Opossum Project 1

Greatest Stories Live / Harry Chapin













The alarm sounded interrupting Ally’s thoughts before she had reached the point of forcing herself to ignore them. Jack groaned as she reached to shut the incessant ringing off.



“Ten minutes.” Jack mumbled rolling over completely.


Ally smiled as she grabbed what she was going to wear and headed toward the shower. She was too cold to think about running, she could go to the track later. There would certainly be time and the gym at the agency would be empty on a Friday afternoon. It should be a leisurely day.


Along with their other partner, Harry, they had the day off. The night before, Ally and Jack had driven Harry and his significant other, Paul, to Logan for a weekend trip to Minneapolis for Harry’s sister’s wedding. At 11:30 that morning, Ally had a follow-up doctor’s appointment scheduled. A couple of weeks ago on assignment she had dislocated her shoulder. She was sure it was, as it felt, and the original x-rays indicated, perfectly fine. Still, it had been recommended she get one final confirmation. Frank Butler, their boss at the Agency had ordered Jack to go with her as a witness. Ally had been indignant when Frank suggested they both take the day, feigning insult that Frank thought she might lie about her prognosis. In fact, she had considered canceling the appointment and doing just that. Jack would never allow it.


At six, they would need to be back at Logan International Airport to meet Jack’s brother, Thomas Hernandez. He had called the week before with the surprising news that he had been awarded a grant and was coming for several months. The details of the whole arrangement were still a little fuzzy for Ally.


Mostly she heard Jack’s rantings, questioning why his brother had waited for the grant to be awarded, rather than calling earlier with the news that he might be coming to Boston. If Jack wasn’t complaining about his brother’s lack of communication, then he was raving as to why his brother could choose to live in the grant provided living quarters rather than share the house in town that Jack had inherited from their aunt. That Thom has agreed to spend the weekend at the house before officially starting had been little consolation until Ally refused to stay the night during in his brother’s visit. That she then refused to accept Jack would stay with her for the duration as well, had put a whole different perspective on the weekend, with Jack’s complaints about the duration of his brother’s stay less vehement.


Since the plan was they would all have dinner together that evening, Ally figured her lack of knowledge about what Thom did could at least provide something to talk about. Though as curious as she was about Jack’s family, she was a little intimidated at the thought of meeting one of his six siblings.






“Are you all set?” Jack asked, coming into the living room where Ally was curled on the sofa reading. Ally jumped, she hadn’t bothered to wake him after her shower knowing they still had plenty of time before her doctor’s appointment and she hadn’t heard him get up. “Sorry. I thought you’d heard me.” Jack sat down next to her and rubbed her knee. “I was thinking we might get a real breakfast before the doctor. What do you say?”


“Sounds good.” Ally nodded, putting aside the book immediately, and raising to get her coat. Jack smiled, knowing that Ally would almost never refuse food.


“Did you run?” Jack stood and reached for his own jacket, since Ally was now standing waiting at the door like an expectant puppy.


“Too cold. I was thinking after we got this stupid appointment over with, I’d go in and run at work. I think I’ve got plenty of time before we have to be at the airport, which reminds me, what was the name of that school again?”


“Quincy Academy, I think.” Jack answered knowing she was referring to the school where his brother said he would be staying.


“I was wondering if we could find it online?”


“I’ll see what I can dig up while you run.” Jack followed her out of the apartment, locking the door with his keys.


It was a silly thing, but he took great pleasure in having keys to Ally’s apartment. He viewed Ally as skittish, although he had learned that she had legitimate reasons. When she left him a spare key to her apartment and accepted his own without comment, it was like getting a puppy on Christmas morning. A gift that was not only warm, fuzzy, and undeniably affectionate, but also involved a level of trust and responsibility, that gave him great pride.


“You don’t really have to go to the doctor’s with me.” Ally offered yet again, trying to sound innocently accommodating.


“Sweetheart, I wouldn’t want you to have to go all by yourself.” Jack answered in kind, draping an arm around her shoulder as they walked into the crisp morning air. She scowled as he smirked, but didn’t try again.