Link: Every Day Is Your Last Title Page and Description

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That established the pattern. Jack and Erica would go out with me when I had Liberty and I'd trawl for Ms. Right. Never really got anywhere, but the three of us sure had fun trying! We got together with Rich and Heather a few times for dinner, but it was becoming clear that the guys started getting too busy with their own things to spend any real time together.

Jack got a job managing a dry-cleaners in Palo Alto, meanwhile Rich was busy finishing his degree. With Heather and Rich graduating shortly after he and Jack were officially shifted to the Reserves, a full year ahead of Erica's graduation and sixteen months before the end of my cruise, we all knew it meant big changes were coming in our lives. Rich had talked about taking an office job somewhere in LA so he could be close to Jack, Erica, and his parents, but he never got into any details. I guess he was just stalling.

I remember the last dinner we had all together that summer. It was at Heather and Rich's apartment because it was bigger. I'm pretty sure Jack knew what was coming, but it didn't make it any easier to take.

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Richard was hiding in the kitchen cooking when Heather came in to check on him. "Everything alright, Richard dear?" she asked.

"Sure! The roast is almost done!" he answered with a false smile. "We can sit down soon."

"Richard." Heather intoned knowingly. "You have been in here for over an hour. Are you avoiding Jack?"

He sighed, letting his head hang. "Yeah, kinda. I... I just didn't want to ruin dinner is all. I know Jack's going to take it hard."

"You're going to have to tell him sooner or later, and we're running out of time, Richard!" she told him. Taking his hands in hers, she smiled at him. "It's what we both want and Jack loves you! You'll see! He'll be fine!"

"I've been watching Jack's back so long it's hard to stop." Richard laughed. "I guess he was always right. I do need him!"

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him gently. "I know, dear. I know you do."

They came out into the living room several minutes later, Richard carrying the roast. "Chow time!" he called to the three.

Jack intercepted him before he even made it to the table. "Good! I was about to start gnawing on your table leg, Rich!"

"Hands off!" Richard shouted as he tried to hold the tray out of Jack's reach. "What? You can't wait until we sit down?"

"I might faint!" Jack rolled his eyes and staggered back. "Food!" he dragged out the word like a starving man.

While the girls laughed at his antics, Richard shook his head and put down the roast. Once they'd all started eating, the conversation trailed off.

Jack couldn't help but notice that Richard was continually looking at Heather expectantly, as though waiting for her to say something. "OK. Rich, you're about a subtle as a brick to the side of the head. What's going on?"

Putting his fork down, Richard sighed and looked at his oldest friend. "Well, we were going to wait until after dinner to tell you three, but I guess there's no use putting it off." He looked over at Heather who nodded and smiled at him encouragingly. Looking to the others, he let it out in one breath. "I've been offered a job, but it's not in LA. It's in Concord... New Hampshire."

Silence cut through the room as Erica lightly gasped. Finally, Jack smiled at him. "Congratulations, Rich. I uh... I assume you accepted it. Otherwise we're all in shock for nothing and this was a pretty terrible joke!"

"I did." he replied seriously. "It... uh... I start next week. Heather and I'll be moving to a place in Concord by the end of this week. We'll be looking to buy a place pretty soon, though." He resumed eating as he finished talking.

"What about LA?" Erica almost cried. "I... I thought you were going to..." Her voice faltered as she worked on keeping her tears from spilling out.

"I have some news, too!" Heather offered cheerily. "I got a position interning as a psychotherapist with a medical group not far from Richard's new job!" She looked across the table at Richard's stricken sister. "It... it really is a good opportunity, for us both. We were worried that we might end up with jobs that split us up."

"Well, we can't let that happen!" Jack broke the somber mood. "After all the work I put in getting you two together? So when's the wedding?"

"Jack!" Erica laughed as she wiped a tear away, the other three chuckling and giggling as well. "You goofball! It is a good question, though. I can assume you're going to have one eventually, right Richie?"

"Well, we were planning on getting settled in first and then plan a big thing for the fall, say around Thanksgiving? That way Brooke can build up a long enough Leave." He looked over at the only person yet to comment.

Brooke set her glass of wine down, trying to steady her nerves. "That's nice of you two, but you shouldn't have to wait on account of me."

"But we have to, Brooke!" Heather explained. "I can't get married without my Maid of Honor!"

"Who? Me?" Brooke looked at her in shock.

"Well, it's your turn!" Erica commented. "Then it'll be my turn when you get married!"

"Yeah, right!" Brooke laughed. "Figure some way to pull that off!"

Taking a drink before answering, Erica looked at her seriously. "Well, even if you can't make it legal, you can still have a wedding ceremony, right? We'll do it, even if I have to get Jack ordained!"

"Woah!" Jack nearly choked as he heard his wife. "You want me to do what now? Try it and I don't think anyone would be able to stop laughing long enough to say 'I do'!"

Finishing dinner as they talked, Richard could see that Jack was putting up a front. It was painful to see his best and oldest friend hurting as bad as he was, but in the end it was inevitable. They had both known for some time that life would push them in different directions, but now that it was here, Richard couldn't help but feel like he was abandoning Jack, and Erica.

"So, we'll keep in touch and set up the plans for the wedding while you two get settled in." Jack went over everything. "Then in November when Brooke arranges her Leave, we'll be all set for the wedding on November thirtieth. That's the date, right?"

"Yup." Richard responded with a nod. "If it works for you, honey." he asked, turning to Heather.

"I don't care when or how, Richard! So long as we get there!" she said gaily, a smile covering her face that shone through the undertone of sadness that permeated their occasion.

Erica and Jack rose together. "We should be getting back to our place."

"And I have a long drive ahead." Brooke pointed out, grabbing her jacket and looking over at Jack. "See you guys on Saturday like usual?"

He nodded absently. "Yeah, sure." Turning to Richard he asked, "So, when do you two fly out?"

"Friday morning." he answered, one arm around Heather.

"So soon?" Erica asked disappointedly.

Her brother nodded glumly. "Our flight leaves at nine. The movers will have everything out by end of day Thursday though, only day they were available, so we're planning on staying in a hotel near the airport Thursday night." He laughed a little. "We'll have to call a cab to get there! The guy who bought my old wagon will be picking that up Thursday, too!"

"You sold The Beast?" Jack said in shock. "I wish I'd have known! I would have taken it off your hands!"

"Yeah, but the guy buying it paid me money for it!" Richard needled him.

"What? You think I don't have anything?" he replied with mock hurt. "I'll have you know I've got forty grand saved for the house Erica and I are buying in Newport Beach!"

"You'll need every penny of it!" Richard replied.

Erica shook her head. "No way you two are going to take a cab and sleep in a hotel on your last night in town! Don't think you're getting out of it, either! You two are staying at our place Thursday night and we're driving you to the airport on Friday!"

"Oh, Erica!" Heather intoned as she shook her head. "We can't put you out like that! Besides, don't you two have work and classes Friday?"

"I can get the first few hours off." Jack answered as he looked at Erica.

"And I haven't missed any classes this semester. I think I deserve one day of hooky! I just couldn't imagine not being there to see you two off!"

"Well, I can't be there!" Brooke shook her head. "Unless I come up with the most fabulous excuse in the history of excuses, I'll be in the shop all day!" Pushing past Jack and Erica, she gave Heather a hug. "I'm gonna miss you two! You take care of Rich for us, girl!"

Returning the hug, Heather nodded and choked back a tear. "I will, Brooke dear!" With a mirthful tone, she added, "I'm looking forward to seeing you this fall!"

The Marine slowly stood back and looked at Heather in shock. "Oh, God! You're gonna make me wear... a dress! Aren't you!?"

Nodding, Heather smiled wickedly. "Why of course! It goes with the job description, dear!"

Seeing Brooke turn to her pleadingly, Erica shook her head slowly. "Not a chance! You're up!"

Jack half-smiled when Brooke looked toward him, desperate for an escape. "Don't look at me, Brooke! I'd look terrible in a dress!"

"How do you know? Weirdo!" she retorted. "I bet you have nicer legs than I do!"

Getting a laugh and trying to change the subject, hoping to talk Heather out of it sometime before November, she turned and hugged Richard in a tight bear hug. "You take care too, jarhead! Stay clean!" As she pulled back, she flung her jacket over her shoulder and waved at the four as she headed for the stairs. "Catch you all later!"

"We do really need to get going." Erica apologized. Wrapping her brother in a warm embrace, she leaned her head on his shoulder. "We'll see you on Thursday, alright?"

Giving Heather a friendly one-arm hug, Jack smiled at her wryly. "See if I ever trust you again! First you toss me over for this chump, then you drag him two thousand miles away! I guess I can see why. Guess you need that distance to not run back to me! What is this power I have over the ladies?"

"It's called BO!" Richard replied to his rhetorical question. "New Hampshire might be far enough that we won't smell you!" Grabbing his best friend in a firm hug, he slapped Jack's back. "We'll see you Thursday."

Pulling back and surreptitiously wiping his eyes, Jack nodded and looked away. "If you're lucky!" As he and Erica made their way to the stairwell, he managed to maintain his half-grin until their door closed.

Thursday evening, Jack opened the front door to his and Erica's apartment after picking up Richard and Heather at their vacated apartment. "Entrez-vous!" he shouted, carrying in Richard's suitcase. "We just cleaned up the place, so the whips and leather harnesses are tucked away! Make yourselves at home! Well, for tonight anyway, you traitors!"

"Traitors!?" Richard declared as he put his carry-on bag down by the door. "Why? Just because we worked hard and found jobs? You make it sound like we're skipping the country!"

"You might as well be!" Jack shot back as he turned on the living room light. "New Hampshire! What's in New Hampshire, anyway? Snow? Didn't you get enough of that stuff back in Pittsburgh, Rich?"

"Well, for starters there's my family home!" Heather noted as she came in following Erica. "It really is a fine place. You'll see it when you come out for the wedding!"

"Wait a minute!" Jack said stopping to turn back. "You have a house there? Why in the heck are you getting an apartment then? What, do you need a summer home and winter home? What're you, birds?"

"No!" Heather laughed. "The house is in central New Hampshire! We'll be working in Concord, twenty miles away. I was thinking of just selling it, but until Richard and I have a place of our own, I don't have anywhere to put the family heirlooms, so we'll just hang on to it until we do."

"Oh!" Jack sniffed as he raised his voice an octave. "The family heirlooms? My, what was I thinking!" Dropping his tone back to normal, he scoffed and waved her off dismissively. "Bah! Twenty miles! You think twenty miles is to too far to drive to work to save on renting an apartment? Just how good do these jobs pay? Might think of charging you a night's rent!"

"Don't even joke about it!" Erica chided him. "My brother is welcome in my home, free of charge, anytime!"

"Great!" Jack sighed. "He's got brother-in-law Roger privileges!" he joked, referencing a running gag from the Burns and Allen TV show. "Just don't be coming over all the time to raid the fridge and gank my stuff, Rich!"

"I'll try not to make it a habit, Jack! The airfare puts a damper on the profit margin, anyway!" He carried his and Heather's suitcases into the spare room. "I've been meaning to ask, sis. Why'd you rent a two bed apartment when you moved out here?"

"I used to have a roommate." she answered. "A girl that went to school with me. She flaked on me after two months. Never even came back for her share of the deposit! I guess it's fair. I never got her last month's share of rent!"

Coming back out, he leaned on the wall by the bedroom door. "So Dad has been footing the whole bill ever since? Our father?"

Erica smiled as she headed to the kitchen. "Well, at least he loves one of us!"

"Ooh! Ouch!" he laughed as he and Heather moved to the sofa. "So Jack, you're living off my old man now?"

"He wouldn't take 'I suppose we shouldn't' for an answer!" Jack answered as he followed Erica into the kitchen. "Make yourselves at home. Dinner'll be in about half an hour. Feel free to use the Head to get clean!"

Enjoying their final meal together before going their separate ways, Jack kept the mood up by telling embarrassing stories that he hadn't gotten around to telling Heather yet about their lives back in Pittsburgh.

"So anyway," Jack said between laughs, "I'm banging on the door, saying we need to get moving, and he flings the door open, wearing nothing but a sheet, tells me to come back in ten minutes, and slams the door in my face! So I yell at him..."

"If you're done that quick, you really should see a doctor about it!" Richard said along with him as he shook his head in shame. "God, Jack! You're never gonna let me live that down, are you? It's your fault anyway! Dragging me to Doug's Dad's place! At nineteen! You are a bad influence on me!"

Fisting him in the ribs gently, Heather looked at him in mock anger. "Makes me wonder about poor Erica! What stories she doesn't know about Jack!"

"Ah! I got no stories like that!" Jack almost blushed. "Never could get a girl to take me serious! Not that I didn't look!"

"Ugh!" Erica groaned. "I do not want to know!"

Finishing the casserole as Jack kept them entertained, the two couples split into their separate rooms that evening, finally getting to bed by eleven. The next morning was a flurry of activity. Re-packing after laundering Richard and Heather's clothes from the previous day, Jack saw to it they were ready and at the airport by eight-fifteen.

After the four went through the lax security, Jack and Erica walked the two to their gate, still laughing and trying to keep their feelings at bay until the last minute. When the call came announcing the boarding of their flight, their moods shifted; the fun and laughter finally giving way to the seriousness of their parting. They got up and started heading toward the gate slowly, none wanting their years together to finally come to an end.

Richard wrapped his arms around his sister as she started to sob. "I'll miss you, kiddo! Seems like just yesterday we were doing this out in front of the house in Pittsburgh!"

"I... I know!" she cried. Wiping her eyes as she stepped back, she shook her head. "Seems like we're always saying goodbye!"

"It won't be long until November!" he pointed out. "I can't wait to see you!"

Nodding, Erica wiped her eyes again before hugging him once more, this time more fiercely. "November! You take care, Richie!"

Meanwhile, Jack and Heather hugged almost as tightly.

"Jack, I... I don't ever think I'll ever be able to tell you just how wonderful a man you are!" Heather intoned, keeping her emotions in check. "I owe you for the love of my life! If you ever need anything, you need only ask! You and your family will always have a place in our home!"

Sighing at what might have been, but glad of how things had turned out, Jack shook his head with a smile. "I still don't know what you see in that muscle-headed brother-in-law of mine, but I'm glad you make each other happy! I'm sure gonna miss you two! Who else can I bum rides off of?"

Heather laughed as they separated. "I love you, Jack! I really do!"

"So dump this creep and run off with me!" he joked, only to have Erica slap him in the arm. "Ouch! I was only kidding, love!"

"Not even funny!" she growled at him as they switched places. Hugging her future sister-in-law, Erica almost started crying all over again. "You have a good flight!" she sniffed as she tried not to cry. "Call us when you get in?"

"We will!" Heather promised. "And you take good care of Jack! He's going to need you more now than he'll ever admit."

"I know." Erica nodded as they separated. "I'll take care of him, and you keep Richie out of trouble!"

"I think that will be easier without Jack around!" she stated with a feigned serious tone and a faint smile on her face, making Erica laugh.

While his wife and Heather hugged and talked, Jack stuck his hand out to Richard. "Well, figures! After all this time you're finally getting rid of me! I knew you were just a fair-weather friend!"

Grabbing Jack's hand, Richard yanked him into a hug. "Jerk!" he said as they slapped each other on the back. Feeling the tears edge into the corners of his eyes, he shook off the feeling and laughed. "You always told me I needed you! Now look at who needs who!"

Hugging him back, Jack suddenly felt the same as the day Wendy broke his heart. "You still need me, muscle-head!" He paused a moment before adding in almost a whisper, "And I always needed you, Rich!" Pulling apart before he started to actually cry, he stepped back and wiped his eyes. "Aww! Now look what you've gone and done, Rich! You've made me get all misty!"

"Softy!" he needled his friend as he pushed on Jack's shoulder.

"Jock!" Jack shot back with a shove.

"Dork!" Richard fisted him in the ribs.

"Jarhead!" he countered with a jab toward Richard's gut.

"Leatherneck!" he joked as he grabbed Jack's fist and pulled him into another quick hug. "Love you, man!"

"You too, Rich!" Jack said before stepping back again and putting an arm around Erica, her arms wrapping around his waist.

Mimicking the other two, one arm around Heather and backing toward the gate, Richard looked sadly at his best friend and his sister. "Take good care of Brooke, Jack. Tell her we'll see her in November!" Right before turning to the boarding ramp, he tossed a sloppy salute to Jack. "Catch you 'round Jack! Try to keep out of trouble! I might not be around to get you out of it next time!"

After Jack and Erica watched them board their flight, they stayed until the plane pulled away from the terminal, holding each other as Jack kept his tears at bay through strict discipline while Erica freely cried for them both.

"It's alright." Jack consoled her as they turned to leave the concourse. "The wedding in November will be here sooner than you think!"

"I know!" Erica said, trying to dry her tears. "I just miss them already!" She looked at Jack's stoic countenance. "And you don't fool me, mister! I know you miss them already, too!"

"Yeah, I do." he sighed as they walked through the airport and back to their car. Letting the silence speak for him, the two walked out together feeling the sorrow of the end of one part of their lives wrap all around them like a blanket, threatening to smother them. After Jack started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, he looked over at his wife and half-smiled. "Of course, you know what this means, don't you?"

Looking over at him, Erica shook her head after wiping away her tears again. "What, what means?" she asked innocently.

"Well, with Rich and Heather getting married soon, we have a job to do!" he explained. "We need to get Brooke hooked up by November so she doesn't have to go stag to the wedding!"

She furrowed her brow at him. "Why is it so important now?"

"You know what they say about the Maid of Honor and Best Man! We need to get her hooked-up so she doesn't get any ideas about me!"

Erica burst out laughing at the ridiculous thought of Jack and Brooke. "I... I think I can only see it if you're the Maid of Honor!" she laughed.

"Oh, Ha! Ha! Very funny! Sometimes I may feel like Jack Lemon, but I am not pulling a 'Some Like it Hot'! Just forget it!"

By the time they pulled up to Jack's work, Erica was feeling a little better about things. Jack had continued to clown around until he pulled to a stop. "OK, your man needs to go and win some bread." he said before he leaned over and kissed her quickly. "And you need to get to class! I'll see you after work. Pick me up about five?"

She nodded and smiled. "You always know how to make me happy, Jack! I love you!" She leaned over and kissed him much more deeply before he got out and closed his door. Sliding over to get behind the wheel, she waved at Jack as he walked around the car and into work almost two hours late. As she pulled away from the curb, she sighed; her vaguely sad smile not wanting to leave her lips.

Weeks passed while the trio were getting used to Richard and Heather not being around. They settled into a comfortable pattern. Brooke would spend Liberty at their place, more often than not sleeping in the guest bedroom if they had a little too much fun. She also wasn't getting hit on at the base as often; Jack's warning having spread. It was nearly forgotten by August, so Brooke was taken by complete surprise when she was asked to go see her commanding officer one Friday afternoon.

Jack half-heard the pounding on their door through his sleepiness. Looking over at the clock, he stumbled out of bed. "Who in God's name could that be at nearly midnight?" he asked nobody.

"As if you didn't know." Erica yawned. "I bet you anything it's Brooke." She looked at the clock and tried to think. "She's not supposed to be here until tomorrow afternoon, though."

Opening the door in nothing but boxers, Jack strained his eyes at his intruder. "Brooke? It's late! Did they kick everyone out of The Bricks already?"

Ignoring his near nakedness and bad joke about the pending closure of the naval base, she pushed into his apartment and quickly sat on his couch. "I... I needed to talk to you right away!" she said, her voice obviously shaken.

"Well they have these things called phones you know!" Jack quipped as he closed the door and walked up to her. "You want anything? Coffee? Tea? Hard liquor? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"I couldn't use a base phone, Jack!" She looked up at him. "I'm in trouble!"

Sitting next to her, he shook his head to clear the cobwebs. "Well, whoever she is, we'll get a shotgun and make an honest woman of you!"

"Jack!" she yelled. "Be serious! I got called in for Office Hours today!"

Suddenly wide-awake and serious, he leaned forward. "What's the beef?"

"Someone anonymously filed a complaint, Jack! Article one-thirty-four!"

Jack furrowed his brow. "Adultery? Seriously? Brooke! They can't make it stick! They'd have to have photos or a confession that say we did something that I'm damn sure we've never done or confessed to! Besides, they'd never even bother unle..." He looked at her seriously. "What're the other charges?"

"Cohabitation." she replied. "He... or whoever it is, knows I've stayed here a bunch of times! The CO said that the person filing the complaint threatened that unless something is done about it, they'll take the story to the papers! That sets the second and third points of evidence, Jack!"

"They can't prove the first though, Brooke!" he said, standing and pacing the room. "Without that, they can't make anything stick! They can search this apartment top to bottom and they're not going to find anything of yours!"

Shaking her head, she closed her eyes. "Sit down, Jack! You're making me more nervous!" When he'd done so, she let out a worried breath. "The CO told me he knows they can't prove anything, but the rumor mill is so full of talk about us two seeing each other behind Erica's back that he ordered me to stop seeing you and accept counseling because it was hurting moral! If I violate that, or refuse, they can Court Martial me for defying orders!"

"What can we do to help?" Erica asked as she came into the room.

Jack waved her away. "It's fine, honey. I just need to think for a minute."

Refusing to accept his dismissal, Erica persisted. "I don't know much about the military, but... I mean, can't I like, sign an affidavit or something saying that every time you stayed here that I was here and you two were nowhere near each other? I mean, they can't stop you two from being friends based on a rumor, can they?"

"That might work, Brooke." he pointed out, suddenly hopeful. "If we go to the Old Man and tell him how it is, that we never actually dated and I was just helping you keep the guys away, he'll have to drop it. He knows he can't ask you why you didn't want to date any guys!"

Sighing, Brooke nodded. "Yeah, but it also means that the ruse is finished. I'll have to do my last thirteen months without you keeping the flies off me! Everyone who's been laying low will be right back on me again!"

"Can't do anything about that now, Brooke." he pointed out. "I'll call Monday morning. It has to be done." Jack stood and headed for the door before he stopped. "Well, there's one alternative."

"What?" Brooke looked at him hopefully.

"You can follow orders." he stated simply. "Take the counseling and stop coming over."

"Jack!" Erica cried. "She can't do that! You're her best friend!"

Shaking her head, Brooke looked at Jack resignedly. "Besides, it wouldn't make any difference. If I give in, it'll go on my record and the guys will be on me anyway. No, she's right, Jack. My only hope now is you two."

He nodded in acceptance and resumed his walk to the door. "In the mean time, you need to get out of here. Go back to The Bricks and tough it out 'till Monday."

Brooke walked over to the open door and hugged him as Erica looked on. "Thank you, Jack! You're the best friend anyone could ever have!"