Synchronicity for Six Pt. 12

= = =

"Hello?" David's hushed voice could hardly be heard ten feet away. He was sitting at a study carrel in a hardly frequented corner of the library. He had quickly answered his ringing phone without looking to see who was calling.

"Hey, baby, it's me. Didn't I show on your Caller ID?" Maggie questioned.

"Magpie! No, I didn't even look at the screen. Oh, God, it's so good to hear your voice again," David exulted, quietly.

"Where are you?"

"In the library. Rob and Amanda are abusing my good nature, I fear. I don't know how to tell them to hold off until the weekend."

"Oh, my poor baby!"

"Yeah, well, it's my own damned fault. I just have to make it until May. I miss you, Kitsune Girl."

At his words, Maggie's eyes flashed quickly to the charcoal and pastel picture on the wall. Her heart gave an odd little thump, and she flushed slightly.

"When are you coming home next, Boy Scout? Could you please come home next weekend when my grandparents are here, visiting for the first time?"

"I've been home far too often already this semester. I had not planned on coming back until after midterms the second week of March. So, three weeks from tomorrow. Until then, I guess I'll just haunt this corner of the library."

"Davey, you need to talk with Rob and Amanda. It's simply unfair for you to have to make yourself scarce. It sounds like you're having to do that pretty often."

"As I said, I've probably brought this on myself. They got used to my being gone back to you so often." David paused for a moment, then continued. "You're probably right though, Mags. I do need to talk with them. There's no way this should continue much longer, especially since Rob doesn't have to reciprocate."

"That's right! I'm not saying you should do it right now, but don't take too long, okay? I'll be missing you until you come back home."

"I'll have to let you go now. They're flashing the lights, telling everyone that the library will be closing in ten minutes. I'll talk with Rob tomorrow."

"Be safe and stay strong. I love you, Davey."

"I love you too, Maggie. Sweet dreams."

= = =

"No. Nope. No way, no how."

Tom was adamant despite Julie's impassioned pleas for him to reconsider his position on the matter.

"You just have to try it. Just a 'no thank you' bite. I'm sure that once you do, you'll see where I'm coming from," she begged. She took a bite. "See, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt at all."

Tom firmly closed his lips and would turn his head when her hand approached.

"Come on, Tommy. Be a good boy for 'mommy' and open up the tunnel. Choo-choo! Here comes the train!"

Tom took a big step backward to keep that anathema from entering his mouth.

"Jules, I'll eat the green peppers and mushrooms. I'll occasionally eat onions and pick off the black olives. But, no; it's morally wrong to put pineapple on pizza. Period. End of sentence."

"Even a Hawaiian pizza?"

"Even a Hawaiian pizza. What's so important about this? It's just going to have to be one of those things where we'll have to agree to disagree, despite how wrong you are."

"I was just looking for a way to get more pineapple into your diet, Tom."

"Pineapple? What's so special about pineapple?"

"You know... it's supposed to make your cum taste better, sweeter."

Tom snorted at Julie's words.

"What?" she asked.

"That's become a popular myth. Look it up. I do like pineapple, though; just not on my pizza."

Friday, February 19, 2021

"Honey!"

"Mother!"

The two ladies greeted each other with a long hug in front of the baggage carousel at the Middleburg Regional Airport.

"You look so responsible in that business suit, Rose," Martha commented after they had released each other.

"Thank you, Mother," Rose replied. "You're looking quite stylish yourself in that linen pantsuit. You aren't out trolling for younger men, are you?" she teased.

"Goodness, no, Rose. I've had a hard enough time housebreaking your father over the years. I just harkened back to the time when people dressed up for an airplane trip." Martha just shook her head in dismay at the sight as a couple of young guys strolled by in basketball shorts and hooded sweatshirts.

"Let's get your bags and head for home then. Alan, Maggie, and Katie are to have supper ready for us."

"I have only one big bag, dear. I hoped I could do laundry at your place, so I only brought a week's worth of clothes."

"Of course, you can, Mother. Ah, there's your suitcase! I'd know that fluorescent pink and orange flower tied to the handle anywhere."

A nicely attired young man noticed their hesitation at pulling the bag off the carousel. Getting confirmation that it was the bag they wanted, he easily hefted it off the carousel and set it on its wheels for them. When Martha offered him a couple of dollars for his trouble, he just smiled and shook his head.

"I'm a Scout, ma'am. I was looking for my chance to do a good deed today. Thank YOU for giving me that opportunity!" He nodded his head at their thanks, hefted his backpack to his shoulders, and quickly strode off out of sight with a cheerful smile on his face.

Martha was agog from their encounter with the young man. Thinking of her three Eagle Scouts, Rose had a smile twitching on her lips as she led her mother to her Subaru. After placing Martha's large suitcase in the back seat, they headed home. Martha avidly took in their surroundings as they drove from the airport and through the downtown area. When they turned onto their street, Martha's interest increased.

When they turned into the driveway, Martha commented, "These look like very nice houses, Rose. Not as quaint as I had imagined they would be." Rose wasn't quite sure how to take that, so she quietly let it go.

"We'll leave your bag in the car, Mother, if that's all right with you."

"That's fine, dear."

Rose went to open the front door and before she could place her hand on the knob, the inside door swung open, revealing Maggie.

"Grandma!" she exclaimed, brushing past her mother and stepping out onto the porch to embrace Martha.

"Magpie!"

Rose was chagrinned, yet not entirely surprised by her daughter's effusive greeting of her grandmother. Rose saw Katie waiting by the stairs and Alan off to the left, and she stepped into the house. She had a puzzled look on her face as she sniffed but scented no food.

"What's for supper, love?" she asked.

"Chopped liver, evidently," Alan answered, wryly. Rose gave a little snort as she 'got' Alan's joke and gratefully accepted his welcoming embrace. "Actually, I thought we'd go to Los Tres Amigos tonight," he continued.

Katie was trying to wait patiently, but a brief expression of unease briefly crossed her face. Rose noticed it, saying, "Come here, my girl." She gestured for Katie to accept her hug. Rose's newest daughter quickly accepted Rose's hug and kiss on the cheek.

As Martha and Maggie entered the house, Rose turned Katie to face Martha.

"Mother, this is our newest daughter, Kathleen Margaret. Katie, this is your new Grandma Reynolds." Katie and Martha cautiously hugged each other and quickly stepped back.

Then Katie perked up as Alan's words finally penetrated her consciousness.

"We're eating at Los Tres Amigos?"

Registering Katie's words, Maggie looked at Alan in surprise and delight. "I thought we were making ..."

"So much for chopped liver being on the menu," Rose muttered, to which Alan softly snorted in amusement. Louder, she said, "It's likely to be crowded on a Friday night. We may have to wait a bit to get a table, but the sooner we get there, the sooner we can eat. Do you need to use the powder room before we go, Mother?" she inquired.

"It'll hold until we get to the restaurant, Rose. Let's not delay your beautiful daughters from the food that seems to please them so much."

"Alan, I'll take my mother in my car so we can drop her off at the hotel once we're done," Rose decided, and Alan just nodded in agreement.

"Girls, you're with me," he declared, and the two vehicles caravanned to the favored restaurant.

To everyone's surprise and delight, they were seated immediately. Alan slid into the booth first with Rose on his right and Martha next to Rose. Katie and Maggie slid into the other side, facing the grown‑ups. Enrique was quickly at the table to take their order.

"Señor Alan, it's wonderful to have you and your family here with us once again!" the owner practically gushed.

"Enrique, mi amigo. I think we'll all start with water and a couple of baskets of chips and salsa, please," Alan decided. "We'll order the food a little later. We need a little time this evening to look over the menu, por favor."

"Of course, mi amigo siempre. The chips are still warm and the salsa is fresh and chilled." Enrique quickly stepped back into the kitchen.

"Rose, can you please direct me to the Ladies' room?" Martha entreated.

"I'll go with you, Mother," Rose replied, and the two slid out of the booth and Rose led the way to the rear of the restaurant.

Once Rose and Martha were out of earshot, Katie murmured, "Well, she seems nice enough. It's still a little early to decide."

"Oh, Kat, she's really very nice," Maggie responded.

"Well, you're her 'natural' granddaughter. I'm just an 'interloper'."

Alan looked at Katie with some pain in his eyes. "Katie, do you truly feel like you're an interloper? You're not."

Dropping her gaze to the table, Katie nodded slightly. "I just feel so unworthy of all of your kindness." Alan reached his hand across to Katie, who placed hers in his.

"Kathleen Margaret O'Shea, I'm so sorry we can't legally adopt you and change your surname to Harrison. You are, however, just as much a member of this family as Maggie, David, Tom, or Julie. You quickly became a daughter that Rose and I both happily chose to join us. You are a delightful addition to our family. You may not realize it, but you are blossoming now and it's so pleasing for Rose and me to see that happening. Please understand that you will always, and I mean ALWAYS, be a part of this family and have a place with us to call home, wherever that home may be. You are moving with us to the Millersville Road house. Do I make myself clear, young lady?"

He paused when Enrique returned with their water, chips, and salsa. "Gracias, Enrique. We should be ready to order when Rose and her mother return from the Ladies' room."

"Ah, so that was your future mother‑in‑law? I thought I noticed a resemblance. Fine. I'll be back in a few minutes to take your orders, mi amigo."

For her part, Maggie didn't recall seeing Alan's steel‑wrapped‑in‑velvet side previously. She just sat there with her mouth slightly agape.

"I asked you a question, Katie. Do I make myself clear?" Alan repeated.

"Yes, Poppa. You are clear and I understand," she said meekly, completely thrilled to her core. She belonged with them! Momma had said so all along, and now Poppa said so, even more clearly than he had the evening of her confrontation with her aunt and uncle.

"Good. Then we're all settled on that, right?"

The restaurant bathroom was small, a 'single seater', so Martha and Rose talked and swapped places at the appropriate time. They carried on a quiet conversation while waiting for each other.

"Rose, I'd like to know the whole story behind why Katie is living with you now, but it can wait until tomorrow. During our calls, the girls seem to be the best of friends which must be wonderful for both of them. I'm starting to see what you see in Alan; if he could open his home and his heart to a total stranger, he must be far better for you, Julie, and Maggie than Ron ever was."

"Mother, I would wager that the young man who helped us at the airport is also an Eagle Scout, just like Alan, Tom, and David are. There just seems to be something that gets instilled into their character from that program. I think I'll ask the boys and Julie to come home next weekend when Daddy is here. It will be quite obvious to both of you that the younger Harrison 'apples' have not fallen far from the tree."

"Your father has a lot of respect for Alan, despite the difficulty that arose with Alan's departure. It would be wonderful to see Julia again as well. Shall we return to your family now?"

The remainder of supper passed without incident. The four females kept a lively chatter going about all manner of things while Alan sat there with a contented smile on his face, simply observing. Martha did have one comment to Alan once they had finished with the meal and were standing outside the restaurant.

"Alan, this has to be some of the best Mexican food I've ever had! Your choice of supper venue tonight was excellent. Thank you, very much. We'll have to bring Elliot here sometime during his visit."

"I'm very glad you enjoyed it, Martha. Now, Maggie has to work tomorrow so I need to get them home while Rose takes you to your hotel. I am looking forward to spending more time getting to know you over the next two weeks."

"As am I." Martha surprised Alan by giving him a brief hug, then stepping back to Rose's side.

Once they got rolling, Rose inquired, "So, Mother, shall I send Alan to fetch you for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Oh, I wouldn't bother if I were you. I've already made reservations to rent a car, which I will pick up in the morning. I have your address and there are multiple route mapping tools available to anybody with half a brain. What time shall I present myself at your door?"

"Maggie has to be at work by 9:00, so 8:00 am?"

"Splendid. I will be there. I'm looking forward to a good week getting to know Alan and Katie and reconnecting with you and Maggie. Please remember to ask Julia to come home next weekend when Elliot will be here."

Rose delivered Martha to the Residence Inn and they got her suitcase out of the back seat.

"Are you okay from here?" Rose asked.

"Yes, but thank you for asking. I'll see you in the morning."

Rose gave Martha a kiss on the cheek and a long hug. "Sleep well, Mother."

= = =

Helen was practically bouncing off the walls by the time Steve finished his pizza delivery shift on Friday. He felt pretty good as he had an extra $50 in tips in his pocket. Fridays were generally good days for pizza delivery.

"What has you in such a good mood, honey?" he inquired.

"This!" she exclaimed as she waved a printout in front of him. "It's a scan of a document coming to us to rent out Mom and Dad's place for three months! Three whole months! With this, we can get caught up on our bills and maybe even have enough for a Spring Break trip for the four of us."

Steve pried it from Helen's hands and smoothed out the incidental wrinkles. His eyes bulged a little as he read the amount of money they would receive if they agreed to the terms. "Thirty-seven fifty?" he said softly. Helen nodded.

"This was a courtesy copy from Ms. Lawson," she explained. "The formal offer should be coming tomorrow, but she wanted us to have something concrete in our hands. As concrete as an emailed PDF can be. What do you think, Steve?"

"I think we should go to bed and talk about this some more," he answered.

Helen was a bit surprised how the prospect of having a little money greatly helped to make Steve more amorous toward her. Perhaps she never grasped how the lack of money squashed his libido. Either way, she was the beneficiary of some physical attention from him, and her body and spirit relished it. Laying there in the afterglow, she thought back and realized that his attentiveness toward her seemed to start diminishing when he was laid off. It was so gradual that she never really noticed it until that night. Perhaps she had contributed some emotional distance to their relationship as well.

They had agreed to pay off the credit cards and use the remainder to take a trip when she and the kids had their Spring Break week near the end of March. At least they agreed on the priorities. Then Steve reminded Helen of how happy she was that they were very sexually compatible.

Saturday, February 20, 2021

Julie's and Tom's phones sounded almost simultaneously, signaling an incoming message.

Julie groaned as she reached for her phone on the nightstand. Once again, Dawn and John were occupying the guest room once again and a couple of bottles of good wine had been consumed by the four the previous evening. Julie and Dawn had gone out shopping and Dawn had paid for the groceries and the wine. An evening of good food, good wine, good dancing, and great company ensued.

Julie blinked her eyes a couple of times, allowing her to focus on the message from her mother.

"Please, please, please come home next weekend."

Three 'pleases' was their family code for 'call me ASAP'. Julie pressed speed dial 3.

"Hey, Mom. It's 7:30 on a Saturday. Why the 'three pleases' code?"

"Your grandma arrived yesterday for a 2‑week visit, and your grandfather is coming in next Friday for a week. They have only interacted with Tom and David briefly through the video calls. I wanted your grandparents to have some time, face‑to‑face, with your boyfriends. I wanted my parents to see how well‑suited you two are with Alan's sons. I also thought this would be a good time, before the furor of moving house, Tom's graduation, and the wedding. I know you had not budgeted for this, so we'll pay for your gas. Please say you'll come home."

"Let me check with Tom and I'll get back to you in a little bit, okay?"

"Sure, honey."

Julie returned her phone to the nightstand and rolled over to snuggle with Tom. She knew Dawn and John would be up soon and she wanted her cuddle time with her man

= = =

David woke up later than usual and noticed the message light blinking on his phone. He read the group chat message from Rose and grinned. It looked like he was going home next weekend. That would be good news for Robert and Amanda. He did not know the 'three pleases' code, but he called Rose anyway.

"Hi, Momma. What's going on next weekend?"

"My parents will both be here and I thought you'd like to meet them in person and to know each other a little better. I know they'd like to meet you, and I'm sure Maggie would like to show them how wonderful you are for her. We'll even fill your gas tank for you if you require additional incentive."

"Well, since you put it that way, sure. I'll be home for supper on Friday. I have a paper I'll have to get finished before I leave, though." David wasn't above doling out a little guilt now and then.

"I'm sure that Maggie will appreciate your arduous effort to clear your schedule for next weekend," Rose riposted. "She might even be willing to show you publicly how much she appreciates it, and you."

"Uncle! I give, Momma. You win. I'll be there on Friday night for supper."

"I'm so glad I could help you see the light, David. We'll see you then."

"Have you told Maggie so that she can arrange to get Saturday off from work? She'll need to do that right away."

"I'll call her next, now that we know you're coming home."

= = =

Soon after he hung up, Robert and Amanda walked into the cafeteria. David made room for them to sit with him while he went to get another cup of coffee.

"Man, I just can't see how you can stand to drink that black?" Robert shook his head not comprehending.

"It's how Dad taught me. This way, I can always enjoy coffee, even when I'm out in the woods or somewhere else, without cream and sweetener available. Your needing those things makes that an impossibility for you."

"The only jungle I'm going to be dealing with is the urban one, preferably where there's a Fourbucks on nearly every other corner."

David chuckled and sipped his brew.

"I've been meaning to talk with both of you, so it's convenient that you're both here." David blew out his breath and plowed ahead. "I simply cannot keep haunting the library until it closes just to give you two the room practically every day. We need to come up with a schedule that works for me and both of you. I understand you two need your time together. But I'm paying for the room as well and trudging over to the library takes away from my study time. I need it on school nights for sleeping and studying."