn’t need that...”
“It’s a mother’s prerogative to worry, naturally.” Laura smiled again. Looking down at her engagement ring, she touched the center stone and looked back up.
Mrs. Bristow smiled and Laura froze. Oh, that’s where Jack had gotten his smile. She looked down again as Jack’s mother patted her hand. Seeing the much smaller hand she knew Jack must have gotten his size from his father, but also knew she’d never open that...what was the phrase? Can of maggots?
“Oh good. You understand and don’t think I’m...”
“I think you’re being a mother. I imagine...” Laura stopped and then looked over at Jack before looking down at her hands. “I imagine when I’m a mother, I’ll probably worry too.” She peeked down at Jack’s mother. Good. She had said the right thing. The woman obviously wanted grandchildren. How odd that the words had just flown out of her mouth without a second’s thought. Good instincts, she congratulated herself.
"I imagine you will," Mrs. Bristow agreed. "Even when your children are grown and don't need it, you worry." She looked over at her son. "All that traveling he does for work..."
“Jack is tough. He can take care of himself.” Laura nodded. “But underneath is this sweetness...”
“You see that?” Mrs. Bristow relaxed.
“Of course. I saw that the first time I met him.” Laura smiled over at Jack, who was giving her a suspicious look.
“What are you talking about?” Jack asked, putting down his hammer. “You’d better not-“
“What? Be saying how she thinks your shyness is cute?” Dave asked with a wide grin. Lightening his voice to a falsetto, Dave clutched his hands together at his chest and screeched, “Oh, Jackie! I do love it when you’re shy-“
“What did you say?!” Jack growled at Dave.
The women turned to each other and smiled indulgently as the two men began to argue. “Like little boys,” Laura whispered.
Mrs. Bristow nodded. “It’s good to see. But you were saying something about Jack having a sweet side?”
Laura raised her voice to say, “And now that I’ve met you, I know where he gets it from.”
“You ended a sentence with a preposition!” Jack called out. He shook his finger at her. “Ms. English Teacher, I am shocked!”
Laura grinned and leaned toward Mrs. Bristow. “I do that just to annoy him.”
Mrs. Bristow looked over at her son’s happy face and nodded. “Good. I mean, good that you can annoy him without, I mean...”
Laura nodded and covered the suddenly uncomfortable silence with a small laugh. “We like to tease each other. He can get me going too, you know-“ She broke off as the two men erupted into laughter over something. Something stupid, she had no doubt. “And he and Dave can get each other going,” Laura added. “Is...Dave the best friend Jack ever had?”
“How did you know?” Mrs. Bristow smiled over at Dave. “Jack was always at a disadvantage. Too smart for his classes and the way we moved around, he was always the new child in school. Combine that with a certain natural reticence and...”
And a fear of anyone finding out about their home life, Laura finished silently. “And you have a little boy who wasn’t Mr. Popularity?”
“No. Although I worried about him going off to college so young, he’s certainly come into his own now. Especially since he met Dave in that bizarre psychology class he took for a reason I’ll never fathom.”
“Well, it all worked out. Maybe it was meant to be.”
“Destiny?” Mrs. Bristow clasped her hands together. “Are you a romantic, then?”
“No. Actually, I’m not. I’m sure Jack has told you that I’m irredeemably logical,” Laura said, believing her own words. It was always best to stick as closely to the truth as possible. Ironically, Jack would agree with that, she knew from his comment that the best lie was the one closest to the truth. He would understand all of this, she knew as she looked around the small apartment with books stacked up along the walls. Messy. Jack should have brought more bookshelves.
“He mentioned that, yes.” Mrs. Bristow frowned.
Laura realized that Mrs. Bristow knew that her son had a romantic streak. Regroup. “I think we balance each other out. Don’t you?”
“We’ll see--” Mrs. Bristow broke off as the sudden sound of male laughter once again interrupted them. She looked over at Jack and Dave, laughing about something and smiled fondly.
Laura took the opportunity to redirect. “They’re very close.”
“Yes. Thankfully. They are like brothers. So close. Such a blessing. I pity anyone who tries to come between the two of them.”
Laura nodded slowly. She knew a warning when she heard one. “Don’t worry. Dave drives me crazy sometimes...but he’s becoming like a brother to me too.”
“Good. Don’t be jealous of him,” Mrs. Bristow suggested. Then looking surprised at her own words, she pressed her lips together and looked down.
Laura smiled and gently patted Jack’s mother’s small hand. “Did Jack tell you I have a jealous streak?”
“Yes. But...”
“I know. Jack is loyal. It’s my...problem.” Irina squared her shoulders and smiled hesitantly. “Did I show you my ring?”
“I did notice it when you came in. It’s hard to miss,” Mrs. Bristow teased softly with uncertain eyes.
“Yes. It is. I love it!” Irina confided. “I also love it because I know Jack worked hard to save for it. I would have been satisfied with something much smaller.”
“Jack wanted to give you the best he could afford. He told me so.”
“I know. I appreciate it. But...” Irina turned her hand this way and that, admiring the ring before looking down at Jack’s mother. “But I also love it because it reminds me of how he proposed.”
“Oh? Was it romantic?”
“Yes. Very much so. I’ll never forget it. He gave me a beautiful memory I’ll cherish forever.”
“I see. Something like... ‘I'll note you in my book of memory’."
“Yes. Henry VI, Act 2, Scene 4,” Laura responded after thinking for a minute.
“Very good, Laura.” Mrs. Bristow nodded approvingly like the English teacher she was. “How interesting that you’ll cherish this romantic proposal, given that you just said you’re not a romantic.”
“Oh!” Laura frowned. Jack’s mother had surprised her with her inescapable logic. That was unacceptable. She should have expected that Jack’s ability to see through to the truth had to come from somewhere.
Mrs. Bristow patted Laura’s hand. “Don’t be embarrassed, Laura. Why shouldn’t you appreciate or even love a romantic gesture? I’d love to hear about it. He didn’t tell me anything...Other than to ask me for some advice on poetry. Which surprised me,” Mrs. Bristow admitted with a smile. “He’s not a poetry person.”
“No. Which made it even more special. Especially when he made mistakes and got upset about it. It was very sweet and I’d be happy to tell you-“
“For the love of god!” Jack exclaimed. “Not that story.”
.
“Yes. For the love of god, not that story!” Jack groaned as he looked around the table. Sydney was looking down at the remains of her lunch while Dave was slowing chewing another bite of his sandwich. Vaughn...Hmm. Vaughn was looking at Irina appraisingly but saying nothing. Silence and patience had gotten them nowhere, Jack decided and spoke up. “Vaughn? You look like you have something to say.”
When Vaughn said nothing, Sydney’s mouth tightened. Irina looked from her husband’s face to her daughter’s. Uh-oh. At the lunch table? This could get messy. “Sydney...”
“Will you please answer my father?” Sydney asked in a tone of voice that made it clear her words were not a request. “Or say whatever it is that you want to say but seem to lack the courage-“
“Were you really nervous about meeting Jack’s mother?” Vaughn asked Irina.
“Of course. Who isn’t nervous about meeting their future in-laws?” Irina shrugged. “I think that’s universal.”
Vaughn nodded and his mouth quirked up on one side as he glanced at Jack. “I believe I can relate.”
Success! Dave gloated silently. “How did you actually meet Jack?” he asked Vaughn, although he already knew the answer. He slanted a glance at Sydney. Good. She had lost that tight-lipped look that reminded him of Jack.
Vaughn smiled wryly. “Well, first I met the red wall of a restaurant.”
“Oh. He threw you into the wall?” Irina nodded. How circular. She had met Jack’s father by throwing him into a wall shortly before she’d pushed him down the stairs. And then there had been some red on the wall and floor.
“Yeah. Mike came back with the pattern of the wallpaper etched into his cheek,” Weiss noted with a grin, relieved that the atmosphere at the table had lightened from nuclear to conventional bomb damage capability. Disaster could still lay ahead, but perhaps they all might survive the damn lunch. Well, the tension had effectively killed his appetite -- he might actually lose some weight if these kind of meals were going to be typical. But then again, having seen the impatience on Jack and Sydney's faces, he had a feeling that Vaughn's time might be up.
“Oh stop,” Sydney suggested. “It’s not like Dad really hurt him or anything. He just roughed Vaughn up a little.”
Vaughn rolled his eyes. “Your concern for my well-being is touching.”
“Sydney, did you have-“ Jack began.
“Mom?” Sydney asked hesitantly. “You...planned what you were going to say to her, to win her over?”
“Of course.” Irina frowned, then straightened her shoulders. “I think I just did somewhat more self-consciously what any woman meeting her future mother-in-law would be wise to do - find a way to win her over. It’s better to have an ally than an enemy, isn’t it?”
“Hell, yeah!” Vaughn noted. He colored when everyone looked from him to Jack and began laughing. “That I can understand,” he muttered and looked down once again at his lunch, untouched while he’d listened with rapt attention to the story. A story that could have been that of any woman meeting your future mother-in-law for the first time. She’d had it easy, if anyone asked him, which no one was. Her future in-law hadn’t been Jack Bristow, after all. “No one wants their in-laws to hate their guts. Or shove them into walls of Chinese restaurants or call them useless or--”
“Well, yeah, but...” Sydney trailed off, giving her father a quick smile. “But you did it to make sure you won the game, Mom.”
“Yes, but another woman - you, for example - might do the same to make sure you won your man as well.”
Jack touched Sydney’s hand and spoke softly. “Sydney, the game between us was always at its heart - and I use that word deliberately - the game between a man and a woman.”
“That’s why it worked,” Irina began, then quieted when she realized Dave was waiting to speak.
“Yes, that’s why it worked. Because how much of that was you?” Dave looked at Irina curiously.
Irina nodded. Dave already knew the answer to the question, he was merely feeding her lines. She could take a cue. “Laura was me. Or most of her was. I, we’d been warned that we would have to submerge our own personalities to become what the man wanted and especially to suppress our aggressiveness and any anger. To be conciliatory-“
Weiss began to laugh. Before Dave could say anything, he noted, “Which was exactly the opposite of what Jack would have wanted and the opposite of who you are. A doubleplay.”
“Good catch.” Jack nodded approvingly at Weiss, who smiled back in surprise.
“Exactly. Jack wanted, amazingly and luckily enough, the real me.” Irina once again poked her turkey sandwich. “Or the real me before...I took a wrong turn or two or twenty.”
“Well...perhaps you just kept turning enough that you made a big circle,” Dave teased Jack while everyone groaned and Jack rolled his eyes. Dave pointed his fork at Jack. “Hey, I just gave you a gift, used that circle analogy or game thing or whatever it is you like so much.”
“It is a gift,” Jack said quietly. He looked from his wife to his daughter. “When someone loves us with all our faults and baggage and stupid mistakes and foolish detours from the path.”
“Are you calling me stupid and foolish?” Irina asked in mock anger.
“No. I’m calling myself stupid and foolish.” Jack looked over at Sydney with an apologetic smile.
“Well, as long as we match.” Irina put her hand over Jack’s once again.
“That’s what a family should be, loving each other even when it’s not easy,” Sydney suggested haltingly. She smiled as she watched someone grab for a slipping tray. How odd that these lightbulb moments in their lives occurred in such mundane locations - in front of a mailbox or in the hold of a plane or in a brightly-light and noisy cafeteria. And for her mother, those moments had occurred in a college lab and a suburban street. For her father? Well, his, she thought, might be more dramatic. At the side of a river while a truck towed an empty car from the river. She shivered.
Irina looked down at her hands still, bare of rings, which had been busily pleating a paper napkin while they had told the story. A story carefully-expurgated of the mention of Jack’s father in Sydney’s hearing, although not in their thoughts. “I was very foolish when I didn’t prize the gift I’d been given. And I was very lucky that Jack gave me a second chance.”
Sydney nodded as she smiled slightly at her father. “Yes. Second chances and do overs don’t come around very often.”
“No. They don’t.” Jack nodded at Sydney and then looked away. She was going to give up the game if she wasn’t careful.
Vaughn’s head snapped in Sydney’s direction and then in Jack’s. Was that a warning? Time running out? Or Option C -- the sound of his own fear?
TBC at Chapter 2010 Part 3 section 2 of 2