Chapter 47: Graduation Visit

Rick asked as he pulled his duffle bag from the backseat before stepping out of the car. Annette was already out, pulling her phone from her pocket and checking a message she just got.

“The Roberts across the streets.” She answered non-chalantly then frowned when she was done reading the text. She quickly typed an answer.

He went around the vehicle and saw her unhappy look. “Something’s wrong?”

Annette closed her flip phone and put it back in her pocket. “Sherry texted saying she would be late. She’s planning the afternoon at the mall with a few friends.”

“That’s good and yet you’re not happy about it.” He remarked then a thought crossed his mind. “Is it because you’d have to spend more time with me alone? I assure you, I won’t make any move on you despite how much of a knockout you are.” He winked at her and began to walk to the front door.

The dark haired woman snorted at how bold his statement was. “I’m almost old enough to be your mother.” She walked behind him on the paved ground, her hands searching for the proper key to the door.

“Then I’d call you ‘mommy’,” Rick shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t judge people and their fetishes.”

Annette snorted again but this time shook her head. “Young men really only have sex on their mind.”

She stepped in front of him and inserted the key to the lock. Rick looked around. It didn’t surprise him that the government would settle Annette and Sherry in a suburban area inside a perfectly clichée two stories house. The only thing missing was the white picked fence, a dog and the husband. Everything looked so average, no one would think twice about it. No one would think that the mother and daughter living here were under witness protection, that the former was a monster who helped in the creation of the most dangerous bio-engineered virus in the World, while the other possessed extraordinary abilities.

‘Give it to the Secret Service or whatever, they know how to hide in plain sight perfectly.’

Annette invited him inside. It looked as cozy as one would except for such a house. The fact it actually looked and felt like a home was proof of the repaired relationship Annette and Sherry had. There were plenty of pictures of the two together pretty much everywhere. It told quite the story. While the most recent pictures had the two of them smiling genuinely and a lot, the oldest were quite different. Sherry’s smile was small and Annette didn’t even bother with it.

“Come, let me show you around.”

Annette had dropped her keys in a bowl at the entrance and led him to the stairs. She went straight to the point and to the guest room. Rick had to admit it was inviting. The small desk made him think that the space was arranged for a student and not an adult. Further proof of that was how small the bed was. With the space needed for his head, Rick will have quite a bit of his legs out of the mattress.

“I… didn’t think of that.” Annette finally realized the issue at hand.

He raised a hand to reassure her. “That’s alright. It’s not the first bed I’m too big for. You welcomed me into your home despite our past relationship. I’d say that's more than enough.”

Annette tilted her head to the side in confusion. “It’s not like our relationship had been bad to begin with?”

“I remember tearing you a new one in Nest.” One of Rick’s eye brow rose in a mix of disbelief and consternation.

It made her frown. “I never saw it like that. I always thought it was more of a wake up call than anything. I’m thankful for it, really.”

Rick was tempted to joke about her being a masochist in a suggestive way but refrained. He had pushed already quite a bit earlier and he felt like he would cross a line if he continued.

“What’s the plan for the celebration? I understood her graduation was tomorrow?” He asked, putting his bag on the bed and began to empty it.

“There is a small party at one of her friends. The posh kind. Big house, big pool…” She began talking in a bored tone.

“Big importance in appearance and probably big frauds, hm?”

Annette grinned evilly. She really liked how the young man could quickly come to the most logical conclusion. “Yes. Whathisname is a business man working in… Whatever. He and his wife like to flaunt his wealth and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d get arrested for embezzlement or something along those lines.”

“What after the party? Do you have your own plan for you and Sherry?”

“Next week.” She pointed at a shelf so Rick could store his clothes. His military uniform wasn't something she missed but didn’t comment on it. “We’re spending a few days at Disney World. She always wanted to go there. Now that we have more freedom to move I believe it was time to bring her there.”

Rick smiled as a picture came to his mind. “Better send me pictures of her in a princess dress. I’ll never let her live it down.”

“Oh, I can do that.” Annette chuckled. “Otherwise, her schedule is free while you’re here.”

Once he was done unpacking, Annette finished the quick tour of the house. Pointing out where Sherry's and her bedrooms and the bathroom were. On the first floor, he wasn’t surprised to see she had a small lab installed with rudimentary equipment.

“With all the time I have on my hands I started gardening and of course I got interested in maximizing the production of flowers and vegetables so I began to study the different fertilizers on the market. Which worked the best, which was the least damaging to the plants then began to try to make my own.”

Rick couldn’t quite tell how she was feeling about it. Annette seemed both interested and bored at the same time. “I guess you can’t beat the nerd out of someone.”

“You can’t, no. Biology has been my first love ever since I was a child. It’s part of me now.”

“Why the focus on viruses? And eugenism?” He was curious about that. Annette, for all intent and purposes, was a brilliant woman. He couldn’t reconcile the fact she adhered to the eugenics ideology.

She sighed and made her way toward the kitchen. “That’s partly my parents’ fault. They were… perfectionists should I say. Always striving to do better, to be the best, to redefine limits and boundaries. I wanted to advance the human race. For humanity to not be so vulnerable to diseases, so weak.” She took two mugs from a shelf and poured some hot coffee in it.

Rick took the offered mug. “And you can’t push the limits or make things stronger with anything but the crop of the crop. I suppose viruses were a way to bring everyone up?”

“Yes.” Annette held hers in both hands and sat down at the table. “The T-Virus displayed accelerated growth of organisms and offered a higher resistance to many things. G… offered an exceptional adaptability through mutation and a greater fertility. Unfortunately, Umbrella was more interested in weaponizing the viruses. Then the dead lines, the money, the prestige and most of all the complete absence of consequences… It makes you lose your objective and put it out of sight.”

“I’m home!!!”

The voice of a young woman came from the entrance. Rick and Annette exchanged a glance that quickly turned complicit.

“In the kitchen, sweetie!” Annette shot back. “Moment of truth.”

Rick could hear the light but hurried footsteps of his teenage friend. Taking a more relaxed position, by seating forward and crossing his legs with his mug in hand, he was waiting to see the utter shock on Sherry’s face.

“What’s so urgent that—”

Sherry appeared at the kitchen’s door frame and froze when her eyes landed on Rick who was smiling gently. He had to say she looked even more beautiful than her mother. If Annette was a knockout, Sherry was utterly gorgeous. Not very tall but her body was proportioned perfectly. Her long blonde hair was neatly styled into a thick braid that was resting over her shoulder and onto her chest. It reminded him of Annette’s own hair style when he had met her all those years ago.

Without looking away from Sherry he spoke to her mother. “Her expression is price—”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. Sherry had run and jumped him for a hug. So strongly that the chair fell backward with the both of them.

“You’re here!” the teenager squealed in delight, while strangling him with her arms.

Rick struggled to say a few words. “Not for long… if you keep choking…”

Sherry immediately relaxed her grip and pulled back in a mix of apologetic and guilty expression. “Oh, shit!”

“Language!”

The teenager snapped at her Annette. “I’m 18, mom! I swear if I want to!”

“How about you let me get up? It’s very uncomfortable.” Rick asked and gently pushed his friend to the side who quickly moved on her own.

“Sorry! I was just… What are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you! I am but…” Sherry was on her feet and landing a hand to Rick.

He took it but got on his own feet on his own. There was no way Sherry would be able to pull him up. “It’s your graduation tomorrow, no? You really thought I would miss it?” His chair was pulled back up.

Sherry immediately turned to her mother with narrowed eyes. It was clear to her that Annette was more than just involved lightly.

“He contacted me three months ago and said he wanted it to be a surprise.” The woman shrugged.

The teenager let it go and chose instead to focus on Rick. Much like her mother has done at the airport she gave him a look over. “You’re huge.”

“That’s what she said.”

Sherry snorted at the lame and telegraphed joke. “Yeah, I bet.” She sat down next to him at the table. “For how long are you here?”

“Today, and tomorrow. I’m leaving back the day after. Can’t take more time off work unfortunately."

“I thought you were in the army?” She frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Discharged in January. And I’m doing a construction gig until July to help Jugs with the rent. I’m going back to Princeton for a M.D. in September. But enough about me. It’s your day and so is tomorrow so let’s focus on you.”

Without hesitation, Sherry stood up holding his hand and dragged him out of the kitchen in one swift motion. “We’ll be back for dinner, mom!”

They were almost out of the house when they heard Annette. “Bring some Pizza home!”

“Will do!” Sherry yelled back the turned to Rick. “Let me show you around!”

Rick didn’t protest and never removed his hand from hers. Her joy was so infectious that it made him smile and he refused to do anything that would ruin it. He simply listened to Sherry talk about her high school life. Her e-mails were mostly about herself and what she was doing but rarely about anything else. The last he got was dated last December. Both have been relatively too busy to write so she had plenty of things to say.

How she was graduating as the valedictorian and was a bit scared of having to give a speech in front of everyone. How she was friendly with a lot of people but she never connected properly with them. Not when they were so naive and ignorant of what was out there.

Rick felt sorry for her. Had Sherry not gone through the nightmare that was Raccoon City Outbreak, she would have grown up like those kids. Or maybe not, as it would have meant her asshole of a father was still alive and her mother still a monstrous bitch. Once again he remembered something that Queen used to say and he agreed a hundred percent with. Life is a bitch.

When they passed a second store that seemed to be popular with teenagers without Sherry making any comment or sharing memories about it, Rick realized that she had dragged him away to speak with him about something she didn’t want her mother to hear. He was proven right when she led him to a small park and sat down on a bench.

“What is it?”

Sherry looked up from the ground to his eyes. “Hm?”

“Come on, Sherry. It’s obvious by now you got me away from your mother to speak about something you weren’t comfortable speaking in front of her. Is it about her new work as a teacher? The fact she’s celibate?”

“No!” She began to chuckle. “It’s not about any of this, although I am worried about her being single.”

“I think she’s scared of damaging your relationship if she starts dating. From what I saw and heard, you are her top priority.”

That made her smile softly. “I am. She’s like a whole other person now. It took time and it was difficult for her at first to be… a mother but I’m very happy with who she is and what we have.” Her smile faltered a little. “I’m worried that she won’t find happiness again once I’m gone.”

Rick chuckled, “Want me to take her on a date?”

She gasped in shock then in outrage before finally giving him a scowl. “She’s my mom!”

“And just like you, she’s beautiful.” He shrugged while biting his lips. From this she understood he was messing with her and hit him on the shoulder.

“Claire was right, you're a jerk!” Realizing what she just said, she gasped again and put her hand over her mouth as if to stop it from saying more upsetting things.

“It’s alright.” He grabbed her hand and pulled it down. “I’m not mad nor am I upset.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

“Sherry, it’s fine. Really.”

“You’re not…”

“In love with Claire anymore?” She nodded positively. “I am.” His answer was short and blunt. He looked away. “I’ll probably forever be.” A sigh escaped him. “She isn’t so it doesn't really matter. I can’t date seriously as a result but that doesn’t mean I don’t have some good times.” He winked at her.

Sherry opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out. It was clear she wanted to but somehow felt it wasn’t her place to do so.

“Now… Dating your mom aside,” He teased her and she rolled her eyes. “Or you? Not you, Roger." He added when she hit his arm with a blush on her face. “What’s on your mind?”

It took a moment for her to gather her courage but she finally spoke. “I want to work for the government. Like you and Leon do.”

The last part of her confession set him on edge. There was nothing wrong with working with the government. Plenty of jobs were good jobs and didn’t deal with corruption or state affairs. Working in the same areas Leon and he did was a whole other matter.

“Sherry…” His voice was as controlled as he could. “Do you know what Leon and I… What our jobs entail?”

Her answer was full of confidence. “You’re fighting against bio-terrorism. I… I want to do that. I want to stop people from making another Raccoon City.”

Rick sighed in surrender. “Leon is… a spy. His missions are not always about bio-terrorism. It’s… a difficult job and I don’t mean physically but emotionally. He has to do things he hates sometimes. Things that eat at you little by little until nothing is left. As for me… I’m…”

His words needed to be chosen carefully so he paused for an instant.

“I was… the terrorists’ boogey-man with my Unit. More often than not the orders were to leave no witnesses. True, it was very bad people with nefarious designs against America and most of the time it was related to B.O.W. but it’s still a violent and dangerous life, Sherry. I lost all but two members of my whole Unit back in December. People I… They were the closest thing I had to a family. It hit me hard. It still does but I’ve been ignoring it. Are you sure it’s the kind of life you want?”

“Yes. I want to help fight against what my parents worked on. I feel… responsible.”

“You’re not. We’re only responsible for the choices we make. No one else’s.”

“I know that!” She exclaimed with a bit of heat. “It still feels like it’s the case. And… Someone has to fight and I heal fast. I’ll survive where someone else would die. I don’t want other people to go through what I… What we’ve been through.”

“It will set you apart from your peers.” Rick remarked.

A scoff escaped her. “I’m already set apart from my peers. Before Raccoon or after… I never fitted in anywhere. Not until I met you and Claire and Leon.”

Rick simply nodded, accepting and understanding her. He too never felt like he belonged anywhere. Not until he joined the army and even then, beside Rachel, he never was deeply close to everyone else. They were friends, some family and he would have risked his ass for any of them but he still felt like there was a barrier between him and them because of what he was.

“Then… if you want to be a spy, I advise you to contact Leon. If you want to be more… public about your job there is the FBC or the BSAA. My ex-partner is with the former now so I could put you in contact with her if you want. As for the latter, Jugs and Claire’s brother are founding members.”

“What’s the difference between the two?” She inquired, interested in the subject.

“The FBC is… like the FBI but only taking bio-incident cases. An outbreak or bio-terrorism. They’re mainly working on US soil although for the past years they’ve been trying and succeeded to be more active outside the country. The BSAA on the other hand isn’t a governmental organization. It’s U.N. affiliated and is funded by an alliance of pharmaceutical companies. Both have pros and cons. You don’t have to have a military background to join but you do need training if you want to go on the field.”

Sherry stayed silent for a while, thinking about everything she had just heard. Rick waited patiently for her to digest all the information, ready to answer more questions if needed.

“What do you think I should do?”

He gave her a sympathetic smile. “That’s not for me to say, it’s your life.”

“You know what I mean!” she shook him as if the answers would fall from his body like apples from a tree.

“Alright, alright.” Rick sighed in surrender. “I’m biased against the government, so don’t go Leon’s route. I’m pretty sure he’d end up a cynical alcoholic at this rate. FBC is better. You have clear guidelines and the organization is accountable. You won’t have to do anything amoral. Unethical perhaps though. Honestly. I’d go with the BSAA even though I’m pretty sure they’re being paid by companies like Umbrella. Got no proof but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case. Also because I’d be worried about you on the field I’d say to join as a non-combattant.”

“Not happening.” She frowned.

“As I said, it’s your life, Sherry. It’s up to you to live it, no one else.” He stood up and offered her his hand. “Come on, let’s buy those pizzas and you can tell me all about what you and your mother like so I can be prepared when I take you girls out for a date.”

Sherry pulled on his hand to bring him down but she didn’t have the strength for it. Instead he pulled her up. She huffed in indignation with a blush on her face. “One of us isn’t enough?”

Rick laughed. “No. I’m a jerk so obviously I want both mother and daughter.”

Instead of walking by his side, she jumped on his back and hung there with her arms around his neck and legs around his waist. “You’re the worst jerk ever! But I still love you.” She pecked his cheek and squeezed him with her legs as if he was a horse.

“Careful, I might turn my head next time.”

She gave him another on the other cheek. “Then you’d turn your head. It’s just a kiss.”

“Where did my shy friend go, I wonder?”

“She grew up because of her jerk friend.”

Rick said nothing. He just smirked. As Sherry rested her head on his shoulder he walked out of the park in the direction of the pizzeria she had shown him earlier.