An Accidental Family Ch. 02

"And in the summer, she can come and work in her old garden ... if that's alright with you."

"I would love that," Jen replied. "Let's take a look inside."

"I just spoke to the county yesterday about getting the services re-started, so the power and water should be on, but I haven't looked inside since I bought it. I thought that we could take a first look at our new home together."

The lock was a bit rusty, and it took a few tries, but we got the door open. Once we were inside, however, the house was in worse shape than I had imagined. Someone had stripped out the appliances, and the rest of it was covered in years of grime and neglect.

Jen and I looked around and she asked the question that was on both of our minds, "how are we going to get it ready to live in, in time?"

"I am going to take a couple of weeks off to work on it, and Ted has agreed to help. I have never been afraid of hard work, and we will get it done. It won't be anywhere close to finished by the time that Child Protective Services come back, but I am sure we can get it close enough."

In my head, however, I knew that wasn't true. There was too much work to be done in too little time. The Shelby had given us two miracles, had saved our girls on Valentine's Day, and now given them a place to live. But we were still going to come up one miracle short in the end.

The Wedding

Our wedding could only be described as a beautiful mess. The little money that we had saved between the two of us was spent on buying essentials for our girls and for our new home, so we decided to keep the wedding as simple as possible. I wore my traditional khakis and dress shirt, and Jen wore a cream-coloured ankle-length dress. I asked the preacher if he could perform a simple service after church on the first Sunday in March and he agreed. He even waived the customary fees.

The only flowers we had were a small bouquet of early spring blooms, which our girls picked from my mom's old garden behind the house. Despite being nearly choked by weeds and brush; the garden couldn't hold back the first blossoms of the new year. Our girls collected the flowers and then worked with my mom to wind a simple white ribbon around their stems. They then spent an hour or more sitting on Jen's lap telling her why they chose them, just for her. I know I am biased, but I thought that bouquet was the most beautiful I had ever seen.

My mother found an old wallet-sized photo of my dad which I placed in the breast pocket of my shirt. I knew I wanted him with me on the most important day of my life.

I apologized to Jen several times that week for not being able to afford a fancy wedding with all the trimmings.

"JT, I had a fancy wedding with a big white dress and $100-a-plate reception. I learned the hard way that a fancy wedding doesn't ensure a loving marriage. I would marry you in a convenience store with a couple of ring pops if it meant that I could wake up beside you every morning knowing that you are mine, and that Jason and our girls are safe."

And that was that. I was far too busy with the kids to worry too much about the wedding anyway.

We didn't have a gift registry, as there were very few guests to invite on such short notice. Besides Ted and Sue and, of course, my mom, I didn't think too many people would take the time to celebrate our union, although maybe some of the congregation would stick around to watch Jen get married, since she was so well-liked.

Much to my surprise, however, on the day of wedding, Jen's little church (well, our church now I guess) was packed to overflowing. Somehow, news got out about the wedding, and I was amazed at all the people who came to wish us well.

Sneaky and what seemed like half his extended family were there, taking up four full pews. Cindy was sitting at the back with Sneaky, along with her mom and dad. Tom and Tabitha, the starting quarterback and head cheerleader at Jason and Lisa's school, were there along with a number of players and members of the cheer team. Many of the older ladies from my mom's church were there as well, joining our service after theirs was finished. Folks who had been customers at the shop for years were there, along with many of the kids I coached on our 7-7 team and their families.

What was even more unexpected was that everyone was dressed very casually. Never had I seen a more motley collection of old jeans and ratty t-shirts in church. For those of you who have never been to church in Georgia, I can assure you that this was by far the most surprising part of that entire day. Even the preacher wore a pair of old jeans under his vestments. It was like it was dress down day at church, but nobody told us.

Five minutes before the service started, it was standing room only. Folks were lined up down the sides of the church all the way to the back door. I hadn't been nervous at all throughout the week, but now I started to sweat at the thought of this many people watching us say our vows. The service went all too quickly, and soon it was time for me to go and stand at the front.

The organist began to play All Creatures of Our God and King as Jason walked Jen down the aisle. She looked radiant; her bouquet held demurely in her hands. Ted stood by my side as I waited for Jen to reach the front. Jason stood with his mother, while Sue and our girls looked on from the front pew along with my mom.

In the pause before the preacher began to speak, George stood up from where he was sitting and came up to the front. He stood beside Ted with a smile on his face and waved over at Jen and gave her his traditional greeting, "hello pretty lady." At the same time, our girls had had enough of sitting. Lucy ran up to Ted, who scooped her up in his arms while Bel ran to Jen and tugged on her dress until she picked her up as well.

In the quiet of the moment, Bel looked at Jen and said, "Mommy, you look beautiful."

Jen looked over at Lisa, who was half out of the pew, unsure whether to try and wrangle her sisters back to their seats or let them stay. Jen smiled and beckoned her up to the front as well. After a minute, Lisa came forward to stand with Jen. For once, this girl who had faced down a drug-crazed killer to protect her little sisters looked hesitant and a little lost. Jen took hold of her hand and squeezed though, and the service began.

I don't remember much of the wedding. It was short, maybe ten minutes in total, and it went by in a blur. Jen and I vowed to honour and protect each other and our family. The preacher incorporated each of the kids into our vows as well. They all made it through their parts without any problems except, strangely enough, for Jason. When it came time for him to speak, his stoic demeanour shattered, and he started crying so hard that he couldn't say his part.

Jen took his hand and told him how much she loved him and how proud she was of the man that he was becoming, and Bel, still nestled into Jen's arms, reached over, and wrapped her arms around him, burrowing her little face into his neck. With Bel in his arms, he was able to make it through his part, and the preacher concluded the wedding by exclaiming that we were now officially man and wife, to the cheers of our friends and family.

The one note of sadness in the entire morning was the absence of Jen's mom and dad. Despite how hateful they had become, Jen loved them still and wished they could have been there as our accidental family was recognized by the State of Georgia and in the eyes of the Lord. Instead of a recessional, we stayed at the front of the church as the organist played a lively version of All You Need is Love. I was in no hurry to leave, but everyone in the congregation seemed to be waiting on us, so I took Jen's hand and started for the door.

Before we got too far, however, the preacher hushed the congregation and said that he had two announcements to make. The first was that all the money collected at the service today was going to be donated to help make our new house a proper home for our girls. I was overwhelmed. There had to be several thousand dollars in the collection plates and that money could make the difference in getting our home livable enough to pass the State's inspection. Jen grabbed my hand and squeezed it so hard I thought I would lose feeling in my fingers.

The second announcement was even more surprising. Ted and Sue stood together at the front of the church, and Sue addressed the congregation.

"Thank you all for coming. I know it means a lot to Jen and JT, and it means a lot to Ted and me as well. Please join us for the wedding reception at Jen and JT's new old home. Come as you are. There are maps at the back, and we will see you all there."

To say I was confused was an understatement. Jason, Lisa, and the younger girls couldn't hide their grins, however, so I knew that they knew something that we did not.

"Sue, Ted, thanks for this but you have seen our place ... it is not in any condition to host a bridge game, let alone a wedding reception."

Sue looked at me with her trademark smirk and said, "that's where you're wrong, JT, that's where you're wrong."

A Medium-sized Miracle

That's how on a bright Sunday morning, on the first weekend of March, a long line of cars and trucks made its way out to the old acreage. It was dress down day at church because everyone, and I do mean everyone, came prepared to help get our forever home ready for our newly expanded accidental family. It was a cross between an old-fashioned barn raising and a medium-sized miracle, all rolled into a single joyful day.

There are too many memories from that day to share them all, and literally hundreds of our friends and neighbours pitched in before the day was through, but a few people stood out even in a sea of kindness and generosity.

George traveled to our home with Ted and Sue, and he spent all day at the head of the yard greeting each person as they arrived. At one point, there was a line down the driveway of people waiting to get to work, but everyone waited for George with patience and good humor.

Jason, Sneaky, Lisa and Cindy worked harder than anyone that day. Ted and Sue had asked Jason to make a list of tasks that needed doing and he had taken this job to heart. Using his mom's old laptop when she was out, he had built a detailed and color-coded spreadsheet with all the tasks to be accomplished that day, including flowcharts of tasks that could only be undertaken once other tasks were complete.

If Jason was the architect of that day, then Sue was the project manager. She was a tireless ball of energy moving from room to room, to the yard, to the garden, to the garage, and then back again. There was rarely a time when someone who was there to work didn't have a job to do.

At first, Lucy and Bel were very shy with all the new friends and visitors, and they stayed close to Jen and me as we worked. Soon though, their natural enthusiasm bubbled over, and they ran around talking to everyone who would listen, telling them about their forever home.

Frank's son, who ran the roofing company that his father had built years ago, and his men fixed the roof, but this time it was the Woman's Guild from mom's church who provided the lemonade and sandwiches.

Sneaky's family, who had already done so much for us, showed up in force and cleared out the years of overgrowth that choked the yard and back garden. Later that week they came back with a dump truck full of gravel and a road grader, and they smoothed and patched the driveway.

Men and women from the community cleaned, painted, varnished, and waxed every wall, floor, and surface in the house. Families that I didn't even know, but who remembered my father fondly, dropped off furniture and clothing for our home and for our girls until all three of them were completely fitted up. One of the first donations was a stand-up freezer and, by the end of the day, it was completely full of venison, stews, and a cornucopia of other meats and vegetables.

The next weekend, the football team and the cheerleaders, led by Tom and Tabitha, set up rival carwashes kitty-corner to one another in the middle of downtown, and raised enough money to fill any gaps that were left after the community's generosity. Even the manager of the big box store in town did his part, finding deep discounts on new appliances that, by an amazing coincidence, had been 'damaged in shipping'.

The women's auxiliaries from the two churches made sure that no one went hungry. Mom's church provided a filling and nutritious lunch while Jen's church provided a veritable feast for dinner. The preacher and the priest said grace before each meal, and everyone ate their fill.

Finally, as evening fell, Ted and Sue set up a folding table at the foot of the yard with speakers on either side. They brought out a large flat cake with black and red icing which Jen and I cut together. It wasn't fancy, but there was enough for everyone. Bel ended up with a smear of black and red frosting across her nose and cheek, which she wore with pride for the rest of the evening.

The crowd called for a speech but, for once, I was speechless, so Jen said a heartfelt thank you to everyone for their kindness and their hard work. As she started to speak, the sky behind her exploded into the most beautiful shades of orange and red that lingered well into the night, as if unwilling to let go of that magical day. I like to think that was my dad, watching over us and keeping us safe.

Finally, Sue cued up the music to start the dancing. By the end of night, I had danced with Mom, Sue, and all our girls, but the first dance was just for Jen and me. We held each other, under that sunset, in front of our forever home, and sang to each other.

Oh, darlin', I'm gonna love you forever,

Forever and ever amen.

As long as old men sit and talk about the weather.

As long as old women sit and talk about old men.

If you wonder how long I'll be faithful,

Well, just listen to how this song ends.

I'm gonna love you forever and ever,

Forever and ever, amen.

Epilogue

That spring, Lisa and her sisters were placed with us permanently, and our accidental family was almost complete.

The process was longer and tougher than it should have been, and there were some tense moments before it was over. Particularly, when questions arose about how long we had been together and why we wanted to take in three girls who had no connection to either of our families. In the end, over half the town showed up to support us and our girls wouldn't even talk to the social worker without their mom and dad at their side, so common sense prevailed.

The day their placement was finalized, we celebrated with burgers and milkshakes at Shelly's.

Eventually, all three girls were officially adopted into our family. It was complicated with their biological father still being alive, although incarcerated, but it's what our girls wanted and so, with time, we made it happen. As Bel got older, she reached out and rebuilt her relationship with her father, even convincing the other girls to visit him several times per year. Bel has the kindest and most generous soul, so it's not surprising that her patience and love helped to heal a relationship that once seemed permanently broken.

I met with our girls' father once, at his request. It was an awkward meeting. We didn't have much in common other than a deep love for the girls. Nonetheless, I told him stories of the girls' childhood, and he expressed his gratitude to me and Jen for caring for them and for bringing them back into his life. I expressed my condolences on his brother's passing and told him how he had died saving the girls. He asked me to pour a shot of Scotch on his grave the next time I went to the cemetery, and I obliged.

Jen and I got away for a short honeymoon later that spring while my mom watched the kids. We stayed in a nice hotel near Greenville, and we finally had the opportunity to properly christen our marriage. Normally, I am a pretty confident guy, but I was incredibly nervous as I had built this moment up in my head for months, and I didn't want to let Jen down. That night, however, it was Jen who took her shirt off first, and my doubts faded away. It was every bit as spectacular as I had imagined. The smile didn't leave my face for weeks, and Jen positively glowed for months afterward.

We had to cut our honeymoon short, however, as Bel had a panic attack and was deathly afraid that we wouldn't come home. We didn't mind, though. As amazing as it was to spend time alone with Jen, it was even better to come home to a house full of chaos, love, and kids large and small. Jen promised Bel that we would always come home to her, but Bel wouldn't let her out of her sight for a week.

The summer after our girls came home for good, Ted and Sue announced that they were pregnant with their first child. We were overjoyed and our kids couldn't wait to have a little cousin to spoil. As big as Sue's heart was, however, the rest of her body wasn't nearly as large, and she wasn't able to carry their child to term. She delivered what had to be largest preemie in the history of the state of Georgia. Little Jeremy may have come into the world four weeks early, but he was welcomed and loved from the moment he arrived.

Mother and son both recovered well, but Ted and Sue decided that it would be too risky for her to carry another child after the difficulties with the first. They did, however, adopt twin girls to complete their family and to keep little Jeremy on his toes.

Growing up, Lucy always had a soft spot for her uncle Ted and, even though he swears on his bible that Santa loves all his girls and boys equally, I feel like he might have a little extra love squirreled away in his heart just for her.

In June, the Shelby sold at auction. A Mustang Shelby was featured prominently in a little movie the year before that did very well internationally, creating a bit of a gold rush for the cars, and the 1967 GT500 was about as desirable a Shelby as you could find. Dad's Shelby ended up selling for nearly double its already healthy estimated auction price. I like to think that the love my father infused in that car had a role to play in that price as well.

The additional money from the auction was enough to clear Jen's debt and, over her initial objections, pay for her to take evening classes in pre-law at the local junior college. How she managed to be such an incredible mother and wife while still graduating from law school Summa Cum Laude is beyond me, but she did. Once she passed the bar, she became a fierce advocate for children in need and, eventually, a judge. If you hurt or abandoned a child, you do NOT want to end up in her courtroom.

Over the summer, Lisa discovered her love for a different kind of football, or soccer as it's called in the US. She threw herself into the game with the same passion and fire that she showed in all other aspects of her life. Memories of her childhood fueled an almost unquenchable drive to succeed in her, and during her senior year she led her team to a state title. She got a full ride to play soccer in college and, eventually, the pros and the women's national team.

Through it all, she was an unbendingly fierce protector for her sisters. She checked in on them every day regardless of where she was in the world or who else demanded her time. Her sisters are so proud of her. They would dress in her jersey every day if they could.

That fall, Jason and Sneaky both made the varsity football team as starters. Jason was a solid starter and a passionate advocate for his teammates but, in college, his lack of footspeed and natural athleticism held him back. Rather than trying for the pros, he became a graduate assistant for his college team before launching a highly successful company that provides proprietary analytics to NFL teams. You might not know what teams he works with but, when you see a tight end come open for a deep strike at a critical point in a game, you can make a pretty safe guess.