Re: Elliot & Luke - Cookout
Elliot got the joke and laughed along with him. "Sure. I get the honor of being able to be recalled to active duty anytime in the next ten years if they decide they need me for something. Otherwise? Not much." The military used you until they didn't need you and it was up or out. He'd played the game better than most to get where he'd been but hadn't had the desire to play it long enough to try for a General's star on his collar.
"If I'm really lucky and the Vietnam era vets running the local VFW chapter get tired of the grind I'll be volunteered for that." He made a face at that. "Office politics are even worse there than they are in the Army so that'll be a pass, thanks."
The news about the family was expected but good to hear just the same. "They do that. My daughter hadn't started crawling when I had to go on deployment, she was running and talking by the time I got home. Now she's in college, doing well and seems happy. I can't ask for more than that."" Elliot would always regret the time he'd missed from his daughter's life, which was more than he'd been around. But he was trying to be there now when she let him. "And I'd be happy to say hi to Allegra."