Andrea Millhouse Pt. 10 - Conclusion

"I took that photo ...yes I remember. Dad and Lovey had a story book romance, Tim, they were hopelessly in-love but they could argue like brats too. Dad had griped all day about Lovey's driving one day; I was in the back seat and had to listen to it. When they got home he insisted that whenever they went somewhere, from now on, that he'd drive. They got in the car a few days later and the first thing Dad did was back over his own mailbox. She was reminding him of that when I took this photo." Asia said, laughing and crying at the same time.

Andrea and I spent about three hours at the Rodriguez house before heading back to the trailer. To my surprise Ricky didn't seem as shocked as I thought he would when I showed him the photo of his sister.

"I think I've seen that chick around town before, Tim'. Ricky said.

"She's your half sister, Ricky, and she'll be at the wedding" I replied.

A few days later I stood as Ricky's best man and Brenda never looked lovelier as the couple exchanged vows. Jose ' and Asia were in attendance at the proceedings as was their granddaughter Rose. I saw my cousin Adeline and spoke with her briefly; she was still a very attractive lady and looked happy as a wife and mom now. My cousin Mickey also attended and later I saw him in conversation with Harland Wyckoff at the reception. A large poster size photo of Mom and Rick on the carnival ride had been finished by the Vegas photo shop and airmailed to us in time for the wedding; it had been erected on an easel in the church when the wedding took place and at the Reception. The time at the wedding and reception flew by and soon Andrea and I were alone at the trailer once more. We changed into our regular clothes and took Andrea's engine block to the machine shop and then decided to take a walk in downtown Seattle.

"Well, I guess were done here, for a while, Tim. We can go home for a few days now and then head back to Lake Havasu with Hans and help Owen finish his project. Andrea said as we were walking along the sidewalk.

"We're not done here in Seattle yet, we still have one important piece of business to discuss" I said, taking Andrea's left hand.

"Oh, what's that?" she asked.

I removed Andrea's fake wedding band and put it on her index finger, I then took the sterling silver ring that Ricky had given me out of my pocket and slipped it on Andrea's finger. "My grandfather made this for Mom. It had been a tablespoon, Mom liked the flowers that were engraved on it so Granddad crafted the spoon into a ring for her, I want you to wear it now." I said slipping the ring on Andrea's left ring finger.

"Why do you want me to wear it on that finger?" Andrea asked, looking at her hand.

"Because I want to marry you Andrea Millhouse" I said, trembling.

Andrea took my hands and we began dancing with joy on the sidewalk "I'M GETTING MARRIED!" Andrea began proclaiming to complete strangers.

"We've got a LOT to do now" Andrea said as she took my hand and we began walking with a quickened pace down the sidewalk with Andrea dialing her phone.

"Karen, I did it! I told you, the day I first saw him, that I'd pull it off. Well I did it! YES HE JUST ASKED ME!" Andrea said into her phone now as she drug me along the sidewalk. I was just along for the ride now and I wasn't even sure where Andrea was leading me. I really didn't care, I thought, smiling.

___________ Epilogue ___________

Ricky and I spent a lot of time getting to know our sister in the months that followed. It was an experience filled with sorrow as well as joy for us. Andrea sold our Laughlin condos and we purchased a small hobby ranch outside of Arizona City that we came to love. We accompanied Hans on several more trips to Owen's house and helped Owen complete his truck project. Andrea was driving her Deuce coup on nice days now and she had several videos on her YouTube page which seemed to be giving her some satisfaction.

My mother's thousands of e-mails provided us with a window into her heart and also proved to be a time capsule into the life of Ricky and myself as well. That fall, after my work season, Andrea and I, along with Brenda and Ricky all boarded an old fishing boat with Jose' and Asia. The hundred foot vessel then took us to sea a short distance and stopped within a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. The boat's crew then left all six of us alone on the fantail.

With the boat's diesels at idle we poured the ashes of Mom and Rick into a brass urn and filled it with Champagne, we then repeated the process several times until all the contents had gone into the sea, with a toast of our glasses. It was an emotional ceremony for all of us but I suddenly felt at peace with the past, I could let Mom go now. Andrea Millhouse was now my wife and it was time to start living.

Mom would have wanted it this way.