The House Pt. 01

Could it be? I have thought about it, but not seriously. How could aliens be serious? "Grace, pardon me, this is a bit beyond bizarre, but it is all true and I know I must tell you."

I laid out the two tenants and their lottery wins, the claim, then denial of helpful aliens, and my mood shift when I entered the house. I went on to describe that my next ventures were to hook-up. Maybe these are times where it is easier to hook up than it was in the past, but no one gets as lucky as I did. Then, I decided I wanted to find a life-partner and found her on the exact seat where I started my ego-rebuilding. How is that possible?"

Now she was smiling. "What a wonderful tale."

I got this smirk and said, "Well, not all that wonderful, I bought all these tickets and haven't won the lottery."

She gave me a fake scowl. "You could be a little more romantic than that."

It hit me. "How did I not see it! I have won the lottery. Against tremendous odds I have drawn the one winner."

She took her robe off. I found it was all she was wearing. "That's better, come get your prize - it comes in installments."

Again, the love making was wonderful. As we drifted off to sleep, I muttered, "I'll save a fortune not buying those stupid lottery tickets." It got a satisfied coo - and we drifted off.

<<<<>>>>

The topic came up from time to time, how could it not. Our beliefs were similar. It was too coincidental to ignore and there was no way it could be other than coincidence. We enjoyed Star Wars as much as anyone else, but the chance that the Skywalkers were using the force on our behalf was not worth serious discussion.

The next weekend was Fourth of July, Grace and I were trying to decide how we should introduce her to the boys. We both agreed since my divorce was not final, whatever we did had to end before their bedtime.

We decided on a day at the house, bar-b-que, and so forth. Planning a family event with a scientist is different than planning with a house salesman. She was concerned with details while I was unaware there were details. But we met each other's needs and her introduction to the boys was ready to happen.

July 4

Grace knocked on the door and John answered. Tim and I were not far behind.

"Hello, my name is Grace, you must be John."

He held out his hand to shake and politely said, "I am pleased to meet you." (As we had rehearsed, but he did it well.) Tim also said, "Hi", and we all sat in the living room. "Boys, I wanted you to have an opportunity to meet Grace, and for her to meet you. You know we talked about all this last night, but the first thing we want to do is just chat and get to know one another, a little bit."

"Are you going to take my mommy's place? Tim asked, his tone, at least was curious not a threat.

Grace stood, walked over to where Tim was sitting and knelt, so she was eye to eye. "No, Tim, I am not. But that is the most important question you could ask. Your mom is your mom, no one can replace her. But I think maybe you wonder about your dad and me. Am I right?"

Tim just nodded.

"Well, the answer right now is we don't know. We are getting to know one another, and, in a few months, we may be able to say we are going to be a couple, long-term, or not. But for right now, we are just seeing who we are."

"Are you going to live here?" John asked. He was nearly behind her, on the sofa, beside me. She pivoted and said, "No, definitely not. I have my own condominium and I sleep there every night.

"Does Dad sleep there with you?"

"John, that is a little personal, it sounds to me like you feel some threat from Grace, is that right?"

"Well, yeah, I want you and Mom to get back together. I want things like they used to be."

Grace stayed where she was, but the question was obviously one for me. "John, I hate that you have to face this at such a young age." I turned toward Tim, "and you at even a younger age. Sometimes marriages break, and they cannot be repaired. I wish it were different, but it is not. Your mother and I had great years together, we have two wonderful sons, whom both of us adore, but we will not be together as a family again."

We were all quiet. Grace decided to break the silence. "John, we - your dad and me - wanted to get the four of us together early in our relationship. I have only known your dad for 16 days. We like one another a lot. But if that is to grow it is important to all four of us that you and your brother get to know me and hopefully like me."

John squinted at her, frankly, it made me a little nervous. He was evaluating, apparently. The squint changed to a smile, "I like that. I can tell you mean what you say. You want me to like you."

Grace must have been tired of kneeling. She was wearing shorts and sandals and I'll bet the carpet was beginning to be a bit much. She settled onto one hip with her heels tucked up behind her and kept looking John right in the eye. "You make me very happy, John. I want a chance for you to know me." She turned and looked at Tim. "The same goes for you, Tim."

I looked at my watch, in exaggerated fashion, "My, my it's Noon, how about some grilled burgers and corn on the cob?" With that, the introductions were over, and we were on with our day.

<<<<>>>>

It was an odd romance, I think. Odd in that we were both so aware of how quickly we had found a spark after having been hurt so badly. Both of us wanted to avoid getting hurt like that more than we did to find romance. Often, we'd joke about having been matched by Martians, so that made it alright. We'd laugh - but it was like my buying lottery tickets. I didn't believe it to be true, but why not buy them - just in case.

"Don, it is strange. We joke about being thrust together by some alien intervention. I find that whole thing laughable. Yet, when I wonder if this isn't moving too fast - that ridiculous notion comes to mind - and brings me peace."

"I'm the same. What tickles me is I did quit buying lottery tickets, because I presume, we are my prize." That got me a warm smile, but she knew I wasn't romancing her - I was speaking my truth. Neither of us believed, but...

September 9

Time marched on as it tends to do. We were the real deal, neither of us doubted it. We started talking about when we'd get married before I ever asked her to marry me. During that first discussion I told her I owed her a proposal and she would get it soon.

I "surprised" her the next time we were together. She loved the ring and we agreed she'd not wear it until September 16^th, the day the divorce would be final.

We spent more and more time together. We included the boys often. That relationship grew, as well. Surprisingly, Elaine either didn't notice or didn't care. She and Grace met a couple of times as we got the boys back to or from my ex-home, Elaine was friendly, like being introduced to some stranger in the grocery store.

Then...

"Hi Tim, what's up?"

"Mom's dead." He nearly screamed.

"Whoa, what happened?"

"She is lying at the bottom of the stairs. There is white goo around her mouth. She just lays there."

"Tim, feel her face, is it warm?"

"Yes! It's hot."

"Okay, she is just unconscious. I am going to get help. You stay by your phone and wait for a call, okay?"

We disconnected and I ran for my car, dialing 9-1-1 as I went. I described what I knew and asked them to call Tim and tell him if he needed to do anything. I cautioned that he was only 10 but seemed to be holding himself together.

By the time I finished with the emergency call I was going toward Elaine's - too fast. It's amazing I made it. I was further amazed that I arrived moments after an ambulance. The front door was open, and there were two EMTs wheeling a stretcher toward the house.

I got in the door and there was another EMT kneeling by Elaine, shouting her name. There was medical paraphernalia around her. It looked like he had given her a shot and was prepared for CPR.

"Tim? Where are you, buddy?"

"I asked him to wait in that room." The EMT said pointing to the family room door. At that same time Tim came running toward me. I picked him up and held him, like he was a boy of 4 or 5. "It's okay, now."

I looked and the EMT was shaking Elaine's arm lightly. He kept calling her name. Suddenly, she coughed and tried to open her eyes. I couldn't tell if she did, the other EMTs arrived and the three of them got her on the stretcher, elevated it, and started wheeling her toward the ambulance.

"Which hospital?" I asked.

"County."

"Is she?"

"I think she'll make it." With that they were in the ambulance and on their way.

End of Part 1

Designed intervention or serendipity?

Part 2 is from the point of view of the Ex - Elaine. Why did she change - and can she get her life back?

Hope you enjoyed Part 1 and will enjoy Part 2 -