Finding Home Pt. 20

He smiled and nodded.

"Baby, I need you. Maybe I'm not supposed to, but I do," she said softly. "We both need to get over this fear that we're not good enough. We kick ass -- together. We're not really ourselves without the other one. I love that. I will fight for that."

She stopped talking and kissed him passionately. "Tonight, your woman will show you how much she loves you, and values you, and needs you," she whispered.

"Thank you, Sara. I keep thinking that the scared, 5-year-old boy who lost his parents will stop showing up," he said with evident remorse.

"Andy, I love that little boy. Without that boy, I don't have my amazing man."

She paused thoughtfully, "And, I know I need to do more than just sleep with you. I need to do what you do for me -- like every day. You show me Andy -- without getting me naked -- how much you need me. That's a new thing for me. Please be patient?"

"Absolutely," he smiled. "Bellissima, outside of having another person in our bed, there's nothing I won't do for you."

She kissed him softly, "I know Andy. I need to show you the same thing," she said resolutely.

Ellen stuck her head in the basement looking for them.

"Are the two of you OK?" she asked cautiously.

"We're getting there," said Andy smiling.

"Good," she sighed. "We really need the both of you to answer a few questions about the house," she paused. "Listen, I know the two of you are going out tonight, but could Christopher and I tag along? I kind of -- well the thing is," she stuttered.

"Ellen, you're more than welcome to join us," said Sara sweetly. "Today has been crazy. If I had a big brother like Andy, I know I'd want to spend some time with him when craziness like this is happening. Family takes care of family."

Andy kissed her nose, and then turned to his sister. "Smellen, I can't -- I mean - we can't thank you enough for what you did yesterday. We're both very aware of how hard the people we love are fighting for us. I love you, little sister."

Ellen came to her brother and hugged him fiercely. She kissed his cheek, and then buried her head in his shoulder. He let her cry, and nodded to Sara. She excused herself, and went to find Christopher and the contractor.

"Drew, I didn't want this," she finally said quietly. "I just wanted to design dresses for Sara and Eden for Grandpa's award dinner. I wanted to help them, not give birth to a whole new line. Then, when this all snowballed, and the thing happened with Sara; Droobie, it was awful. I just want this all to be over, and to marry Christopher and move back to Boston. I love fashion, but I hate the fashion industry. I was so afraid I'd lost my big brother, again. I love you, Drew."

"I love you too, Smellen," he paused. "Let's get through this week. Look at it this way, we finally have a bass player for our evening concerts. Work with the girls, and Anthony. Let CeCe and other people work themselves into a tizzy. Have fun -- or at least try to -- OK? And don't worry about me. Your big brother was an ass for like, six years. Thanks to Eden and Sara, that asshole is dead," he smiled. "I'm not going anywhere, little sister. You're going to be stuck with me from now on, I'm afraid."

"Do you promise, Drew? You can really be happy managing the family money and living in Boston?"

"There's nothing I want more, Ellen. Really and truly. Thanks to you and Jessica, I still have the woman of my dreams to help make that reality come true."

She looked up at her brother and smiled. "Thanks, Droobie," she laughed.

"Has Tommy sent you the playlist for tonight?" he asked.

"Not yet. He and Christopher have been talking about it. I do know we're doing 'blank space/style' and 'Dancing Away with My Heart.' And Eden sent me the Thomas Rhett cover you and Ethan did this morning. That was scary good, by the way."

"I've got Sara's song for today that I'd like to do. I just wish we had a drummer," he said musing on the possibilities of tonight.

"We can talk to Tommy when we're done with house stuff," she offered. "And, I have a few ideas for your wardrobe on your first date with your fiancé," she laughed. "But I kind of need an idea of what we're doing."

"There's a really good Chinese place called 'Chinese Takeout,'" he grinned. "Then we're going to play putt-putt and I have an appointment to see about some new ink. By the way, the winner of putt-putt gets to have their wicked way with the loser."

She laughed. "She loves you so much, Drew. God, I hate that all this shit happened."

"I am too -- but then I'm not. We're going to get through this. We're both broken people. I'm glad for the chance to work through this now. I was hoping for a laid-back summer with her, but I don't think we're going to get that."

"Well, let's get upstairs. We'll have lots of time to talk tonight," she smiled and hugged her brother. "Thanks for letting us come along. Chris and I both need some Drew the Protector time. All these projects are a big thing for his career."

___________________________________________________________

By 1:30 PM they'd wrapped up that day's decisions with the contractor, finalized the set list for that night, and sent Tommy and Ethan off in his truck, accompanied by Gina and Marty, to get the gear needed for the week's concerts. Andy rode back with Ellen, and he collapsed in his bed about 2 PM. Half an hour later, feeling rejuvenated by his power nap, he was talking with his grandmother and his younger sister in the boathouse. As Ellen began picking out his ensemble for the evening, they filled him in on the compromise that had been reached with DK; a compromise that included an ongoing collaboration between Ellen and her mentor in the form of an exclusive line for French and English. Andy was downloading the necessary chord charts for the evening as they talked, and frowning a bit. These were all songs he knew, but he'd love a bit more practice time for tonight. He strummed his parts, and worked on the parts he'd need to pick. At one point, he heard the lull in the conversation and looked up at his grandmother and Ellen smiling at him.

"Andrew, I love this. I was afraid it was gone forever. Sara really is a wonderful young woman," his grandmother said knowingly.

Andy nodded. "And thanks to the two of you, that lovely young woman is still my fiancé," he said appreciatively. "I can't thank the two of you enough for fighting for us the way you did."

"We love you both very much," said Helen. "And family looks out for family. You're truly happy for the first time in your life, dear boy. There is no way we let that go without a fight," she smiled.

"Andrew," she said changing her tone, "Ellen, Jessica and I were talking while you were napping. We've looked, and there's nothing booked for the chapel here the last weekend of July. We also talked with Gina, and we all prefer summer weddings to winter ones," she smiled.

Andy laughed, catching what his grandmother was not so subtly hinting at. "I don't want to rain on Ellen and Christopher's parade. There's enough going on, I think."

"Nonsense. This is why wedding planners exist. Ellen and I meet with Margot once a week. The dresses are done, and all the decisions have been made. We're just waiting for August to get here," she smiled.

"I know I'll regret this, but why are we considering moving the date up?" he asked coyly.

"Because the two of you living apart is a stupendously bad idea," interjected Ellen. "Look, we all get it, but Drew you have no idea how much better you look since you and Sara have been together. You need each other. She said herself, she'd have married you yesterday," she smiled. "We love the well-rested, happy, in-love-with-Sara version of you," she grinned.

"This doesn't worry any of you? I mean, we're talking about two months from when we met to when we'd get married. Not to mention all that happened yesterday," he said flatly.

"Jane and Hank met and married in five weeks. It would have been sooner, but the venue was booked," retorted his grandmother. "Andrew, you've dated some wonderful women. None of them is Sara. You need her, and she needs you. It would make your fall and winter much more manageable, to boot. The two of you do as you think best, but all the women in your families think waiting until December is madness," she said in a brook-no-nonsense tone.

Andy smiled. "Well, please let me talk this over with Dr. Nebeker. I need to talk with her anyway," he paused, "But, I'd be lying if I said what you're proposing doesn't sound damn good to me."

He turned to his sister, "Now, you're not going to have me looking like some sort of hipster, are you?"

____________________________________________________________

At 3:45, Andy knocked on the doors of the Commons. He'd stopped by the florist, and they'd laughed uproariously when he told them he needed a bouquet for his first date with his fiancé. He was dressed in the outfit Ellen picked out for him, and he had to admit, she'd nailed it. Andy was wearing a new pair of khaki shorts, a pair of cream-colored Chuck Taylor's, and a light-blue V-neck t-shirt. Ellen had swapped out his normal XL for a large-tall. Even his grandmother smiled and patted his arms and chest when he put it on. His Colton Women's Crew hoodie was along as well -- it did tend to get cold fast in Maine when the sun went down, even in June. Eden came to the door, and hugged him. She wolf-whistled when she looked at him.

"She's just about ready, but before you go out, we have a few questions for you," she grinned.

Grace and a beaming Kail were waiting in the Commons, and Andy laughed when he looked at Power Girl. She was absolutely glowing, and the smile on her face was quite fetching.

"So Dreamy, before we make sure you intend to completely Andy our lovely roommate tonight, let me just say thank you," she beamed. "Last night was amazing. Miles is, well, let's just say I know what my bitches have been going on about. Power Girl totally approves," she grinned.

"You're quite welcome, Miss Sunderland. Is the young man still alive?" he asked grinning.

"Barely. As you know, I'm too much woman for certain Marines, but I think the young tight end will survive," she laughed.

Grace spoke up, "Andy, we love you -- but we need to tell you that one of our best friends is a Marine Force Recon Sniper," she smiled. "If you hurt our roommate, he can make your head explode from a mile away."

"Understood. I'll be on my best behavior. Thanks for the heads up," he grinned.

"We also need to tell you that we've spent quite a bit of time this afternoon talking amongst ourselves. All four of us are quite fortunate to have wonderful men in our lives. Now, while having a smoking hot trophy-fiancé is a reward in and of itself," grinned Eden. "We all want to make sure our men know how much we care for and appreciate them -- in a non-sexual way, I mean. We'd appreciate any feedback you could give us on that front. It's a new thing for all four of us."

Andy smiled, "I will. Thank you."

"And please know, we've already had this talk with Jake, Ethan and Miles," grinned Kail. "We really do like you -- all of you."

Andy nodded.

"Now, we'll go get Sara so the two of you can walk to her appointment. Please know that Ethan had your truck detailed," Eden blushed as she said this, "inside and out. Christopher and Ellen will be here when you get back. You will probably see us when you play putt-putt. We have a vested interest in your date going well, and our lovely needs some moral support. We look forward to seeing you at the cabin, and hearing the amazing music this evening."

"I look forward to it as well," he said. "And thank you. I'm rather fond of the three of you. I probably need to tell you that more than I do."

"Move your shit back in here," said Kail abruptly. "That's all the thanks we want. Power Girl misses Dreamy and Kisses. We all do."

The other two looked at Kail, stunned at her bluntness.

"Well, ladies -- we'll see. I may have spoken too hastily when I said I was moving out. I love living with the four of you. You're terrific roommates. But, unless there's a six-story apartment building we can remodel on Beacon Hill, Sara and I will have to move out at some point," he grinned.

Eden looked at him quizzically.

"The four of us, plus the Broquard's and O'Leary's," he explained.

"Thank you, Andy," said a blushing Grace. "We would love to have you back. You never know when expelled rowers may come looking for revenge," she smiled.

Andy nodded to her and smiled.

"I'll go get your lovely date," said Eden.

Andy's jaw hit the floor when he saw Sara. She looked stunning. Her hair was straight, and pulled into a ponytail. Her light makeup brought out her lovely brown eyes in an incredible way. Her shorts were tight, but not too tight; and short, but not too short. Her long, muscular, mocha-colored legs were on full display. But it was her top that caught his attention. She was showing more cleavage than usual, and Andy felt his groin stirring at the very sight of her. She was carrying a Groton Hockey sweatshirt, and smiling madly when she saw him.

"You look stunning," said Andy lovingly. "I mean it Bellissima. Wow."

She giggled. "Thank you. Please remind me to thank Ellen. You look good enough to eat, baby."

"These are for you," he handed her the flowers. "The ladies at the flower shop got quite a laugh when I told them I need a bouquet for my first date with my fiancé."

She giggled, and handed them to Grace.

"We need a first date picture," said Eden. They went to the balcony, and Andy smiled as the three fussed over the picture. With five minutes to spare, they walked hand in hand across campus to the counselling offices.

When they reached their destination, Sara turned to face him, and breathed out a long, nervous, sigh.

"You'll do great. Kick ass, take names," said Andy lovingly. "Thank you so much for doing this, Sara. I know it's not easy. I love you."

He kissed her, and she nodded and went into the offices.

Andy went out and found a bench away from listening ears. He paired his ear buds, punched in the phone number, and was greeted by Dr. Denise Nebeker -- his Navy psychiatrist -- as she accepted his Face Time request.

"Hello Sargent DeGroat," she said warmly.

"Dr. Nebeker, thanks for taking the time to talk with me," said Andy.

"Andrew, let me just say that you look amazingly well," she began. "I'm not sure what you've been doing, but whatever it is, please keep it up," she paused. "But don't tell my other patients, they'll come see you instead, I'm afraid."

Andy mumbled his thanks.

"No Andrew, I mean it. I recognize the voice and the phone number, but that's it. You look so much better, I'm amazed. I take it you're sleeping through the night?"

Andy answered her, and for the next 25 minutes, the two talked about the last three weeks of his life. Andy was grateful that both had the benefit of military training. This let them convey situational realities in short, concise sentences -- leaving out little of importance. They got more done in 25 minutes than similar appointments could do in an hour.

___________________________________________________________

At 4:30, Andy was waiting for Sara. She ran to him, hugged him, and would not let him go. He felt her body slowly relax, and waited for her to look at him. Finally, she spoke softly, but did not look up.

"Baby, it was awful and amazing."

He reached down and gently raised her chin before softly kissing her. "Please tell me about it."

"Well, long story short. I'm already doing the things I need to do. I do need to talk to my dad, and she was surprised that you'd already started those wheels turning," she smiled.

"Good. What else did she have to say?"

"Not too much. She listened a lot. I guess she'll talk more the next time," she admitted.

He nodded.

"What did you do?"

"I talked with my shrink," he said, taking her hand and beginning to walk towards the Commons. "She told me, in so many words, that I was a complete dumbass to change anything that we'd been doing the past three weeks," he looked at her and grinned.

"Really?!" she exclaimed. "So, does that mean?" she trailed off, too excited to finish the thought.

"It does, but let's table that for a moment. You and I need to have a quick scheduling conversation. First, and this one is easy: we'll need to book the plane, or a commercial flight to fly to Buffalo early Saturday morning. Driving is out. We're booked here both Friday and Friday night. I'll let Jake know."

She smiled and nodded.

"Second, the four horsewomen of the apocalypse," he raised his eyebrows, "meaning Gina, Helen, Jessica, and Ellen, had a pow-wow this afternoon. Grandma and Ells not so tactfully informed me that the chapel at Colton is wide open the last weekend in July. And, just for some historical context here, Hank and Jane met and married in five weeks."

She gripped his hand tighter, and he caught her grin out of the corner of his eye.

"You mean that I could be a bride's matron and not a bride's maid at Ellen's wedding?" she giggled.

"I'm sure hoping you will," he said. "I can think of nothing I would love more. I wanted you to be Mrs. Andy DeGroat the second day I knew you; but I'm a BTFU'd Marine, so what the hell do I know?" he grinned.

She looked at him. "So, let me get this straight: you've moving back in, and we could get married the last weekend in July?"

He nodded. "Helen took great pleasure in reminding me that she gave us until December to get married," he chuckled.

"And what are your conditions? I know you, Andrew David. I know you have a condition or two."

He laughed. "Yes, my love. You do know me. First, if you can agree to this on your side with additional bridesmaids, I'd love to add Jake and Dre as groomsman."

She nodded. "Done. That means I can ask Pri and Juliette," she giggled.

"Second, we wait to move into the house until we're married."

She giggled, and leapt into his arms.

"I love you so much, baby. Yes, yes, yes."

__________________________________________________________

Andy had thought they might wait to tell people, but as soon as Sara left his arms, she called her mother.

"Momma, please tell Miss Helen to book the Chapel for the last weekend in July," she giggled.

Sara moved the phone away from her ear as the noise coming from the other side was deafening. "I think she's excited," she giggle-whispered to Andy.

Standing in the breezeway just outside the Commons, the pair Face Timed Jessica.

"It's about damn time," she said laughing after Sara informed her of the change of date. "I was afraid the two of you would just elope this weekend and head over to Niagara Falls."

The best response, however, came when they told the gathered group of Ellen, Christopher, Grace, Jake, Juliette, Andre, Priya, Eden and Kail.

"So, we both met with our counselors or therapists, or whatever," Andy began stoically. "And we need to tell you that the December wedding date is off."

Kail, Grace, and Eden were crushed. Priya and Juliette looked at one another in disbelief. However, once Eden looked at Ellen, and saw her grinning like the Mad Hatter -- she knew something was up.

"I call bullshit," said a smiling Eden.

"Please change your calendars to July 26^th. That is, if Christopher and Ellen don't object," laughed Andy.

Once the celebration and hugs had died down, Andy spoke up. "Pri and Juliette, Sara has something she'd like to ask you."

With teary eyes, Sara began. "You two are really dear to both Andy and I, and I'd be honored if you'd consider being brides . . ." she could not even finish the word before the two women shrieked and nodded their heads yes.

A smiling Andy turned to Dre and Jake. "Fellas, I was an ass for not asking you the first time. Would you please forgive me and serve as groomsman? I promise you can be paired with your wife/fiancé."