Second Chance, Book 07

"Like, what was Tim interested in? Was he into any sports? I couldn't tell her. I didn't know. I felt pretty foolish, Bonnie. I have to spend some time with him to find out more about what he's all about before I can give him any guidance."

"I can help you with some of that. I guess I forgot we hadn't talked about Tim. We just picked him up and brought him along with us. We weren't thinking about how it would affect him," Bonnie admitted.

"Yah ... I think you've got that right. The time has come to look after his needs. As much as I miss you, I'm sure he does too. You're the only hook he has to his past fifteen years. Everyone else is new. It's 'Tim Time' in this house," he said with a touch of welcome humor.

"OK ... we can talk more about this when I get home. Sounds like we have some work to do, love," she said emphatically.

They closed off for the night, and Bonnie breathed a sigh of relief and regret. Her new husband had handled a delicate situation beautifully. She sank back in the chair, allowing the accumulated tension to drain out of her. She thought about the remarkable past six months. She had known Brent for only that short time, but it had become the best part of her life. Her patience waiting for the right man had paid off in someone that continued to amaze and reward her with each day that she was with him.

She wondered idly if she had made a good decision in pushing so hard for this new job. Should she have waited a couple of years for the next opportunity? Was she risking too much with Brent and Tim by being away during the week? Was she being selfish and ignoring anything but her own ambition? These were other topics for discussion someday soon.

Brent began a concerted attempt to get to know Tim better. He had made formal application to adopt Tim. He had shown Bonnie, Tim, Andy and Scott the paperwork to demonstrate that he was serious. Once it was filed, it was a matter of time before they would be notified and interviewed. In the meantime, he found more things to do with his new son. He learned that Tim was an avid hockey fan, and so they became regular weekend attendees at the Trail Smoke Eaters games as well as the Castlegar Rebels. Both were junior hockey teams occasionally providing talent to the professional leagues.

Mountain Pine had four season tickets to the Canucks, and with Lloyd Bruton's help, Brent planned a weekend trip with Tim. They would meet Bonnie in Vancouver on a Friday evening, attend the nationally televised game on Saturday, and come home Sunday afternoon. Giving Lloyd plenty of advance notice made it easy to obtain the tickets. It would be a surprise for Tim. They would hold off telling him until the week before the game in late November.

Brent continued to monitor Tim's progress with Vanessa Paget. His attitude had improved and was now contributing more in class. But it was still not what any of his teachers thought he was capable of. His school records from Calgary detailed a much different student from the quiet, now sixteen-year-old. Brent had encouraged Tim to get involved in other activities at school, but aside from the computer gaming club, Tim maintained his loner status.

What finally changed it all was a girl. As Tim told his mother later, Kaitlin Therrien approached him and said another girl, Shannon Jannik, thought he was "cute." Tim admitted to being flummoxed at first, but finally summoned the courage to say hello to Shannon. She smiled back at him, and that was all it took for him to find his first girlfriend.

He was also looking for a part-time job to earn some money. He wanted to take Shannon to the movies, or buy her a treat. There was also Christmas not far in the future. He went to see Charlie Verano without his father's knowledge, and asked if there were any weekend jobs that he could do for some "pocket money."

Charlie, knowing Tim had done this on his own, gave him the job of sort-yard clean-up. It was a menial task, but a necessary one. It looked easy at first, but the first snow of the season taught Tim an important lesson. You can't clean up what you can't find. Nonetheless, Tim wasn't fazed. He could always finish on Sunday if he didn't have enough time on Saturday. He had what he wanted - a job.

Tim's life had changed quite a bit in the last two months. He had turned sixteen. His new father wanted to adopt him and make him part of his family. He met a nice girl in Shannon, someone he could talk to and be with that was his own age. He also had a job. He felt much better about himself, and much better about having moved to this small town in the mountains. Soon it would be winter, and he would be able to use his snowboard again. He could even teach Shannon if she wanted him to.

As Christmas approached, Bonnie was beginning to write some significant new orders. While building wouldn't be at a high pace in the coming months, the climate on the coast allowed for year-around construction. She was able to write meaningful orders for the early part of the next year. In her first three months on the job, she had secured almost as much business as Will Franzen had written in the previous nine months.

In addition, she was making valuable contacts with the design houses and some of the influential architects. Brent was amazed at the progress she had made in the short time she had been in Vancouver. Just as importantly, she was enjoying the job. She liked what she was doing because she believed in her products and V.C.M.

If there was one unresolved issue, it was the time that she, Brent, and Tim were apart. As Gerry Verano had correctly identified, it was role reversal. She had spent so many years looking after Tim on her own. Now she was married to Brent, and everything had changed. She had responsibilities with both her job and her marriage. Those concerns were beginning to nag her.

Chapter 31:

The surprise trip to the Canucks' hockey game was the highlight of the fall for Tim. An even bigger surprise was Brent asking Mr. and Mrs. Jannik if Shannon could join them for the weekend. Brent and Bonnie would act as chaperones. It was another big step up for Tim in his relationship with his new father. The adoption papers hadn't been acknowledged yet, but Brent and Bonnie had been assured that it was just a formality once the interview had been conducted. They expected that to happen early in the new year.

Shannon had made a big impact on Tim. When Shannon introduced him to her friends as her boyfriend, he was surprised at the status it gave him. She introduced him to other girls and boys in her circle, and as a result, he began to be much more comfortable in his new environment. He developed a more outgoing personality in the next few weeks.

Bonnie spent most of the two weeks surrounding Christmas and New Years in Castlegar. In Vancouver, she had used her spare time in the evenings Christmas shopping for family and friends. Business was quieter at that time as many of the construction firms gave their employees time off.

She had decided to talk to Brent about her job and their weekly separations after the holiday season. It was disturbing her, and the problem wasn't far from her thoughts at any time. She took stock of her life and while she loved her job and the success she was enjoying, she loved her husband as well, and she began to think that ultimately she would have to make a choice between the two. In her mind, it was no choice at all. She would be with Brent, no matter what.

Andrea came home for the Christmas break and Sam was only a day behind her. Jerry's nephew and Andy were very close, and with Sam's "package deal" having been accepted by Uncle Charlie, they knew their futures would be together at V.C.M. Brent could only smile and accept that his daughter was an adult and she was free to choose her future husband. He had no concerns about Sam. He was a level-headed young man with ambition and a bright future. He could only hope they would have the happiness he enjoyed.

It would be a full house at the Gordon's on Christmas Day. Tanya would be there as her parents celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve, ending with a midnight mass which Scott would attend with them. Sam would be along at mid-morning. Tim had invited Shannon to lunch, and they would exchange their gifts then. It was the first time Brent would have a full house since before Jeanette had become ill, and he was looking forward to it.

It was a new experience for Bonnie too. In the nearly nine months that she had known Brent, her life had changed so much that it was difficult to remember her past habits. Certainly no previous Christmas could rival this one with her new family and friends. Tim had settled in and accepted his new life, relieving that concern. It only remained for her to resolve her personal situation.

Chapter 32:

The New Year's party had been a lot of fun. Bonnie and Brent had looked forward to meeting more of their neighbors and townspeople and they weren't disappointed. They danced together for the very first time. They sang Auld Lang Syne with gusto, and saluted the New Year with a champagne toast and a kiss. It would be the start of a fresh new year, celebrating their union and their family.

They had walked to the community centre for the party. It was a cold, crisp night with several inches of snow on the ground. The sky was clear and the stars sparkled as they walked slowly toward their home. Bundled up in their coats, arms around each other, they were as content as two lovers could be.

"I'm almost sad to see last year go," Bonnie said.

"Why?" Brent asked, curious.

"It was the best year of my life," she said unequivocally.

"I'm glad to hear that. I was pretty good for me too," he agreed.

"I want it to be like this, but I want to be with you more," she admitted.

"I feel the same way, but I'm torn," Brent said.

"What do you mean?"

Brent stopped and turned to Bonnie, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you, Bonnie. I want you to be happy. I know you're ... uncomfortable with our time apart. But ... I can't be selfish. You love your job and you are very, very good at it. I know it gives you great satisfaction. I wouldn't do anything to take that away from you," he finished.

She leaned into him and kissed him passionately. "If I have to choose, I wouldn't think twice ... I would be with you," she said fervently.

"That's just it. You don't have to choose. Our kids are growing up and are going to be on their own before we realize it. Their futures are whatever they want them to be. It won't be that long before we will be on our own. I don't want to rush it, but ... when that happens, well ... I know about this apartment in Park Royal that I can stay at," he smiled.

"You can handle my being away?" she asked, seeking confirmation.

"Only because both of us have had some experience at it ... you much more than me," he said calmly.

"You aren't kidding yourself? You can cope with our lives they way they are for a while?" She searched his eyes for the answer before he spoke.

"Yes ... it won't be easy, but yes ... I can," he stated firmly. "You're worth the wait. Besides, it's not like we don't see each other. It's just not every night."

"Do you think we'll ever get tired of each other?" she asked timidly.

"No ... no, I don't think so. I was married for a long time and I never got tired of it. I can't imagine it would be any different with you," he smiled.

They walked for a while before Bonnie spoke.

"You're the first man I ever woke up in bed with the next morning," she said shyly. "I'm not very experienced at living with someone."

"You seem to have adapted to me pretty well," he grinned.

"You made it easy. I wanted you to be there. But still, it's all new to me," she confessed.

"Does that make it easier ... I mean ... being away during the week?"

"No ... it's the opposite. Having you there has such a calming and warming effect. I ... I can't really describe it. Just knowing you're there, it's ..." Her voice broke as she gripped Brent's arm and held him closely. He could see the tears glistening in her eyes. They stopped walking for a moment. It was Brent that broke the silence.

"I remember waking up that morning after we had first been together. I don't think I'll ever forget that feeling. The warmth and the scent. I think that was the first time I thought I could fall in love again," he said, quietly holding her to him.

"When did you fall in love with me?" she asked, her face buried in his arms.

"I don't know for sure. Maybe when we made love that very first time. It wasn't just sex, it was something more. Maybe later, when I knew I had to see you again and had to be with you," he said softly.

"I think I was falling in love with you at the same time. I don't know why I went to your room with you that night. It wasn't something I would ever do, but ... I thought ... I thought I could trust you. I don't know why, but I wasn't afraid," she confessed.

"That was a special night. I wasn't prepared for it. It just happened. I'm very lucky it did. You gave me a new life. Something to look forward to," he sighed.

"I think we gave each other something that night. Maybe it was hope. I was beginning to think I would never find a man I could love and be with forever. I didn't want to end up a lonely old hag with no one to love. At least I had Tim. He was my savior through all those years. When you came along, it was almost too good to be true. I couldn't quite believe what was happening. I'm just happy that it all turned out the way it did."

"It's hard for me to imagine what living without a partner for all those years would be like. I've never had to do it. I mean, it was only three years for me. That seemed like an eternity some times. But nearly twenty years? I can't imagine," he said in wonder.

"Now that I know the difference ... it was lousy!" she laughed, tears still filling her eyes.

"Well, it doesn't really matter any more, does it? You get your first and I get my second chance."