Free Seal of Honor by Dahlia Rose

that man. He got hurt pretty badly and we were never able to have children. Oh, he tried to push me away and make me leave so I could have a family, but what kind of family would it have been without the man I love?” She smiled up at Zack and sniffed. “I got to see a miracle tonight, so I thank you for that.”
    “I never had the kind of mother I could share this with and Jordyn was alone all her life. We found each other and now we have a family. We want you to be part of that, Grandma.” Zack smiled when he saw the wise, strong old woman’s eye fill up with tears and her hands shake as she tried to hide the fact by fanning her face. “Marianne will be a blessed little girl with you in her corner. Just get rid of the gun, will ya?”
    “I’d be honored to be in all your lives, even though you call me the crazy old pineapple lady.” Mrs. Pond laughed while she reached up and patted his cheek. “Now get your ass home, clean up, and head back to your two girls. I’ll see them when you get home in a few days.”
    “Merry Christmas, crazy pineapple lady!” Zack called out as he jogged down her front steps.
    “I’d shoot you, but I like you too much,” she called back. “Merry Christmas!”
    Zack laughed as he went home. He had never been filled with so much happiness as he felt now. It was Christmas day and he had the best gifts in the world. His two girls were waiting for him at Oahu hospital. He took the plastic and then the sheets off the bed and trashed some that were beyond repair and the rest he put in the washing machine. He cleaned up whatever mess the EMTs left and mopped the floors before stretching himself out across the couch and falling asleep.
    Four hours later, he was up, showered and back in his truck heading towards the hospital. In his hands he carried flowers and a gift and on his head he wore a red Santa hat. The nurses looked at him, amused, and as he passed he gave them each a flower before he went into Jordyn’s room.
    She was sitting up in bed and she laughed when she saw him. “Hey, Santa, you’re a bit late. We already got our gift. She’s in the nursery.”
    “But this is for Mom.” Zack leaned over and kissed her. “Christmas flowers for the most beautiful woman in the world and a special surprise I had made.”
    “At least you didn’t get scratched up for this surprise or did you?” she teased.
    “Ha ha, funny woman. Open your gift,” Zack said as he sat on the edge of the bed.
    Zack watched her face as she opened the box and her gasp of delight told him he’d made the right choice. It was a necklace, but that wasn’t what made it special. It was the pendant he had special made of two types of gold. The white gold formed a mother holding a child and the rose gold was the father holding them both. At the bottom of the pendant were three diamonds.
    He took it from her and spoke quietly. “I had this made that day we went shopping and I left you at the pedicure place. I picked it up when you had your doctor appointment.”
    “You said you had to go on base,” she said.
    “I lied, but the look just now on your face made it worthwhile.” He fastened the clasp and the pendant hung between her breasts. “There’s room at the bottom to add more diamonds, one for each child we have.”
    “This is perfect. Zack, it’s so beautiful. I left your gift under the tree,” Jordyn replied.
    “No, you didn’t. She’s in the nursery,” he reminded her.
    Just as he spoke the door to her room opened and a nurse wheeled in an incubator. “Hello, Mom and Dad Hennessey. Here’s little Ms. Marianne ready to be fed.”
    Zack couldn’t help but laugh when he looked into the incubator. His little girl was in a red stocking and wore a little elf bonnet on her head.
    “Oh, I have to get a picture of this to show the guys in the team.” Zack pulled his phone from his pocket.
    “She looks so cute,” Jordyn said.
    “We do it every year for all the Christmas babies. Plus, you get