Finding Home Pt. 17-18

Andy looked at his sister and smiled, "Yes, Jessica. This is the first time Sara has mentioned staying at home with our children. I am indeed as surprised as you are."

Jessica stuck her tongue out at him. "Dammit, I keep forgetting we're not Boris and Natasha anymore!"

Sara giggled, and then began her explanation, "My mom raised me as a single parent. One of the reasons it worked is that we have great neighbors, Todd and Anthony. You met Anthony; he was the photographer for our engagement party. Todd, his partner, is a sommelier. Because they worked weird hours, it worked for me to be able to come home if my mom wasn't there. Sometimes, one of them would show up and walk me home from practice."

"Andy has a great opportunity after he graduates. I want him to be able to pursue that wholeheartedly, and not have to worry about the kids and me. I guess I really want our kids to have the kind of upbringing I never had. That's worth more to me than a career as a lawyer. Plus, if I still have the itch once they're out of the house, I can go to law school then." She paused, "But Andy and I haven't really had a chance to talk about it. And," she giggled and grinned madly, "all these pregnancies are giving me baby fever. I already have Mrs. DeGroat fever, so I think Andy and I need to talk some more, and give it some time before we decide."

"I believe we all heard how earnestly the two of you are practicing for such an event," said Alex chuckling.

Sara giggled and blushed. "Juliette and I have been talking, as well. They're going to home school their kids. Their home is already bi-lingual, and they want to be able to travel some when the kids are in school. I think that sounds like an amazing thing for a kid, so I'm also thinking about changing my major to education. I can double major with French easily, and get an endorsement just in case I wanted to teach somewhere outside our home. I'm sure we'll send them to Groton in the 8^th grade, but with a mom that knows French, and a dad, and an aunt and uncle who speak Russian, homeschooling sounds better and better to me until we send them there."

Alex slammed his hand down on the table excitedly. The Russian spewed out of him, and Jessica began to laugh. Andy smiled as he translated. "Yes! This is what we will do. All the DeGroat/Fedorov/Hughes children can be homeschooled by Uncle Alex and Aunt Sara. They will be nimble of mind, cultured, and excellent skaters. We will call it The Ralph Ivanovich School for Gifted Youngsters." The table erupted in laughter.

After the laughter subsided, Christopher spoke, "You know, that is an amazing idea. I always thought it was kind of stupid for a kid to sit in school for 8 hours, anyway. Look let's just call a spade a spade. Our children, if they're healthy and all that, will be extremely gifted. Why bore them for the first 8 years of their education? I won't speak for Ellen, but I'd gladly entrust our kids to the two of you. Hell yes," he said excitedly. "We could remodel the east part of the Carlson house. I've only been in there once, but I bet we could make amazing use of that space. The old skylights are stunning. Great light to draw, or read, or do any number of things."

Alex had calmed down enough to speak English, "Plus, if they are girls this will keep the boys away a bit longer," he grinned.

Sara giggled, "Alex, if the boys look like their daddies, I'm way more worried about the girls. Those heifers are some bold little things. No way I'm turning my boys loose to be hunted by those conniving little bitches." She said this in her 'Sara from the block' voice, wagging her finger as she did so. The whole table again erupted in laughter.

Jessica slipped into matriarch mode. "I can't say too much, but knowing what the Court may hear in the next couple of years makes me really open to this idea. I want our kids to get an education, not be guineapigs for social engineering."

She paused, "OK, we've got five years to think this over. If Sara and Alex can handle the basics, we can custom build the other pieces. We'll put a rink in our back yard -- I mean we were going to do that anyway. Then the rest of us make the time to hit our sweet spots: logic, rhetoric, music, etc. We'll teach all three languages from the get-go. There are some classical and charter schools absolutely kicking ass in D.C. We'll research those and see if we think we can pull this off." She looked at Sara admiringly, "Thank you, Sara. That's an amazing idea."

"So, Droobie what are you going to be doing?" asked Ellen. "We just planned the next 15-20 years of Sara and Alex's life. Are you going to teach at Groton?"

Jessica laughed again, and Sara giggled. "What did I miss?" asked Ellen.

Andy looked at Christopher. "Brother, have you had a money conversation with your betrothed?"

Christopher looked sheepishly at Ellen. She nodded to him. "Yes. She's worth roughly $15 million dollars; and before you ask, the Judge already shot down a pre-nup."

Andy grinned madly. "Well, my little sister lied to you. She's worth $148 million dollars."

"The hell you say?" muttered Ellen more loudly than she intended.

They all laughed out loud.

"The Wonder Twins," interjected Jessica. Andy nodded at her to continue. "Helen and Jane have been husbanding the family money. They're total savants when it comes to finance. Lady Sumner-White, otherwise known as their mother, taught them what she knew, and they've built a $500 million dollar fortune. They want Andy to manage the company eventually."

Ellen and Christopher looked at him dumbfounded.

"They're making a $100 million donation to Colton. I suspect there will be a school of diplomacy, or something like that, with Uncle Hank as the founding dean. That means the remaining $400 million will get divided three ways. Plus, the cabin and whatever else we don't know about," explained Andy.

Ellen turned white as a ghost.

"Ells, it's OK. We had no idea, either. They made a conscious decision not to tell us. They wanted us to pursue our callings in life, and not just be bratty rich kids. Sara and I have talked, and we want to raise our kids the same way. They won't be rich assholes, not on our watch. That's another reason I like the homeschool idea. Christopher is right; our kids will stick out like a sore thumb in a public school, and at most private schools, for that matter. This way, it's just their cousins, who kick ass as much as they do. They'll think it's normal to eat lightning and crap thunder. Plus, they'll have people who love them calling them on their bullshit."

"Eden called your family success ninjas," added Sara. "I've found that to be helpful. When Ellen was telling us about your family at The Lobster Shack, Eden and I about had kittens. We had no idea. Andy said nothing about it when we met him. He was just this beautiful, thoughtful man who drove a truck and carried a small armory with him," she giggled. "He said nothing about being a decorated Force Recon sniper, or who Alex was -- nada. I wanted to kiss him, and kick his ass when I found out. Then, I got introduced to the Vice President -- who, oh yeah -- just happens to be your great uncle," she paused. "Ellen, you were there. You kept apologizing to us. I appreciated it at the time, but I don't want my kid's success to be a source of embarrassment. If they kick ass, the world can just damn deal with it."

"Preach sister," said Christopher. "I've felt overwhelmed, and I've known the family for a decade. I mean Alex wins a Stanley Cup, is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and Andy wins the Navy Cross -- and I'm just an architect? That's some serious Kung Fu."

"You sell yourself short, brother," said Alex. "The music last night was breathtaking. To think that the three of you just sit down and make such music is truly stunning. My wife is the wisest and funniest woman I know. If our kids are half the person their mother is, they will be remarkable human beings." He looked at Jessica lovingly. She took his hand and kissed it.

"OK, we either need to go look at furniture, or I'm gonna take Andy home and make a baby right now," said Sara decisively. "I'm already counting backwards nine months from when we graduate," she grinned.

Ellen spoke next, "I agree with Sara. It is getting hot in here," she grinned. "However, I think we're on to something here. It's also why I can't take the job with Donna." She looked at Christopher, "Sweetie, you went along with being thought of as something you weren't because people didn't know what to do with your giftedness. I don't want our kids -- boys or girls -- to go through that. Let's say we have a girl, and she's an amazing hockey player. Do you want people judging her sexual preference because she's a great athlete? 'Oh, she must be a lesbian. She's a great hockey player.' I call bullshit. People at Colton thought Eden and Sara were lesbians because they're awesome, and they're both phenomenal athletes."

"Alex and Sara are right," she continued. "Our kids will absolutely kick ass. We owe it to them to put them in an environment to encourage that. We're in. Plus, they will look amazing in the school uniforms I design for the Ralph Ivanovich School," she grinned madly, and then leaned across the table to kiss her fiancé passionately. "Those conniving little heifers will be climbing the walls to try to get at our boys," she laughed.

_______________________________________________________________

Furniture shopping was a celebratory experience. Andy's only request was that the items selected, 'look like us, Bellissima.' She giggled; but she knew exactly what he meant. In the end, Christopher and Ellen guided the whole process effortlessly. Jessica was a good sounding board, and Sara left each store increasingly excited. The last store awaited them as they walked two blocks to where his truck was parked.

"Baby, we may need to skip lunch and go back to your room," she giggled. "All this is giving me some serious feels for my man."

"Happy?" he asked smiling.

"No baby, I'm ecstatic. Andy, this is all so -- I mean -- it just kicks ass. I spent my whole life trying to fit in; but thinking I needed to hide who I really was. Even at Colton I felt like I had to do that. Our kids will have a very different experience. If my beautiful man hadn't come along, I'd still be hiding in the Commons with Eden."

Andy's smile quickly turned into a frown, and then got his 1000-yard stare.

"Dammit Andrew David, we're having an amazing morning! Don't go and clam up on me suddenly. That shit will not fly."

She had stopped walking, and had her hands on her lovely hips. Sara's face was a mixture of love and concern. Andy stopped and looked at her. 'Damn she's beautiful!' he thought, and began grinning uncontrollably.

"Jeannie Flannery," he said, looking into the lovely pools of her brown eyes.

"Baby, she's great -- but she's got nothing to do with this," Sara said heatedly.

Andy took the two steps it took him to close the distance, put his hand behind her neck and pulled her into a kiss; and this was a real kiss. Soon his tongue was darting in and out of her mouth, and he felt her moan in his mouth.

He stopped, and pulled back from her, smiling.

"No, my love; she has everything to do with it. I love what we're talking about for our kids -- but to what end? Listen, I want them to kick ass, and feel free to be as talented as they may or may not be. But if we don't teach them to tell snarky cheerleaders to back off when they make fun of the Jeannie's in the world, what the hell have we done? We've just made it worse. Peter Parker, Bellissima. With great power comes great responsibility. They've got to use their gifts to serve others, not just add to the shit-ton of money the family already has. It's the old beatific vision of Jesuit education: love God and love your neighbor. The purpose of all their kick-ass awesomeness isn't to be elitist, it's got to be others focused."

She smiled at him, and kissed him back. "I need you inside me. ASAP. You feel me, Dreamy?" she giggled. "I love you so much, my beautiful man."

"Not for nothing, but I love the idea of you changing your major. I'm feeling hot for teacher right about now," he said softly. "Plus, you can tell me to do all kinds of deliciously dirty things to you in French."

Andy's phone buzzed. He looked at it and smiled. "I love Miss Helen, but sometimes her timing stinks."

He heard both Helen and Jane on the other line when he answered. "Hey grandma, give me a second, we're almost to the truck."

He unlocked the door, opened it for Sara, and then leaned against the open door while putting his phone on speaker. "OK, I can talk easier now," he said.

"Andrew, she is a top-notch young woman," said Jane excitedly. "You have quite an eye for talent. With your permission, we'd like to offer her a position."

Andy smiled at Sara, who was trying hard not to celebrate too loudly. "I appreciate that, but Sumner-White is your baby. I'm not sure you need my permission."

"Yes, we do. You're the one who will end up working with Grace for the long term," said Helen. "It's sweet of you, but this is as much your decision as it is ours."

"Done. What's the number you're thinking?"

"We pay for her master's and her doctorate. She's a shoo-in for early admission at MIT. Plus, $100,000 a year until she's done. We're also adding a new boathouse by the cabin. All senior Sumner-White staff will have full access to that. We're upping our timeshare with the flight service, as well. Grace will want to be able to get to Winnipeg this year, at least. These are small perks, but we thought them in good faith."

"We also met with Jen Land this morning. Jen has agreed to do some consulting for us, and she'll mentor Grace in her graduate education. She really knows her stuff, and seemed shocked by the offer we're considering for her protégée. That was our goal. Hire talent and pay them well. You've done very well here," said Aunt Jane lovingly.

"That sounds amazing," said Andy. "When are you making the offer?"

"We'd like you and Sara to do it over lunch," said Helen matter of factly. "We just emailed you the proposal. Have her get a lawyer to look it over. Kail's parents would do well, or Brian's agent. See if you and Sara can get a few moments with she and Brian over lunch."

Andy was grinning, and Sara was beaming with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Done. Thank you."

"And Andrew, you're getting the same offer. We'd like your title to be VP of Talent Acquisition. You've got two years to build a team and get a physical location. We have some ideas we'd like to discuss after brunch tomorrow with you and Grace," added Jane.

"Well then, we'll have lots to talk about. Aunt Jane, are you coming to dinner with us?"

"I am, thank you."

"Good. We came up with an idea over breakfast we'd like to run past the two of you and The Judge," he said, smiling.

______________________________________________________________

Andy dictated a text for Sara to send to the group they were meeting for lunch.

Stoddard's. Noon. Jake and Grace, Sara and I need a moment of your time over lunch.

The last stop to make was an outdoor furniture store. Andy chose what he wanted for the enthusiast's room, while Christopher checked on specs for a pizza oven. As they were on their way to lunch, Andy found a Fed-Ex store, and had copies made of Grace's contract offer.

As he was waiting for his document to print, he quickly called Jake.

"O Captain, my captain," answered Jake.

"Will your agent take your call on a Saturday?" asked Andy.

A stunned Jake replied in the affirmative.

"Good. Please text me his email address. No surprise to you; your lady is phenomenal. I've got an offer for Grace, but a lawyer should look it over. You trust your guy, don't you?"

"He's great. He's a Groton alum. About 15 years before us."

"Sweet; and Jake, two things: mum's the word on this, and please speak well of your buddy Andy."

He laughed, "Got it Captain."

As they met their friends and family for lunch, Andy and Sara got a table separate from the others. He'd texted his family, and explained what was going on. Ellen and Jessica ran interference on Kail and Eden, and they talked about their morning before getting down to business.

"So, Gracie, how do you think your interview went?" asked Sara innocently.

Grace set down her burger to consider her friend. "Well, to be honest, I was kind of in awe the whole time. Sara, I get what you mean when you say you want to be Helen when you grow up. They're both stunning women. They're charming, and ooze class. But the questions they asked were insightful. They know their stuff, that's for sure. Even if I don't get an offer from them, I feel fortunate just to have been interviewed by women of their caliber," she said honestly. "I knew I was getting grilled, but they're so delightful that by the end of it you're thanking them for the experience."

Brian chuckled. "The Judge and Miss Helen vetted my agent for me. They were my legal guardians, by the way, until I was 21. My dad was in jail, and my mom bailed when I was in grade school. I lived with the O'Leary's part time, the Broquard's part time, and at Andy's part time. Miss Helen has this way about her; I mean you just don't want to disappoint her. She could cut me to the quick just by starting with, 'You know Brian, I'm disappointed in . . .' and then whatever it was I'd screwed up that time."

Grace and Sara both looked up in surprise at Brian's revelation. "Long story," said Andy quietly. "Be good for your next round of pillow talk," he quipped.

Jake laughed and Grace blushed.

"Well, Miss Federspiel. You crushed your interview. It's my great pleasure to offer you a position with the Sumner-White Group. The contract is right here. Please take your time in looking it over. I emailed a copy to Jake's agent. He's looking it over, and probably charging Jake double-time for the trouble."

He handed over the two-page document.

Grace stopped mid-chew and looked at him, stunned.

Brian smiled and took the offered document. He scanned it quickly.

"Wow! Babe, they're going to start paying you immediately," he whistled. "$100 large, plus they pay for your school," he paused. "Damn girl! You get to use the company flight service. Holy shit!" He looked at Andy with raised eyebrows. "Grace, you get a raise for each degree you attain. You'd start at $500K a year once you're done with your doctorate." He read on, "Fuck me," he muttered.

He looked at Andy again.

"Seriously with the other thing?"

Andy grinned and nodded.

Grace turned bright red, and then pale.

Jake's phone rang. He answered it and talked briefly with his agent. "Hold on, I'll put her on."

Grace listened, her mind only vaguely registering what she heard. She did catch him saying, "This is an amazing deal. I'd sign it if that's what you want to do. I wish Jake's contract was this clean and easy."

She handed the phone to Brian, too stunned to talk. She looked at Andy, and nodded her head yes.

"Seriously, Grace. Please take your time with this. It's a good deal, but it would commit the next eight years of your life. The second page is the buyout clause if you take another job. You'd have to pay the company back for the master's and doctoral programs if you leave early. Plus, if you do this, you'd have to put up with working with me," he smiled at her reassuringly.

She looked at Brian, still too stunned to speak.

Ellen was filling Kail, and Eden in on Grace's job offer -- not in detail, but that an offer was being made - as they ate together. From across the restaurant, they heard Kail, "Gracie, are you OK? Holler if you need some Power Girl. Seriously. I'm just over here basking in AFed and JFed's loveliness."