The Castaway Hotel - 9 - 13. Chapter 13 - Mending The Family

Wednesday evening, Marie showed up with the kids and what a jubilant time it was. Jordan and Nicky were all over everyone, since they hadn’t seen us in such a long time, and I just marveled at how much they’d grown. Megan was a little more reserved, since she had just turned four in September and overwhelmed by the number of people around her, but she was a lot bigger than I remembered too. Then, I spotted Kylie. Our newest little angel was absolutely beautiful and I immediately took her from her mother. I not only held her then, but I continued to hold her for most of the evening, even as I joked around and played with the other kids.

Once things began to quiet down, I gave each of the three older ones their presents for the birthdays I’d missed, and then I handed Marie a gift for Kylie, to welcome her into the family. Each of them thanked me, well Kylie didn’t, but her mother did for her gift. Then, we all just sat around for a while, as each of them checked out the things they’d received. Yes, even Kylie did, since I’d purchased a swing for her mother to put her in. It would rock her back and forth when Marie couldn’t and I remembered my children all enjoyed similar devices when they were little.

I can’t tell you how great it was to spend time with them and catch up on everything that had gone on since we’d last been together. Although this reunion was still not perfect, since I also missed their fathers and my daughter-in-law, but hey – it was their loss more than ours.

I also introduce Jesse to them, since none of them had met him yet, and then, for the rest of the evening, the uncles played with their nieces and nephews and got to know them again. While they were doing that, Marie, Jake and I sat and talked. Marie happily filled us in concerning all of the details about what the boys had done to their fathers, after their fathers had refused to come see us again. Although I’d told Jake some of this when I filled him in about Marie’s call, he still roared when he heard some of the things the boys had done. It was obvious they had plotted together to pull this off and I’m surprised their fathers didn’t take away their computers anyway, since that’s how they communicated and planned what they were going to do.

At various points during our conversation, Jake and I would have to excuse ourselves, as we kept our eyes on the pies we were baking for Thanksgiving dinner. We had to do this tonight so they’d have time to cool and because the ovens would be in use for other things tomorrow. We’ll put them back in the ovens and warm them up again, just before we were ready to serve dessert.

When it began to grow late and the kids bedtimes were upon us, Marie and I started getting them ready. Jordan and Nicky begged to be allowed to stay up a little longer, so Marie granted them an extra half hour, and then they pleaded to sleep with their various uncles. After Marie gave in, I showed her to the guest room, where she would stay with Megan and Kylie. Jesse and Andrew had moved to Andrew’s room upstairs quite a while ago, shortly after Andrew had his cast removed. Since she could stay in the guest room, Jake and I could sleep in our own room and didn’t have to hide our relationship. Marie did tease us about it, in a light-hearted and non-judgmental way, and she also joked about how Michael and Adrian would have reacted, if they were here. Once she brought them up, she also made sport of their situation and wondered how they liked spending the holiday without their children. We were all in a good mood and plenty worn out by the time we went to bed.

After getting a decent night’s rest, Jake and I got up early and began preparing dinner. We had the turkey in the oven and several other things started, when Marie wandered in to join us. I fixed her some breakfast, while she took care of Megan and Kylie’s needs, and then we talked, while Jake and I continued working. A short time later, the boys began filtering downstairs looking for food, so Jake told me he was going to take a short break from dinner preparations and fix them something. I had no problems with his suggestion, since I was going to do it if he hadn’t offered, but this way I just continued working on the side dishes and other desserts.

Duck showed up about 11:00 and all the boys were thrilled to see him again. I quickly introduced him to Marie and my grandkids and explained how we had grown close to Duck over the past few months. Duck was also going to stay until Sunday and Mark had offered to share his room with him, which Duck quickly accepted. I knew it wasn’t for sexual reasons, but that pair had grown very close as well, so I knew they had a lot to catch up on and talk about.

Around 2:00, the others began showing up and we chatted for a while. Jake and I began putting some appetizers out, in various places around the house, hoping that would tide them over until everyone else had arrived. As usual, we were having a full house, but this time it would be even better, since my grandchildren and daughter were with us again.

By 3:00 the last of our guests had arrived, so we sat down to eat. We began the meal with our tradition of going around the tables and letting everyone share why they were thankful this year. I won’t share everything that was said, but I will point out some of the things that struck me the most. The first was Little Ricky comments.

“I’m thankful for everyone here,” he began. “I’m thankful the Spences have helped me take care of Mom and I’m thankful for Pop-One and Pop-Two for giving me such a great home. I’m also thankful for all my wonderful brothers, my sister,” he added glancing at Marie, “and my new nieces and nephews. I’m also thankful that Pop didn’t beat me up or throw me out after I did that dumb thing that got Andrew hurt. I’m also thankful that Andrew and the rest of you forgave me too and I promise I’ll never do anything like that again.” There were a few grins brought about by his last statement and then we moved on.

The next touching moment came when Andrew spoke. Although I suspected he would say something about Jesse, I was surprised by some of the other things he mentioned.

“I want to begin by saying I’m thankful for all Dad has done to help me. I’m also thankful he helped Sammy get out of the mess he was in too and for not getting mad at Richard for the prank he pulled on me. I’m also thankful both Dads and all my brothers didn’t get really mad at me because of all the pranks I pulled on them. I have to say, my brothers did scare me when they got me back, but I guess I deserved it. Most of all, I’m thankful for my newest brother and best friend. Jesse, I hope you like being here as much as I like having you here.” Needless to say, Jesse gave him a resounding “yes” and the rest of us had to chuckle at their antics and hand slapping afterward.

Jesse went next, once they both settled down. “I’m thankful for my new brother too,” he said, while punching Andrew in the shoulder, “and for all of my brothers. I’m thankful for both of my new dads too and how they’ve taken care of me and made it so no one will hurt me again. I’m also thankful because they let me see my mom again and for telling her she could come live close by, so I didn’t have to leave here.” There were a few shocked expressions as I looked around the table, because I hadn’t shared this information with the others yet. I was planning on waiting until after we heard back from Alice first, to see if she accepted our proposal. I was going to say something about this, but didn’t, because Jesse started speaking again.

“I’m also thankful for what each of you has done to help me talk again and to speak better,” he continued. “That helped me at school and now the other kids aren’t afraid to hang around me any more.”

After Jesse finished, Shannon asked to speak next. “I’m thankful for both Dad and Pop and for them helping me work things out with Nick so we could stay together,” he offered. “I didn’t think that was going to happen, but I’m glad it did, even though Nick isn’t here with us today. I still love him, and I know he loves me, and I’m glad Dad and Pop were willing to let us work though our problems and remain together.”

The next tender moment came when it was Duck’s turn to speak. I made sure he had a chance to hear some of the others first, so he could have time to formulate what he wanted to say. “What I’m thankful for is everyone here today. You’ve taken me in and given me a family again, something I haven’t had in a very long time. I just want to thank each of you for accepting me as a family member and doing so much to make me feel comfortable and a part of this wonderful group.”

When we got to Jordan, he comment was short and sweet. “I’m just thankful to be back here again,” he stated and Nicky quickly added, “Me too!”

The final statement I’ll share with you came from Marie. “First of all, I’m thankful for my family – my wonderful son, Nicholas, and my precious new daughter, Kylie. I’m also thankful for my father and this wonderful family he’s put together. I only hope next year I can be thankful that my stubborn husband, older brother, sister-in-law and sister have wised up and come back to join us too. Finally, I’m thankful that my dad has found such a wonderful person as Jake and I hope they enjoy many wonderful years together.”

Of course, her final statement brought a tear to a few eyes and choked up a few others, including us, but Jake and I composed ourselves long enough to thank her for what she’d said and then we all began to eat.

Robert called Thanksgiving evening, to wish us all a great day. I knew Robert wanted to be here, but he had other commitments that prevented him from doing so. When he asked me if I’d heard from Marie yet, he was a bit taken aback when I told him she was with us, with all four of my grandchildren. He was happy she had done that and spent quite a bit of time talking with her on the phone too, even though they do chat on their own. When they finished their conversation, Robert spoke with everyone else, and it was a lovely end to a nearly perfect day.

I have to admit the entire day had gone extraordinarily well, as we enjoyed the meal, dessert and great company. Arlene was even lucid throughout most of the day and only began to lose it when it started to get late. It was also nice to see Little Ricky being able to spend the time enjoying her company again.

Friday went just as well, when everyone returned for leftovers. Frankie called and apologized for not calling the day before, but he said the trunk lines for the telephones seemed to be overtaxed and he was having trouble getting through. I told him not to worry and it was just nice to hear his voice again, and then I let him have time to speak with everyone else. Overall, I couldn’t have been happier with the past two and a half days. Well, I could have been, if the Michael, Andrea, Adrian, Elizabeth and Tim had shown up too, but I’m not going to let them put a damper on this wonderful holiday.

Saturday, Marie and the kids left around noon. It was difficult saying good-bye to them all again, but at least we’d enjoyed what time we had together. Marie said she didn’t know when they’d be able to come back, but she promised I would see them all again, so I thanked her. I kissed each of them, as did Jake and all the boys, and then we waved as they drove off. I hated to see them leave, but the great feeling from being with them once more still lingered.

A short time later, I drove over to Steve’s house, so I would be there when he called Alice. This way I could learn what she had decided concerning my proposal, because Steve put the phone on speakerphone, so I could hear what was being said.

“Alice, it’s Steve and Josh here,” he began, to let her know we were both present. “I’m calling, as you asked, to see what you’ve decided.”

“Well, I’ve thought about what you said when I was there,” she began, “and I don’t have much here to hold me now, so I’m going to do it. I won’t be able to make the move until after the first of the year and can’t say exactly when it will be, but I’m going to do it. I just have a lot of things here to take care of first.”

“That’s great,” I replied. “What can we do to help?”

“Well, I’m not sure how I’m going to get all my things there, without it being really expensive,” she said, “so if you know of anything that I don’t, I’d appreciate a suggestion.”

“I have a great one for you,” I offered. “I’ll order up one of those shipping containers and have it delivered to your place. I think you should have some idea what I’m talking about, since you’ve probably seen them advertised on television. They deliver the container to any location you specify and you can take your time packing everything in it and they’ll also deliver it wherever you request. I’ll have it moved here when you’re done and keep the container at our place, and then you can take things out of it at your own pace. You’ll be able to unpack your belonging as slowly or quickly as you want, until it’s finally empty and you have everything in your new place. This way you’ll also be able to drive your car when you move here, so you’ll have it with you as well. How does that sound?”

“It sounds wonderful,” she answered, “but I’m not sure I can afford to do it. I’ll have to check on the price first, to see how much something like that will cost.”

“Alice, when I said I’d order it for you, I meant I’d pay for it too,” I informed her.

“I can’t let you do that,” she quickly replied.

“Yes, you can,” I replied. “It’s the least I can do to reunite you with your son and thank you for all the wonderful times we’ve shared with him.” She hesitated, before saying anything else.

“Okay, if you insist, and maybe I won’t feel as guilty about you doing this for me, once I’ve told you what else I’ve decided,” she offered. “Steve, would it be possible for me to still be Jesse’s mother, even if I let Josh adopt him?”

“Yes, that would be possible,” he agreed. “We could let Josh adopt him and be Jesse’s father and be given physical custody of him, and you would still remain Jesse’s mother. Josh would see to it that you were given visitation rights as well, if that would be agreeable to you.”

“It would and I think that’s what Jesse wants,” she answered.

“What if Jesse wants to change his last name to Currie, so he’d have the same name as the others?” Steve asked next. Alice thought momentarily before responding.

“I don’t see a problem with that,” she told us. “We don’t have the same last name now and haven’t since I remarried. I don’t see it being a problem, as long as people know he’s still my son.”

“That can be arranged,” Steve agreed. “Although you’ll have visitation rights and will be allowed to spend time with Jesse, you won’t be able to sign him out of school or anything like that without Josh’s approval,” Steve added.

“But I will make sure you are listed as an additional emergency contact for him,” I interrupted, “if that’s agreeable with you.”

“That would be fine and it’s actually more than I expected you might be willing to do for me,” she confessed. “Thank you for making this easier to agree to and for making it possible for me to be near my son again.”

“I’m glad to do it,” I explained, “because I know it will make Jesse happy too.”

We ironed out a few more minor details after that, but the call ended on a positive note and everyone seemed satisfied. Since everything was formally agreed to, I now felt comfortable informing Jesse and the others about it, once I returned home. I still had some other things to do to make this happen, like ordering the container for Alice to use and talking to some people I know about finding her a place to live and a job, but overall I felt it was a done deal. I thanked Steve for his help and told him I didn’t know how we’d survive without him, but he merely replied that he enjoyed doing it. He also informed me he’d draw up all the appropriate papers and send them off for Alice to sign and would let me know once he received them back.

Jesse was thrilled when I shared the news with him, after I’d returned home. He thanked me over and over again, but he also gave me several hugs and as many kisses, and then Andrew and he continued to do their little dance of joy for the next ten or fifteen minutes. Once they settled down, they went off to get ready for their next bike ride, after reminding Jake and I that we had promised to go with them.

Sammy and Little Ricky were also going to join us, but then Graham and Dion asked if they could go too. Once we agreed that would be fine, we filled up the canteens and then took off. Some of the other boys made some comments before we left, such as “the tires on your two bikes look a little soft, now that you guys are on them,” and “Dang, I didn’t know that bike was capable of carrying that much weight.” You see, they couldn’t let us leave without getting their digs in and weren’t about to pass up such an obvious opportunity, even if it did slightly darkened an otherwise lovely holiday weekend for me.

The outing was wonderful and we all had a great time. Even though it was quite cool out, we had dressed appropriately and the exertion from riding the bikes warmed us up as we went along. I had to admit that going with the boys on these trips was slowly working me back into shape and I was feeling better because of it. Jake had admitted the same thing, so I think the boys were doing us both a favor by asking us to come along. Come to think of it, maybe I’m not as old as I once felt, at least not yet.

After we got back, we spent the rest of the day watching football on the television in the family room. At various times it got a little rowdy in there, since we weren’t all rooting for the same teams and everyone had their own take on the action, but the banter was mostly good-natured. When bedtime rolled around, the boys slowly went off to take their showers and get ready, and when they did, Duck came over to speak with Jake and me.

“You know, the only bad part about spending time here is knowing I have to leave,” he told us. “I’m already dreading tomorrow, because it means this wonderful time is going to end and I’m going to have to drive back home.”

“Yes, we regret seeing you leave too,” I countered, “but Christmas will be here before you know it and you can spend as much time as you want with us then too. You’ll also be able to join us for New Year’s and you can even bring your girlfriend with you, if you’d like.”

“Well, she’ll be spending Christmas with her family and has asked me to go there with her,” he explained. “I think I’ll have to do it this time, since I didn’t go there with her for Easter.”

“That’s fine, but it doesn’t have to be a holiday for you to come back to spend time here,” I teased. “The college boys will be home until the middle of January, so you could come one of those weekends too, but what about New Year’s?”

“I think I can convince my girlfriend to come with me then, so we can celebrate with all of you too,” he answered. “Plan on us being here, unless I call and tell you differently.”

“Great, then I’ll make special plans,” I replied.

We were all feeling pretty good when we went to bed that evening, and after we got up the next morning and had a small breakfast, we all went to church together. Duck really seemed to enjoy doing this with us too and he talked about it a lot when we stopped for brunch. It was nice to see he was enjoying the simple things as well.

Once we returned home, Duck started getting ready to return to his place. We had enjoyed his company as much as he seemed to enjoy being with us, and all of the boys made sure to let him know it. A short time later he was loading everything into his car and getting ready to leave, so everyone came out to see him off. They all hugged him, to let him know he was a welcome addition to our clan, but they also managed to slip in a few parting digs, to prove to him that they were accepting him as an equal. Duck understood that and merely grinned in approval, before he hopped in the driver’s seat. Each of us knew this separation wouldn’t be for very long, at least we hoped not, and we’d see him again when he returned to ring in the New Year with us.

We all waved at him as he drove off and the college boys went back inside, so they could get their things together too. They all had to return to their respective colleges as well, but we all knew they’d be back within a month’s time for Christmas. Once they left, the rest of us began getting our things together to return to school. It had been a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and one I won’t soon forget.