Please read the author’s notes above – it explains the out-of-sync!
Chapter 7
Joyce put the phone down from speaking to her mother; she was smiling.
“It’s all arranged.” She said, going into the den.
“What’s that love?” Hank looked up from the adding machine, checking some figures.
“I’ll drive to Pasadena on Thursday, and you come on Sunday morning, will that be ok? – You do have Monday off, don’t you?”
“Yup…how is Grace?”
“She’s fine”
“And Tom?”
“I think she said that his arthritis is playing him up…but he won’t quit riding the horses everyday”
“Keeps him young” Hank said, smiling.
Buffy was showing William some photographs.
“That’s Nana Grace, she’s mommy’s mommy” William could see a photo of a lady with blonde/grey hair, smiling.
“She looks nice, kind, she’s got a smiley face” William said, then pointed to a man standing next to nana Grace, he had on a red shirt and jeans, he had grey hair and was wearing glasses, he was wearing a cowboy hat.
“Is that your granddad?”
“No, that’s Tom, Gramps died when I was a baby…I don’t remember him, I was too little…that’s Tom, he helps with the horses, nana has 17 horses on the ranch.”
“That’s mommy when she was young…mom…mommy” Buffy called.
“Yes honey?”
“How old were you in this picture?” Buffy held it up, Joyce smiled, she was standing next to the corral, in the background you could see the San Gabriel mountains. She was wearing tight jeans, a pale blue chequered shirt and cowboy boots, her long hair tied back into a loose ponytail; she’d just met Hank about six months previously, and had taken him home to meet her folks.
“I was 22, and had just met your daddy, we’d come home on vacation; we’d just finished university, it was 1982…see that man on the horse?” Both children nodded.
“Well, that was my daddy, and the man next to him, that’s Tom”
***********************
Thursday, mid-afternoon.
“And this, is William, who is a source of great joy and love to us…aren’t you love?” Joyce said, pulling him into a sideways hug and kissed the top of his head.
“Hello William, I’m very pleased to meet you” Grace said, smiling at him. William reached up and kissed her cheek, she felt very soft and she smelt like flowers.
“Hello, can I call you nana please?” Smiling and ruffling his hair, she then gently cupped his cheek and said,
“You certainly can my darling, now, would you like some tea, and something to eat?” Still cupping his cheek, looking into his beautiful blue eyes and smiled broadly at him.
“Yes please!” William said eagerly.
“And you Buffy”
“Oh yes!”
“Please” Prompted William
“Please!” Buffy said. The adults smiled.
“Please mom, we’re starving!” Joyce said. Buffy pulled William outside to look at the chickens and the rabbits they kept.
“He’s a fine young lad, beautiful manners, and has the most gorgeous blue eyes I’ve ever seen” Grace said.
“Hasn’t he – and I’ll tell you this, he’s the absolute love of Buffy’s life…she’s MY William this, and MY William that, she never let’s go of his hand, and she’s forever kissing him…he doesn’t object though, and protective…you have to see it to believe it, they’re each other’s shadow!”
“Ah, that’s so sweet” Grace smiled at her daughter.
“You should have seen them at the hearing in the family court, hugging and saying ‘I love you’ and ‘please let him stay with us’, she was petrified he was going to be taken away…I shudder to think what would have happened if there had been a hitch, I swear we’d have had to either broken the law and kept him regardless, or put her into care with him!”
“Did you have a good holiday?”
“Oh mom, it was just the best…they were truly little angels, not an ‘ap’orth of trouble from either of them, they were just perfect, I’ve bought a couple of video’s for you to see”
Grace poured tea, and put on some eggs to boil. Just then, Tom came in with the children; he was listening to Buffy talk. She, as usual was holding William by the hand, talking away ten to the dozen.
“Is that so…well!” he looked up, smiled, leaned over and kissed Joyce on the cheek.
“Joyce, lovely to see you!”
“And you Tom” she gently squeezed his hand too. She thought how well he looked, if a little leaner, and said as much to him.
“Yes!” Tom patted his stomach.
“Doctors orders, I’m afraid, the old arthritis in the hip…mind you, I suppose the horses are grateful for the weight I’ve lost! Trouble is, I have to pass on Grace’s fine baking, her chocolate fudge brownies though, are my one vice! Anyway, young Buffy here informs me that this is ‘her’ William, and they’re going to get married when they’re old enough!” Everyone smiled. Tom had his hands on the children’s shoulders.
“I hope you like boiled eggs, William” Grace asked, fishing the eggs out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon, and dropping them into carved wooden egg-cups.
“Hmm, yes I do, thankyou” he nodded.
“Good lad, well, take him upstairs Buffy, and you both wash your hands, then we can have tea, ok?”
“Come on William, I’ll show you” Buffy said, gently pulling William off towards the stairs. They went off.
“Fine boy” Tom said, to Joyce smiling.
“Yes. I was just telling mom…it was such a shame about his parents…” She went on to explain.
“Oh, that’s mighty sad…but I always say, god moves in mysterious ways…these things happen for a reason…and he couldn’t have a more loving family…Buffy plain dotes on him!”
They came downstairs, and Joyce helped them to the table, where nana Grace served them a big speckled brown boiled egg apiece. They had bread and butter, then cake and some of Grace’s famous chocolate fudge brownies.
Tom made the children laugh when he ‘sneaked’ an extra brownie, winking and making the children keep it secret, by holding his finger to his lips and winking at them! But Grace wasn’t daft, and playing him up, she winked at the children, and put her hands on her hips and said,
“Well, I think we must have a really big mouse round here somewhere…I could have sworn I put four brownies on that plate!” The children giggled, but didn’t give Tom away.
“Have you ever been on a horse, William?” Tom asked.
“No…they look very big…it would be a bit scary, I think”
“Well, we’ve got special saddles, and I promise you, you wouldn’t fall off, so if you want to ride, we’ll see about it tomorrow, ok?”
“Yes thankyou”
“Good lad!”
Out side the chickens clucked and flapped a little, and the cock crowed. A large calico cat came padding into the kitchen from outside.
“Golly, that’s a big cat!” William said. It was true, Onion, was very big, for a cat, and also very old, he was nearly 15.
“Hello Onion!” Joyce hauled the cat onto her lap, scratched him behind his ear, and then tickled his tummy. He purred like an outboard motor. William giggled at the name.
“That’s a funny name for a cat!”
“Isn’t it! But, that’s where we found him, as a kitten. He was on a net of onions outside in the shed. His sister, Dixie was in the old cooking cauldron. She died a few years ago now.
“When I lived in England, I had a cat called Sooty…she was all black, but had two white paws at the front”
“Have you had enough to eat love?” Joyce asked
“Yes thanks” he yawned, Buffy did too.
“Well, come on then, I know it’s early, but you’re tired…let’s get you off to bed, come on, say goodnight” Both children kissed nana, Buffy kissed Tom’s cheek, and he hugged William, Joyce took them upstairs. All the bedroom doors had been closed, and Joyce saw the children’s faces light up when they saw they had bunk beds to sleep in.
“I want to sleep at the top!” Buffy said. William automatically sat on the bottom bunk.
“You can take it in turns, William can sleep up there tomorrow, is that ok by you love?” She cupped his face.
“Fine” William nodded, yawned again, and began to get undressed.
When Joyce looked in on them before she turned in herself a couple of hours later, she showed her mother the scene. Buffy had decided that sleeping on top wasn’t such a big deal after all, and had crawled in with William. Grace smiled.
Tom said ‘goodnight’ and went into his own room.
“Will you ever marry Tom, do you think mom?” Joyce asked. Grace smiled, looked down twisting her apron.
“He asked me again last month, on his birthday…I don’t know. Your daddy and I had nearly 34 years of happy marriage behind us…and Tom, well, Tom’s always been there, in the background…he kept this place going when your father died, and when I was sick…I wouldn’t know what to do if he left…but marriage?”
“Mom, daddy’s been dead now for 6 years…he always thought of Tom like a brother, AND I know he’d be happy for you…and I know it’s not love’s young dream, but it’s companionship…and friendship”
“But we already have that, and when he retires, he would still live here, he knows that…”
“Well…think of him as somebody to warm your cold feet on!”
“Joyce!” They both smiled.
“You DO love him, I know that”
“Yes…but it’s a different kind of love to what your father and I …”
“I know that mom…like I said, I know it’s not loves young dream, but think about it, please”
“Has he said anything to you?
“No, honestly”
“And you wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course not, in fact, I’d be overjoyed”
“Really?”
“Of course really, heck mom, Tom’s been here longer than I have, I always called him uncle when I was a kid…seriously mom, please think about it”
“Well, I will, if you’re sure you won’t have any objections…but-“
“And I know what you’re going to say, Susan. Take no notice of my darling sister , you know what’s she’s like…”
“Well, she did think he was after my money, until I told her that Tom’s always been half owner of this place since we started, told her, it was Tom’s money that bought the first four horses, and set up the riding school.”
“What did she say to that?”
“Well, nothing…I didn’t give her the chance…”
“Don’t you let her talk you out of it mom, you marry Tom, take no notice. She didn’t approve of Hank when she first met him…”
“That’s true” Joyce yawned.
“I just wish………” Grace began
“Wish what, mom?”
Grace sighed
“I just wish Susan wasn’t the way she is with people…you especially – I used to blame myself for how she is………”
“Why – that’s ridiculous mom – how could it possibly be your fault she’s like she is?” Joyce asked incredulously.
“Well…don’t forget, I was 44 when I had you – you were a big surprise to me and your daddy – we’d been trying for another baby - then sort of gave up a few years after nothing happened…then suddenly after years of forgetting about having another child, I found out I was pregnant with you – we were worried at first, your daddy and I but, when the doctor said I was fit and healthy, and he saw no problems for us, we were overjoyed…then we broke the news to Susan…remember, she’d been on her own for ten years – 10 years of being an only child and the centre of attention………”
“Well mom, all as I can say is, she’s had thirty years now to get used to me being on this earth, and if she ain’t over her jealousy now, then she never will be – ohhhhhheugh! (she yawned) Excuse me! The travelling has got the better of me…tell me, does Monty still crow at dawn?”
“That’s not Monty…we had to pension him off…that’s Custer we’ve got now, and yes, 6.03am, he’ll crow” They both smiled at one another.
“G’night mom!”
“Night love”
Following morning.
“There you go…now, I’ll just step back, and let him trot round on the leash……….there you go, young William, you’re riding!” William smiled, concentrated on holding onto the reins as Tom had showed him.
He relaxed when he realised he wasn’t going to fall off, and began to enjoy himself enormously! Buffy thought she’d burst with pride.
“Isn’t my William so big and brave!” She smiled up at her nana, and jigged up and down.
“He sure is honey!” Nana Grace said smiling, stroking Buffy’s hair. After five minutes, Tom helped William off the pony, and he came striding back to Buffy.
“Oh William, you were brilliant!” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him! William hugged her and grinned.
“Was I?”
“Oh yes, wasn’t he mommy, nana, Tom?” She looked at them in turn for confirmation as to what she’d just said. They all agreed and William glowed. One of the ‘hands’ came and spoke to Tom, and he said to the children,
“Do you want to see where we train the horses and make them better when they’ve hurt themselves?”
They said they did, and Tom took them to a special pool, where the horses swam to strengthen muscles. They watched as a horse was lowered into the water, it came up to chest height in the water, and then a treadmill machine was switched on and the horse began to paddle and swim. Tom explained to them.
After that they went in for some lunch, and nana Grace said that she’d got a special announcement to make that evening at dinner.
So, after a delicious dinner of nana’s special fried chicken, Grace stood and said she’d like to say a few words.
Tom looked up, thinking it was something to do with welcoming young William into the family. Which is what nana did. Tom went to stand, and Grace then said,
“And I have just one more thing to say,” So Tom sat.
“Last month, Tom asked me to marry him, again, I hasten to add, and I said I’d think about it, well, I have thought about it, and after a talk with my daughter, I’ve decided, Tom, if the offer still stands, then the answer, is yes, I’d love to marry you” Tom sat there stunned for a few seconds, then he jumped up and hugged Grace so tight, kissed her cheek.
“Oh Grace! – You do really mean it?”
“Yes Tom, I really mean it!” he hugged her, squeezing his eyes shut.
“You’ve made me the happiest man in the world! Joyce hugged them both, then Buffy and William. Joyce wiped her eyes, so did Tom and Grace. Grace knew she’d made the right decision, and she was glad of the little nudge that Joyce had given her.
“You won’t regret it, Grace, I’ll make you happy!” Tom turned to Joyce, and said,
“You have no objections?”
“Me? Totally on your side, gave her a nudge last night, told her, she was lucky to have you!” Tom hugged Joyce again. Buffy looked up at her grandmother and said,
“Nana…can I be bridesmaid?” Grace smiled, and cupped Buffy’s little face.
“Yes my darling, and William can be…”
“William can be my best man!” Tom said. William beamed.
“Good! Coz I didn’t fancy being a bridesmaid!” William said, grinning. Everybody was in fits of giggles.
“Knock, knock!” They all looked up, to Joyce’s surprise and delight, there stood her husband.
“DADDY!” Buffy shouted, and ran to him, pulling him into the kitchen.
“Nana and Tom are getting married and I’m going to be bridesmaid…not William though, he’s going to be the best one or something!” Everything was explained as Hank sat down for coffee.
“So, we’ve taken on two extra staff, and so, da-da! Yours truly can have a nice long weekend with you all!”
“Glad you came, son” Grace said, patting his shoulder, and putting a plateful of her fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy in front of him.
“Wow…look at this, worth driving the 120 miles for!” Hank said, tucking in. Grace smiled.
“Daddy, my William’s been riding, he was SO clever and brave, and he wasn’t scared and he didn’t fall off!” Buffy said. Tom and Grace smiled, at the ‘my’ William bit
“Did you now, well that’s very good son, I’m proud of you!” Hank winked at him, and William grinned.
“We saw the horses with the poorly legs go swimming, didn’t we Buffy?” William said. She nodded, leaning over the table, she reached for William’s hand.
“Come on…let’s watch TV now”
“Ok…glad you came here early daddy” William said. Hank hugged his son on the way past, and the two children went into the lounge.
“I’m so proud of that lad he’s terrific, a sheer joy, one of the best things we did isn’t it love, adopting him!” Hank said. He sat back, wiped his mouth.
“Oh yes” Joyce said.
“He is a lovely lad, and Buffy…” Grace began.
“Absolutely worships him, she loves the very bones of him she does!” Joyce said, smiling.
The following day, Joyce and Hank went for a ride with Tom. Grace didn’t ride anymore, not since her fall in 1997.
“So Tom, have you thought about a date yet?”
“Well, it’s early days, but I was hoping for around Thanksgiving…seems silly to wait, especially at our time of life. Um, thankyou for approving, I think she was a bit worried”
“Well, I told her, I’m very happy for you, both of you, I know Daddy would have approved too.”
“Like a brother to me, Dan was…this is the only family I’ve ever known. Do you think Susan will approve?”
“I’d worry if she did! No seriously, you take no notice of Susan…if you remember rightly, she said that Hank and I wouldn’t last five minutes, and here we are, 9 years down the line…”
“Personally, I think she’s bitter because she can’t have children” Hank said.
“Actually…even mom doesn’t know this, but she had an abortion when she was 17…I don’t know if something went wrong or…what. Anyway, like a say, don’t tell mom, I found out by accident, the day she came back from the doctors, I was coming up the stairs, and I could hear her arguing over the phone”
“Who’s was it? – Not Chuck’s”
“No. His best friend actually, I don’t know if you met him…he joined up not long after…oh, I’m trying to remember his name…Joe! That’s it, Joe Upton, we used to call him GI Joe, that’s it” Joyce said. The horses were walking along at a steady pace, there was no rush.
“Did Chuck know?”
“I doubt it, he got a bit upset with her as she wouldn’t write to Joe when he was away, but I think she got a friend to instead, made an excuse that it wasn’t ‘proper’ to write to another man while she was dating his best friend or something.”
“I never knew that…well, she needn’t come all ‘high and mighty’ over me now I now things about her!”
“Hank!”
“Well…woman gets on my nerves” Hank reasoned.
“Look at the time she practically slept across the doorway in your room, we were three weeks from getting married!” Hank said.
“Well, I suppose…I don’t know…” Joyce shrugged.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
My computer had, what i can only describe as a mechanical 'brainfart' - and lost this chapter...i was going to leave it out, but had promised a wedding, so - when i found it again, it's now slightly time-line out of sync, and should have been straight after the adoption chapter - so please forgive me - better late than never, huh? Enjoy