Unexpected Change Ch. 04

"You could stay away from Frank and Carl?" I asked.

Her answer took a little thought. "I haven't thought of either of them in a while. I never thought of either of them as a possible relationship. They were sex. They were how I got Mom to see me as a woman."

Kay asked, "Is it time we invited Kevin for Sunday dinner?"

"That's a big step, isn't it?" Maureen asked.

"Maybe we should start with lunch." I said.

"Lunch is a good idea! Let's go into town and buy lunch." Walt said.

Sue hooked his arm and we all moved towards the trucks. As we drove into town we passed a pasture with a few horses in it. I hit the brakes and stopped. Off in the distance I saw the appaloosa Donna had pictured in her wish. I said, "That's Donna's horse! After lunch we'll get it for her."

I started the truck again and we went to lunch. Lunch in town was unusual for us. We turned it into a celebration. The only uncomfortable moment was when a couple of tourists gasped when Kay opened her dress and let David have his lunch. Maureen defused the uncomfortable energy by saying, "In the big city they'd have to pay a twenty dollar cover charge to see a bare breast."

I said, "Shall we invite them for supper? We have four women they could see naked!"

We all laughed.

On the way back home we stopped and bought the appaloosa mare. She was almost two years old and un saddle broken. The owner said he would deliver her the next day. As soon as we were home I went to work preparing a place for Donna's horse. She would have her horse to lavish affection on and nurture. I thought she chose wisely to want a horse.

We were within a month of school starting. Kay and I talked about a shopping trip to get Donna outfitted with school supplies and clothes. At breakfast the next morning we were talking with Donna about school when she saw a truck pulling a horse trailer drive up by our barn. She shot from her chair, out the door and to the trailer. The man stopped and moved slowly to the ramp/door of the trailer. When it was lowered we could see the spotted rump of the appaloosa and she squealed saying, "It's Cloud Dancer!" Donna had been visualizing this horse for a long time.

The man backed the mare out of the trailer and Donna hugged her neck. The man was afraid, this was an unbroken animal and in his eyes dangerous. Donna wasn't afraid and neither was her horse. She patted her all over, talking a mile a minute and Cloud Dancer stood still, moving only her head as Donna got to know her. The man took his check from me, shook my hand and drove away. Donna walked Cloud Dancer around for fifteen minutes or so as we looked on. Kay brought two apples from the kitchen and Donna broke them in half and fed her the pieces. I brought my paint out and they met. It was as if they already knew each other.

At almost noon two men from the reservation rode up. Both rode appaloosas. After conferring with me they spent the rest of the day with Donna and Cloud Dancer. The rest of us went back to our lives.

At lunch Maureen said, "Our parents are married again." I nodded. She added, "A year ago I wouldn't have believed I'd have a sister, my brother would be more Shoshone than white and that my Mom would be a farmer's wife."

"You would have believed you and she would be buying Jimmy Choo shoes and not ever working a day in your lives." Kay said. Maureen nodded.

Kay invited the men to stay for supper. They stayed. Maureen made supper and they lavished praise on her. When they left Donna went back out to the barn and spent another hour with Cloud Dancer. I called her in at bedtime.

In bed I thought, 'Now she can ride to school on a beautiful horse.' Kay smiled and said, "Being married to you is so great! You love helping people be happy."

'I'll bet she goes out and sleeps with Cloud Dancer.'

"She's already out in the barn, but she may not sleep."

When we got up breakfast was on the table. Donna was bubbling all over the house and had fed David. Maureen came to breakfast and said, "I thought I was making breakfast today."

Donna said, "I was already up, so I made it. You got an extra forty-five minutes sleep."

"Thank you." Maureen said.

Suddenly Donna became serious. "Pale Eagle, I want to ask a huge favor. I'll understand if you say no, but I need to ask."

Kay thought, 'Say yes.'

"I want to change my last name to Peterson." Donna said. "All the people I live with, all the people who really love me are named Peterson. I want to be one."

"Maybe we should have a family vote. Let all the Peterson's vote." I smiled. "Course that would mean we have to wait years. David can't talk."

"He doesn't need to vote, does he?" Donna cried.

"No, I guess not. After all he's suckled at your breast, I guess that counts as his voting yes. Maureen, how do you vote?"

"She's my sister. I vote yes."

"I vote yes!" Kay said.

"Do we need to ask Walt and Sue, Steve and Don, my Dad and Nadine?"

Maureen, Donna and Kay said, "No!" and laughed.

I said, "I'll call a lawyer today. You're in. Want a new first name too?"

"No. I already answer to Donna."

By the end of August she was Donna Peterson. On the first day of school I walked her into the office and signed her in. It's a small town. Everyone knew who Donna was and it was a simple paper change to change her records to show her as Donna Peterson.

On the first day of school Donna was dressed, fed and on the back of her beautiful mare, Cloud Dancer, before dawn. She rode off as proud as a princess. She rode bareback.

The second weekend of September we were invited to Dad's for supper. They had asked us to wait until they had the house furnished and Mom was ready to entertain. We all got dressed up and arrived at almost eight o'clock. The house had four rocking chairs on the porch. The front door was open and a screen door closed.

As we climbed onto the porch we could see that all the furnishings were country comfortable. We sat and removed our shoes. Mom met us at the door and we each were kissed as she held the screen open for us.

The table was set and supper was ready. It was set with a traditional turkey dinner. As we entered the dining room Dad was carving the turkey. He hesitated long enough to kiss and hug everyone then he finished cutting up the bird.

We sat and Dad thanked us all for being there. Food was passed and the first bites were taken. Maureen asked, "Who made all this? Mom, you don't know how to cook."

Mom blushed and Dad said, "Everything we have tonight was made by Nadine. She took lessons and practiced on six turkeys, all of which I ate and liked. I am so proud of her!"

When the feasting was over we all helped with the clean up. We got the tour and saw every room of their house. We were all impressed. None of the furniture was fancy or ostentatious. It all reflected that we were in rural Idaho, Indian Country and on a farm. After the tour Mom led us out onto the porch and turned on some flood lights. We saw at least five acres of garden, bursting with food!

Dad said, "That's Nadine's garden. I'm the consultant and her assistant. All the veggies we had with supper are from that garden."

We walked to the garden and I was very impressed. It was beautiful. On our way back to the house I put my arm around Mom's shoulders and said, "I am unbelievably proud of you and proud to say you're my Mom."

She burst into tears and hugged me. In seconds the family was in the hug.

Kevin joined the hug a year later. As a joke Steve, Don and I added bracing to the loft before Maureen and Kevin climbed up there. He thanked us the next day. While they were on their Honeymoon Steve, Don and I added an outdoor shower to their farmhouse.

Donna graduated from high school and went to live in Pocatello with Aunt Buzz while she went to college. She became a teacher and works in Pocatello while she lives with Aunt Buzz. She's bringing a guy home for Christmas this year. In our last conversation she asked me a question.

She asked, "Think Uncle Walt would let me borrow the loft for a night?"

My answer: "You better book now. I happen to know Steve and Don are each bringing someone home for Christmas this year."

I heard Walt's voice in my head, 'These changes are expected.'