Chapter 22 - Samuel Chooses Carter
At twenty one, Samuel asked about surname.
He had always been Samuel Thomas Carter.
Brendan never litigated.
Now adult.
“Dad asked if I ever want Vale added.”
I stiffened.
Then stopped.
“What do you want?”
“I don’t know.”
He liked both.
Carter connected me and Grandpa.
Vale connected father.
Also Diane/Charles history.
A surname not guilty.
He considered hyphen.
Carter Vale.
Then decided no legal change.
“Too much paperwork.”
Very healthy.
But he used Samuel Carter Vale professionally sometimes? No, keep official Carter.
Then Brendan said:
“I’m okay.”
I believed.
He had learned parent does not own name.
Then Samuel graduated engineering.
No military.
Worked aerospace compliance ironically.
I laughed.
“Of all fields.”
He said:
“I like rules.”
Good.
He knew family history but company background checks okay. No issue.
Then he met partner Emily. Could be woman. Fine.
Eventually married.
Diane had died.
Dad died.
At wedding, Brendan and Nicole.
Me.
No family enemies.
Samuel asked both parents to stand when he entered.
No giving away.
Then reception.
Someone joked:
“Hope no helicopters.”
Samuel glared.
That person apologized.
Good.
Then I danced with Brendan once.
Not romantic.
Parents.
He said:
“We did one thing right.”
“Samuel?”
“Yes.”
“Eventually.”
We laughed.
Then:
“Do you ever think about that night?”
“Sometimes.”
“Me too.”
Then:
“I thought I was the target.”
“You behaved like one.”
He laughed painfully.
Then:
“I’m glad I wasn’t.”
“Me too.”
Then one more thing.
Brendan had never met General Carter as father in law during marriage because identity secret. He did after.
He said:
“I wish I had known.”
“Would it have changed how you treated me?”
He was silent.
Then:
“Probably.”
That answer hurt.
He continued:
“That is why I’m glad I didn’t.”
I looked.
“If I needed your father’s rank to respect you, I didn’t respect you.”
Exactly.
Then Samuel's future.
He and Emily had a daughter later.
Grace.
No military legacy pressure.
Brendan became grandfather.
Me grandmother.
Different.
Then one night newborn Grace screamed.
Brendan held.
He handed to Samuel when overwhelmed.
No anger.
Generational change.
Then I thought Diane.
She would have wanted to see.
But she was gone.
May you like
No need ghost.
Continue to the next part: Samuel keeps the Carter name by choice, while Brendan finally admits that if General Carter’s rank would have changed his behavior, then the problem had always been his own lack of respect.
