Summary:  Seasons of Change is a continuation story from Weekend Dad, a modern day Bonanza story featuring Adam.  The story begins ten years after the end of Weekend Dad, and Jason is getting ready to head to college.  The story will continue the four years Jason is in college until he graduates.  There will be many references to the Weekend Dad story, so if you have read it before, you will understand them when you read them in this story.

PG-13:  Very mild language and implied sexual situations  (201,225 words)

Weekend Dad Series:

Weekend Dad
Seasons of Change
When They Were Young – a prequel to Weekend Dad

 

Seasons of Change

Chapter One

It was a Friday afternoon in the spring of Jason Cartwright’s senior year of high school, and he was anxiously waiting for the mail carrier to come.  He had already begun receiving acceptance letters from different colleges and universities he applied to earlier in the school year.  He received offers -some with full scholarships- from such prestigious schools as UNLV, Stanford, and Yale, but the two universities he most was interested in were the ones he had applied to and was waiting to hear from,  Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, both located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Jason had felt the engineering bug when he was in the third grade and did a project about square set timbering.  By luck, he had drawn Phillip Deidesheimer’s name for his project’s subject when his class was studying about the Comstock Lode.  His father, Adam Cartwright, couldn’t have been happier when his son told him many years later it was studying about Phillip Deidesheimer, that helped him decide he wanted to be an engineer and someday work side by side with him at Cartwright, Incorporated.

Jessica Cartwright, Jason’s mother, checked the mail and found the two envelopes had finally arrived, she smiled when she saw them.  She knew her son’s wait and angst were almost over.  He would soon know if one or both schools had accepted his applications for admission to their universities.

“Jason!” Jessica yelled as she entered the house, “You have letters from Harvard and M.I.T.!”

Jason took after his father in height and also inherited his hazel eyes, but he looked more like his mother than his father.  He had always been a very mature boy, even in his younger years.  Adam and Jessica felt he not only inherited this from his father but from the years they were divorced causing their son to grow up faster than they preferred.

Jessica was in the kitchen making herself a cup of tea when Jason walked in with a smile on his face.  He was eager to open the letters he was waiting for what seemed like a lifetime to come.

“Mom, where are the letters?  I can’t wait to if I’ve been accepted!”

“There over there on the table, Honey,” Jessica said as she pulled a mug from the cabinet as the kettle started to whistle.  “Would you like some tea?”

“Yeah, sure, Mom,” Jason said as he picked up the two envelopes and stared at them.

Jessica made two mugs of tea and headed toward the table in the kitchen where Jason was standing looking at the letters addressed to him.  She noticed her son standing stoically staring at the envelopes.  She sat the mugs down and put her arm around her son’s waist and said, “Aren’t you going to open them?”

Jason laughed and said, “I don’t know why, but I’m a bit nervous.  What if they are both rejection letters?”

Jessica gave her son a pat on the back, sat down, and took a drink from her hot mug.

“Well, why don’t open them.  You’re not going to find out unless you read the letter inside.”

Jason sat down next to his mother and took a drink of tea.  He put the letter from Harvard on the table and stared again at the envelope from M.I.T..  Jason flipped it over, ripped open the top, pulled the letter out and began to read it to himself at first.  A broad smile came across his face as he started reading the letter from the beginning again aloud.

“We are pleased to inform you that your admission to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Engineering is accepted!” Jason’s voice grew with excitement as he read each word.

“Mom! I got in! I got into M.I.T.!”

Jason continued to read the acceptance letter with enthusiasm as he now knew his wait was over; his first choice of schools M.I.T. had accepted him.

“Oh, Honey, I’m so proud of you!  I know your father will be excited for you, too.  What about Harvard; what did they say?  You know he wants you to be a Harvard man as he was.”

Jason put down his acceptance letter from M.I.T. and quickly opened the letter from Harvard and began to read it aloud as well.

“We are pleased to inform you your application to Harvard University School of Engineering is accepted!  Mom! Can you believe it? I got in!”

Jason leaped up and with enthusiasm, grabbed his mother from her seat and hugged her tight, swinging her around with excitement.

Emily Cartwright, going on sixteen, walked in through the kitchen door and saw Jason hugging their mother.  She had stayed at school late preparing for her varsity cheerleader tryout the following week.

“What’s all the excitement about?”  She asked as she walked over to the table and took a drink of her mother’s tea.

“Emily!  There’s hot water on the stove, Sweetheart,” Jessica moaned.

“I’ve been accepted to M.I.T. and Harvard!  Can you believe it?”  Jason told his sister with great enthusiasm.

“I knew you would, Jason!  I said, you didn’t have to worry about being accepted to either or both schools.  You’re still number one in your class and it seems like every prestigious school in the country has been soliciting you with full scholarships and what not.  I’m excited for you, older brother,” she said as she went and gave him a hug.

“Thanks, Emmy, I know you’re happy for me.”

Jason and Emily had been close growing up even though four years separated the two of them. Their bond became even tighter after Jason rescued his sister from a man who tried to snatch her at the photography studio a few Christmas seasons before when they went together to pick up a special gift for their parents’ eighth wedding anniversary.  Jason, Emily, and their younger sister, Jillian, had all dressed in western wear in the late summer of the same year and did a photo shoot at their grandfather’s ranch, The Ponderosa.  They had a large portrait of the three of them made with their horses, framed to hang on the wall in their formal living room.  They also had a leather bound photo album with different shots of the three of them together as well as individually, as a keepsake memento for their parents.  Jason also ordered a framed 8×10 photo of the three of them together sitting on hay bales in the meadow their mother and father loved the most, with the Sierra Nevada Mountains as a backdrop.  He wanted his father to have an updated picture of the three of them for his office credenza.  For his mother’s home office they decided to have individual 5×7 portraits made at the lake’s edge and were put in a trifold frame.  Emily stayed outside to talk on her phone to a girlfriend while Jason went inside to pick up their photography order.  Jason heard Emily scream as the man tried to grab her around the waist.  She was able to fight him off until Jason rescued her.  Jason grabbed the man and the two fought as the would-be abductor tried to escape.  The clerk in the studio called 9-1-1, and the police arrived quickly.  During the investigation, it was uncovered the sexual predator had been stalking Emily for several months.  Adam and Jessica were afraid to let their daughter go anywhere without one of them with her until the trial was over and the would-be abductor was safely away in prison. Adam and Jessica became more lenient in letting their daughter go places and do things with her friends without one them being with her in the past year.

“Daddy’s going to be so excited, another Harvard man in the family,” Emily said as she slapped her brother on the back.

“I’ve been accepted to Harvard, Em, but I’ve also been accepted to M.I.T.,” Jason reminded his little sister.

“Yeah, but you’re going to Harvard, aren’t you?  I mean, Mommy and Daddy both went to Harvard, it would make sense you would go there, too, right?”

“Honey, your daddy wants him to be a Harvard man.  I would love him to be a Harvard man, too, but I want Jason to go where he wants to go, not where Daddy or I want him to go.  I broke my father’s heart when I chose Harvard over Yale.  Papa was a proud Yale man, and to have his daughter go to Harvard was almost too much for him,” Jessica laughed, knowing the huge rivalry between the two schools.  “Daddy will be happy for Jason, whichever school he chooses.  He’s more ecstatic Jason wants to follow in his footsteps as an engineer than which school he attends.”

“That might be the way you see it, Mommy, but I don’t know about Daddy.  I’ve heard him bragging about Jason becoming a Harvard man with Poppy, Uncle Hoss, and Uncle Joe.  He may act like he doesn’t care which school Jason goes to, like you, but I think deep down Daddy wants him to be a Harvard man just like he is.”

Jessica could see her son’s form tense up.  She knew Adam’s wish for him to go to Harvard, but Jason had not expressed his sincere desire to go to M.I.T. with any of his family.  He applied to Harvard because he knew it would please his parents.  Now both schools had accepted him, and Jason would have to tell him his desire to attend M.I.T. over Harvard.  He thought about just sucking it up and becoming a Harvard man to make his father happy, but with M.I.T. accepting him too, Jason had some tough decisions to make.

“What’s the matter, Honey?  You don’t look like a boy who just received acceptance letters from two of the most prestigious schools in the country.”

“I’m okay, Mom.  I guess it’s just I now have a huge decision to make.  If one had accepted me and the other not, the choice would have been done for me, but since they’ve both accepted me, I’ve got some soul-searching to do.”

Jason grabbed his mug of tea and headed back to his room.  He shut the door and sat on his bed with both letters in his hand.  Looking out the window to a bright early spring day, Jason wanted to make his father proud and go to Harvard, but his real desire was to go to M.I.T..  How could he make such a large decision on his own?  Jason didn’t feel talking to his parents about his wanting to attend M.I.T. over Harvard would be easy; they were both Harvard alumni, so of course they would try to sway him to go to Harvard.  He decided to drive up to the Ponderosa and have a heart to heart talk with his poppy.  Jason always loved spending time with Adam’s father, Ben.  His fondest memory of his grandfather was the day he got to spend with him all by himself as a child when Emily was sick with the chicken pox.  Adam and Jessica were divorced at the time and shared custody of the children.  Seeing their only son needed more “guy time,” they allowed him to spend weekends by himself on the Ponderosa with his poppy after they were married again and living in Carson City full-time.  Jason trusted the wisdom of his grandfather and he now needed his guidance on the huge life altering decision more than ever.  Jason picked up his iPhone and dialed Ben’s number.

“Cartwright Residence, Ben speaking,” boomed the voice on the other end.

Hop Sing was the voice Jason would usually hear when he would call his poppy, but he was out grocery shopping, so Ben answered the phone.

“Hi, Poppy, it’s Jason.  I was wondering if I could drive up to see you this afternoon if you weren’t too busy.  Harvard and M.I.T. have both accepted me.  I wanted to talk to you about which university I should attend.  You know Mom and Dad, they’ll expect me to go to Harvard, but I’m leaning toward M.I.T..  I guess I’m in need of some of your wisdom.”

“Why of course, Jason, you can come up, and we can talk.  I’m mighty proud of you, Son!  I know your parents will be 100% behind whichever decision you make, but come on up and we’ll talk about it, okay?”

“Thanks, Poppy!  I’ll be right up!”

Jason grabbed the keys to his Toyota Rav4 along with his two acceptance letters, and he headed toward the garage.  He gave Jessica a quick kiss on the cheek as he passed through the kitchen where she was clearing out the dishwasher.

“Be back after a while, Mom.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jason, where are you going?  How long will you be?  Dad will be home in a few hours, and he’s going to want to hear about your two acceptance letters.”

“I’m going up to the Ponderosa for a little bit.  I’m going to talk to Poppy about both schools.  I’ll be back in time for dinner, I promise.”

“All right, Honey, drive safely.  Tell Poppy hello for me.”

Jason kissed his mother’s cheek again and said, “Will do, bye!”

Just as Jason closed the door, the phone rang, it was Adam calling from work.  “Hey, it’s me.  I’m going to be here a little longer than I anticipated today.  Doesn’t Emily have her cheerleader tryouts today?”

“No, they’re next week.  She was practicing with a few of the girls from her JV squad who are also trying out.  The tryouts are next Friday.”

“Oh, okay.  I guess I had my weeks messed up.  What about Jillian?”  Adam asked.

“Tonight’s Diana’s birthday slumber party.  Peggy picked both girls up from school today.  She’s taking them to get manicures and pedicures right after school before the rest of the girls came over for the slumber party tonight.  Which reminds me, I need to send Emily down with Jillian’s sleeping bag and change of clothes for tomorrow.  What’s up, Sweetheart?”

“Oh yes, the slumber party is tonight isn’t it?  I hope she has a good time. I  thought since I was going to be getting home late, why don’t we gather up the kids and take them out to dinner, but if Jillian’s not there, I guess it’ll just be you, me, Jason and Emily.”

“Sounds great, Adam!  I was just trying to think what I could make for dinner.  I was so involved in paying bills and then an old high school friend of mine called, and we talked for a while, and before I knew it, Jason was home from school!  I didn’t have anything thawed out.”

“Okay, I’ll give you a call when I’m leaving the office.  I should be done by 7:00 P.M.  Why don’t you think where you might like to go and let the kids know not to stray too far from the house.”

“Jason went to go see Dad, but he said he’ll be home before 7:00 P.M., but I’ll call Dad just to make sure he boots him out in time to make it home before you get home.  By the way, Adam, he got a letter from both Harvard and M.I.T. today.  I’ll let him fill you in on what they both said.”

Adam leaned back in his leather executive chair and rubbed his balding salt and pepper head. “Oh, going to make the old man suffer are you?  I guess I’ll have to make you pay for that suffering tonight in bed, Mrs. Cartwright,” Adam said with a sexy tease in his voice.

“Oh will you now, Mr. Cartwright?”  Jessica giggled.  “I think I like the sound of your threat. When did you say you would be home?”  Jessica replied in the same sexy voice.

“Oh brother, Mommy, and Daddy are at it again!  My poor virgin ears!”  Emily teased as she walked in the room and overheard part of Jessica’s conversation with Adam.

“Adam, it seems our daughter has busted us again!”  Jessica said, laughing.

Emily grabbed the phone from her mother, “Hi, Daddy, when are you coming home?”

“Hi, Princess.  I was just telling Mommy to choose a place to eat tonight, my treat.  I’m going to be a little late at the office, but I should be home by 7:00 P.M..”

“Okay, Daddy.  Since you’re buying, we’ll be sure to pick somewhere expensive, like Adele’s!”  Emily said jokingly.

“Oh,” Adam said with a sound like she was killing him.  “You know how to hurt a guy’s wallet don’t you, Princess?”

“Well, after all, Daddy, Mommy and I are girls with very discriminating tastes!”

“Princess, pick some place nice, just a bit more casual than Adele’s okay?”

“I’m just kidding, Daddy.  Mommy and I will put our heads together and pick someplace we all like.  I promise we’ll be easy on your wallet, too.”

“Okay, Princess.  I need to get back to work.  I’ve got a conference call in a few minutes and Heather’s glaring at me to jump on.  I’ll see you later.  Tell Mommy I had to go.  Love you! Bye.”

“Bye, Daddy!  Love you more!”

Emily hung the phone up and continued to the kitchen where Jessica had returned to resume putting up the clean dishes from the dishwasher.

“Daddy said he had to get on a conference call, and he told me and you to pick a place to go eat tonight, but to be easy on his wallet.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason arrived at the Ponderosa and found Ben outside sitting on his front porch.  After getting out of his Rav4, he walked over and gave his grandfather a hug.

“Good to see you, Jason.  Congratulations on being accepted to M.I.T. and Harvard.  Do you want to talk about the choices you need to make? Come on in, Son.  Let’s go in the house and discuss both schools.”

Jason helped his grandfather up and handed him the cane he now used to assist him with his walking.

Hop Sing heard the front door open and came out of the kitchen to see who it was.

“Good afternoon, Master Jason.  How are you?”  Hop Sing asked bowing and smiling.

“I’m good, Hop Sing.  How are you?”

“Hop Sing good, very good.  Can I get Mr. Ben and Master Jason something to drink or eat?”

“Hop Sing, how about a pot of coffee?”  Ben requested.

“Fresh hot coffee coming up for Mr. Ben and Master Jason.”

Hop Sing scurried off to the kitchen, so Ben and Jason went to sit down in the great room; Ben in his large leather easy chair and Jason on the settee.

Jason began by showing the two acceptance letters to his grandfather.  Ben put his reading glasses on and read over each of the letters and handed them back to Jason.

“Have you told your parents you’ve about being accepted to both these schools yet, Son?”

“Mom knows.  She was home when the letters arrived.  We were talking about them when Emily came home from cheerleader practice, so she knows as well.  Dad’s at work, so I guess I’ll tell him tonight when I get home.”

Jason leaned forward and sat his elbows on his knees and looked at Ben with concern on his face.

“Here’s my problem, Poppy.  I know Dad wants me to go to Harvard.  He went to Harvard, and Mom went to Harvard, but my first choice is M.I.T..  The reputation of the university as a whole is fantastic, and I hate to say it, but I think their engineering school is better than Harvard’s.”

Ben laughed, “Don’t let your father hear you say that about his alma mater.  You might be sleeping with the fishes tonight if he did.”

Jason laughed at his grandfather’s fish remark, but he agreed.  His father was a die-hard Harvard man.

Hop Sing brought in a carafe of coffee with two mugs.  He also brought fresh baked cookies for them to enjoy as well.  He poured each of them coffee, handed it to them, and quietly left the room.

“So what does your mother say about your preference to go to M.I.T. more than Harvard?” Ben asked as he took a sip of his brew, “She’s a die-hard Harvard girl herself.”

“Mom wants me to go where I’m happy.  Of course, I know nothing would make her happier than for me to go to Harvard, but Mom just wants to see me happy.  I haven’t told her my real desire is to go to M.I.T. so she might want me sleeping with the fishes also if she knew my feelings about M.I.T. versus Harvard.”

Ben and Jason shared another hardy laugh together.

“Son, I wish I had some magic spell I could place on you which would make the talk with your parents easier.  Unfortunately, I don’t have one, but what I will tell you is you’re becoming a grown man.  In a few months, you’ll be preparing to graduate high school and head off to college, where ever it might be.  You’ll be on your own from there on out.  Oh sure, Mom and Dad will be supporting you as you continue your studies, but you’ll be making day to day decisions which will not only affect you but others around you.  You’ve always been mature beyond your years, so I don’t suspect when you move away from anything will change, but decisions like this are one of the first steps taken when you become a man.  You can’t let how your mom and dad affect the decision you make on which school to choose.  You have to do what is right by Jason Cartwright.  Your education is not your mother’s or your father’s.  Will they be disappointed that you chose M.I.T. over Harvard?  Perhaps, but one thing I know for sure, your mother and father are very proud of you and all you’ve accomplished.  You’re going to make a great engineer, and Cartwright, Incorporated will welcome you with open arms when you graduate.  No matter what school you attend.”

“Poppy, I knew I could count on you to give me great advice.  I’ll miss you when I’m gone.”

Ben smiled.  He always enjoyed the time he got to spend with his grandson.  “You’ll be home for holidays and school breaks.  We’ll catch up then.  We have email and video chat.  I expect you to keep me up to date on what you’re doing out there in Cambridge, MA.  Who knows, you might find a sweet young filly like your father did.”  Ben winked.

Jason’s eyes widened, and then he blushed.  “Yeah, we’ll see.  I’ve dated a little bit in high school but, I don’t know, I just haven’t found anyone I’ve wanted to date.  There’s one girl in my class who also applied to M.I.T..  Her name is Cheryl.  We get along pretty good.  She’s smart, and she’s quite a looker too, Poppy.  We’ve both put our school work first, so there’s no time for dating.”

“Jason, you have to find the right balance.  Life is too short always to have your nose in your books.  I think your father will tell you that, too!  Part of growing up and becoming a man is knowing when to close the books and open your heart.  I’m not saying this Cheryl is someone you need to develop a relationship with, but don’t turn your back on the chance at having a relationship with someone just because you have a lot on your plate with school.  Learn to prioritize and it will all work out.  I think your mom and dad are living proof you can go to school and fall in love, too.”

“Dad made a mess of his and Mom’s marriage.  When they split, it was so painful, Poppy.  I’ve never shared it with them before, but Emily and I have talked about how their divorce affected us.  We were so happy when they got married again.  I hope Jillian never has to feel the pain we felt of seeing our parents not loving each other.”  Jason said, sadly.

“I don’t wish that on any child, Jason.  It was a hard time for all of us to see your mother and father split up,” Ben sighed deeply.

Ben looked at his watch, and it was going on 6:00 P.M.  “Your mom called when you were on your way up here.  Your dad will be getting home from the office soon, and she wants you to be home when he arrives, so I had strict instructions to send you on your way in time to get home by 7:00 P.M. so you best get moving in case there’s some Friday night traffic.”

Jason stood up and put his hand out to help his grandfather get up.  He gave him a tight hug and thanked him for his advice on how to break the news to his parents.  Ben walked Jason to the door, and he waved as he got into his car and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shortly before 7:00 P.M.  Adam walked through the door of the garage.  He saw Jason’s car was gone and wondered where he was because Jessica said he would be home before 7:00 P.M.

“Hello! I’m home!”  Adam yelled to the dark house.

As he walked down the hall, he saw a light coming from under Emily’s door.  Adam could hear music playing.  He knocked on the door, and Emily answered the phone in her hand.  When she saw her father, she told her girlfriend she would call her back and leaped into his arms with a big hug.

“Hi, Daddy!  How was your day?”

Adam gave Emily a kiss on her forehead and hugged her back.  “It was busy, Princess.  Where’s everyone at?”

“Jillian’s spending the night with Diana, Mom’s in your room getting dressed to go out to dinner, and Jason just called me to say he’s hung up in traffic but should be home in about twenty minutes.”

“Okay, I’ll go change clothes while we wait for Jason to get home.”  Adam closed Emily’s bedroom door and headed to the bedroom he shared with Jessica.

He found his wife in the bathroom just in her lace bra and matching panties putting on the final touches of her make-up.

Adam came up behind her and wrapped his arms around the curves of her waist.  “Mmm, maybe I’ll have you for dinner instead,” he growled as he started nibbling on his wife’s neck.

Jessica turned in her husband’s arms and began to unbutton Adam’s shirt.  “Well, we have about a half hour before Jason gets home.”  She purred.

Adam picked Jessica up and laid her gently on the bed in their bedroom.  He laid down next to her, unhooked the front closure of her bra and began to fondle her breasts as he explored her neck and chest with his tongue.

Just as Adam felt his groin area rising,  Adam and Jessica heard a knock at their door.  “Mom, Dad, I’m home!  Sorry, I’m late.  Traffic was bad as I got on the highway back to Carson City.”

Adam rolled over and laid flat on the bed.  Jessica hooked her bra back, turned over, caressed her husband’s face and tenderly kissed his lips. “ To be continued tonight after the kids go to bed,” she smiled.

“I’m holding you to that, Babe.”  Adam winked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a Thai dinner in town, the Cartwrights returned home around 9:30 P.M.  Adam changed from his work suit into jeans, a knit shirt, and his favorite thick cardigan sweater.  The nights were still chilly in the valley and the Cartwright family often enjoyed late night talks in the three seasons room.

Emily headed straight for her room and, as she turned the corner, her cell phone rang; it was her best friend, Britney, and they were giggling before she even got to her room and closed the door.

Jessica stayed in the kitchen and put a pot of coffee on while Adam went and changed clothes.

When Adam came to the three seasons room, Jessica had lit the candles and turned on the heaters to take the chill out of the air.  She and Jason were sitting on the two chaise lounges sitting across from each other.  Jessica saw Adam enter and hopped up to pour him a cup of coffee and invited him to sit down.  She handed him his mug, and she started to sit on the love seat which separated the two chaise lounges.

“Com’ere, sit on Daddy’s lap,” Adam patted his lap and winked at his wife.

Jessica came and sat on Adam’s lap, and he placed his arm around her waist.  She gave him a tender kiss on his lips, and they looked at each other with a loving glance.

“I hope to find true love like you two have, Mom and Dad.  The girls and I have the best parents in the whole world.” Jason said as he smiled proudly at his mother and father.

Jessica’s lip stuck out, and her eyes glistened in the candlelight at her son’s beautiful words about the love she and Adam so freely exhibited in front of their children.

“Awe, thanks, Honey.  As you know, it wasn’t always a bed of roses,” she said as she looked back at Adam with adoring eyes.  “Thank goodness we found our way back to each other.”

“Yeah, your mother is beautiful and unique.  I’m thankful she wanted to take a chance with me again.  I never stopped loving her, even when we were divorced.”

Jessica laid her head on Adam’s chest as they changed the subject back to their son and his educational future.

“Son, I want you to know how extremely proud your mother and I are of you.  You’ve worked so hard to get where you are today.  How’s your standing in your class?  Are you still number one?” Adam asked as he rubbed Jessica’s hip and took a sip of his coffee.

“Yeah, Carolyn Webber is still running second.  I think we’ve got each other’s positions locked up.  She’s happy being number two, but she was something mad when I passed her up at mid-term.”

“I think this summer, we need to take a trip to Cambridge and find an apartment for you, or do you want to live on campus?”  Jessica asked.

“Poppy and I made a trip to Cambridge the summer I graduated high school and found off campus housing for me.  I heard Harvard housing could get pretty rowdy at times, and I wanted to concentrate on my studies.  We’ll be okay with campus housing if this is what you would rather choose, but we’re prepared to find an apartment near Harvard if you want to take the same route your old man took.”

Jason’s form became stiff, and he turned his head toward the window looking out onto the backyard.  Jessica saw the same look from her son earlier in the day.

“What is it, Honey?  You seem troubled.  Is there something you need to discuss with us?”  Jessica asked, lifting her head off Adam’s chest momentarily.

Jason started to fiddle his fingers, and he turned his attention from looking out the window to looking down at his hands.  He moved his hands as if he was going to speak, but then started to fiddle his fingers again.

Jessica and Adam looked at each other with befuddled looks.  Jessica got up and walked over next to her son and bent down next to him.  She ran her fingers through his short spiked hair and could see his eyes were pooling with tears.

“Jason!  What’s wrong, Honey?”  Jessica asked with a sad worry in her voice.

Jason sat for a few more moments trying to form the words he wanted to say.

“I…I…I… don’t want to go to Harvard, Mom and Dad.  My first choice has always been M.I.T..  I want to go to M.I.T..”  The tears started to stream down his face.  “I know you expect me to go to Harvard and carry on the Cartwright tradition and be a Harvard man like you, Dad, but I would be happier at M.I.T..  They have the most amazing electrical and mining engineering schools,” his voice was shaking.  “I…I…” he continued to stutter over his words.  “M.I.T. is my first choice, it’s where I want to go,” he finally said with conviction.

Jessica took her son into her embrace.  “Honey, we want you to go where you want to go, not where we want you to go.  It’s your life, your education.  We don’t want you to feel you have to go to Harvard because we went there.  We’re just excited you were even interested in applying.”

Adam sat in his chaise lounge staring at his son.  His arms were resting on the handles, with his hands folded and his two pointer fingers stroking his mustache and beard.  When Jessica broke the embrace with her son, Adam spoke for the first time since hearing his son preferred M.I.T. over Harvard.

“You’ve made a wise choice, Jason.  M.I.T. is world-renowned for their electrical and mine engineering schools.  You’ve obviously done your homework.”

“Yes, I have, Dad,” Jason interrupted as Jessica continued to rub her son’s arm.

“When we were in college, I had friends who knew people going to M.I.T., and they’ve gone on to do amazing work in their fields.  Some of the most famous engineers have come out of M.I.T.,” Jessica said as she went back to sit in Adam’s lap.

“Dad, I know how much you and mom wanted me to go Harvard.  I know you have bragged about me becoming a Harvard man like you.  It was a hard decision and not one I made lightly, but I think since I’m more into the science end of engineering, M.I.T. is a better fit for me.”

Adam smiled.  “Son, I would never begrudge you going to another school other than Harvard just to have you be a Harvard man.  I’m sorry if I gave you that impression, it was never my intent.  I guess I assumed you wanted to follow in your old man’s footsteps when you told me you wanted to be an engineer and I thought Harvard would be your school of choice.  Since you’ve always been stronger with the science end of things, it only makes sense you would want to go to M.I.T. as science is their focus.”

“Thanks for understanding, Dad.  I guess I misjudged how you would accept my decision.”  Jason smiled, and his body relaxed back into his chaise lounge.

The three Cartwrights spent the next few hours making plans for everything from upcoming graduation parties to talking about dorm life versus buying a home, renting a condo or apartment in Cambridge for Jason to live in while attending M.I.T..

When the conversation became more about the engineering trade, Jessica’s eyes began to get heavy, and she was dozing in and out of sleep.  Adam’s broad chest and the thick sweater made a perfect pillow on which Jessica could rest her head.  The sound of Adam’s gentle voice and strong heartbeat in her ear were catalysts to her drifting into slumberland.

At one point, Jason looked at his mother sleeping quietly on his father’s lap.  He pointed to her and mouthed to Adam, ‘Look at Mom’.  Adam looked down and saw Jessica sleeping soundly with a slight smile on her face.  Sleeping, Jessica looked content, but Adam knew she would be more comfortable in bed.

“Jess,” he muttered quietly, looking down at her sleeping form.  When she didn’t respond, he again said a little louder, “Jess, why don’t you go on to bed?”

Jessica woke up abruptly and, with sleepy eyes, looked up at Adam.  Smiling down at her, he dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead and softly said,  “Why don’t you go on to bed?  You’ll sleep more comfortably there.”

Without argument, she sat up and rubbed her eyes.  She smiled at Adam and said, “Yeah, you’re probably right.” 

She leaned back down and gave him a kiss on the lips and then put her fingers in the bush of salt and pepper curly locks which were peeking out of his shirt.  In a sexy voice, she said, “Don’t be long, we need to pick up where we left off from earlier tonight.”

Adam’s face grew warm, and Jason turned his head as he smiled broadly.  He wasn’t stupid.  He knew what his mother meant.

“Jess, our son, is sitting right across from us, do you mind?”  Adam said with a knowing smile to his son.

Jessica looked back at her son and then back at Adam.  “Oh, Adam, Jason’s a big boy, it’s not like I’m ripping your clothes off in front of him.”

Jason could hardly control his laughter at his mother’s forwardness with his father.  He could see his father’s face grow redder the more his mother spoke.

“Jessica!”  Adam said with a large smile on his face.

“Okay, okay! I’m going to bed!”

Jessica got up and went over to her son, bent down, gave him a kiss on his forehead and told him goodnight.  He still was trying desperately to hold in his giggles when he said, “Goodnight, Mom.  See you in the morning.”

She then went back to Adam and bent down to kiss him tenderly on the lips.  “I love you, Sweetheart, Goodnight.”

Adam kissed her back and said, “Goodnight. I love you, too,” and gave her a loving slap on her bum as she turned to walk out of the three seasons room.

When Jessica was gone, Jason busted out in laughter.  Adam’s face turned a dark crimson.  “Your mother…” he said shaking his head.

“Oh, Dad, don’t worry.  I like seeing you and mom still physically attracted and apparently still active with one another at your age.”

Adam’s eyebrow cocked up, “Are you inferring that we’re old, Son?” he said with a wry smile.

Jason laughed and tried to backtrack, “Oh no, Dad!  That’s not what I meant.  I mean, it’s just great to see you and Mom, well, you know…”

Adam couldn’t resist as he saw his son getting a little fidgety, so he decided to play along and make him wiggle a bit more, something Jessica loved to do with their children and Adam at times when she saw he was in a playful mood.

“Know what, Son?  Are we still physically and sexually attracted to each other? Yes. Oh, the thought of your parents having sex at our age!  I mean, after all, parents don’t have sex do they?”  Adam’s usual reserve turned to one of playful banter with his son.

“Dad, stop!”  Jason said laughing hysterically, unable to hardly breathe he was laughing so hard. “You’re embarrassing me!”

“I’m embarrassing you?  How do you think I felt?” he said pointing his finger back at his chest. “Your mother,” Adam laughed and shook his head.  “Oh my gosh, some of the things she lets out of her mouth sometimes.  Gosh, can I remember back when we first met?” Adam wondered as he looked up at the ceiling and saw the flickering flame illuminating the entire room.

“Can you tell me about how you and Mom met and fell in love, Dad?  I would love to hear it.” Jason said with interest.

Adam stopped and smiled at his son.  “I would love to tell you about our days at Harvard, but first, I want to share something else with you.  Don’t go away; I’ll be right back.”

Adam got up and went into the kitchen.  He took the tray with the carafe and mugs with him and placed them on the counter.  Adam returned with a couple of bottles of Coor’s Light Beer in his hand.  He handed one of the cold bottles of brews to his son.  Jason looked up at him with a look of confusion.

“What?  I mean…” Jason said as he continued to look at his father as he sat back down on his chaise lounge.

“You’ve always wanted to take a drink of mine or Mom’s beers when we would be drinking one.  I think it’s time you had one of your own.  You’re nineteen.  You’re going to college in the fall.  You’re becoming a man.”

Adam raised his bottle and said, “Here’s to going to M.I.T..”

Jason raised his bottle, and they each took a sip of the spirited brew.

“Now this doesn’t mean I condone underage drinking when you’re at college nor does it mean you can go to a bar and pop back a few.  You may have a beer or two here at the house only when Mom or I am around, okay?  Drinking alcohol comes with responsibility, and I feel you’re old and mature enough to know when you can and cannot drink.  Once you’re twenty-one, I won’t have a say, but until then, it’s only here at the house or on the Ponderosa, when you aren’t driving, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Sir,” Jason replied very matter of fact.

Adam raised his bottle again and smiled, “Now, where were we?  Oh yeah, how your mother and I met and fell in love.” Adam leaned back and lifted his eyes as if his mind was going back in time.

Chapter Two

“It was the fall of my freshman year. I was in my room getting the last of my things packed up to take with me to Harvard.  Uncle Joe, who was just eight at the time, came into my room and was crying because I was leaving.  We had lost our mother, Marie, just a few years before and since her death, Joe clung to me, and now I wasn’t going to be home to mentor or protect him, and he was worried I wasn’t coming back once I left.  I sat on my bed and took him into my arms assuring him I would always be available to him via the phone and mail.  Computers were just coming out, and there was no such thing as email just yet.  Joe wanted to tag along with Dad and me to Massachusetts, but Dad told him he had to stay back with Hop Sing.”

“Did you have a girlfriend in high school, Dad?”  Jason asked.

Adam smiled.  “Oh yeah, Dana Bellows.  She was hot.  She was the captain of the drill team, and every guy had a crush on her in school, but she had eyes only for me.  We dated our junior and senior years of high school, but at the beginning of our senior year, her father was transferred to Germany when he promoted to Colonel.  He was a major in the Air Force stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, but the family lived up in Incline Village.  Her father would fly home on the weekends and stay in base housing during the week.  When her father transferred to Germany, her best friend’s mother and father allowed her to stay in their home until the end of our senior year.  When we graduated, she left for Germany until the fall when she came back to the States to attend Georgetown.  We had said that we were going to keep in touch, but when she left, I never heard from her again.”  Adam sighed deeply, remembering his high school crush.

“We arrived in Cambridge on the move in day.  It was crazy! All the freshman students were working to find their way around the campus, and the seniors made themselves available to all of us to help answer any questions we might have had.  At first, I lived by myself in a two bedroom flat near campus.  After a few months, a fellow classmate and my future best friend, Steve, moved in with me because his dorm mate always wanted to sneak girls into their dorm, or he would stay out partying all night and come in late, drunk.  Steve was in pre-law, and I was studying engineering, but we shared a few core classes together; that’s how we knew each other.”

“I know you and Mom met in English class, but how did you start dating?  When did you know you were in love with each other?”  Jason asked as he continued to enjoy his first beer with his father.

Adam smiled as he started to recall the first time he laid eyes on Jessica, the girl he would one day call his wife.  “It was the first day of school. Freshman English was the first class of the day for the both of us.  The professor had opened his classroom for early arrivals.  He was in his office, but knew from previous years, freshman students always were excited to start college and were still finding their way around the campus, so they arrived early.”

“Your mother was one of the first to arrive.  The classroom was stadium seating, so she sat in the center about half way up.  When I walked in the classroom, there were already about a dozen students who had arrived.  I scanned the room and my eyes locked on the beautiful blonde who was reading a book and writing notes on a notepad.”  Adam laughed.  “She didn’t see me staring at her or come and sit right behind her.  Her hair was long with soft curls draping down her back.  I was nervous sitting behind her; she was beautiful.  I could smell the cleanliness of the perfume she was wearing.”

“Wait a minute. The mighty Adam Cartwright was nervous and speechless?”  Jason laughed at his father’s demeanor with his future mother.  “Wow, I would have never thought you, mister calm cool, and collected could be nervous about a girl.  Priceless, Dad!”

“Alright, Jason, we’ll see what happens to you when you meet your future wife one day,” Adam winked at his son smiling.

“HA! That will be at least another ten years from now.  I want to focus on college first, graduate, and get settled in a job before I even begin to think about a girlfriend or marriage, Dad!”

Adam smiled and laughed at his son’s convictions and plans for his life.  “Jason, you’re a chip off the old block.  Those were my plans, too, but as you see, God had something else in mind for your mother and I.  It could happen to you, too, so don’t be so closed-minded to finding your life’s mate while you’re in college.”

“As more students arrived, and they were sitting around the both of us.  We both smiled and said hello to those around us.  Soon, the teacher entered, and we started class.”

“Your mother was very focused on the teacher, but I was having a hard time concentrating because I was trying to devise a way to meet this beautiful girl.  That’s when the professor suggested we get to know other students in the class by developing study groups for the semester.  He said it would be beneficial as we would be studying several of Shakespeare’s works and it would benefit everyone to gain a different perspective on his work as we each analyzed each play.”

“Is this when you made your big move, Dad?”  Jason asked, putting his empty bottle on the ground next to his chaise lounge.

“It was your mother who turned to me first! She spoke to the two girls on each side of her and then turned around to me; my heart melted when I laid eyes on her gorgeous face close up for the first time. Her piercing blue eyes…”

“Yeah, Mom does have gorgeous eyes.  She knows how to use them to get what she wants, too!” Jason laughed as he remembered times when he had seen joy, hurt, disappointment, and anger in her eyes.

Adam agreed and continued with his story.  “We locked eyes, and she bowed her head and rolled up her eyes and smiled as she said, ‘Hi, my name’s, Jessica Bradley.’  I still remember her soft hand when she extended hers to shake mine.”

“Sounds like she was pretty smitten with you, too.  Did you freeze?  Did you introduce yourself?”  Jason prodded his father because Adam was getting lost in his memories.

Adam came back to the present and shook his head, “Yeah, I said, my name is Adam, Adam Cartwright.  Your mother then replied, ‘Julie, Stephanie, and I are teaming up, and we would like to have some men in our group for the male perspective, would you like to join us?’”

“Aww, Dad, you scored! You were able to get in the gorgeous girl’s study group! Nice.  You’re a real smooth operator.”  Jason teased his father.

“At first, your mother was only interested in my male perspective, but it was a few weeks into the school year when we went to have coffee at the Au Bon Pan near the Harvard subway stop that we found we had a lot of common interest.  We studied with the group at the student center, and when we ended our session that evening, I walked her home.  When we started to part ways, I finally got the nerve to ask her if she wanted to have coffee and discuss further how Shakespeare used dark and light in his writings as well as the dramatic structure.  When we finished our coffee date that night, I asked her if I could walk her back to her dorm.  She accepted and took my arm.  We walked back and talked about our love for Shakespeare.  When we reached her building, I knew it was now or never to ask her out again.  I got up the nerve to ask her to dinner the next night since it was Saturday; she said yes, and that’s where it all started.”

“So, when did you know you wanted to marry Mom, Dad?”  Jason queried.

Adam started to blush.  He felt his son was old enough and mature enough to know when he knew he wanted to marry his mother.

“Your mother and I had been dating casually for the first few months.  I dated a few other girls who I had met, and she did the same with other guys, but it was just before Halloween we realized we enjoyed each other’s company and we were becoming close, so Jessica and I decided to be exclusive with each other.  Mom invited me to her home in Connecticut for Thanksgiving.  She thought I would turn her down because I had family out west.  I was serious about her by the holidays, and I wanted to meet her parents, so I told her I would come, much to my father’s objections.”

“What did Poppy say when he found out you weren’t coming home for Thanksgiving, Dad?  I bet he was angry!”  Jason sat up in his lounge chair and grabbed a blanket from the love seat next to him.

Adam shuttered when he recalled his father’s disappointment at his decision to stay back east for the first major holiday since he’d left for college.

“I got the biggest lecture of my life! Dad said Joe was counting down the days until I was to come home.  You know how you and Emily used to do that when you were younger?  Uncle Joe started it.  He told me I had family obligations and people who depended on me, missed me.  I told Dad I understood I was disappointing everyone with my decision, but this girl meant a lot to me, and she could be the one.  Dad finally relented and didn’t insist I come home, but he made me tell your Uncle Joe myself that I wasn’t coming back until Christmas.”

“Poor Uncle Joe.  How’d he take it?”

“Dad said he was not going to break his heart; I would have to do it.  It killed me to have to tell my two brothers, especially Joe, that I wasn’t coming home.  Joe cried so hard, I remember.” Adam’s voice cracked with the painful memory.  “He told me he didn’t love me anymore, and he wanted another brother.  It was devastated when I heard the hurt and disappointment in his voice.”

“Dad, I’m so sorry about Uncle Joe,”  Jason said somberly.

“As if hurting Joe wasn’t bad enough, Hoss didn’t take it much better.  He was so angry with me. He would have to be the one to pick up Joe’s broken heart; the heart I shattered.”  Adam’s face grew long and tears glistened his eyes.

“So you met Papa and Nana for the first time at Thanksgiving, then?”

The smile returned to Adam’s face.  “Oh yeah, did I ever.  I sometimes wondered why I just didn’t go home to the Ponderosa!  Papa was hard on me.”

“What do you mean, Dad?”  Jason’s curiosity peeked.

“Your grandfather was a Yale man, Jason, and a proud one at that.  He was so upset when his daughter decided to go to Harvard and not Yale.  Now she was bringing home a boyfriend who she met at Harvard.  It was like the Spanish Inquisition.”

“Wow, I would have never thought Papa could be so harsh like that.  He was always so gentle and kind from what I remember about him.”

“He was a great man, Jason, no doubt,” Adam smiled at the memories he had of his father-in-law, “but he was a proud Yale man, and it bothered him the entire time your mother was going to Harvard that she wasn’t going to Yale.  He almost lost it when she wanted to bring home a boy from Harvard, too.  She only had one other serious relationship in her life and guess where that boy went…?”

“Yale, I bet,” Jason answered.

“Yep,” Adam replied.  “The night before Thanksgiving, after we arrived, I heard all about your mother’s other boyfriend, Lonny Douglas.  When I left, Mom assured me she did not have any contact with Lonny anymore, and they had broken up the summer before she came to Harvard, and it was because she found out he was seeing another girl.”

“The rivalry between Harvard and Yale must run deep, huh?  I mean for Papa to talk about an old flame mom had in high school just because he was going to Yale.”

“You have no idea, Son.  I was uncomfortable.  Back at my hotel room that night, I wondered why I just didn’t go home for Thanksgiving.  Then I thought about your mother and how much she meant to me.  She called me after I got back to the hotel and cried at how her father treated me.  I told her he was only trying to protect his little girl, but I survived the evening and Thursday was a new day.  I wanted desperately to be there to hold her and dry her tears.  It was then I knew I was falling in love with her, and I wasn’t going to let her father get the best of me or our relationship.  I had to prove to him I was a stand-up guy, even though I went to Harvard.”

“So? I guess you won him over that weekend? I mean, Mom eventually married you.”

“He loosened up, and we had a great holiday together.  I think Nana must have spoken to him because he was much friendlier on Thanksgiving Day and the rest of the weekend.  Your Nana loved me from the moment she met me.  She saw how Jess looked at me, and she later told me she knew Jessica had finally found the man she would one day marry.  As I got to know her father, he saw I was a good kid, raised with good morals, and how I liked his daughter a lot.  He was good to me until the day he died.”

“So when did you finally know you were in love and wanted to marry Mom?” Jason asked again.

Adam smiled and his eyes closed as his mind drifted back twenty plus years.

“It was December of the same year.  We had returned from her parents’ home just a few weeks before.  We were studying for finals.  Steve had gone to his friends’ dorms to study for his classes.  We ordered a pizza, and I started a fire because it was a cold and windy night.  A blizzard came out of nowhere it seemed, so Steve called and said he was going to crash at his friends’ dorm.  Your mom and I sat by the fire, eating pizza, drinking beer, and studying Romeo and Juliet.  At first, we made our arguments for our take on theme, imagery, dramatic structure and symbols of the play and the characters.  We started reading the parts; I was Romeo of course, and your mother, Juliet.  We became so engulfed in the parts; our love showed through in the characters we played.  We ended up making passionate love to each other for the first time.  I knew that night I wanted to marry your mother.”

“Did Mom know you knew you wanted her to be your wife then?”

“No, it was not until our senior year when I proposed to her; we got engaged at Christmas.  I told her years later; it was while we were divorced, I knew I was making love to my future wife.”

“Wow, Dad, I’m shocked.  Mom’s always been an advocate not to have sex before marriage.  It surprises me she would have given into temptation like she did.”

“I think your mother knew I was the one for her too, Son.  She was not the type to sleep around like a lot of the students at Harvard did.  She had morals, and that’s one of the things I loved about her the most.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Your mother advocates sex only in the confines of marriage because of our circumstances when we were divorced.  Your mother and I made love for the first time since our divorce on Emily’s fifth birthday and your sister, Jillian, was conceived that night.”

Jason’s eyes widened, “Oh my gosh, Dad! I remember! Emily woke up crying! She couldn’t get in your room because the door was locked.  Why would Emily have gone to the guest bedroom? She used to come to your room when we stayed with you at the Ponderosa.  I remember her crying woke me up and I tried to console her, but she wanted you.  Finally, you came to the door and let her in.  I remember Mom being in bed with you and wondering why she was there!” Jason got a big grin on his face, “You and Mom, huh? No wonder it took you so long to open the door.”

Adam tried to brush off his son’s smirk and insinuation.

“I knew I loved your mother.  I had never stopped loving her.  I told her that night I wanted to work at putting our marriage back together again.  Aren’t you glad we did?”

“Oh yeah, no doubt, Dad.  I’m glad Jillian’s never had to experience you and Mom being split up.  It was a rough time for Emily and me.”

Adam could see the hurt in his son’s face as he went back to the time when he and his sister had to split their time between their mother’s home in Carson City and Adam’s at the Ponderosa.

“It’s 3:00 A.M. Son.  It’s been a long day.  How bout we call it a night?”

Jason grabbed his empty beer bottle, got up, and put out his hand to get Adam’s bottle.  Adam gave his bottle to his son, and Jason took them into the kitchen and tossed them in the glass recycling.  Adam met him at the hall, and when they reached Jason’s room, Adam hugged his son.

“I’m very proud of you, Jason.  I’m excited for your future at M.I.T..  I think you made a perfect choice.”

Jason smiled and hugged his father tight.  “Thanks for tonight, Dad.  Thanks for being so open and honest with everything.  Thanks for sharing the beer, too!”

Adam returned his son’s hug and held him tightly.  He was excited to see his son embark on a new journey of his life.  His ‘Tiger’ was now a young man, ready to face the world independently.

When Jason closed his door, Adam walked to the room he shared with his wife, Jessica.  He entered quietly and found she had left the lamp on low on his side.  Adam went into the closet and took off his jeans, sweater, and shirt.  He went over to the bed and found his wife sleeping soundly; she was naked.  She must have given up on me with her promise to continue where we had left off earlier, he thought to himself with a smile on his face.  Adam stripped off his boxers, climbed into bed, and cuddled up next to his woman.  He thought about assaulting her body with loving caresses and kisses to wake her up to re-create their night at Cambridge, but watching her sleep soundly; Adam thought he would just let her continue with her dreams.  They could pick up where they left off in the morning.

Chapter Three

As the first semester of his freshman year at college ended, Jason prepared to make his way back home to Carson City for the extended holiday break between semesters.  Jason had made the adjustment to college and living independently well.  He made a point of taking a few hours out of each Sunday night to call his parents or his poppy to keep them up to date on the happenings around Cambridge, MA. and M.I.T..

Jason excelled in all of his classes and expected his transcript to have all A’s.  He knew his parents would be pleased with his grades and be happy their money would not go to waste at M.I.T..  Early in the semester, while at M.I.T. Coop buying textbooks, Jason had found a bumper sticker at the bookstore which read, My Son and My Money Go To M.I.T..  He thought it was funny and sent one to his dad in the mail as a gag gift along with a sweatshirt for his mother which said, M.I.T. MOM.  Adam found the bumper sticker amusing and concurred with the statement. Jessica loved her gift and wore it proudly as the days grew colder in Nevada.

Emily talked to her brother often.  She missed him but enjoyed being the top child at home while older brother was away at school.  She had often felt during Jason’s junior and senior years in high school their parents had put a lot of focus on Jason and his preparation for college.  It left Emily and Jillian feeling a bit neglected.  The accomplishments she made didn’t seem to matter to her parents as much, Emily felt.  Emily had always had a close relationship with her father, but at times, it was strained as Jason prepared to graduate from high school.  Adam and Jessica brushed off Emily’s accusations they loved Jason more than she or her sister, Jillian.  Emily would find ways to act out, trying to gain the attention she felt was lacking.  At the same time, she often felt her punishment was too severe for the shenanigans she would try and pull to gain her parents’ attention she felt was focused on Jason.

Emily was excited to see her brother again and spend time with him but wondered if the focus would again be taken from her and put back on her brother during his month long stay in Nevada.

It was the weekend before Christmas week; Jessica and Adam had been out doing final shopping for all three of the children.  Since this would most likely be the last year Santa Claus would be real in Jillian’s eyes, they wanted to make her Santa Claus experience magical.  Even though Jason and Emily knew there was no longer a Santa Claus, he still brought them gifts along with Jillian’s.  Both the older Cartwright siblings played up Santa Claus with their younger sister and enjoyed seeing the excitement in her eyes as she would tell them about the toys she asked Santa to bring her and the glow on her face when Jillian saw he had brought what she wanted.

When Jessica and Adam arrived home, as they were taking their coats off Emily came out of her room to tell them Jason had called and wanted them to call him at his apartment in Cambridge.  The hour was late in Massachusetts because the time difference of three hours.  Emily told her parents Jason would be up late studying, so it didn’t matter what time it was when they called; he would be pulling an all-night study session.

Jason was sitting at the dining room table with his books and notes scattered about the table top when the phone rang, breaking his concentration.  Judging by the time, he knew it had to be his parents calling.

“Hello?”  Jason answered as he closed his books taking a break from studying.

“Hi, Honey, Emily said you had called?  Your dad and I were out doing some last minute shopping.  By the way, your box of presents arrived via FedEx today.  I opened it and put the wrapped gifts under the tree for you.  What’s up, Honey?”  Jessica said as Adam brought her a cup of hot tea and got on the extension.

“Hi, Son.  How are finals coming?  Are you packed ready to head west the day after tomorrow?”  Adam asked as he took a drink of his coffee.

“Hi, Mom and Dad.  Finals are almost over.  I have one more final in industrial engineering, and then I’ll be finished.  I have my bags packed, and I’ll be at Logan Airport bright and early Saturday morning for my flight back to Reno.  I’m looking forward to seeing everyone!”

“We’re excited to see you too, Honey.  We can’t wait for you to get home.  I washed your sheets and dusted your furniture.  Your room is ready to be lived in again, even if it is only for a month,” Jessica pouted.

“Awe, Mom, thanks!  I miss you guys, too, and it’ll be great to be back home to see everyone and spend time with the family.  Which brings me to something I want to discuss with you two,” Jason’s tone turned to a seriousness neither Adam nor Jessica had ever heard before.  They looked at each other and wondered if this was the main reason for his call.

“Mom, Dad, I’ve met someone.  She’s a great girl, and we’re getting along very well.  I was wondering if she could come and spend part of the holidays with us?  I mean, not Christmas Day, but she would fly out the day after Christmas and stay through New Year’s Day and then go back home to Connecticut until we go back to school at the end of January.”

Adam and Jessica were speechless.  Adam smiled as he remembered back to their late night conversation shortly before Jason graduated high school, but Jessica’s face showed shock that her son had met someone he felt serious enough about to bring home during the holidays.  The silence on the line seemed like a lifetime for Jason.

“So you’ve met someone, Honey?  I take it you’ve been dating her a little while now?  How come you’ve never mentioned her to us?”  Jessica inquired, but Adam understood and remained silent.

“Mom,” Jason’s voice was fidgety, “She’s a great girl; I met her at the end of September, and, I didn’t tell you about her until I was sure of what she meant to me.  I waited until I knew she was someone it felt like I wanted you guys to meet.  I hope you understand.”

Wanting to protect her son as if he were still a little boy, Jessica was about to lecture her son about showing them respect and allowing them to meet any girls he wanted to date from the beginning of their relationship, but Adam held up his hand as if to tell Jessica to back off.

“Son, are you serious about this girl?”  Adam asked.

“Yeah, Dad, she’s special.  I want you, Mom, and the rest of the family to meet her.  I bought her a plane ticket to come out and visit for a week.  I hope you don’t mind.  Is it okay if she stays in the guest room or can we stay at our home on the Ponderosa?”

“Jason, I don’t think…”  Jessica started in, but Adam stopped her.

“Jason, if you think staying at the ranch home would give you two more privacy, we’re okay with it.”

Jessica looked at Adam with shock.  She wondered if her husband had lost his mind, but she sat quietly.  She planned to have a serious discussion about the invitation for his son to stay with a girl in their ranch home alone later.

Trying to keep her anger toward her husband at bay and show a united front, Jessica turned on a supportive tone in her voice and asked Jason if his girlfriend had a name.

“Her name is Brianna, Mom.  She reminds me so much of you,” Jason smiled thinking about his new love.  “She has strawberry blonde hair, the biggest amber eyes you’ve ever seen, and a smile which will stop a train.”  Jason’s voice was mesmerized when he described his new love to his parents.  “She’s full of life!  She’s smart, witty, and is fun to be around.  She knows how to cheer me up when I’m feeling down.”

“She sounds very special, Jason,” Adam commented as he stared at Jessica as if he was telling her not to say anything not supportive.

“You say she’s from Connecticut, Jason?”  Jessica asked, “Does she go to M.I.T. as well?”

“No, Mom, she goes to Wellesley; she’s a history major with a minor in education.  I met her at an M.I.T./Wellesley/Harvard mixer they had just after school started.  She loves history, about the old west in particular, but she’s never had the opportunity to visit so I asked her, if it was okay with her parents, if she would like to come out west for a week and spend some time with me and meet my family.  I thought I could show her the Ponderosa, maybe Virginia City, and if we have time, go skiing.  She’s very much into sports.  Is it okay with you, Mom?  Dad?”

“We look forward to meeting your new girlfriend, Jason.  What is her name again?”  Adam asked.

“Brianna, Dad, but everyone calls her Brie for short.”

“We look forward to meeting Brianna when she comes.”

“I need to get back to studying, so I’m going to let you go.  I’ll see you on Saturday.  I love you!”

“We love you too, Honey.  We can’t wait to see you, too!  Take care and don’t stay up too late.”

“Okay, Mom. Bye!”

“Bye Honey.”

Adam and Jessica hung up the two cordless phones, sat and stared at each other for a few moments not saying a word.

“What was that all about?”  Jessica started in on Adam.

Adam got up and went into the kitchen to put his empty mug in the dishwasher and to hang up the other phone.

“What was what, Jess?  Jason’s new girlfriend he’s bringing home?  What’s wrong with that?  Sends a strong signal to me how he feels about this girl, and that he wants to bring her home to meet us.”

“No, Adam, I don’t mind him having a new girl he wants us to meet, but what’s this about you giving him your, no, our blessing to stay at our home on the Ponderosa!  I don’t think it’s a good idea, do you?  Why would you allow our son and a girl we don’t know to stay at our house alone?  Has all this holiday shopping made you lose your mind?”  She argued, following him into the kitchen with her mug.

Adam grabbed Jessica’s mug and placed them both in the dishwasher, closed the door, and turning back to her, he leaned on the counter and said, “What’s the problem, Jess?  Our son is a grown boy.  I trust him to do the right thing.”  He then walked around Jessica and headed toward their bedroom, leaving Jessica standing in the kitchen with her arms folded around her waist.

“Do the right thing, Adam?”  Jessica’s voice began to rise as she met up with him in the hall to their bedroom.

Adam turned swiftly around and put his hand on Jessica’s mouth.  “Do you mind holding your voice down?  It’s late, and Jillian’s probably sleeping!”

When Adam released his hand from Jessica’s mouth, anger filled her eyes, and she whispered, “Don’t ever place your hand over my mouth like that again, Adam Cartwright!”

Adam rolled his eyes and continued into the bedroom and went into the closet to take off his clothes.  He took off his shirt and came back out to continue his argument on why he didn’t see a problem with Jason spending a week at their home on the Ponderosa with his new girlfriend.

“Look, Jess, we were once young and in love as well,” he argued while taking his pants off.  “We appreciated the privacy your parents and my father always gave us when we were at their homes with each other.  Why can’t we extend the same courtesy to our son with his new girlfriend?

“My sentiments exactly, Adam!  They’re young and in love!  Leaving them to have the whole house to themselves could lead to them…” Jessica said as she removed her blouse.

“What, Jess, having sex?  I don’t think you give your son enough credit with his respect towards women.  Especially a woman he seems to care deeply about.”

Adam was now only wearing his boxers, continued his argument for why they should trust their son as he went into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

“He’s a young man with raging hormones, Adam.  A beautiful girl, a gorgeous setting, you’re just inviting them to be romantic with each other!  I think she’d be better off staying in Jason’s room here and Jason in the den,” Jessica argued.

Adam turned around and smiled at his wife standing behind him in just her bra and panties with her hands on her hips.  He took her into his arms and said, “Again, I say, we were once young and in love, too.  We made love for the first time when we were both freshman in college.”

Jessica pounded Adam’s bare chest.  “It’s not the same, Adam.  Jason is who we’re talking about, not us!”  Jessica wriggled out of Adam’s hold and went back into the bedroom to take down the comforter to prepare their bed for sleeping.

Adam followed Jessica into the bedroom and came up behind her and began to kiss her neck. “Do you know how sexy you are when you try to fight in just your panties?” he said as he unbuttoned Jessica’s bra, exposing her breasts to his hands.

Jessica slapped Adam’s hands, as she knew his points were all valid.  But not wanting to let it go until her point was understood, she tried to continue her argument; she was slowly losing the battle as her nipples became erect and hard under his fondling hands and she became putty in Adam’s arms.

She laid her head on her husband’s chest and closed her eyes, “But he’s only nineteen, Adam. I don’t want him to…”  She could no longer speak as Adam put his hands down into Jessica’s panties and lowered them to where they puddled to the floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday morning came, and the four Cartwrights prepared to leave for the Reno Airport to pick up Jason.  Jessica proudly wore her pink M.I.T. MOM sweatshirt with a white turtle neck shirt underneath with a pair of stone washed jeans.

Adam started putting breakfast together when Emily came into the kitchen. “Why aren’t you dressed, Princess?  We’ll be leaving for the airport in a little while!”  Adam said as he put a fresh kettle of water on the stove so Emily and Jessica could have tea with their breakfast.

Emily was wearing her pink heart pajamas, and her hair was a mess.  “Daddy, I love Jason, but now that he’s coming home, are you and Mom going to neglect Jillie and me again?”  Emily pouted.

Adam turned the stove on to medium heat for the kettle and turned to his daughter and took her into his arms.  “What do you mean by that statement, Princess?”

Emily began to cry.

“What is it, Em?”  Adam’s voice grew with concern as he rubbed his daughter’s back trying to console her.

“You still don’t get it do you, Daddy?”  Emily asked through her tears.

“Get what, Princess?  I don’t understand what you mean?  We neglect you and Jillian when Jason’s home?”

“Jillie and I feel like you and Mom put all of your focus on Jason and all his accomplishments and don’t care about us.”

Adam pulled away a bit and lifted Emily’s face to look at him.  “You know that’s not true, Emily Elizabeth.”  He rebutted.

“It is, too, Daddy!”  Emily pulled away in a huff.

“Don’t use that tone with me, young lady,”  Adam’s voice became stern.

“Sorry, Daddy, but it’s true.  Jillian feels the same way.  You and Mommy put so much focus on Jason; we feel like we don’t even exist sometimes,” she said as she grabbed the orange juice from the refrigerator.

Adam went up behind Emily and placed his hands on her shoulders.  “Princess, when your brother started his college search, we had to work with him and help him with admission forms, visits to the prospective colleges and such.  This time in your brother’s life requires a bit more attention.  We’ll do the same for you and Jillian when it’s time for you to start looking at colleges.  Jason’s the oldest, so, of course, he’s going to be the first to experience these type of things.  I’m sorry you feel slighted or neglected.  It’s not our intention to make you feel this way.”

“We don’t love you and Jillian any less and I think you know that.  Besides, don’t Mommy and I come to all of the football games and watch you cheer?”

“Yeah, but…”

“No buts, let me finish,” Adam interrupted, “I come home from work early when the team plays out of town so we can chaperone, right?”

“Yes.”

“And don’t we also go to all your competitions, too?”

“Yes, but…”

“I’m not finished, Princess.  Am I not there for you when you need your daddy’s shoulder to cry on, to laugh with, to help you do your homework?”

Emily was feeling the agony of defeat and gave in.  “Yeah, I guess so.”

Adam turned Emily around and put his arms around his daughter.  “Now, do you think I neglect you?”

“But Jillian…”

“We’re not talking about Jillian at the moment; we’re talking about Daddy and Emily.  Aren’t you my princess?”

Emily smiled and hugged her daddy tight.  “I always want to be your princess, Daddy.”

“You were my princess from the day you were born, and you’ll always be my beautiful princess as long as I have a heartbeat.  Now, go and get dressed so we can eat breakfast and get to the airport on time.”  Adam slapped his daughter’s bum as she turned to go back to her room to get dressed.

The family enjoyed the large breakfast Adam made, and they headed to the airport just in time for Jason’s flight to arrive.

“American Airlines announces the arrival of flight 1487 from Chicago.  Baggage claim D,” said the announcer over the P.A..

The Cartwright family stood at the exit to the secured area anxiously awaiting Jason’s arrival home.  When they saw him come through the doors, Jessica ran to welcome her son with open arms.  She gave him kisses all over his face.  Adam and the girls walked up behind Jessica.  Adam took Jason’s backpack which he’d carried on the plane with him and shook his son’s hand, welcoming him home.  Emily gave her brother a kiss and hug and Jason picked up his baby sister and told her how much he missed her as he hugged and kissed her forehead.

“Did you check any bags, Honey?” Jessica asked.

“Yeah, just one small bag.  I think they said it was baggage claim D on the plane.”

“Yes, we heard the baggage claim number with the announcement of your flight arrival,” Adam confirmed.

Jessica put her arm around her son, and Adam put Jason’s carry on over one of his shoulders and grabbed his two daughter’s hands, and they all moved to the baggage claim to wait for Jason’s luggage to arrive.

“So who’s the girl coming for a visit in a few days, Jason?”  Emily inquired.  “Mommy and Daddy told us you have someone you want us to meet.”

“Her name is Brianna, and she’s my girlfriend.  I met her a few months ago at a social, and we’ve been dating each other ever since.”

“We can’t wait to meet her, Jason,” Adam interjected, looking at Jessica as he could tell she still wasn’t entirely sold on Adam’s decision to allow them to stay at their home on the Ponderosa by themselves.

Jason grabbed his bag as it came around the carousel and the Cartwright family headed up to the Ponderosa for a big lunch that Hop Sing was preparing to welcome home Jason from his first semester at college.

As the Cartwrights arrived at the main house on the Ponderosa, Jillian jumped from the Lexus GX11 SUV and ran up to ring the doorbell to her poppy’s home.

Just as Hop Sing answered the door, the rest of the Cartwright clan came walking up.

“Hi, Hop Sing, is Poppy home?” Jillian asked with great excitement.

“Hello, Miss Jillian. Yes, your grandfather is home. Come in! Come in!”

Jillian ran into the house yelling, “POPPY! WE’RE HERE! JASON’S HOME!”

Jessica ran in giving a wave to Hop Sing as she passed by him, “Jillian! Don’t yell, Baby Girl! It’s not lady like!”

“Sorry, Mommy.  I’m just excited to see Poppy!”  Jillian said with a pout.

“I know, Baby Girl.  You love to come and see your poppy,” Jessica said as she gave her daughter a hug.

Ben came from his study as everyone was taking off their coats and handing them to Hop Sing.

“Well, hello, Miss Jillian!  How’s Poppy’s big girl doing?  Are you ready for Santa to come and see you in a few days?”  Ben said as he sat down in the chair next to the grandfather clock near his office so that he could be on Jillian’s level.

“Yes, Poppy!  I asked Santa to bring me a Barbie townhouse like Diana’s!  I also want Barbie’s car, too.”

“Oh, I see!  So Barbie needs a home and wheels, huh?  Have you been good all year?”

“Yep!”  Jillian said with a big smile.

“Poppy!  Jason’s home!”  Jillian continued.

Ben looked up at his eldest grandchild.  “I see, Honey, I see.  Are you glad he’s home with you again?”

“Yes, but he has to go back to school again,” she put her head down.

“I do, Peanut, but I’ll be back in the spring for spring break, but right now, I’m home, and we’ll go sledding and have fun together, okay?”  Jason came over to his little sister and knelt down beside her.

“But you have a girlfriend coming, and Daddy says you’re staying here!”  Jillian busted the surprise that Jason had planned to tell his grandfather.

“Oh?”  Ben looked at Jason with wide eyes, wanting to know more.

“Why don’t we all come and sit down in the great room and Jason can tell you all about his new girlfriend, Dad.”  Adam interrupted as he came to help Ben up and assist him to his chair near the fireplace.

Jason told Ben about the first semester and his new love interest, Brianna.  Ben could see the love in Jason’s eyes as he spoke about his new girl.  Ben’s face showed his dissatisfaction at Adam allowing the two to stay at his home on the Ponderosa alone but didn’t interfere with Adam’s decisions where his family was concerned.

After lunch, Jason shared more about his first semester at college, and how he was learning a lot at M.I.T..  He also told the family of his and Brianna’s plans to take the same English class at Harvard where his mother and father met, the next semester.

As the afternoon turned to early evening, Adam decided his father was starting to look a bit tired, so he gathered up the family, and they all said their goodbyes to Ben.  Ben put his coat on and walked the family to their car.  Everyone was in the car except for Adam; he stayed out to tell his father why he felt he could trust his son alone with Brianna, at his home on the Ponderosa.

“Jason is a grown mature boy, Dad.  He seems very much in love with Brianna, and we’re excited to meet her.  I want them to have some alone time so he can show her what life is like for us out here in the west.  I think if they stayed with us in Carson City, she might not be as comfortable as she would be out here, just the two of them.  I’m going to have a man to man talk with my son, and he’ll have a clear understanding of what my expectations will be for him while he’s hosting his girlfriend up here.  I trust him, Dad.  I know he would never do anything to dishonor our name or his reputation.”

“I understand, Son.  They’re welcome here.  I look forward to meeting her, too.  I saw the same look in Jason’s eyes that I saw in yours when you spoke to me in person about Jessica for the first time.”

Adam smiled. “I thought the same thing, Dad.  She might be the one for Jason!  I can’t wait to meet her.  She’ll be here on the twenty-sixth.  I’m going to ask him tonight if he and Brianna want to attend the New Years Eve Gala with Jessica and me.”

“I think that will be a lovely idea.  We’ll see you on Christmas Day, Son.”

Adam shook his father’s hand. He got in the car, put the gear in drive and drove away.  Ben waved as they turned onto the main road toward the exit of the Ponderosa.  Light-hearted conversation filled the ride home for Jason, Jessica, and Adam while Emily and Jillian dozed off.

As they arrived home, Jessica went to draw a bath for Jillian and Emily went into her room to call her best friend.

“Do I have to take a bath tonight, Mommy?  I’m tired,” Jillian said as she sat on the floor of the bathroom and took off her clothes.

“You don’t have to stay in the tub long, just get your body washed and we’ll wash your hair tomorrow, Baby Girl.”

Jillian jumped in the tub and washed her body while Jessica went and got flannel pajamas and panties for her daughter to put on when she got out of the bath.

Jason took his spot in the three seasons room while Adam went and grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge.  They were talking about the English class Jason and Brianna planned to enroll at Harvard in, in the upcoming semester when Jillian and Jessica came walking in.

Jillian ran over to Adam and held out her arms for a hug and kiss goodnight.  He sat up and held his youngest child in his arms.  Adam gave her a kiss on her forehead and wished her sweet dreams.  She then went over to her big brother and leaped into his lap and threw her arms around him, told him how much she loved him and that she was glad he was home.  Jason held his baby sister in his arms and wished her a good night’s sleep.  Jillian got up and bounced back to her mother, grabbed her hand, and dragged her to her room where Jessica tucked her daughter in and kissed her goodnight.

Jessica went to the kitchen to make her a pot of tea before she joined Jason and Adam in the three seasons room.  When she entered, she sat down on the love seat and put her feet up and leaned on the overstuffed pillow against the arm rest.  Adam asked Jessica to come and sit on his lap, but Jessica was comfortable and declined.  When Jessica saw her opportunity to get more information about Brianna, she took her shot.

“So tell us more about this new girl in your life, Son!”  Jessica said as she drank from her favorite mug.

Jason pulled his wallet from his back pocket and took out a snapshot he had taken of Brianna at the bronze ‘Make Way for the Ducklings’ sculptures at Boston Public Garden on a gorgeous, unusually warm day in October, and handed it to his mother.

“She’s beautiful, Jason.  I’m eager to meet her,” Jessica said as she handed the picture to Adam.

When Adam looked at the picture, his eyes widened, and a huge grin came on his face.  “She’s a real looker, Son!  I see why you’re attracted to her.”

Jessica glared at Adam.  “Put your eyes back in your head, Adam, she’s too young for you.”

Adam glared back at his wife and snapped back, as he handed the photo back to Jason, “That’s enough, Jess.  She’s a beautiful girl, and I’m happy for our son.”

Jason could feel the tension in his mother’s demeanor, so he tried to soften her angst about his new love by telling her a little more about her.

“Brianna reminds me of you, Mom.  She’s fun, full of life, she loves Shakespeare, and into sports big time.  We went to some Red Sox games and also drove down to Foxborough a few times to watch the Patriots play.

“It seems like you two have been spending a lot of time together,” Jessica continued her inquisition on Jason’s new girl.

Jason was trying to keep the conversation light and fun.  He’d hoped his parents would be happy for him, but it seems as if only one parent was, his father.  Jason finally had enough and dared to question his mother on why she was passing judgment on someone she had yet to meet.

“Mom, is there something wrong with me having a girlfriend in college?  I don’t understand the hostility you have toward Brianna’s and my relationship.  Do I dare say I feel like you’re slighting her because you feel she’s taking away your little boy?”

“Jason, that’s enough.  Do not speak to your mother with that tone in this house,” Adam’s voice was annoyed at his son’s disrespect to his mother.

“Dad, look at her body language?  It’s tense; her eyes are ice blue and angry.  I won’t stand for her to pass judgment on the girl I love when she hasn’t even met her yet.  I don’t want her to be as her father was to you!”

Jessica whipped her head toward Adam.  “What did you tell him about my dad, Adam?”

Feeling a bit ganged up on, Adam looked at his son with narrowed eyes, “Listen to me, Jason, this is your final warning.  You will not disrespect your mother in this home.  She has every right to have reservations about Brianna until she meets her.”  He then looked at Jessica.  “I can guarantee you your mother will make her feel welcome in our home and get to know her.  I’m sure once she meets her; she will like her, won’t you, Jessica?”

Jessica didn’t answer Adam’s question; she only wanted to know what Adam told their son about his first meeting with her father.

“What did you say about my father, Adam!  I want to know!”

“We’ll discuss it later, Jess,” Adam said in a very matter of fact tone.

“I want to…”  Jessica demanded but was interrupted.

“I said, we’ll discuss it later, in private.  Do I make myself clear?”  Adam glared at his wife.

Jessica sat for a moment and glared at Adam.  Her anger was raging inside of her, but she held her forked tongue.

After a few moments, Jessica’s icy demeanor started to thaw, and she looked back at Jason, who had a worried look on his face as if he had wished he had not invited his new girlfriend to come and meet his family whom he loved dearly.

“Honey, I’m sorry.  I’m not objecting to you having a girlfriend.  I just don’t want you to get involved with someone and let her, or the relationship with her, become more of a focus than your studies.  Those are my main concerns, Honey, not your new found love.”

Jason came over to his mother and bent down on his knees and took her hands into his.  “Mom, I love her.  I think she might be the one.  I’m not for sure, but she makes me feel so good inside when we’re together.  I feel like I’ve known her forever.  We finish each other’s sentences.  When we leave each other, we can’t wait to be together again.  Right now, I can’t imagine my life without her in it.  I think she feels the same way about me.  I can see her as the mother of my children one day. mI love her, Mom.  I want you and Dad to love her, too!”  Tears were streaming down Jason’s face as he professed his feelings of his beloved to his mother.

Jessica’s eyes began to glisten as she listened to her son’s heartfelt description of what Brianna meant to him.  She took her son’s face into her hands and said, “If she means this much to you, how can I not love her, too?”  She hugged her son and said into his shoulder, “Please just promise me you two will finish college first and please, by all means, Son, use protection!”

“Mom!”  Jason said as his face blushed a thousand shades of red.

“Oh, Jessica!”  Adam said laughing as he hid his face in embarrassment for his son.

“What?”  Jessica asked smiling.

Jason kissed his mom’s forehead.  “That’s what I love about you, Mom. You don’t mince any words!”

“I’m still not 100% sold on your staying up at the house on the Ponderosa by yourself with Brianna while she’s here, but I trust you to do the right thing by each other.”

“Mom, I love her with all my heart.  I would never disrespect her in that way.  You’ve brought me up better than that.  Besides, when and if the time is right, you and Dad have taught me well in that area, and that’s all I have to say about that subject.”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to call Brianna before it gets much later.”

Jason hugged his father and kissed his mother goodnight.  Jessica and Adam decided to head back toward their bedroom where Jessica asked about what he had told their son regarding her father.

“I told him the truth!”  Adam said as he got undressed for bed.

“Dad must have seemed like a monster in Jason’s eyes.  He wasn’t that way, and you know it, Adam,” Jessica said as she went and turned on the shower and began to get undressed.

“I told Jason Dad was a good man, and once he realized how much I loved you, we had a great relationship from there on out, but you can’t deny the first night I met him was most uncomfortable for both of us.”

“I know, but I don’t want Jason thinking any differently about his grandfather.  He loved him until the day he died.”

“Jason knows Dad was a good man, and his love and respect for him didn’t change in the least, but I wasn’t going to lie to our son about what happened when I first met him, either. I  don’t want you acting that way with Brianna when we meet her, okay?”

“Oh, Adam, give me a little credit.  I wouldn’t be a good mother if I didn’t ask him those questions about her.  I just want him to be happy.  I think he’s too young to be having sex, however,” she said as she got into the shower.

Adam stripped off his boxers and joined Jessica and took her into his arms.  “We were just nineteen when we first made love,” Adam reminded his bride.

“Thank goodness you had protection, too!  I didn’t come prepared, I was still a virgin, remember?”  Jessica said as she took the soap and began to wash Adam’s chest.

“I do remember.  I’m sure our son is still a virgin, and I don’t think he’ll be intimate with a woman he doesn’t want to marry.”  Adam took the soap from Jessica, soaped up his hands and began to wash her body.

“Look at us, Adam!”  Jessica laughed.

Adam stopped soaping his woman and looked at her with a befuddled look.

“I think we’ve just crossed into middle age. We’re in the shower, naked, soaping each other’s bodies, and debating the point of our children having sex!  Shouldn’t this be our time?  Isn’t the shower supposed to be where foreplay starts for us?”

Adam traced his wife’s body from head to toe with his eyes and hands.  You don’t have the body of a middle age woman, Jess,” he said as he began to nibble her neck.  Jessica cuddled next to Adam’s body, and they became one with the warm water raining down on them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas Day was a joyous day for the Cartwright family.  Adam and Jessica awoke at 6:00 A.M. to Jillian’s squeals of delight of Santa’s arrival as well as he had brought her everything she had requested and more, including her Barbie Dream House and car.  Barbie had received a couple of new friends and a whole new wardrobe as well.  Emily received a new MacBook Pro and iPad she had been wanting.  Jason received a new MacBook Pro as well as a new guitar he had his eye on at the local music store.  Each of the kids received new clothes for winter and Adam gave Jessica a new diamond bracelet and matching earrings Emily and Jillian helped him select.  Jessica gave Adam a new updated Longines La Grande Classique diamond dress watch to replace the one he had received from his father when he graduated from high school.

As morning dawned on the 26th, Jason woke up early.  He was excited and nervous at the same time.  He couldn’t wait for his new love to meet the family.  The afternoon would be at their home in Carson City.  The late afternoon, they would head up to the Ponderosa where Brianna would meet Jason’s grandfather, his two uncles, their wives, and children.  Adam made reservations to take everyone to dinner at Lone Eagle Grille in Incline Village.  Jason would drive him and Brianna up to the Ponderosa since they would be staying at Adam’s and Jessica’s ranch home the entire week.

Adam was the first to wake up after Jason.  He came into the kitchen to put on coffee but saw a fresh pot already brewed.  He poured himself a mug and went into the three seasons room where he found Jason standing by the window looking out onto the backyard in just his pajama pants with coffee in his hands.

“Good morning, Son, you’re up early,”  Adam commented as he leaned on the jam of the three seasons room door.

Jason turned around and smiled at his father.  “Hey, Dad. Yeah, I got up early to talk with Brianna before she boarded her plane,”  Jason turned around beaming, “Awe, Dad, I can’t wait for you to meet her, she’s so special to me.”

Adam walked over and stood next to his son and pat him on the back.  “I can tell, Son.  I know we’re going to love her from the minute we meet her.”

“Every day that goes by, I love her even more, Dad.  I never thought I could love someone as I love her.  What’s so wonderful is she loves me, too!  I know we’ve only known each other for a few months, but Dad!  She’s the one.  I just know she is!”

“Jason, it didn’t take me long to know your mother was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with either.  Just keep your focus on school right now.  When I knew your mother was the one, I kept it to myself until we were seniors in college.  Oh, we each knew we wanted to marry each other, and we talked about our lives together; having children, growing old with each other.  Until I placed the ring on your mother’s finger, all that could have changed for either of us if our lives had taken a dramatic turn in a different direction.”

“I know, Dad. You and Mom will be happy to know we both want to finish school first.  Brie wants to be a teacher.  I want to come and work with you at Cartwright, Incorporated.  Besides, I wouldn’t ever marry a woman like Brianna if I couldn’t support her or our kids.  Do you look forward to being a grandfather someday, Dad?”

Adam laughed.  “Son, nothing makes me happier than to think of all three of my kids growing up and having families of their own.  I look forward to the day when I can hold a new generation of Cartwrights in my arms.  Besides, I’ll get to spoil them like Poppy spoiled you and your sisters and then send them home to you!”  Adam teased as he ruffled his son’s hair.

“Let’s get the day started.  We have a very special guest coming!”  Adam said as he got up and headed back to the kitchen to refresh his coffee.

Both Cartwright men went to their respective bedrooms to get dressed and bring a new prospective member into their family.

Chapter Four

Jason and his family anxiously awaited Brianna’s flight to arrive from New York via Chicago. Adam could see the angst in his son’s form, and he whispered in his ear, “We already love her because you love her, Son.  Try to relax.”

Jason smiled at his father’s reassurance they were going to like his woman because they trusted he would only make the right choice.

“She’s great, Dad.  I just can’t wait for her to meet you guys. There’s nothing more I want than to see the woman I love to become part of this family I love dearly.”

As Jason finished his sentence, he saw the lovely red haired girl come through the secured area doors into baggage claim.  His eyes lit up, and he ran to her, picking her up, swinging her around, and kissing her passionately.

Jessica came up to Adam, and he put his arm around his wife’s waist and kissed her on her head.  Jessica’s eyes lit up as she saw her son’s happiness like never before.

“God, I’ve missed you so much, Brie!”  Jason said as he looked at his girl in her eyes, holding her close to his body.

“I’ve missed you terribly, too, but I’m so happy to be here, and I’m looking forward to meeting your family.”

Jason’s eyes grew big, and he said, “Oh my gosh!  My family!  There right over here.  Come, meet them!”

Jason took Brianna’s small bag she had carried on the plane and grabbed her hand to take her where Adam, Jessica, Emily, and Jillian were standing.  Adam could see his son was very nervous and breathing hard.

“Brianna, I would like to introduce you to my family.  My mother, Jessica, my sisters, Emily, and Jillian, and this is my father, Adam.”

Brianna greeted each of the Cartwright’s with a firm handshake and warm smile.  Jessica and Adam were beaming from ear to ear as they shook Brianna’s hand.

“We’re happy to meet you finally, Brianna!  Jason has told us so much about you over the past several days.  We feel as if we already know you!”  Adam grinned.

“Thank you, Mr. Cartwright.  I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you all as well.  Jason has pictures of all of you around his apartment and has told me so many wonderful stories of when he was growing up.  I feel like a part of the family!”

“Please, call me, Adam, and my wife, Jessica.  Mr. Cartwright is my father, Ben.”

“Okay, Adam, thank you.”

“Jason tells us you’re from Connecticut.  I’m from Connecticut as well, what town are you from, Brianna?”

“I’m from Westport, Ma’am, I mean, Jessica.  I’m sorry, I’m a bit nervous and excited all at the same time!”

Jason beamed with excitement at how good an impression she was making on his family, especially his parents.  “Nothing to be nervous about, Sweetheart.  My family is very down to earth.  They fell in love with you before you even set foot in Nevada.”

Brianna smiled as she spoke to everyone, “Thank you for making me feel so welcome.  I look forward to spending more time with you this week and getting to know you all better.”

“Do you have checked baggage, Brianna?”  Adam asked.

“Yes, Sir. I’m sorry.  I mean, Adam.  I do.  I believe they said it was baggage claim A?”

“Okay, let’s head there now,” Jason said.

Jason took his girl by her arm, and they walked toward baggage claim A.  Jillian ran up to her brother’s other side, and he grabbed her hand.  Jessica put her arm through Adam’s right arm, and Emily took Adam’s left, and they followed behind the two lovebirds and Jillian.

“How was your flight, Brianna?”  Jessica inquired, trying to make small talk as she watched the girl make loving eyes towards her son.

“It was good.  Smooth flights to both Chicago and Reno.  The flights were full going to both destinations.  They had to ask for volunteers on Chicago’s leg, but I wasn’t giving up my seat for anyone,” she said as she looked adoringly into Jason’s eyes.

“Here comes my bag, Jason,” Brianna said as the pink and green polka dot suitcase came around the carousel.

Jason grabbed her luggage, and Adam took it from him so that he could hold his girl.  The family headed to the parking garage and drove back to their home where they would spend the day getting to know each other before going up to the Ponderosa.

On the short ride back to the house, Brianna talked about Christmas with her parents and her younger brother.

“My family is leaving on a cruise today to the Caribbean.  Mom was a bit disappointed I didn’t want to go, but she understood I wanted to come and spend time with Jason at his home and to meet his family.”

“Your parents have met Jason a few times?”  Jessica inquired.

“Yes, Ma’am, they have.  They’ve come up to Cambridge and visited me a few times, and we went down to Connecticut once.  They love Jason very much.  My father owns a manufacturing equipment company, so he and Jason talk about engineering and business related things.  My mother was a fashion buyer for Calvin Klein at Macy’s in the city for years, so we enjoy talking about the latest trends in fashion when the boys start talking shop,” Brianna explained with a nervousness in her voice still.

“Your mother was a fashion buyer for Calvin Klein?  Wow, I bet that was cool!”  Emily commented.

“My mother loved her job, but she hated the traveling when she was a buyer.  She worked for Macy’s since she was in high school.  When she and my father got married, she was already a buyer, so she continued to work because she enjoyed her job.  She traveled extensively when my brother and I were younger, so we spent a lot of time with our nanny, but she was great.  She let us get away with things Mother and Father would have never allowed us to.  I think we turned out okay, though.”

“Jason tells us that you are studying history?”  Adam jumped into the conversation.

“Yes, Sir, with a minor in education.  I’ve always loved history.  I caught the bug in eighth grade when I studied American History.  The old west is what intrigues me the most, however.  I enjoyed studying the California Gold Rush as well as the big silver strike in Nevada.  Living in Connecticut, there wasn’t as much of a focus on it as there was for Jason living here, of course, but I sure enjoyed the section each time I had to take American History throughout my junior high and high school years.  I knew I wanted to major in history in college.  I have never been out west, so when Jason invited me to come and spend time with him out here, I was so excited!”

“Did you bring your sexy emerald green sequin gown for New Year’s Eve?”  Jason asked.

“Where are you two going for New Year’s Eve?”  Emily inquired.

“Dad got two extra tickets to the Hospital’s New Year’s Eve Gala for Brianna and Me.  We’re going to go with Mom and Dad.  Hey, Dad, if it’s okay with you and Mom, I think we’ll just stay at home in Carson City for the last few nights.  I don’t want to drive in the mountains late after the gala, and since Brie will be leaving on the second, it makes sense to stay in town those last few nights.

Adam could see the jealousy already starting to rise in his middle child’s face when Jason informed her he and his new girl would be spending a fancy evening with their parents while she had to stay at home and babysit her sister.

“I think that’s a wise decision, Son.”

Adam watched his son with Brianna in the very back as they nuzzled together and kissed each other.  He saw the love in his son’s face and knew this was the girl he would most likely want to marry one day.  Adam already loved her and looked forward to the day she would be his daughter-in-law.  Adam grabbed Jessica’s left hand and held it tight.  She smiled at him, but he could tell her accepting smile of Brianna strained, and he couldn’t figure out why.

As they arrived home, everyone hopped out of the car and went into the house.  Jason took Brianna’s luggage and put it in his Rav4 since he would be driving them up to the Ponderosa when they left for Incline Village later in the day.  Brianna told Jason her change of clothes for later in the evening were in her carry-on, so he brought the bag in the house.

“I hope you didn’t have lunch on the plane, Brie.  Mom made a big lunch of sandwiches and salads for all of us.”

“I had a bagel and some water in New York, but I didn’t eat anything else.  My stomach’s had butterflies the whole way here,” she said bashfully.

“Jason, why don’t you and Dad go with Brianna into the three seasons room to talk while Emily, Jillian, and I get lunch ready,”  Jessica suggested.

“Sounds good, Mom!”  Jason said as he kissed his mother’s cheek.

Adam came behind his wife and whispered in her ear as he kissed her head, “Your jealousy is showing, turn on a smile, please.”

Jessica stuck her tongue out at her husband and hit him with her elbow in the ribs.  He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and whispered as he grabbed a bottle of wine from the wine refrigerator, “Smile!  Your son is in love with this girl!”

Adam went into the three seasons room with wine glasses and the bottle of wine.  He offered wine to their guest and his son; each gladly accepted.

Back in the kitchen, Emily was getting the salads from the refrigerator when she asked her mother about the New Year’s Eve Gala.

“Mommy, why do Jason and Brie get to go to the Gala with you and Daddy and I have to stay home and watch Jillian?”

Jillian, feeling her sister’s angst with the tone in her voice tried to make it better by saying, “We can play Barbies, Emmy!”

Jessica smiled at her youngest daughter’s innocence.  Emily went over to her sister and hugged her saying, “I’d love to play Barbies with you, Peanut, but I sure would like to go to the Gala, too!”

She then looked over at her mother who was putting the sandwiches she had made earlier in the morning on a platter and said, “I want to get a long gown and get all dolled up.  Why does Jason always get to have all the fun, Mommy?”

“Em, Jason’s older than you, so he’s going to get to do things that you’re too young to do.  Be patient, my dear, you’ll have your turn in a few years.”

“It’s just not fair, Mommy!”

Jessica didn’t respond any further to her daughter’s pity party.  She told her to get the dijon mustard and mayonnaise out of the fridge and put them in some bowls.

With lunch beautifully set on the table buffet-style, Jessica went into the three seasons room to invite everyone to come and make their plates.  Jessica used casual glass dishes which had a beautiful flower pattern etched along the edge of each plate as well as a fresh flower arrangement in the middle of the table as well as a crisp white linen tablecloth and matching napkins.

“Lunch smells wonderful, Jessica!  Thank you for making this for us!  Are you a chef?  It looks like something straight out of one of the cooking shows I watch sometimes,” Brianna said as she picked up her plate and started dishing out a serving of pasta salad.

“My wife is a frustrated chef, Brie,” Adam interjected as he kissed Jessica on the cheek.  “We’re the happy recipients of her love of cooking.”

“I sure have missed Mom’s cooking at school.  I’ve tried to make a few of her dishes, but they just don’t turn out the same, so I just stick with what’s in a can,” Jason laughed.

“Jason!”  Jessica said with exasperation in her tone, “I hope you’re eating better than that, Son!”

“Don’t worry, Jessica, I cook for him at least three to four times a week, depending on how much homework we both have.  I always cook Friday through Sunday, and if we’re not too busy, I’ll come over and cook throughout the week, too!  I gave up eating in the mess hall, so I do most of the grocery shopping for the two of us, and if we’re too busy, I’ll just catch something at one of the local delis.”

“Those are my can of soup nights,” Jason grinned.

Adam looked around and didn’t see Emily.  He asked Jessica where she went, and Jessica shrugged her shoulders as she started to help Jillian with her plate after Brianna and Jason had gotten theirs and gone back into the three seasons room where Adam had set up TV trays to set their plates on for lunch.

Adam went into the kitchen to see if his daughter was in there getting something to drink, but didn’t find her in there, so he went back to her bedroom and knocked on the door.

“Princess, it’s Daddy, are you in here?”

“Go away, Daddy.”  She said through her tears.

“Princess, I’m coming in, okay?”

There was no response, so Adam opened the door, peeked in and saw his daughter crying on her bed.  He went over to her, rubbed her back and asked her why she wasn’t in the other room getting lunch and joining the rest of the family in the three seasons room.

“I want to go to the New Year’s Eve Gala, Daddy!  When can I start doing grown up things?  I always have to stay behind and babysit Jillian!”

“Is this why you’re crying, Princess?  Because Jason and Brianna are going to the New Year’s Eve Gala with Mommy and me?”

Emily didn’t respond with words, only a harder cry.

“Princess, for starters, the Gala is a fundraiser for the hospital.  This year’s fundraiser is for the new cancer center.  It will be just a bunch of old folks like Mommy and me giving lots of money in a silent auction.  Then at midnight, we’ll kiss the new year in and we’ll come home.  It would be boring for you.  I promise you that.  Mommy and I will make sure you and Jillian get a pizza, snacks, and all the movies you want to watch, okay?”

“I just want to be a grown-up too, Daddy,” Emily’s sobs began to settle.

“Princess, enjoy being a kid while you can.  You’ll have the rest of your life to be a grown-up, and that’s when you’ll wish you could be a kid again!”  Adam laughed.

“Now dry your tears and join the rest of us.  You don’t want to let Jason’s girlfriend know you’re in your room crying, do you?”

“No.”

Adam grabbed some tissues from the tissue box on Emily’s desk and handed them to her.  They walked arm and arm back to the dining room.  Adam got a plate for his princess, one for himself and they started piling up their plates with the fabulous lunch Jessica had prepared.

Adam and Emily walked into the three seasons room, and everyone was laughing about a story Brianna was telling Jessica and Jillian about how she and her brother had gone ice fishing one year with their father and the family dog kept slipping on the ice and how he finally just sat down and refused to move any further.

“Where’ve you been, Em?” Jason asked.

“Why do you care?” Emily responded abruptly.

“Emily!”  Adam scolded.

“Emily, Jason tells me you’re a cheerleader at your high school.  I was a cheerleader, too!” Brianna said trying to find a bond she could share with Jason’s sister.

“That’s cool, Brie! We’ll have to share stories of cheerleading camp together,” Emily’s demeanor started to brighten up.

The family finished their lunch and Jessica cleared the dishes. Brianna jumped up to help, but Jessica told her she was a guest in their home, and she would not have her helping with dishes.  Brianna sat back down and placed her hand on Jason’s leg and started to rub it.  Adam took notice of the loving gesture and smiled.  Jessica was not thrilled.

“I have a chocolate sheet cake for dessert, would you two care for a piece?”  Jessica asked as she locked her eyes on Brianna’s hand on her son’s leg.

“Oh, Brie, you have to try Mom’s chocolate cake.  It’s amazing!  She puts cinnamon in it for a little spice, and it’s phenomenal!”

Brianna smiled and said, “I guess I have to have a piece after such a review, huh?”

“Would you like some coffee or tea?”  Adam asked as he got up to help with the dishes.

“I would love a cup of tea, Adam, thank you.”

Adam and the girls got up to help Jessica with the dishes to give Jason and Brianna a little privacy.

In the kitchen, Jessica took the cake off the side counter and placed it on the island.  As she was reaching for a knife, Adam started making a pot of coffee and put the kettle on for tea.

“Did you see how she was rubbing her hand up and down Jason’s leg, Adam?  How disrespectful right in front of us!”

“Oh, come on, Jess.  We also were loving to each other all the time when we were their age. It’s an endearment.  She’s just showing how much she loves him.  I seriously doubt she was trying to be disrespectful.”

Adam walked over to his wife, put his face near hers pinching her nose he said, “You need to lighten up!  She’s a beautiful sweet girl, and she loves our son!”

Jessica rolled her eyes and cut the cake as Adam got a tray and mugs down for the coffee and tea.

Emily quietly put the leftovers in containers and stacked them neatly in the refrigerator.

“Do you want some tea with your cake, Princess?”  Adam asked.

“No, Daddy, if it is okay with you and Mommy, I want to go back to my room.”

“Are you feeling ill, Sweetheart?”  Jessica stopped cutting the cake and asked.

“I’m all right, Mommy.  I didn’t sleep well last night.  I would like to take a nap before we go up to Poppy’s.  I’ll go and excuse myself to Brie and Jason if it’s okay with you.”

“It’s fine, Princess.  We’ll wake you up in a few hours so you can change to go to Poppy’s since we’re going to Lone Eagle Grille tonight.”

“Thanks, Daddy.”

Emily went and excused herself to Jason and Brianna.  She went back to her room, took off her clothes, put a t-shirt on, climbed into bed and cried herself to sleep. Wanting to go to the gala was still heavy on her mind, and she needed to be alone and have a private pity party.

They spent the balance of the afternoon with many stories Jason and Brianna shared about their time together at Cambridge.  Jillian ended up falling asleep in Jessica’s arms.

4:30 PM rolled around, and Adam excused himself so he could go wake up Emily.  He knocked on her door, and she answered in renewed spirits wearing her pink ‘Daddy’s Princess’ t-shirt.

“I woke up about fifteen minutes ago.  I’m putting on a little make-up, and I’ll get dressed in just a little bit.

“Okay, Princess.  It seems like your nap did you a lot of good.”

Emily threw her arms around her hero’s neck and kissed him on the cheek and said, “I love you, Daddy.”

Taken back by the sudden burst of love, Adam grabbed his daughter around her waist so all her weight would not have to be sustained by his neck as he replied, “I love you too, Princess.  I’ll leave you be so you can finish getting ready.  If you need to come out, however, please put on a robe since we have company,” he requested.  Emily, never one for being modest, often paraded throughout the house in only her t-shirt and panties when she had been sleeping or staying in her room for extended periods of time.

Emily laughed and nodded in agreement.

Jason showed Brianna to his bedroom where she could change her clothes.  He grabbed his suit from the closet and went into the bathroom to change.

When everyone was changed and ready to go, Jessica and Emily climbed into Jessica’s Lexus, and Jason helped Brianna into his Rav4.  Jillian asked her parents if she could ride with Jason and Brianna.  The couple didn’t object, so Adam helped her get buckled in the back, and they all headed toward the Ponderosa.

As everyone arrived at the main house on the Ponderosa, Ben passed by the window and saw Adam’s family getting out of the two cars.  He went to the door and greeted everyone as they walked up to the house.

When Brianna and Jason arrived at the front door, Jason stopped and introduced his grandfather to his new girlfriend.

“Poppy, it is my pleasure to present my girlfriend, Brianna Nelson.  Brianna, this is my Poppy, Ben Cartwright.”

Brianna shook Ben’s hand, and with a big smile, she said, “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Cartwright. Jason speaks so highly of you.  I feel like I already know you!”

“It’s my pleasure to meet you too, Miss Brianna. I’ve had some lovely conversations and emails with Jason about you, too!  Welcome to the Ponderosa!  Please, come in!”

The two entered the house where Adam, Jessica, and the girls were talking to the other members of the Cartwright clan in the great room.

Adam was busy talking to Hoss, telling him how wonderful Jason’s new girlfriend was and what a lovely afternoon they had already spent with her.

“Oh, here they are!” Adam said.

Everyone gathered around and stopped talking so Jason could give a grand introduction of his new girl.

Brianna, I would like to introduce you to the rest of my extended family.  My Aunt Carolyn, Uncle Eric’s wife, and Aunt Donna, Uncle Joe’s wife.”

Brianna shook each of their hands and told them it was a pleasure to meet them and how she hoped to get to know them better over time.

Jason continued, “This is my Uncle Eric, but we call him Uncle Hoss, a nickname my father gave him when he was little because he was born this big.”  The family erupted in laughter.

“Don’t mind them, ma’am, they’re just plain jealous!  They just wished they were as big, strong, and handsome as me,”  Hoss blushed.

“I understand you’re sweet as you are big, Hoss,”  Brianna replied.

“Hey, I like this little filly,” Hoss grinned.

“Me, too!” Jason said as he winked at his girl.

Jason then looked at Joe and introduced Brianna to him.  “This is my father’s youngest brother, my Uncle Joe.  He’s the one I used to beat all the time at checkers when I was a kid.”

Joe shook Brianna’s hand and said, “Youngest and most handsome, ma’am.  As far as him beating me at checkers, it’s because I taught him everything he knows about the game.  It’s great to meet you.”

Everyone erupted in laughter again as the family was immediately feeling very comfortable with Brianna.

Jason then moved to the children of his aunts and uncles.

“This is Uncle Joe and Aunt Donna’s twins, Joe, Jr. and Braiden. Aunt Donna is pregnant with their third child, who we just found out at Christmas, is going to be a girl!”

“Congratulations!”  Brianna smiled to Donna and Joe.

“And who is this little bundle of joy?”  Brianna asked as she stroked the soft face of the infant Hoss’ wife, Carolyn, was holding.

Hoss introduced his brand new Korean daughter whom he and his wife had just adopted.

“This is Daisy, our daughter.  We just got back from Korea shortly before Christmas.  She’s the apple of our eye.”

“She’s gorgeous!”  Brianna started making coos at the baby.

Jessica smiled as she watched her possible future daughter-in-law make a fuss over the newest addition to the Cartwright family.  She could see fantastic parenting qualities in Brianna and thought about the day she would be a grandmother.

Adam pulled Jessica close to him as a sign he also noticed how great Brianna was with Hoss’ and Carolyn’s new baby.

Jason looked around and asked where Hop Sing was.  He wanted to introduce his girl to the great caretaker of his Grandfather.

“Poppy, where’s Hop Sing?  I want Brianna to meet him as well.”

“Hop Sing!” boomed Ben’s big voice.

Hop Sing came scurrying out of the kitchen smiling as he saw Jason and his new love interest.

“Hello, Master Jason!”  Hop Sing bowed.

“Hop Sing, I want you to meet my girlfriend, Brianna.  Brie, this is the best chef!  Except for my mother of course,” Jason smiled.

Brianna shook Hop Sing’s hand and bowed to show respect for his Chinese heritage.

Adam announced for everyone to gather their coats because it was time to head to dinner at Lone Eagle Grille.

The family had an excellent meal.  Everyone enjoyed the food and company.  As the evening wound down, each family went their separate ways from the restaurant.  Ben had traveled with Adam and his family and came back with them.  They all had said goodnight to Brianna and Jason before they headed down to the family’s ranch home.

Ben hugged his grandson and girlfriend, and they departed for the house.  Adam and Jessica made sure Ben got back into the house and was comfortable before they left themselves.

On the way back to Carson City, Adam beamed at how well the day had gone and how happy he was Jason, and his girlfriend had gotten along with the rest of the family.  He noticed Jessica’s mood swings and thought to wait until they were home in the privacy of their room to discuss it with her.

Back at the family’s home on the Ponderosa, Jason pulled into the garage and grabbed both his and Brianna’s bags from the back.  He showed Brianna the house, and to the guest room where she would sleep for the week so she could have a comfortable, spacious room in which to relax. Jason’s room was across the hall, so if Brianna needed anything in the middle of the night, she wouldn’t have to walk far to find Jason.  Once they had changed into more comfortable clothes, they went downstairs, Jason lit a fire in the fireplace and made some coffee.

The two were finally alone and could exchange Christmas presents with each other.  Jason offered his first.  When Brianna opened the box, she found a beautiful one karat heart shaped diamond pendant solitaire on a yellow gold delicate snake chain.

“Oh, Jason, it’s beautiful!” she said as she kissed him tenderly.

She pulled it from the box, Jason took it from her and undid the clasp.  Brianna pulled her hair to the side, and he put it around her neck.

“It’s exquisite.  Thank you so much, Babe!  I love it!”

“Brianna,” Jason said as he took her hands, “this diamond heart pendant is more than just a Christmas gift to you from me.  I chose the heart shaped diamond as a symbol of my love and commitment to you, and to show that you’ll always have my heart.  I hope you’ll accept this as a promise that I want to be with you always.  We still have several more years of school, but I want you to know eventually, the heart that now hangs around your neck will also one day, if you have me, I’ll replace on your left ring finger.”

Brianna’s eyes filled with tears as Jason told her the gift was his way of saying he wanted her to one day be his wife as well as a Christmas gift to her.

“Jason, I don’t know what to say except I can’t imagine myself with any other man but you.  I accept your promise, and I look forward to the day that I become your fiancé.”

Jason grinned as he thought about how he and Brianna had just taken the next step in their relationship.  He was over the moon with happiness and couldn’t wait to share the news with his family that he had, until now, kept only to himself.

Brianna handed her gift to Jason.

“It is not as special as your gift to me is, but I chose it with love from my heart.”

Jason opened the box and found a pair of 14K gold cufflinks with a rope design around the edge with the initials JC inscribed on each cufflink.

“I know you said you had always wanted a pair of gold cufflinks with your initials, so I went to Spirer’s Jewelers on Mass Ave., and I found these.  I thought they were beautiful.  I hope you like them.”

Jason took Brianna into his arms and gave her a tender kiss and whispered, “I love them.  I love you.  Thank you!”

Jason then looked at Brianna with a smile and said, “I got your pendant at Spirer’s, too!  Who helped you?”

“Mr. Spirer’s son, Frank, and you?”

Jason laughed and said, “Me, too!”

They both laughed as they thought about Frank keeping it a secret they had both been in to buy each other’s gifts from the exclusive store.  Jason had already decided he would have Frank design a ring for Brianna’s engagement ring when the time came for him to make the important purchase.

The couple sat for several hours enjoying the alone time they had in the beautiful setting that was the Ponderosa.  As the fire died down, Jason closed the fireplace doors, and the two walked up the stairs arm and arm.  When they reached the guest bedroom door, the two embraced in a passionate kiss.

“Stay with me tonight?”  Brianna asked breathlessly.

Jason kissed his woman again, and the two disappeared into her room until morning.

As Adam, Jessica, and the girls arrived home, the sound of the garage door closing woke the three girls up as they had all dozed off on the ride down the mountain toward Carson City.

Emily went straight to her room and shut her door without saying as much as a goodnight.  Jillian’s eyes were sleepy, and she whined when Adam opened the door for her to get out.

“I’m tired, Daddy,” she said as Adam unbuckled her seatbelt.

“Come on, Sweetpea. Daddy will carry you.”

Adam brought his youngest to her room, and she started getting undressed as Adam got her pajamas out of her dresser drawer.  He helped her put on her flannel PJs and tucked her in bed.  She smiled at her daddy and told him she loved him.  Adam bent down and dropped a kiss on her forehead and told her he loved her as well and to sleep tight.  She turned over and drifted back to sleep, and Adam quietly walked out and shut the door behind him.

He walked down to his room that he shared with Jessica.  She was in the shower, so Adam went into the closet and took off his clothes and prepared their bed for sleeping.  As he was taking the shams off the bed and replacing them with their sleeping pillows, Jessica came from the bathroom with only a towel around her body and her hair pinned up in a clip.

As she was going through the drawer finding a fresh pair of pajamas to wear, Adam came behind his wife and placed his hands around her waist and started nibbling on her bare shoulder.

Jessica tried to wriggle out of Adam’s grasp as she wasn’t in the mood for romance.  She was tired and just wanted to go to bed.

Feeling a bit dejected, Adam approached the subject of Jessica’s wavering mood swings all day.

“I’ve noticed today you’ve had very vast mood swings, Jess. One minute you’re smiling and happy to see Jason in love and you seemed to like Brianna.  Then the next minute, your body language is tense, and you’re criticizing her for putting her hand on his leg.  What is with you today? Aren’t you happy for Jason and Brianna?  Or are you jealous of her?  I think she’s smart, beautiful, and she seems to be in love with Jason as much as he is with her!”

Jessica spun around and glared at Adam.  “Jealous?  Why would I be jealous of a nineteen-year-old girl?  Do I need to be jealous of her, Adam?  What, do you have the hots for our son’s girlfriend?”

Adam rolled his eyes, “I’m not even dignifying you with an answer, Jess,” and he went into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Before putting on her nightgown, Jessica finished taking down the comforter on the bed and fluffing both pillows.  When Adam came back in the room, he walked over to his side of the bed, climbed in under the sheets, turned out his light, and rolled over on his side away from Jessica.

Jessica sat down on the bed, still with her towel wrapped around her body.  She touched Adam on the shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I  was way out of line with that statement.  Please forgive me.”

Adam turned over on his back, only the top part of his chest exposed.  He grabbed Jessica’s hand brought it to his lips and kissed her palm tenderly.

“I don’t have the hots for our son’s girlfriend.  The woman I have the hots for is you,” and he pulled Jessica down on top of him and took her into his arms kissing her passionately.  Adam took a hold of the towel that covered Jessica’s body and pulled it away from her.  He rolled her over on her back and said, “I only have eyes for you, my beautiful bride.”

Jessica smiled and her icy demeanor melted as she and Adam came together for a quick nightcap of each other before going to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason and Brianna spent the week skiing at a nearby resort and drove snowmobiles around the Ponderosa.  Brianna remembered how Jillian said she loved to go sledding, so before she had to return to school from her holiday break, they drove to Carson City to pick her up, and they brought her back up to the Ponderosa to enjoy a day with them in the snow. They invited Emily to come as well, but she already made plans with friends to go to a movie and dinner at an old fashion soda fountain next to the movie theaters.

Jason arrived at his home in Carson City with his girlfriend Brianna the evening of New Year’s Eve. When the coupled walked into the kitchen through the garage, they were greeted by Adam, who was preparing a bottle of champagne for him, Jessica, Jason, and Brianna to enjoy before their departure to the hospital gala.

“Hi, Dad!  Is Mom ready yet?  Brianna and I have something to tell you guys.”

“Mom should be finished getting ready any time now.  I thought we would have a little bubbly before we left.  Why don’t you two go into the living room and make yourselves comfortable.”

Jason and Brianna arrived beautifully dressed in their party attire; Jason in his Cary Grant-inspired Hugo Boss tuxedo.  Brianna wore an emerald green full-length sequin gown with a sweetheart empire bust and halter strap design with cutouts at the waist to add drama to the plunging low v-back and slim skirt that trailed off into a mini train.  Brianna’s hair was pulled up in a french twist with soft curls flowing down and a Swarovski Crystal scroll design pin to add a touch of sparkle to her hair.

Adam slipped back into the bedroom he shared with Jessica and found her almost finished getting ready.

Jessica looked elegant in her pure silk black modified mermaid gown with a train which outlined her sexy, well-toned figure.  The dress had a bead and sequin adorned single strap which came over her right shoulder to a low back. The front of the dress was a delicate princess neckline with light ruching at the bodice and trimmed with an empire inspired band of matching sequins and beading detail that followed just under the bust to the outline of the back.  Her hair fixed in a updo of soft curls.

Adam looked debonair in his Calvin Klein traditional tuxedo with notched satin lapel, satin-covered jacket buttons, and satin stripe down the side of the pants.

“Wow!” was all Adam could say when he saw his wife in the new gown she had bought just a few weeks before the gala event.

Jessica received the dress from her trusted alterations professional a few days after Christmas and waited to show it to Adam until she could wear it for the special fundraising gala which would double as their anniversary date.

“Happy anniversary, my beautiful bride,” Adam said as he came and wrapped his arms around Jessica and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

Adam presented his wife with a new diamond encrusted cuff bracelet for her anniversary gift. Jessica was in awe of the elegance and beauty of the extravagant gift.  She chose to wear the bracelet proudly as her only jewelry for the evening in addition to her emerald and diamond wedding ring set as well as a pair of diamond earrings.

Adam placed the gift on his bride’s right wrist as she said, “Thank you, My Love, it’s exquisite! I love it, and I love you!”

The couple shared an intimate moment alone in each others’ arms before joining Jason and Brianna.

Adam and Jessica headed to the formal living room where they found their son and his girlfriend looking at the leather bound photo album of the photo shoot on the Ponderosa Jason and his two sisters had taken for their parents’ anniversary gift a few years prior.

“Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad!”  Jason said as he and Brianna stood up to greet Adam and Jessica.  Jason kissed his mother’s cheek.

“You look beautiful in your gown, Brianna!”  Adam said as he wore a grin from ear to ear, checking out the gown from all angles.

Jessica glared at her husband as he made over Brianna’s formal attire.

“Why thank you, Adam.  You look devilishly handsome yourself tonight,” Brianna said with a bashful smile.

“We are going to be escorting the two most beautiful women in the Reno-Tahoe area if not the whole state of Nevada, Dad!”  Jason boasted.

“I think you’re right, Son!”

Adam took the champagne from the ice bucket and popped the cork.  He poured four glasses of bubbly, and he toasted his bride of ten years as well as his son and his new girlfriend.  He wished all best wishes for a healthy new year.

As the two couples sipped their champagne, Jessica noticed the heart shaped diamond solitaire hanging around Brianna’s neck and complimented her on how lovely it was.

Brianna thanked Jessica and then looked at Jason as if it was a good segue way into their announcement of the new step in their relationship.

“Mom, Dad,” Jason said as he grabbed his beloved’s hand, “the necklace Brianna is wearing is what I gave her for Christmas; however, it was more than a Christmas gift, it’s a sign to her that I have chosen her to one day be my wife.  While we’re still too young to be engaged, I wanted her to know it is a sign of a promise to her that one day, when it’s right, I’ll be putting a ring on her left finger and asking her to marry me.”

Adam was delighted with the news their son announced and Adam kissed and hugged Brianna.  Filled with shock, Jessica tried to put on a happy face for the couple as she hugged and kissed Jason.

“We can’t think of a better daughter-in-law to have in our family, Brianna.  Welcome!  You’re already a part of our hearts,” Adam said.

“Thank you, Adam.  I feel so loved by you, Jessica and the girls.  I can’t imagine not being a part of this family from here on out.  I’m glad this handsome son of yours has chosen me to be his bride one day.  I hope we can have half the love and happiness you and Jessica have.”

“We need to tell Emily and Jillian!”  Jason said as he took another drink of his champagne.

Adam went and got the two girls who were sitting in the family room chowing down on Chinese takeout which was delivered a short time before Jason and Brianna arrived.

When the girls entered the room, Emily’s eyes lit up at the gorgeous sexy gown Brianna was wearing.

“Oh, Brie, I love your gown!  I bet Jason’s eyes about popped out of his head when he first saw you in it.  We need to talk tomorrow!  I want to know all the particulars about this fabulous dress!”

“He approved, that’s for sure!” she winked at her beau.  “Yeah! I’d love to tell you all about it!”

“It is a spectacular piece of work, that’s for sure,” Jessica mused under her breath as she took another sip of her champagne trying not to show what she thought of the dress.

“Your mother looking stunning in her gown as well, doesn’t she girls?”  Adam said as he put his arm around his wife’s waist.

“I picked this dress out, Daddy!”  Jillian boasted.

Everyone stood in amazement a nine-year-old would choose such a sophisticated, yet, sexy gown.

Jessica beamed with pride at her daughter’s excellent taste.

“She did!  Emily, Jillian, and I went shopping several weeks ago in search of the perfect gown.  While I was trying on my seventh gown, Jillian spotted this one on a mannequin on the other side of the store.  She asked the consultant who was helping us, because Kevin, my regular stylist was sick that day, to pull the gown because she thought it was pretty, and she thought it would look good on me.  When I put it on, I instantly knew this was the dress.”

“Sister, you have great taste!  You made Mom look like a million bucks!”  Jason complimented Jillian.

“Mommy, you look stunning,” Emily said as she kissed and hugged her mother.

“Thank you, Sweetheart.”

“I believe your brother has something he wants to share with you two about him and Brianna!” Adam said.

Jason put his arm around his two sisters and said to both of them, “I love Brianna, and while we’re too young to get engaged still, I’ve given her a diamond heart solitaire necklace as a promise for her to be my wife when the time is right, and she said yes.  I would like to introduce you to your future sister-in-law!”

“Yea!” Jillian squealed as she jumped up and down.  “I love you, Brianna!” she said innocently.

“Congratulations, Older Brother!”  Emily said as she hugged and kissed Jason on the cheek.

“It’s going to be fabulous having a sister-in-law who I can go shopping and share fashion talk with!”

“Hold on to your wallet, Son!”  Adam teased, “When your mother and sister say those words, they are deadly to the bank account.”

The Cartwright adults and Brianna laughed, Emily bopped her father on his chest and Jillian laughed along not understanding what she was laughing at, but laughed because everyone else was laughing.

“Daddy, I can’t help it if I’m a diva!”  Emily said with attitude and then smiled.

“Yeah, and your father is the one responsible for it all, too!”  Jessica agreed.

“Who, me?  No way!”  Adam laughed.

“I think we need to get moving, Dad.  The gala is already underway.”

Jessica and Adam kissed their daughters, and they went back into the family room and continued watching the movie that they had put in the DVD player.

The gala was in full swing with the two couples arrived.  Adam handed the attendant the four tickets and they all entered the lavishly decorated ballroom at the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, which was hosting the New Year’s Eve event on behalf of the hospital.  A live band was playing tunes from the oldies to today’s hip hop so all of the attendees could dance.  The hotel had spared no expense on a lavish buffet of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres as well as a carving and pasta stations and an incredible dessert table.

The room had several bars set up with free flowing beer, wine, a variety of spirited cocktails as well as an elaborate martini luge and a free flowing champagne fountain.

As the guests were mingling around, dancing, eating, and drinking, Brianna was checking out the who’s who of the Carson-Tahoe area.  When she saw a lovely woman with a gorgeous gown on, she leaned over to Jessica and said, “Look at her dress, it’s exquisite!  She’s a beautiful lady, too!”

Jessica smiled.  She knew she was going to like her future daughter-in-law; she was a people watcher, just like herself.

“That woman, my dear, is Mrs. Dr. John McIntyre.  Her husband is my obstetrician-gynecologist, who brought your future husband into the world!”

“Is that her husband next to her? They make a handsome couple.  I just love her dress!  I hope Jason and I look as good when we’re their age.”

Jessica nodded and sipped her champagne as they continued to check out the other women at the gala.

“Oh my goodness!”  Brianna then turned her head and covered her face trying to hold in her laughter.

“What? where?”  Jessica asked.

“Over to your right, about two o’clock,” Brianna said whispering in Jessica’s ear.  “She must have been poured into that dress!  Can she even sit down?  I’m afraid if she does, the seam might rip wide open!”

“Oh my goodness!”  Jessica snickered, “she’s the wife of the chief of the entire hospital!  She has never had a flair for fashion, but I’ve never seen her wear a dress that is so tight she can’t sit down!”

“What are you two girls giggling about over here?”  Adam asked with a wry smile on his face.

“Oh, nothing, Babe, nothing!”  Jessica said as the two girls busted out laughing.

Both Adam and Jason looked at each other and shook their heads. They took the arms of their dates and went out into the foyer to check out the items at the silent auction.

In the foyer of the ballroom were tables lined with jewelry, lavish trips, weekend getaways at the host hotel with spa packages, and automobiles among other generously donated items by different people and corporations to benefit the building of the new cancer wing at the Carson-Tahoe Medical Center.

Adam had allocated a certain percentage of Jason’s trust fund with which he could bid on items he was interested in at the gala.  Jason’s childhood friend had succumbed to brain cancer when he was thirteen, and Jason was finally at a place where he could honor his friend’s memory by helping donate money to build a wing to the hospital which could one day save the life of someone like his friend, Peter.

Jessica and Adam looked at several of the items in which they were interested in bidding, and Brianna even made independent bids on items which appealed to her.  Jason marked several items which interested him as well. The bidding on all auction items would end at 10:30 PM and the winners would be announced shortly before midnight when everyone would ring in the new year.

Once everyone made their bids, Jason and Brianna met up with Adam and Jessica, and they headed back into the ballroom to find their table.  The men allowed their significant others to fill up their plates with food while they headed to the bar to for wine and spirited cocktails.

The Cartwrights and Brianna enjoyed the gourmet buffet as all four were starving by the time they reached the gala.  After they had chowed down the culinary delights, Adam and Jessica enjoyed watching their son dance to the fast paced tunes of today’s hits while they enjoyed the slower more intimate songs.  Jason danced with his mother to a few of the hits of her era while Adam took up a few spots on Brianna’s dance card.

When the silent auction came to a close, the winners were announced.  Adam and Jessica, Jason and Brianna were all the winning bids on several items at auction.  The night was a huge success for the hospital, and at the end of the announcement of the silent auction winners, it was announced a name chosen for the cancer wing of the hospital.  The largest benefactor of the evening, Franklin Davis, grandson would be the new name of the new cancer wing of the hospital and Jason almost fainted when he heard the new name, The Peter Davis Memorial Cancer Center.  His childhood friend, Peter’s grandfather, named the new wing in his grandson’s memory after he passed away when he was just thirteen years old.

Moved to tears, Jason and Brianna hugged Franklin as Jason couldn’t hold back his emotions for his dear friend.

“I miss him to this day.  We had known each other since we were three.  We went to school with each other, and we played together.  When he got sick, it was hard for me to grasp. What a beautiful memorial to Peter’s memory.”

“He was an excellent boy, Son.  We miss him greatly, too,” Jessica said as she hugged her son.

  

“His grandfather has done a beautiful thing, honoring Peter’s memory this way,” Adam said with a somber look on his face.

As the time wound down to midnight, the master of ceremonies came to the microphone on the stage and asked everyone to grab a glass of champagne which was being passed by the wait staff. As the young waitress came by the Cartwright’s and Brie, they each grabbed a drink and waited for the final ten seconds of the year.

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1- “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” the entire room yelled as they all drank from their champagne glasses and started kissing their dates as balloons and confetti fell from the ceiling.

“Happy new year, Jess.  I love you,” Adam said as he took his wife into his arms and planted a deep sexy kiss on her lips.

“Happy New Year, Brie, I can’t wait to make you my wife,” Jason said to his woman as he took her face into his hands and gave her a tender kiss and then took her into his arms, dipped her back and planted a big kiss on her lips.

Jessica and Adam laughed at Brianna because she was taken back by Jason’s extravagant display of affection.

“WOW!”  I wasn’t expecting that!”  Brianna said with a big smile on her face.

Adam slapped his son on his back and said, “That’s the man I raised…show his girl she’s the most important person in his life!”

“Trust me, Adam.  He does show me every day how important I am to him and how much he loves me.”

Jessica stood next to Adam sipping her champagne glaring at Brianna.  When her son came to give her a New Year’s kiss, she gladly accepted one on the cheek and gave him a hug.

“Happy New Year, Jason.  I love you very much.”

Brianna gave Adam a New year’s hug, and he kissed her on the cheek as they both wished each other a Happy New Year.

Brianna then turned to Jessica and smiled.  She extended her arms for a hug and Jessica gave her a light hug, kissed her on the cheek,  and wished her a Happy New Year.  Brianna was very excited to be sharing such a happy occasion with her future-in-laws, she didn’t see the jealousy brewing inside Jessica.

When the four arrived back home, they found Emily watching a late night movie while Jillian slept on her lap. Jason peeked in on his two sisters, and Emily smiled when she saw him.

“How was the gala, Older Brother?”

“It was fantastic!” he said as he and Brianna walked in the room.

“We had a wonderful time,” Brianna added.

“You want me to carry Jillian to her room, Em?”  Jason asked.

“Yeah, she’s sleeping hard.  She probably won’t even wake up.”

Jason carefully picked up his sister and he and Brianna took Jillian into her room and laid her in her bed.  They both kissed Jillian on her forehead and stood arm in arm as they watched her sleep.

“I can’t wait to have our children, Jason,” Brianna whispered as she laid her head on his chest.

“I can’t wait either, Sweetheart,” Jason said in return as he kissed her head.  “Come on, let me show you where you’ll be sleeping for the next few nights.

As Jason and Brianna came out of Jillian’s room, Jessica was headed down the hall to her bedroom she shared with Adam.  Adam had already retired to their room, and Jessica was putting away the glasses and champagne bottle away from the living room where the foursome had the pre-gala toast.

“Good night, Mom.  We had a fantastic time tonight.  I’m going to show Brianna where she’s sleeping this evening.”

“Okay, Son. I love you,” she said as she kissed her son on his cheek.

“Good night, Brianna,” Jessica said as she gave her son’s girlfriend a light hug.

“Goodnight, Jessica,” Brianna could feel the tenseness in Jessica’s demeanor.

Jason and Brianna walked in his room and shut the door.  Jessica’s eyes widened, and she shook her head and headed down to her room where Adam had already stripped down to his boxers and was taking down the bed covers preparing their marital bed for sleeping.

“Your mother seems to be hot and cold with me, Jason.  I’m not sure if she likes me or not,” Brianna commented.

“Mom loves you, Brie.  She’s probably just tired.  If my mom truly didn’t like you, believe me, you would know it.  She doesn’t hide it when she doesn’t like someone, trust me.  When she and Dad were divorced,” Jason sighed, “Mom didn’t hold back with her anger at my dad sometimes.  They thought they hid it well from Emily and me, but they didn’t.  We just let them believe they did.”

“Your mom and dad seem so much in love.  It’s hard to imagine they were once divorced and at each other’s throats.”

“It was a horrible two years for my sister and me,” Jason said somberly.

Brianna hugged Jason and didn’t say anything.  She knew the memories were hard and painful for him.

As Jessica entered the bedroom, she shut the door and started in on Adam about Brianna and Jason.

“I just passed our son in the hallway with his girlfriend.  Do you know he went into his room with her and shut the door?”

“She’s sleeping in there tonight, Jess.  Jason’s sleeping in the den.  What’s the problem?”

“What’s the problem, Adam?  Do I need to spell it out for you?  Your son just went into his bedroom with a girl he loves and shut the door!”

Adam came over to Jessica and turned her around.  He started to unzip her dress, and she stepped out of it standing in just her panties and black heels.

“Adam, what if Jason decides to stay with Brianna in his room tonight!  Get him out of there!”

Adam stood back and pointed to the fact that he had already undressed and was only wearing boxers.

“You want me to go like this?” he started to play with Jessica to break her out of her funk.

Jessica pounded on Adam’s chest.  “No! put on a robe, silly!”

Adam took his half naked woman into his arms.

“Look, our son’s an adult.  I doubt he’s going to have sex with his girlfriend in our home, but if he does, so what?  They love each other.”

“I can’t believe you, Adam Cartwright!  If you don’t talk to our son, I will!”

Jessica put on her silk robe and started for the door.  Adam grabbed her arm and said, “No, stay here, get in bed.  I’ll talk to him.”

Adam grabbed his robe and headed down the hall to Jason’s room.  He decided to check the den first to see if possibly he was already there hoping not to cause an embarrassing scene for himself or the two kids.

Adam knocked on the door to the den and Jason answered.

“Hi, Dad, is there something you need in here?”

“No, Son, everything’s okay.  Go on to bed,” Adam said as he turned to walk away.

“Dad! Can I talk to you just a second?”

Adam turned around, came back and walked into the den.

“What’s up, Jason?  It’s getting late; I’m tired.”

“Dad, does Mom like Brie?  I mean, she seems to like her one minute, but the next, she has a very tense look about her and, I don’t know, she just at times seems almost jealous of her.  I mean no disrespect to Mom but, I don’t know.  I can’t put my finger on it.”

Adam smiled and put his arm around his son.

“Jason, your mother, loves Brie, we all do.  What’s there not to love about her?  Mom’s just having a hard time adjusting to sharing her baby boy with another woman; there’s nothing to it. Nothing for you to concern yourself with.”

Jason breathed a sigh of relief.  “Thank goodness!  I thought she didn’t care for her too much and was just being polite to her to appease me.”

Adam laughed again, “Your mother?  She never fakes anything.  Jessica’s the world’s worst liar.  She loves Brie, Jason.  She’s just having a hard time letting go and letting another woman into her baby’s life. That’s all.”

“Thanks, Dad.  I needed to hear that.  I would never say anything to Mom about it.  Brie was a little worried; she loves all of you.”

Adam hugged his son and wished him a goodnight and told him not to worry about anything where his mother and Brianna were concerned.

Upon returning to their room, Jessica was already in bed.  When Adam got in bed, Jessica opened her eyes and said, “Was Jason still in his room with Brie?”

“No, Jess, he was already in the den getting the couch ready to go to bed himself.  Your fears were unfounded.”

Adam took his wife into his arms, and she laid her head on his chest, and he kissed her head.

“You’re having the classic symptoms of letting go of your baby boy.”

“I want him to be happy, Adam.  I just don’t want him to rush into anything.  He’s only nineteen!”

“Jess! We were just nineteen!  I keep telling you that!”

“I know, I know!” she said as she kissed Adam’s chest.  “I’m just in mommy protective mode, I guess.”

“You guess?”  Adam laughed.  He turned his wife over and gave her a tender kiss on her lips.

“You’re a great mom. Jason is very much in love.  We raised a great kid, and he’s become an honorable man.”

“Maybe we should work on having another baby boy for you to spoil for another nineteen years,” Adam joked.

“Adam Cartwright!  Jessica laughed.  My baby making days are over.  However, my beautiful husband, making love to you is always a welcomed pleasure.”

Adam started to kiss his wife on her neck, and the two enjoyed a night of passionate love with each other, celebrating their ten years of remarriage.

On New Year’s Day, the eve of Brianna’s departure, Jessica made a home cooked dinner for the family.  They all feasted on the prime rib roast cooked to a medium perfection along with fingerling potatoes and carrots.  Brianna told Jessica she would like her to teach her techniques to her when she could stay longer.  Jessica looked forward to spending some quality time with her future daughter-in-law and teach her some of Jason’s favorite recipes.

The next day, Jason and the family took Brianna to the airport where they exchanged a tearful farewell.  It would be two more weeks before Jason and Brianna would be back in each other’s arms again as they would be starting their spring semester at school.  They were already making plans for Brianna to come back in the spring so Jason could take her to some of the historical sites she had only read about in her history books.

Before Brianna crossed through security, she hugged each of the Cartwrights and told them she had a wonderful time and already felt like part of the family, and she looked forward to her next visit.

Chapter Five

With spring’s arrival to Nevada, Adam decided he wanted to get a jump on the lawn by laying the pre-emergent fertilizer on the grass to keep the dormant weeds from coming up as the temperatures climbed through the spring and summer months.  After breakfast, he went to the nursery to buy fertilizer.  Returning home, Adam left his keys, iPhone, and wallet sitting on the kitchen island when he went out to work in the yard.

Jessica was in the kitchen making out her grocery list for the week when she heard Adam’s phone ring.  She walked over, picked it up and noticed the display read Boston, MA,  and a phone number not from his contact list.   She feared something might have happened to Jason, so she answered the phone.

“Hello?” she said in a hurried tone.

“I’m sorry, I was trying to reach Adam Cartwright.  I guess I’ve dialed the wrong number.  I’m sorry to have bothered you,” said the female voice on the other end of the line.

Jessica’s face grew with worry.  The person’s voice on the other end of the line was not one she recognized.

“This is Adam Cartwright’s number, I’m his wife, Jessica Cartwright, are you calling regarding our son, Jason?” she asked, trying to keep her worry from showing in her voice.

The mystery woman’s voice on the other end of the line sounded surprised when she heard Jessica say she was Adam’s wife.

“Jessica?” the voice from Boston asked.

“Yes, and who is this, may I ask?”  Jessica’s voice was starting to sound annoyed, wanting to know who this woman was and why she was calling her husband.

“Jessica, this is Rebecca Roberts.  I’m trying to reach Adam.  Is he available?”

Jessica felt weak when she learned who the mystery woman was.  She had not heard or thought about Rebecca since shortly after she and Adam had broken up. Jessica wondered why after all this time, she would be calling Adam.

“He’s outside working in the yard, let me get him for you,” Jessica said coolly.

Jessica didn’t want to deny Adam the phone call because she knew if she did, and Adam found out later she had run interference between him and Rebecca again, he might have a similar reaction to the one he had the first time.  The time he learned Jessica had sent Rebecca away when he was in the ICU after his car wreck; when they were divorced, and Jason and Emily were very young.

Jessica went to the front door and called Adam’s name, but he didn’t see or hear her with the mower going.  As he turned and made his way back toward the front of the house, he saw Jessica standing on the porch.  When she realized she had his attention, she waved for him to come to her.  Adam shut off the mower and came to see what she needed.

“You have a phone call, Adam.  You probably should take this call.”

“Who is it?  Can you ask them to call me back or take a message?  I’m right in the middle of mowing the lawn!”  Adam’s voice was agitated.

“I think you need to take this call now, Adam.  Just take it,” Jessica’s voice was urgent.

“Who is it?”  Adam was insistent.

“Just take the damn call will you?”  Jessica’s voice grew irritable.

As the two walked in the house, Jessica said, “She’s on your cell, in the kitchen.”

Adam hurried into the kitchen, picked up his phone and answered, “Adam Cartwright.”

After a few moments, Adam’s face showed shock as he said, “Rebecca? You’re a voice from the past!  My goodness, how the heck are you?”

Jessica continued to look through the cabinets and the refrigerator to complete her shopping list and tried to act as if she didn’t care her husband was talking to an old flame, but her blood pressure was on its way through the roof.

As Adam asked Rebecca what she had been up to all these years, he walked out of the kitchen and went down the hall into the office and closed the door.  No longer able to hear Adam’s voice, Jessica went in search of her husband and noted that the door to the office, closed.  She walked down the hall and heard his voice laughing through the door.  Hurt filled her body as Jessica thought about the woman who almost came between her and Adam reuniting ten years before.  Trying to get her mind off the phone call, she went back to the kitchen to grab her purse and keys so she could leave for the market.

“Mommy, where are you going?”  Emily rounded the corner into the kitchen and saw her mother’s body language was tense and stressed.

“I’m going to the market.  Do you want to come with me?”  Jessica asked her middle child in hopes her daughter would keep her distracted and keep her mind off the phone call.

“Yeah, hang on, let me go turn off the radio in my room.”

Jessica went and got in the car.  Emily quickly returned and jumped in the front seat of the Lexus SUV, and the two Cartwright women headed toward the market.

Not knowing Jessica or his daughter had left, Adam continued his conversation with his old flame whom he had not spoken to in over ten years.

“How are you?  Are you still the Chief at Children’s Boston?”

“No, Adam, I’m not.  I got married, and about five years ago and shortly after, I found out I was pregnant with twin girls!  My husband, Dave, and I decided it was time for me to hang up my stethoscope and I’m now a full-time mother of two five-year-old girls.  I thought I would miss medicine, but being a full-time mommy and watching my babies grow is more rewarding than being a doctor could ever be for me.  I’m happy and content.  How about you, Adam?  When I called, and Jessica answered the phone, I didn’t think I had the right number.  When she told me it was indeed still your number, I guess she thought I was calling about your son, Jason.  She said she’s your wife now?”

“Yes, shortly after you left for Boston, I decided I should try to put my marriage back together.  You leaving and telling me to be good to Jessica made me realize you must have seen something in me I was trying to deny, and that was the fact I still loved her very much. We talked about it, and we started taking things day by day.  She got pregnant shortly after we started seeing each other again and we ended up getting married in December of the same year when we knew our daughter was on the way.  Jason’s in college now; he’s attending M.I.T. at Cambridge, Emily’s fifteen and just started high school this year, and my youngest, Jillian, is nine.  Jessica and I just celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary a few months ago.”

“Adam, I’m happy to hear your life has turned out so well.  I knew I had hurt you by leaving so abruptly…”

“Yes, you did,” Adam interrupted with a somber voice, remembering the cold, wet fall evening Rebecca ended their relationship.

“Did you receive my Christmas card?  I never heard from you after that, so I assumed that it never arrived.

“I did get it.  The mail carrier accidentally put the letter in my father’s mailbox by mistake.  Dad gave it to me in private on Christmas Day; I read it when we returned home Christmas night.  I had just found out Jessica was pregnant, and I also asked her to marry me.  Since we had let each other go a few months prior, I didn’t see a need to respond back.  We both needed to move on with our lives.  I was genuinely happy you had found someone new and had fallen in love.  I won’t lie and say it didn’t hurt, but I was happy in my life with Jessica and the kids.  I had a new baby on the way, and I couldn’t be selfish and not be happy for you.  Given both of our circumstances, I felt it was best to leave things the way we had left them when you left that night in September.”

“I understand,” Rebecca said with a note of sadness in her voice.

“I’m sure you’re wondering after all this time, why I’m calling, huh?”

“Well, the thought did cross my mind a bit, but it’s great to hear your voice nonetheless.”

“My husband, Dave, is coming out to Reno for a medical conference next month, and my mother has told me she wants to come and take care of the girls so Dave and I can have a bit of a second honeymoon together.  Dave works incredibly hard and long hours so we don’t have much time just to ourselves, so Mother is coming out, and I’ll be accompanying him to the conference.  After the three-day conference, we’re staying on an extra four days to see friends, head up to Lake Tahoe and relax.  I would love to see you.  Dave knows about you, and he said he would like to meet the man who let me go so we could meet and fall in love.  Would you be up to it?  We would like to meet up with you and Jessica for dinner one night if you’re free.”

Adam sat at his desk and rubbed his face.  How would he feel seeing Rebecca for the first time in ten years and with another man who was her husband?

“We would love to get together with you, Becky, under one condition.”

“What’s that, Adam?”

“You let me pick up the tab for dinner.”

“Adam, I’m calling you asking you to dinner.  Dave will want this to be our treat.”

“I won’t hear of it.  You’ll be our guest, and I insist.  I would also love it if you two come to the house first.  We could have some drinks and talk before we head to dinner.  What do you say?”

“I’m sure Dave would be open to the arrangement.  I’ll talk with him, see what he has planned, and I’ll get back with you on a date in a day or two.  Is your email address at work still the same?”

“Yeah, just shoot me an email and we’ll keep in contact via email.  Rebecca? It was great hearing your voice again.  I look forward to seeing you,” Adam’s voice was soft and tender.

“It was good hearing your voice too, Adam.  I’ve missed you,” Rebecca responded in a like tone.

“I’ve got to go.  I was in the middle of mowing the yard when you called.  I look forward to hearing from you soon,” Adam said as he shook himself back into reality.

“Yeah, okay.  Take care, Adam, and I look forward to seeing you next month,” Rebecca’s voice was a bit shaky.

Adam hung up his phone and set it down on the desk.  He recalled the whole conversation in his head.  A smile came to his face at the thought of seeing Rebecca again and wondered how she looked after ten years.  He was eager to see how motherhood had changed her.  He looked forward to spending an evening with her and her husband.  Adam wanted to see what man had stolen the heart of the woman he once loved and cared for deeply.

As Jessica and Emily drove toward the market, Emily saw her mother was tense, and she was not her usual bubbly self.  She needed to talk to both her mother and father about some recent happenings in her life and wasn’t sure how her father would respond so she took this mother and daughter time together to seek her advice, in hopes, everything would go the way she wanted.  Seeing her mother a bit distracted, she thought, could play to her advantage.

“Mommy, I wanted to come with you so I could talk to you about something.  I know you and Daddy said I can’t date until I’m sixteen, but there’s a boy at school, his name is Trey Hollingsworth, and he’s a junior this year.  He’s asked me to the junior/senior prom next month.   Can I please go?  It’s not like we’d be going out on a one on one date or anything.  It’s a school function, and there’ll be other kids, and there’s going to be teachers at the prom, too!  Trey and several of his buddies are renting a limo, and it will take us to and from the prom so it’s not as I’ll ever be alone with him.  Mom, I want to go!  Trey is the most popular boy in school, and he’s asked me to be his date!  Can I please go?”

“Honey, I don’t have a problem with it, but you need to talk to Daddy about it, too.  He has the final say so,” Jessica said not digesting what her daughter was asking because she was so distracted with her nemesis, Rebecca.

“Mommy!”  Emily started to whine, “Will you talk to him?  I’m afraid he won’t let me go!  Daddy is over protective of me.”

Jessica tried to shake her insecurities about Rebecca and turned her focus to her daughter’s concerns.

“Emily, Daddy loves you and doesn’t want anything bad to happen to you.  When you were almost taken from us a few years ago, he worried for your safety until that jerk was locked up. You have to see it from his perspective,” Jessica argued in her husband’s defense even though she was furious with him at taking his call with Rebecca into the office and closing the door for privacy.

“Daddy has nothing to be worried about where Trey and I are concerned.  There will be adults at the party.  We’ll have dinner and then go on to the dance.  I’ll be safe.  I’m sure Trey will make sure no harm comes to me.”

“I’m not going to advocate for you, Honey. You need to talk to Daddy about it when we get home.  He has the final say.”

Tears filled Emily’s eyes, and she started to cry.  “I might as well just call Trey right now and tell him that I can’t go because my parents won’t let me because they think I’m too young.”

“Oh, Emily, stop the waterworks.  Daddy hasn’t said no yet.  He might allow you to go to the prom since it’s a school dance of sorts.”

Emily’s tears started to dry up.  “Do you think he will, Mommy?”

“I don’t know, Honey, but talk to him when we get home, okay?  At least see what he says.  Don’t just jump to conclusions.”

Jessica and Emily arrived at the grocery store and got everything on Jessica’s list and more. Emily kept finding things she wanted Jessica to buy for her to eat.  Jessica allowed her the healthy foods but made her put back the junk, much to Emily’s disappointment.

Upon Jessica’s and Emily’s arrival back home, Adam heard the garage door open, so he met his two girls in the garage to bring the grocery bags into the house for them.  Jessica couldn’t look at Adam because her anger towards him was high for taking a call from Rebecca, whom he knew was someone who Jessica had never cared for, ever.

Once Adam had brought all the bags in, he started to pull the groceries from the bags and helped to put them away.  Emily turned on her ‘daddy’s little girl charm trying to soften him up so he wouldn’t be able to resist denying her the chance to go to the prom with the most popular boy in school.

“Here, Daddy, I’ll help Mommy.  Why don’t you sit down and I’ll make you a glass of lemonade, or would you prefer water?  You look hot and sweaty, Daddy.  Can I get you a cold, wet towel?”  Emily said as she was wiping the sweat beads from her father’s bare shoulders.

“How much money do you need, Princess?”  Adam asked with a raised eyebrow, thinking he was being set up by his daughter for something she wanted.

“Now, Daddy, why is it that I can’t do anything nice for you and you think I want something in return?”  Emily stood with her hands on her hips, just like her mother always did when she was exposed to wanting Adam’s approval for something he would normally say no to.

“Jessica, are you and Emily ganging up on me for something?”  Adam asked playfully.

“This is between you and your daughter, Adam,” Jessica replied with a crisp response as she continued to put away the groceries without even a look in Adam’s direction.

“Is there something you want to talk to me about, Princess?”  Adam asked his daughter as she sat down a glass of lemonade for her daddy.

Emily walked behind and Adam and wrapped her arms around her father’s bare shoulders.

“Daddy, Trey Hollingsworth, the most popular boy in school, has asked me to go the prom with him next month.  Can I please go with him?  It’s not a date, Daddy, it’s a school dance, and there will be teachers there as chaperones.”

Adam took a drink from his lemonade and looked at his daughter who had placed her head on his shoulders and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout hoping it would melt her daddy’s resolve.

“Emily, you know the rule about dating, no going out with boys until you are sixteen.  I’m sorry, Princess, but my answer is no.”

Emily immediately pulled away from her father and turned on the tears.  “But why, Daddy?” Emily’s voice began to rise in an argumentative tone.  “I’m fifteen, and I’ll be sixteen in October! There are going to be other boys and girls going.  Trey and I won’t be on a one on one date.  It’s a school dance!  How much trouble can I get into at a school dance?  Mommy said I could go, why can’t you say yes, too?”

“You need to calm down, young lady.”  Adam’s voice began to rise.  “You know the rules.  You have to be sixteen before you can go on a date with a boy and that includes the school prom.  End of discussion.”

Adam got up from his chair and took his glass to the sink and grabbed an apple from the produce bag still sitting on the island.  Jessica continued to put the groceries away and acted as if there was not an argument brewing between her husband and their daughter in the same room.

Emily not wanting to take Adam’s no as his final answer, she continued to argue with her father in a disrespectful tone.

“I think you’re entirely unreasonable, Daddy.  Mommy doesn’t have a problem with me going since it’s a school function.  I don’t know why you can’t see it from her perspective.  You smother me too much!  Why can’t you let me grow up?  You want to treat me like I’m four years old all the time!”  Emily’s voice grew louder than before Adam said no.

“Maybe because you’re acting like a four-year-old, Princess!”

Adam’s voice trumped his daughter’s level as his temper flared with his daughter challenging his decision.

“I’m not four, Daddy!”  Emily yelled back.  “If I were Jason, you would be falling all over him, allowing him to go.  You would probably agree to pay for the limo rental, too!  You’ll do anything for your fair-haired Jason!  He gets everything, but if I want something, forget it; you’re not old enough yet, is the response I always get!”  Emily screamed through her sobs.

Adam took a deep breath and replied with a very irritated tone, “Keep it up, Emily, and I’ll turn you over my knee like I did when you were four years old.  I said no, and that’s my final answer.  You can cry all you want, but continue to act like a baby; you can go to your room.

Emily threw up her hands in total exasperation.  “I hate you, Daddy!” she screamed and stormed off.

Adam started to go after her, and teach her a lesson about respect, but stopped when he heard his wife say, “Let her be, Adam,” in a very irritated tone.

Adam whipped around in total disbelief his wife would condone such behavior from their daughter talking to him the way she just did.

“What did you just say to me?”  Adam asked with his eyes narrowed and his brow raised.

Jessica looked at Adam with cold eyes and said, “Let her be, Adam.  You created the monster, now you have to live with her acting this way.”

“And what do you mean by that statement, Jessica?”  Adam demanded to know, now stirring an argument with his wife.

“You spoil her rotten.  She’s such a daddy’s little girl.  You give in to her every whim.  You call her your princess, and you coddle her, Adam.  Of course, she’s going to act out when she doesn’t get her way, but honestly, I have to agree with Emily, you are a bit unreasonable.  She’s fifteen, Adam.  Let her go to the damn prom with the boy.  You have to let her grow up eventually.”

“When we had children, Jessica,” his tone was frustrated, “we both agreed on certain things when rearing our children, and one was we would not let them date until they were sixteen.  When did you get off the same boat we were both on when we first got married? I intend to hold true to the agreement we made.  As for Emily being a daddy’s girl, she’s no more a daddy’s girl than Jillian is a mommy’s girl, so cut the crap about me spoiling Emily when you are just as guilty with Jillian.  Besides, you are one to talk about letting our children grow up when you got all twisted at Christmas when Jason brought a girl home for us to meet.  Jason saw right through your facade, Jessica.”

“If you don’t like how I parent my children, why don’t you just go back to your lady doctor honey,”  Jessica yelled as she turned to walk away.

Adam grabbed Jessica’s arm as she walked by him, and her head whipped around as she said with tears puddling in her eyes, “Let go of me, Adam.”

She tried to hold back the tears from all the anger and jealousy raging inside her pre-menopausal body but was failing miserably.

“Not until you tell me what you meant by your last statement, Jessica,” Adam’s voice was now lower, but still enraged.

“You took the phone call from that woman.  You left the kitchen, went into the office, and shut the door.  What am I supposed to think, Adam?”  Jessica laughed nervously.

“Is this why you’ve been so quiet since you got home from the grocery store?  You’re mad because Rebecca called?”  Adam laughed in disbelief.  “Even for you, Jessica, you’re blowing this way out of proportion,” Adam let go of his wife’s arm, as he started to walk out of the kitchen.

“Am I now? How long have you two been carrying on behind my back, Adam?”  Jessica’s voice started to rise as she followed him into the family room.

“Don’t start this, Jessica. You know Rebecca lives in Boston now and guess what?  News flash,”  sarcastically, Adam advised her as he got in her face, “She’s married, and so am I…To you!”

“I don’t find any of this amusing, Adam,” Jessica’s sorrow turned to anger.

“I don’t either, Jessica.  I don’t know who the bigger baby is right now.  You or Emily.”

Jessica slapped Adam across the face and went to her’s and Adam’s bedroom.

Jessica was laying down on the bed crying when she heard the door open.  Adam walked in, but he didn’t come to console her. Instead, he walked into the closet and grabbed a shirt, put it on, and started buttoning it up.

“Where are you going?”  Jessica demanded to know.

“Out, I’m not going to fight with you, Jessica.  It’s a losing battle any which way I look at it, so instead of continuing this argument and eventually saying hurtful things we will both regret, I’m just going to leave until we can both calm down.  Before I go, however, I’m going to ground Emily for the way she spoke to me earlier.  I ask you, please support me when she comes crying to you.”

“I just don’t….”

Jessica stopped mid sentence.  She decided she wasn’t going to keep fanning the flames of the argument Adam was trying to defuse.

“What do you want to say, Jess?”  Adam asked as he finished tucking in his shirt.

“Nothing, Adam.  Just go.”

Without another word, Adam left the bedroom.  He stopped off at Emily’s room and knocked on the door.  “Emily, it’s Daddy, open the door.”

Emily didn’t answer her father’s request, so he knocked again and in a more forceful tone he said, “Emily, this is not a request, open this door, now.”

Emily came to the door and opened it.  She stood with her hands crossed around her waist and didn’t say a word.

“I will not tolerate the tone in which you spoke to me today ever again.  You cannot always have your way.  I make my decisions based on what I deem appropriate to raise you.  When you’re an adult living on your own, you can make the decisions, but until then I call the shots in this house.  Until further notice, young lady, you are grounded.”

Emily stood stoic, not saying a word.  Adam walked away.  Before he got to the end of the hall, he heard Emily slam her door shut.  He started to turn around and make her punishment more severe, but continued on to the garage instead.  He got in his Porsche and drove to the park and took a long walk.

After walking for about an hour, he sat on a bench and watched the young children play on the slide, swings, and merry-go-round.  He reminisced back to the day when he had brought Jason and Emily to the park when they were little and shared custody of the children when he and Jessica were divorced.  He recalled Jason falling from the swings and Rebecca coming to help.  He smiled when he remembered their coffee date afterward and how their friendship blossomed from that day forward.

“Why are you so jealous of her, Jessica?”  He asked himself quietly as he sat alone listening to the giggles of the children playing.  He shook his head and continued to watch the parents interact with their children, remembering happier days when his children depended on him and Jessica for everything.

Back at the house, Jessica continued to lie down and to try and relax her body.  A migraine was trying to take hold; she hoped it would be enough to ward off the debilitating headache.  She heard a quiet knock on the door; it was her youngest child, Jillian.

“Come in,” she said as she placed a cold rag on her forehead.  The next thing she heard was a small, scared voice.

“Mommy, why were Daddy and Emily screaming at each other?  They scared me,” Jillian whimpered.

Jessica took the rag off her head, sat up in bed, and had her daughter climb on her lap, and she held her tight in her arms.

“Mommy’s sorry Daddy and Emily’s arguing scared you, Baby Girl.  Emily wanted something and Daddy told her no.  She got very upset; she said things she didn’t mean.  He went out for a little bit, but when he comes home, I ’ll make sure he comes and talks to you, okay?”

Jillian started to cry.  “I don’t want Daddy to be mad at Emily, Mommy.”

“I know, Baby Girl, I don’t want him to be mad either but sometimes Daddies and Mommies get upset at their children and children, too, get angry at their mommies and daddies.  It doesn’t mean we don’t love you, though.  Daddy loves you with all of his heart.  He would never intentionally scare you.”

“Mommy?” Jillian looked up at Jessica with wet eyes.

“Yes, Baby Girl?”

“I’m glad you’re my Mommy.  I love you.”

“I love you, too!  Mommy’s glad God gave you to Mommy and Daddy to love.

“Mommy, will you play Barbies with me?”  Jillian asked with such innocence.

“Baby Girl, I would love to, but mommy’s head hurts right now.  I need to lay down, but if I’m feeling better later, I’ll come and play Barbies with you, okay?”

Jillian smiled at Jessica, and she kissed her cheek.  “Okay, Mommy. I want you to lay down so your head won’t hurt.”

Jillian got down and took her mommy’s hand to help her lie down.

She put the wet rag on Jessica’s forehead and whispered, “Now try to sleep.”

Jessica smiled at her daughter’s caring.  Jillian left the room and closed the door quietly.  She heard Emily ask Jillian if their mother was in the room, but Jillian told Emily she had to leave their mother alone because her head hurt and she wanted her to feel better so she could play Barbies with her later.  Emily went back to her bedroom, and Jillian returned to hers and played with her Barbies alone.

A few hours passed and Adam finally returned home.  He came into the bedroom he shared with Jessica and found her sleeping quietly on the bed with a rag on her forehead.  He walked over and sat down beside her.  The movement on the bed woke Jessica from her light sleep.  Adam rubbed her arm, bent down and dropped a kiss on her cheek.  Jessica’s demeanor had not thawed much to Adam.

“I’m sorry for earlier,” Adam started.  “I’m sorry for being cavalier regarding the phone call with Rebecca.  I’m sorry for trying to drag you in the middle of the argument with Emily, too.  I wasn’t thinking, and I wasn’t protecting you as my wife, I’m sorry.  Will you forgive me?”

Jessica relaxed, and she smiled at her husband.  “I’m sorry for how I reacted as well.  My hormones are all over the place right now.  I don’t know what’s wrong with me.  After all these years, you would think your lady doctor friend wouldn’t have this effect on me still, but…”

Adam’s face grew with panic.  “Oh, god, you don’t think you’re pregnant again do you?”

Jessica laughed, but quickly put her husband’s mind at ease.  “No, I’m sure I’m not.  However, my period is all over the place!  I’ll have it for a few days, it will stop, then a few weeks later, it comes back with a vengeance.  I’m so irregular now; I never know when to expect a visit from mother nature anymore.”

“You need to make an appointment with Dr. McIntyre to see what’s going on.  It doesn’t sound right.”

“No, it’s not normal, and it’s driving me crazy!  I’ll call Dr. McIntyre’s office on Monday and make an appointment.”

“Let me know when it is, Babe.  I want to go with you.”

Jessica smiled at her husband.  “Thanks, Honey.”

Feeling better, she sat up and leaned over to Adam.  “Hold me.”

Adam put his arms around his wife and Jessica placed her head on Adam’s chest.

“You need to talk to Jillian.  She heard you and Emily arguing earlier, and you two scared her.  She came to me crying.”

“I’ll go and talk to her in a few minutes when I know you’re feeling better,” Adam continued to hold Jessica.

Jessica broke their embrace.  “I’m okay, Babe, please talk to Jillian.  She’s very upset.  She could probably use a reassuring kiss and hug from her daddy right now.”

“Why don’t you come with me; are you feeling up to it?”  Adam asked.

“Yeah, I’m feeling better.  I told her I would play Barbies with her when my headache was gone.”

Adam got up and put out his hand to help Jessica up.  When she got up, Adam took her into his arms and again, apologized for earlier.

“I want to talk to you about the phone call with Rebecca later, okay?”

“Adam, you don’t have to tell me what you two talked about, I just felt sorry for myself.  It’s hormonal.  I promise you.”

“I had planned to talk to you about it all along.  When you went off on the tangent you did, I flashed back to when we were divorced, and I reacted.  I’m sorry.”

“I know, Babe.  Let’s go and talk to Jillian.”

Adam and Jessica walked out of their room and around the corner to Jillian’s room.  They knocked and opened the door where they found their daughter scooting along the floor as she was moving Barbie and her friends in Barbie’s car around her room.  When she saw her father, she stopped and looked up at him without saying a word.

Adam went and sat on Jillian’s bed.  He invited his daughter to sit on his lap.  At first, she hesitated, but when Jessica gave her the approval sign, she walked over and sat with her daddy.

Adam put his finger under her chin and lifted her face to look at his.

“Sweetpea, Mommy said Emily and I scared you earlier when we were having an argument. I’m sorry you overheard our yelling at each other.  Daddy didn’t handle things well, and I’m sorry I scared you.  I love you.  I’ll always love you no matter what, okay?”

“Daddy?”  Jillian’s small voice asked.

“Yes, Sweetpea, what is it?”

“Do you love Emily still?”

“Of course, I do, Sweetpea.  Why would you ask that?”

“Because I heard Emily say she hated you,” Jillian’s lip stuck out in a pout.

“Oh, Honey, Emily didn’t mean she hated Daddy,” Jessica interjected, “she was upset with Daddy because he won’t allow her to do something she wants to do.”

“You see, Sweetpea, Mommy, and Daddy, has to set rules which we have you follow because we love you and want to protect you until you’re old enough to make decisions of your own.  You won’t always like them, but we make those tough decisions because we love you, and we want to protect you.”

“Like when I wanted to go to Diana’s house the other day, and you said I couldn’t because her babysitter was there and not her Mommy or Daddy?”

“Exactly, Sweetpea. You remember you cried because you wanted to go and I wouldn’t let you.  It wasn’t I didn’t want you to play with Diana; it’s because her Mommy and Daddy weren’t home.  We know Diana’s Mommy and Daddy.  We don’t know her babysitter, though.”

“Okay, Daddy.”  Jillian smiled, “Do you want to play Barbies with Mommy and me?”

Adam smiled.  “Not right now, Sweetpea.  I need to talk to Emily, but Mommy said she’s going to play Barbies with you for a little bit.  Okay?”

Jillian smiled from ear to ear.  “Here, Mommy, you can be Barbie’s best friend, Midge.”

Jessica and Jillian began to play, and Adam walked over to Emily’s room and knocked on her door.  She came to the door, and when she saw Adam, her face became tense.

“May I come in?”  Adam asked calmly.

Emily opened her door and gestured Adam to enter, but didn’t say a word.

Adam walked in and leaned against the wall. Emily shut her door and stood against it, folded her arms around her waist and glared at Adam.  She was still angry at him for ruining her love life by not allowing her to go to the prom with Trey Hollingsworth, the most popular boy in school.

“You need to apologize to your sister.  The tantrum you threw in the kitchen today scared her.”

“I’ll talk to her.  Anything else?”  Emily’s voice was cold and unloving toward her hero.

“Emily, I’m not going to apologize for being a father who cares what happens to his child.  You mean the world to me and I will do what I think is best for you.  Not allowing you to go on any date until you’re sixteen, no matter how innocent it is, is what I feel is the right thing to do.  One day, you’ll understand, believe me.”

“Daddy, Mommy, didn’t have a problem with it, why do you?  No matter how hard you try to keep me your little girl, I’m growing up and one day, you’re going to have to let me go,” Emily started to cry.

Adam went over to Emily and put his hands on her shoulders, but she pulled away.  “You’re not there yet, Princess.  You’re only fifteen.  If I allowed you to go out with a boy, even on a group date, what would you do if he tried to get fresh with you?  What would you do if he tried to take your clothes off and force himself on you?”

Emily got scared at the thought of any boy violating her.  She was only thirteen when the stalker had grabbed her, but Adam and Jessica shielded her from the real motive of what his true intentions were for her if he had succeeded in his abduction.

“Princess, the truth is, you’re still too young to know how to handle yourself in a dangerous situation.”

“I know karate, Daddy,” Emily tried to reason with Adam in the hope he would soften his resolve.

“That’s all good and well, Princess, but what if a boy I let you go out with slipped something in your soda and it knocked you out?  You wouldn’t be able to fight back then.  These are the things Mommy and I worry about with you.  You’re a beautiful girl and somewhat high profile because I’m CEO of a large corporation in Reno.  You’re a cheerleader at the high school, and because of all of this, I have to be a bit more discerning whom I allow you to see, but it will not be until you are at least sixteen before you can date anyone, is that clear?”

“But, Daddy!”  Emily pleaded again.

“Emily, what did I just say?”

“Daddy, please!”  Emily sobbed.

“I’m not going down this road again, Emily.  My answer is still no, and it’s final.  I don’t want to discuss this anymore.”

Emily threw herself on her bed and cried.  She said things through sobs into her pillow, but they were incoherent.  Adam stood for a moment and watched her tantrum.  His heart was breaking, watching his princess fall apart, but his mind was made up.

He went and sat down on her bed and touched her shoulder, but she slapped his hand away and told him to leave; she didn’t want to have anything to do with him.

Adam’s heart broke as he saw his daughter dismiss him when she was hurting so badly.  He wanted to hold her, protect her, and tell her it was going to be okay.  His mind was made up, and he was not changing it no matter how many tears flowed from his daughter’s eyes.

As evening began to fall, Jessica was putting the final touches on dinner.  Adam helped her by setting the table, and she asked him to get the girls so they could sit down to dinner.  Adam stopped by Jillian’s room first, and his daughter came hopping out of her room.  As she skipped down the hall, Adam called her back.

“Jillian Alexis,” his tone was stern.

Jillian stopped and slowly turned around and answered timidly, “Yes, Daddy?”

“Be sure to wash your hands, and after dinner, before your bath, I want you to pick up your room. It’s a mess!”

“I will, I promise,” Jillian smiled at her father.

Adam winked and turned to knock on Emily’s door, but there was no answer.  He knocked again and still she did not respond.  Adam opened the door and peeked in.  He saw Emily on her bed sound asleep in just a t-shirt and panties.  The evening brought a slight chill to the house, so Adam went in and covered her legs with a blanket sitting on the edge of her bed.  When he covered her up and dropped a kiss on her hair, she stirred a bit but did not wake up.  He got up, turned out her light and closed the door quietly, allowing her to sleep instead of eating dinner.

Adam, Jessica, and Jillian ate dinner and Jillian talked more than she ate.  Once they were done eating, Adam offered to do the dishes so Jessica could get Jillian’s bath started and her hair washed for church the next morning.

While Jessica was washing Jillian’s hair, Emily woke up and came into the bathroom to brush her teeth before returning to bed.  She complained she was not feeling well and thought she might be running a fever.  Jessica told her to go to her room, get the thermometer from her bathroom, bring it to her room and Jessica would be in to take her temperature after finishing washing Jillian’s hair.  Emily walked to Adam’s and Jessica’s room where she saw the door open and the light on.  She walked in and saw Adam putting away some of his and Jessica’s clothes he had taken out of the dryer.

“What can I do for you, Princess?” Adam asked as she stood in the doorway.

“I don’t feel good.  Mommy told me to get the thermometer so she could take my temperature.”

“Sit down, Princess.  I’ll get it and take it.”

Emily sat down on Jessica and Adam’s bed while he went to the bathroom to get the thermometer.  He returned and put the probe into her mouth and placed his hand on her head; he noticed she felt quite warm.

The flu season was ending, kids in school were still coming down with the illness, and it seemed Emily was its latest victim.

Adam rubbed his daughter’s arm while the thermometer registered her temperature.  When the probe beeped, it registered 101.2.

“You do have a fever, Princess.  Go back to bed, and I’ll bring you some Tylenol and water in just a minute.”

Adam helped his daughter stand up, and she walked back into her room.  She was shivering and got under her comforter, blankets, and sheets trying to stay warm.

Adam came in a few minutes later with a couple of Tylenol tablets and a glass of water.  He stroked Emily’s wet hair after she took the two pills.  She laid back down, closed her eyes and didn’t say a word. Adam dropped a kiss on her forehead and continued to sit for a few more moments and then got up and headed for the door.  He turned off the light to Emily’s room, and she turned over and drifted back to sleep without saying goodnight.  Adam closed the door behind him and went back to putting the clothes away in the bedroom he shared with his wife.

Once Jessica finished helping Jillian pick up the toys off the floor, she tucked her daughter in for the night, dropped a kiss on her head and turned out the light.

She headed back to the bedroom where Adam was putting the last of both their T-shirts and knit shirts in the drawer.

“How’s Emily?”  Jessica asked as she sat on the bed.

“I gave her the Tylenol.  She took it and closed her eyes.  She rolled over and went back to sleep without as much as a hug or goodnight.  She’s still upset with me, I guess.”

“I don’t understand your hesitation on letting her go to the prom, Adam.  It’s not like they’re going on a date.  There’s going to be several couples going.  The boy who invited her said he and his friends were all chipping in to hire a limo.”

Jessica got up from the bed and went to her husband.  She put her arms around his waist and said, “You have to start letting go of her, Adam.  She’ll always be your little girl, but she’s growing up, and you have to let her spread her wings and fly.”

“She’s only fifteen, Jess.  I’m not ready to let her go just yet.  I plan to hold true to my word; when she’s sixteen, she’ll be allowed to date, but I’ll insist we meet the boy first before she’s allowed to go out with him,” Adam said as he pulled Jessica’s blouse from her jeans.

“I agree with you, but you have to start letting her spread her wings now, Adam.  She’s begging to fly.”

“We didn’t allow Jason to start dating until he was sixteen and the same will hold true for Emily and Jillian.”  Adam pulled away and grabbed the folded towels on the bed, and he took them into the bathroom.

“Adam, you can’t compare the two of them.  Jason is grounded and reserved.  Emily is a social butterfly.  Jillian and Jason are more like you, but Emily is like me.  Probably why she’s your favorite child,” Jessica winked at her husband.

Adam looked at Jessica with a furrowed brow, “I love all of our children equally, Jessica.”

“Oh, Adam, you know Emily holds an extra special soft spot in your heart.  She always has.  Quit trying to deny it.”  Jessica came behind her husband who again turned his attention to putting up the towels, and put her arms around him and started to rub his chest over his shirt.

Adam turned around in his wife’s arms and kissed her nose as he replied to her accusation of having a favorite child.

“Just like Jason and Jillian hold a soft spot in your heart because they are a lot like me.”

“I won’t deny your statement unlike someone I know,” Jessica winked.

Jessica started to undress as she prepared to take a shower.

She asked Adam what he wanted to talk to her regarding the phone call with Rebecca.

“I’ll get the bed turned down while you take a shower and tell you about it after you finish.

Jessica didn’t ask any more questions and took her shower. When she got out, she put one of the clean towels Adam had left out for her on her head and the other she wrapped around her body and headed into the bedroom where Adam had stripped to his boxers and was getting into bed.

Jessica went to the chest of drawers to get one of her silk pajama sets from the drawer to put on when she again asked Adam about the encounter with Rebecca on the phone.

“Rebecca and her husband are coming to a medical conference next month, and she wanted to get together, thus the reason for her call.  She and her husband, Dave, want to have dinner with us one night.  I accepted for both of us as our guest.  I also invited them to come by the house first to have drinks before we go to dinner.  I would love for them to meet the girls.  Rebecca is also a mother now; she has twin girls.”

Jessica sat quiet and stared at Adam in disbelief as she took her hair down from the towel and was patting it dry.

“Why, Adam?”  Jessica sounded exasperated.

“Why what, Jess?”  Adam looked at her with a bit of surprise at her reaction.

“Your lady doctor friend is not a friend of mine.  Why would you even pretend to think I would want to have anything to do with her, much less have her in my home, and then go to dinner with her?”

Adam leaned over and started to undo Jessica’s towel around her chest. “Come on, Babe.  She has a name; it’s Rebecca.  Besides, we’re just friends.  If you gave her half a chance, you would see she’s a lovely person.”

Jessica slapped Adam’s hands away and tucked the towel back into place and held her pajamas in her lap and her body language became tense, and her voice annoyed.

Adam sighed deeply.  “Look, she’s a very dear friend.  I want to have dinner with her, meet her husband, and catch up with each other’s lives over the last ten years.  Why can’t you support me as my spouse?  Her husband wants to meet us.  Why can’t you be mature about this, Jessica?”

“Here we go with the maturity factor again,” Jessica said as she dropped her towel and put on the pants to her pajama set.  “I’m sorry if I don’t want to have anything to do with a woman who almost caused us not to get back together.  If you want to catch up with each other’s lives, you can tell her, ‘I’ve moved on, I’m married, and have another kid.’  It takes all but half a minute,” Jessica said as she grabbed her two towels, took them into the bathroom and hung them to dry before putting them into the dirty linen basket.  She came back into the bedroom and picked up her top to put it on.  Adam grabbed the top from her hand, and pulled her down to the bed and kissed her tenderly.

“Don’t you see  I only want you?  Rebecca means nothing to me anymore.  She is a friend, nothing more, nothing less.”

“Give me my pajama top, Adam.”

“What?  Can’t fight half naked?”

“I don’t want to fight with you about this woman, Adam.”

“I don’t know why you can’t support me where she’s concerned,” Adam still held Jessica’s top, and he laid down in bed.  “I could say the same thing you’re saying in regards to her husband, but I’m not jealous because I love you, and I want only you!”  He said as he hid her top.

Jessica’s resolve was melting as she could tell Adam was being playful at her expense. She went to grab her top and found he hid it down by his boxers.

When she went to grab it, Adam grabbed her hands and placed her hand on his hard member and said, “This is what you do to me.  You excite me, even after 20+ years.  I want you, and only you.”

“You don’t play fair, Adam Cartwright.  How can you think of having sex when we’re talking about your ex-lover?”  Jessica quickly reached down by Adam’s boxers and grabbed her top.

Adam grabbed the top back and responded, “Because your bare breasts are turning me on for starters.  Second, Rebecca was never my lover.  We barely started seeing each other exclusively when we broke up; sex was never part of our relationship.  Moreover, I’m not thinking about having sex with my wife; I want to make love to my wife.”

“You two never?…”

Adam grabbed Jessica and laid her down on the bed and kissed her lips tenderly.

“Never.  Now, I don’t want to talk any more about her; I only want to think about loving and satisfying you.”

Jessica pulled her husband down on top of her and the two satisfied each other for the next several hours.

Chapter Six

A few weeks passed since Adam and Emily had their blow up about Emily wanting to go to the prom with Tray Hollingsworth, the most popular boy in school.  Emily broke the news to Trey about her father not allowing her to go to the prom since she was not sixteen yet, thus not allowed to date.

With Emily and Adam’s relationship still strained, she tried to avoid her father as much as she could, but she had to face him at places like the dinner table and family functions.  Adam would try to get his daughter to spend time with him and mend their relationship, but Emily’s stubborn streak kept the two at odds.  Adam refused to budge on his decision not to allow Emily to attend the prom with Trey, even if it meant his relationship with her would heal in time.  He knew she couldn’t stay angry with him indefinitely.

Emily and Trey became great friends and spent time together during their lunch hour as well as before and after school.  Since Adam would not let them see each other outside of school, Emily found ways to have a relationship with Trey at school only.

Because Trey wanted to get to know Emily better, he devised a plan he thought her father would maybe approve of.  During lunch, he talked to Emily about his plan and asked what her thoughts were.

“So, I was thinking.  Since your father won’t allow us to date until your sixteen, maybe he might allow me to come to your house, and we could spend time together there?  Your parents will be home, and we can watch TV, a movie, study, or just spend time together.  What do you think?”

Emily kissed and hugged Trey.  She loved the idea and said she would talk to her mother about it when she got home from school.

When Emily arrived home, she found Jessica in the office paying bills.  Her mother was concentrating on the computer when Emily walked in.

“Mommy?  Are you busy?  Can I talk to you about something?”  Emily asked as she came and sat in the leather wingback chair across from the desk.

“Sure, Sweetheart, what’s up?”  Jessica asked as she concentrated on the spreadsheet on her computer.

“Mommy!  You’re not even paying attention to me!”  Emily complained.

Jessica stopped what she was doing, took off her reading glasses, apologized and gave Emily her undivided attention.

“I’m sorry, Sweetheart.  I’m listening, now.  What did you want to talk to me about?”

When Emily realized she had her mother’s attention, her face lit up, and she got excited as she explained Trey’s idea.

“So, Trey and I were talking at lunch today, Mommy.  He wants to spend time with me.  He totally understands Daddy’s reasons for not allowing me to go to the prom.  I mean, I don’t get it, but whatever.  Anyway, Trey thought maybe you and Daddy might allow him to come to our house when you two are home, and we could sit in the family room and watch a movie or TV, or we can sit in the living room and talk, play games, or read together.  We won’t be dating, but we could still spend time together away from school.  You and Daddy will be home so we won’t be alone.  Do you think Daddy would be okay with this arrangement?”

“Sweetheart, I don’t know.  The best way to find out is to talk to Daddy about it tonight when he gets home from work.”

“Mommy!  Why?  Please speak to him for me!  If I ask him, he’ll tell me no!”  Emily cried.

Jessica got up and went over to her daughter and put her arm around her.

“Sweetheart, you need to apologize to your father for the way you spoke to him a few weeks ago. You hurt him deeply when you said you hated him.”

“I didn’t mean it, Mommy,” Emily rolled her eyes.

“It doesn’t matter if you meant it or not, Emily Elizabeth,” Jessica stood up and crossed her arms across her waist.  “How you spoke to Daddy was inexcusable, and you need to apologize.  I’ve stayed out of it because it’s between the two of you, but with you asking me to interfere again for you, I won’t do it.  If you want to know if Daddy will accept Trey’s new idea, you’ll have to swallow your pride and talk to him yourself.”

Jessica went back to the desk, put her glasses back on and returned her attention back to the computer.

Emily let out a loud exacerbated sigh, stormed out of the office and went into her room slamming the door.

Jessica started to get up and have words with her daughter about her recent behavior, but she figured it was just a teenage stage she was going through and let it pass.  She didn’t want to start a war with her and have Emily angry at both her and Adam.  She feared if she stopped talking to both of them, she might end up doing things behind their backs and get in trouble or put herself in danger.

The hour was going on 7:30 P.M. and Adam was still not home from work.  Jessica had dinner finished and with no word from Adam, she decided to set the table for her and the girls and would leave Adam’s plate in the oven.  Jessica was not happy with her husband for not at least calling to say he would be late, but she was not going to call and nag him on where he was.  Adam always came home at a decent hour or called when he would be late, but this time, she didn’t know why he hadn’t called.

Jillian was in her room studying her week’s spelling words when Jessica peeked her head in to let her know it was time for dinner.

“Mommy, I have my spelling words almost complete!  I have some hard ones this week, but I’ve even got those almost memorized.  I need help with math.  Can you help me?”

“Oh, Baby Girl, math is Daddy’s area of expertise.  When he get’s home he’ll be able to help you.  Emily would be better than me, but math isn’t her strong point either.  Too bad Jason’s not here.  Daddy and Jason are the math wiz’s around here.”

“Okay, Mommy,” Jillian said with a sigh.  “I wished Daddy didn’t work so late all the time.  I miss him,” she said with a pout.

“Me too!  Baby Girl, me too,” Jessica let out a sad sigh.

“Come on, let’s wash your hands, I’ve got dinner on the table.”

Jillian went skipping out of her room into the kitchen to wash her hands before dinner.

Jessica walked over to Emily’s room, knocked on the door, and opened it a little.  Jessica saw her daughter lying on her bed in just her princess t-shirt and panties studying for a test she had the next day.

“Come on, Sweetheart, time for dinner.”

Emily looked up at her mother and said, “Okay, be there in a minute.”

Jessica walked out of Emily’s room and back to the kitchen where she saw Adam leaning on the counter with his suit jacket and briefcase in his hands.  His tie was loose around his neck, and the top two buttons unbuttoned.  Jillian was washing her hands and telling Adam about her spelling words and was asking for help with math.

Jessica walked over to the cabinet to get another plate for Adam at the table, but didn’t acknowledge his being home; she only gave him a stern glare when he looked up at her while talking to Jillian.

As Jessica was getting utensils from the drawer for Adam when he came over to her and put his arms around her waist, kissed her on the side of her head and whispered in her ear, “Sorry I’m late.  I’ll explain after dinner.”

Jessica didn’t respond and wriggled out of Adam’s hold.  As she was walking to the dinner table, she said, “Get washed up, dinner’s ready.”

Adam headed to the office to drop off his briefcase and then to their bedroom and hung up his suit jacket and tie.  He changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants as the spring evenings were still a bit chilly and came to sit at the table with his three beautiful girls in his life.

After the blessing, Adam began to carve the whole chicken Jessica had roasted as she dished out fresh carrots and asparagus for Jillian.  Emily served herself a spoon of rice pilaf and pearl onions which had been cooked with the chicken.

“Looks good, Mommy,” Emily said as she waited for her to pass the carrots and asparagus her way.

“Thank you, Sweetheart,” Jessica smiled at her daughter.

Adam put a small leg on Jillian’s plate, and Jessica cut it up for her daughter so she could eat it without the bone getting in her way.

“Princess, what piece would you like?”  Adam asked looking over at Emily.

“I’ll have a leg and thigh, please,” she said not making any eye contact with her father.

Adam let out a quiet sigh.  The feud between him and his daughter had continued for about two weeks.  He tried to break through the stubbornness of his middle child, but she was just like her mother, he knew she would come around in her own time.  He placed the chicken on her plate and did not receive a thank you in return.

Jillian was the first to break the silence looming over the table, “Mommy, can I have something to drink, please?”

“Sure, Baby Girl, what would you like?  Lemonade or water?”  Jessica asked as she got up from the table.

Jillian squinted her eyes and looked up to the ceiling and put her finger on her mouth as if the decision was a tough one for her.

“I think tonight I’ll have LEMONADE!”  she said with exuberance in her voice as she grinned and bounced in her seat.

Jessica laughed and ruffled her hair.  “You’re a silly goose,” and she went to get a glass and the pitcher of lemonade from the fridge.

“Emily, you want some lemonade, too, Sweetheart?”

“Sure, Mommy, thank you,” she said as she cut her chicken off the bone.

“Adam, wine?”  Jessica’s voice was a bit annoyed as she spoke to her husband.

“Sounds good, but I’ll get it,” he said as he got up from his chair and headed into the kitchen.

As he walked by Jessica, he said to her under his breath. “I said I was sorry for being late.  Cut me some slack will ya?”

Jessica glared at him without saying a word, and Adam took the opportunity and kissed her on her lips and smiled.

“Do you think a cute kiss is going to make it all better, Adam?”  Jessica asked without any expression on her face or in her voice.

“No, but I apologized and told you I would explain later.  Can you give me the benefit of the doubt, so we can have a pleasant dinner with our girls?  It’s hard enough having one female in the family angry and not speaking to me.  I really don’t want my wife not talking to me, too.”

“It’s been a long day, Adam.  I’m tired and not feeling well.  I just want to eat dinner, get the dishes done, and go to bed.”

Adam put his hand on Jessica’s forehead and noticed she felt a bit warm.  “Do you think you’re coming down with the flu like Emily had a few weeks ago?”

“No, it’s probably just allergies.  I have my appointment with Dr. McIntyre tomorrow at 11:00 A.M., so I’ll have him give me a new prescription for my allergy pills while I’m there.”

Adam let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes because he forgot about the appointment.  Jessica looked at him with disappointment because she looked forward to him coming with her to find out why she was having such wild mood swings and an irregular period.

“You forgot, didn’t you?!”  Jessica’s voice raised a little.

“I’ll have Heather make changes to my calendar in the morning, I’ll be there.  Don’t worry.”

Jessica grabbed two glasses from the cabinet and poured the lemonade for her girls and went back to the table and sat down.

Adam opened the Pino Grigio, poured Jessica and himself a glass in their crystal wine glasses.  He sat Jessica’s down at the top of her plate, and she thanked him as he sat down at the other end of the table.

“Daddy, can you help me with my math tonight, please?  I just don’t understand how to turn fractions into decimals at all,” Jillian moaned.

“Of course, Sweetpea.  When we finish dinner I’ll help Mommy with the dishes, then I’ll come and help you, okay?”

Jillian grinned at her daddy and said, “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, now finish your chicken.  Mommy outdid herself on dinner again didn’t she?”

“It’s delicious!” she said as she ate a piece of her favorite vegetable, carrots.

“I received an email from Rebecca today, Jess.  She and Dave will arrive into Reno tomorrow.  I had Heather make reservations at Adel’s for 8:00 P.M. Friday night.  They’re going to be here around 6:30 P.M..”

“I guess another Friday night of just me and you, Peanut,” Emily sighed.

“We can play Sorry!, Emmy, and I can beat you!”  Jillian grinned.

“Not if I beat you first, little girl,” she crinkled her nose teasingly at her baby sister.

Jessica laughed at the banter between her two girls.  She felt so blessed all of her children got along fairly well.  Jessica understood the jealousy between Emily and Jason because she remembered all too well having the same problems with her older brother when they were growing up.  She knew it would start happening for Jillian with Emily in three or four years, and she was bracing herself for round two.

“Mommy, I have information for summer cheerleading camp in my backpack. I need to get the form filled out and a check back to Miss Dalton by Thursday, okay?”

“What about your new uniforms for next year?”  Jessica asked as she cut up her chicken breast.

“Miss Dalton gave us the order form for those, too, Mommy.  We’ll have a practice outfit, game day outfit, summer outfit, winter outfit, sweat suit, pompoms, and next year, she wants to get some shirts to wear with our skirts for the pep rallies.  I need new shoes and leggings as well.  My other ones are almost worn out.”

“Okay, get me both forms to fill out, and I’ll write checks for both tonight and put them in your backpack so you’ll have them tomorrow.”

“When is summer camp this year, Princess?” Adam asked his daughter to get a dialogue started between them.

“I don’t know.  Sometime in June or July, I think,” Emily said without looking up at Adam.

Frustrated, he said with an annoyed tone, “Can you please let me know?  I would like to plan our summer vacation around your summer school activities.”

“Okay!  I’ll let you know!”  Emily’s voice was tense.

“Can I be excused please?” she asked looking at her mother.

Jessica looked at Emily’s plate, and she had eaten about three-quarters of the small portions she had dished out for herself.

“Yes, you may be excused, Sweetheart.  Put your plate on the counter in the kitchen, please.”

Emily got up from her chair and took her plate and glass into the kitchen.  She set it on the counter and walked back to her room without even a glance at her father.  Adam shook his head and kept eating.

When Jillian was finished, she announced with jubilance in her voice, “JILLIAN’S FULL!”

Jessica smiled at her daughter and said, “You finished everything!  You must have been hungry tonight.”

Jillian nodded her head up and down fast and said, “Um hum.”

“Take your plate and glass into the kitchen, and go finish your homework.”

As Jillian reached the kitchen, she was putting her plate on the counter when her glass slipped from her hand, it fell to the floor and shattered on the travertine.  Before Jessica could tell Jillian not to move or pick up any of the broken shards, Jillian bent down to pick up a piece, and it sliced the palm of her left hand open.  Blood began to pour out profusely, and she started to scream.  Adam flew out of his seat, picked up his daughter, grabbing a dish towel from the drawer on his way to the car.

Emily came running from her room when she heard the scream.  When she saw the blood, she started to cry, too.

Jessica ran back to her bedroom and grabbed Adam’s wallet, keys, iPhone, her purse, and headed toward the garage.  He looked back at Emily and ordered her to stay away from the broken glass, and he would call her when they reached the hospital.

Jessica grabbed a few more dish towels for Jillian to wrap around her hand so blood would not get in the car. or on her  Adam jumped into the driver’s seat as Jessica finished getting their daughter strapped in. Jessica tossed the keys to Adam, and they were soon on their way to the emergency room.

“I’m sorry, Mommy!” Jillian said through her sobs.

“Baby Girl, there’s nothing to be sorry about!  It was an accident.  The doctor will get you all fixed up,” Jessica tried to calm her daughter’s fears.

“I don’t want a shot!” she wailed.

“Jillian, they have to numb your hand if you need stitches. Otherwise, it will hurt a lot more than the shot will.  You can squeeze Mommy’s hand, okay?” Jessica responded in a loving tone.

“Okay, Mommy.”  Jillian’s cry began to calm down.

As they reached the Emergency Room at Carson Tahoe Hospital, Adam dropped Jillian and Jessica off at the entrance while he went and found a parking spot in the garage.

The emergency room had several patients waiting to be seen, most with flu-like symptoms.  Since the patients were seen based on their emergency, Jillian was able to be seen quickly.

While Adam was giving the insurance information and data on Jillian, Jessica grabbed his iPhone and called Jason in Cambridge to let him know about his baby sister.  He stepped out to throw away the garbage so Brianna answered the phone when she saw, “Dad” on the caller ID of the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Brie, it’s Jessica, is Jason available?”

Brianna could tell Jessica’s tone was anxious, and her happy voice turned to worry.

“Yeah, Jessica, he’s gone downstairs to take the garbage out.  Let me go take the phone to him.”

Brianna ran out the door and down to the garbage bin at the end of the building.

“JASON!” she yelled holding the phone out.  “It’s your mother, it sounds urgent!”

Jason ran back and met her half way.  He grabbed his iPhone and said, “Mom? is everything okay?”

“Hi, Honey, I was calling to let you know we’re in the emergency room with Jillian.  She dropped a glass tonight and cut her hand open.  It’s bleeding badly, and she’s probably going to need stitches.  You want to talk to her?”

“Yeah, Mom, let me talk to her.”

Jason turned on the speaker phone so he and Brianna could speak to his baby sister.

“Hey, Peanut, Mommy said you cut your hand pretty bad huh?”

Jillian puffed out her bottom lip when she heard her older brother’s voice.

“I didn’t mean to, Jason, it slipped from my hand and broke!”

“I know, Peanut, it’s okay.  I know it was an accident.”

“The doctors will get you all fixed up and feeling better again, Sweetie,” Brianna said with a reassuring voice.

“Hi, Brie,” Jillian’s tears started to fall again as she heard her brother’s girlfriend’s voice whom she adored so much.

“Hi, Sweetie.  Be brave for the doctors, okay?  Jason and I will be home real soon.  I can’t wait to see you!”

“Me, too!”  Jillian replied.

“I tell you what, Peanut, you be really brave for the doctors tonight, and when Brie and I come home, we’ll take you to get an ice cream, okay?”

“Okay.”  Tears continued to run down Jillian’s face.

Jillian handed the phone back to Jessica. “I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know how everything went.  I’m afraid it will be too late tonight by the time we get finished.”

“Thanks, Mom.  Brie and I told her to be strong, and we’ll take her to get ice cream when we come home if she’s good for the doctors tonight.”

“Oh, Honey, that’s sweet of you.  Love you both.  I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Mom.  Love you, too.  We look forward to hearing from you, bye!”

“Bye, Honey!”

About fifteen minutes elapsed between giving the admittance information for Jillian and the time she was called back by the triage nurse.  As they entered the triage area, the nurse took the blood soaked towels away so she could see the cut.  Blood was still coming out of the wound. She wrapped it back up in fresh sterile gauze and took Jillian’s vitals, asked Jessica and Adam if she had any allergies and when her last tetanus shot was.  Jessica answered all questions as Jillian rested her head on her mother’s chest and she gently rocked her daughter back and forth.

The triage nurse was ready to go back to an exam room so Adam picked Jillian up from Jessica’s arms and the three followed the nurse to where she would be seen by an ER physician.

“The doctor will be with you shortly,” the nurse said as she walked toward the door.

When the doctor arrived, she introduced herself as Dr. Tanya Baker and shook Adam’s and Jessica’s hand.  The doctor went over to Jillian and bent down to her level and said, “I hear you have a nasty cut on your hand.  Can I see it?”

Jessica came over to her daughter’s side and sat on the gurney with her while Dr. Baker looked at her hand.  “I need to clean up the blood around the wound, but I’ll be very gentle, okay?” she said in a loving tone.

Adam was leaning on the wall with his hands crossed over his chest as he watched the young doctor work on his daughter.  He thought about Rebecca and how wonderful she was with Jason the time he broke his leg when he fell out of the swing at the park at eight years old.

Dr. Baker was very gentle with Jillian’s hand, and Jessica wrapped her arm around her daughter’s shoulders to reassure her everything was going to be alright.

Once Dr. Baker could see how deep the cut was, she knew she was going to need about six stitches.

“You’ve been a big brave girl for me so far, and I’m so proud of you!  I know your Mommy and Daddy are proud of you, too!  I need to put some stitches in your hand because it’s a nasty cut.  I need to numb your hand first.  Can you be really brave for me?  I have a treat for you if you can be really brave,” Dr. Baker smiled.

“Okay,”  Jillian sounded as if she was not to sure if she could keep her promise.

Adam couldn’t watch Jillian getting a shot in her hand or stitches, so he motioned to Jessica he was going to go outside and call Emily.  Jessica nodded, and Adam left the room.

He walked outside and called Emily’s cell.

“How’s Jillian?”  Emily asked as she answered the phone.

“She has to have about six stitches.  They’re stitching her up now,” Adam said with not much emotion in his voice.

“We probably won’t be much longer.  Do you have any homework you need help with from me?”  Adam asked, hoping to get some sort of dialogue going again with his estranged daughter.

“No, Daddy,” Emily kept it short and sweet.

“Okay,” Adam’s voice sounded tired and sad.  “We’ll see you at home in a little bit.”

Adam hesitated for a moment and said, “I love you, Princess,” hoping his daughter would say her usual response, ‘Love you more, Daddy.’

“Love you, too,” was Emily’s response, and it was strained.

Adam hung up his phone and headed back into Emergency, and back to Jillian’s room.  The doctor was putting the final stitch in to close up the wound.  She put some antibiotic ointment on the stitches to keep them moist so they would not dry out and rip open, and bandaged her hand. Dr. Baker wrote a prescription for antibiotics, a pain killer, and antibiotic cream to keep on the wound itself.

“I’m a nurse, Doctor.  I used to work at this hospital, so I know how to care for the wound,” Jessica informed the doctor.

“You used to work here?  How long ago?” the doctor smiled as she finished up the notes in Jillian’s chart.

“It was about ten years ago now.  I’ve kept up my credentials in case I ever decided to return to nursing.  I worked in the CCU here, but occasionally, I helped out here in the ER,” Jessica said.

“Now I know why you handled this so well.  Most parents don’t deal with things like this at all.  Makes sense now!” Dr. Baker said.

“Yeah, unlike, Daddy, here,” Adam laughed.  “I had to leave the room.  I couldn’t take it.”

Dr. Baker turned to Adam and smiled.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Cartwright, you’re not alone in the world.  I’ve had other Daddy’s pass out on me when they bring their child in with a bad cut or injury. When you’re not exposed to it on a daily basis, or worse, when it’s your own kid, it’s hard!  Your reaction was perfectly normal, believe me.”

“How long will she have the stitches in her hand, Doctor?” Adam asked

“About a week to ten days.  You can call her pediatrician to make an appointment in about a week.  He or she can determine then if they’re ready to come out.  Until then, make sure she completes the antibiotic I prescribed and keep the cream on the wound as well as keeping her hand bandaged and most importantly, dry.”

Dr. Baker turned back to Jillian, smiled at her and said, “I believe I promised you something if you were a good girl and you have been one of the best patients I’ve ever had!  I’ll be right back!”

Dr. Baker got up and left the room to get Jillian some prizes for being such a good patient.  She came back with a coloring book, colors, several pages of stickers, and a glitter pencil.  When Jillian saw the loot in the doctor’s hands, her eyes lit up with excitement.

“Wow!  Thank you, Dr. Baker!”  Jillian grinned from ear to ear.

“This is all for you for being so good tonight.  I’ve got a little bag here we can put it all in.”  Dr. Baker put all the prizes in the bag and handed to Jillian.

“Can I have a hug?”  Dr. Baker asked.

Jillian threw her arms around Dr. Baker’s neck, and she hugged her back.

Dr. Baker shook Jessica’s and Adam’s hand and told them the nurse would be in shortly with the discharge paperwork.  She turned back to Jillian and told her she enjoyed having her as a patient but hoped she wouldn’t have to see her again in the ER for a very long time.

Shortly after Dr. Baker left, the nurse came in with the prescriptions and discharge paperwork. Even though Jessica was a nurse, she knew it was standard procedure for the nurse to go over the doctor’s orders and prescriptions with the parents of the minor patient.  Adam signed the paperwork the nurse had explained the procedure and the follow-up care, and they understood everything.  Dr. Baker’s phone number to her service as well as the hospital’s phone number was available in case there were any complications throughout the night.

Upon their arrival home, Adam and Jessica were amazed Emily had cleaned up all the dishes from the table, put the leftovers away in the fridge, and the dishwasher was cycling.  She had swept up the glass into a pile but did not attempt to clean it up without help.

Jessica went to Jillian’s room with her and helped her get ready for bed. She asked her if she needed a pain pill, but since her hand was still numb from the shot, she declined.  Wanting to get the antibiotics started right away, Jessica gave her daughter one of the pills before she went to bed.

“Come and get me if you wake up and you need a pain pill, okay, Baby Girl?”

“I will, Mommy.  I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Jessica said as she dropped a kiss on her daughter’s forehead.

Adam walked in after sweeping up the broken glass from the floor in time to give his daughter a good night kiss.

“Sleep tight, Sweetpea. I love you,” Adam said as he came and kissed his youngest daughter’s forehead as well.

“Love you, too, Daddy!”

Jillian rolled over in bed and drifted off to sleep.

Jessica headed back to the bedroom she shared with Adam.  Adam said he would be there in just a few minutes.  He was going to stop off at Emily’s room and thank her for cleaning up the dishes.

Adam knocked on Emily’s door, but there was no response.  He peeked in and saw his daughter sleeping soundly with all of her covers pushed to the edge of her bed.  Adam smiled and watched her sleep, remembering when she was little and how she used to sleep half naked and her covers at the end of the bed.  He pulled the covers back over her sleeping form and dropped a kiss on her head.

“I love you, my princess,” he quietly said so he wouldn’t wake her up.  He turned back around and walked out, closing her door behind him.

When he came back to the bedroom he shared with Jessica, she had already turned down the bed and was undressing to get in the shower.  He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her semi-naked form.

“I’m really sorry about being so late tonight.  I was hung up on a call with a supplier for the timbering project we have going right now.  It took a lot longer than I thought it would, but the call couldn’t wait.”

“You couldn’t call when you got in the car to come home, Adam?”

“I was tired, when I went to call, the battery on my phone had run down, and I didn’t realize it.  I’m really sorry.  Please forgive me?”  Adam said in a loving tone.

“Jessica twisted around in her husband’s arms.  “Alright, you’re forgiven.”

Jessica’s eyes widened as she remembered Jillian had math homework she needed Adam’s help with.

“Oh my goodness!  She never did her math homework!”

“I’ll go take a look in her bag and see how much she has to do.  If it’s not much, we can get up in the morning and do it.”

Adam gave a quick kiss to Jessica’s lips and left her to take a shower.  He walked into Jillian’s room quietly and turned the lamp light on on her desk and started looking through her book bag to find her math book and worksheets.  Jillian woke up despite Adam’s attempts to be quiet.

“Whatcha doin’, Daddy?”  Jillian’s sleepy voice asked.

“With your getting hurt tonight, we didn’t do your math homework, so I wanted to see how much had to be done so I would know how early we needed to get up in the morning, Sweetpea.”

Jillian got out of bed and walked over to her desk and showed Adam what she needed help with.  She only had about five problems she needed assistance with; the rest she had been able to do on her own.

“This won’t take us long to do these.  I’ll get you up about thirty minutes earlier in the morning, and we’ll work on it then.  Now get back in bed.”

Jillian got back in bed, and Adam covered her up again.  He dropped another kiss on her forehead, and she closed her eyes.  Adam shut off the lamp light, and he walked out, closing her door quietly.

Jessica was coming out of the bathroom with just a towel around her, and hair pulled up in a clip.  Adam went into the closet to take off his clothes and get ready for bed.

Jessica went to the dresser to grab a nightgown.  She put it on and climbed into bed.

Adam came to bed and climbed in next to his wife, took the hair clip off and ran his fingers through her hair with one hand and held her in his other arm.

“I’m really sorry about being so late tonight.  I promise to call from the office in the future.  I was tired and wanted to just get home to my family.”

I forgive you, Adam.  I’m sorry for being so cranky about it.  I’ve had a rough day, too, and I’m tired,” Jessica said as she closed her eyes.  “Just hold me.  I feel so loved and safe in your arms.”

The music came on the Bose Wave Radio at 5:30 A.M.  Adam woke up and quickly shut off the music so it wouldn’t wake Jessica.  He looked over at her, and she was sleeping soundly.  A light smile was on her face.

“She must be dreaming about something wonderful,” Adam said to himself very quietly.

Adam got up and took a hot shower.  He was only two days into a new week, and he had a lot going on.  Adam looked forward to the end of the week when he would see Rebecca again.  Even though the week was hectic, he had something to look forward to at week’s end.

After his shower, he trimmed his beard, put on a fresh pair of boxers and the sweatpants he’d worn the previous night, and he went to Jillian’s room to wake her up so they could work on her math homework.

Like her brother, she was easily awakened.

“How’s your hand today?  Do you need any pain pills?”  Adam asked quietly as he stroked his daughter’s hair.

“No, I’m fine, Daddy.  It hurts a little, but not too bad.  Can I stay home from school today?”

“No, Sweetpea.  Unless your hand starts hurting really badly, you need to go to school.  We’ll send the pain medication with you to leave with the school nurse, so if the pain is too bad, you can go see her.”

“Okay,” Jillian said with a pout.

“Now let’s get your book and go to the office and get those math problems done.”

Jillian got out of bed and grabbed her worksheets as well as her math book, and they went into Adam’s and Jessica’s office.  Adam sat down in the chair, and Jillian got onto his lap.  Adam was busy explaining the formula to Jillian on how to change a fraction to a decimal when Jessica came into the office and brought Adam some coffee.  He winked at his wife, and she smiled in return.

Jessica knocked on Emily’s door and woke her up for school.  She asked her where the forms were for her cheerleading camp and uniforms.  Emily pointed to her desk as she walked out of her room and to the bathroom to take a shower.

When Jessica saw the cost for the camp, she didn’t flinch, but when she saw the $5,000 cost of new uniforms, her eyes widened.

“Good grief!” she said under her breath as she headed into the office to grab her checkbook to write out two checks; one for the camp and the other for new uniforms.

Just as Jessica finished writing out both checks, Adam and Jillian finished the math homework, and Jillian was ready for her bath.  Jessica helped bathe her daughter so she wouldn’t get her hand wet.  She combed her hair and helped her get dressed for school.

When Adam’s three girls came into the kitchen, they saw he had breakfast almost ready.  He made bacon, eggs and had biscuits in the oven almost ready.

“Awe, thank you, Babe!”  Jessica said as she came and wrapped her arms around Adam’s waist and rubbed her hands through his forest of salt and pepper chest hair.

Adam turned and whispered in his wife’s ear, “I love you, my sexy kitten,” and kissed her on her cheek.

The three girls sat down as Adam set their plates before them.  Each thanked Adam for the food, and after grace was said, they all dug into the morning meal.

“Daddy, I need to talk to you about something later tonight,”  Emily said as she lightly buttered her biscuit.

Adam looked up in amazement.  He had not heard such a sweet tone from his daughter when addressing him in a few weeks.  He looked over at Jessica, and she smiled.

“Sure, Princess.  I’ll try to be home earlier tonight than last night.”

“Did you email Heather about changing your schedule for today, so you could go with me to the doctor?”

“I sent the email right after I finished helping Jillian with her homework.”

“Mommy, what’s wrong with you?”  Emily’s voice had a hint of worry.

Jessica smiled at her daughter and gave her a reassuring pat on her arm.

“Mommy’s okay, Honey.  I think I’m starting to go through the change of life, that’s all.”

“What’s the change of life, Mommy?”  Jillian innocently asked.

“You haven’t gone through the first change of life, Jillian!”  Emily laughed.

Jillian looked at her mommy and sister with a befuddled look.  She then looked at Adam for the answers to her questions.

“Don’t look at me, Sweetpea, this is something you need to talk to Mommy and Emily about, but not at the breakfast table,”  Adam smiled.

As everyone finished breakfast, Adam went back to his and Jessica’s bedroom and got dressed for work.

Emily and Jillian grabbed their books and got into the SUV as both Adam and Jessica came out to get into their respective cars; Adam in his Porsche and Jessica in the Lexus.

Adam gave Jessica a kiss, and as she got in the SUV, Adam said, “I’ll be home about 10:30 A.M. to pick you up.”

“Thank you, I love you!”

Jessica took the girls to their schools, dropping Emily off first and then Jillian, so Jessica could go into the school to give the medication to the nurse and advise her about Jillian’s hand injury.

Once Jessica was back home, she put a kettle of water on to boil and collapsed at the breakfast table.  She’d been experiencing some cramping all morning and wondered if her monthly visit was rearing its ugly head for the second time in the same month.

The kettle started to whistle, and she made a cup of tea and went to her’s and Adam’s room to make their bed.  After the bed was made, she jumped in the shower, got dressed and laid down for a few minutes but drifted off to sleep.

“Jess, wake up, Babe, it’s time to go,” Adam softly shook Jessica’s shoulder.

Jessica opened her eyes and saw Adam smiling down on her.

“You ready to go?”

“Yeah.”

As Jessica and Adam arrived at Dr. McIntyre’s office, the room was filled with a few very pregnant women and Adam and Jessica smiled at each other as they remembered back to the days that the both of them made their monthly prenatal visits to Dr. McIntyre when Jessica was pregnant.

Jessica and Adam loved babies but were now looking forward to grand-babies in their future.

“Jessica Cartwright,” the nurse called from the door leading back to the exam rooms.

Jessica and Adam got up and followed the nurse into the exam room.  Adam sat in the chair next to the table, and Jessica sat on the edge of the table as the nurse started the patient visit sheet.

“I see you were here in November for your annual well woman exam, so what brings you in today, Jessica?”

“I’ve been experiencing irregular cycles as well as crazy mood swings, and I think I might be in the beginnings of menopause.”

“I see.  Well, there’s a couple of ways to find out.  Take everything off from the waist down.  I’ll come back and draw some blood and Dr. McIntyre will be in shortly afterward.”

Jessica took her jeans and panties off.  Adam could see the angst in his wife’s face as she got back up on the table and placed the sheet over her lap.  Adam stood up next to his wife and put his arm around her.

“Whatever is causing all of this, Dr. McIntyre will get to the bottom of it today.”

“I love you, Adam Cartwright.”

“I love you, too, Jessica Cartwright.”

Jessica placed her head on Adam’s chest, and they heard a knock on the door, it was the nurse coming to draw blood.  After she took Jessica’s blood, she told her Dr. McIntyre was finishing up with a patient but she was next.

Adam sat back down in the chair near the exam table.

There was a knock on the door and Dr. McIntyre entered the room.  He shook Adam’s and Jessica’s hand, opened Jessica’s file, put his reading glasses on, and commented on the notes the nurse had written down.

“Let’s see, you were here for your annual well woman exam in November, and now you’re experiencing irregular menstrual cycles and mood swings.”

“Yes.  I’ll love my husband to death and the next minute, I want to bite his head off for no reason whatsoever.  I’ll start my period on time, it will be very light and stop a few days later and maybe a week or so after that, it comes back with a vengeance and might last for ten days.”

“How is intercourse?  Is it painful for you?”

“No, not really,” Jessica said as she looked at Adam.

Dr. McIntyre asked a few other key questions which were also signs of pre-menopause.  He rang for his nurse and after completing a pelvic exam on Jessica, he told her she could get dressed.  He ordered stat results on the blood tests and told the nurse to have Jessica and Adam wait for him in his office while he saw a few other patients while the results were compiled.

After about thirty minutes, Dr. McIntyre entered.  He sat at his desk while Adam and Jessica sat in the chairs across from his desk, holding hands.

“I have the test results back, your hormone levels indicate you are in the beginning stages of menopause.  I can prescribe medication to help with the symptoms, but I don’t really recommend them.  The best thing to do is eat a well-balanced diet and exercise to help.  As for the mood swings, I can give you a mild anti-depressant to help out if you want.  The drawback to antidepressants is it could affect your sex drive, so I suggest you and your husband talk about if the mood swings are severe enough to warrant going on medication to help you cope better.”

Dr. McIntyre then closed Jessica’s file, and his face drew long with concern.  Jessica tensed up as she waited anxiously for what else the OB/GYN she had been seeing for over twenty years and had brought all three of her children into the world had to say.

“Jessica, Adam, while I was performing the pelvic exam, I felt a mass on one of Jessica’s ovaries.  It could be nothing, but it could be something we need to concern ourselves with.  The mass is about the size of a chickpea.  It was not present at your annual in November, so the size it is today is a bit concerning to me.  It could be part of the irregularities you’ve been experiencing as well.”

Jessica’s eyes became misty as she asked the dreaded question she never wanted to have to ask, “Do I have cancer?”

“I honestly don’t know, Jessica.  The only way we’ll be able to tell is a biopsy on the mass.”

“So you’re saying surgery is indicated?”  Adam asked with a furrowed brow.

“Yes.  What we’ll do is remove the mass from the ovary.  We’ll send it to the lab to see if it’s malignant or benign.  If it’s benign, we’ll make sure there are no other masses, and the surgery will be over.”

“And if it is malignant?” Jessica asked timidly.

Dr. McIntyre sighed deeply.

“We’ll perform a total hysterectomy,  and check to see if cancer has spread.  When you sign the surgical agreement, you’ll be agreeing to the hysterectomy at the same time of the biopsy if the tumor is malignant.  We would want to perform it while we already have you under general anesthetic.”

“Oh my gosh!  I’m only forty-six!”

“Jessica, ovarian cancer can affect a woman at any age.  The good news is if it is cancer, it seems we’ve caught it early which is excellent for you.  If it’s a benign, we’ll need to keep an eye on you every six months to make sure the tumors don’t return.  We can perform a hysterectomy as a precaution, but I leave it up to you and your husband.”

“And if we decide to go this route if the tumor is benign?”

“I would want to leave the non-affected ovary for hormone reasons; so you’re not thrown into immediate menopause.”

Jessica looked at Adam.  She saw her life flash before her eyes and for a moment, thought about leaving her husband a widower and her children motherless and never seeing her grandchildren, the thought brought profound sadness.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she asked the all important question.

“When do we do this?”

“The sooner, the better.  Not only so we’ll know for sure, but if it is cancer, we get it out of there before it can do any more damage.”

Jessica looked at Adam again, and he gave her a reassuring look of love.

“It’s got to be done, Babe,” Adam said with concern and compassion in his voice.

Jessica looked back at Dr. McIntyre and took a deep breath and said, “Okay, Doc, let’s do it.”

Dr. McIntyre got up from his desk and escorted Adam and Jessica to his surgical schedule clerk.

“Please schedule Mrs. Cartwright for a biopsy of the right ovary and possible hysterectomy ASAP.”

Dr. McIntyre put his arm around Jessica’s shoulders and gave her a reassuring hug.  “We’ll know soon where we have to go with this.  I know it’s hard, but try to not worry until there’s something to worry about.”

Jessica wiped her eyes with the tissue she grabbed from Dr. McIntyre’s desk and nodded her head.

“Let’s see…I can get you scheduled for Friday if you like,” the surgical scheduler said.

“No, that’s not a good day,” Jessica said.

“Jess!”  Adam looked at his wife with shock she was delaying the inevitable.

“Adam, have you forgotten we have dinner reservations with your lady doctor friend and her husband?”

“Jess, I think Rebecca and Dave would understand.  Your health is more important, don’t you think?”

“I want Jason to be home.  He’ll be home in a few weeks for spring break.  I want my son home, Adam.”

Adam sighed deeply but agreed to the delay so their eldest child could be home for the surgery.

“What do you have available for a few weeks from now?” Jessica inquired.

“Let’s see…Dr. McIntyre does surgeries on Monday’s and Friday’s so we can schedule you either day.”

Jessica looked at Adam.

“Monday would be best, don’t you think?  Jason and Brie will be here all week, Emily and Jillian will also be out of school for spring break as well.”

“I’ll make sure I take the week off also.”

“Honey, you don’t…”

“You let me worry about the kids, you focus on yourself, okay?”  Adam ordered.

“We’ll do it on Monday in two weeks,” Jessica decided.

“Okay, you’ll be Dr. McIntyre’s first surgery of the day.  About a week before the surgery, the hospital will contact you for your pre-admittance.  Assuming you have no complications from surgery, your stay in the hospital will be just a few days.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Adam and Jessica left Dr. McIntyre’s office and headed to the parking garage.  Adam opened the passenger door to his Porsche, and Jessica got in staring ahead.  Adam got in on the driver’s side and shut the door.  He looked at Jessica who sat stoic, not able to say anything or look at Adam.

Adam grabbed Jessica’s hand and tenderly said, “We’re going to get through this, Babe.  Let’s think positive the tumor is benign until Dr. McIntyre tells us otherwise.”

Jessica looked over at Adam with tears welling in her eyes, and a small “thanks” escaped her lips.

Adam drove home, and as he pulled into the garage, he turned off the car and came around to open Jessica’s door.  He helped her out of the car and took her into his arms.

“I love you, I’ll always love you, no matter what.”

“I need to call my son, he will want to know about this,” Jessica said as they went into the house. Adam looked at his watch and saw the time was going on 4:00 P.M. in Cambridge.

“He might be out of class by now.  You can try to give him a call and see if he answers his cell,” Adam said.

Jessica picked up the extension in the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast table as she dialed her son’s phone number.

“Hey, Mom!”

“How’d you know it was me?”  Jessica’s voice was already cheering up with the sound of Jason’s voice.

“Because Dad and Emily always call me on their cell phones and you always call me on the home phone.”

“And I thought you had mental telepathy or something!”  Jessica laughed.

“What’s up, Mom?  How’s Jillian?”

“Jason, you would have been so proud of your sister.  She was so brave last night.  She didn’t cry when she got the numbing shot or her stitches.  The doctor rewarded her with lots of stickers, a color book, colors, and a cute pencil.  Your sister was so excited.”

“Aww, that’s my peanut.”

“Jason, there’s another reason why I called, Honey.  Dad and I went to see my gynecologist today. I’ve been having some female issues, and I went to see Dr. McIntyre because I thought I was starting to have symptoms of pre-menopause, but the doctor found a mass on my right ovary, and I’m going to have to have surgery.”

Jason’s voice fell from a happy bounce to one of great concern.

“Mom, is it serious?”

“We don’t know yet, Honey.  I’m having the surgery the Monday you and Brie come home for spring break.  The doctor will remove the tumor and have a biopsy done while I’m under to find out if its cancer or not.  If it’s not, He’ll check to make sure everything else looks healthy, and I’ll be out of surgery.”

“What if it is cancer, Mom?”  Jason’s voice began to break.

“I’ll have a complete hysterectomy and Dr. McIntyre will check to see if cancer has spread anywhere else.”

“What are the chances of the tumor being benign?”

“Dad and I are keeping a positive attitude it’s benign.  Dr. McIntyre says I can go ahead and have a hysterectomy, and he would leave the healthy ovary for hormones if the tumor is benign.  If it is cancerous, he’ll take both ovaries.”

“What are you going to do, Mom?  Do you know yet?  What does Dad say?”

“We haven’t discussed all of our options yet, Honey.  We’ll let you know when we decide.”

“Mom, I’m really sorry this is happening to you.  I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Honey.”

“Mom?  Do you mind if I share this news with Brie?  I know she would want to know.”

“Of course, Honey.  I don’t mind.”

“I’ve got to go, Mom.  I’m on my way to the library to study for an exam tomorrow.  Brie and I will call you later tonight.”

“Okay, Honey, I love you!”  Jessica’s voice began to crack.

“I love you too, Mom.  Everything’s going to be alright, I just know it!”  Jason reassured his mother.

“I know.  I believe it will be.  We’ll talk to you later.  Bye, Honey.”

“Bye, Mom.  I love you so much.”

“We’ve raised a great kid, Adam,” Jessica said as she hugged her husband.

“Yes, we have,” Adam said as he hugged his wife back trying to hide the pain he was feeling, trying to be strong for his wife.

“Are you hungry?  Can I make you something to eat?”  Adam asked.

“No, I’m fine, Babe.  Don’t you need to get back to the office?”  Jessica asked as she broke their hug and wiped a rogue tear from her eye.

“I really should, but you’re more important at the moment.  Do you want me to stay home with you?”

“No, no, Adam.  I know you have a lot to do.  Go on back to the office.  I’ll be okay.  Besides, I’ll be picking the girls up from school in a little while.  I hope Jillian’s doing okay with her hand.”

Adam looked over at the answering machine.

“There’re no messages on the phone, and they haven’t called me on my cell, so I suppose she’s doing okay.  She’s a real trouper, our Jillian.”

“I love her so much, Adam,” Jessica started to sob as she thought about leaving her little one motherless.

“I’m staying home with you, Babe.  You’re in no shape to be home alone.”

“No, Adam!  Go back to work. I ’ll be alright.  I need to think positive everything’s going to be okay, and the tumor is benign.”

“I’m keeping those thoughts, but if it shouldn’t work out the way we want it to, we WILL get through this as a family.”

“I know, Babe.  Now get out of here!”  Jessica ordered.

The time came to pick up Emily and Jillian from school, and Jessica decided to take the girl time she would have with her daughters before Adam returned home from work to tell them about her doctor’s appointment and what it all meant.

She picked up Jillian first and Jillian said she didn’t have too many problems with pain in her hand during the day, but she was having some pain in the last half hour of school and decided she could wait until she got home to take some pain medicine.

They stopped and picked up Emily from school next, and the three girls headed home.

Upon their return home, Jessica got a cup of milk and one of the pain pills for Jillian.

“Do you want to eat a PB&J sandwich and milk with your pain meds, Baby Girl?”

“No, Mommy, I’m not hungry right now.”

Emily had gone to her room to get started on her homework so that she could have the balance of her evening free to talk to her father about the new idea Trey had to spend time with each other at her home with her parents present.

“Emily, can you come to the kitchen, please?  I need to talk to you and Jillian!”

Jillian was telling her mommy about her day at school with the difficulties of having stitches in one hand when Emily came into the kitchen.

“Sit down, Sweetheart, I need to talk to both of you girls about something.”

“Jillian, remember this morning when you were asking about the change of life?  Well, you aren’t old enough to know what Emily and I were talking about, but I’ll explain it to you a little now.”

Jessica talked about how a girl becomes a woman when her body matures and the complexities of the monthly cycle.  Jessica could see that her youngest daughter was grasping the maturing of a female easier than Emily did when she was pre-pubescent.

“When you get to be Mommy’s age, sometimes older, but sometimes even younger, just as you become a woman in her childbearing years, we go through the change where our bodies stop producing eggs, and our periods stop.  Some women have an easier time of it, some women have night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, and irregular periods.”

“Are you going through the second change, Mommy?” Jillian asked.

“Well, Honey, yes and no.  Mommy went to her doctor that specializes in all things that have to do with women and mommies, and he found something inside Mommy that needs to come out. The only problem is, it might be something serious, but it might not be serious. We just don’t know yet.”

“What does that mean, Mommy?”  Emily asked.

“Honey, the week you, Jillian, and Jason are on spring break, I’m going to have to go into the hospital for a few days.  I have to have surgery to have a tumor removed.  Dr. McIntyre doesn’t know if it is cancer or not.”

“Mommy, what’s cancer?”  Jillian asked.

“Baby Girl, cancer are cells that have gone wild, and they attack the healthy cells.  The tumor mommy has inside her might be those bad cells.  The doctor will remove the tumor, and he’ll have it tested.”

“What happens if it is cancer, Mommy?”  Emily’s voice started to tremble.

Jessica got up and asked both of her girls to come to her, and she put her arms around both of them.

“If it’s cancer, Mommy will have what they call a hysterectomy.  We hope cancer has stopped, and the hysterectomy will be all I need.  If any cancer has spread, we’ll have to be more aggressive in trying to stop it before it can do any more damage.”

“Are you going to die, Mommy?”  Jillian looked up at her mommy with sad, soulful eyes.

Jessica’s eyes puddled with tears, and they rained down her face as she saw the sadness in her daughter’s eyes.

“Oh, Baby Girl, Mommy hopes she won’t die.  I don’t want to leave you girls, Jason, or Daddy. Dr. McIntyre is doing everything he can to keep that from happening.”

Emily hugged her mother.

All the sudden, her ongoing feud with her father seemed so frivolous, and she couldn’t wait for him to get home and apologize for the way she had been acting over the last two weeks.

“Does Jason know, Mommy?”  Emily asked.

“Yes, I called him earlier.  He was on his way to the library to study for an exam and he’s going to call again later when he and Brie are together.”

“How’s Daddy taking the news?”  Emily wanted to know about her hero.

“He’s strong, but I can see in his eyes, he’s scared, too.  We’ll get through this as a family.”

Jessica was in the final stages of dinner preparations when Adam arrived home from the office. He came through the garage door into the kitchen.  Jessica was getting milk from the fridge to warm up for the mashed potatoes she was making to go with the roast she was preparing.

“Mmm, smells good!”  Adam said as he tossed his suit jacket into his hand with his briefcase so he could hug his wife around her waist.

“Dinner should be ready shortly.  If you want to take a shower and change, you have time.”

“How are you feeling, Babe?”  Adam looked at Jessica with concern in his eyes.

“I’m okay.  I told the girls; they’re concerned, of course, but we’ll take it one day at a time.”

Adam kissed Jessica on the side of her head and left to put his briefcase away in the office, and he stopped off at Jillian’s room to see if she had any math homework she needed help on and to see how her hand was.

“Hi, Daddy!  I got a hundred on my math worksheet today!”

“Wonderful, Sweetpea!  Do you have more math homework you need help on?”

Jillian stuck her lip out in a pout and nodded her head yes.

Adam laughed and said they would work on it after dinner.  Jillian smiled and ran to hug her father.

Adam then stopped off at Emily’s room and knocked quietly.

“Princess, how was your day?”

Over the past few weeks, Emily had only said, ‘fine’ through her door, but today, she threw open the door and leaped into her father’s arms.

“Daddy!  I’m so glad you’re home!  Daddy, I’m so sorry for the way I’ve been acting.  I know I’ve been acting like a baby, and I didn’t mean it.  I don’t hate you, I love you with all my heart. I’m so sorry.  Please forgive me.”

Adam was taken aback by the warm reception he received from his daughter.

“Princess, I love you.  I only want the very best for you. I  may not always make decisions you like, but the decisions I make are made because I love you, and I want what is best for you.”

“I know, Daddy.  I see that now.  Trey even understood when I told him about it, too, but I was just so upset, I didn’t want to see it your way.  Will you forgive me for the way I acted?  I was so ugly to you.”

“Princess, I will never stop loving you, no matter how upset you get with me.  We both were angry and said things we shouldn’t have said.  I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

“Why don’t you go help Mommy with dinner. I’m going to take a shower.  It’s been a long day.”

“Okay, Daddy. Can I have a kiss and hug?”

Adam gave his daughter a kiss on her lips and a tight hug; a hug he had been missing in return for the past few weeks.

As Jessica was draining the potatoes, the phone rang; it was Jason and Brianna.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mom!  Hi, Jess!”  Jason and Brianna said over Jason’s speaker phone on his cell.

“Jessica, Jason told me about your visit to the gynecologist today.  I’m so sorry to hear the news.  Just know we ‘ll be there to support you when you have your surgery and anything you need all week while we’re home in Nevada.”

“Thanks, Brie, it means a lot to me that you and Jason will be able to be here for the surgery.”

“We wouldn’t think of being anywhere else, Mom!  Even if it weren’t spring break, we would be coming home for something major like this,” Jason interjected.

“Sounds like you’re cooking dinner, Mom, so we’ll let you go, but we wanted to call and tell you we love you, and we’ll see you in about ten days!”

“I love you two also! Don’t stay up too late studying for midterms.”

“We won’t, we promise. Love you, Mom!  Love you, Jessica!”

“Love you guys, too!  Bye!”

“Was that Jason, Mommy?”  Emily asked as she came in to help with putting the plates and glasses on the table.

“Yeah, it was Jason and Brie. They were just calling to tell me they loved me and were thinking about me.”

“Awe, I have such a great brother, and he has a beautiful girlfriend, too!”

“Yes, you are blessed to have such a wonderful brother.  I know if anything ever happened to Daddy and me, you and Jillian would be in good hands.”

“MOMMY!  Don’t talk like that!”  Emily scolded.

“Sorry! sorry!”  Jessica surrendered.

“You and Daddy going to have wine with dinner tonight, Mommy?”

“I don’t know about Daddy, but I don’t think I want wine this evening, Sweetheart, I’m just going to have some hot tea, I think.”

“By the way, did you get your camp and uniform money turned in today?”

“Yep, I sure did.  Thanks!”

“It gets more expensive for you to be a cheerleader every year!  I hate to think what it’s going to cost when Jillian gets to high school!”

“Maybe you’ll get lucky, and she won’t want to be a cheerleader, Mommy.”

“Oh, Sweetheart, it’s not the money, we can afford it, I just think it’s overpriced for the uniforms, the competitions, and all the other associated fees, that’s all.”

“I know, but I love being a cheerleader.  I have lots of fun.  I hope I can continue to do it in college, too!”

“Oh, heavens, I wonder what that’ll cost us!”  Jessica laughed.

Emily came over to her mother and put her arm around her shoulder, “But aren’t I worth it, Mommy?” she said batting her eyelashes at her mother.

Jessica turned and put her arms around her daughter who was almost as tall as she and said, “Sweetheart, you are worth every penny we put into your happiness,” and she kissed her forehead.

“Can I get in on some of this love action?”  Adam said as he came into the kitchen after taking a shower and changing into some jeans and a t-shirt.

The two elder Cartwright women looked at each other, and Jessica said, “You think he deserves love from two fabulous women?”

“Hmm, I don’t know, Mommy.  Oh sure, why not, he came home at a decent hour tonight.”

“Oh, geez, girls, thanks!”  Adam said as he came over and hugged both his girls.

“Hey, what about me?” Jillian said as she stood at the entrance to the kitchen with her hands on her hips, looking just like her older sister and mother when they did the same thing.

“Come here, Baby Girl!”  Jessica said, as her daughter ran to join the group hug.

“OUCH!” said the small voice in the tight hug.

The foursome immediately broke the hug when they realized Jillian’s injured hand had gotten caught in the embrace.

“Sorry, Baby Girl!  We got carried away!”  Jessica said as she grabbed her hand and tenderly kissed it.

“It’s okay, Mommy.  I’m all right.”

“Here, Peanut, you carry the forks for me, okay?  I’ll get the glasses.”

Jessica finished mashing the potatoes, and the family sat down to dinner.

After dinner was finished, Adam helped Jillian with her homework while Jessica cleared the dinner dishes and put them in the dishwasher.  After her homework was finished, Emily helped Jillian take a bath and get ready for bed.  Adam went back to the kitchen to see if Jessica still needed help with the dishes, but she was finished, so he grabbed a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses.

“Come’re, Mrs. Cartwright, I want to go cuddle with you on the couch tonight.  We haven’t done it in a very long time.”

“I like the sound of that, Mr. Cartwright!”

Adam went into the formal living room with the bottle of wine and the glasses.  Jessica joined him on the couch.  She kicked off her shoes and folded her feet up under her legs and snuggled into her husband’s chest as she sipped on her wine.

After Jillian had her bath, Emily sent her into the living room to give her mommy and daddy a kiss and hug goodnight.  Emily tucked her in and wished her sweet dreams.

After Emily had shut the door, she came to the entrance of the living room where she saw Adam and Jessica being romantic with each other, kissing, and Adam being playful with Jessica trying to unbutton her blouse.

Emily cleared her throat to get her parents attention so that they knew they were no longer alone. When they looked up, they were still giggling when they invited Emily in to sit down.

“Daddy, I wanted to talk to you about something.  I hope you’ll listen with an open mind, okay?”

Adam straightened himself up and put his wine glass down after taking a sip.  Jessica sat up buttoning up her shirt but stayed cuddled in Adam’s arm.

“I told Trey I couldn’t go to the prom with him because I wasn’t sixteen yet.  Surprisingly, he understood and respected your decision.”

“Smart boy.”

“He really, really likes me, Daddy, and I like him.  He wants to get to know me better, so he thought, if it was okay with you, maybe he could come over here, and we could spend some time together here in the house with you and Mommy here.  We could watch TV or a movie, play games, or study.”

Adam stopped and digested everything Trey had proposed via Emily.

“Princess, it has nothing to do with Trey, please understand this…”

Emily could hear the big BUT coming on, and her face started to sour.

“I’m sure Trey is a fantastic young man, but the rules are the rules.  No seeing boys until you are sixteen.  Even if you spend time with them here in the house with Mommy and me at home.”

Emily couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.  “I just don’t understand, Daddy!  I’m going to be sixteen in six months.  Why can’t we have a compromise?”

“Emily Elizabeth, crying is not going to make me change my mind.  If Trey really likes you the way he says he does, he’ll wait for you to turn sixteen, end of discussion.  Now, it’s getting late, you need to get on to bed.”

Emily got up and stormed off crying.

“It’s not fair!” she screamed as she walked to her bedroom slamming the door as she went in.

It broke Adam’s heart to disappoint his daughter again after they had made headway and got back to where they had been before the first argument.  Adam was not budging where his daughter and boys were concerned.

Jessica watched her daughter storm off to her room and without any word, she got up off the couch, grabbed her shoes, and retreated to the bedroom she shared with Adam and began getting ready for bed.

“Where are you going, Jess?”  Adam asked, but she did not respond to him.

After a few minutes, Adam got up and headed to the bedroom.  When he walked in, he saw Jessica taking the comforter off the bed in a huff.

Adam walked over to her and gently took her arm and asked what was going on, and why had she left suddenly without any word and went to their room to go to bed.

Jessica looked up at Adam with anger in her eyes as she pulled away, “What is it with you, Adam?  Why are you such a damn control freak where Emily is concerned?  Do you want to keep her all to yourself?”

“Excuse me, Jessica?  You care to clarify yourself?  What the hell are you insinuating?”  Adam’s voice and body grew tense.

“Your daughter is reaching out to you, Adam.  She likes a boy, he likes her.  They want to spend time together, but you’re totally unreasonable!”

“Here we go again.  I thought I made my made my reasons clear to both of you on this.  Why are we arguing about it again?  I’ll explain again, but this time, pay attention, PLEASE!”

“Excuse me?”

“Emily is not dating or seeing any boys until she’s sixteen, end of story.  I’m not going to keep revisiting this subject.  The rules are the rules!”  Adam went into the closet to take off his clothes.

“Rules are guidelines.  They’re not fixed in stone, Adam,” Jessica followed him into the closet to take off her clothes as well.

Wanting to defuse a heated argument, Adam came over to Jessica and put his arms around her and tried to start kissing her on her neck.

“I don’t want to get into an argument about this, I want to continue where we left off in the living room.”

Jessica jerked away, “Don’t try to use sex as a weapon to divert me,  Adam.  You are the master manipulator at that.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”  Adam’s voice changed back to a deep controlled anger.

“You’re a smart man, you went to Harvard,” Jessica said as she went to the dresser to get a pajama set to put on.

“So this is how you punish me for disappointing our daughter?  Who’s using sex as a weapon here?”

Jessica turned around and slapped Adam, “Don’t ever accuse me of withholding sex from you because we’re arguing.  I don’t play those games.”

“Don’t accuse me of it either then.  I would never withhold something so intimate and loving as a way to punish you.  We were having a lovely time on the couch.  I wanted to start foreplay in the living room and then bring you in here for a night of passion like you had never seen.  Then our daughter came in, told me she had a new idea to see a boy.  I told her the rules, she got mad and stormed off.  You then stormed off right behind her, killing the moment.  When I came and asked what’s wrong, I’m practically accused of incest, which by the way, Jessica, is way below the belt, even for you.  So tell me again who’s playing what games?  I’ve lost my program.”

“Question, Adam.  What makes you think when Emily goes to bed on October 1st and wakes up sixteen on October 2nd, she’s going to be any different?”

Adam stared at Jessica with a confused look.  He didn’t know how to respond to her question.

“What are you talking about?”

Jessica rolled her eyes, “Adam, Emily will be fifteen on the 1st of October.  She will go to bed fifteen and wake up on the second, sixteen.  She will not have magically transformed into a new Emily because she’s now sixteen.  What I’m trying to say to you is, the rule about being sixteen to date boys is ridiculous!”

“You didn’t think it was ridiculous when we were engaged, and we started to plan how we wanted to raise our family.”

“I didn’t have children at the time either, Adam.  I didn’t realize how individual they would all be.  We have three kids, each a product of both of us yet, they are all three very different. Jason couldn’t have cared less about girls when he was fifteen and sixteen; his girlfriend was his school work.  Jillian seems to be headed down the same path…”

“Jason now has found the girl he wants to marry at nineteen, and Jillian hasn’t even hit puberty yet.  Your point is?”  Adam said with an audacious tone.

“Well maybe if you let me finish,” Jessica bit back.

“What I’m trying to say, if you will quit interrupting me,with the comments from the peanut gallery, is we didn’t have this issue with Jason because he never cared much about dating in high school.  Emily is uniquely different from Jason.  She likes boys, she wants to see them outside of school.  Emily’s a good kid, Adam.  She makes good grades, she’s never broken curfew, she calls us when she’s moving from one place to the other.  She doesn’t hide anything from us, but if you continue to act this way, she’s going to find a way to see Trey, even if it is behind our back.  Is that what you want?”

“If I catch her doing something like that….”

“You’ll do what, Adam?  Break every bone in the boy’s body and ground her for life?  She wants to see him!  She’s less than six months from being sixteen!  She’s mature enough already!  She’s asking us to give her our blessing!  She’s not sneaking around behind our backs, but if you want it that way, keep it up!”

Adam finally gave in.

“Alright!  You and Emily win, Jessica.  Trey can come here to the house, and they can spend time alone in the living room or in the family room, only if one or both of us is home!  They cannot go out alone until she’s sixteen, though.”

Jessica smiled and with a loving tone, she came to Adam and put her arms around him and said, “See? was that so hard?  Adam, whether you like it or not, our daughter is growing up!  She’ll always love you.  She’ll always be your baby girl; your Princess.”

“I just don’t want to ever see her get hurt.  I was a seventeen-year-old boy at one time.  I know how they can be.”

“Emily says Trey really likes her a lot.  He respected your wish when you told him they could’t go to the prom.  He could have blown her off then and went to the next girl in line, but he didn’t. He really likes our daughter.  I’m not saying he’ll be the one she marries someday, but for a high school crush, he seems like a decent kid who will protect her, not hurt her.  Besides, nobody can predict the outcome of any relationship.  If they start seeing each other, and somewhere down the line, they break up, you’ll be here with your broad daddy shoulders for her to cry on.”

Jessica felt a sharp pain in her ovaries and doubled over in pain.

“Babe!”

“I’ll be okay.  I’ve just been having a lot of pain the past few days.  Now I know why.”

Adam helped Jessica over to the bed where she put her silk pajama shorts set on.  Adam climbed into bed and pulled his wife next to him and held her in his arms until they both fell asleep.

The next morning at breakfast, Adam announced to Emily the good news she had wanted to hear; she could invite Trey over to spend time with her outside of school as long as one or both of her parents were home.  She hugged and thanked both her parents and told them she wouldn’t let them down and would always respect the rules they set forth where she and Trey were concerned.

Chapter Seven

The end of a hectic week finally arrived, and Adam was looking forward to seeing his old flame and now special friend, Rebecca Roberts, again.

The day was jammed, and it looked like he might not be able to get out by the 5:00 P.M. deadline he set for himself, but he was working diligently to make it happen.

As 5:00 P.M. rolled around, Adam, knee deep in proposals, even seeing he wasn’t anywhere near ready to call it a day, wrapped up for the weekend.  At the rate his day was going, he could easily have been at the office until midnight and still not have everything he needed to do done. With all the distractions of the day, he decided he would spend Sunday afternoon at the office after church, to get caught up on what he had not been able to get accomplished on Friday.

Adam arrived home at 5:45 P.M. and found his wife in the bathroom getting herself dolled up for their guests who would arrive at 6:30 P.M..

“You look beautiful, Jess,” Adam said as he quickly stripped out of his boxers to take a quick shower.

“I bet you say that to all the women you see standing at their bathroom mirror in just their panties, putting on make-up,” Jessica teased.

Adam came over and wrapped his arms around his wife’s waist and whispered, “Shhh, don’t tell my wife.”

The two laughed as Adam jumped in the shower.

When he came out, Adam wrapped a towel around his waist, combed his thinning hair and trimmed up his well-manicured beard.

Jessica came in dressed in a form-fitting red silk dress which came to just above her knees with off the shoulders sleeves.  Her red patent shoes finished off her total look.

“How do I look?”  She asked turning around so Adam could see her dressed completely.

Adam stopped trimming his beard when he saw Jessica in the reflection of the mirror.  He turned and gathered his wife into his arms and looked at her adoringly in her eyes.

“You think it’s too late to cancel?  I want to take this dress off of you right no.  Woman, what you do to me!”  He kissed Jessica passionately.

In his haste, Adam had left the door open to their bedroom when he arrived home, and Jessica didn’t notice the doors being open either; Emily knew with the doors being open, she was allowed to enter without knocking.  She came into the bathroom and quickly turned away when she saw her parents acting like two love sick teenagers.

“Sorry, Mommy and Daddy, your door was open, I thought it was okay to come in!  The pizza guy is here; I need some money.

The two parents laughed as they got caught in a lovers’ embrace.  Adam walked into the bedroom to get his wallet out of the trousers he had worn to work.  Emily’s face grew a dozen shades of red as she saw her father in just a towel.  Noticing his daughter’s embarrassment, he decided to have a bit of fun with her since he was in a playful mood.

“For someone who parades around the house half naked all the time, you sure seem to be embarrassed you’ve caught your old man half naked in his own bedroom,” he winked as he got cash from his wallet.

“Daddy, stop!”  Emily laughed as she turned her head again.

“Hey!  I think I keep in good shape for an old guy, don’t you think?  Holding his arms out to show off his massive chest and well-defined arms and shoulders.

“Daddy, you’re embarrassing me, stop!”  Emily’s face grew redder the harder she laughed.

Jessica was practically in tears with laughter.  “Okay, Adam, you’ve had your fun, give the child some money for the pizza,” Jessica said through her laughter.

He walked over to his daughter, who often paraded around the house in not much more than Adam was wearing in the privacy of his bedroom, took Emily into his arms, kissed her on the forehead, and put the money in her hands.

“I love you, Princess.  Here’s the money for the pizza.”

“I love you more, Daddy, but with clothes on, please?  Remember, Cartwrights aren’t nudists!” Emily winked at her daddy as she turned and left the room.

Adam stood with a broad smile on his face.  Jessica looked at Adam and then at the door of their room where Emily had just exited.

“Private joke between the two of you?”  Jessica inquired as she leaned against the wall with her hands wrapped around her waist.

“Close the door, I need to finish getting dressed,” Adam said as he stripped his towel, threw it on the bed, and went over to the dresser to get a fresh pair of boxers.

Adam looked up remembering back to when his princess was just a little girl.

“When Emily was just about four if I remember she came into my room very early one morning telling me she was hungry; she was just wearing her panties, I remember.  You know how she was back then, you would put her pajamas on her at bedtime, but when you would go to check on her later, she had taken them all off and was sleeping on top of her covers, even in the dead of winter.”

“Still does, half the time,” Jessica commented, smiling as Adam told a story about their daughter’s younger years when they were divorced.

“I told her little girls, such as herself, weren’t nudists and needed to wear their pajamas.  Oh my gosh! That one statement opened a Pandora’s box of questions about what a nudist was and why couldn’t she be a nudist.  She had to know why it was okay Daddy, and Jason could sleep and sometimes go without a shirt.  I mean, we must have sat there for almost a half hour with her sitting on my chest wanting to know all about the word nudist.”

“Oh, Adam,” Jessica could hardly catch her breath from laughing so hard, “You never told me about that conversation.”

Adam smiled as he thought about his small little princess whom he adored so much when he was just a weekend dad, “She was a pistol back then…Still is!”

Jessica’s eyes got big as she laughed and nodded her head in agreement.

She walked up to Adam, put her arms around his waist and gave him a light kiss on the lips, then slapped his bare bum and said, “Now get dressed before our guests arrive.  I’m going to feel strange enough having your old girlfriend in my home.  I’m going to need you by my side until I can get to know her better.”

Adam headed to the closet to get out the suit he planned to wear to dinner and put his boxers, trousers, dress shirt and tie on.

“Jess, thanks for being a good sport about this.  I know you never cared for Rebecca, but you’ll see what a lovely person she is by the end of the night,” Adam said as he buttoned his dark pink and white striped dress shirt.

“Don’t go pushing your luck, Adam Cartwright.  I’m doing this for you because I love you.”

Adam grabbed his wife from behind and kissed her neck, “I’ll show you how much I love you and appreciate you later tonight, my little sex kitten.”

“I’ll hold you to that, now finish getting dressed will ya?”

Adam went back to the closet to get the jacket to his Armani suit.

Emily and Jillian were eating their pizza and playing a game of Sorry! when Adam peeked his head in to see if they needed anything before their guests arrived.  Emily’s eyes got wide as she saw her father all dressed up.

“Daddy, you look handsome,”  She came over to give him a hug and kiss.

“Thanks, Princess!  Do you two need anything else?”

“Nope, Mommy got us some movies today, we have our pizza.  I think we’re good!”

“I’m beating Emmy at Sorry!, Daddy!”  Jillian boasted.

“That’s great, Sweetpea!”

Adam heard the door bell ring just then and told his girls to have fun, and he would see them later.

Adam went to the door, and when he opened it, he saw a vision of loveliness he had not seen in over ten years.  He opened the glass door and welcomed Rebecca and her husband into his home.

“Adam, you are looking great!  How have you been?”  Rebecca asked as she gave him a kiss on the cheek and a big hug.  “When did this happen?” she asked surprisingly stroking his beard.

“I’ve been well, Becky, you’re looking stunning!  Motherhood agrees with you!  The beard?  Well, when one loses hair elsewhere, he has to balance it out in another,” Adam laughed stroking his balding head.

Jessica heard Adam at the front door greeting their guests.  She was a bit nervous to join him as she hadn’t seen Rebecca since she had seen her when Adam lay in the ICU in critical condition when they were divorced over ten years prior.

“Adam, I would like you to meet my husband, David.  Dave, this is Adam Cartwright, a very old dear friend.”

Adam and Dave shook hands as Adam smiled broadly, “With an emphasis on old,” Adam laughed.  “It’s good to meet you, Dave, welcome to our home.

Just as he finished shaking Dave’s hand, he saw Jessica as she was coming up the hall, and he motioned her over to his side.  He put his arm around her and said, “Honey, you remember, Rebecca.”

The two smiled and acknowledged each other.

“This is Rebecca’s husband, Dave,’ gesturing to the tall, handsome gentleman in a black pinstripe suit.

Jessica shook Dave’s hand and told him how nice it was to meet him and welcomed him and his wife, Rebecca, to her home.

“Would you like to come in and sit down?  Can I get you a cocktail, beer, or wine?”

Rebecca and Dave looked at each other, “You want a beer, Honey?”  Rebecca asked.

“Yeah, that’d be great, Adam, I’ll have a beer.”

Adam then looked back at Rebecca and said, “Red wine?”

“Some things never change, Adam!” she smiled broadly.

Adam then went over and took Jessica into his arms, “Wine, Babe?”

“Yeah, I would love some, Honey,” She said looking at Rebecca and Dave as they sat on the couch making loving eyes at each other.

Adam went and got the wine and beer, and Jessica went to sit on the love seat next to the sofa where Rebecca and Dave were sitting.  She had to think of some small talk while Adam was gone.

“So Adam tells me you’re no longer at Boston Children’s; you now have twin girls?”

“Yes!  They are five and are the apples of our eyes. I thought I would always remain in practice; even after giving birth but when our girls came along, I knew there was nothing more I wanted to be but a stay at home mom.”

“I know what you mean.  Even when Adam and I were divorced, he always made sure the kids and I were taken care of to the point where I didn’t have to work.  I loved my job, however, so I worked on the weekends when he had the kids.”

“Adam tells me Jason’s in college now?”

“Yes, he goes to M.I.T..  We’re so proud of him.  He has a girlfriend whom he met in Cambridge; she attends Wellesley.”

Just as Jessica was getting comfortable talking to Rebecca and Dave, Emily came out and interrupted her mother’s conversation.

“Mommy?” her voice was timid as she walked into the room, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but something’s wrong with the DVD player.  I don’t know why, but I can’t get the movie to play.”

“That’s okay, Sweetheart, come here, I want to introduce you to an old friend of Daddy’s.  I don’t know if you even remember her when you met her when you were little.  Emily, this is Rebecca and her husband, Dave. Rebecca, Dave, our daughter, Emily!”

“My gosh!  You’ve grown into a beautiful young lady, Emily!  I’m sure you don’t remember me; you were only four when I lived here and knew your father.”

“You’re a doctor aren’t you?”  Emily said timidly.

“Yes! you remember me helping your brother when he broke his leg?”

“I vaguely remember you.  I was very young.”

“Yes, you were about four, I believe.  I even spent a day with you, your brother, and dad at the Ponderosa one afternoon after Jason’s accident.”

“I don’t remember that, but I do remember you from the park and the hospital.  How are you?”

“I’m good.  You’re such a beautiful young lady now!”

Emily blushed and bowed her head.

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

Just as Jessica excused herself and Emily to fix the DVD player, Jillian emerged from the den wondering what was taking Emily so long.  When Jessica saw her, she called her over so she could introduce her to Rebecca and Dave also.

“Come here, Baby Girl. I want to introduce you to an old friend of Daddy’s.”

Jillian got shy, walked over and clung to her mommy.

“Jillian, this is an old friend of Daddy’s, her name is Dr. Rebecca and her husband, Dr. Dave.”

Jillian hid her face in her mommy’s side.

“I’m sorry, she’s a bit shy.”

Rebecca smiled and said, “We totally understand.  Our daughters do the same thing when they meet strangers.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jillian, what happened to your hand?”  Rebecca asked in a sweet tone kneeling down to her level.

“I got a cut,” was all Jillian would answer turning her face back to the safety of her mommy’s side.

“She was being a big helper one night, taking her dishes into the kitchen and dropped her glass.  Before Adam or I could tell her not to pick it up, she had bent down and a piece of glass sliced her hand open.”  Jessica explained while stroking Jillian’s locks.

“You’re beautiful, just like your sister and mommy.  I’m glad you weren’t seriously hurt.” Rebecca said patting Jillian on the arm.

Adam came back into the room with a couple of beers and two glasses of wine.

“I see you’ve met our girls!  You probably remember Emily, Becky.”

“I do!  She’s so grown up and beautiful!  Of course, she was a gorgeous little girl when I knew her way back when.”

As Adam started to hand Jessica her glass of wine, she told Adam she would get it when she returned; she had to fix the DVD player for the girls.

Jessica excused herself, the girls, and they went into the family room so Jessica could repair the DVD player.  When they had privacy, Emily asked her mother about Rebecca.

“When Jason got hurt on the playground, she came to help him, and she and Daddy became friends.”

Jessica didn’t want to elaborate any more than she did because their relationship had long been over, but Emily asked more uncomfortable questions about Rebecca to her mother.

“Did Daddy love her?”

“What makes you ask that, Sweetheart?”

“I don’t know.  I kinda remember Daddy talking on the phone a lot to her when I was younger when we spent the weekends with him.”

“She was very special to your daddy at one time, yes, but she moved away.”

“Is that when you and Daddy got back together?”

Jillian was listening with great interest as well.  She had not been born and never knew her parents were divorced.

“Emily, we’ll talk about this another time, okay?”

Jessica fixed the DVD player, and the movie started to play.  The two girls sat back down and ate more of their pizza which had now gone cold, but they didn’t seem to mind.

Jessica walked out and closed the door.  She stopped and took a deep breath.  She straightened her dress and joined her husband back in the formal living room where Adam was showing Rebecca and Dave the photo album the kids had given them a few years before as an anniversary gift from their photo shoot they had done on the Ponderosa.  He went over to the fireplace mantle and took down a picture of himself and Jessica, Jason, and Brianna at the New Year’s Eve Gala to show them a recent picture of their son, and the girl he would one day marry.

“Oh, Adam, he has grown up to be a handsome young man!  His girlfriend is gorgeous, too! Seems like only yesterday he was the small boy I was setting a broken leg for!”

Rebecca then showed the picture to her husband, Dave, and explained the story of how she met Adam and his children when she had gone to the park to enjoy a day reading her book about Shakespeare.

“This is the boy who fell out of the swing and broke his leg.  He is the reason we met in the first place!”

Dave nodded his head and replied, “Adam and Jessica, you have a beautiful family, you must be proud.”

“We are, Dave,” Adam said as he looked at Jessica with love in his eyes.

Rebecca smiled as she studied Adam and Jessica.  She knew she had done the right thing over ten years before.  She knew Adam had many unresolved feelings for Jessica when she left; she knew their relationship would never have worked because of them.

Adam looked at his watch and the time was almost 7:30 P.M.  “I guess we better get going if we’re going to make our reservations on time!”

Rebecca and Dave followed behind Jessica and Adam to Adel’s, and the two couples had a wonderful dinner with each other.  When it came time to leave, Jessica had relaxed considerably and was enjoying herself.  The two women had bonded over talking about the joys and hardships of raising children as well as many other interests they had in common such as Shakespeare and cooking.

As the two couples said their goodbye’s, Adam and Rebecca hugged tightly, and Adam kissed her on the cheek.  He told her how the years had been good to her, and how fantastic it was to see her again.

Dave gave Jessica a hug and kiss on the cheek, while Adam and Rebecca continued sharing a private moment together.

Dave extended an offer for Jessica, Adam, and their family to come and visit if they were ever in the Boston area.  He also invited them to come out during the summer anytime and vacation with them at their home on Nantucket.

When Adam and Rebecca broke their embrace, Dave and Adam shook hands, thanked him for dinner and told him how much he enjoyed the evening. 

Rebecca came to Jessica as Dave and Adam were talking and said, “I know this started out uncomfortable for you tonight, but I’m glad we all got together.  You have a beautiful family, Jessica.  You and Adam look very happy as well.  Thank you for opening your home to us, and I couldn’t think of a dinner I’ve ever had with two more enchanting people.”

“I know I was a horrible person to you all those years ago.  I’m truly sorry for being so rude and mean.  I never stopped loving Adam.  I hope you understand.  You are everything Adam said you were and more.  I’ve enjoyed getting to know you and Dave this evening.  I hope we can do it again when we come to Boston for Jason’s graduation, if not before.”

“I look forward to it, but don’t wait until then!  Dave and I would love for you and the family to come to our summer home on Nantucket sometime!  It’s big enough for everyone, and we would love to have you as our guests!”

“Dave mentioned it, and it sounds great.  Adam and I will discuss it.  We’ve been debating where we wanted to go on vacation this summer.  I’ll be sure either Adam or I get in touch with you so we can work out the details.”

Jessica and Rebecca gave each other a hug and kissed on the cheek.  Adam grinned from ear to ear as he saw his wife’s old nemesis was a friend now.

On their way home from dinner, Jessica and Adam discussed the possibility of going to Nantucket for vacation in the summer.  They hoped everyone could work it into their hectic summer schedule.  Jessica planned to let Jason know of their plans so he and Brie could join them on the island before making summer plans of their own.

When they returned home, Adam found Emily watching a late night comedy talk show while Jillian, already in her pajamas, slept in her lap.  Emily had cleaned up the pizza, drinks, and snacks.  She also put the Sorry! game back into its box and into the closet.  When she saw her father, she smiled and looked at her sister sleeping soundly and stroked her hair.  Adam came and picked up his sleeping daughter and put her in her bed; she never woke up.  Adam kissed her forehead and walked out of her room, quietly closing the door behind her.

“Did you and Mommy have a good time tonight, Daddy?”  Emily quietly asked as she met her father in the hallway going to her room for the night.

“We did, Princess. Rebecca is a dear old friend.  It was good to see her again and meet her husband,” Adam said as he undid his tie.

“They’ve invited us to vacation with them at their summer home on Nantucket in Massachusetts. Mommy and I are going to see if we can work it out to go there when you, Jillian, and Jason get out of school for the summer and before you go to cheerleader camp.”

“Sounds like fun, Daddy.  My friend Cheryl went there for vacation last year; she said it’s a great place!  Lots of shopping!”  Emily grinned.

“How’d I know if you could find a way to empty my wallet, you would?”  Adam said as he took his princess into his arms.

“It’s my duty, Daddy!  I have to stay in training for when I get married.  Mommy’s a pro, and I want to be just like her!”

Adam pulled back and looked adoringly into his daughter’s eyes.  He saw so much of Jessica in his middle child.  He felt so blessed to have such a beautiful, funny, and silly daughter.

“I love you, Princess, sleep well.”

Emily kissed her father on the lips and said, “Love you more, Daddy!  Good night!”

Emily broke the father-daughter embrace and went into her room.  Adam felt his eyes get misty as he thought of his daughter one day leaving their home to become another man’s woman.  My baby’s growing up; he thought quietly to himself as he turned to walk into his room where Jessica was taking off her shoes.

When she saw Adam come in unbuttoning his shirt, she went over to him and turned around, moving her hair to the side to have him unzip her dress.

Adam took the opportunity to suckle his wife’s neck.

“You have the sexiest neck any man could ask for,” He said in between each love bite.

Jessica twisted in Adam’s arms and continued to unbutton his dress shirt, pulling the tails from his trousers as she ran her hands under his shirt through the salt and pepper forest of chest hair. She lifted up his undershirt and started nibbling his right nipple, making Adam growl with excitement.

Adam finished unzipping Jessica’s dress letting it fall to the floor.  Jessica removed Adam’s shirt and unbuckled his belt.  Adam picked up his wife, laid her down on the bed and started to unbutton his trousers to remove them when a knock came at the door.

Adam stopped, closed his eyes and sighed.  He walked to the door to find Jillian standing at the door crying.

Jillian’s sobs were growing stronger when she saw her father.  Adam bent down to hold her in his arms to quiet her fears.

“What’s the matter, Sweetpea?”  Adam said as he stroked her back, trying to settle his daughter’s tears.

“I want my mommy,” she cried.

“She’s right over there on the bed.  Go and see her,” Adam said as he broke their embrace.

Jillian ran to her mommy and leaped into her arms.

“What is it, Baby Girl?  Why are you crying?”  Jessica asked in a loving soft tone.

“I had a dream.  I want to sleep with you.  I’m scared,”  she cried louder. 

“Okay, okay, Baby Girl.  Try to relax.  Mommy’s right here.”

Jessica looked at Adam.  He shrugged his shoulders in defeat.

“Just until she goes back to sleep,” Adam said as he went into the drawer to get a pair of pajama pants.

Jessica put her daughter in the middle of their bed and went over to the dresser to pull out a nightgown to wear and joined Adam in the bathroom.

“I’m sorry, Adam,” she said with a pouted lip.

“It’s okay, Babe,” he said with a tender kiss to Jessica’s lips.  “It’s part of being a parent,” he smiled.

The two went and got in bed with their daughter in the middle.  Jillian snuggled next to her mommy and Jessica held her close in the safety of her arms until she drifted back to sleep.  By the time Jillian fell asleep, Adam had realized Jessica, too, was asleep, so he turned over and went to sleep with two of his reasons for living.

Chapter Eight

The last day of school came before spring break.   Jason and Brianna had one last class each to take a test, and they would be leaving for Logan Airport early the next morning and head west for spring break vacation, but their minds were more focused on Jessica’s surgery and finding out if she had cancer or not.   Jessica had been suffering more bouts of ovarian pain and mood swings, and Adam worried if waiting ten days had been a good idea.

“Hey Babe, how are you feeling?”  Adam asked answering his private number which only was known to his executive assistant, Heather, and his wife, Jessica, and children.

“Jillian’s appointment to get her stitches out is today, but I’m not feeling well.   I need you to take her for me,”  Jessica replied with an exhausting tone.

“Jess, I’m concerned you’ve been having so much pain lately, I really believe you shouldn’t have waited for Jason to come home to have surgery.”

“Adam, why do you have to constantly reprimand me about waiting?  I told you I wasn’t having surgery until my son could be here and he couldn’t be here until this weekend!”  Jessica was agitated due to the pain she had been suffering all day.

“I’m not trying to start a fight with you, Jessica, Adam’s voice was controlled.   “I’m only worried about why I agreed with you to wait.  You’ve been in so much pain this past week, and I’m concerned for your health.  I’m sure Jason would’ve understood to not have waited before he could get home; especially if we had known your health would deteriorate as fast as it has in such a short time.”

Ignoring Adam’s kind words Jessica continued, “Adam, I called to tell you you’ll need to pick up Emily and Jillian from school and take Jillian to the doctor afterward; her appointment is at 4:00 P.M.  Can you break yourself away from your damn company to take care of your family?”  Jessica asked with considerable ire in her voice.

Adam sat quietly for a moment.  He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose trying to bite his tongue, he knew it was the pain speaking.  “Have you taken the pain meds Dr. McIntyre prescribed you?”

Jessica broke down and cried due to the extreme pain.  Adam felt helpless.  He was at work instead at home comforting his wife.

“Jess, I can leave the office in five minutes, I’m coming home,”  Adam advised over the cries coming through his phone.

“Just do as I’ve asked, can you please just take care of our children and stop the recriminations?”  Jessica curtly cried, she was making no sense.

“I’m coming home if you haven’t taken your pain meds, please…would you to do so now.  I’m hanging up, I’ll be home, give me about a half hour.” 

Jessica didn’t hear his final words as she pulled the phone away from her ear and disconnected the call.

Adam hung up and called Heather.  “Can you come in, please?  I need to go over a few things with you.”

While Adam waited for Heather to arrive, he began packing up his paperwork he would take home for the coming week since he would be off due to Jessica’s surgery and the kids being home on spring break.

“Yes, Adam?  You needed to see me?”  Heather asked as she came in the door with her iPad ready to take notes.

“Jessica’s not feeling well, and I need to go home.  Please get a hold of Hoss and Joe, ask them to stand in for me at this afternoon’s meeting with the Cutter brothers on the timber acquisition.   They are both up to speed on the talks, so they should be able to handle the meeting.  Let them know I’ll be in touch with them after I take Jillian to the doctor; we should be done before the meeting is scheduled to start.”

“Yes, Sir, is there anything else you need me to do for you?  Do you have everything you need to work from home next week?”

“I need the files for the Augie Simpson deal.  Please gather up everything for me and FedEx it Saturday Delivery to the house.  I’ll need to get up to speed for the conference call next week.  I’ll let you know if it needs to be rescheduled once Jess has her surgery and we know what we’re faced with.”

“Sure thing, Adam.  Please let Jessica know she’s in Jarrod’s and my prayers.  I’ll be eager to hear how she’s doing and her prognosis after the surgery.”

Adam smiled at Heather and thanked her for her and her husband’s prayers and concern.  Jessica had met Heather on several occasions at different company sponsored events, and they had hit it off quite well.  Heather was loyal to Adam and worked long hours to make sure he was always prepared to be on top of his game for every meeting and deal.  Adam appreciated Heather’s hard work, loyalty, and research she often did for him.  Jessica used to argue with Adam he needed not work her so hard because she needed to have a life outside of Cartwright, Inc., but Heather would tell her she appreciated working for Adam and all he did for her over the years.  Jessica had met Jarrod through a mutual friend and knew he would be perfect for Heather.  Despite the objections Adam had with Jessica interfering in Heather’s personal life, Jessica set in motion to have Jarrod and Heather meet at the yearly Cartwright, Inc. holiday party a few years prior.  The couple hit it off and began steadily dating and after a year was married in Antigua with just their families and honor attendants present. 

Adam arrived home to a soundless house.  He dropped off his briefcase in the office and walked back to the bedroom he shared with Jessica.  He found her sound asleep on the bed resting comfortably so he went into the closet, changed into a cotton button-down shirt, jeans, loafers and left the bedroom, closing the door so any noise he might make while in his office wouldn’t wake Jessica as she needed rest.

Adam worked from home until it was time to pick up Emily and Jillian at school.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hi, Daddy,” Emily said as she walked out of school and found her father in Jessica’s SUV to pick her up instead of her mother, “Where’s Mommy?”

“Mommy isn’t feeling well so she called me at work to come get you and to take Jillian to the doctor to get her stitches out.”

“Daddy, I’m worried about Mommy.  I don’t know what I would do without her,” Emily’s voice cracked at the thought of losing her mother. 

“Princess, she’s in good hands with Dr. McIntyre.  I’m sure he wouldn’t have allowed her to put off the surgery until Monday if he felt waiting would jeopardize Mommy’s health.”

“I suppose you’re right, Daddy, but I’m scared.  I can’t help it, I’m just scared.”

“I know, Princess, we’re all a bit nervous, but we need to be strong for Mommy.  She needs us to be there for her.”

“Yeah,” Emily sighed looking out the passenger window.

As Adam drove up to the elementary school to get Jillian, Emily jumped out and said she would go in and get her sister so Adam would not have to drive so far away to find a parking space.

“I always go in and get Jillian, Daddy.”

After a few minutes, Emily came out carrying Jillian’s book bag and lunchbox.  When Jillian saw her father in the driver’s seat, her eyes lit up, and her lips turned up in a large smile.

“Hi, Daddy, why are you here?  Where’s Mommy?”  Jillian asked.

“Hi, Sweetpea, Mommy’s not feeling well today so she asked me to come and get you so we could get those stitches out of your hand.  How was school today?”

“Good, my hand really itches.  I’m glad to get the stitches out today.  Daddy, are they going to give me another shot?”  Jillian’s voice trembled.

“No, Peanut,” Emily interjected.  “They’ll snip the strings and pull them out with some tweezers.

“Em’s right, Sweetpea, it won’t hurt at all.  It shouldn’t take very long either.”

The girls and Adam arrived at the Tahoe Medical Group where Jillian’s pediatrician’s office was located.  They entered the office and found several people in the waiting room, some patients, some parents of patients waiting for their particular doctor to call their name.

The two girls went to sit down while Adam walked up to the reception desk to sign Jillian in for her appointment.  While Adam was signing Jillian in, the receptionist opened the window and welcomed Adam to the office.

“Which doctor are you here to see today, Sir?”  The receptionist asked as Adam completed the sign in form. 

“Dr. Lavigne for Jillian Cartwright,” Adam responded.

“Okay, thank you.  I just need Jillian’s insurance card please.”

Adam pulled his wallet from his back pocket and handed the card to the receptionist. 

“Your co-pay is $20 today, Mr. Cartwright,” the receptionist advised as she continued to check in Jillian on her computer.

Adam handed the receptionist a $20 bill, and after she was done, she gave him the paperwork, and receipt and advised she would be called back shortly. 

Adam sat down next to the girls who both had picked up magazines to read.  Jillian chose Highlights and Emily, People Magazine.

Adam decided to utilize the waiting time by checking email on his iPhone.

About five minutes passed, and a voice came over the speaker, “Jillian Cartwright to Dr. Lavigne’s waiting area.”

“I’ll stay here, Daddy,” Emily announced without looking up from the fascinating article she was reading.

Jillian grabbed her father’s hand and led him to Dr. Lavigne’s area since he’d never been to her doctor’s office before.

Adam placed Jillian’s paperwork in the box under Dr. Lavigne’s nameplate, and they sat down waiting to be called one more time.

“Jillian?” the nurse said taking her paperwork from the box.

Jillian and Adam stood up and walked to the back where Dr. Lavigne’s exam rooms were located.  The nurse stopped at the scale, indicating Jillian to step up so she could get her weight.  She led them into exam room number one where she continued her usual examination; temperature, blood pressure, pulse and noted any changes to her health record. 

“You’re here to get stitches out today, Jillian?  How is your hand doing?  Let’s take the bandages off and take a look,” the nurse said after she finished entering her vital signs in the laptop computer.

She gently removed the ace bandage keeping the gauze clean.  Jillian watched as the nurse removed the various layers, exposing the stitches for the first time in two weeks. 

“Eeew!” Jillian began to whimper as she saw the bloody stitches for the first time.

Adam stood up, came to his daughter’s side and rubbed her back.  “It’s okay, Jillian, your wound is all healed now.  It’s just dried blood from when you first cut it.”

“Don’t touch it!”  Jillian said pulling her hand back, “It’ll hurt!”

“Jillian, come on baby…Be daddy’s big girl, the nurse needs to clip the stitches so she can take them out.”

“It’ll hurt, Daddy,” Jillian started to cry.

“Oh, Sweetheart, it won’t hurt, I promise.  You’re all healed, we just need to take the stitches out now so you can start moving your hand to get it strong again.”

“Daddy, no!”  Jillian cried louder.

“Jillian, stop crying now.  I’ve explained what needs to happen and told you it won’t hurt.  You were a big girl when you got the stitches put in, can’t you be a big girl to get them out?”

“I promise, I’ll be very gentle, it won’t hurt at all, in fact, it’ll probably tickle a little when I pull the strings out.”  The nurse patted Jillian’s leg.

“You promise?”  Jillian asked between whimpers. 

“I promise,” the nurse smiled and winked.

Jillian looked at her father, her big eyes needed his encouragement.  At Adam’s nod and smile, she gave her hand back to the nurse who gingerly clipped each of the stitches.  Once she finished, she took the tweezers and advised Jillian she was going to pull each of them out, and it might tickle a little bit.

“Are you okay?  Does it hurt?”  The nurse asked after she started to pull the first suture out.

“No, Ma’am,” Jillian said, still wearing a frown because she wasn’t 100% sure it wouldn’t still hurt when she pulled the others out.

The nurse gently continued pulling them out one by one and Jillian giggled, “That tickles.”

“I told you it might tickle a little bit,” the nurse smiled.

After the final suture was out, she looked at Jillian with a big grin and said, “There, all done, now that didn’t hurt at all, did it?”

Jillian smiled and laughed as she replied in surprise, “No, it didn’t!”

“I’m going to wash it with medicated soap and sterile water to clean away the dried blood before Dr. Lavigne comes in to look and make sure it’s healing well, okay?”

Jillian nodded so the nurse took her hand and placed it over a pan to catch the water. She put a small amount of soap in her hand and massaged the scar.  She looked up at Adam and said, “You’ll want to get Vitamin E lotion to gently massage the palm of her hand for the next few weeks at least once a day, this will help keep the scarring down while it continues to heal on the inside.”  She then looked at Jillian and said, “It’s imperative to let Mommy and Daddy massage the scar, okay?  If you don’t let them the scar tissue can form, and it’ll become painful, so be sure you are a big girl and let them massage your hand like I’m doing right now with the soap.”

“Okay, I promise,” Jillian answered.

After the nurse had checked Jillian’s hand and all the dried blood was cleared away, she poured sterile water and washed away the soap leaving a small red line where the cut had once been.

“Looks excellent.  I’ll let Dr. Lavigne know you’re ready.  She should be right in,” she said as she removed her latex gloves, tossing them in the trash can.

A few minutes passed, Dr. Lavigne knocked and entered the room.  She had the laptop with Jillian’s information pulled up on the screen. 

“Beverly Lavigne,” she smiled at Adam, extending her right hand to shake Adam’s hand.

“Adam Cartwright, Jillian’s father.”  Adam shook Dr. Lavigne’s hand.

Dr. Lavigne turned her attention to Jillian, who was sitting on the exam table. 

“I heard you had a nasty cut on your hand.  I bet it hurt when you did it, huh?”

“Yes, Ma’am, it did.  I was trying to put my dishes on the kitchen counter to help Mommy and the glass slipped and broke on the floor.  My Daddy told me not to pick up the glass, but I didn’t listen, and I cut my hand.”  Jillian frowned.

“I bet you scared Mommy and Daddy when it happened,” Dr. Lavigne kept talking to Jillian to distract her a little as she examined Jillian’s healing wound.

“Daddy picked me up, and Mommy got a towel so I wouldn’t get blood everywhere and they took me to the hospital and I didn’t cry so the doctor gave me some colors, a color book, a sparkling pencil and lots of stickers!”  Jillian smiled remembering the prizes she got for being a model patient.

“Well I think you’ve been an excellent patient again today, so when we finish here, you can go out and see Nurse Stephanie, and she’ll get you some more stickers, okay?”

Jillian’s eyes widened, and she looked up at Adam grinning from ear to ear.

“What do you tell, Dr. Lavigne, Sweetpea?”  Adam asked his youngest daughter.

“Thank you, Dr. Lavigne!”  Jillian started bouncing up and down happily.

“Can I have a hug, Jillian?”  Dr. Lavigne held out her arms.

Jillian gave the doctor a hug and jumped down skipping out of the exam room to the nurse’s station so she could choose some stickers from the prize box.

“She’s such a sweet patient every time she comes in.  I’m sure Stephanie told you to get some Vitamin E cream and massage the scar for the next week or so?  This will help keep scarring tissue from building up as it continues to heal on the interior portion of the wound.”

“Yes, she did.  My wife keeps a jar in the cabinet.  I’ll see to it we do it each evening before bedtime,” Adam smiled.

“One more thing, make sure she exercises her hand by making a fist and then opening her hand all the way up,” Dr. Lavigne showed Adam how to exercise Jillian’s hand.  “She should do this several times a day; this will help keep the scarring tissue from setting up as well.  It might be hard at first, but it’s important she does this so the scar will stay flexible. As her strength builds, she can try squeezing a rubber ball, to help with building the strength in her hand.”

“You won’t have to worry, Doctor, I’ll see to it she does her exercises,”  Adam assured the doctor.

“Thanks for bringing her in today, Mr. Cartwright, you have a fantastic weekend,” Dr. Lavigne extended her hand again to shake Adam’s.

Dr. Lavigne walked out of the exam room on to her next patient.

Jillian skipped back into the room with several sheets of stickers and showed them to Adam.  He looked at them all with great interest and told her she’ll have fun playing with them when they got home.

Adam and Jillian walked out to the waiting room where Emily was still engrossed in the magazine she was reading.  Jillian ran over to get her sister and the three Cartwrights headed for home.

Shortly before 6:00 P.M. they arrived back at the house.  When they walked in, Jessica was awake and making dinner for the family. 

“Hi, Mommy!”  Emily said as she hurried past her heading back to her room.

Adam and Jillian walked in behind Emily and Adam walked over to Jessica, who was snapping fresh green beans in the sink and gave her a kiss on her head.  She smiled up at him and tried to apologize, but he interrupted her saying, “We’ll talk later, after the girls go to bed,” and continued on back to his office to finish up the work he was in the middle of when Jessica called him in pain.

Jillian came over to her mother to show her the scar on her hand and the stickers she had received because she had been a good patient. 

“I was scared.   I thought it was going to hurt,” Jillian cast her eyes downward, but looked up when she felt her father’s hand upon her shoulder, and he gave her a gentle squeeze.

“They’re beautiful, Baby Girl, why don’t you run on back to your room and play for a little bit, dinner will be ready in about half hour.”

When dinner was ready, Jessica went to tell Jillian and Emily to wash up and come to the table.  She stopped off at the office where Adam had closed the door to work quietly.  Jessica knocked on the door and poked her head in where she saw Adam deep in concentration with papers scattered on the desk.

“Adam, it’s dinner time, find a stopping point and come eat.”

“I’ll be right there, Jess, let me clean up my mess here.  I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Jessica had just placed the pork roast on the table when Adam came into the dining room. 

“Something smells good in here,” he said as he sat down at the head of the table.  Jessica brought the carving knife and fork over to Adam, and he carved a piece of pork tenderloin for each of his girls and himself.  The family talked about how excited they were for Jason and Brianna’s arrival the next morning and tried to keep the conversation light-hearted and not dwell on Jessica’s upcoming surgery, Monday.

After dinner was complete, Adam told Jessica he would take care of the dishes and to help Jillian with her bath.  He had explained over dinner the massaging with Vitamin E cream and exercises Dr. Lavigne prescribed for Jillian’s hand. 

When the dishes were loaded in the dishwasher, Adam came to their room where he found Jillian in her pajamas, and Jessica was massaging the cream into her hand. 

“Good thing Mommy’s a nurse huh, Sweetpea? 

“Mommy’s Super Mommy!” Jillian grinned at her hero, after exaggerating the word super.

After Jessica had finished massaging Jillian’s hand, she had her do the hand exercises and told her she could read for an hour but then wanted her to get some rest because Saturday would be a busy day with her brother’s arrival.

Adam and Jessica kissed their daughter, and she headed to her room for the night.

After Jillian left, they went to Emily’s room to wish her a good evening.  They both gave their eldest daughter a kiss and told her not to stay up too late.

The couple retreated to the family room where Adam had two glasses of ice tea waiting.  He didn’t want Jessica drinking even wine while taking the pain medication Dr. McIntyre had prescribed for her cramping.

Once settled on the couch, Jessica turned to Adam and again trying to apologize.  Adam listened as Jessica try to explain her behavior earlier in the day.

“I have no excuse for how I berated you on the phone at work today, Adam.  All I can ask is forgiveness.”

“Jess, I know the stress of not knowing if you have cancer or not has been weighing heavy on your mind.  I also know the pain can be intense at times, but what I don’t understand is why you don’t stay ahead of the pain, instead of letting it get out of control.  Do you even remember how you spoke to me today?”

“Honestly, Adam, at the point where I called you, I was in so much pain, I was almost having an out of body experience.  I’ve never experienced pain like I had today.  I guess I was crying out for help more than anything.”

“You have a funny way of asking for help,” Adam said coolly.  “When I got home, you were sound asleep; I take it you took your pain medicine?”

“I had taken it shortly before I called you.”

“I see,” said Adam taking a drink of his tea.

Adam relaxed and took his wife into his arms.  “I’m not angry, Jess, I’m just concerned about the stress you’re enduring and the pain you’ve been putting up with.  I know it’s taking a toll on you.   I feel helpless to see the woman I love dealing with so much pain.  I keep telling myself we should have done this surgery right away, and all of this could have been avoided.”

“Adam, the would’ve, should’ve, could’ve game is not healthy either.  We made the decision as a couple, and we have to live with that decision.  When we decided to wait for Jason to come home, the pain was not as intense.  The severe pain has really only been this week.  Monday it’ll all be over with, and we’ll deal with the fall out after the surgery, good or bad.”

Adam looked down into Jessica’s blue eyes and smiled.  “You know, I love you more today than I think I’ve ever loved you.  I’m amazed on a daily basis how deep our love runs.  You’re the most amazing wife and mother.  I’m truly a blessed man.”  Adam was thankful he hadn’t spitefully returned his wife’s barbed words earlier in the day.

Tears puddled in Jessica’s eyes, but one escaped and fell down her cheek. “I’m the one who’s blessed, Adam.  God brought you back to me after all the torment I put you through when we were divorced.  I didn’t deserve you back, but I’m thankful every day you are.  I’m sorry for today, please forgive me, Babe?”

“All is forgiven, my beautiful bride.  Let’s head to bed, I’m exhausted.  It’s been a long week and next week is going to be just as busy.”

The couple got up from the couch and took the two glasses over to the sink at the wet bar and left them on the counter until the morning.  They walked arm and arm back to the bedroom they shared where they undressed and held each other until they drifted to sleep.

The morning finally arrived for Jessica, Adam, and the girls to pick up Jason and Brianna from the airport.  The couple had planned to spend spring break in California and around Nevada so Jason could show his girl places of historical interest, but now their week’s plans had changed so they could spend them closer to home since Jessica would be having major surgery.

“Jason!”  Jessica called as she saw her son and Brianna leaving the secured area of the terminal and coming toward them.

When Jason saw his mother waving, he smiled broadly, grabbed Brianna’s hand, and they hurried over to give Jessica, Adam, and the girls a hug.

“Mom!”  Jason said as he hugged his mother for the first time since learning of the news about the tumor growing inside her.

“I love you so much.  How are you feeling?”  Jason inquired.

Finding it hard to remain stable, Jessica buried her face into her son’s broad shoulders and said, “I’m okay.  Trying to remain positive.  I’m better now that my baby boy is home!”

Jason usually complained to his mother when she would call him her baby boy, but now he wanted nothing more than to be her baby boy as he pondered the thought of how sick his mother could possibly be.

When she finished her long tight embrace with Jason, Jessica wiped her eyes and welcomed Brianna home with a hug as well.

“My mother and father send their hugs, kisses, and prayers to you, Jessica,” Brianna said as she hugged her future mother-in-law.

“How sweet of them.  I look forward to meeting them very soon, hopefully!”  Jessica said as she ended her hug with Brianna and the family headed to baggage claim to collect Jason’s and Brianna’s bags.

The family headed back to their home in Carson City.  Since the day was early, Jason decided to take Brianna to Virginia City and show her the center of history during the Comstock Lode, which was discovered there in 1859.  Brianna was so excited to finally see some old west history up close and personal.

With only a few days left until Jessica’s surgery, Brianna felt Jessica and Adam should have a few hours to themselves and talked to Jason about asking Emily and Jillian if they would like to enjoy the day with them in Virginia City.  After telling them their plan, the two girls both agreed it would be a good idea to allow their parents to have some special alone time together.

Jessica was in the kitchen gathering food to make for lunch when all four of the children came through the kitchen.  Each of them gave Jessica a kiss on the cheek as they bade her a good-bye for the day.

“What’s going on here, guys?  Where are you all going?”  Jessica demanded to know.  “I’m just getting ready to make lunch!”

Jason was the speaker for the group, “I’m taking Brianna to Virginia City for the day.  We thought it would be fun to take Emily and Jillian with us, and they wanted to go!  You and Dad can enjoy the day, just the two of you.”

Adam entered the kitchen and saw the children in jeans, long sleeve T-shirts, and sneakers.

“You guys going somewhere?” he asked, walking up behind Jessica and putting his hands on her shoulders.

“They’ve all decided to spend the day in Virginia City so we can enjoy the day with each other without kids around,” Jessica said with her head turned upward toward Adam’s face, but her eyes cut back toward the children.

“Mom, Dad,” Jason came over and put his arms around both his parents, “we want you to have some alone time, just the two of you before mom goes in for her surgery on Monday.  You don’t need all of us hanging around.  Brianna wants to see Virginia City, and she thought Emily and Jillian would enjoy going with us.  We asked them, they agreed, so we’re going to spend the day being tourists.  We’ll be back in time for dinner.  You two enjoy the day just to yourselves.”

“What about lunch?  None of you have eaten anything today!”  Jessica complained.

“We’ll get something in town, Mommy!  Jason’s treat!”  Emily grinned.

Adam pulled his black American Express from his wallet and handed it to Jason.

“Take this, the day is a treat from Mom and me.  Lunch, tours, everything.  Go have fun.”

The four children came over, hugged and kissed Adam for his generosity.  They all hopped in Jason’s Rav4 and headed toward Virginia City.

Once they arrived and found a place to park, they headed to the local tourist office to get a map of the area and information on things to do while they were there.  Emily and Jillian felt it should be Brianna’s choice on what she would like to see and do since it was her first time in the area and it was her idea to have them come along for the day.

As they were looking at the map and the different tours, Brianna spotted the Virginia and Truckee Railroad trip.

“Look at this, Jason!  It’s a thirty-five-minute train ride through the heart of the historic Comstock mining region.  It sounds like a great place to start.  Why don’t we do this and then we can maybe take some mine tours afterward?”  Brianna suggested.

Everyone agreed they thought the train ride would be fun for Brianna, and she would enjoy it immensely.

“I love the train ride, Brianna!”  Emily said.  “The conductor gives a narration of the old history, and the scenery is amazing!  If we’re lucky, we might see some wild horses!”

“Yeah, we’ll go through an old tunnel dug out of the mountains for the railroad, we’ll see Gold Hill and spectacular views of the mountains as well,” Jason added.

Once the train ride was over, Jason and Emily thought Brianna and Jillian would enjoy the Chollar Mine tour.

As they walked to the tour’s entrance, Jason explained the history of the Chollar Mine to Brianna and Jillian.

“It was first discovered in 1859.  This mine once produced both gold and silver ore.  We’ll go about four hundred feet into the actual mine and walk around seeing how the men back in 1859 coaxed the ore out of the mine’s veins.”

Emily added, “You’ll also see the mine’s support structures and see the tools they used, and the guide will tell us interesting facts on how the Virginia City miners lived and died.”

“This is so surreal for me!  I can’t believe I’m here, experiencing all of this history I’ve only read about in history books!”  Brianna said as she wrapped her arms around Jason as the quartet walked to the Chollar mine, soaking up the sights and sounds of Virginia City.

After the mine tour, Jason led the girls to the Silver Terrace Cemetery.  As they stood overlooking this historical site, Jason gave a brief history lesson about the cemetery’s first burial in 1860.

“Eleven of the thirty-one cemeteries are located here.  They include the Masons, Oddfellows, Firemen, and Catholics.  In the mid 1800’s, the people would come here for quiet contemplation.”

As they arrived, the four quietly and reverently looked around at the headstones which remained. They marveled at the vast range of dates on the tombstones as well as the ornate fence surrounding the cemetery and the hand carved headstones.

“Both the very rich and the poorest of poor were buried here,” Jason added quietly as they looked at the different headstones.

After the trip to the cemetery, Jason kept what he felt Brianna would enjoy the most to the end; the Fourth Ward School Museum.

“This is a history buff’s dream!”  Emily commented as they walked in and Jason paid for him, Brianna’s, and Emily’s admission fees; Jillian was admitted for free since she was under twelve years of age.

“This school house was built in the late 1800’s,” Jason began his historical tour.  “It was constructed so the Comstock children could have a ‘modern’ building to get their education.”

Jason, Brianna, Emily, and Jillian walked around and checked out some of the original old furnishings and blackboards that remained.

As Jason suspected, Brianna enjoyed the Fourth Ward School Museum the most.

“I would love to take my students here someday when I’m teaching history in one of the schools when I become Mrs. Jason Cartwright,” Brianna said as she shared a quick hug and kiss with her man.

“I can’t wait for the day when you take my name, Brianna,” Jason replied kissing his woman’s lips tenderly.

“Oh good grief, Jillian.  Jason and Brianna are Mommy and Daddy, part two!”  Emily laughed with her sister as Emily leaned down on her sister’s shoulders.

“You just wait, sister, when you have a boyfriend whom you love with all your heart. You’ll find yourself being just like Mom and Dad, Brianna and I, too!  I’ll remind you of this day with great joy,” Jason laughed.

“I look forward to the day both you girls can experience the same wonderful relationship Jason and I share,” Brianna said as she looked into Jason’s eyes.

“Come on, let’s go get something to drink at the Bucket of Blood Saloon.”

As they approached the Bucket of Blood Saloon, Jason explained, “This historic saloon used to be one of the most well-known watering holes in Virginia City.  They have a vast collection of elaborate antique hanging lamps and slot machines.  Let’s go in and enjoy a sarsaparilla and listen to the live Ragtime Band and Tin Pan Alley quartet, while we put back a drink or two just like the miners used to do back in the day!”

The four enjoyed a couple of drinks as they listened to the music and watched other tourists enjoying themselves in the saloon.  After their drinks and Bucket of Blood t-shirt purchases, Jason took Brianna to a jewelry gift shop and bought her earrings and then they headed to another gift shop where he purchased her a Virginia City T-shirt as a souvenir of her first trip to the historic town.

When they returned home, they found Jessica curled up in Adam’s arms in the family room as they watched a movie on the DVD player.

“Did you guys have a fun time?”  Adam asked.

“Oh, Adam, your son was an excellent tour guide!  I was in Heaven!  Virginia City is any history buff’s dream escape!”

“We took a ride on a train, Mommy!”  Jillian said with a great exuberance in her voice.

“You did, Baby Girl?  Did you enjoy your day?”  Jessica asked with a big smile on her face with her head still resting on Adam’s chest.

Jillian nodded her head quickly up and down showing her excitement to be included with her older siblings outing.

“Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starving!”  Adam said as he got up and took his credit card back from Jason, who also handed him the receipts from all the purchases he had made during the day.

“I thought we might check out the new Mott Canyon Tavern and Grill.  They built one in Carson City,” Adam suggested.

“Brie, Mott Canyon Tavern, and Grill has great food!  They have a location up at Lake Tahoe as well, but they’ve recently opened one in Carson City.  Good idea, Dad!”  Jason said as he patted his father on his back.

Everyone climbed into Jessica’s Lexus SUV as they headed to the tavern and grill for a fun evening of eating, talking about the day, and the plans for the remainder of the week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The alarm went off at 4:30 A.M. and Adam turned over to wake Jessica up but found her side of the bed empty.  He searched for her in the bathroom and didn’t find her there either.  Adam put on a pair of jeans and headed toward the kitchen, still no sign of his wife.  He noticed a few candles lit in the three seasons room.  He walked quietly to the entrance and found Jessica standing at the floor to ceiling glass windows staring out into the vast backyard.

“Jess,” Adam whispered as he came behind her and put his hands on his wife’s shoulders, “penny for your thoughts?” he asked as he kissed the side of Jessica’s head.

“I’m scared, Adam.  I’m not afraid of losing my ability to have children.  We’ve both agreed it’s best to be pro-active and have the complete hysterectomy while I’m already under, I’m just afraid of finding out I have cancer.  Ovarian cancer is so deadly, Adam.  I can’t imagine leaving you, Jason, and the girls alone.  I can’t imagine not seeing my children fall in love, get married, and have families of their own,” Jessica said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Adam wiped the flowing tears away.  “I’m keeping positive thoughts, Jess.  I don’t want to think about cancer unless Dr. McIntyre comes out and tells us this is what we’re facing.  I want you to try to think the same positive thoughts.”

Jessica jerked away from Adam and placed her mug on the table next to the loveseat.

“It’s easy for you to think that way, Adam.  You’re not the one faced with the possibility of having cancer!”  Jessica started to cry.

“You don’t think I’m just as scared as you are, Jess?  I’m scared half to death of losing you!  I’m afraid of our kids losing their mother!  Yes, I can’t imagine how you must be feeling; I wouldn’t even begin to try, but know whatever happens today, my love will not waiver.  The love our kids have for you will not change.  We’re in this as a family, and we will fight this disease as a family.”

Jessica turned to Adam and fell onto his chest sobbing.

“Hold me.  Don’t ever let me go!”

Adam buried his head into Jessica’s shoulders trying to remain strong.  His resolve was weakening as the hour grew closer for the surgery to begin.

“I promised you over ten years ago for the second time I would love you and never forsake you until we were parted by death.  I don’t plan to break that promise now or anytime soon.”

Adam walked Jessica back to their room in his arms, and the two took a shower together.  Jessica washed with the special soap she had been given at her pre-op visit to the hospital the previous week.

The rest of the family woke up, got dressed, and they all headed to the hospital and checked in at the surgery waiting room.

They had not been waiting long when Jessica’s name was called.  They all headed back to the Day Surgery pre-op room where Jessica would wait to be taken to the operating room.  Even though she was having inpatient surgery, all patients both inpatient and outpatients started in the outpatient surgery ward.

When the outpatient nurse came in to go over the pre-surgery questions and have Jessica change into a hospital gown, she asked everyone except Adam to leave the room.  Jason, Brianna, and the girls stepped outside and waited while Jessica changed into her gown, and her IV was started.  The nurse went over the procedure with Jessica and Adam she also had Jessica sign the consent form for a complete hysterectomy even if the tumor was found to be benign.

Once the pre-op questions and paperwork were in order, the children were allowed back in the room until it was time to take Jessica back to surgery.

After about a half hour, Dr. McIntyre came in dressed in his blue scrubs and looked over Jessica’s chart to make sure everything was in order.  He again explained the procedure to everyone, making eye contact with each member of the family.  He told them the procedure would take approximately two hours.

“I’ll remove the tumor first so it can be sent to pathology while I’m completing the hysterectomy.  I think you’ve made a wise decision in going ahead and removing everything.  It’s really the best plan of action, but I leave it up to each patient when the tumor is benign.  I should have the lab results by the time we take you to recovery, Jessica.”

Dr. McIntyre placed his hand on her arm as he asked her a very personal question.

“Do you want me to give you results of the test before we call Adam back to recovery or do you want me to wait for your husband to arrive?”

“I would like for Adam to be present when you give me the news; good or bad,” Jessica requested.

“Okay, once you’re out of surgery and in recovery, I’ll come and let you all know how the surgery went.  When Jessica is stabilized, and her pain is managed, Adam, you’ll be the only one allowed back.  I’ll meet you there and give you the results from the lab.”

Dr. McIntyre winked at Jessica and smiled.  “I’ll see you in a little bit.”

Shortly after Dr. McIntyre left to scrub for surgery, a curly-haired young doctor came into the room dressed in scrubs and two injections in his pocket as well as a small bag of liquid antibiotics.  He introduced himself as Dr. Gates and advised he would be Jessica’s anesthesiologist for the surgery.  Dr. Gates added the bag of medicine and explained they were used in all operations to help keep the risk of infection down.  He explained he had a cocktail of two injections he would be administering through her IV in the room.  The first one was to relax Jessica and the other one he affectionately called the giggle juice.

“I’ll give you half here in the room.  You won’t have a care in the world once it hits your blood stream.  At this point, all your family will be able to give you kisses and hugs, and we’ll take you to surgery.  Just before we enter the surgery suite, I’ll give you the rest of the giggle juice, and you’ll probably just close your eyes because you really won’t care about anything at that point. We’ll get you on the table, I’ll hook you up to the monitors, and I’ll put you to sleep at that point. When you wake up, you’ll be in the recovery room.”

Dr. Gates administered the first injection and immediately, the family saw Jessica’s body relax. Jason lifted Jillian up so she could kiss and hug her mommy.  Emily was next and with tears in her eyes, she told her mother she loved her with all her heart and gave her a kiss on her lips.  Jessica reached up and stroked her cheek.

“I’m going to be just fine, Sweetheart.  Don’t worry, okay?  I love you,” she said in a groggy tone.

Brianna was next, and she kissed Jessica on the cheek and told her she would be praying for her throughout her surgery and that she loved her very much.  Jessica smiled and thanked her for the prayers and told her she loved her, too.

Jason bent down and hugged his mother and kissed her on the lips.  He remained strong, but Jessica could see the worry in his eyes.

“I love you, my baby boy.  Be strong for Brie, Emily, and Jillian, okay?”

“I will, Mom.  I love you,” Jason choked as he fought back the tears trying to escape his eyes.

The rest of the kids stepped outside to give their father a private moment alone with his wife.

“You’re going to be fine, Jess.  I feel it in my heart,” Adam said as his eyes filled with salty tears.

“I’m keeping you to that promise, My Love!”  Jessica said as her eyes grew heavy.

Adam gave his wife a tender kiss and stroked her cheek as Dr. Gates gave her half a syringe full of the second medication which made Jessica very drowsy and she did she care about anything from that point on.

Adam held Jessica’s hand as the orderlies from surgery came to take Jessica’s gurney toward the surgery suites.

“Why don’t I feel any different?” she asked Dr. Gates, not knowing the drugs had already taken effect.

“Give it just a minute, it’ll kick in, I promise,” he smiled down at her as he guided the gurney from the opposite side of Adam.

Just as Jessica’s gurney came out of the room and by the kids, she started to laugh.

“Oh! now I feel like I’ve had several shots of Don Julio!”  Jessica’s voice was slurring, and her eyes were rolling up in her head as she tried to keep her eyes open.

“Bye, kids,” her voice was slurred.

Adam smiled as he held his wife’s hand all the way to the double doors which only allowed surgery personnel beyond them.

Just before they pressed the button to go through, Dr. Gates told Adam to give Jessica another kiss as he administered the last half of the giggle juice.  Immediately, Jessica was in a twilight sleep as her voice trailed off, “I love….”

“We’ll take good care of her,” Dr. Gates winked at Adam, and they continued on through the doors.  Adam waited until he could not see the team with his wife anymore.  He turned back and met the kids in the hall.  They went back out into the waiting area to wait out the anxious two to three hours while the surgery was performed.

After the surgery was completed and Jessica was on her way back to the recovery room, Dr. McIntyre came out to let Adam and the family know the surgery went well, and Jessica was headed to recovery.  His face did not show good or bad news.  He explained there were no complications, and he suspected she would have a three to four-day stay in the hospital.  Once she was able to manage her pain on her own with oral medication, she would be able to go home.  The family was relieved.

“When will I be able to see her?”  Adam asked anxiously.

“They’re getting her settled now.  We gave her some pain medication before we put her back in the inpatient bed.  The recovery nurse will wake her up, get her hooked up to an IV pain pump.  We’ll wait until she’s a little more coherent, probably tomorrow morning, to show her how to use it.  For right now, the nurses will keep an eye on her and administer it based on their observations.  Regardless, once she’s stable, you’ll be called back, and I’ll meet you there and give you the results of the lab test on the tumor.”

Dr. McIntyre patted Adam on the arm and headed back to recovery where he found the nurses fitting on an oxygen mask and waking Jessica up.  Her eyes started to open, and she saw Dr. McIntyre smiling down on her.

“Surgery’s over, young lady.  When the nurse gets your pain pump hooked up, we’ll call Adam back, okay?  Everything went well; no complications.”

“Do I have cancer?”  Jessica mumbled through her oxygen mask.

“Let’s wait for Adam.  This is what you told me you wanted to do before surgery.”

Dr. McIntyre winked at Jessica, patted her on the shoulder, took a quick look at the monitor showing her constant vitals and walked away so the nurses could continue to tend to their patient.

After what seemed like forever to Adam, but was only about twenty minutes, the volunteer at the desk called out, “Adam Cartwright?”

Adam got up and went to the volunteer at the desk.

“I’m Adam Cartwright,” he acknowledged.

“Dr. McIntyre is ready to see you in recovery with your wife.  Follow me, please.”

Adam followed the elderly volunteer back through the recovery room.  They passed by several beds of patients at different intervals of post-op recovery.  Once they arrived at Jessica’s bed, the nurse pulled the curtain completely around her bed to give Dr. McIntyre, Jessica, and Adam privacy.

Dr. McIntyre was writing orders in Jessica’s chart when Adam arrived.

When Jessica saw Adam, she weakly reached out her hand, and he grabbed it giving her a kiss and whispering, “I love you,” in her ear.

Adam held Jessica’s hand firmly as Dr. McIntyre finished his notes in Jessica’s chart.  He closed the chart and looked at both of them with a blank stare.  He then smiled from ear to ear and said, “The tumor was benign, there’s no cancer.”

Adam felt his knees buckle at the good news.  Jessica, still groggy from her anesthesia, said, “I’m not going to die?”

“Not for a very long time, if I have anything to say about it,” Dr. McIntyre came over and squeezed her shoulder.

“Thank you so much, Dr. McIntyre.  I’ve got four anxious kids who will be elated to hear the great news.”

“I’ll give you two a few moments together, but please keep it brief.  She needs to rest.”

Dr. McIntyre left to get ready for his next surgery leaving Adam and Jessica alone with the recovery nurse who was noting her latest set of vitals in her chart.

Still groggy, Jessica said, “My throat hurts…”

“It’s from the breathing tube, Hon.  Here, have some ice chips,” offered the nurse.

“I know you won’t be able to remember much, but I’ll be around frequently through the rest of your stay in recovery, and once you’re in your own room, you’ll have another nurse.  We’ll administer your pain meds, at least until you can remember what we tell you. The nurse stated as she watched her patient let the ice chips melt in her mouth.

“Do what the nurse tells you to do, okay?  I’m going to leave you now so you can rest.  We’ll see you when you are settled in your room.  I love you, Babe.”

“Love you, too, Adam,” Jessica said with a whisper as she trailed back off to sleep.  The nurse had pressed the button to administer more pain medication.

Adam laid her hand back in her bed.  He wiped away a rogue tear and then found his way back to the waiting room.  When the kids saw him come out, they all rushed to him to ask the verdict of the lab results on the tumor.

“It’s benign!  Mommy doesn’t have cancer!”  Adam said as he hugged Emily and Jillian.  Jason hugged Brianna.

“Dad, this is fantastic news!”  Jason said as he and Brianna both hugged him.

“Adam, I’m so thankful for this wonderful news.  Will you excuse me for a moment while I go call my parents and let them know?”

“Of course, Brie!  Please do share this with them.  Thank them for their prayers from me as well.”

“I’ll come with you.  I want to be there when you give them the good news, Brie!”  Jason said.

Jason and Brianna walked over to the window looking out into the courtyard of the hospital.  It was a bright late morning, and the temperature was warming up beautifully, and many of the nurses, doctors, and hospital staff were gathering outside enjoying their breaks at the tables situated around the courtyard.  Adam took his two girls into his arms and held them tight as they cried tears of joy.

When Brianna and Jason came back, Adam asked them to wait while he went and checked with the nurse to see how long it would be before Jessica was put in her room.

“It will probably be another few hours.  If you would like to go get a bite to eat somewhere, we should have her room number by the time you get back.”

After Adam came back to the kids and gave them the news,  he asked the kids if they were hungry, and they all agreed they could eat something now knowing Jessica was out of danger.

Upon arriving at the Red Roof Diner, they were promptly shown to a table and after a few minutes indicated they were ready to place their orders.

“Brie and I decided we would like to take the girls with us on all our outings this week, Dad, so you can spend your time with Mom and give your focus to her.  The girls are up for all the things we have planned, and we’ll come back in time to see Mom, and then we can all have dinner together.  Is that okay with you?  We just feel you need to put all your focus into Mom and not worry about the girls,” Jason explained.

Adam smiled as he looked at his two daughters, “Are you two okay hanging with older brother and Brie this week?”

“Yeah,” Emily spoke up for herself and Jillian.  “We talked about it when we were in Virginia City on Saturday.  We feel you need to spend your time with Mommy and not be worried about us.”

“What do you have planned?”  Adam asked as he drank his coffee the waitress had delivered.

“Before Mom got sick, we had planned to go to California to visit some of the sites from the California Gold Rush, and even take a day trip to Bodie.  Now, we’re just going to go up and see Poppy, maybe take a ride on the Ponderosa, take the boat to Lake Tahoe, if it’s okay with you, and just stick around close to home, but stay out of your hair and give Mom the chance to rest.”

“Of course, you can take the boat out on the lake.  Just be careful and everyone must wear their life jackets at all times.  I can meet you back at the hospital each day; you can visit with Mom, and then we’ll all have dinner afterward.  Take Mom’s car the day you decide to take the boat to the lake, Son.”

“Okay, probably would be best.  You think Poppy would want to visit Mommy while she’s in the hospital, Daddy?” Emily asked.

“If he’s feeling up to it, I’m sure he would.  I’ve already talked to him about coming, and he said if Mommy is up to a visit, he’d like to come down and see her.”

“Speaking of ‘Poppy’ I think I’d best make a few phone calls.  Adam excused himself for a brief moment to call Jessica’s mother and Ben.

Adam called his mother-in-law first to give the great news about Jessica’s surgery.

“Hello,” Jessica’s mother answered the phone, anxiously waiting to hear from Adam about her daughter’s surgery.

“Mom, it’s Adam.  Jessica’s out of surgery; the tumor was benign.  Dr. McIntyre performed a complete hysterectomy; we decided it was best for Jess’ health to remove everything while she was under.” Adam sighed as he delivered the news to his beloved mother-in-law.

Adam heard his mother-in-law’s quiet cry on the other end as he gave her the wonderful news about her only daughter. 

“Oh, Adam, this is excellent news!  Thank you so much for calling.  I prayed you would have good news.  Please give my daughter a kiss and hug for me.  Let her know I’ll call her in a few days when she’s feeling better.  Please keep me informed of her progress please.”

“I will, Mom.  We love you.”  Adam said, trying to hold back tears of his own.

“I love you, too, goodbye.”

Adam hung up with his mother-in-law and dialed his father to give him the news about Jessica.

“Cartwright Residence, Hop Sing speaking.”

“Hi, Hop Sing, it’s Adam.  Is my father back from his morning swim?”

“Yes, Mr. Adam.  He just arrived.  I’ll get him for you.  He’s anxiously awaiting your call today.”

Hop Sing went to Ben’s office where he was reading over reports from the ranch hands they had given him on needed repairs and the new livestock being born.

“Adam?  How’s my daughter doing?”  Ben’s voice boomed over the phone.

“She’s cancer free, Dad.  The tumor’s benign.”

“Adam, this is fantastic news!  Thank you for calling me.  Have you called your brothers yet?”

“No, they’re in meetings most of the day.  I’ll send them a text message shortly to let them know.  I know they’re anxious to know, too.”  Adam was still trying to wrap his mind around the good news and remember everything he needed to discuss with his father.  “Dad, Jason, Brie, and the girls want to come up to the Ponderosa this week to see you, ride horses, and take the boat out on the lake.  If you’re feeling up to it, Jason can drive you down to Carson City to see Jessica, and I can take you home afterward if you like.  She’s going to be in the hospital most of the week.”

“Tell the kids I would love to visit with them and of course, the Ponderosa is always open for them to come and visit.  I want to make sure my daughter is up to having visitors before I come down.  We can take it day by day.  Either way, I’ll send flowers.”

“She’ll like that, Dad, thanks.  I’ve got two dozen red roses scheduled to be delivered this afternoon myself.  I think Jason told me he and Brie had some coming as well.”

“Sounds like she’s going to be able to open her own florist shop!”  Ben smiled and laughed. “Keep me informed daily if you don’t mind on how she’s feeling and when she’s up to it, I’ll make the trip down to see her.  Please give her my love and a big kiss, will you, Son?”

“Of course, Dad.  I know she’ll be happy to know you want to come and see her.”

After Adam had hung up the phone with his father, he headed back to his clan and ate the breakfast the waitress had just delivered to their table

With breakfast eaten and the bill paid, the family returned back to the hospital, Adam went to the reception desk at the entrance of the hospital to check for Jessica’s room assignment.

“Hello, can you tell me if Jessica Cartwright has been assigned a room yet?  She just had surgery this morning,” Adam inquired.

“Let me look here….Yes, here she is.  She’s in room 817.”

The clerk gave directions to the elevator.  Adam and the children went to the eighth floor and found Jessica’s room.  As they arrived, the nurse was coming out and advised Jessica was resting comfortably, and they could go in to see her.

The five walked in and saw Jessica had her eyes closed, but when she heard the door open, she opened them slightly and smiled when she saw Adam, her children, and Brianna walk in.

“Hey, Babe, how are you feeling?”  Adam asked as he took her hand she had raised up, and he gave her a light kiss on her lips.

“I’m doing okay right now.  Not in a whole lot of pain.  The pain meds they’ve put in this pump are powerful.  They make me very sleepy, however.”

“Dad gave us the great news, Mom.  We’re so happy you’re okay,” Jason said as he stood next to his father.

“Jessica, my mom, and dad send their love and prayers to you.  They were very pleased to hear the good news,” Brianna spoke next.

“Thanks, Brie.  Please extend my gratitude to your parents for their prayers.  I do appreciate it very much,” Jessica turned her head as the medicine caused her words to slur.

“I think we should probably go for now.  You need to rest.”  Adam bent down and gave his wife another gentle kiss on the lips.  “I’ll be back tonight before Dr. McIntyre comes in to see you,” Adam whispered in her ear.

“Okay, I love you, Babe,” Jessica’s words were weak and slurred.

Each of the kids kissed Jessica on the cheek and told her they loved her and walked toward the door.  Adam gave her one more kiss and brushed her hair off her face and made sure her blankets were up over her.  He was pleased to see the clicker to her pump was close at hand. Evidently the nurses were confident she was lucid enough to understand their instructions on how to self-administer to manage her pain.

As they headed toward the exit of the ward, Adam stopped to talk with the head nurse.

“Can you tell me what time Dr. McIntyre will be back to see Jessica Cartwright this evening? I’m her husband, and I would like to make sure I’m here when he arrives.”

“He usually makes his rounds with his morning surgery patients in the late afternoon before he leaves for the day, usually around 6:00 P.M.  I would be here around 5:00 P.M. just to make sure you don’t miss him,” the nurse explained.

“Thanks.  Please give me a call if my wife needs me for anything.”  Adam handed her one of his business cards with his cell phone number listed.

“Of course, Mr. Cartwright, we will.  I’m sure she’s going to be sleeping most of the day.”

On the way home, Adam advised he would return to the hospital later to hear what Dr. McIntyre had to say, but the children could go about enjoying their spring break vacation.

“I’ll be happy to make dinner for everyone tonight, Adam.  I can keep your plate warm in the oven until you get home from the hospital if you like,” Brianna offered.

“Brie, that would be wonderful, thank you,” Adam smiled as he looked at her via the rearview mirror.

Jason, sitting in the front seat, smiled as he looked at his father, proud of his girl becoming more a part of the family.  Adam winked at his son as his sign of approval.

“Daddy, can I ask Diana to come down to our house and play Barbies?”  Jillian asked.

“Sure, Sweetpea.  I’m planning on doing some work at home today.”

“If you want, Peanut, we can all play some games, if you get tired of playing Barbies” Jason offered.

“She never gets tired of playing with Barbies,” Emily ruffled her younger sister’s hair.

“I wanna play Sorry! and beat you, Emmy!”  Jillian announced.

“Oh, you are so on, Peanut!  I’ll get you this time, however.  Hey, maybe we could play teams?” Emily asked looking at Jason and then Brianna.

“Sounds good to me!  I haven’t played Sorry! in a long time.  I think it would be fun.  Jason can play with you, and I’ll play with Jillian.  I want to be on the winning team!”  Brianna laughed.

“I knew I liked you, Brie!”  Jillian smiled.

“You’ve just dealt a dying hand, Sweetheart.  Emily and I will cream you, girls!”  Jason said as he and his sister gave a high five to each other.

Adam laughed at the gaming banter going on between his three children and Brianna.

“What happened to Diana, Sweetpea?”  Adam inquired.

“I can play Barbies anytime.  I’ve got to beat Emily and Jason at Sorry! first!”

Adam pulled into the garage, and everyone piled out of the Lexus SUV.  Jason, Brianna, Emily, and Jillian all headed to the family room where the card table, chairs, and games were kept.  Jason and Brianna set up the table while Emily and Jillian went into the kitchen to get snacks and lemonade for everyone.

“Do you want to play, Daddy?”  Emily asked her father as he came in the house after sitting in the SUV for a few minutes sending a quick email to his administrative assistant, Heather.

“No, Princess, you guys have a fun time.  I’ll be in the office if you need anything from me.”

Adam could hear cheers and jeers coming from the family room all afternoon as the children played Sorry! and other fun games they had.  Adam set the alarm on his phone to go off at 4:15 P.M.  to wrap up his work in time to leave for the hospital.  He headed to the den to let the children know he was leaving.

“I’ll be back later tonight.  I’m going to stay with Mom for a while after Dr. McIntyre comes by.  Jason, Emily, help Brianna with dinner.  Make sure she has everything she needs.”  Adam pulled his black American Express from his wallet and handed it to Jason.

“If you need to go to the grocery store, use this to buy whatever you need.  Call me if you need anything otherwise, I’ll see you later tonight.”

Adam left the house and headed to the hospital.

Upon his arrival, Adam walked into Jessica’s room and found a nurse was there helping Jessica sit up so she could have the liquid diet prescribed for the day.

“Hi, Honey!”  Jessica said as Adam walked in the room.  “Michelle, this is my husband, Adam.  Adam, this is one of my nurses, Michelle.”

Michelle and Adam exchanged hellos and Michelle gave Adam a quick run down on Jessica’s progress throughout the day and what to expect for the next several days.

“Dr. McIntyre should be coming in shortly to see Jessica.  He’ll check her incision, and he’ll most likely order to have her catheter removed tomorrow morning and have her getting out of bed and walking as well as sitting in a chair.  When we can get her out of bed, we’ll be able to remove the leg pumps on her legs as well, they keeping the circulation moving while she remains in bed.  This helps cut down on the threat of deep vein thrombosis or worse, pulmonary embolisms.”

“Thanks for the information.  Do you know what time Dr. McIntyre will be here?”  Adam asked.

Michelle looked at her watch and said, “He should be arriving anytime within the next hour.  He’s usually making rounds about 5:30 P.M.-6:00 P.M. on surgery days.  On non-surgery days, he comes first thing in the morning.”

“I’ll leave you to visit with your husband, Jessica.  If you need anything, please give me a call by pressing the nurse’s button, okay?”

“Thanks, Michelle.”

After Michelle had left, Adam came over and gave his wife a kiss.

“You look more alert, and your color is back.  You don’t seem to be in too much pain.”

“I’m feeling pretty good.  I’ve been sleeping all day.  The only times I woke up was when the nurses would come in to check my vitals or to see how I was doing.  I try not to move because when I do…”  Jessica’s face turned sour, “the pain is horrendous at times; even with the pain pump.”

Adam was filling Jessica in on the day’s happenings back at home when Dr. McIntyre walked in with Jessica’s chart.  He walked over to her bed and smiled down at her after shaking Adam’s hand.

“How are you feeling tonight?”

“Not terrible, but I try not to move until I just can’t stand it anymore and then I brace myself for pain when I do.”

“The nurses indicated you’re in charge of administering your own pain meds.  With you being a former nurse, you know you can’t give yourself an overdose.  The system won’t allow you to give more than the programmed dose I’ve prescribed for you.”

“I give myself what I feel I need to keep me comfortable.  I have a high tolerance for pain.”

“Jess, if the doctor tells you to give yourself the meds, I want you to make sure you are giving yourself plenty so you won’t hurt so much when you move,”  Adam ordered.

“Adam’s right, Jess.  The meds are there for you to use.  If you run out, the nurse will put a new dosage in.”  Dr. McIntyre said.  “Besides, you can’t rest comfortably if you’re trying to keep still to prevent yourself from hurting when you need to move to get comfortable otherwise.

“Okay!  Okay!  I’ll make sure I’m pressing this darn thing every five minutes.  Are you two happy?” Jessica said with frustration at the two men ganging up on her.

Dr. McIntyre smiled and patted her arm.  “You do what you feel is comfortable for you, but by the dosage meter here, you haven’t given yourself even half of what is allowed, so make sure you give yourself more because it will help with the pain, you’ll need it tomorrow when you get out of bed and start walking.  Have you coughed for the nurse yet?

“Uh, yeah.  I think they’re torturing me with the damn coughing.”

Dr. McIntyre laughed.  “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh at your pain, Jessica.  I get the same reaction from all my patients.  It’s to help keep her lungs clear of fluid.”  he explained to Adam.  I know it’s very painful, but it’s necessary,”  he turned back to Jessica.  “Make sure you give yourself a dose of pain meds and it won’t be as bad,” Dr. McIntyre winked.  “You know they say doctors make bad patients… I think former ER nurses are worse.”

“It just burns so bad as it comes through my hand, though!”  Jessica pouted.

“It’s better than the pain at the incision though isn’t it, Babe?”  Adam asked as he rubbed her shoulder.

“Here you two go again ganging up on me,” Jessica’s face got sour.

“We just want you to be in as little pain as possible, that’s all, Jess,” Adam said.

Dr. McIntyre pressed the nurse’s button to have her come in so he could check the dressings.  When the nurse arrived, Dr. McIntyre lifted the covers and Jessica’s hospital gown to inspect the dressing.

“Looks good.  Probably will need to have the dressing changed before you leave tonight,” he said to the nurse.

As Dr. McIntyre wrote his notes on Jessica’s chart, he read over her vitals from the day.  He noticed she was starting to run a fever in the last few hours.  He asked the nurse to take her temperature again before he left; he wanted to see if her temperature was still feverish.

Her temperature was still elevated so Dr. McIntyre ordered another round of antibiotics to be added to her IV as a precaution and to see if her temperature would come down with the medication.

“Okay, lady.  I’ll see you in the morning.  Tomorrow we’ll be getting you out of bed.  You aren’t going to want to, but it’s important you do.”

Dr. McIntyre winked at Jessica and shook Adam’s hand.

“Jessica,” Dr. McIntyre looked down at her with an arched eyebrow, “tomorrow morning I want to see the dosage meter move upward. You’re going to need it!” he said as he walked out of the room.

“Babe, you know he’s right.  Why do you suffer when the pain meds help?”  Adam asked.

Tears fell down Jessica’s cheeks.

“Adam, you don’t know how painful it is when the medicine hits my hand!  No, it’s not worse than the pain from the incision, but if I don’t move a whole lot, the pain is tolerable.  When it gets too much, I hold my breath, and I click the pump.”

Adam wiped the tears away from Jessica’s cheeks with a tissue.

“I can only imagine, Babe, how it feels.  You’ve had major surgery.  Each day will be a little better, but the pain management is to help with your pain level.  If you wait until you’re in a lot of pain, your body will tense up, and will take longer for it to come back down.  If you keep it running through your body, it doesn’t have a chance to get out of control.”

“When did you become a doctor, Adam?”  Jessica asked with a sarcastic tone.

“Hey, I’m just trying to help.  I don’t like seeing you hurting,” Adam replied with care in his voice.  “Besides, I remember you telling me about some of your more troublesome patients when we were married… the first time.”

“I know, I’m sorry.  This is just hard.”

“I can only imagine.  Thank God we didn’t have cancer to have to worry about on top of the pain.”

“I don’t know if I would have been able to handle it, Adam.” Jessica’s eyes began to well with tears again.

“Shhhh,” Adam said as he wiped the tears away and dropped a tender kiss on Jessica’s lips. “Don’t give it another thought.  It wasn’t malignant, so it’s not anything we have to worry about.”

Jessica’s eyes began to get heavy as she finally decided to give herself the regular doses of the medication.

“You need to rest.  Do you want me to stay or do you want to be alone to sleep?”  Adam asked.

“Would you stay for a little while?  I miss you.”  Jessica pouted.

“Have I told you how much I love you when you pout?” Adam teased.

Adam smiled and wiped another rogue tear from Jessica’s cheek.

“Of course, I’ll stay, Babe.  I’ll stay as long as you want me to,” Adam smiled as he caressed his wife’s hair.

Jessica drifted off to sleep, and Adam turned on the TV and left the sound low so he would not disturb Jessica.  He changed the channel to cable news to watch the day’s happenings.

Jessica woke up an hour later, and when she did, Adam told her that he was going to head home so she could rest in peace.

When Adam got up to come kiss his wife, she started to sob.

“What’s the matter?”  Adam asked with concern in his voice.  “Are you hurting?  Give yourself a dose of pain medicine.”

Trying to talk between her sobs, Jessica tried to speak.

“I don’t want you to leave.  I want you to stay here with me tonight.  I don’t want to be here.”

Adam smiled and stuck out his lip to mimic Jessica’s face.

“You’re acting like Jillian, Jess.  You’re a big girl, I think you can sleep without your Daddy here tonight,” he winked and smiled.

“Fine, just go away, then,” Jessica turned her head, not looking at Adam.

“Oh, come on, Jess, don’t act like a baby.  I know you’re hurting, and that’s why I should leave, so you can have peace and quiet to sleep.”

“Just leave, Adam, I’ll be fine,” Jessica insisted.

“Can I have a kiss, please?” Adam patiently inquired.

Jessica turned her head with tears still flowing down her face.

“I just want to go home,” she whispered.

Adam took a tissue and wiped the free flowing tears off her cheeks.

“I know, Babe, and you’ll be coming home in a few days.  You aren’t ready yet.  You just had major surgery, you need extreme pain management right now.  To come home, you can’t be running a fever, and you have to be able to walk and sit comfortably as well as be able to take pain meds orally.  I do sympathize with you.  Remember, I was in the hospital for several weeks after my car wreck.”

“But I was there with you…” Jessica sniffled.

Adam rethought what he had said, but changed his words, “If I could stay the night I would.  You had a great excuse, you were a nurse.  I’m not even qualified as an orderly.  I don’t think I could convince them to let me stay.”

“I’m just having a pity party.  It’s just being stuck here, the pain meds and the pain are causing me to act like a baby.  I’m sorry.”

Adam dropped a kiss on his wife’s forehead and smiled at her.

“We’ll have a proper homecoming in a few days and when the time comes, a homecoming in our bed,” Adam winked.

“I’m looking forward to both!”  Jessica smiled.

“I’m going now, but I’ll be back tomorrow morning, first thing, okay?”

The tears started to fall again, but Jessica nodded her head.  Adam gave her a tender kiss on her lips and walked out of her room.  He walked to the parking garage, paid the fees and drove home.

When he came into the kitchen from the garage, he saw Brianna slaving away at the stove.

“Smells good!  What’s cooking?”

“Hi, Adam, I’m making lemon and garlic roasted chicken by the Barefoot Contessa.  I just love Ina Garten; she’s on the Food Network.  I thought I could make some chicken noodle soup with the leftover chicken, and we could take it to Jessica tomorrow afternoon.”

“Sounds delicious.  I know Jessica would appreciate it and love it, too.  Thanks for thinking of her.  She’s feeling a bit down tonight because she’s hurting, and stuck in the hospital.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Adam.  I know how she feels, however.  I was in a car wreck the summer of my junior year in high school. I was hurt badly and in the hospital for a few weeks, so I know how she feels.  I hear you were in a bad wreck when Jason was younger, too,” Brianna said as she continued preparing her dishes for dinner.

“Yes, I was.  I was told later I actually died on the scene at one point.  The paramedics were able to bring me back.  However, I’m sure it was the love I had for Jason and Emily that kept me going.”

“I’m glad you’re still here,” Brianna grinned.

Adam put his arm around Brianna and kissed the side of her head, “I’m glad I’m still here, too!  I can’t imagine not being here to see my kids grow up and fall in love with wonderful partners such as yourself.”

“Thanks, Adam,” Brianna said bashfully.

“Speaking of my kids, where is the clan?”  Adam asked looking back toward the rest of the house.

“Jason’s in your office on the computer, checking on some summer classes.  Emily, I think is in her room talking on the phone….”

“I figured as much with her,” Adam interrupted laughing.

“Jillian is in the office reading a book to Jason while he’s on the computer.  She said her teacher wants the students to read over the break to help with their reading skills so Jason told her to read aloud to him while he was checking out the classes for summer online.”

Adam went to select a bottle of wine for dinner and asked Brianna if she would like a glass while she was making dinner.  She said she could wait, and told Adam to get cleaned up since dinner would be ready soon.  Adam advised Brianna he would send Emily in so she could help her set the table while he got cleaned up.

Adam walked back toward his room.  He stopped at Emily’s room and knocked.  She came to the door and told Trey she would talk to him later, her father was home.

“Brianna has dinner almost ready, why don’t you go help her set the table, okay?”

“Sure, Daddy.  How’s Mommy doing?”

“She’s sad she can’t be home.  She’s in pain, but she’s resting comfortably as possible.  Dr. McIntyre said she’s progressing the way she should be.”

“I’m glad to hear it, Daddy.”

Adam continued toward his room stopping off at the office where he heard Jillian reading aloud to Jason as he sat back in the executive chair and listened.  When Jason saw Adam, he smiled. Jillian’s back was to Adam, so she didn’t see him enter the room.  Jason didn’t let on he was there, and he stood listening to his daughter reading to Jason for a few minutes.  Adam finally pointed he was going to change his clothes and mouthed dinner was almost ready.  Jason winked an understanding and Adam headed back to his room.

When Adam came back to the kitchen, he found Brianna frantically getting all the dinner off the stove and out of the oven into serving dishes.  Jason was helping while Emily was putting the final touches on the dinner table.

As the family enjoyed dinner, Jason explained the plans for the next day and how they planned to come and get the soup for Jessica before coming up to the hospital in the late afternoon.  Adam let the kids know he would be heading to the hospital in the morning and would go into the office for part of the day and then meet them at the hospital in the late afternoon and treat them to dinner after their hospital visit with Jessica.

“Daddy, would it be okay if Trey came by tomorrow night after we get home from dinner if it’s not too late?”

“Princess, I don’t want Trey coming over until your mother is home and feeling better,” Adam said as he continued to enjoy his dinner.

“But, Daddy!  You said!”  Emily cried.

“Emily Elizabeth!  Do not argue with me at the table, is that clear?  Now eat the dinner Brianna graciously made for all of us.  We’ll discuss this later if you want, but not right now.”  Adam eyed his middle child.

Everyone got quiet and continued to eat dinner.  Emily ate only a few more bites of her dinner then asked to be excused.  Adam allowed her to put her plate in the kitchen before she marched back to her room and slammed her door.

Adam shook his head and apologized to Jason and Brianna for his daughter’s behavior.

“She’s mentioned Trey to me, but I didn’t think she was allowed to date anyone until she’s sixteen, Dad?”  Jason inquired.

“We’ve been at odds about this very subject, Jason.  Your mother finally got me to compromise and allow him to come to the house while one or both of us are at home.  We’ve been so busy, and Trey hasn’t been able to come over so we haven’t met him yet.  I don’t think it’s appropriate for him to come over until your mother is home and feeling better.  Emily will just have to understand.”

“I’m with you, Dad.  Emily should be more respectful to you and Mom.  After all, you’re allowing her to have a boyfriend before she’s sixteen.  She shouldn’t act like a baby when she doesn’t get her way.”

“I’m sure once she realizes her mother would want to meet Trey, too; she’ll understand,” Brianna added her two cents.

“Emily is a stubborn brat,” Jillian jumped in the conversation.

“Jillian, that’s enough from you, young lady.”  Adam snapped at his youngest child.

“Sorry, Daddy,” Jillian frowned.  “Can I be excused, please?” she asked as tears started to roll down her face.

“You may,” Adam said as he looked at her with a furrowed brow.

“I’ll help you with your plate, Peanut,”  Brianna said with a quiet, uncomfortable voice.

When Brianna returned to the table, Adam apologized for the behavior of both his daughters.

“They’re usually more well mannered than they displayed this evening.  You went out of your way to make a very lovely dinner tonight, and I will speak to both of them about their behavior.”

“It’s okay, Adam.  It wasn’t so long ago I was fifteen and wanting to date boys, too.  I know Emily appreciated dinner tonight.  She told me when she was when helping me before you, Jason, and Jillian came into the kitchen.”

“Emily and Jillian were disrespectful, and I agree with Dad, it shouldn’t be tolerated,” Jason added his feelings on the situation.

Brianna didn’t say any more on the issue.  She excused herself and started to clean up the kitchen.

Once Adam and Jason finished, they both helped Brianna remove the dishes from the table and Jason stayed in the kitchen to help Brianna do the dishes while Adam went back to speak to both his girls about their behavior at dinner.

Adam knocked on Emily’s door, and she didn’t answer.

“Emily, it’s Daddy, open this door,” Adam demanded.

Emily ended the phone conversation she was having with Trey and came to the door wiping the tears from her eyes.  She opened the door and stood there glaring at her father, not allowing him in her room.

“What do you want, Daddy?”  Emily said with a disrespectful tone.

“I want to speak with you about your behavior at the table tonight.  We can do it here in the hall or in the privacy of your room; it’s your choice.”

Emily opened her door, and Adam walked in, she closed the door and went and sat down on her bed.

“How could you be so disrespectful to me, to Brianna, and Jason, with your immature behavior at the table tonight, young lady?”

Emily just glared at her father.  Her blood pressure was rising at the assault on her character Adam was making.

“Answer me!”  Adam’s voice began to rise.

“You said I could invite Trey over so we could spend time with each other.  I’ve been good to not get upset over the past few weeks.  You and Mommy have been busy, and I didn’t ask for him to come over.  It’s my vacation, I want to see him!  Why can’t he come over?  I would like him to meet Jason and Brianna before they return to school!”

“Emily Elizabeth, Brianna worked very hard to make dinner for all of us, and you threw a tantrum at the table because you couldn’t get your way again.  When are you going to grow up and act your age?”

“When are you going to let me grow up, Daddy?”  Emily cried.

“When you stat treating other adults with respect when they tell you no, and you don’t react like a baby.  Don’t you ever speak to me in that manner again, do you understand me?”

Emily ran and threw herself on her bed and screamed into her pillow, she was so upset with Adam for not allowing Trey to come over.

“Emily Elizabeth, I don’t know what has gotten into you lately, but I’m not going to put up with this behavior any longer, young lady.  When I don’t give in to everything you want, you are going to have to learn how to accept it in a mature manner.  Maybe then I’ll start treating you more like a woman instead of a child.”

“Leave me alone!”  Emily cried louder.

“You’re grounded, young lady,”  Adam shouted.

Adam left her room and found Jason coming up the hall.

“I’m sorry for your sister’s disrespectful behavior to Brianna, Son.  I need to go speak with Jillian now.”

Adam walked past Jason toward Jillian’s room.

“Dad, wait.  I agree with you about Emily’s and Jillian’s behavior; they were both out of line. Brianna is not upset.  She wants you to know that.”

“They’re going to each apologize anyway,” Adam said as he headed to Jillian’s room.

When Adam arrived at Jillian’s room, he walked in and found her playing with her Barbies.

“Come here, Jillian,” Adam said as he sat down on her bed.

Jillian came to her father’s side with her head hung low in shame.

Adam put his hand under Jillian’s chin and brought her face up to meet his.  He looked at her with a disappointed look on his face and said, “Why did you say what you said about Emily?  You know it was not nice and was disrespectful.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” Jillian started to cry.

“You need to apologize to Brianna, understood?”

“Okay,”  Jillian whimpered.

As Jillian cried, Adam looked at her and spoke over her tears, “You will not talk about your sister like that about your sister again either, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

As Adam came out of Jillian’s room, he saw Brianna coming back to Jason’s room where she was staying for the week while Jason slept in the family room.

“I’m sorry for my daughters’ disrespect at dinner tonight, Brianna.  They’ve both been punished, and you should receive an apology from both of them soon.”

“I understand, Adam,” Brianna said somberly. “Will you excuse me?”

“Of course.”

Brianna walked around Adam and continued on to her room and quietly shut the door.  She was getting her robe and nightgown ready to go take a shower when she heard a knock on the door; it was Emily.

“Come on in, Emmy,” Brianna opened the door and invited her future sister-in-law in.

“I’m sorry, Brie, for my behavior to you, Jason, and my father tonight at the dinner table.  I just get so tired of Daddy treating me like a child!  I want you and Jason to meet Trey before you go back to school!”

Brianna came and sat down next to Emily and put her arm around Jason’s sister.

“I understand how you feel, but I understand your father’s point of view also.  I know you want to spend time with Trey this week, but Jason said he has not met your mom and dad yet?”

“No, every time I wanted to bring him over these last few weeks, Mommy and Daddy both had something going on.  I was very understanding.  I didn’t put up any fight.  I haven’t seen Trey at all in almost four days now!  I miss him!  I want to see him, and now Daddy won’t let me. I just don’t get it!”

“He’s under an enormous amount of pressure, Em.  He’s worried about Jessica; she just had major surgery.  I don’t think he’s trying to keep you and Trey apart, he just wants to be respectful of Jessica not only as his wife but as your mother.  He wants Trey to meet the both of them at the same time.”

“He treats me like a four-year-old, Brie!  It’s so humiliating.”

“I’m sorry it came to this, Sweetie.  Like I said, your father’s been worried about your mother’s health for a few weeks now and even though the prognosis is good, she’s still recovering from major surgery which is a whole new set of worries for him.  I’m sure we’ll get to meet Trey soon.  If not before we leave, we’ll meet him this summer.  What you’ve told me about him, he seems like a great guy, and I know Jason and I will love him when we get to meet him finally.”

Emily hugged Brianna for their talk.

“I love you, Brie!  Thanks for understanding where I’m coming from.

“I do, Sweetie, but I do understand Adam’s concerns, too.  Try not to be too hard on him right now.  He’s got enough to worry about with Jessica.”

“I know, but you know…”  She sighed.

As Emily was leaving Jason’s room, she met Adam in the hall going back to her room.  She glared at him and walked past him without saying anything, walked into her room and shut her door quietly.  Adam shook his head and continued into the kitchen to get a glass of wine before going into the office to work on spreadsheets for an upcoming officers meeting.

Jason went into Jillian’s room, and when she saw her brother, she started to cry.

“Daddy’s mad at me,” she cried as she ran to her brother for condolences.

“Peanut, you were not nice calling Emily a stubborn brat.  When Emily and I were your age and even younger, Daddy’s hand met our bottoms many times for the same reason.  You know Daddy doesn’t tolerate us calling each other names.”

“I said I was sorry, Jason!”  Jillian continued to cry, “I want Mommy!”

“Oh, Peanut, I miss Mommy, too!  We need to be good for Daddy while Mommy’s in the hospital.  You know Mommy wouldn’t be happy with you calling Emily a stubborn brat either.”

“She gets mad whenever she can’t get her way.  She is a brat!”

“Jillian Alexis!”  Jason said as he pulled away and glared at his sister.

“I’m sorry, Jason,” she frowned.  “Please!  Don’t tell Daddy.  I don’t want a spanking.”

Jason hugged his sister.  “I won’t, but I want you to go tell Brianna you’re sorry for your part in spoiling the dinner she made for us tonight.”

“Okay,” Jillian frowned.

Jason and Jillian walked down the hall and found Jason’s door left open a little bit.  They knocked, but there was no answer.  They waited in his room, and Brianna soon walked in with her hair in a towel and her bathrobe on.

“Hi, Peanut!”  Brianna smiled at Jason’s youngest sibling.

“I’m sorry for messing up your dinner tonight when I called Emily a stubborn brat, Brie.”

Brianna went to Jillian, sat on the bed and held out her arms to come and give her a hug.

“Thank you, Peanut.  I know you didn’t mean to be ugly about your sister.”

“I love you, Brie!”

“I love you, too, Peanut!  Why don’t you go get ready for bed, it’s getting late, and we have a big day planned tomorrow, don’t we?”

Jillian jumped up and down with glee.  She was excited to be included in the plans for the week with her oldest brother and his girlfriend.

“Come on, Peanut, let’s get you ready for bed.  I’ll get your pajamas for you while you’re in the bathtub.”

Jillian gave Brianna another hug.  Jason and Jillian went into the bathroom, and Jason drew a warm bath for Jillian while she undressed and put her clothes in the dirty clothes hamper.  Jason helped her in the tub so she wouldn’t slip and fall, when she was seated and playing with her bubbles, he went and grabbed her pajamas and fresh panties.  He left them in the bathroom and headed back to his room where Brianna was towel drying her hair.  He came up behind her and put his hands around her waist and started kissing her neck.

“Jason, your kisses make my body heat up,” Brianna said as she fell limp in his arms.

Jason untied Brianna’s robe and put his hand up inside Brianna’s top and found her breasts with his hands.  He then pulled Brianna back against his body so she could feel the excitement her sexiness had caused.

“We can’t!  Not here in your parent’s home with your dad just a few rooms down!”  Brianna whispered.

Jason turned his woman in his arms and kissed her tenderly on her lips.  “I can put my hand over your mouth,” Jason grinned.

“Stop it, Silly!”  Brianna pulled away and continued to towel dry her hair.  “Now you have me all worked up!”

Jason picked Brianna up and laid her on his bed and laid on top of her.

“I’m willing to risk it if you are,” Jason whispered as he nibbled on Brianna’s ear.

“You are making it really hard to say no to you.  What would your dad say?”

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Jason winked.

Brianna sighed deeply and gave in to Jason’s desires to live dangerously.

When Jillian called to say she was finished with her bath, Adam came from the office and helped his daughter from the tub.  She dried off, put her pajamas on and Adam walked with her to her room.  He tucked her in bed, gave her a goodnight kiss, and told her he loved her.  Jillian again apologized to her father for her disrespect at the dinner table.  Adam explained handing down discipline no matter how light or heavy, it was always more painful for him than her.  He kissed his daughter again and turned out the light and closed the door quietly.

After a few hours, Jason came out of his room and headed toward the den.  He was looking over his shoulder and ran into Adam coming back from putting his wine glass in the kitchen.  When Adam saw his son’s shirt untucked, completely opened, and his belt unbuckled, Adam looked at his son with a furrowed brow.  Jason looked at his father like a deer in headlights.

“I..I..I,” Jason stumbled over his words.  He didn’t know how to explain his state of dress.

Adam smiled, patted Jason on the shoulder and said, “Good night, Son.”

He then winked and continued on to his room and shut the door.  Jason stood motionless.  He knew his father knew and was shocked by his father’s reaction.

“Thank God it wasn’t Mom who caught me!  She would have me hanging by my….”   Jason shuttered at how his mother would have reacted.  “I would have never done what I just did if Mom were here!” he thought to himself as he went into the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the week ended, Adam came to the hospital Friday morning to wait for Dr. McIntyre to come and examine Jessica one last time before releasing her to go home.

Between surgeries, Dr. McIntyre came into Jessica’s room wearing his blue scrubs and his white lab coat with his stethoscope hanging around his neck and Jessica’s chart in his left hand.

“I understand I have a patient who’s ready to head home,” Dr. McIntyre said as he opened Jessica’s chart, putting on his reading glasses, and looking over her progress.

“Please, Dr. McIntyre.  I’m ready!  I’ve been walking several times a day, I hardly have to use my pain pump anymore.  I’m still a little weak, but I promise to take it easy if you let me go home.”

The nurse came in, and Jessica moved from the chair and laid down so Dr. McIntyre could check her incision one last time to make sure it was continuing to heal as expected.

“Okay, I think I’ll release you today, but there is no driving, no excessive walking, and you are to take it easy over the next few weeks.  I want to see you back in my office in three weeks.”

“Yes, Sir,” Jessica said with a smile on her face.

“The nurse will take out your IV’s and I’ll prescribe some oral pain meds for you to have at home in case you need them.  If you take it easy, you should be fine.”

“Don’t worry, Doctor,  I’ll make sure she follows your orders to the letter,” Adam interjected as he helped Jessica sit up.

“The nurse will have my discharge notes for you in a little bit.”

Dr. McIntyre closed Jessica’s chart, shook Adam’s hand and patted Jessica on her shoulder.

“I’ll see you in three weeks, little lady,” Dr. McIntyre smiled and winked, as he headed out the door to his next scheduled surgery.

The nurse stayed and took Jessica’s IV out of her hand and told her she would be back shortly with her discharge paperwork.

When the nurse left, Adam helped Jessica take off her gown and helped her put on a soft pair of knit pants and a t-shirt.  He put her socks and sneakers on, and he helped her into the bathroom so she could brush her teeth.  As Adam gathered up the last of her personal items, the nurse returned with the discharge paperwork, went over everything with Adam and Jessica, and Jessica signed the paperwork stating she understood everything.

Adam loaded up the cart with the numerous vases full of flowers, balloons, and get well cards from the family and the various directors at Cartwright, Incorporated.

Adam left the nurse and Jessica in her wheelchair as he went to get Jessica’s SUV from the parking garage.  He put the flowers in the back, and he helped Jessica into the passenger seat. They waved to the nurse and thanked her for all she had done throughout the week.

Once home, Adam helped Jessica into the house.  They were greeted by a sign saying, ‘Welcome Home, Mommy!’ And the kids were anxiously waiting there to give her a hug and kiss.

Jason gave his mother a kiss and a gentle hug and he went to help Adam bring in the flowers and balloons while Brianna, Emily, and Jillian helped their mother into the family room so she could sit up to visit with the kids.

“I’m glad you’re home, Mommy.  I’ve missed you!”  Jillian said as she came and sat next to her mother.

“I missed you, too, Baby Girl,”  Jessica said as she put her arm around her daughter and hugged her.

“How are you feeling, Jessica?”  Brianna asked, “is there anything I can get you?”

“I’m all right, Sweetie, thank you.”

“Mommy, do you think Trey could come over in the next few days now that you’re home?” Emily had asked before her father came back into the room.

“We’ll see, Sweetheart.  Let me see how I’m feeling later.”

“I really want Jason and Brie to meet him before they leave.”

“If we don’t get to meet him, this time, around, we’ll get to meet him during the summer,” Brianna winked at Emily, hoping to remind her of their conversation earlier in the week.

“I know.  I just miss him and want to see him!”

“Sweetheart, I just got home.  I promise if I’m feeling up to it, he can come over,  I promise.”

“Okay, Mommy, I’m sorry.  I just miss him.”

“I know, Sweetheart.  Maybe we can have him come for dinner tomorrow night.  Let me talk to Daddy about it.”

“Do we have to ask Daddy?”  Emily moaned.

Jessica looked at Emily and then at Brianna.

“They had words earlier in the week when she wanted to ask Trey over, and Adam said no.”

“Mommy, Daddy’s unreasonable!  Even though he said I could have Trey over when one or both of you are home, he wouldn’t let him come over!”

“I told you why, Princess,” Adam’s voice interrupted the conversation.

“UH!” was all Emily could say as she stormed out of the room and went to her room.

“What’s going on here?”  Jessica asked.

“Emily and Dad don’t see eye to eye lately,” Jason told Jessica.

“I’ll fill you in on everything later, Babe,” Adam said hoping to change the conversation to another subject.

“I should probably lie down.  The trip home was a little more painful than I thought it would be.”

Adam and Jason helped Jessica to the bedroom and helped her lay down in bed.  Adam went and got a glass of water and had Jessica take a couple of pain pills.  He helped her sit back up to take the pills and then she laid back down.  Jason left to go back to the den where he found Brianna reading a book.

“I can’t believe Emily!”  Jason said as he sat down next to Brianna, putting his hand on her leg.

“What do you mean?”  Brianna asked as she closed her book and laid her head on his chest and ran her hands through the chest hair peeking out of his shirt.

“Emily’s so selfish about having Trey over.  Mom’s barely home five minutes, and she’s begging her to allow him to come over.  She won’t even let Mom get settled.”

“I understand Emmie’s wanting Trey to come over.  She misses him; she wants to see him.”

“She was totally out of line with Dad the other night.  She deserves everything she gets.”

“She’s got a high school crush, Jason.  She wants to spend time with her boyfriend.  What’s so wrong with that?”

“What’s wrong with that?”  Jason sat up and turned to look at Brianna.  “She practically strong-armed Mom and Dad into letting her spend time with a boy before she turns sixteen.  Now that they’re asking her to wait a little bit, she’s been a big baby about it. I  agree with Dad.  Maybe she needs to be reminded again who makes the decisions around here.”

“Jason, I agree she was out of line with your dad, but I see her point of view, too.  I’m sure if Jessica is feeling up to it tomorrow, she’ll talk to Adam, and hopefully, he’ll allow Trey to come for dinner tomorrow.  I don’t mind cooking for an extra guest.  Are you going to be this way with our girls when we get married?”

“What do you mean, Brie?”  Jason got defensive.

“Jason, every child is different.  You told me you were into your school work, so dating girls was not anything your parents had to deal with where you were concerned.  My parents allowed me to group date at fifteen and sixteen.  I could date boys one on one until I was a senior in high school.  My brother is not as mature as me, so they are making him wait to even group date.  Every child is different.  I hope we’ll consider each of our children’s personalities when we make decisions like this.”

“I think my mom and dad have raised us appropriately, Brie.”

“I’m not questioning how your parents raised you, Jason.  I believe we need to remember our kids will all be different, and you can’t make cookie cutter rules because they’ll not be useful for each child.  You’ve told me Emily got away with a lot more than you ever did; Jillian even more so.”

“That’s true, they do.  Emily is Dad’s princess, and Jillian is Mom’s baby girl.  I was the first born so they were hardest on me and I’m a better person because of it.  I would never allow my daughter to get away with what Dad lets Emily get away with.”

“Jason, you’ll be a great dad to our children, I don’t doubt for one minute.  I wouldn’t want to marry you if I didn’t feel you would be.  However, I’m sure we’ll be the same way; we’ll be overprotective with our first child and each child who comes along after we’ll be easier.  I’m sure any girls we have will be able to wrap you around their little finger.”

“Oh, you think so, future Mrs. Cartwright?”  Jason teased as he laid Brianna down on the couch.

“I do, Mr. Cartwright!”  Brianna said as she unbuttoned Jason’s shirt to expose the massive chest he inherited from his father.

“God, woman, do you know what you do to me?”  Jason growled.

“If it’s anything like what you do to me….”  Brianna said as she pulled Jason down and kissed him passionately.

Jillian came into the den without knocking and saw Jason and Brianna kissing in a frenzied state.

“Ooops!  I’m sorry.  I’m leaving right now.” Jillian said with embarrassment.

Jason sat up quickly buttoning his shirt.  “No, it’s okay, Peanut.  You probably came at the right time,” he smiled as he winked at Brianna.

“You and Brianna act like Mommy and Daddy, Jason,” Jillian said innocently.

“I love Brianna the way Daddy loves Mommy, Peanut.”

Jillian smiled. “I love you too, Brianna!”  she said as she hugged her.

“Awe, Peanut, I love you, too!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jessica’s first day at home was restful and comfortable and the next morning she told Adam she felt she was up to allowing Emily to invite Trey over for dinner so the family could all meet him.  Adam was not sure he wanted to allow Emily to ask Trey over because she had hardly spoken two words to him since he’d had words with her during their argument on Monday night.

“Oh, come on, Adam.  Quit being as stubborn as Emily.  I’m sure she knows she was wrong.  I’ll make sure she apologizes to you today for her actions.”

“She needs to apologize because she wants to, not because you tell her she has to so she can have a boy over to the house.”

“You two can’t stay mad at each other forever, Adam.  Let the child have some freedom.  She wants to be a woman, let her grow up.”

“Fine, Jess! I’m not going to argue with you after you’ve had major surgery.  Let her invite Trey over.”

Emily called Trey and asked him to come to dinner and told him he was going to be able to meet her brother and his girlfriend after all.  Trey was excited to meet everyone.

The evening came when Trey was going to meet the rest of the family.  Adam decided to grill steaks and Brianna fixed delicious side dishes including a broccoli rice and cheese casserole, baked potatoes, and fresh steamed carrots.

Jessica felt well enough to put a little make-up on and slowly walked into the kitchen and started to help Brianna with dinner.

“I appreciate you wanting to help, but I want you to sit at the table and keep me company, okay?”  Brianna insisted.

Adam came in from the lighting the charcoals when he saw Jessica up and about looking beautiful.  She had put on baby pink matching knit pant and casual hoodie suit with her Sketcher slip on sneakers.

They heard the doorbell ring and Emily yelled, “It’s Trey!  I’ll get it!”

Adam helped Jessica off the chair, and she put her arm through Adam’s, and they walked into the front room.  Jason, Brianna, and Jillian stayed at the back of the house to give Adam and Jessica a chance to meet Trey first so he wouldn’t be overwhelmed with meeting the whole family all at once.

Adam and Jessica came into the front room and saw Emily hugging Trey.  Adam cleared his throat so his daughter would know she and her friend were not alone.

Emily broke her embrace with Trey, took his arm and brought him over to meet her parents.

“Trey, I would like to introduce you to my mother, Jessica and my father, Adam.  Mommy, Daddy, this is Trey Hollingsworth.”

Adam extended his hand to Trey, “It’s nice to meet you, Trey.  We’ve heard a lot about you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Sir.  Emily has told me a lot about you as well.”

“Mrs. Cartwright, I hope you’re feeling better.  I’m glad to hear that you’re out of the hospital and recovering at home.”

“Thank you, Trey, I’m feeling much better.  Welcome to our home.”

“Thank you, Ma’am, I’m happy to be here,”  Trey smiled nervously.

“Come in!  Meet my brother and sister and my brother’s girlfriend!”  Emily said excitedly.

Adam and Jessica held back as Emily pulled Trey toward the kitchen so she could introduce the most popular boy in school to her brother, his girlfriend, and her baby sister.

“Adam, Trey’s so cute, I see why Emily is infatuated with him,”  Jessica said smiling from ear to ear.

“Do I need to be jealous of you, as you were of me with Brianna, Jess?”  Adam said playfully.

Jessica hit Adam in the chest with her fist and smiled.  “I wasn’t myself then,” she reasoned.

The couple walked into the dining room where Emily was introducing Trey to her older brother and younger sister.  Adam excused himself to check the coals.

Jessica had been standing a little too long and was getting light headed and started to feel faint. Trey was the closest to her when she felt her legs lose their strength.  When Adam came back in the house, he saw Jessica collapsing into Trey’s strong arms.  Jason and Adam ran over to help Trey carry Jessica’s dead weight over to the couch in the family room.  Brianna grabbed a towel, drenched it in cold water and rushed it over to where Adam was holding Jessica in his arms.

As he placed the rag on her head, she started to regain conscience.

“Are you okay, Mrs. Cartwright?”  Trey asked as he sat on the other side of Jessica.

“I’m fine, Trey.  Thanks for catching me.  I guess I’ve overdone it a little bit today.”

“I want you to stay in here until we finish dinner, do I make myself clear?”  Adam’s voice was concerned and authoritative.

“Oh, Adam, don’t be so overbearing.  I’m fine.  I can join with everyone else; I just need to remain seated.”

“Mrs. Cartwright, you really should be careful.  My mother had major surgery a few months ago, and when she fainted like you did, she ended up breaking her arm when she got lightheaded and fell,” Trey commented.  “I’ll be happy to help you into the other room if you would like to sit in there with everyone.”

“Thank you, Trey,” Jessica said as she glared at Adam.  She then turned back to Trey and smiled, “I would appreciate your assistance.”

Trey and Adam helped Jessica off the couch.  Trey put his arm out for Jessica’s, and she curled hers into his, and he helped her into the kitchen where she sat down at the breakfast table and kept Brianna company while Adam was in and out on the patio as he puts the steaks on the grill and began to cook them.

Once the steaks finished cooking and everything was on the table, everyone sat down and started to chow down on all the food Brianna and Adam had prepared.  Jason helped Jillian cut her steak.  Adam watched Trey and Emily smile and make loving eyes with each other.

“Trey, Emily tells us you’re a junior.  Do you plan to attend college after high school?”  Adam started the barrage of questions on his daughter’s new love interest, trying to find something wrong so he could have cause to keep the two apart.

“I play football and baseball, Mr. Cartwright.  I’m better at football than baseball, so I’m hoping to get a football scholarship to Stanford.  I’ll know next spring if I’ve been successful.  My goal is to play in the National Football League after I graduate college, but if that doesn’t work out for me, I’m hoping to become a sports agent.”

“You have high ambitions, Trey.  If you don’t make the NFL, being a sports agent will be a hard profession to break into, don’t you think?”  Adam continued as he cut another piece of his steak.

“My father owns a sports management agency in LA; my mother and father are divorced.  I live with my mom and her husband here in Carson City.”

“You were the first string varsity quarterback this year weren’t you?”  Jessica asked, remembering his name during the games she and Adam would attend to watch Emily cheer.

“Yes, Ma’am, I was.  I’ll be first string again next year as well.”

“The team did quite well this past season,” Jason joined the discussion.

“We did.  We only lost one game.  The biggest game of the season; the state championship.” Trey hung his head low.

“Honey, you shouldn’t feel bad.  You got hurt in the first quarter.  It wasn’t you who lost the game.  You led the team all the way to the championship!”  Emily stroked Trey’s back.

“What happened?”  Brianna inquired.

“I was sacked by a three hundred pound linebacker.  He knocked me out cold.  I had to be taken off on a stretcher.”

“I was so scared!  I cried from the sidelines; all of the cheerleaders did.  This was before we knew we liked each other,” Emily smiled as she hugged Trey’s arm.

“I’m hoping I can get into Stanford, too,” Emily announced as she changed the subject to her college aspirations.

“Why don’t you worry about finishing high school first, Princess,” Adam said with a cool tone.

Emily glared at Adam.  She was still angry with him for their fight on Monday and knew it was her mother who had talked her father into allowing Trey to come over on Saturday night.

“I don’t know if I’ll even get into Stanford just yet,” he smiled warmly at Emily.  “It’s my first choice, however.”

“Have you applied anywhere else yet?”  Brianna asked

“Yes, Ma’am, I have.  I’ve also applied to UNLV and UCLA as well.  Since my father lives in LA, I would just go live with him if I end up at UCLA.”

“If you get drafted to the NFL, will your father be your agent?” Jason asked.

“No, he would assign one of his partners to be my agent.  As in medicine, a family member should never manage another family member.  It’s not advisable.”

“Interesting,” Jessica noted as she took a drink of hot tea.

“Is there a particular team you would like to play for if you were to be accepted into the draft?” Jason asked finding the football talk interesting.

“I really like Dallas and New England, but I’d be happy to join any organization to get my feet wet as a professional player.”

As dinner wound down, the family all gathered in the three seasons room.  Emily and Trey sat next to each other on the love seat while Adam had Jessica lie down on one of the chaise lounges.  Jason took the other chaise lounge, and when Adam and Brianna finished the dishes, Brianna sat on Jason’s lap and Adam stood and leaned against the wall.  Jillian, who found all the adult talk boring asked if she could be excused to go play in her room which Jessica allowed.

The evening came to an early close for Jessica, as well, as she tired very fast.  Adam and Jason helped her to her feet.  Adam excused himself and Jessica while he helped her back to their room to get dressed for bed.  They stopped off at Jillian’s room and found she had changed into her pajama’s and was sleeping soundly.

When they reached their bedroom, Adam helped Jessica remove her clothes so she wouldn’t have to bend over.  He brought her the bottle of cleansing oil so she could remove what little makeup she had put on and a warm washcloth to wipe it off.  She put her nightgown on and Adam helped her lay down in bed.  He bent down and dropped a kiss on her lips.

“I’m glad you’re back home in our bed.  I’ve been lonely without you.”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to satisfy you in other ways for the next six to eight weeks,” Jessica winked.

“Right now, I’m just concerned with you gaining your strength back and the incision healing.  Do you need any pain medication before I go back to our guest?”  Adam asked.

“No, Babe, I feel pretty good, actually.”

Adam turned out the light and Jessica closed her eyes.

Adam returned to the three seasons room where he saw the two couples laughing and talking about music from their era.

Trey saw Adam return to the room and stood to welcome him back.  Adam smiled and waved for him to sit back down.

“I think I’m going to go ahead and join my wife.  It’s been a pleasure meeting you this evening, Trey.  I look forward to getting to know you better.  Please feel free to stay and enjoy the night with Emily, Jason, and Brianna.”

Adam called Jason into the kitchen and advised him to not stay up too late.  He wanted to make sure Trey didn’t go home too late since he had not had a chance to meet his mother and stepfather yet.  He didn’t want them getting the wrong idea of their family.  Jason agreed.  When he returned to the three seasons room, Brianna had taken her place on the chaise lounge Jessica had occupied, and Jason sat back down in his usual spot.

“Do you have a curfew, Trey?  I want to make sure we don’t keep you too late.”

“As long as I am back home by midnight, my mom doesn’t worry too much.  She really doesn’t give me a curfew, but midnight is what I set for myself.  I don’t want her to be nervous that I’m out too late.”

“Well, it’s only 10:00 P.M. so we have a few more hours!”

Jason, Brianna, Emily, and Trey talked about everything from sports to college life.  Trey asked all types of questions about living in dorms or living independently off campus.  He figured with a football scholarship, he wouldn’t be allowed to live off campus, at least for his freshman year, so Brianna gave him a little insight into dorm life.  She felt sure dorm life at all large universities was probably the same.

As the time grew closer to midnight, the foursome wound down their evening together.  Brianna and Jason excused themselves and told Trey how much they enjoyed meeting him and hoped they would be able to spend time with him again very soon.  They walked back into the kitchen to finish up the desert dishes they had dirtied sitting in the three seasons room while Emily and Trey said their goodbyes to each other.

Trey took Emily into his arms and looked lovingly into her eyes.  “You have a great family. Thanks for inviting me over to meet them tonight.  I can’t wait for you to meet my mom and stepdad.  I guess eventually you’ll meet my dad.  It might be at graduation next year, though,” he laughed.

“Maybe we can have your mom and stepdad over for dinner some night.  Daddy won’t allow me to be with you anywhere but here until I’m sixteen,” Emily said as she rolled her eyes.

Trey dropped a kiss on Emily’s nose.  “Don’t blame your dad for being over protective of you.  He only wants the best for you and to keep you safe.  I really like that about him.  I would be the same if we had a daughter together.”

Emily’s eyes got wide. “Trey!” she said as she hid her face in his chest.

Trey pulled Emily’s face up to look at his.  He got serious as he said, “I really like you a lot, Emily Cartwright.  I hope our relationship will continue for a long time to come.”

Emily’s eyes got misty as she stared back at Trey.  “I would like that very much, too!”

Trey tenderly kissed Emily’s lips and whispered, “Thanks again for tonight. I had a great time.  You have a very nice family.”

The two teenagers hugged tightly for a few minutes, and Trey finally pulled away reluctantly and said he needed to get going if he was going to make it home before midnight.  He gave another quick kiss to Emily, and she opened the door, and she walked him out, waving as he got into his Mustang.

Emily returned to the kitchen where she saw Jason trying to distract Brianna from finishing the dishes by trying to unbutton her blouse.

“Good thing it’s me, Jason, and not Mommy!”

Jason immediately took his hands off Brianna and the look of surprise and fear quickly was erased from their faces as they realized they had only been caught by Emily.

“I told you to stop before we got busted!”  Brianna pounded Jason in the chest.

“You didn’t see anything did you, Em?”  Jason came over to his sister and started to tickle her.

She screamed in laughter, but Jason quickly covered her mouth.

“Be quiet!  You’ll wake up Mom and Dad!” he whispered loudly.

All three giggled.

“You would have so been busted if I had been Mommy, Older Brother!”

“Thank goodness you weren’t!  Now go to bed, Little Sister!”

Emily stuck her tongue out and smiled.  “Good night, Brie.”

Laughing, Brianna wished Emily a good night.

“Keep your hands to yourself, Jason!”  Emily winked as she kissed and hugged him goodnight.

“Mind your own business, Sis.  Love you.  Goodnight,” Jason said, and he slapped her bum as she turned to head to her room.

Jason grabbed hold of Brianna’s waist from behind, and the two walked to his room where he kissed Brianna goodnight before going to the den for one more night before they would head to the airport the next day to fly back east.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a morning’s big breakfast, Jessica said her goodbyes to Brianna and Jason as Adam put their bags in the Lexus SUV.  Since Jessica was still too weak to travel to the airport, she gave her son and his girlfriend a tearful kiss and hug goodbye at the house.  She stood at the garage door and wiped her tears as the family all piled into the SUV and began to back out of the garage.  Jessica waved one last time to them as Adam put the gear in drive and they drove away.  She thought about the many times Adam, Jason, and Emily would drive away on a Friday night to head to the Ponderosa when they were divorced.  She was so happy to know now, Adam, Emily, and their youngest daughter would be coming back home after dropping off her baby boy and his girlfriend at the airport to head back to college.

Jessica went back inside the house and made herself a cup of tea.  She grabbed her latest book by John Grisham and went into the three seasons room to read while she waited for her family to return home.

She couldn’t wait until summer break when she would see her son and his girlfriend again.

Virginia City tour information courtesy of my own experiences in Virginia City and Yahoo Travel

Chapter Nine

Eight weeks past and life returned to normal for Jessica.  Her check-up with Dr. McIntyre went well, and he gave her the all clear sign for her and Adam to resume intimate relations.  It had been a somewhat smooth eight weeks for Adam in the intimacy department.  He respected the major surgery his wife had been through and didn’t want to risk any post-surgical complications which might jeopardize their eight-week reunion.  Jessica and Adam cuddled in bed, and even when Jessica offered to satisfy her husband, sexually he told her he could wait.  He felt it was only right he didn’t partake in any special favors when he could not return them in kind to her.  The day came, and Jessica planned a very sensual evening for her husband.

Upon her return home from the doctor’s appointment, she spent the balance of her morning on the computer; she wanted to start their vacation plans for the summer.  She emailed Rebecca with the dates which worked for their family and hoped one of them would also work out for Rebecca, Dave, and their girls.  She checked her email and found a note from Rebecca.  She and Dave had found a week free in which they could host everyone at their home at Nantucket Island.

Dear Adam and Jessica,

The week of July 3rd through 9th seems to be a week which works for all of us.  I hope this is still good for you.  It would be great to celebrate the 4th of July with you and your family here on the island.  Let me know.  We’ll head to the island on the Friday before so please feel free to make your vacation plans accordingly!

Hope all is well, and you are still recovering from your surgery okay, Jessica.  Dave and I were pleased to hear the good news from Adam about the successful surgery and no cancer was found.

We look forward to seeing you in July! Let us know if this time still works for you.

Your friends,

Rebecca and Dave

Jessica called Adam at the office to make sure he cleared his calendar for the week of the third.  When he did not answer his personal line, the call transferred to his administrative assistant, Heather.

“Adam Cartwright’s office, Heather speaking,” was the soft voice Jessica heard.

“Heather?  Hi, it’s, Jessica.  Adam told me you hadn’t been feeling well; how are you?”

“It’s one of those late spring allergy attacks.  I feel fine, but it affected my vocal cords.  I sound a lot worse than I feel, believe me,” Heather laughed.  “Are you looking for Adam?  He’s not here a the moment; you want me to have him call you?  Oh, wait, here he comes.  He stepped out to speak with Larry in legal, but he’s coming back now.  Let me transfer you to his office.”

“Thanks, Heather!  Hope you get your voice back soon!”

“Thanks, Jessica.  I’ll transfer you now.”

Adam was looking over some papers as he came by Heather’s desk on his way back to his office.

“Jessica’s on the line.  I’ll transfer her back to your private line, Adam.”

“Thanks, Heather.  Why don’t you take the rest of the day off; give your voice a break.  I should be okay the rest of the afternoon.”

“Thanks, boss, I’ll do just that!”  Heather grinned.

Adam winked, headed into his office and shut the door.  He picked up the line where Jessica was holding.

“Hey, Babe, how’d your appointment with Dr. McIntyre go this morning?”  Adam asked as he signed contracts which needed his signature.

“I’ll let you know tonight,” Jessica replied in a sexy voice.

“Oh, shall I call it an early day and come home for an afternoon delight?”  Adam stopped signing papers and leaned back in his executive chair.

“The girls will be getting out of school soon.  Besides, it’ll give you something to look forward to later, My lover,” Jessica smiled.

Her tone quickly changed from her sexy voice to her normal one as she told Adam about the email she received from Rebecca.

“It looks like the week of the third works for Rebecca and Dave.  Is your calendar still clear?  If so, mark off Thursday and Friday before, the entire week, and the Monday after so we can make our plans for Boston and Nantucket.  I would like to take the girls to see Boston, our alma mater, as well as show them where Jason lives and goes to school.  I think they would enjoy the Freedom Trail and Duck Tour as well.  We could spend a day or two on the Cape before heading over to Nantucket.  What do you think?”

As Jessica was discussing the plans she had, Adam looked over his calendar.

“I don’t have anything on the books right now for the week before, the week of, and I don’t have anything I can’t change for the week after either. How about I block the week before, the week of, and the first few days after.  We deserve an extended vacation as a family.  What do you think?”  Adam asked as he was blocking off the days and sending an email to Heather to let her know what he’d done so she wouldn’t have a heart attack when she came back on Monday and saw Adam had made changes to his calendar she kept straight and orderly for him.

“Adam Cartwright, you’ve just earned yourself some extra bonus points tonight when we go to bed,” Jessica’s playful voice returned.

“Mmmm, I like the sound of that, Mrs. Cartwright,” Adam growled.

“What time are you planning to be home tonight, Love?” Jessica asked as she started to surf the web for hotel availability on the Cape; she would write to Jason and let him know the plans for vacation, and they would be staying at his apartment for a few days while in Boston.

“I’m shooting for 6:00 P.M. Might be a little later.  If I see it going beyond 7:00 PM, I’ll call, but I really don’t see it going beyond 6:30 P.M. at the latest right now,” Adam said as he turned back to looking over and signing more contracts and other related business documents.

“Alright, we’ll see you then.”

Jessica replied to Rebecca with a quick note letting her know the week of July 3rd would work for the Cartwright’s, and they would be spending a few days in Boston, Cambridge, and Cape Cod before taking the high-speed ferry over to Nantucket to spend the week with her, Dave, and the twins.

Jessica made notes for herself so she could start making hotel, plane, and ferry reservations as well as get tour information.  Her time was running short because she had to pick up Emily and Jillian from school.

She had special plans in store for Adam, so she arranged for the girls to spend the night with Joe and Donna.  It was a welcomed visit for Joe and Donna.  The girls looked forward to spending time with their brand new cousin, Joseph, Jr., and their twin girls.

6:17 P.M. Adam pulled into the garage and saw Jessica’s SUV was gone.  He figured she must have to run a last minute errand, and she would be back soon.  His happiness turned to concern when he walked into the house, and it was dark with nobody home.  He found a note laying on the counter, and it read,

Please go to our bedroom and change your clothes into something comfortable and casual.

Love, Jessica

Adam walked into the bedroom where he saw clothes already laid out for him to change into with a note laying on top of them; it read:

The girls are at Joe’s and Donna’s house tonight.  Change out of your work clothes, into the jeans and shirt I’ve left out for you and head up to our home on the Ponderosa.

Love, Jessica

Adam was intrigued.  He didn’t know what was going on.  It was not their anniversary, but Jessica always planned fun sexy things to keep their marriage from getting dull.  Adam smiled and did as the letter instructed.

After dressing, Adam jumped back in his Porsche and headed up to their home on the Ponderosa.  When he pulled into the garage, he found Jessica’s SUV already in there.

When he walked into the house, he found candles lit everywhere and soft music playing on the stereo.

“Jessica?”  Adam yelled, but there was no answer.

When Adam walked into the living room, he saw rose petals strewn on the floor leading up the stairs with a note hanging on the banister and a single long-stemmed rose positioned next to the note.  It read:

The rose pedals will lead you to me.

Love, Jessica.

Adam smiled as he picked up the long stemmed rose and started up the stairs.  He felt his body heat up.  He couldn’t wait to see what was at the end of the trail of petals.  As he got to the top of the stairs, he saw the petals led into his and Jessica’s bedroom where the doors were closed.  He got to the door and knocked.

“Come in, My Love,” Jessica said seductively.

When Adam opened the door, he saw his wife laying on the bed in a brand new red silk nightgown laying on the bed sexy for her man.  Adam grinned from ear to ear and walked over to the bed as he undressed.

“WOW!” he said as he headed toward the bed.

Jessica started to sit up, like a lioness ready to pounce on her prey.  Her eyes were fixed on her man.  When Adam arrived at the edge of the bed, he told her, “No, I’ll join you in just a minute.”

Adam undressed completely and joined her and they enjoyed the mutual satisfaction of  each other.

After short but intense love making, Adam held his wife in his arms.  She laid her head on his chest hearing the rapidness of his heartbeat begin to slow as his body came down from its orgasmic euphoria.

“I feel so safe in your arms, Adam.  I never want to leave them,” Jessica said as she ran her fingers through Adam’s chest hair.

Adam stroked Jessica’s soft locks, kissed her ear and stroked her cheek softly whispering, “I never want to let you go.”

“I wondered how it would be -the first time since having a hysterectomy- Dr. McIntyre said it could be different for me.  I worried in silence all eight weeks while I was healing.”

Adam put his fingers under Jessica’s chin pulling her face to meet his, “And?”

Jessica smiled, “Just as beautiful as always, my gorgeous lover.”

Adam kissed her lips tenderly, and she laid her head back on his chest.

After cuddling and enjoying the touch of each other’s bodies for a few hours, Adam announced he was getting hungry.  Jessica had made stuffed pasta shells, and they were in the oven on warm.  The salad was in the fridge, and all they needed was a bottle of wine.  The couple got out of bed.  Adam went to put on his jeans he had worn up to the ranch house, and he grabbed Jessica’s short silk pink robe.

They went downstairs together, Adam went into the cellar to get a bottle of wine while Jessica headed to the kitchen to get the dinner out of the oven.

When Adam returned, Jessica had dressed the table with a crisp white linen table cloth, matching napkins, fine china, and crystal.  The tablescape was finished off with two taper candles burning draped on each side of an elegant bouquet of spring flowers Hop Sing had picked and arranged himself.  Adam uncorked the bottle of red wine.

“Wow, so formal!  I feel a bit under-dressed.”

Jessica finished putting the tossed salad for two on the table, grabbed both her and Adam’s wine glasses, handing Adam’s to him and sat on his lap facing him.  She took a drink of her wine, licked her lips, and untied her robe.

“Actually, my darling, I think we’re a little overdressed if you ask me,” she said as she let her silk robe fall to the floor.

Adam swallowed hard.  He took a drink of his vino as he took in the sexiness of his woman.

“Why do I now not feel so hungry?”  Adam whispered as he began to nibble on Jessica’s chest.

“We need our nourishment, My Love.  We have a long night of passion ahead of us.  I think you’ll like what’s for dessert, and I’ll be the platter on which it is served,” Jessica winked.

After dinner was complete, Adam helped Jessica rinse the dishes and set them on the counter to hand wash in the morning.  Jessica sent Adam back upstairs and told him she would be up in a few minutes.

He headed back upstairs and started a fire in the fireplace in their room as the night air in the mountains was still a bit chilly.

Jessica returned with a cart filled with strawberries, whipped cream, a fondue of chocolate sauce, and brandy snifters with Grand Mariner Liqueur.

Jessica arrived at the bed.  She took a juicy strawberry from the plate, dipped it in the chocolate then whipped cream, and fed it to Adam.  She then made one for herself.

After eating the strawberries and drinking the liqueurs, Jessica looked at the chocolate and whipped cream.  She laid down, lifted her arms up over her head and spread her legs apart.

“I think you can find something to do with the rest of this dessert, can’t you?”

Adam and Jessica enjoyed bathing each other in chocolate sauce and whipped cream for the next several hours.  After they finished dessert, they both got up and took a shower together and fell into each other’s arms and slept the rest of the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, while Jessica was washing the dishes from the evening before, Adam stayed upstairs stripping the bed and putting fresh sheets on.  Joe and Donna dropped Emily and Jillian off on their way to see Ben so he could spend some time with Joe’s and Donna’s new grandson.

Jillian came skipping into the kitchen with Emily close behind.

“I’m thirsty!”  Jillian exclaimed as she went to the refrigerator to see what was available to drink.

Emily got a glass down for her sister and looked at her mother who was wearing just one of Adam’s t-shirts and her panties.

“You and Daddy have an um….” she cleared her throat, “night, Mommy?”

Jessica smiled and walked over to her oldest daughter tapping her on the nose with her towel and smiled.  “That, my dear, is none of your business!”

“Oh, Mommy, the look on your face tells me everything, she grinned.”

“Tells you what, Princess?” Adam asked as he entered the kitchen to bring his empty coffee mug in to be washed.

“Hi Daddy!” she said as she went over and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

“You didn’t answer my question, Princess,” Adam winked at Jessica to let her know he was going to play with his daughter’s nosiness.

“Oh come on, Daddy, it doesn’t take a rocket science degree to know why we stayed at Uncle Joe’s last night.”

“I thought we were spending the night so we could play with Little Joe and Braiden?”  Jillian innocently questioned.

“Well, that, too, Peanut, but, well, Mommy and Daddy wanted to spend some alone time together, just the parentals, if you know what I mean,” Emily said as she went and kissed her sister on her head.

“Huh?”  Jillian looked confused.

Adam was ready to make his daughter’s face turn a thousand shades red, as she had opened the door for him to walk in.  He leaned back on the counter and folded his arms against his bare chest and with a big smile said, “Go ahead, explain.  Tell us, and Jillian, why you thought why Mommy and I wanted to be alone last night, Princess?”

“Yeah!”  Jillian mocked her daddy.

Jessica, not wanting to be left out, went over to Adam, put her arms around his waist, he moved his arms and cuddled her into his body, and she said with a big grin, “We’re waiting, Emmy.”

Emily got flustered, and her face turned beet red.  “You guys don’t play fair, and you know it!” she said laughing.

Adam and Jessica burst out in laughter.  Adam released Jessica and went over to his daughter and pulled her to his chest.

“Somethings should remain private between a husband and wife, okay, Princess?”

“Sorry, Daddy.  I wasn’t trying to be nosy.  I know you and Mommy still enjoy each other, well, you know…I think it’s kind of cool, that’s all.”

Jillian tugged at Jessica’s t-shirt, “Mommy, what is Emily talking about?”

Jessica looked at her youngest daughter and then at Adam.

“Uh, Baby Girl, how about you and I have a talk later this evening.  Just the two of us before you go to bed.”

Jillian seemed to be content with her mother’s answer and requested something to drink.

The day was warm and sunny so Adam and the girls decided to take their mounts out for a ride on the Ponderosa.  Jessica stayed back to make reservations for their summer vacation.

Jessica checked her email and found an email from Brianna’s mother, telling her how excited she was they were all coming to Cape Cod for a visit and was sending her the hotel reservations she had made for everyone.  She wanted to let Adam and Jessica know she and her husband would like them to be their guest while on the Cape and sent the reservations for their rooms at Wequassett Resort and Golf Club.  Brianna’s maternal uncle was the manager of the resort and had reserved rooms for everyone.

After telling Brianna and Jason about their trip to Massachusetts, Jessica mentioned since they were coming east, she and Adam would love to meet her parents.  When Brianna called her folks, they were delighted and thought spending a few days at the Cape would be a perfect place to meet everyone.

Jessica made plane reservations for Adam, herself, Emily, and Jillian to arrive early in the week so they could spend a few days with Jason and Brianna at Cambridge and show the girls their alma mater, Harvard, as well as see the sights of Boston.  She also made high-speed ferry reservations on the Hy-Line Ferry out of Cape Cod to Nantucket.

Jessica sent an email to Rebecca and Jason giving them the detailed itinerary of their trip.

Rebecca was online checking her email when Jessica’s email came through.  She quickly replied letting Jessica know Dave wanted to spend a day playing golf with Adam and Jason, so she thought it would be fun to have a girls day at Martha’s Vineyard for sightseeing, shopping, and fun.  Jessica knew Emily would enjoy the shopping part.  Jessica looked forward to the sightseeing tour Rebecca mentioned in her email.

After getting the travel plans made, Jessica put on some shorts, grabbed a book, and headed for the back deck to read.  She fell asleep reading in the chaise lounge, and when she woke up, her skin was pink from the sun’s rays.

She took a shower and bathed herself in vitamin E lotion to help the slight sunburn she received from falling asleep in the sun.

Jessica was putting moisturizer on her face when Adam walked into the bathroom; his clothes were dusty from the day’s long ride he enjoyed with his daughters.

He noticed Jessica’s darkening sunburn, and his face turned sour.

“It looks worse than it really is.  It doesn’t hurt at all.  I fell asleep on the deck reading a book, but I woke up before I could get a terrible sunburn,” she said dropping her towel and heading into the bedroom to get panties, bra, jeans, and a loose shirt to wear.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Adam yelled from the bathroom.  “The girls want to go to Stateline Brewery & Restaurant tonight; how does that sound to you?”

Jessica walked back into the bathroom as she was putting on her bra, “Sounds good if I don’t have to cook,” she winked.

Adam laughed and got in the shower.

Jessica went to check on her daughter’s progress.  Emily had taken a shower and was running a bath for Jillian to get in next.  She saw her oldest daughter wrapped in a towel so she went and grabbed a robe to put on so she could go into her room and finish getting dressed.

“I’ll take over from here with Jillian, you go get dressed.”

“Mom!  You’re so red!”

“It looks worse than it feels.  It really doesn’t hurt at all.  I fell asleep reading a book on the deck.  Besides, you got a little color too, I see!”  Stroking her daughter’s cheeks.

“Yeah, we took the horses on a long walk and then we trotted them through the meadows.  It was so much fun.  We haven’t done that in a really long time with just Daddy.  Thanks for suggesting it, Mommy,” Emily kissed her mother on her cheek.

Jillian came into the bathroom buck naked and said like a diva, “I’m ready for my bath now!”

“I see you’ve been hanging out with your sister too much.  You’ve been influenced by her lack of modesty, young lady.”

“What’s modesty, Mommy?”  Jillian inquired.

Jessica looked at Emily and smiled.  She then knelt down to Jillian’s level and took her naked innocent child into her arms.

“I guess that’s another thing I’ll have to discuss with you tonight when we get you ready for bed.”

Jessica then patted her daughter’s naked bum and told her to get in the bath, because she was hungry and ready for dinner.

The family enjoyed a casual dinner.  Jessica and Adam tried a couple of specialty house brews which they enjoyed very much with their meal.  Emily asked if she could try a sip of her mother’s beer and she allowed her her very first taste of alcohol.  Emily’s face grimaced when she tasted it.

“That’s gross!” she bellowed.

Adam and Jessica had a hearty laugh at Emily’s scrunched up face.

“Can I try it, too?”  Jillian asked curiously.

“Sure, why not, Sweetpea,” Adam said as he allowed her to taste from his glass.

“Mmmm, I like it!” she smiled.

“Really?”  Emily turned to her sister.  “It’s nasty tasting!  I guess I’ll probably be more of a wine drinker.”

“How do you know, Honey?  You might not like wine either,” Jessica said as she took a drink from her beer.

“Can I try a glass at home sometime?”  Emily inquired.

“Not a whole glass, Princess, but you can try a taste from Mommy’s or my glass the next time we have some with dinner.”

“Thanks, Daddy!”  Emily sat up straight.  She felt as if her parents were finally allowing her to grow up a little bit.

Upon their return back home, Emily went to her room and got on her phone to call Trey.  She missed him greatly since they had spent most of the weekend with Uncle Joe, Aunt Donna, and then time at their ranch house.  Emily didn’t seem to mind too much because she was having a great time, but she was starting to miss him and wanted to hear his voice.  Since they were driving back to Carson City after church on Sunday, she made plans for him to come over Sunday night for a few hours.

As Saturday night was drawing to a close, Jessica helped Jillian get her pajamas on, and the two girls went into the office where Adam was working on the computer.  Jillian leaped into Adam’s lap to give him a kiss and hug goodnight.

“I love you, Daddy.  I had fun today!”

Adam kissed his daughter on the forehead and told her he loved her as well and told her they would spend a day during her summer vacation from school, just the two of them together.  Jillian’s eyes lit up with excitement.  She couldn’t wait to have some alone time with her daddy and their horses.

“Off you go,” he said as he sat her down on her feet.

“I’ll be in to tuck you in in just a minute, Baby Girl,”  Jessica yelled as her daughter skipped off to her room.

Jessica plopped down into Adam’s lap and laid her head on his shoulder.  Adam wrapped his arms around his woman and kissed her on her neck as she sighed heavily.

“You ready to have the talk with Jillian, Babe?”

“Yeah, I guess so.  I was noticing tonight when I was washing her hair before dinner, her breasts are starting to blossom just a bit.  It won’t be long before we have to start shopping for her first bra, Adam.  My baby’s growing up!”  Jessica frowned.

“What are you going to discuss with her tonight?  Her body maturing, or are you going to explain sex to her as well?”

“Oh, I don’t know.  I guess I’ll start with talking about her breasts maturing, and then tell her about her monthly cycle that probably isn’t too far around the corner now, and if that’s enough, I’ll stop there.  If I think she can handle the rest, we can talk about sex, too.”

“She’s a mature little girl, Jess.  I bet she’ll be able to handle it all.”

Jessica turned to Adam, pounded on his chest and laughed.

“Yeah, easy for you to say.  You just had to explain wet dreams and sex to our son.  You got off pretty easy only having to explain it once.”

“Oh, you don’t know all the times little miss diva came to me when we were divorced and had a million uncomfortable questions!”

Jessica laughed and laid her head back on Adam’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right, Babe.  I tend to want to forget about those dark years.  I wish I could take away those painful years from Jason and Emily.”

“I know, Babe, me, too,” Adam sighed.

Adam pat Jessica on the hip and told her to go on, talk to Jillian and tuck her in.

“I’m going!  I’m going!”  Jessica laughed as she left the office dragging her feet.  Adam laughed as he put his reading glasses back on, and returned back to his work on the computer.

When Jessica entered Jillian’s room, she sat down on Jillian’s bed and Jillian got on her mother’s lap.  She asked Jillian if she noticed her breasts were starting to grow a little and Jillian nodded she had.  She pulled up her pajama top to show her mommy.

“Yes, I noticed when you were in the bathtub tonight, Baby Girl.”

Jessica went on to explain about how her body was maturing, what all it meant, what would probably start changing next and how when the time came for her minstrel cycle, she needed to tell her so she could get her the feminine products she would need.  She told her if it should happen at school, she was to go to the nurse’s office, and she would help her out.

Jillian was not too excited about the thought of starting her period, but Jessica told her it was all part of how God built women.  She went onto explained when she first got her monthly cycle, and since she’d had a complete hysterectomy, she would no longer have one.

Jessica felt Jillian understood everything she was explaining to her so she decided to continue to explain sex and the importance of abstinence until marriage.

“You see, Baby Girl, your body, is very sacred to you and God.  Daddy is the only man who has touched my body.  Because we love each other, we wanted to give ourselves to each other, and this is how you, Emily, and Jason were conceived,” Jessica said as she hugged her daughter.

Since Jillian was not around during Jessica and Adam’s divorce, she didn’t feel she needed to tell her about her time with Clint.  Emily had never mentioned Clint again after their break-up, and she hoped he was not someone she would remember.  If the time came later, and Jillian found out about Clint, she would come clean with her then, but for now, she wanted to stress the importance of only sharing her body with the man she loved and would marry.

“You and Daddy did that, and that’s how I was made, Mommy?” Jillian’s face was sour.

Jessica laughed. Yes, Baby Girl, it was.  I know it seems yucky to you right now, but believe me, when you are older, and you start to like boys, you’ll understand.  When you fall in love with a man and want to spend the rest of your life with him, you will want to share yourself with him, be intimate with him, and when the time is right, have his baby.”

Jillian sighed and rested in her mother’s embrace.  Jessica could tell she was just about at the edge of her understanding, so she decided to end it there.

“Just enjoy being my baby girl for right now, my sweet child.  Mommy doesn’t want you to grow up too fast.”

“I love you, Mommy.  I’m so glad you are my Mommy and Daddy is my Daddy,” Jillian turned and hugged Jessica tight around her neck, making her lose balance and fall on the bed.

“Baby Girl, I’ll always be your mommy; even when you become a mommy yourself.  Now, time to get to sleep!  We have to get up tomorrow morning and go to church!”

Jessica tucked her daughter in, and she kissed her on the forehead goodnight.

“I love you, Mommy,” Jillian said as she closed her eyes with a big smile on her face.

“I love you too, Baby Girl,” Jessica said as she turned out her light and closed the door behind her.

She stopped and quietly knocked on Emily’s door.  Emily invited her mother in, and Jessica opened the door just enough to stick her head in.

“Don’t stay up too late, Sweetheart.  We have to get up early tomorrow.  Tell Trey I said hello.  Love you!”

Love you, too, Mommy, goodnight.”

Jessica shut the door and headed down the hall.  She stopped at the office and stood in the doorway.

“Coming, Adam?”

“Yeah, Babe, I’ll be there in a few minutes.  Just wrapping up an email to Heather real quick.”

“Alright, see you in a few,” Jessica said as she started down the hall to their bedroom.

Jessica was just taking off her bra and putting a T-shirt on when Adam came in the room.  He stripped down to his boxers and got into bed.  Jessica finished hanging up her clothes and cuddled into the middle of the bed with Adam.

“So, how’d the talk go?”

“I explained everything to her.  I felt she was starting to get sensory overload, so I stopped at falling in love and one day wanting to share her body with her husband.  I think she understood well enough.  I’ll go more into detail on how babies are made later when she’s older.”

Jessica smiled as she remembers when Emily came to her when she first got her monthly visitor.

“Adam, she was so horrified, even though we had had the talk a few years before, remember?  She begged me not to tell you; she was so embarrassed.  I told her you knew I had it every month, but she made me promise I wouldn’t say anything to you.  It was so cute.  I remember I made my mom promise not to tell my daddy either.  I think every girl does.  I’m sure Jillian will, too.”

“Yeah, I remember it like it was yesterday.  I was a bit sad, I remember.  I thought, my little girl is a woman now, even though she was just thirteen.”

“Just think, Adam, we’re going to be grandparents probably within the next five years!  Jason and Brie are probably going to get married right after college, and it probably won’t be long before they’ll come and tell us they’re going to have a baby of their own.  Remember how excited Dad was when we told him about Jason?  He was so happy; my parents were, too!  Now, he’s all grown up and has found his beloved life partner.”

Adam kissed Jessica on the head and rubbed her back.  Despite the small two-year dip in the road, our kids have turned out to be amazing. You should be proud of yourself, Mrs. Cartwright.”

“I am, Mr. Cartwright,” Jessica smiled and closed her eyes, “You should be, too.”

Chapter Ten

School had let out for the summer for all the Cartwright children and Brianna.  Jason had spoken with his parents and told them he and Brianna had found summer jobs in Cambridge, and would be staying in Massachusetts instead of coming home.  Jessica knew her son wouldn’t be coming home for the summer, but Adam reminded her Jason was growing up and becoming more independent.  Both Jason and Brianna told their new employers about the family vacation in July, and they were both granted the time off they needed for the trip.

A few days before their departure from Nevada, Jessica was busy packing clothes for her, Adam, and the girls.  Adam neatly laid out the clothes he wanted to take so Jessica could pack them. She was very finicky on how she packed clothes, so Jessica always had Adam put out his clothes for either a business trip or vacation, and she would pack them for him.  Whenever Adam arrived at his destination when traveling for business, he always looked forward to unpacking at his hotel because Jessica would leave something sexy along with a note scented with his favorite perfume she wore to remind him of her while he was away.  She would always laugh and say, “If the TSA ever opens your luggage, they’ll get an eye full!”

On packing day, Adam knew Jessica would be running around the house, getting things ready and barking at the girls to get their clothes ready for her inspection of what they wanted to bring so she could pack them as well.  Adam took the time to head up to the Ponderosa to see his father.  Ben was getting on up in years and the heart attack he’d suffered twelve plus years before had seemed to take a toll on him the older he got.  Adam worried about his father because he could not live close by as he had when he and Jessica were divorced.  Hoss still lived on the ranch and was able to keep an eye on him, but as the eldest son, Adam felt he was more responsible for his father’s well-being than his two younger brothers.

As he arrived, he found his father sitting on the porch enjoying a glass of iced tea Hop Ling, had made him.  Hop Ling, one of Hop Sing’s many younger cousins, came to help Ben with Hop Sing now getting on up in years himself.  Hop Ling always enjoyed coming to visit his cousin at the Ponderosa when he was a young boy because Ben always welcomed him as part of the family.  He once told his cousin and Ben he would one day like to help when Hop Sing would need more assistance.  Even though Hop Sing still managed the day to day household operations, Hop Ling would help out with the daily chores like cleaning and cooking to give Hop Sing a break and handle only managerial duties needed to run the main ranch house.

As Ben saw his son enter the drive, he smiled.  Adam noticed right away Ben was not up to his usual self because he was not standing.

“Hi, Dad, how are you feeling today?”  Adam asked as he got out of his car and headed toward the porch.

“Oh, Adam, you know me, I’ve had good days and bad.  Today’s not too bad.  Just a little shaky, that’s all.  How’s the family?  How are my daughter and beautiful grandchildren?”

Adam laughed and shook his head.

“Jess is great.  She’s running around the house cleaning, getting the house ready for our departure.  She’s yelling at the girls to get their clothes ready for packing.  You know Jess; she’s got to be the one to pack everything.  Sometimes I don’t know where she gets all her energy.  When she was recovering from surgery, I had to tie her practically down at times to keep her from getting up and cleaning or doing the laundry.  The girls were good to help out, and I hired a housekeeping service during the few months when she wasn’t able to do her normal household activities.  She used to complain the service wasn’t up to her usual standards.  I told her they did a decent job, and it would do for the time she couldn’t do it herself.  You know how she is, Dad.”

“She’s a good wife, Adam.  She loves you and the girls and wants to make a good home for you. Women like Jessica don’t come along every day.  You’re a lucky man.”

“I know, Dad.  Lucky not once but twice!”

“So tell me, what do you have planned while you’re gone?  I’m glad to see you taking time away from the office. Your brothers will keep things afloat while you’re away.  You need to spend time with Jess and the kids.  They deserve to have your undivided attention.”

“I have to say, Dad, I’m looking forward to getting away, too.  We leave for Boston in the morning.  We’re staying at Jason’s apartment while we’re in Cambridge and Boston.  It’ll be a little cramped for all of us, but we’ll make due.  Jason bought a blow-up mattress for the girls; they’ll sleep in the living room, Jess and I will sleep in the bedroom Brianna is occupying for the summer, and she’ll sleep in Jason’s room while we’re there.”

“And you are okay with her sleeping in Jason’s room, Adam?”  Ben looked at his son with a concerned look on his face.

“Dad, It’s not ideal, but I don’t pretend she doesn’t share his bed already.  They’re in love; they’re planning to get married.  My son is an adult now, and I trust him to make the right decisions where he and Brianna are concerned.”

“I guess I’m from the old-school, Son,” Ben smiled.  “I remember courting your mother properly.  I didn’t even kiss her on the lips until I was serious about her and knew I wanted to marry her.  We held hands, and I kissed her on the cheek.  I knew I wanted to marry her after our second date, though.  Elizabeth was a vivacious woman; so full of life and always wore a smile.”

“I always loved the stories you told me about her, Dad, and the pictures you showed me of when you two were younger.  The older Emily gets, the more I see my mother in her.  She is a true free spirit, just the way you describe Mom.  I know she would love her grandchildren and Jessica very much.”

“Oh, she would spoil them rotten!”  Ben’s eyes got big, and his smile reached from ear to ear as he talked about his first wife.  “She used to say when we were first married, ‘Benjamin,’ she liked to call me Benjamin.  ‘Benjamin, when our children are older, married, and have kids of their own, I want to have them over to the house every weekend so we can spend time with them and spoil them rotten.’  So I would respond, ‘Elizabeth, my love, shouldn’t we have children first?’  She would hug me laughing and reply, ‘Yeah, I guess you are right!’  It was not too much longer when she told me she was expecting you.  She couldn’t wait for your arrival.  She always knew she wanted to name you Adam if you were to be a boy.  She always thought the name was so manly and strong.”

“What if I had been a girl, Dad, what did she want to name me if I had been a girl?”  Adam asked relishing the time he was spending talking about his mother with his father.  Since his father always found it painful to talk about his first wife, whenever Ben wanted to reminisce about her, Adam always took in as much as he could.

“If you had been a girl, she wanted to name you after her mother, Amy.”

Ben sat there a minute in silence.  Adam thought his father’s memories of his mother were becoming too painful, and he would want to move on to another conversation, but he continued.

“When the doctor laid you on her belly after giving birth, your mother, exhausted from twenty-eight hours of labor and delivery looked at you and smiled.  She couldn’t wait for the nurses to clean you so she could hold her new baby in her arms.  When you were all cleaned up, wrapped in a blanket, the nurses handed you to Elizabeth.  She put you to her breast and helped you latch on.  Even though you weren’t ready, she wanted immediately to build the bond between you and her,” Ben began to choke up.  “Even if it was just for a few weeks.”

Adam got up, came to his father and wrapped his strong arms around his frail, aging body.  “Dad, if it’s too painful, we don’t have to talk about Mom, but I thank you for telling me about my birth.  I don’t think you ever told me the story that I remember.”

“Adam, your mother was a wonderful human being.  The virus that attacked her heart after your birth was freak and rare, but it does to this day still affect women, and there is no cure or known reason why it happens.  Your mother didn’t suffer long.  Some women live for years with no problems then they are debilitated to the point where they are confined to a wheelchair because their hearts, over time, become so weak.  Your mother would have never survived having to live in a wheelchair.  She was too full of life.  The day she died, all she wanted to do was hold you, she was lying in the hospital bed; she was so weak, she could hardly speak, but she wanted to see and hold you.  Back then, children weren’t allowed on the ward like they are now, but the doctors and nurses allowed you to be brought in.  I held you in my arms, and she raised her hand to stroke your cheek.  Your face lit up.  Even though you were still too young to smile, your lips turned upward.  It seemed as if you knew your mother was touching you.  Your eyes opened, and she could see the new-born blue was already changing to the hazel eyes you have today.  She said to me weakly, ‘Look, Benjamin, his eyes are turning.  I wonder if they will be chocolate like yours.’  Perhaps, I told her.  She reminded me of the music box on her dressing table at home.  She wanted me to put it in your nursery along with her picture so she would always be with you.  She closed her eyes and breathed her last breath a short time later.

“I was with Mom when she died, Dad?  I always thought it was just you in the room when she died.”

“No, I had Jane, her best friend, take you back to the waiting room.  I held her hand until hers went limp in mine.  I knew she was gone,” Ben took his glasses off and wiped his eyes with the handkerchief he pulled from his pocket.  “I came out into the waiting room and announced she had passed.  Elizabeth’s father, your grandfather, was there.  He came and hugged me as he tried to fight back his tears.  Jane could see I needed to hold you.  You were a part of her, and she lived on in you.  I held you so close.  I never wanted to put you down.”

“I would like to take Jess and the kids to see her grave, Dad, while we’re in Boston,”  Adam whispered quietly.

“She’s buried next to her father you know.  You can visit your grandfather’s grave too, Son,” Ben said as he wiped his eyes again, regaining his composure.

Adam helped his father up, and they walked back into the house to Ben’s office.  Ben wrote the name of the cemetery where Elizabeth and her father were both buried because the last time he had been to visit his mother’s grave was when Adam was a student at Harvard.

After a hearty lunch, Adam hugged his father and bade him farewell.  He promised to bring the family back up to the Ponderosa upon their return, and they could all share their vacation memories with him.  As Adam was about to walk out the door, Ben called back to his son, “Please give Rebecca my regards, Adam.”

Adam smiled and winked at his father, “I will, Dad.”

The day came for Adam and his family to leave for Boston.  They all had to wake up in the middle of the night to get ready for their early departure from Reno Airport.  The day of travel would be long and exhausting because their travels would take them via Dallas/Ft. Worth first.

Once they arrived at Boston’s Logan Airport, they saw Jason waiting anxiously on the outside of security.  Jillian saw him first and yelled, “JASON!” and ran to her big brother.

“Peanut! Welcome to Boston!”  Jason said, as he picked up his baby sister and swung her in his arms.  Jason then greeted Emily with a hug and kiss, as well as his mother.  “Hi, Dad, welcome back to Boston!” he said as he shook his father’s hand.

After collecting their luggage, the family made their way to the car rental stand outside baggage claim and waited to be picked up to get the SUV Adam had reserved for them during their stay. Once the SUV was secured and the luggage was piled in, they headed to Cambridge.

When they arrived, Jason showed his family the apartment.  Since it would be late when they arrived, Brianna stayed back to make a light snack for everyone.  She didn’t want to have anything heavy but wanted to have something available for them in case they were hungry and wanted something to eat before going to bed.

“Welcome!” she said as she hugged and kissed Emily, Jillian, Jessica, and Adam.

“Did you have a good trip?”

“We did,” Adam said as he kissed his future daughter-in-law on the forehead.  “Long, though.”

“Thank goodness Dad sprang for first class tickets.  It was long and exhausting!”  Emily added.

“I have your blow up mattress already set up in the living room, Emmy, and Jillie.  Let me show you to the bathroom,” Jason said as he came over to give Brianna a kiss on her cheek.

“Honey, why don’t you let me show Jessica and the girls the apartment, and you help Adam with the luggage.”

Jason gave his girl another kiss.  He and Adam headed back to the car and got the luggage and brought it in.  When the two men arrived at Brianna’s room, where Adam and Jessica would be staying, they found the four girls in the room talking about the upcoming meeting of Brianna’s parents at Cape Cod.

“My mom and dad are very excited to meet everyone!  My uncle sent me an email and told me he has the best accommodations reserved for us all.  I hope you enjoy the Cape.  It’s a beautiful place!”

“It is indeed!”  Adam said as he came up behind Jessica and put his arms around her waist.

The family went back to the main area of the apartment, and Jessica prepared the girls’ bed while Jason and Brianna brought out a platter of assorted summer fruits, cheeses, and crackers. Jason grabbed a bottle of wine Brianna’s parents had left from one of their previous visits.  He poured his parents, Brianna, and himself a glass of wine and gave the girls each a bottle of their favorite soda, as everyone devoured the bedtime snack.

The hour was approaching midnight, and Adam said everyone should get some sleep because they needed to get up early and start their sightseeing.  The plans were to visit M.I.T. and Harvard in the morning.  Jason wanted to treat the family to lunch at his and Brianna’s favorite eatery at Cambridge: Felipe’s Taqueria near Harvard.  They would then take the subway into Boston and the Prudential Center at Back Bay to take their tour of Boston via the famous Duck Tours.  When a full day in Boston was complete, Jason and Brianna would treat the family to dinner at a Boston institution: Legal Seafood.

The alarm sounded early.  Jason climbed out of bed quietly hoping not to wake Brianna.  He slipped on a pair of jeans and headed into the kitchen.  Both Emily and Jillian were sleeping soundly as their bodies were still on Pacific time and it was still the middle of the night back home.  He put on a pot of coffee to brew and headed back into his bedroom to take a shower. When he arrived back in his room, he saw Brianna had gotten up and was already in the shower. She wanted to get an early start so she could make breakfast for everyone while they were getting dressed for the day.  As she got out of the shower, Jason gave her a good morning kiss as he stripped out of his clothes and got in for a quick shower and shave.

When the couple emerged from Jason’s room, they saw Jessica coming from the other room she shared with Adam.  She had her robe on, and her hair was a mess.

“Good morning! Please excuse the way I look.  I was just going to go in and take a shower so I could get breakfast started for everyone.”

“Mom, you’re on vacation!  Please, take your time.  Brianna and I are going to make breakfast for everyone.  You and Dad do what you need to do, and we’ll call you when everything’s ready.  Tell Dad I have coffee on and Brie will put a kettle of water on for tea.”

“I have the fruit left over from last night as well as some fresh rolls and pastries I purchased yesterday from a local bakery Jason and I love.  We’re going to make some eggs, bacon, and potatoes as well,” Brianna added.

“Please let me know if you need any help.”  Jessica insisted.

“We’ll be all right, Mom.  Brie is a fantastic cook!”  Jason complimented.

“Okay!  I get the hint,” Jessica kissed her son’s cheek.  “Are the girls up yet?”

“When I went to put the coffee on, they were still sleeping soundly.  I  know they’ll need to get used to the time change, so I thought I would let them sleep as long as they could.”

“Good thinking.  Emily will probably be mad if we don’t wake her up in time to put make-up on, however.”

“Always the diva, my sister is,” Jason laughed.

“She’ll soon see how earthy people are here in Cambridge.  Make-up is not required,” Brianna laughed.

“Somethings never change,”  Jessica recalled.  “It was the same way when Adam and I were going to school here, too!”

“Did I hear my name?”  Adam asked as he opened the door in just his jeans.

“Good morning, Dad,”, “Good Morning, Adam,” Jason and Brianna said in unison.

“I was headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get the girls up so they could bathe and get ready for breakfast.”

“Dad, if you like, you can take a shower in my bathroom while Mom uses the shower in the main bath,” Jason said.

“Sounds good, Son.  I need a cup of coffee first, however,” Adam winked as he excused himself and headed toward the kitchen.

“I’ll go show him where the mugs are kept,” Brianna smiled as she excused herself.

Jason went to the linen closet to get towels for everyone and brought them into the bathroom.  He opened the shower door and showed his mother the special soap gels and shampoos from the Body Shop Brianna had bought for them to use while they were guests at their apartment.

“She wanted you to have every comfort of home.  She had a checklist she took with her each time she headed out to do some shopping.  She wanted to set a good impression,” Jason said proudly.

“She’s a good partner for you, Honey.  We love her very much.  We couldn’t have picked a more suitable mate for you.  I’m just sorry I gave her such a hard time in the beginning,” Jessica commented as she took the towels from Jason.

“Mom, we know now why you were fine one minute and judgmental the next.  You’re finally back to the mother I know and love.  Brianna loves you, Dad, and the girls.  She feels like a Cartwright already!”

“Dad and I already consider her our daughter, Honey,” Jessica hugged her son.  “Tell Dad his shaving kit is still in his suitcase will you?  I shouldn’t be long,” Jessica said as she shut the door.

Adam was sitting at the table in the dining room off the living area drinking his coffee and reading the financial section of the Boston Globe when Emily awakened by the sun, the movement, and adults talking.  She got up from the air mattress she shared with Jillian and came and sat in her daddy’s lap.

“Morning, Daddy,” Emily said in a sleepy voice as she kissed Adam’s cheek.

“Morning, Princess,” Adam responded as he took a drink of his coffee and kept reading his newspaper.

“Daddy, do you ever read anything other than the financials?  There’s so much more to life than money and making money,” Emily said as she laid her head against her father’s, putting her arms around his neck.

“Princess, Daddy enjoys reading the financials.  Besides, I have to keep making money so we can all live, and I can keep you, Mommy, and Jillian in the lifestyle to which you’ve become accustomed,” Adam said as he pinched Emily’s nose.

“I guess I should get a move on myself!”  Adam said after he finished his second cup of coffee and patted Emily on the hip for her to get up.

“I put some towels on your bed, Dad.  Mom said your shaving kit’s in your bag still,” Jason said from the kitchen as he took over for Brianna while she went to make the bed in the guest bedroom while Jessica was in the shower.

“I’ll get it for you, Adam.  Why don’t you go get in the shower and I’ll put it on the counter in the bathroom for you,” Jessica said as she came up the hall drying her hair.

When Jessica returned to the guest room, she found Brianna in the room making the bed.  “Would you like me to finish later, Jessica, so you can get dressed?  I just wanted to tidy your room so you would have things orderly when you got dressed.”

Jessica smiled.  “I think I now know why my son loves you so much.  We are very much alike!” Jessica laughed.

“Jason says you and I have much of the same cleaning habits; that you like everything to have its place.  He says I’m obsessed with cleanliness.  I guess I’m just used to it from when I was growing up.  Since Mom traveled so much when my brother and I were younger, we had housekeepers who took care of the house and it was always so clean.  It just rubbed off on me,” Brianna blushed.

“Well, you won’t get any complaints from me!”  Jessica grinned as she helped Brianna finish making the bed.  “Are you sure I can’t help you with breakfast?”

“Jason’s got it all under control at the moment.  I told him I wanted to come in here and make up your bed quickly while you were in the shower.  He was getting ready to put on the eggs.  I’ll let you be so you can finish getting dressed.”

After Brianna had left to go back to the kitchen to help Jason, Jessica took Adam’s shaving kit and his robe into Jason’s bathroom so he could trim his beard and have his robe to put on before coming back to their room.

Emily was the next to take a shower in the main bath, and Jessica returned to her room to put on a pink sleeveless Ralph Lauren Polo knit shirt and white cotton crop pants with white sandals.

After getting dressed, she realized Jillian was still sleeping soundly and went to wake her up so she could take a shower after Adam got out.

“Jillian, sweetie, time to get up!  Jason and Brianna have breakfast almost ready for us.  You need to take a shower, Baby Girl,” Jessica said in a soft sweet tone.

Jillian didn’t respond right away; she was still on Pacific Daylight Time, and it was the middle of the night in Nevada still.  After a few more nudges, Jillian finally opened her eyes and smiled at her mother who was kneeling down brushing her tangled hair from her face.

“Good morning, Baby Girl!  Did you sleep well?”  Jessica asked as Jillian sat up.

“I’m sleepy, Mommy,” Jillian said with a tired voice, wiping her eyes.

“I know, Baby Girl.  A warm shower should help you wake up.  Let’s go see if Daddy’s finished in Jason’s room.”

Jessica and Jillian headed to the master bathroom where they found the door shut. Jessica popped her head in to make sure Adam had at least a towel around his waist before bringing in Jillian.

Adam was just beginning to put shaving cream on his face when Jessica and Jillian came in.

“Hi Daddy,” Jillian said as she started to take off her nightgown.

“Good morning, Sweet Pea,” Adam replied as he began to shave his face.

Jessica turned on the shower for Jillian, and she got in once the water was at a perfect warm temperature.

Adam finished his shave when Jillian finished.  He handed her a towel and put on his robe, tying it before pulling his towel from his waist.  He realized Jillian’s robe was still in her suitcase, so he had her come into the room where he and Jessica were staying.  He had Jessica get the clothes she wanted her to wear from her suitcase.  Jessica took her into Jason’s room to finish getting dressed so Adam could put on his black walking shorts and red Izod shirt Jessica had pulled out for him to wear.

When he came into the dining room, he found Emily dressed in a white cotton sleeveless button down shirt, blue jean pedal pushers and sneakers, drinking a cup of tea and reading the style section of the newspaper.

After everyone had eaten a big hearty breakfast, Jason and Brianna did the dishes and everyone headed out to the nearest bus stop to head into Cambridge so Adam and Jessica could show the girls where they went to school, met, and fell in love.  Jason looked forward to showing them where he was going to school also.  Jason surprised his family by buying each of them a seven-day subway and bus Charlie Card so they wouldn’t have to keep buying tickets whenever they wanted to hop on a bus or subway.  Adam tried to give him money to reimburse him for the expenses, but Jason wouldn’t have it.

“You, Mom, and the girls are our guests, Dad.  We wanted to do it.  Besides, you and Mom are graciously paying for the rest of our trip this week; it’s the least Brie and I could do.”

Adam patted his son on his back and thanked him on behalf of the rest of the family for their thoughtfulness.

Since the bus they took stopped at Harvard Square, the family got off and walked around looking at the area with part of the school in the background.

“This brings back so many memories doesn’t it, Adam?”  Jessica said looking around, smiling broadly.

“It sure does, Babe,” Adam said as he wrapped his arms around Jessica’s waist.  “Shall we take the kids over to see John Harvard’s statue and let them rub his shoe?”

“Sounds good!”  Jessica said looking up at Adam as he leaned down to drop a quick kiss on her lips.

As the family headed to Harvard Yard where the statue of John Harvard stood, Adam gave a brief history on the school and its infamous statue.

“The statue of John Harvard is also known as the statue of three lies.  The plaque on the statue says John Harvard founded the school, but it got its start by the colonial government of the time.  They honored Mr. Harvard by naming the school after him because when he died, he left half of his money as well as the library he’d built to the school.”

“What are the other two lies, Daddy?”  Emily asked as she wrapped her arm through Adam’s as they walked toward the center of campus.

The second lie is the school was started in 1836, but in actuality, the school started in 1838; it’s the oldest school of higher education in the country.  The third lie is the statue is not John Harvard.”

“What do you mean, Daddy?  If it’s not John Harvard, who is it?”  Emily was more intrigued.

“Well, Princess, John Harvard died without having any portraits made of him, so when they commissioned Daniel Chester French to create the statue, he used a friend of his as his model. When we arrive at the statue, you’ll notice his legs are very skinny.  Mr. Harvard had tuberculosis, and one of the symptoms is thin legs, so Mr. French made sure that he depicted Harvard with this symptom.”

Jason then piped in and explained in 1996, some students of M.I.T. dressed the beloved statue as the Unibomber, Ted Kaczynski, who was a Harvard Alumni of 1962.

“Harvard has many famous alumni, both good and bad,” Jessica added.

Once they arrived at the statue, they waited patiently as a bus load of Japanese tourist finished taking their picture in front of the statue.  Jillian noted each of them was rubbing Harvard’s shoe.  She tapped her mother’s arm and asked why they were all rubbing his shoe.

“Baby Girl, it is a tradition started by some graduating students of Harvard.  They walk to the statue on graduation day and rub his foot for good luck for the rest of their lives after graduation.  Now, visitors from all over the world also rub his foot for good luck as well.”

After showing the children around Harvard, the family jumped on the subway and got off at Kendall/M.I.T..  Jason could hardly contain his enthusiasm; he was so excited to show his family where he attended college.  He and Adam came to M.I.T. the summer before his freshman year to decide if he would live in campus housing or buy a home off campus.  Since they decided on the latter, they spent most of their time looking for an apartment and didn’t get much time to look around the campus. Jason now could show his parents and sisters the campus he called home nine months out of the year.

The first thing Jason wanted to show his family was the famous M.I.T. Infinite Corridor.  As they entered the corridor, Jason began to give a narrative about the corridor and why it was so famous.

“The Infinite Corridor is a hallway 251 meters (825 feet, 0.16 miles) long.  It runs through the main buildings of M.I.T.. Specifically, parts of the buildings numbered 7, 3, 4, 8, and 10.  The corridor is important not only because it links these buildings, but also because it serves as the most direct indoor route between the east and west ends of the campus.  The design of the corridor is the central spine of the original set of M.I.T. buildings designed by William W. Bosworth in 1913.  Traffic in the corridor can be quite heavy at times with students, faculty, and employees of M.I.T..  In fact, several pranksters have placed traffic signals, lane markings, and highway-like signs along its length as a joke in years past.

Twice per year, at 4:19 P.M. (local time) on November 12 and at 4:49 P.M. on January 31, the corridor lines up with the plane of the ecliptic, causing sunlight to fill the entire corridor; the students and staff celebrate these events.

The center of the Infinite Corridor which looks to Killian Court has tables for different student’s groups pushing their causes.”

As they walked the corridor, Jason continued to tell his family different stories about things the students would do for some of the many international students who would visit M.I.T..

“Several years ago, there was a group of students from Africa who came visit for two weeks during the winter.  It had snowed, and they enjoyed seeing the snow on the ground, but they were sad because they had not seen it fall.  There was not another snowfall for most of the month so, on Friday before they were scheduled to return to Africa, some students got together, made fake snow, and decorated the area as a winter wonderland.  They wanted their friends to have a winter party.  The African students felt so special the fellow students had created a snowfall; they were in tears.”

“What a lovely thing for the students to do for the African visitors. I ’m sure they had never seen snow up until that point,” Jessica commented.

Jason knew there were many things he wanted to show his family around the Infinite Corridor: The Pappalardo Lab, which is impressive, and some of the conference rooms that are truly works of art.  Jason then took the family to Killian Court, which overlooks the Charles River.

“In the spring, the students will come here to eat lunch and study.  On some weekends, Brie and I will pack a picnic lunch, bring our books and go study here.  The area is so beautiful and relaxing.”

Jason then took his family to the large student center where there was everything imaginable for the students from a food court to quiet rooms; there were also lounge chairs for studying during the cold months.  He also showed them the athletic center also quite impressive.

Jason saved the best for last; the Stata Center.  Jason knew Adam would enjoy it the most because it is a marvel of Architecture.  The Ray and Maria Stata Center (or Building 32) is a 720,000-square-foot (67,000 m2) academic complex designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry for M.I.T..  As they entered the building, Jason began to explain the building’s history to his family.

“The building opened for initial occupancy on March 16, 2004.  It sits on the site of M.I.T.’s former Building 20, which housed the historic Radiation Laboratory, at Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Above the fourth floor, the building splits into two distinct structures: the Gates tower and the Dreyfoos tower.  Contained within the building are the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems, as well as the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy.  Academic celebrities such as Noam Chomsky, Rodney Brooks, and Ron Rivest have offices here.  World Wide Web Consortium founder Tim Berners-Lee and free software movement founder Richard Stallman also have offices within. Several M.I.T. classes, including many taught by the computer science and electrical engineering department (Course VI), are held inside this building.”

“This is quite a place.  Thanks for showing it to us, Son,” Adam said as he looked around at all of the architectural marvels of the complex.

Jason then took his family to the Forbes Family Café, which located in the Stata Center, for a cup of coffee to plan out the rest of the day, and getting back on the subway to head back Harvard Square for lunch at Felipe’s.

As they were leaving the building, heading back toward the subway entrance, Jason gave one last narrative about the famous Stata building.

“In contrast to the trend at M.I.T. of referring to buildings by their numbers rather than their official names, the complex is usually referred to as “Stata”, or “The Stata Center.”  The two towers are often called G Tower” and D Tower.”

After a short inbound ride on the red line back to Harvard, the Cartwrights and Brianna all headed toward ‘The Garage; an old building renovated into a retail and eating establishment.  The Garage was bustling with summer school students, locals on their lunch break as well as tourists.  Jason and Brianna were excited to treat Adam, Jessica, and the girls to lunch at a favorite Mexican fast food place they had found one Saturday when they had come to visit a few of the Harvard museums.  Felipe’s Taqueria.

As they walked through The Garage toward Felipe’s, Brianna explained the history of the taqueria as well as the owner himself, whom Jason and Brianna had the pleasure to meet on many of their occasions they would stop in for a quick bite to eat.

“I know you will all love this place.  Felipe, the owner, is from Central America.  He immigrated to the USA without speaking any English and hardly a dime to his name.  He worked hard as a dishwasher in several restaurants and then found his way to another popular Mexican fast food place down near Porter Square called Ana’s.  His dream was to one-day own a taqueria of his own and with the help of some trusted friends, who encouraged him and helped him with financing, in April 2004, he opened Felipe’s Taqueria here at Harvard Square.  His Taqueria has been so successful here in Cambridge; he opened another Felipe’s Taqueria in New Orleans as well.”

Jason explained the freshness of all the ingredients Felipe puts into the food on his menu, from the fresh tortillas to the fresh vegetables used in the tacos, salsa, and guacamole.

Everyone made their order and sat down to eat.

“Oh my goodness you weren’t kidding, this burrito is fantastic!” Jessica said, wiping her mouth as she took her first bite.

“The tacos are great, too, Mommy,”  Emily commented as she took a drink of her soda.

“You have to try the salsa and guacamole, Jess, it’s phenomenal,” Adam said as he took another chip from the basket and dipped it into the fresh made salsa.

“I’m telling you, Dad, nothing here Brie or I have tried, has ever been bad.  We enjoy it so much; we try to make it over here at least a couple of times a month.  During the school year, you see students in here at all times of the day and night.  Brie and I have had a few late night snack attacks, and we’ll hop on the bus or subway to grab some food and take it home to eat while we study.  We’ve been in here before when they were making a bunch of burritos for a catering event.  It’s a popular place for locals and tourists.”

After lunch, everyone hopped back on the subway for their connection from the red line to the orange line which would take them to Back Bay and the Prudential Center where they would pick up their city tour of Boston via the famous Duck Tour.

Upon arrival at Back Bay, the Cartwrights and Brianna headed toward the Prudential Center not too far from the subway station.  When Emily realized the Prudential Center was a shopping mall as well as a business park, she made it known she would like to check out the shops if there was time after the Duck Tour.  Adam laughed and hugged his daughter.

“If we have time, Princess, you can look at a few stores.”

“The shopping is much better at Copley Plaza,” Brianna commented, as they took their place in line for the tour.

“Don’t go enabling my sister, Brie,” Jason teased as he put his arms around her waist from the back and kissed her cheek, “She’s a shopaholic.  I’ve tried to get her to go to SA, but she refuses to admit she has a problem.  I’ve told her it’s quite simple.  You go to the meeting and say, ‘Hi, my name is Emily, and I’m a shopaholic,’ but she just tries to beat me up instead.”

“Like right now, you mean, older brother?”  Emily reached over, messed his hair up, and beat on his shoulder as she, Brianna, Jason, and Jillian all burst out in laughter.

Adam and Jessica inquired what they were laughing about when they returned with the tour tickets.

“We’re having a go at Emily’s expense,” Jason explained to his parents.

“I can’t help it if I was born to shop!”  Emily said raising her nose in the air and folding her arms across her waist.

“She comes by it honestly, Son. Your mother has the same illness,” Adam said as Jessica bopped him in the arm, smiling.

Jessica went to Emily and put her arm around her daughter’s waist and said to her, as she looked at Adam, “We’ll have to make Daddy pay for that statement when we get to Nantucket won’t we, Princess?” She winked at Adam and exaggerated the word, Princess, the endearing name Adam had called his daughter since the day she was born.

“Yeah, Mommy, I like your idea!”  Emily said taking a stand with her mother.

“Yeah, me, too!”  Jillian joined forces with her sister and mother.

“Well, I can’t be left out.  Sorry, Jason!”  Brianna joined the group of other Cartwright women.

Jason headed over to his father and put his hand on Adam’s shoulder and with a worried look on his face, he said, “Uh, Dad, you think the girls are going to make our wallets pay for our teasing?”

“Jason, you better get used to it now, Son.  When the girls gang up on you, just send up the white flag and hand over your credit cards,” Adam grinned.

“Don’t forget the cash, Sweetheart.  It spends just as well as the plastic,” Jessica smiled back and came over to hug her two gorgeous men.

“You’re generous with the girls and me, and this is one of the reasons we love you so much,” Jessica hugged her man and looked up for a kiss.

“I love you, too, Jess,” Adam said as he gave her a quick, gentle kiss.

The amphibious vehicle from the previous tour pulled up and let the passengers off.  As the tour guide was ready to start embarking the new tour aboard the Bean Town Betty, he made sure everyone in line had tickets for the current tour’s time.  Once he took everyone’s tickets, they were allowed to board the vessel.  After a brief safety overview and description of where the tour would take them, the tour was on its way to see the highlights of Boston and the Boston Harbor via land and sea.

As the tour began, the tour operator gave information about their embarkation site; the Prudential Center.  The tour guide explained the Prudential Tower is Boston’s second tallest building and has an observation floor called the Skywalk View and Observatory.  On a clear day -or night- you can see all of Boston’s incredible view.

The next stop on the tour was the Christian Science Center.  The guide explained Boston is the home to the world headquarters of the Christian Science Church.  He also noted the Christian Science Monitor newspaper is published out of the building and is an award-winning newspaper.

The tour drove through the heavy Boston traffic down to the Trinity Church and John Hancock Tower.  The tour guide operator explained the church is one of ten marvelous examples of architecture in the United States.  He also noted the John Hancock Tower standing sixty-three stories tall is the tallest building in New England.

“Dad, the John Hancock Tower is amazing!  Brie and I went and visited there this past spring.  It’s an architect’s and engineer’s dream building!”  Jason whispered to his father.

The tour then took the passengers to the Boston Public Gardens.  The guide advised the Boston Gardens is the oldest public garden in the United States.  The Swan Boats have operated in the Public Garden since 1877.  In the summer months, the Public Garden is also the home of two resident swans, Romeo and Juliet.

“I wanna go see Romeo and Juliet, Mommy!”  Jillian exclaimed.

“We plan to go tomorrow, Baby Girl, when we do the Freedom Trail.  Mommy wants to see them, too!”

The tour’s amphibious vehicle then passed by the Make Way for Ducklings Statues.  The tour guide told everyone the statues created by Nancy Schoon are inspired by the children’s book, Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey.  It is the story of Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings. The book is the official children’s book of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

“I want to be sure and get pictures of the kids with the duckling statues, Adam,” Jessica leaned over and told her husband.  Adam nodded in agreement.

As the tour meandered through the traffic, their next stop was the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial. “The Robert Gould Shaw Memorial is considered to be the nation’s finest Civil War Monument created by noted sculptor Augustus Stain-Gaudens,” the tour guide explained.

As the tour continued, the next stop took them to Beacon Hill and the State House.  The tour guide continued his educational commentary.

“With its gas street lamps and brick sidewalks, Beacon Hill is one of Boston’s most beautiful neighborhoods.  The Massachusetts State House is the oldest state house in the nation.  Sam Adams and Paul Revere laid the cornerstone in 1795.

“Mommy, I read about Samuel Adam and Paul Revere in school this past year!”  Jillian grinned.

“This brings it all into real clear view doesn’t it, Baby Girl?”  Jessica smiled as she hugged her daughter sitting next to her.

“Uh huh,” Jillian nodded as she took a lot of interest in the latest tourist stop.

After several delays because of traffic, the tour came to its next stop on the tour; TD Garden.  The tour guide explained TD Garden is the home of the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.  It also hosts concerts and Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus.  It’s also the home to the North MTA Commuter Rail station and the Downeaster Amtrak train service from North Station to Portland, Maine, with several stops in between.

As they meandered into the museum area, the tour took them to the Museum of Science.  The tour operator explained this landmark is also another departure point for the Duck Tours, and the museum itself offers every member of the family an exciting learning experience.

The amphibious vehicle then made a splash down into the Charles River.  As the tour sailed across the river, the passengers were afforded a magnificent view of the Boston and Cambridge skylines and river parks.  The tour guide explained the Charles River was named after King Charles I.  He also talked about the two world famous universities at Cambridge:  Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  During the boat portion of the tour, the driver invited any passenger who would like, to come up and steer the boat.  Jessica urged Jillian to go up and sit in the driver’s seat so she could take her picture steering the amphibious boat.  Adam tried to get Emily to go up as well, but being a teenager, she didn’t feel it was something cool to do.  After the tour around the Charles River, the amphibious vehicle made landfall again and headed to its next stop on the tour, Bunker Hill Monument.  As they drove past the monument, the tour guide explained the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, and fifty years later, on June 17, 1825, the monument’s cornerstone was laid.  The tour guide continued.

“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!”  This legendary order had come to symbolize the conviction and determination of the ill-equipped American colonists facing powerful British forces during the famous battle fought on this site on June 17, 1775.  The battle is popularly known as “The Battle of Bunker Hill” although most of the fighting took place on Breed’s Hill, the site of the existing monument and exhibit lodge.  Today, a 221-foot granite obelisk marks the site of the first major battle of the American Revolution.

The Battle of Bunker Hill pitted a newly formed and inexperienced colonial army against the more highly trained and better-equipped British.  Despite the colonial army’s shortcomings, it was led by such capable men as Colonel William Prescott, Colonel John Stark and General Israel Putnam, who had experience fighting alongside the British in the French and Indian War.  Although the British Army ultimately prevailed in the battle, the colonists greatly surprised the British by repelling two major assaults and inflicting significant casualties.  Out of the 2,200 British ground forces and artillery engaged at the battle, almost half (1,034) were counted afterward as casualties (both killed and wounded).  The colonists lost between 400 and 600 combined casualties, including popular patriot leader and newly-elected Major-General Dr. Joseph Warren, killed during the third and final assault.

The first monument on the site was an 18-foot wooden pillar with a gilt urn erected in 1794 by King Solomon’s Lodge of Masons to honor fallen patriot and Mason, Dr. Joseph Warren.  In 1823, a group of prominent citizens formed the Bunker Hill Monument Association to construct a more permanent and significant monument to commemorate the famous battle.  The existing monument finally was completed in 1842 and dedicated on June 17, 1843, in a major national ceremony.  The exhibit lodge was built in the late nineteenth century to house a statue of Dr. Warren.”

Heading down to the Boston Harbor, the next site was the oldest commissioned warship still afloat in the world today:  The USS Constitution.

“Old Ironside, they’ve named this Grand Dame.  She launched in Boston in 1797.  It promotes the United States Navy and America’s naval heritage through educational outreach, public access and historical demonstrations, import, and underway.  The ship is open for free guided tours throughout the year.  Each tour is narrated by several of USS Constitution’s active-duty United States Sailors and consists of four stations through the ship’s top three decks, with tours beginning every half-hour from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Each tour can accommodate approximately 80 people.”

As the tour continued, the driver drove across the Leonard P. Zakim/Bunker Hill Bridge.

“The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge is the world’s widest cable-stayed bridge.  Part of the Big Dig project in Boston, The Big Dig was the largest highway construction project in the United States.  The north-bound lanes finished in March 2003, and the south-bound lanes completed in December of the same year.  The Bridge’s unique styling quickly became an icon for Boston, often featured in the backdrop of national news channels, to establish location and included on tourist souvenirs.  Zakim Bridge or Bunker Hill Bridge is what Bostonian’s refer it.  The bridge serves as the northern entrance to and the exit from Boston.  The Bridge, named after civil rights activist Lenny Zakim and the American colonists who fought the British in the Battle of Bunker Hill. ”

As they made their way to the next stop on the tour, the guide gave them information about the Old North Church.

“Our next stop is the Old North Church.  One if by land, two if by sea.  The enduring fame of the Old North Church began on the evening of April 18, 1775, when the church sexton, Robert Newman, climbed the steeple and held high two lanterns as a signal from Paul Revere the British were marching to Lexington and Concord by sea and not by land.  This fateful event ignited the American Revolution.  The Old North Church is officially known as Christ Church in the City of Boston.  It was built in 1723 and is the oldest standing church building in Boston.  In 1775, on the eve of Revolution, the majority of the congregation were loyal to the British King and many held official positions in the royal government, including the Royal Governor of Massachusetts, making Robert Newman’s loyalty to the Patriot cause even more extraordinary.  The King gave the Old North’s the silver used at services and a Bible. Today the Old North Foundation, a secular, not-for-profit organization, is devoted to the preservation of Old North Church and to creating educational and interpretive programs for students and visitors.  The Foundation has embarked on a master planning process to restore the church and transform the entire campus into an interactive learning environment.”

As the tour continued, they made their way to the next stop on the tour, the Holocaust Memorial, and Union Oyster House.  As they approached the Holocaust Memorial, the tour guide explained the meaning of the six glass towers.

“The New England Holocaust Memorial is a memorial dedicated to the Jews who lost their lives in the Holocaust during World War II, located in Boston, Massachusetts.  Designed by Stanley Saitowitz and erected in 1995, the memorial consists of six walk under glass towers for visitors. Engraved on the towers are six million numbers which symbolize the six million killed in the Holocaust.  There are also random messages on the towers.  Underneath the towers, steam rises through metal grates from a dark floor with twinkling lights on it.  Each tower symbolizes a different major concentration camp (Majdanek, Chelmno, Sobibor, Treblinka, Belzec, and Auschwitz-Birkenau), but can also be taken to be menorah candles, the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust (one million per column), and the six years the mass extermination took place from 1939-1945.  Each tower consists of twenty-four individual panels of glass.  There are Twenty-two panels inscribed with seven digit numbers and two panels inscribed with messages.  In total, there are 132 panels from the six towers inscribed with numbers.  However, each panel is identical.  A single panel contains 17,280 unique numbers, each subsequently repeated throughout the memorial.  Each eight by ten block, with each block consisting of sets of six numbers, is arranged in a six by six grid.  In total, there are 2,280,960 non-unique numbers listed on the 132 panels.  The Boston National Historic Park maintains the site.  In the 2002 white supremacist terror plot, they targeted the park for destruction.”

After the Holocaust Memorial, the tour guide gave a brief talk about the next stop on the tour, the Old Union Oyster House.

“Ye Olde Union Oyster House has been open to diners since 1826.  It is the oldest restaurant in the United States.  The building itself built before 1714, most likely in 1704, was listed as a National Historic Landmark on May 27, 2003.  Before it became a restaurant, Hopestill Capen’s dress goods business occupied the property.  In 1771, printer Isaiah Thomas published his newspaper, The Massachusetts Spy, from the second floor.  With such a long and illustrious history, the Union Oyster House has had its share of famous people in history as diners including the Kennedy’s and Daniel Webster.  Most surprising, in 1796, Louis-Philippe, King of France from 1830 to 1848, lived in exile on the second floor.  He earned his living by teaching French to young ladies.  America’s first waitress, Rose Carey, worked there starting in the early 1920’s.  Her picture is on the wall on the stairway up to the second floor.  The Union Oyster House serves traditional New England fare like seafood, poultry, baked beans, steak, and chops.  The toothpick gained popularity in America beginning at the Oyster House.

A short distance from the Holocaust Memorial and Oyster House, the next stop on the tour brought the Cartwrights and other passengers on the Duck Tour to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market.

“Located near the waterfront and today’s Government Center for Boston, Faneuil Hall has been a marketplace and meeting hall since 1742.  It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adam, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain.  Now part of Boston’s National Historical Park, it is a popular stop on the Freedom Trail.  Because this is where the citizens of Boston debated the issues that led to the American Revolution, Faneuil Hall has also been nicknamed the Cradle of Liberty.  A few of Massachusetts political leaders have made Faneuil Hall the backdrop to declare and concede their candidacy for President of the United States.  On November 7, 1979, Edward Kennedy used Faneuil Hall to give a speech declaring his candidacy for President.  On the flip side, on November 3, 2004, Senator John Kerry also used Faneuil Hall to give his concession speech to President George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election.”

After the brief stop at Faneuil Hall, the attention was turned to the famed Quincy Market.

“In the 1800s, Quincy Marketplace was added, providing more space for residents of the burgeoning city to shop.  Designed by Alexander Parris, the market built on a landfill spot that was once a part of the harbor.  Six new streets were added to accommodate the market traffic.  In the beginning, Quincy Market sold mostly produce, eggs, cheese, and bread.  Meat vendors came shortly after and butchering work was often done on site.  Quincy Market is two stories tall and covers about 27,000 square feet.  Fashioned from New England granite, the building is 535 feet long and boasts red brick interior walls.  The marketplace represents the first large-scale use of granite and glass in post-and-beam construction.  The east and west facades feature Doric columns and are Roman in style.  There’s a long hallway down the center of the rectangular building, and a large copper-covered dome in the center of the roof covers an open seating area as well as the main side entrances.  Quincy Market remains one of Boston’s most visited tourist attractions and is popular with those who work in the area as a great place for a quick but tasty lunch.  In the marketplace, plenty of fast food and seventeen, including a few upscale, restaurants can be found.  Shoppers can enjoy more than 100 stores and carts.  Many peddle souvenirs and other trinkets while others offer items by talented local artisans.  You’ll also find apparel shops boasting recognizable names.  Entertainment at the restaurants and in the outdoor areas is common and can be enjoyed nearly all day long, especially on the weekends in the summer months.”

Leaving Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, the next stop on the tour brought them to the Old State House.  The Old State House is where the royal governors of the Colony of Massachusetts had their offices.  Today there is an impressive museum in the building.  As they drove by, the tour guide gave a brief history of the Old State House.

“The Old State House, the oldest surviving public building in Boston, was built in 1713 to house the government offices of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  It stands on the site of Boston’s first Town House of 1657-1658, which burned in 1711.  The Old State House was a natural meeting place for the exchange of economic and local news.  A Merchant’s Exchange occupied the first floor.  John Hancock and others rented the basement for warehouse space.  As the center of political life and thought in the colonies, the Old State House has been called one of the most important public buildings in Colonial America.”

The next stop on the tour was King’s Chapel Burying Ground.  Again, the tour guide gave a brief talk on this historic landmark in Boston’s vast colonial history.

“King’s Chapel Burying Ground is the oldest burying ground in the city.  The bell in the King’s Chapel is the largest bell cast by Paul Revere.  King’s Chapel, designed by Peter Harrison, was constructed on land taken from the burying ground.  To ensure the presence of the Church of England in America, King James II ordered an Anglican parish built in Boston.  Since none of the colonists were interested in selling suitable land for the Church, the King ordered Governor Andros to seize a corner of the burying ground for the Church of England.  The burying ground is the final resting place for notable colonists which include John Winthrop, the Colony’s 12 term governor; Hezekiah Usher, the colony’s first printer; and Mary Chilton, the first woman to step off the Mayflower.”

As the tour drove by the oldest continuously operated hotel in the United States, the tour guide gave a few interesting notables about the Parker House Hotel.

“The hotel first opened its doors in 1855. It also was the first to create the Boston cream pie.”

The tour then drove up to one of the most famous parks in the world, The Boston Common.  As the amphibious vehicle drove around the beautiful park, the tour guide gave some interesting facts about this historic gathering place.

“Boston Common, also known as The Common is the central public park in Boston.  It is sometimes erroneously referred to as Boston Commons.  Dating from 1634, it is one of the oldest city parks in the United States.  The Boston Common consists of fifty acres of land bound by Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street, Charles Street, and Boylston Street.  The Common is part of the Emerald Necklace of parks and parkways which extend from the Common south to Franklin Park in Roxbury.  It was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1987.  The Common serves as a public park for all to use for formal or informal gatherings.  Events such as concerts, protests, softball games, and ice skating on Frog Pond often take place in the park.  Famous individuals such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Pope John Paul II have made speeches here.  Judy Garland gave her largest concert ever on the Common, on August 31, 1967, where more than 100,000 people came to witness her performance.”

The next stop brought the tour to Boston’s Bull & Finch Pub, which inspired the television show, Cheers.

As the tour began to wind down, their next stop on the tour was Newbury Street.  The guide made a joke to the men on the tour telling them to hold on to their wallets as the women in their lives might enjoy perusing through some of Boston’s finest jewelry, clothing and art stores along Newbury Street.  He also noted on average; there were seven beauty salons on every block!

“I think we need to take a side trip to some of those wonderful shops along Newbury Street, don’t you think, Honey?”  Jessica winked at Adam.

“Yeah, right, Babe, in your wildest dreams,” Adam chuckled.

“Daddy, this tour has been fun, and the history lesson, fantastic!”  Emily said as she laid her head on her father’s shoulder as they passed some famous designer boutiques lining the very exclusive Newbury Street.

As the tour came to its conclusion, it passed by one of Back Bay’s most famous addresses; The Copley Plaza Hotel.  As they drove by, the tour guide shared notable facts about this historic landmark at Back Bay.

“The entrance hallway has been called Peacock Alley since the 1920s. The 5,000-square-foot lobby has a 21-foot high gilded coffered ceiling with matching Empire style crystal chandeliers and Italian marble columns.  Much of the classical architecture and decor have been preserved, including the back-to-back P monogram.  The hotel is also known for a few industry firsts: the first hotel to be completely air conditioned in Boston, the first hotel with an international reservations system, and the first to accept credit cards.  The Copley Plaza Hotel has been host to many famous people including every U.S President since William Howard Taft.  Many celebrities have called the Copley Plaza their home while visiting Boston.  They include Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Dorothy Lewis, Frank Sinatra, and Luciano Pavarotti. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton chose the Copley Plaza for their second honeymoon.”

The tour’s last stop was another famous landmark at Copley Square, the Boston Public Library.  Built in 1895, the library and its six million books, has numerous works of art, including a John Singer Sargent mural.

The tour ended back at the Prudential Center where the Cartwrights thanked and tipped the driver/tour guide.

After the 80 minute tour, the family went up to the Prudential Tower to see Boston from the observation deck.  Located on the fiftieth floor of the Prudential Tower, the Skywalk Observatory has sweeping 360-degree views of the city of Boston.

The Cartwrights made their way up the elevator; Adam paid for everyone’s admission and the audio tour of the Dreams of Freedom Museum; Boston’s only educational immigration experience.

“This is a favorite place for Brie and me to come when we visit Boston, Emily,” Jason told his sister as they started their tour.  “The exhibit celebrates the important role immigration played in shaping Boston.  It’s one of the world’s most culturally diverse cities with one out of every three residents being born abroad, with a population speaking over one hundred and forty different languages.”

After spending a few hours touring the Dreams of Museum at the Prudential Center observation deck, Jason and Brianna announced they were ready to treat the family to dinner at one of Boston’s favorite tourist destinations: Legal Seafood.

The family walked across the Prudential Center indoor Skywalk to Copley Place and headed toward the restaurant passing by an arcade of upscale retail shops.

Adam smiled as he saw Jessica and Emily commenting to each other about many of the window displays put up by the retailers trying to entice the shoppers and visitors of Copley Place into their stores.

Upon arrival to the restaurant, the family waited for a few minutes while the staff made their table for their reservation.  Once seated, the waitress came around to take drink orders while everyone looked over their menus.

“Good evening!  Welcome to Legal Seafood.  Is this your first time dining with us today?” the spirited waitress asked with a large smile.

“It is for my two daughters,” Adam answered.  “My wife and I used to live here years ago when we students at Harvard and we ate here many times during our college years.  My son and his girlfriend currently live here as they attend M.I.T. and Wellesley, so they come here quite often, he tells me.”

“Awesome!  We’re glad to have our returning guests as well as welcome you two for the first time!” the waitress said as she smiled at Emily and Jillian.

After returning with the drink orders, the waitress took each of the Cartwright’s and Brianna’s orders.  Jason ordered a Treasures of the Reef appetizer which consisted of an assortment of freshly shucked and chilled raw shellfish.  When the waitress returned with the platter of food, Jillian’s face turned sour.  Never having raw seafood before, she was unsure about Jason’s choice for an appetizer.

“What’s wrong, Baby Girl?  Do you not want to try this?  It’s tasty.  Daddy and I used to make ourselves sick on oysters and clams when we lived here.”

“They’re  so slimy, Mommy!”  Jillian’s nose crinkled as she watched Adam, Jason, Brianna, and Emily suck down the seafood delectable.

“Would you rather have a bowl of clam chowder?  I know you’d like it, and this place makes the best!”

Jillian nodded her head, and when Jessica got the waitress’s attention, she called her back over and ordered a cup of clam chowder for Jillian.

“Sorry, Peanut!  I thought you would enjoy this.  The seafood is fresh and soo good!  You sure you don’t want to try it?”

“You can have my share, Jason,” Jillian grinned.  “Mommy got me some chowder.”

Everyone ordered lobster as their main entree except for Jessica and Adam.  Jessica ordered the Yellow Curry Mahi Mahi and Adam ordered the Red Onion Jam Sword Fish.  When the waitress came and put lobster bibs on each of her children and Brianna, she had them all gather around so she could take a picture of them with their bibs on.

When dinner arrived, Jessica helped Jillian crack open her lobster so she could eat the meat. Everyone marveled at how fresh and delicious the food was.

At the end of the meal, the waitress assumed Adam would be picking up dinner and dropped off the check to him.  He started to pull his wallet out to pay when Jason stopped him.

“Dad, I told you this would be on Brianna and me.  Please pass me the check.”

“Jason, I don’t want you to have to pay for dinner.  You and Brianna bought us lunch, after all.”

“Dad, please.  We want to do this.  It’s our way of welcoming all of you to Boston,” Jason smiled.

“Jason and I want to pick up the tab for dinner tonight, Adam.  You paid for for the tours today,” Brianna added.

Adam didn’t hesitate.  He could see the honor in Jason’s and Brianna’s eyes as hosts for the family to their first full day in Boston by buying lunch and dinner.

After dinner was over, the family decided to take the subway back to Cambridge and enjoy the rest of the evening going over maps for the next day’s activities.  During the ride back, Jillian laid her head on her mother’s chest and she complained of not feeling well.

“Mommy, I don’t feel good.  My throat hurts.”

Jessica felt Jillian’s forehead and she was feeling quite warm.  She turned to Adam with a concerned look on her face.

“Jillian’s running a fever, Adam.  Do you think we should find a minor emergency clinic?”

Adam leaned over and looked at Jillian.

“What’s the matter, Sweetpea?  You aren’t feeling good?”

Jillian nodded her head still laying on Jessica’s chest.

“I have a thermometer back at the apartment, Jessica.  You can take her temperature and if it is high, there are minor emergency clinics around Harvard,” Brianna said.

After the family had returned home, Jason told Jessica to take Jillian into his room so she could lie down on his bed and comfortably rest until everyone was ready to go to sleep.  Brianna went into the bathroom and got the thermometer out for Jessica. Jessica took Jillian’s temperature and it registered 100.2.

Adam came in to check and see how Jillian was feeling and to let Jessica know Jason had left to get some Children’s Tylenol.

“Do you think we need to take her to the emergency clinic, Adam?”  Jessica said looking down at Jillian resting on Jason’s bed, moving the hair from her face.

“Why don’t we wait to see if the Tylenol will help first.  She might be trying to come down with a summer cold.  If the Tylenol doesn’t help, we can take her later.”

Jason arrived back with the Tylenol and Jessica woke Jillian up to take a dose of the medicine.  She laid back down and went right back to sleep.  Jessica, Jason, and Adam went back to the living area where they found Emily helping Brianna get wine for the adults and soda for Emily along with some assorted sweets to munch on while they discussed Jillian’s health and plans for the next day.

“If Jillian is still not feeling better tomorrow, I can stay home with her while the four of you go and enjoy the day,” Brianna suggested.

“Thanks, Babe, that’s very sweet of you to offer,” Jason said as he kissed Brianna’s cheek. “Hopefully, she’ll be feeling good tomorrow and we can all go as a family.”

After looking over the map of the Freedom Trail, everyone noted where they would like to visit more up close and personal after the narration from the Duck Tour.

Everyone was exhausted by 9:00 PM and decided to make it an early night.  Jessica and Adam made a bed of blankets and the comforter from their bed on the floor for Jillian so she could sleep in their room for the night.  When it was all ready, Adam went and picked up Jillian out of Jason’s room and brought her into their room; she never woke up.  Jessica had already changed into her nightgown and was in bed.  Adam stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed with his wife.  Jessica snuggled up into Adam’s arms and began to play with the salt and pepper curls on Adam’s chest.

“I’m worried about Jillian, Adam.  I hate she might miss out on the Freedom Trail tomorrow.”

With his eyes closed, he pulled Jessica a bit tighter to him.  “If she’s still not feeling better, it would be best for her to stay back.  If she’s still running a fever tomorrow night, we’ll take her to the emergency clinic.  Try to get some sleep, Babe.  I know you’re worried, but we’ll reassess tomorrow.”

Jessica closed her eyes and the apartment fell dark and quiet.

Jillian slept through the night.  Her fever was gone the next morning, but she still had a scratchy throat.  Jessica felt she should stay back and rest, but Jillian wanted to go with the rest of the family to visit some of the sights they had seen during the duck tour the day before.  Jessica, being the over protective mother, wanted to say no, but Adam insisted if Jillian wanted to go and she felt like she would be up to it, he wanted her to come.  Jessica gave in with reservation, but Brianna assured Jessica if Jillian started to feel sick, she would be happy to bring her home and put her to bed to rest.  Jessica packed the bottle of Tylenol just in case she began to run a fever or started to feel sick.

The family returned to the Boston Gardens where Jessica took pictures of everyone with the ducklings.  They saw Romeo and Juliet swimming gracefully in the lake.  They walked the Freedom Trail and visited many of the historical sites which made Boston a history lover’s dream.  The family stopped off at Quincy Market for lunch before continuing their tour.  After a long hot day, everyone returned to Jason’s apartment, took baths and showers to wash off the sweat from the day.

Brianna ordered pizza delivery, and they all sat around the TV and watched the video Adam had taken of everyone at the different sites.

Jessica helped Brianna clean up the kitchen while Adam and Jason mapped out their trip to Cape Cod for the next morning.

“I want to take you to see your grandmother’s and great-grandfather’s graves tomorrow on our way out of town,” Adam told his eldest child.

“Sounds good, Dad.  What time do you think we need to leave?”

“I would like to get an early start.  It’s a few hours to the Cape.  The traffic will be heavy since it’s a weekday.”

When Brianna and Jessica finished with the dishes, Jessica came over to the table where Jason and Adam were discussing the travel plans to the Cape.  Adam pulled Jessica into his lap and wrapped his arm around her waist.  She leaned her head against his and he explained the plans for the next day.

“We haven’t been to your mother’s grave since we got engaged, Adam,” Jessica said somberly.

“I know.  Now we are bringing our three children and the girlfriend of our oldest child.  She would be so proud of all of them,” Adam said with a bit of sadness in his voice.

“She would be most proud of her son,” Jessica said kissing Adam on the side of his face, and running her fingers through his thinning hair.

“She would marvel at my father’s  amazing wife and mother her son chose as well,” Jason added with a smile.

“Thanks, Honey,” Jessica said rubbing her son’s face with her fingers.

Adam patted Jessica’s hip and said, “If we’re going to get an early start, we all need to get to bed.”

“Where’s Jillian?” Jessica asked looking around not seeing her youngest child.

Brianna, who was making up the air mattress for Emily and Jillian, shrugged her shoulders.  Emily was reading a magazine on the sofa and also said she didn’t know where Jillian was.

Jessica leaped from Adam’s lap and ran down the hall to the bathroom, but did not find her in there.  She went into the bedroom she was sharing with Adam and found Jillian sleeping under the covers soundly.  Jessica breathed relief as Adam came running up behind her.

“I guess she was tired and wanted to have a quiet, dark place to sleep,” Jessica whispered as she went over to feel her daughter’s forehead for fever.  “She’s a bit warm, but I think she’ll be okay in the morning.”

“I’ll carry her into the other room,” Adam said as he started to take down the covers and pick her up.

“No, Adam, don’t.  Let her sleep in here with us again tonight,” Jessica pleaded.

Adam sighed deeply, “Okay, Jess.”

Adam went to tell Emily Jillian would be sleeping with him and Jessica, and to tell Brianna and Jason goodnight.  He returned to the room and shut the door.  Jessica started to undress and finish packing the clothes they would be bringing to Cape Cod and Nantucket.  Adam stripped to his boxers and climbed into bed.  Jessica changed into her silk short set and climbed into bed with Jillian sleeping soundly between them.  She looked over at Adam and grabbed his hand.

“Thanks, Babe,” she quietly whispered.

“For what?”  Adam said intertwining his fingers with Jessica’s.

“For allowing Jillian to stay in bed with us tonight.  I know you prefer the children sleep in their own beds.  I think it’s better she stay with us because she’s not feeling well.”

Adam smiled and then brought Jessica’s hand to his lips and kissed her fingers tenderly.

“I’m okay with Jillian sleeping with us tonight, Babe.  Tomorrow night, however, she sleeps in her own room with her sister because you, Mrs. Cartwright, will be all mine.”

“Oh, I do like the sound of that, Mr. Cartwright,” Jessica purred.

“Good night, Jess,” Adam smiled.

“Good night, Adam,” Jessica blew a kiss to her lover.

Adam leaned over and turned out the light.  Soon, the house fell quiet as Jason made sure Emily was comfortable before joining Brianna in his room.

Everyone went to bed, resting for a new day and the next stop on their vacation itinerary; Cape Cod.

Tour information about Boston  courtesy of www.bostonducktours.com, The Freedom Trail, as well as my own many experiences on my many visits to Boston and Cambridge, including the Duck Tours.  M.I.T. information courtesy of my dear friend, Luisandra Reynoso and the M.I.T. website. 

Chapter Eleven

After a good night’s sleep, the Cartwrights and Brianna woke up and got ready for the journey to Cape Cod.  The girls took showers while Adam and Jason loaded up the SUV with everyone’s luggage.  Once the girls were finished with their showers, Brianna and Jessica fixed breakfast sandwiches to take with them on the road to enjoy in the car on their way to the cemetery to visit Adam’s mother’s and grandfather’s graves.

It was shortly after 7:00 A.M. when everyone was in the car and ready to leave Jason’s apartment and start their journey south to the Cape.  Brianna was excited for later in the day when her future in-laws would be meeting her parents for the first time.  She knew her parents would love Adam and Jessica and hoped the same in return.  Jason always told Brianna he thought the two couples would get along famously, but Brianna couldn’t help but be a little nervous.

After maneuvering through stop and go traffic, the family finally arrived at the Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, where Elizabeth and her father were buried.  Adam parked the SUV near the internment site of his mother and grandfather, and the family made their way down near Willow Pond, to the location of their eternal rest.  Upon arriving at the burial site, Jessica placed both her arms around Adam’s waist.  She laid her head on his chest as they looked at the headstone which read, Elizabeth Stoddard Cartwright, beloved wife of Benjamin and dear mother to Adam along with her birth year and death year.  Next to Elizabeth, was her father’s grave that only said, STODDARD.  Before they left Nevada, Adam had contacted the cemetery to have floral arrangements made and placed at both burial sites.  A spray of three dozen red roses with a satin Mother sash draped over the roses, and another spray of white roses with Grandmother on the sash adorned Elizabeth’s grave.  Other beautiful summer flowers were planted around her grave as well.  Ben had set up an endowment to the cemetery so fresh seasonal flowers were planted at his wife’s and father-in-law’s graves every season of the year.  Adam also had a lovely spray of summer flowers made for his grandfather’s grave with a Grandfather sash.

“The flowers are beautiful, Adam, the cemetery did a lovely job,” Jessica whispered.

Adam placed his arms around Jessica’s shoulder and sighed deeply, “Yes, they did.”

Emily walked over to her father and mother and placed her arm through Adam’s other arm.

“I wished I could have known my other grandmother and great-grandfather, Daddy.  I know they must have been great people.”

“I never knew my mother, Princess, as you know.  She died when I was only a few weeks old.  Poppy has told me some wonderful stories about her.  She was an amazing woman from what he and Grandfather have told me.  Your great-grandfather was a mighty man as well.  He had died a year before I came to Harvard to go to school.  When I was a boy, Poppy would allow me to come and spend a few weeks with him in the summer.  He was a great man.”

After about twenty minutes, Adam announced it was time to get going again.  Jessica hugged Adam and asked him if he would like a few moments alone; he smiled, kissed her on the forehead and nodded yes.  Jessica gathered up the rest of the family, and they all headed to the SUV and waited for Adam to have a few minutes alone with his mother and grandfather.

Tears streamed down Adam’s cheeks as he stood alone.

“You would be so proud of me, Mom.  I have a loving wife, three beautiful children, and a soon to be daughter-in-law, who is perfect for our son, Jason.  Dad has never stopped loving you.  I always see the love in his eyes when he talks about you.  I feel as if I know you through his love. Thank you for being with me right after the car wreck, and telling me to fight to stay alive.  I can’t imagine not being around today to see my children growing up, being there for them, loving them, teaching them to be the amazing adults they’re becoming.  I feel your love each and every day of my life.  I miss you, Mom.  I will always love you.”

Adam wiped his tear glistened eyes.  He stood back and took a picture of his mother’s and grandfather’s graves, and returned to the SUV.  When he got in, he placed the key in the ignition and sat for a minute looking in the rear-view mirror at his children.  He then looked at Jessica and smiled.  She grabbed his hand and held it tight.  She smiled and mouthed, ‘I love you, Adam.’ Adam smiled back, squeezed her hand, pulling it to his mouth to give her fingers a kiss and said, “I love you, too, Babe.  I love you, too.”  He then let Jessica’s hand go, started the car, and they headed toward the exit of the cemetery and on to Cape Cod.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After several hours on the road, the Cartwrights and Brianna arrived at Wequassett Resort and Golf Club.  As they arrived into Hyannis, Brianna called her parents, who came in the day before, and were waiting in the lobby of the hotel for everyone to arrive.  Adam pulled up to the entrance where they were greeted by the valet and bellman.  The family walked into the lobby, and Brianna’s parents and uncle came up to welcome them to Hyannis.

After Brianna’s parents had hugged her and Jason, Brianna introduced her parents to the rest of Jason’s family.

“Mom, Dad, Uncle Jack, these are Jason’s parents, Adam, and Jessica.  Jessica, Adam, this is my mother, Theresa, my father, Anthony, but he goes by Tony, and my mother’s brother, my Uncle Jackson, but he goes by Jack.”

Brianna’s parents and her uncle shook hands and introduced themselves to each other and exchanged pleasantries.  After they finished, Brianna then introduced Jason’s sisters.  Brianna’s brother, Liam, was unable to join them as he was a senior drum major in his band, and the week was when the school’s summer band camp was scheduled.

“These two beautiful girls are Jason’s sisters, Emily, and Jillian.”

“My goodness!  You, two girls, are beautiful, just like your mother!”  Theresa said as she shook each of the girls hands.  They both smiled and blushed as they thanked Brianna’s mother for her compliment.

“We’re proud of all our children, and we’re extremely happy with Jason’s choice in Brianna.  We love her very much,” Adam noted.

Jackson spoke up and directed everyone to the front desk where the staff had the keys to each of the family’s suites waiting.  Adam filled out a guest card for himself, Jessica, and the girls.  Jason filled out a guest card for himself and Brianna.

Jackson gave the suite assignments to the Bell Captain, and he arranged for the luggage to be delivered to the appropriate suites.

Once everyone was checked in, Jackson gave them directions to their suites.  “I’ve taken the liberty to book you all in our great signature Waterview Suites.  If there is anything you should need, please feel free to contact my office.  My secretary, Jenna, will be happy to assist you with whatever you need to make your stay more enjoyable.”

Adam thanked Jackson for his hospitality and everyone headed toward their suites.  Adam and Jessica’s suite was just above Emily and Jillian’s, while Jason and Brianna’s suite was in the next building over.

Once inside their suite, Adam and Jessica walked over to the floor to ceiling glass wall which overlooked the ocean.  Adam took Jessica into his arms and kissed her forehead.

“Adam, the view is insane!  I love this place!”

“And I love you, Mrs. Cartwright,” Adam said as he placed his fingers under Jessica’s chin, raising her face up to meet his.  He bent down and kissed Jessica’s lips tenderly.

Adam pulled Jessica’s cotton sleeveless blouse from her peddle pusher pants and started to unbutton her shirt.  He had gotten to the third button when they heard a knock at the door.  Adam sighed deeply at the interruption.

“I think you’re going to need to answer the door, Jess,” Adam smiled as he pressed himself against Jessica so she could feel the erection in his jeans.

Jessica grinned, buttoned her shirt, and headed toward the door.  Adam went out onto the balcony and looked out onto the beautiful grounds and beach.

When Jessica opened the door, it was the bellman with their luggage.  She told the bellman which suitcase was her’s and Adam’s, and which was Emily’s and Jillian’s.  He placed theirs in the bedroom, and Jessica gave him a tip for both her’s, Adam’s, Emily’s, and Jillian’s luggage.

“Thank you, Ma’am.  I also have this from Mr. Davis.”

The bellman handed a sealed envelope to Jessica, she thanked him, and he left the room to head back downstairs to Emily’s and Jillian’s room to drop off their luggage.

Jessica came out onto the balcony where Adam was standing and showed him the sealed envelope from Jackson.  Adam took the envelope, opened it, and read the letter to Jessica.

I hope you have found your accommodations suitable for your stay.

Once you have had a chance to relax from your travels, please join Tony, Theresa, and me for a delicious lunch at the Pleasant Bay Terrace located adjacent to the pool at 1:30 P.M.

Best Regards,

Jack

Adam looked at his watch and noted the time was just a bit after twelve noon.  He smiled at Jessica and took her back into his arms.

“Now, where was it we left off?” he asked as he again started to unbutton Jessica’s blouse.

“Shouldn’t we go inside, Adam?  After all, the girls are right downstairs, and if they come out on their patio, they might be able to see us through the wooden slats in the floor.”

Adam smiled, whisked Jessica into his arms, walked back into the suite, and headed toward the bedroom.  He sat her down on her feet, and she slipped out of her sandals and started to unbutton her pedal pushers, slipping them off.  Adam took off his shirt and slipped out of his jeans and boxers.  Jessica stood in her lace bra and matching panties.  Adam pulled her to his naked body and unfastened her bra, and Jessica allowed it to fall from her arms.  He then slipped his hands into her panties and slipped them down to her legs where they fell to the carpet, and she stepped out of them.  Adam laid her on the bed and laid down next to his wife.

“I finally have you to myself again,” He said as he started to explore every inch of Jessica’s body with his tongue.

After an hour of pleasure, the two lovers got up, took a quick shower together before dressing again and heading downstairs to meet the girls so they could walk over to the Pleasant Bay Terrace for lunch with Jason and Brianna, her parents, and Uncle.

The waitress welcomed everyone to lunch and explained what the Chef had prepared for their enjoyment.

“For starters, the chef has made a vine ripened tomato and fresh mozzarella salad with herb oil and balsamic syrup.  For your entree selections, he has prepared a grilled chicken and brie panini with basil pesto mayonnaise, bacon, and roasted red pepper sandwiches with seasoned french fries.  If a sandwich is not to your liking, Chef has also prepared a fantastic Margherita pizza with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.  If either of those two selections doesn’t tempt you, Chef also has made an excellent crab cake sandwich with mustard remoulade and onion conserve as well.  For desert, we have a selection of fresh seasonal fruits or fresh lemon sorbet.”

The family enjoyed lunch with Brianna’s parents, and uncle and everyone enjoyed getting to each other better.  Anthony invited Adam and Jason to join him in a few rounds of golf the next morning while Theresa surprised Jessica and the girls with a day of pampering at the resort’s full-service spa.

At the end of lunch, Anthony and Theresa invited Adam and Jessica to dinner at the resort’s signature restaurant, Twenty-Eight Atlantic.  Brianna and Jason told Emily and Jillian they were going to treat them to dinner at the beach where the hotel hosts its twice weekly clambake.

As everyone went their separate ways, Emily and Jillian asked their parents if they could head to the pool for an afternoon of swimming.  Adam and Jessica agreed they would enjoy a day at the pool and told the girls to go put their suits on and meet them up in their suite so they could apply sunscreen to them before they all went swimming.

Once in their suite, Jessica opened her’s and Adam’s suitcases and began to hang up the clothes they planned to wear while at Cape Cod.  After fifteen minutes, the girls rang the bell to their parent’s suite with their suits and cover-ups on ready to head to the pool.  Adam answered the door with just his jeans on.  When the girls saw he was not ready yet, their faces dropped from smiles to frowns.

“Daddy! Why aren’t you ready yet?” groaned Emily.

“I’ll be ready in a minute.  It won’t take me anytime to change.  Mommy’s almost finished hanging up our clothes, and she’ll put her suit on as well,” Adam said in defense of himself.

“You mean Mommy isn’t ready either?”  Jillian protested.

“I won’t be but about five more minutes!”  Jessica yelled from the bedroom.

“Take off your bathing suit cover-ups, I’ll get the sunscreen on you, girls,” Adam said as he headed to the bedroom to get the sunscreen.

When he returned, the girls were sitting on the sofa in their bikini’s.  Adam took one look at his kids and yelled for Jessica to come into the living area.

Jessica came walking into the living area tying the top to her bikini when she smiled at her girls sitting in their new suits.

“Um, what’s this?”  Adam asked as he pointed to his daughters swim attire.

Jessica looked at Adam with narrowed eyes, “They’re bikinis, Adam.  That’s what the girls chose, and I allowed it, what’s wrong with them?”

“Do you really think the girls should be wearing such skimpy suits, Jess?”

“Daddy, what’s wrong with them? it’s not like it’s a thong or string bikini,” Emily interjected.

Adam whipped his head toward his oldest daughter and said, “I wasn’t speaking to you, Emily Elizabeth.”

“Oh, Adam, stop it.  She’s right.  They’re young girls, and they want to wear two-piece bathing suits.  You don’t seem to mind that mine is a two piece.”

“You’re a married woman, too, Jess.”

“And? what are you trying to say, Adam?”

“I just don’t want boys to be groping my daughters with their eyes, that’s all.”

“Adam, I think we’ve raised our girls to be ladies.  Now, let’s put sunscreen on them so they won’t ruin the rest of their trip with a severe sunburn.”

Adam took the sunscreen and put some lotion in his hand and rubbed the lotion on Emily’s upper and lower back as well as the back of her legs.  Jessica did the same to Jillian.  After they had finished their backsides, Jessica squirted lotion into each of their hands, and they covered their chest, stomach and the front of their legs and faces with sunscreen while Adam rubbed sunscreen on Jessica’s upper and lower back as well as the back of her legs. He then turned her around and rubbed sunscreen on her chest and stomach.  Jessica then rubbed sunscreen on Adam’s chest and back, and he went into the bedroom to change into his swim trunks and flip flops while Jessica was putting sunscreen on her legs.

When Adam walked into the bedroom to change, Emily asked Jessica, “Why does Daddy act like such a protective old fart sometimes?”

“I heard that, Princess!”  Adam laughed from the bedroom.

Jessica, Emily, and Jillian broke out in laughter.

“Busted!”  Jillian laughed.

Jessica pulled her two girls into her arms and said, “Daddy loves you two more than life itself.  He just wants to protect you always.  That’s what Daddy does,” and she kissed both her girls’ heads.

“Now,” she said as she patted both of her girls on their bums, “get your cover-ups on and let’s go to the pool.  Where are your hats?”

“They’re in our bag, Mommy,” Emily said as she put on her cover-up.

Adam came out with his swim trunks, t-shirt, and a baseball cap on.  He brought the beach bag with their towels and sunscreen along with Jessica’s hat and sunglasses with him.  They headed to the pool for an afternoon of sunbathing and swimming.

Once at the swimming pool, everyone took off their cover-ups and laid their towels out on the chaise lounge chairs.  Jessica laid down on while Adam and the girls got in the pool.  Jillian was not a strong swimmer, so she, with Adam, stayed down in the shallow end, while Emily swam to the deep end and even did flips off the diving board.  Two young men were at the pool and were keeping an eye on Emily and talking among themselves about how beautiful they thought she was.  When Emily got out of the pool and was sitting on the side near the deep end, the boys came up and introduced themselves.

“Hi, beautiful lady.  My name is Jeremy, and this is my brother, Kerry.  We saw you in the lobby this morning when you came in with your family.  How long are you staying?”

Emily looked up at the two boys and smiled.  She thought they were very handsome and had amazing bodies.

“Hi!  My name’s Emily, and we’re here for a few days before we head over to Nantucket.  Where are you guys from?”

The two boys sat down on the edge of the pool with Emily and started to chat with her.  Emily was quite taken with the two handsome young men.

“We’re from Georgia, but we go to school at Virginia Tech.  My brother, Jeremy is a Junior, and I’ll be starting this coming fall as a freshman,” Kerry answered.

“I’m from Carson City, Nevada.  I’ll be a junior in high school this next year.  I haven’t decided yet where I want to go to college.  I’m sure my parents would like me to go to Harvard since they both went there, but we’ll see.”

Jessica was watching Emily, and the two boys mingle, and she smiled.  She hoped there would be some kids around her age she could friend while they were on their trip so she would not feel so isolated.  It seemed Jessica’s wish was coming true, but she didn’t know how Adam would take to her first encounter with kids around her age being boys.  Jessica got into the pool, swam over to Adam and Jillian and pointed out the boys talking to their oldest daughter.

“Look, Adam, isn’t it cute how those boys are falling all over Emily?”

Taking first note of his daughter sitting, smiling, and talking to a couple of young men, Adam’s smile turned to a face of concern.

“I’m not sure I want young men flirting with our daughter, Jessica.”

“Oh, Adam, stop being such a fuddy-duddy.  Let Emily have some fun this summer.  It’s not like she’s going to continue anything with these boys after we leave.  Let her have fun with the younger crowd while she’s here.”

“I guess you’re right, Jess.  I just don’t want her thinking if I let her hang out with boys while we’re on vacation, that she can ask for us to soften our rules with Trey once we’re back home.”

“We can make it very clear to her while she’s here, she can befriend boys and hang out with them as long as we know who their parents are and we are aware where she’s at all the time.  Okay, Mr. Stick In The Mud?”

“Who are you calling stick in the mud?”  Adam asked as he picked Jessica up screaming and tossed her into the water getting her all wet.

When Jessica came up, Jillian and Adam were laughing.  Jessica came over and splashed Adam, laughing.

“You’re going to so pay for that tonight, Mr. Adam Cartwright.”

Adam grabbed his wife around the waist and asked, “Is that a promise?” and kissed her.

“Hey!  What about me?”  Jillian asked.  “Will you throw me to Mommy, Daddy?”

“Sure, Sweetpea.  Mommy, you stand over there so you can catch Jillian.”

Jessica moved to a little deeper water so she would be able to grab Jillian in the water and her weight would be more dispersed.  Adam picked her up, tossed her to Jessica and she squealed with excitement as Jessica caught her in a big splash.

“That’s my parents, Jessica, and Adam with my baby sister, Jillian,” Emily told Jeremy and Kerry.

“You’re dad must work out a lot.  He looks great for an old guy,” Kerry commented.

“He’s not that old,” Emily defended.  “He’s in his mid-forties.  Yeah, he works out just about every day.  They have a gym in the same building where he works.”

“You’re mom’s hot!”  Jeremy added.  “She’s a real looker.  I see where you get your beautiful looks from.”

“I do take a lot after my mom; my sister does, too.  Our older brother looks a lot like our dad.”

“You have a brother, too?”  Jeremy asked.

“Yeah, he’s here with his girlfriend, Brianna.  Brie’s parents are here as well.  In fact, Brie’s uncle is the manager of this resort.”

“That’s cool!  We’re here with our parents.  We don’t have any other brothers or sisters.  It’s just us two and our parents,” Kerry said.

“So, do you have any plans tonight?  You and the rest of your family having dinner anywhere?”

“The parentals are having dinner at one of the restaurants here at the resort.  My sister and I are having dinner with Jason and Brie.  After that, I don’t know what we’re going to do.  I read in the daily activities newsletter in our suite there is a beach party tonight.  I’m hoping Jason and Brie will want to go.  I don’t know if Daddy would let me go alone.”

“That’s where Kerry and I’ll be tonight.  We hope to see you there!”  Jeremy said.

“We have to get going.  We’re playing a round of golf with our dad this afternoon.  Hope to see you tonight.”

“Okay! Nice to meet you!  Hope to see you tonight!”

Once Jeremy and Kerry were gone, Emily jumped in the pool and swam down to where Adam, Jessica, and Jillian were.

“Those two boys were really cute, Emily, who were they?”  Jessica was interested to know.

“Oh, Mommy!”  Emily blushed.  “Their names are Jeremy and Kerry.  They live in Georgia. Jeremy is going to be a junior at Virginia Tech and his younger brother, Kerry is starting there in the fall.”

Adam said nothing.  Emily looked at her father and wondered what was going through his mind.

“What, Daddy!”  Emily wondered.

“Nothing, Princess.  I don’t mind you talking to boys while we’re on vacation, but when we get back home, don’t ask to have the restrictions Mommy and I have placed on your relationship with Trey lifted, do I make myself clear?”

Emily rolled her eyes and answered, “Crystal clear, Daddy.”

“Good, now come’re, girl,” Adam scooped Emily up in his arms and threw her down into the deep end of the pool.  She went flying screaming into the water with a big splash.  When she came up, Adam, Jessica, and Jillian were laughing.

“Daddy! I’m going to get you for that!” Emily said laughing as she came swimming back to where Adam was standing.  She dove down and tried to take his legs out from under him, but he grabbed her from under the water, scooped her into his arms, kissed her on the forehead, and tossed her back into the deep end again.

When Emily came up again, Adam, Jessica, and Jillian were laughing even harder.

“Daddy, you don’t play fair!  You’re bigger and stronger than me!”  Emily protested as she swam back to where her parents and Jillian were.

“Is the poor princess all wet?”  Jillian teased.

“Yeah, like the sweetpea is going to be,” and Emily dunked her sister under.

“Hey!” Jillian laughed as she came back up.

Jessica came and wrapped her arms around Adam and laid her head on his chest.  “This is the best vacation we’ve had in a long time, Adam.  Thank you.”

Adam looked down at Jessica and lifted her chin up to meet his face.  He bent down and said, “You’re welcome,” and kissed her lips.

A few hours passed, Jessica and Adam needed to get back to start getting ready for dinner with Brianna’s parents.  Emily and Jillian decided they would stay in their bikinis and lay out on their patio and enjoy the Cape Cod sun.  Once back at their suites, Jessica went on upstairs to take a shower while Adam re-applied more sunscreen to his daughter’s backs so they would not get sunburned while lying out on their patio.  The girls turned on some music and danced a little bit before lying down on their chaise lounges and talking about how much fun they were having.

When the phone rang, Emily went to answer it, and it was Jason.  He asked if they would like to go to the clambake down at the beach for dinner.  There was going to be a big party with dancing, food, and fun.  Emily was excited because she thought this must be the party Jeremy and Kerry were talking about.  Emily said she and Jillian would love to go to the clambake, and they would be ready at 6:00 P.M.

Shortly before 6:00 P.M. Adam and Jessica came down to let Emily and Jillian know they were headed to the restaurant to meet Brianna’s parents.  Emily informed her parents that she, Jason, Brianna, and Jillian were going to the clambake down at the beach.

“Have fun, Honey,” Jessica said as she gave her daughter’s a kiss.  “Stay with Jason and Brie.”

“We will, Mommy, I promise,” Emily said as both girls finished giving a kiss and hug to both parents.

When Adam and Jessica left, the girls squealed with excitement and gave each other a high five.

“Let’s party!”  Emily said.

“Yeah!”  Jillian replied.

The girls changed into their shorts and halter tops their mother had bought them when they went shopping for clothes just before their trip, and it wasn’t long before Jason and Brianna came to pick them up to head to the beach for the clambake.

At the clambake, Jeremy was the first to spot Emily, and he and Kerry came over to where Jason, Brianna, and Jillian were sitting.

“Hi! I see you came tonight!  I hope you’ll reserve a spot on your dance card for me tonight,” Kerry asked.

“Oh, hi!”  Emily smiled as she looked up and saw the two brothers in shorts and tank tops. “Jeremy, Kerry, this is my brother, Jason, and his girlfriend, Brianna and my sister, Jillian.  Jason, Brianna, Jillian, this is Jeremy and Kerry.  I met them at the pool this afternoon.”

“Nice to meet you.  Would you like to join us?”  Jason asked.

“Sure, thanks!”  Kerry answered.

The two brothers sat down and got to know Jason, Brianna, Emily, and Jillian a little bit better.  Jeremy and Jason swapped college talk while Brianna joined in with Jason and Jeremy, but also joined in with Emily, Kerry, and Jillian at times.

When the dancing started, the group would sometimes dance together, and other times, Jeremy would dance with Brianna while Jason danced with his sister, Jillian.

As the sun set on the horizon, the beach torches were lit, and a limbo contest got underway followed by sexy legs and hot body contest.  Kerry won sexy legs while Jason took the hot body prize; both boys received medals for their accomplishment.  Jeremy was runner-up in the limbo contest.

Midnight was fast approaching, and the party was starting to dwindle down.  Since Jason and Adam had an early tee time the next morning, he and Brianna walked the girls back to their suite.  He called up to Adam and Jessica’s suite, where they were enjoying a glass of wine on their terrace, to let them know the girls were safe in their suite, and they were headed back to theirs.

The next morning, the sun sparkled across the water around 5:30 AM.  Jason woke early and was standing out on his and Brianna’s veranda when she rolled over to find he was not in bed.  She saw Jason standing at the railing drinking a cup of coffee, so she put on her silk robe and joined him.

“I would like to take a walk on the beach, you up for it?” he asked Brianna.

“I would love it! let me go put on some shorts.”

Brianna quickly put on her shorts, a tank top and the two walked down the steps to the sand and headed for the shore.  They walked hand in hand a short way before Jason stopped and pulled Brianna into his chest and hugged her tight.

“Brie, this past year has been the best year of my entire life.  When we met, I knew immediately I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Jason, you know how much I love you, too.  This year has been perfect for me, as well!  I’m looking forward to many more just like it!”

Tears started to fill Jason’s eyes as he stared into his beloved’s eyes.  He tried to speak but found it difficult because his emotions overtook him.

“Jason, what’s wrong?”  Brianna’s face fell from contentment to one of concern.

Jason shook his head, he still could not speak.  He then dropped to one knee and pulled a red velvet box from his pocket and opened it.  He held it up and was finally able to speak.

“Brianna, I know we were going to wait until we were out of college, but I love you so much, and I can’t hold on; I don’t want to wait.  Will you do me the honor of being my wife?  Brianna, will you marry me?”

Brianna stood in shock.  She gasped as she said, “Oh my gosh, Jason!  It’s beautiful!  Yes!  Yes!  Yes!”

Brianna handed her shaking left hand to Jason as he placed the two-karat pear-shaped diamond and platinum ring on her left ring finger.  Once the ring was on her finger, she looked at the thick band of platinum and the high mounted diamond which rose from the center of the band.  She hugged Jason, and they fell to the sand kissing.

“I love you so much, Brie.  I can’t wait for you to be my wife.”

“Jason, I dreamed about this day since last Christmas when you gave me the beautiful necklace and told me then you wanted to one day make me your wife.  I look forward to the day  I’m Brianna Cartwright.”

Jason was fighting back tears of joy again.  “I sure like the sound of Brianna Cartwright.  What do you say we make it official next summer?”

Brianna looked at Jason with a surprised look.  “I thought you wanted to wait until we were out of college to get married?”

“I thought I did, too,” Jason said as he held Brianna’s left hand, looking down at the engagement ring he just slipped on her finger. “this whole year, my love for you has grown stronger and stronger and, well, I just don’t want to wait.  We’ll be heading into our junior year, and we’ll just have two years of school left.  We can be married and go to school, too.”

“What do you think our parents will say?”  Brianna wondered.

“What can they say?  This is our decision.  We’re grown adults,” Jason said with a matter of fact tone.

Brianna smiled.  “Next summer sounds perfect!  Shall we tell everyone at breakfast?”

“Of course!  I don’t want to hide this or the fact that you are now my fiancée from anyone!” Jason answered.

The newly engaged couple got up from the sand, dusted themselves off and headed back to their suite to get ready for breakfast.  He, Adam, and Brianna’s father, Anthony would be heading out from breakfast to play golf while the girls would be spending several hours at the spa getting massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures.  The couple could not wait to show off Brianna’s new ring and share their joyful news with the rest of the family.

Everyone met at the patio cafe for breakfast where they had lunch the previous day.  Brianna purposely held her hands down in her lap so nobody would notice her ring before she and Jason could make the big announcement.  Once the waitress had taken everyone’s order and had brought the orange or apple juice, and coffee to everyone, Jason alerted everyone he and Brianna had an announcement to make.  The couple stood up, and Jason began to speak.

“As you all know, back at Christmas, I made a promise to Brianna one day I would ask to take her hand in marriage.  This morning, while we were taking a sunrise stroll on the beach, I knelt down on one knee and asked her to be my wife, and she said yes.”

Brianna held out her hand and showed everyone her new engagement ring.  Adam, Jessica, Anthony, and Theresa sat in shock, while Emily and Jillian got up to hug their brother and soon to be sister-in-law.

“Mom, Dad, aren’t you happy for us?”  Brianna asked her parents.

Theresa and Anthony’s faces softened, and they got up to congratulate the couple as they kissed and hugged both their daughter and future son-in-law.

“Congratulations, Brianna!”  Anthony said as he hugged and kissed his child.  As he shook Jason’s hand, he said, “Welcome to the family, Jason!  We’ve felt like you’ve always belonged, but I guess now, it’s a bit more official isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir, I guess it is!”  Jason replied.

Adam and Jessica both stared at each other.  They couldn’t believe their ears.  Once Jason and Brianna finished hugging her parents, they then turned to Jason’s.

“Mom?  Dad?  I know this has come as a shock to you.  I decided to keep this only to myself because, well, I know I said I was planning to wait until we were seniors in college, but I love this woman more than you’ll ever know.  I just couldn’t wait any longer.  I had to make her my fiancée, and thank goodness she said, yes!”  Jason explained as he stared into Brianna’s eyes.

Adam and Jessica’s body language changed to happiness for the couple as they rose to embrace their son and future daughter-in-law.  After all the congratulations had been exchanged, everyone sat back down and enjoyed their breakfast as it started to arrive.

“We have one more announcement to make to everyone,” Jason said over the noise of forks and knives clinking against the ceramic plates.  “Brie and I are planning to marry next summer.”

Jessica dropped her fork as Jason announced the plans for a wedding the following summer.  Even this caused a pause for Brianna’s parents.

Adam sat in quiet concern, but elected to not say anything until Jessica turned to him and quietly said, “Adam, say something to your son, will you?!”

“Jason,” Adam started, “your mother and I, as well as Brie’s parents, I’m sure,” gesturing to Brianna’s parents, “are excited for the two of you.  We both can’t think of better spouses for our children.  However, I would be remiss if I didn’t voice your mother’s and my concern about you getting married before you graduate college.”

“Dad, I knew you and Mom might react this way.  I’ve thought long and hard about this before asking Brianna to be my wife.  The truth is, I don’t want to wait.  I love her, and she loves me.  I know this seems a bit out of character for me, but I can’t wait, I don’t want to wait.  I’ll understand if you no longer want to pay for my college and living expenses.  We’ll get loans, continue to work, but she’ll be my wife, and we’ll both finish college.  We both make that promise to all four of you.”

“Honey, it’s not a matter of us paying for your college.  I can’t speak for Brie’s parents, but for your dad and I, our last gift to you is to pay for your college, and we’ll continue to pay for it,” Jessica explained.

“The apartment is paid for, so it’s not an issue either, Son,” Adam interjected.  “Being married brings a whole new set of responsibilities.  You’ll have a wife you’ll need to take care of.  You’ll have the stresses of daily married life on top of your already demanding course load at school.  Marriage is not always a smooth road to travel.”

“I know, Dad.  Don’t you think I’ve thought long and hard about this?  I just didn’t wake up this morning and decide to propose to the woman I love.  I’ve thought long and hard, I’ve even agonized over it.  I know we’ll have moments of strife.  I know it won’t be easy being newly married and trying to finish the last two years of school,” Jason then took Brianna’s hand, “I just can’t imagine not having Brie as my wife and the sooner, the better.  I love her so much.  I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on her.  I can’t wait, I don’t want to wait.  I don’t know how much more clear I can be.”

“Sweetheart,” Brianna’s mother now spoke up, “this is a huge step in your life.  Jason has thought about it, but have you?  You know we love Jason and we can’t think of a better son-in-law to have than him.  Planning a wedding takes so much time.  You say you want to get married next summer.  This means you’re going to have to start planning right away!  How do you expect to plan a wedding, go to school, and hold down a part-time job, too?”

“Mom, it’s a matter of priorities.  Jason is my top priority along with school.  I’m only working a few days a week at the campus bookstore.  The weekends will be free to do wedding preparations and the nights I’m not working, I’ll be free to study and do wedding stuff then, too! Between fall and spring semesters, we can look for a wedding gown and do significant planning then.”  Brianna then looked at Jason.  “We haven’t set a date yet; he just said next summer.  We can make it late in the summer just before school starts again if we have to.”

“Enough time to have a wedding and take a proper honeymoon, of course,” Jason winked and smiled at his fiancée.

“I’ll speak with David when we return home, Honey.  I know he’ll be of great assistance to you in helping take the stress of wedding preparations off you,” Theresa said to her daughter.

“David?”  Jason asked Brianna.

“David Tutera, Jason.  He’s a wedding planner and has planned some fabulous weddings for celebrities.  He and my mother have been good friends a long time.  I’ve known him for years.  Thanks, Mom.”

“That’s so cool!  I love him!  I’ve seen his show’s on TV before,” Emily spoke up.  “He’s really cool, Jason.  You have nothing to worry about, trust me,” Emily grinned.

“Now I’m worried,” Jason laughed.

The whole table laughed as Emily punched her brother in the arm and he took her into a headlock.

Everyone started to eat again, and the mood relaxed as everyone began to accept there would be a Nelson-Cartwright wedding the following summer.

After breakfast, the men left for the pro shop to gather their clubs and cart for golf and the ladies headed to the spa.  Theresa told Jessica she would like to stop off at her brother’s office to let him know about the engagement and see if he could not put together a private dining room for everyone that night so they could have a proper engagement celebration.

Brianna, Emily, and Jillian were all having massages together when Brianna asked the two Cartwright girls how they felt about the news of the engagement announcement.  Both girls told Brianna while they were surprised, they were both jubilant and excited about the news she was marrying their brother because they saw how happy and in love Jason was with her and they couldn’t wait for her to become their sister-in-law.

“I would really love for you two girls to be bridesmaids in our wedding,” Brianna said to them when they were finished with their massages and waiting for the next appointment of their spa day, the facials.

Each of the girls graciously accepted their invitation to be part of the wedding party and gave Brianna a hug and kiss.

“My childhood best friend hopefully will be my Maid Of Honor.  She’s getting married next December, and we’ll be busy planning her wedding also, so I’m hoping she’ll be able to come up for my wedding.  She’s living in Florida going to the University of Miami, and she’ll be getting married in Key West.”

“Are you in her wedding, Brie?” Emily asked.

“Yes, I’m a bridesmaid.  Her sister is her Matron Of Honor; we are the only two who will be in the bride’s wedding party.  Her brother, Lance, and Andrew, her fiancé’s brother, will be the two men standing up for her fiancé.”

While the three girls headed in for their facials, the mothers came from their facials and went in for their massages.

While Jessica and Theresa were laying on their stomachs enjoying the full body massage, Theresa opened up the conversation of the announcement that took everyone by surprise at breakfast.

“Jessica, I know Jason’s announcement took you and Adam off guard this morning, but I know Jason wouldn’t have made such a huge life altering decision if he didn’t feel he and Brianna could continue on with their education as a married couple.  Tony and I are very excited about having Jason as our future son-in-law.  We loved him from the moment we met him.  We’ll do all we can to help make their transition as smooth as possible.  We want nothing more than to see them graduate and succeed.”

“Adam and I fell in love at Harvard.  He knew he wanted to marry me his freshman year as well.  I knew I loved Adam, and I wanted to marry him also, but he didn’t propose until our senior year.  When Jason brought Brianna home last Christmas for us to meet her, we could see the love in our son’s eyes, and we knew it was just a matter of time.  I just never would’ve thought it would be so soon.  I know my son, however.  I know he would never propose unless he had it all thought out in his head.  He would never let his love for Brianna get in the way of knowing what is best for them both.  It just took us a bit off guard, that’s all.  We, of course, would have preferred them to wait, but we’re excited nonetheless.”

“I would love to have you and the girls come to Connecticut when Brie and I go shopping for her wedding dress.  We can make a weekend of it in New York!  We’ll shop for dresses and maybe catch a Broadway show, what do you think?  Do you think your girls would like to do something like that?”

“I know they would love it.  They have never been to New York, so it’ll be an incredible experience for them.  We can tell them tonight at dinner.  Thank you so much for such a fabulous invitation.  It’ll give me a little insight into what being a mother of the bride will be like for me.  Oh gosh, I can only imagine what it’ll be like with Emily.  Adam has treated her like a princess since she was in my womb.  Jillian will probably say, whatever you want to do, Mommy, I’m fine with.  Emily on the other hand, she’ll be my bridezilla.”

The two women laughed heartily at the bridezilla comment as they continued to get their massages.

“Brianna’s an easy going girl, but she has her moments.  She does trust my friend, David, so I’m sure she’ll be okay with him making most of the arrangements.  She’s always told me she’ll know the right dress if it makes me cry.  I told her the perfect dress is a dress she loves, and she feels comfortable in, but she wants me to love it as well.  Thank goodness we do have similar tastes.”

“I feel the same way.  Thank goodness Emily has never been one to wear trendy clothes.  My daughter could make a potato sack look good, but she does know fashion, and she knows what looks good on her and what doesn’t.  I don’t think I’ll have to worry about her wanting something off the charts.  My primary concern will be Adam’s wallet,” Jessica laughed.  “I have a feeling they’ll butt heads more than she and I will!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the golf course, the men were playing golf and Adam noticed Jason was a bit quiet.  He and Anthony tried to engage him in conversation about college, architecture, engineering, and Jason joined in when he felt he had something to add, but Adam noticed his son’s thoughts were miles away.

When they reached the sixteenth hole, Adam stopped and asked Jason if there was something he wanted to talk about or share.

“I want you to be happy for me, Dad,” Jason said swinging his club slightly.

Adam looked a bit befuddled at Jason’s comment.  He looked over at Anthony and then back at Jason.

“Jason, why would you think I’m not happy for you?  I’m thrilled you and Brie want to get married.  You two took us by surprise, that’s all. We want the best for both of you. We wouldn’t be good parents if we didn’t make sure you had thought of everything clearly and were not letting the love you feel for each other cloud obvious facts.”

“Jason, if you had been my son, I would have been asking the same questions.  Nothing thrills Theresa and me more than to know you want to marry our daughter.  We couldn’t have made a better choice for Brianna, but as a parent, there’s always a concern things are happening too quickly.  We’ve been where you are, we know the struggles of being newly married, making ends meet, and in your case, also making sure you finish college.  Like Adam and Jessica, we’ll continue to pay Brianna’s college tuition.  Our primary focus for you two is you finish school and you not worry about going into debt to finish.  Debt is not a way to start off a marriage,” Tony added.

“Mom and I have no doubt you and Brie are going to be happy together.  Deep in my heart, I knew you had thought everything through before you even bought the ring.  It just took us all by surprise, that’s all.  I was pleased to see you had even thought about the payment of your’s and Brie’s education and living expenses; you just didn’t take it for granted everything would continue status quo.  I’m proud of you, Jason.  You’ll be a wonderful husband to Brie, and you already know we consider her our daughter-in-law.  You two will just seal the deal now,” Adam concluded.

Jason looked up and smiled at his father.  Adam grabbed his son and gave him a hug.  Anthony then held out his arms and said, “Come here, Son-in-law, welcome to the family.  We love you so much, and can’t wait until the day you call our daughter your wife.”

When Adam returned to the suite he, found Jessica sitting out on the veranda reading a book. He bent down, gave her a kiss and asked her about her spa experience.

“It was incredible.  The girls had a blast, especially Jillian.  She felt so pampered.  I was really unsure if she would enjoy it as much as Emily and I because she doesn’t really seem to be the type to enjoy that kind of things, but I’ve found my baby girl is all girl under her studious exterior.”

“And I thought I was only going to have to worry about my wallet with one girl, and you’re telling me I’ve got to worry about Jillian, too?”

Jessica laughed at Adam’s wallet fears.  “Excuse me, sir, but unless you’re planning to divorce me again, it looks like your wallet worries will last a lifetime.”

Adam pulled out his wallet and tossed it onto Jessica’s lap.  She looked at him and held up his wallet with a confused look on her face.

“You said I’ll have a lifetime of wallet worries, but if I just hand it over to you now, all my fears will become your concerns,” Adam said and stuck out his tongue.

Jessica got up and beat Adam playfully with the wallet on his chest and said, “Adam Cartwright, just for that, I’ll make sure I go charge that gorgeous gown I saw in the hotel’s boutique window this morning on the way from the spa to our room.”

“I’m only kidding, Babe.  You do an excellent job with the household budget, and you’ve never spent a lot of money without talking it over with me first, and I appreciate that very much,” Adam said as he dropped a gentle kiss on Jessica’s lips.

“Adam, you work very hard and even when we were divorced, you always provided for the kids and me.  I was very grateful to you then, and I’m grateful to you now.  I know all our kids are thankful for how hard you work to give them everything they have.  Our kids are not selfish brats, they are loving and very giving children.  We’re so blessed they don’t expect us to just give them money whenever they demand it.  They know the value of a dollar, and they know it is earned and not just given on a whim.”

“Jason was reserved today playing golf,” Adam explained.  “He contributed to our conversation, but I could tell he was not completely with us, so I finally asked him if there was something he needed to get off his chest.”

“What did he say?”  Jessica asked.

“He was concerned we felt like he was making a rash decision by asking Brie to marry him with several more years of school left.”

“What did you tell him, Adam?”

“I explained to him it came as a shock to us, but we were happy for him and Brie.  I told him I knew he had thought it all through and appreciated how he felt he needed to take on full responsibility for his education and living expenses.  I think kids in our children’s same economic circle would expect their parents would continue to pave the way for them, but Jason had already thought it through otherwise.  He felt if he was leaving our home to make a new home with his new wife, he needed to take on full responsibility for everything, including their education and housing.”

“You made it clear we are going to continue to pay for his education didn’t you?  This is money we already had budgeted for each of our kids.  The apartment is also paid for.  There’s no need for them to move from there.  I want them to concentrate on getting good grades.  There will be time enough later to worry about mortgages and education expenses if they choose to get a post-graduate degree.”

“Yes, he knows, Jess.  Tony reiterated the same for Brie’s education, too.”

“Theresa has invited the girls and me to New York when Brianna goes dress shopping.  We don’t know when it will be yet, of course, but she says when the date is selected, she’ll be in touch, and she wants to make a weekend of it.  I know the girls will love spending a weekend in New York!  It’ll give me a little insight into what being a mother of the bride is all about.”

Adam again handed Jessica his wallet.  She laughed and kissed Adam’s cheek.

“Don’t worry, Love.  When the day comes for Emily -and Jillian- to get married, we’ll sit down and discuss a budget before the first grain of rice is bought.  The girls will know even though we can afford a platinum wedding, boundaries will be set, and they cannot be crossed without authorization from you, first.”

“I love you, Jess,” Adam said hugging his wife tightly.

“Where did that come from?”  Jessica inquired.

“What?  Now I can’t tell my wife I love her?  Have we been married that long already?”  Adam laughed.  “I love you because you are not only an amazing mother, but you are the most loving wife I’ve had the pleasure of being married to.”

“Like you’ve been married a dozen times, Mr. Adam Cartwright,” Jessica giggled.

“You know what I mean, Mrs. Jessica Cartwright,” Adam said as he drew a heart with his finger on Jessica’s chest.

“I do, Babe.  Now, what you don’t know is Theresa spoke to her brother today about having a surprise engagement party for the family in one of their private dining rooms tonight.  We need to get ready because I think dinner is going to be around 6:00 P.M.  When we get home, I would like to plan something for the kids the next time they are home.”

“Sounds good.  Now, let’s get dressed.”

Adam headed to the suite, and he then turned around and inquired about the girls.

“Are they getting dressed for dinner yet?”

“I don’t know.  Go on and get in the shower, I’ll give them a call and make sure they are.”

Adam headed into the bedroom and turned on the shower.  Jessica called down to Emily’s and Jillian’s suite and found they were getting dressed, and they would be ready by 5:30 P.M.

Upon arrival to the private dining room, the two families knew Jackson had told Jason and Brianna to come at 6:15 P.M. so that they could surprise them with the engagement party.  Once the couple arrived, Jackson’s wife and Brianna’s aunt, Audrey, was introduced to everyone and champagne was passed around to everyone including Emily and Jillian. The girls were excited that they, too, were able to drink a glass of champagne for this very special occasion.  A toast was made to the newly engaged couple, and the pastry chef brought out a magnificent cake in celebration of the couple’s engagement.

When Jillian drank the champagne, her face scrunched up in a sour face.  “This is gross, Mommy!  I think I’ll stick to the kids stuff,” Jillian bellowed.

Everyone burst out in laughter at Jillian’s comments about champagne.

“Baby Girl, you’ll probably like it later on in life when your taste buds mature a bit more,” Jessica explained to Jillian still laughing.

“It sure is better tasting than nasty beer!”  Emily piped in.

“You were allowed to partake because it was a special occasion, Princess.  This is an exception, not the rule.”  Adam noted.

“I know, Daddy, and I appreciate you and Mommy allowing Jillian and me to have some, even if Jillian didn’t like it,” Emily smiled.

As the family sat down for dinner, each place setting had a special menu made up with Jason and Brianna’s name, the date, and “Engagement Celebration” written on the menu cards.  Jackson had the staff photographer come in and take pictures of the evening for their memory book.  The hotel’s DJ also played soft music during dinner and the family danced for several hours after they ate.

When the night came to a close, Jason and Brianna thanked Jackson for the special evening, and he told them he couldn’t think of a better couple to shower a special night on.  Adam and Jessica said goodnight to Jackson and his wife.  They, along with the two girls headed back to the suites for a good night’s sleep.

The next day was spent at leisure beside the pool and a little time at the beach.  Adam called Rebecca to let her know they were on the Cape, and they looked forward to seeing her and her family the next afternoon.

As the day came to a close, Jessica packed up their clothes and went down to Emily and Jillian’s suite to do the same for their clothes.  They all dressed for a final night at the Cape with Brianna’s parents, aunt, and uncle, as they all went down to the beach for the second of two weekly clambakes the hotel offered.

Emily ran into Jeremy and Kerry.  She introduced them to Adam, Jessica, Anthony, Theresa, Jackson, and Audrey.  Jeremy and Kerry’s parents were also in attendance at the clambake, and when they were able, they brought Emily over to meet their parents as Kerry had told them about the beautiful young lady from Nevada they had met at the pool a few days before.

As Kerry and Emily were dancing, she broke the news to Kerry they were leaving for Nantucket the next day, and she had had a good time with him at the clambake the night before last and that night.  When Kerry asked if he could call her sometime or email, Emily said she didn’t mind, but she felt he should know she had a boyfriend back at home.  Kerry was disappointed but understood.  He told her he really liked her as a friend and hoped they could keep in touch as such anyway.  Emily smiled and thanked him, telling him she would like it very much and they exchanged phone numbers and email addresses.

At the end of the evening, everyone said goodnight and again thanked Jackson for his excellent hospitality.  Jackson announced he had arranged for breakfast to be brought up by room service in the morning since he knew everyone would be busy getting ready to leave and catch the ferry to Nantucket.  Anthony and Theresa said their goodbyes to everyone and invited Adam and Jessica to come to Connecticut whenever they liked.  Adam and Jessica also asked Anthony and Theresa to come to Nevada if they ever wanted to venture out west.  Anthony was anxious to see the Ponderosa Ranch, and told Adam the following spring or summer, he and his wife would plan a trip out their way.

When Jessica and Adam arrived back at their suite, Jessica headed straight for the bathroom and turned on the shower to rinse off the sand stuck to her body.  After she had got out, Adam did the same, and she brought him clean boxers to put on when he got out.  When he came back into the bedroom, he saw Jessica curled up in the middle of the bed with her head partially on her pillow and Adam’s curled up under her arm.  He gently pulled his pillow from under her arm, and she scooted over so he could get in bed.  Jessica snuggled up to her husband and wrapped her arms around him.

“I can’t believe a week has already gone by!  I’ve had so much fun, I don’t want it to end!”

“It’s been an eventful week, hasn’t it?  We’ve shown our girls where we went to school and fell in love, our son got engaged, and now, we’re headed to Nantucket, and I believe, if memory serves me right, someone has a birthday coming up.”

Jessica sat up and smiled at Adam, “I wonder who’s?”

Adam pushed a lock of Jessica’s hair from her face and said, “Gee, I don’t know!”

Jessica laughed and laid her head down on Adam’s chest.

“Don’t go doing anything special for my birthday, Adam.  This is a family vacation.”

“You let me worry about the vacation plans, Babe,” Adam said as he stroked Jessica’s hair.

“Okay, whatever…”  Jessica’s voice trailed off as she drifted off to sleep.

Adam continued to stroke his wife’s hair until he, too, drifted off to sleep.

Information about the resort, Wequassett Resort and Golf Club courtesy of:   http://www.wequassett.com/

Chapter Twelve

Friday morning came, the Cartwrights and Brianna all woke up to catch their mid-morning ferry to Nantucket.

As Jackson promised, breakfast was delivered to Adam and Jessica’s suite.  Adam requested breakfast for everyone delivered to their suite and the family would all enjoy breakfast together.  They enjoyed eggs, bacon, a fresh assortment of baked goods, orange, juice, apple juice, fresh coffee and tea.

After they had finished breakfast, and all the luggage was loaded into the SUV, Adam and Jason checked everyone out of the hotel, and they headed to the parking lot for ferry passengers.  Adam and Jason unloaded the luggage, and they caught the courtesy shuttle to their ferry.  Upon arrival, the inbound ferry was arriving with passengers coming from Nantucket.  Adam and Jason loaded the luggage onto the luggage carts which were stowed in a particular area of the ferry so the passengers would not have to place their luggage near their seats during the hour-long ferry ride.

Once on the ferry the family took their seats; Adam and Jessica sat next to each other with Jason and Brianna sitting across from them.  Emily sat next to her mother and Jillian across from Emily next to Brianna.  As the men discussed studies for the next semester for Jason, as well as financial planning for him and Brianna, the women started to discuss wedding preparations.

“I’m sure my mother’s been in contact with David already.  She and David are very dear friends,” Brianna explained to Jessica, Emily, and Jillian.

“The fact your mother knows David Tutera is just really cool!  He’s awesome, and he’s designed some beautiful weddings,” Emily said.

“I have complete faith in him to make my vision come true for my wedding,” Brianna said, smiling at Emily.

“What do you have in mind for your wedding, Brie?”  Jessica asked.

“I haven’t thought about it too much, Jessica.  I always thought I would get married in the wintertime because I’ve always wanted a winter wonderland wedding.  I guess with us getting married next summer, we’ll have to come up with a different theme.  I love Newport, Rhode Island.  I think we can make something happen at one of the lovely mansions there.  They tend to book up in advance, so I’ll have to get in touch with David as soon as I get home so he can start looking into that possibility.”

“I love Newport.  Mom, Dad, my brother and I used to go there every Labor Day weekend.  Mom and Dad have friends there, and we would spend a long weekend with them.  It’s a beautiful place.  I know Adam, and I would love to take the girls there for vacation sometime.  Since you and Jason might be getting married there, we can combine a vacation with the wedding,” Jessica explained.

“Did I hear my name?”  Adam asked smiling at the girls, knowing they were most likely talking about girl stuff, namely the wedding.

“I was explaining to the girls and Brianna Mom Daddy used to take my brother and me to Newport, Rhode Island, at the end of each summer to visit friends and how you and I would like to take the girls there for vacation sometime.  Brianna thought it might be a place for her and Jason’s wedding.”

“Would like to get married in Newport, Babe?  I’ll be happy with wherever you want to have our wedding.  I just want you to be my wife,” Jason said looking at Brianna with loving eyes.

“Oh, gosh, Jason,  you’re just like Daddy,”  Emily started teasing her brother.

“You’re just jealous, Emily,” Jason teased in return.

“If the shoe fits, older brother,” Emily responded sticking out her tongue.

“Hey, that’s enough, young lady.  You know I don’t tolerate rude behavior.”

“But, Daddy, he was teasing me; he deserved it.”

“Emily Elizabeth,” Adam’s voice got sterner, “you started the banter, now it’s time to stop, understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” Emily pouted.

Brianna gave Emily an understanding look and smiled.  Emily smiled back, and the men went back to talking about sports, school, and Jason’s future career at Cartwright, Inc.

Jessica and Brianna continued to talk about possible wedding plans and what style she wanted for her gown as well as what she envisioned for the girls.  Jessica felt sure this would excite Emily, but she sat quietly with her arms folded around her waist.

“What’s wrong, Sweetheart?”  Jessica turned to her daughter when she didn’t join in on the fashion side of the wedding plans.

“Daddy always blames me for everything.  Jason never gets in trouble,” tears started to well in her eyes as she spoke.

“Oh, Sweetheart, Daddy doesn’t like you to stick your tongue out.  It’s not polite, and you know it,” Jessica said as she put her arm around her eldest daughter.

Adam looked over at Jessica and Emily as he was commenting on the architecture of the buildings at M.I.T., but didn’t say anything to Emily about her pouting; he felt Jessica was handling it fine.

“I know, Mommy, I just get so mad at Jason.  He doesn’t play fair, and I’m always the one to get in trouble.”

“Um, not be true, Emmy.  You do the same thing to me all the time, and I’ve been on the wrong end of Daddy’s hand because of you before,” Jillian piped in.

“See, Sweetheart?  You hand it down to your little sister, but the buck stops with her.  She’s the youngest!”

“Yeah!”  Jillian protested.

All the girls laughed, Adam and Jason looked over as if to ask what was so funny.

“Poor Jillian gets the butt of all the teasing, but because she’s the youngest, she doesn’t get to hand it down to anyone else,” Brianna told the men.

“Peanut, you won’t always be the youngest in the family.  When we have kids, you’ll be able to enjoy your nieces and or nephews and teach them the things they need to know,” Jason assured.

“How about we get you two married first before you make your old man and mother grandparents,” Jessica laughed.

“Hey, who are you calling an old man, Grandma?”  Adam asked chuckling.

“You, Grandpa!”  Jessica laughed returning the banter.

“You called me your stud the other night,” Adam winked.

“There they go again,” Jillian said, rolling her eyes, laughing.

“Oh, Peanut, Mommy and Daddy still love each other and show it, even at their age.  It’s great!  I know Brie, and I will be the same when we’re their age,” Jason looked at Brianna adoringly.

“YUCK!  I like to play with boys, but I don’t want to kiss them,” Jillian said with a scrunched up nose.

“Believe me, Peanut, in a few years, your outlook on boys will be very different,” Emily said rubbing her sister’s back.

“I don’t want to kiss a boy like you kiss Trey, Emily!”  Jillian busted Emily.

Adam and Jessica looked at Emily with a surprised look on their face.

Emily turned a bright red in the face.  “Jillian!  I didn’t kiss Trey in an inappropriate way, and you know it!”

Jillian laughed and said, “Sike!”

Adam and Jessica relaxed when they realized Jillian was teasing her sister.

“Looks like you know how to defend yourself in the teasing department, Peanut,” Jason laughed.

Jillian sat with a smug smile on her face and said, “Hey!  A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do!”

“Yeah, and almost go me in trouble, too!”  Emily protested not finding much humor in her sister’s prank.

“Oh, Sweetheart, don’t get your nose out of joint,” Jessica said as she moved the few strands of hair which had fallen from Emily’s ponytail.

“Sucks being the middle child sometimes…No, all the time,” Emily started to pout again.

“Come here, Princess,” Adam asked putting his hand out.

“What, Daddy,” Emily continued to pout, not taking Adam’s hand.

“Come here, and I’ll tell you.”

Emily took her father’s hand, and she came over and sat next to him. Adam put his arms around his daughter and gave her a hug.

“I love you very much, and you know what?  I love you just as much as I love your brother and your sister.  Your Uncle Hoss used to say the same thing to Poppy about me and Uncle Joe. Being the middle child is tough, but it makes you and Uncle Hoss not any less loved.”

“But Daddy…”  Emily started to say, but Adam cut her off.

“Daddy nothing, Princess.  I don’t treat any of you differently.  Jason got his fair share of punishment for teasing you when you were younger, you probably just don’t remember,” Adam explained.

“Believe me, Em, I remember all too well,” Jason interjected.

“I expected more out of Jason when you two were younger.  I expected him to protect you as his little sister.  Now I expect the same of you with Jillian.”

“Okay, Daddy,” Emily smiled at her hero.  “I love you, Daddy.”

Adam kissed Emily on the cheek and said, “I love you too, Princess.”

As Emily went back to her seat, the captain of the vessel came on over the public speaker and told all the passengers they were pulling into the port as they arrived in Nantucket and asked everyone to take their seats and to remained seated until the vessel had come to a complete stop.  He also explained where the luggage and bicycle carts would be placed once on the dock for claiming.

Adam pulled out his iPhone and called Rebecca to let her know they were almost to Nantucket.

“Hey, Lady, it’s Adam.  Just wanted to let you know we’re arriving in Nantucket.  Looking forward to seeing you again.”

“Great, the twins are down for a nap right now, and I’m finishing up lunch, so I’m going to send Dave to the pier to pick everyone up.  I hope you don’t mind,” Rebecca said holding the phone with her shoulder as she was spreading mayonnaise on bread for the sandwiches she was making.  “Dave’s wearing a bright orange t-shirt that says, Stingray City, Cayman Islands on it. You can’t miss him.  He’s leaving right now, he told me to tell you.”

“Okay, we’ll see you shortly.  It’ll be good to see you again, Becky,” Adam said looking down, remembering how he used to feel about his dear friend.

Rebecca, feeling the same, put down her knife as she held her phone and said, “I’m looking forward to seeing you, too, Adam.”

The two hung up their phones and Adam sat looking at his.  Jessica could see Adam’s body language had changed.  She put her hand on his shoulder and asked, “Is everything okay, Adam?”

Adam looked over at Jessica and smiled, “Yeah, everything’s great.  Just looking forward to seeing Becky and Dave again.  We get to meet their two girls, too!”

“This is the doctor who helped Jason when he fell from the swing, right, Adam?”  Brianna inquired.

“Yes, Emily and I were putting up the leftovers from a picnic we had while Jason went to go swing.  He was swinging very high and tried to leap out of his swing and fell, hitting his head.  He also broke his leg in the process,” Adam recalled.

“This is when you were divorced, right?”  Brianna asked, not realizing they had never told Jillian.

Adam put his finger to his lips as if to tell Brianna not to say any more about the divorce.  He whispered, “We’ve never told Jillian about our divorce and re-marriage.”

Jillian looked up from her book she was reading and then looked back down and started reading again.  Jessica looked over at her, but she didn’t look up to ask any questions.  Jessica then looked at Adam.

Brianna, feeling sad, looked at Jason and whispered, “I’m so sorry!  I had no idea Jillian didn’t know about your parents!”

Jason rubbed Brianna’s arm and told her it was okay, she didn’t know, and his parents knew she didn’t say it aloud on purpose.

Adam winked and smiled at Brianna when she looked at him with a sad face.

The ferry arrived at Nantucket, and everyone stood up to disembark.  The Cartwrights and Brianna headed down the dock where they saw David waiting for them.  When he saw Adam, he waved, Adam smiled and waved back.  When they got to him, Adam and Jessica shook hands with Dave and introduced Jason and Brianna to him since they were at school when he and Rebecca came to Nevada.

“Dave, I’d like you to meet my son, Jason, and his fiancée as of a few days ago, Brianna Nelson.”

David shook Jason’s and Brianna’s hands and congratulated them on their engagement and said he was happy to meet them.

David helped Adam and Jason with the luggage, and everyone piled into the van for the short ride back to Dave and Rebecca’s Island home.

Once they arrived, Rebecca came out to welcome everyone.  When she saw Adam, she stopped and smiled as tears welled in her eyes at seeing her old friend again.

“Adam, how are you?  It’s so good to see you again!”  Rebecca said as she held her arms for a hug.

Adam took Rebecca into her arms and held her tight.  “You look fantastic, Beck, but when did you go from red to brown hair?”  Adam asked holding her back in his arms to take a look at her new hair color.

“There are still red highlights, Mr. Cartwright,” Rebecca said smiling.  “Really, though, I was at the hair salon one day, and I was telling my hairdresser about the gray hairs I was starting to see. She said we could color my hair to cover them up.  So, I said, well if we’re going to color my hair, let’s try a different color, so we did the brown with red highlights.  Do you like?”  Rebecca asked showing off her new hairdo.

“I love it!  I think it looks fantastic!”  Adam commented.

“I agree!  You look fantastic, and I know about the gray hairs, they blend with my blond hair…for now,” Jessica said as she came up to Adam and Rebecca.

“Jessica,” Rebecca said as she held out her arms to welcome her dear friend’s wife, “how the heck have you been?”

“I’ve been great.  Thank you again for having us to your home,” Jessica said hugging Rebecca.

“Long time no see, Dr. Roberts,” Jason said as he walked over to Rebecca.

“Oh my gosh, Jason?”  Rebecca asked in amazement.

“Yep, it’s me!  I’m all grown up now.”

“Gosh, what a handsome man you’ve grown up to be!”  Rebecca said as she hugged Jason.

“Dr. Roberts, I would like to introduce you to my fiancée, Brianna Nelson, Brianna, this is Dr. Rebecca Roberts, a very dear friend of my father’s and the doctor who was first on the scene when I broke my leg when I was eight.”

“Nice to meet you, Doctor,” Brianna said, shaking Rebecca’s hand.

“Fiancée?  Rebecca said looking at Jason, as she motioned Brianna for a hug.”

“Yes, Ma’am.  I proposed to her a few days ago, and she said yes!”

“Congratulations, you two, and please, call me Rebecca or Becky.  Dr. Roberts is so formal,” she said as she hugged both Jason and Brianna.

David invited everyone into the house and onto the patio which overlooked the ocean.

“What a gorgeous view you have here, Dave, Becky,” Adam said as they looked out onto the beach.

“Dave works very hard, so we wanted to have a place where we could come and totally relax.  We bought this house from a couple who was building it when the husband’s brother died.  He never got over his brother’s death, and it took a toll on their marriage.  They ended up divorcing, and neither of them wanted the house, so to sell it quickly, they sold it for a song.  The realtor knew we were looking for a home here, and she called us.  We came out the next weekend, looked at it and put in an offer and closed a few weeks later.  We feel very blessed to have this place.  It’s a little bigger than we would have preferred, but we couldn’t pass up the price or the location! Since we have all of this room, we often invite friends and colleagues of Dave’s to the Island for the weekends during the summer.  We always have a huge party at the end of the season as well.”

“Mommy, I not tired anymore,” one of Rebecca’s and Dave’s daughters came out on the deck rubbing her eyes.

Rebecca turned around and saw her daughter standing behind her.  She motioned for her to come to her and she timidly came and held on to Rebecca’s leg tightly.

“Ava, this is Mrs. Jessica, can you say hello to her?”

Ava looked up at Jessica with her big hazel eyes and put her thumb in her mouth.

“Why are you sucking your thumb, Ava?  You don’t do that anymore.  You’re a big girl now, remember?”  Rebecca said to her daughter.

Ava hid her face in her mommy’s leg.

Jessica bent down to Ava’s level.

“Hi, Ava.  You have such a pretty name, and you are a beautiful girl.  I hear you have a sister who looks just like you?”

Ava stared at Jessica and nodded yes to her question.

“I have two girls, too!  Emily and Jillian.  Do you want to meet them?”

Ava nodded in agreement.  Jessica motioned for her two daughters to come over and she introduced them to Ava.

Ava took to Jillian very quickly.

“Do you want to play with my Barbies?”  Ava asked Jillian.

“You have Barbies?  I love Barbies!”  Jillian said with excitement.

Ava took Jillian by the hand and led her to her room.  Jessica and Rebecca smiled, and Rebecca said she needed to go finish putting the final touches on lunch.  Jessica, Emily, and Brianna offered to come and help her get things put out for everyone while Dave, Adam, and Jason talked about the Red Sox vs. Colorado Rockies, Patriots vs. Forty-Niners, and other sports.

Once lunch was ready, Rebecca went to go get Ava and Jillian so they could come and eat.  When she came to Ava’s room, she saw Eva was also awake and found her playing with her and Ava’s new friend, Jillian.  She went to get Jessica so she could come and see how well she was getting along with her two girls.

“Aren’t they just too cute?”  Rebecca whispered as they watched the three girls playing.

“You’re fun, Jillie!”  Eva said as she was helping her get her Barbie dressed.

“Girls, are you ready to come eat lunch?”  Rebecca asked her two girls and Jillian.

All the girls looked up.  Eva and Jillian smiled at their two mommies; Ava got shy again when she saw Jessica with her Rebecca.

The girls got up and followed Jessica and Rebecca back into the kitchen where she saw Brianna and Emily had everything out on the buffet, and the men were already digging into the afternoon’s culinary delights.

Eva was a social butterfly with all the Cartwrights and Brianna while Ava stuck close to her mommy and daddy.

After lunch was consumed and the leftovers put away, Adam and Jason gathered the luggage from David and Rebecca’s van and brought them to the rooms where they would be staying which Rebecca had pointed out during her tour of the house to Jessica.

As Jessica was putting away her and Adam’s clothes, Jillian came in and asked if she could talk to Jessica.

“Sure, Baby girl, what’s on your mind?”  Jessica asked as she was hanging up a sundress she had brought to wear at some point on her vacation.

“Mommy, are you and Daddy getting a divorce?”  Jillian asked with tears in her eyes and a shaky voice.

The odd question stopped Jessica, and she immediately came to where Jillian was standing.  She bent down to her level and placed both hands on each of Jillian’s arms.

“Jillian?  What would ever give you the idea Daddy and I were getting divorced?”

“Emily said you were divorced when Dr. Becca and Dr. Dave came to our house, and Brie said it today.”

“Baby girl, do you know what divorce is?”  Jessica continued to quiz her youngest child.

Jillian nodded her head and replied, “Doug at school said his mommy and daddy got divorced. He told me they had a fight and one day, his daddy left the house and didn’t come back.  Doug said it made his mommy sad, and she cried every day.  Is Daddy going to leave our house and not come back, Mommy?”  Tears started raining down her face.

Jessica hugged her daughter tightly and assured her daddy was not leaving and not come back.  She asked her to sit on the bed, and she would be right back; Jessica felt she needed to include Adam in on the conversation.

Jessica went back onto the patio where Adam, Jason, Brianna, and Rebecca were talking; Emily had gone to her room to call Trey, whom she had not spoken to in over a week, and she missed him very much.

“Adam, I need you to come to our room for a few minutes.  Jillian’s in there, and she’s upset.  I need you to talk with her.  I’m sorry everyone, it won’t take us long.  Please excuse us.”

Adam immediately got up and came with Jessica.  On the way back to their room, she filled Adam in on why Jillian was so upset.

“Sweetpea?  Mommy tells me you think I might leave you, Mommy, and Emily?”  Adam asked with a gentle voice as he went and sat on the bed next to where she was sitting.

“Uh huh,” was her reply.  “Doug’s daddy left and didn’t come back, and his mommy is very sad.”

“Jillian, why would you think I’m leaving and not coming back?”  Adam asked further.

“Because Emily said you and mommy divorced and so did Brie!”  Jillian began to cry again.

Adam outstretched his arms and had Jillian come sit in his lap and he held her close.  He allowed her to cry and continued to console her until she was able to calm down.  Adam looked at Jessica with a concerned look.  Once her crying quieted down, Adam continued to hold her in his arms, and Jessica held her hands as Adam began to speak.

“Sweetpea, Mommy and Daddy are married, and we plan to stay married.  Before you were born, Mommy and I were divorced.”

“Adam!”

Adam looked at Jessica and mouthed, ‘It’s okay.  She needs to know.’

Jessica continued to hold Jillian’s hands and watched her body language and nodded for Adam to continue.

“Before you were born, and we just had Jason and Emily, Mommy and Daddy didn’t get along to well.  Daddy was working for Poppy.  I worked long hours, but I came home around the same time I come home now, and sometimes earlier; I didn’t work on the weekends much either.”

“Did Jason cry a lot?”  Jillian asked.

“No, it wasn’t that he cried a lot, he was a good baby, actually.  I was young, Daddy was young, and I needed Daddy home to help me with Jason, but he worked all the time, and we hardly ever saw him, and it made Mommy very sad,” Jessica interjected.

“Was Jason sad, too?” Jillian was curious.

Jessica and Adam chuckled at the innocent question their daughter asked about her older brother.

“No, Baby Girl, Jason was just a baby, so he wasn’t aware Daddy wasn’t home very much.”

Adam continued to explain to Jillian what ended their marriage the first time.

“Mommy got pregnant again, and we were both so happy, but one day Mommy tripped over one of Jason’s toys, and she fell.  At first, it seemed as if she was okay, but a few days later, she called me at work crying because her tummy was hurting very badly.  I came home, and took her to the hospital.”

“Like when I cut my hand?”  Jillian was trying to understand.

Jessica nodded her head as she stroked Jillian’s hands.

“Mommy’s fall had hurt the baby, and he didn’t survive.  Mommy and I were so sad, but because the baby was growing inside her as you grew inside her, she felt the loss much more.  It didn’t mean I loved the baby any less, just like I don’t love you any less than Mommy does, but it affected Mommy differently.”

“Was it a brother or a sister?”  Jillian’s tears dripped down her face again.

“We don’t know, Baby Girl.  The baby was still so small, we don’t know if it was a boy or girl,” Jessica said with sadness in her voice, recalling the miscarriage from many years before.

Adam continued the journey to his and Jessica’s eventual divorce and remarriage.

“I wanted to have another baby, but Mommy was so sad at the loss of the other baby.  She felt like it was too soon for her and having another baby would be like trying to replace the one we lost.  I understood why Mommy felt the way she did, but I also felt we needed to move forward.”

Jessica took up the story at this point while Adam sat with his chin on Jillian’s head.  Sadness filled his face as he recalled the sad time in his and Jessica’s lives and how their selfishness, namely his selfishness affected those he loved the most.

“The loss of the baby was very hard for Daddy and me.  I just wasn’t ready to have a baby again yet.  As Daddy and I grew apart, Daddy started spending more time at the office.  I still loved him, but I didn’t understand how my depression over losing the baby was affecting him, too.”

Jessica’s eyes filled with tears as she recalled how splintered her marriage was when it was just the three of them.

Adam could see how it was affecting Jessica, so he picked up the story again.

“Our marriage was practically over when Mommy got pregnant with Emily.  We were both happy and things started to look up when Emily was born.  Our love grew deep for each other again, and we were extremely happy.”

“I bet Emily cried a lot,”  Jillian accused out loud.

“Emily was a bit needier that Jason was.  It wasn’t she cried because she wanted attention, she was colicky.  When I nursed her, my milk didn’t agree with her tummy.  It took us awhile to realize this was the problem, so I eventually had to change to soy formula milk, and she was better.”

“That’s Emily,” Jillian sighed, “always the drama queen.”

Adam and Jessica laughed at their daughter’s portrait of her older sister.

“Everything was going good, and then Poppy got sick and could no longer work.  I had to take over as CEO, and I was working long hours and many weekends.  Mommy was supportive at first, but it was hard on her.  Jason was two, and Emily was practically a newborn.  Mommy got very frustrated with me and threatened a divorce then.  Poppy did what he could to help, Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe helped, too.  Everything seemed to be getting better again when we had a crisis at work, and if I couldn’t fix it, it could have been the end of our company.  I had to work long hours and weekends again to fix what had been broken.  Mommy had enough, and she asked me to leave.”

“Why, Mommy?”  Jillian started to cry.

“I know, Baby Girl.  I’m so sorry.  I was young, I had two babies, and I allowed my anger to get the better of me,” Jessica’s voice was sad.

“Mommy filed for divorce, and I moved to our home on the Ponderosa.  Jason and Emily would come and stay with me every other weekend, and lived with Mommy the rest of the time.  It was very hard for me because I never stopped loving Mommy.”

“Deep in my heart, Baby Girl, I never stopped loving Daddy, but my anger toward him clouded my love, which I regret deeply now.”

“After dropping Jason and Emily off back at our home in Carson City, I went to the office one night.  I had been working late, and I was on my way home, I was involved in a severe car wreck, and I almost died.”

“Daddy!”  Jillian cried.

“I’m okay, Sweetpea.  I’m okay,” Adam assured his youngest child.

“When I found out Daddy was in the ER hurt very badly, I rushed to his side.  I never left his side the whole time he was in the intensive care unit.  I was so scared he would die.  I know it took this tragedy to shake me up, but that’s when I realized I still loved Daddy, and I wanted to try and put our marriage back together again, but it was too late for me.”

“Huh?” Jillian was confused.

“I had started seeing another woman,” Adam cleared up the confusion, but didn’t let on it was Rebecca to whom he was seeing.

“Did you love her, Daddy?”  Jillian questioned.

“I loved her very much, Sweetpea, but it wasn’t meant to be.  She got an amazing job she could not turn down, and she moved away.  Before she left, she made one final request:  She asked me to be good to your mother.  I didn’t understand what she meant at first.  Mommy and I were getting along better than we had in the two years we had been divorced.  Jason was eight, Emily was almost five.  On Emily’s birthday, Mommy and I started to fall in love again.  We were happy and spending quite a bit of time together, but we thought we should take it slowly, but in both of our hearts, we wanted to be together again as a family.  On Christmas Eve, after Jason and Emily had gone to bed, she told me she was pregnant with you.”

“Did you ask for me from Santa, Mommy?”  Jillian smiled as she asked the innocent question.

“No, Baby Girl, I didn’t.  You were a beautiful gift from God,” Jessica said as she kissed her on the side of her head.  “When I found out I was pregnant with you, I was so happy but scared at the same time.  You see, I didn’t know Daddy was going to ask me to marry him again, and I was sad at the thought of bringing you into the world where Daddy and I would not be there to raise you together.  I saw the toll it was taking on Jason and Emily, and now, I thought we were going to inflict the same pain on you.  Daddy loved me, and I loved him.  When he asked me to marry him again, it was the best gift from Santa I asked for.”

“Santa, Mommy?”  Jillian looked confused.

“Yes!  Daddy told me when he was coming back to our home on the Ponderosa from Poppy’s house on Christmas Eve, he ran into Santa, and he gave him my wedding ring to give me,” Jessica explained.

Jillian looked at Adam with amazement, “Daddy! You saw Santa Claus?”

“I sure did, Sweetpea.  When he gave me a ring for Mommy, of course, I had to ask her to marry me again!”  Adam smiled.

“So, on New Year’s Eve, Mommy and I got married again.  While we’ve had arguments over the last eleven years, and there have been times when Mommy and I have been furious at one another, our love for each other and our love for you, your brother and sister has always been stronger than any argument.  I’m hoping nothing will ever break us apart again.  We never want to put you through what we put Jason and Emily through and we certainly never want to put them through what we put them through then, again.”

Jillian hugged Adam and then hugged Jessica.  She felt better her parents were not getting a divorce.  She had never known the pain of what Jason and Emily felt, and they hoped never would.  The secret was now out, and she understood her family was intact, and this gave Adam and Jessica great peace.

As the day drew into the evening, after dinner, Rebecca and David put their little ones to bed. The day had been filled with meeting new people and having a new friend in Jillian with whom they could play Barbies.

Everyone was on the patio enjoying the summer evening with the gentle sounds of low tide in the background, talking about the upcoming weekend, new week and what everyone would like to do.  Rebecca felt it was the right time to spring the surprise on the girls.  “David is taking the guys golfing, so I would like to take us girls on a day excursion to Martha’s Vineyard!” 

Everyone was excited about the trip, and Adam again pulled his wallet from his back pocket and slung it over on Jessica’s lap.  Everyone erupted in laughter with Adam’s attempt at humor.  Jessica decided she would give Adam a taste of his own humor, so she opened his wallet, took out all of his cash and credit cards, placed them in her pocket and slung his empty wallet back at him.  Jason, David, and Rebecca all had a great laugh over Jessica’s retaliation.

Through his laughter, Adam replied, “I guess I deserved that one, didn’t I?”

“Oh, you certainly did, Buster!”  Jessica said laughing.

Brianna placed her head on Jason’s shoulder and said she was getting tired and was going to bed.  She excused herself, kissed Jason goodnight, and headed to the room she was to share with Jason during their stay.  She saw Jillian dozing on the chaise lounge so she helped her up to get ready for bed.  Feeling tired herself, Emily offered to take Jillian and help her change for bed so Brianna could go herself.  Jason decided he should turn in for the night too, and wished everyone a good evening.

Around midnight, Jessica was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open, so she decided to call it a night herself.  She gave Adam a kiss goodnight and wished Rebecca and David a good night.

As Jessica headed into the house, Adam looked back at her and said, “Did you forget something?”

Jessica turned around and looked at him with a befuddled look.  Adam held out his wallet and said cash, credit cards?”  Jessica replied, “Oh yes!  Now I remember…Nope, didn’t forget a thing, Adam.  Good night!” and she turned and continued on to the bedroom she was sharing with him during their stay.

“Friend, I’m afraid you opened the door, and she walked right on in,” David said with laughter.

“My wife is a natural comedienne,” Adam laughed proudly.

David yawned and said, “It’s been a rough week, and I’m worn out.  I’ll give you two some time to catch up, just the two of you.  I’ll say goodnight now.”

Adam stood up, shook David’s hand and wished him a good night.  David bent down and gave Rebecca a good night kiss and told her to stay up as long as she desired.  She smiled at him and said, “Thank you, Honey.  I love you, goodnight.”

After David headed up the stairs and disappeared into his and Rebecca’s bedroom, Adam turned to Rebecca and smiled.

“Well, here we are again.  My how times and things have changed, huh?”

“I know.  It’s hard to believe sometimes.  I still remember the first day I laid eyes on you. Remember?”

“Do I ever.  I only wished they could have been under better circumstances,” Adam said remembering back to Jason’s accident.

“Despite the rough start, I think we made lemonade out of lemons, don’t you think?”  Rebecca smiled.

“Yeah, we did…You know?”  Adam said, looking over at Rebecca’s face under the moonlight, “I did love you, and it was very hard to say goodbye.”

“Adam, I loved you, too.  I knew you loved me, but I knew your heart was still with Jessica, and while you loved me, you were in love with Jessica.”

“How did you know, Becky?”  Adam asked leaning forward in his chair, eager to hear how Rebecca knew what he felt when he didn’t see it himself.

“When I was in college, studying premed, I minored in psychology.  We studied body language, mannerisms, and interactions between two people.  I knew you loved me; I had no doubt there.  But when I looked in your eyes, the window to your soul, something was missing between us.”

“I was devoted to Jason and Emily.  Did I still love Jessica then?  Yes, of course, she was the mother of my two children.  I didn’t feel I was in love with her anymore, though.  She had done so many things to me, to you, which caused my heart to harden for her.”

“That’s what you told yourself, Adam, but your heart, the one you said was hardened, told a different story.”

“What do you mean?  I don’t understand.”

Rebecca leaned forward to get closer to Adam.  She wanted him to know what she saw in him where Jessica and his children were concerned.

“If it had been your choice, you would have never gotten a divorce, correct?”

“That’s true, but over time, I felt it was the best thing after all.  I think Jess and I staying married with her feeling the animosity she had toward me would’ve been more detrimental to the kids than it was with us living apart.  We tried really hard to never argue in front of the kids.  We knew they loved us both, and we didn’t want them to feel caught in the middle.  We didn’t always succeed, but we tried our best.  I think, for the most part, they’ve grown up without too much permanent damage.”

“I think you’re right.  You can see the beautiful relationship between Jason and his fiancée.  It is a testament to the love you and Jessica not only have for each other but for him as well.”

“Thank you, but what about us, Becky?  I loved you and in time, I knew I wanted to marry you.”

“But that’s just it, Adam.  If you had truly loved me to the point of wanting to marry me, you would’ve never let me go.”

“What?  That’s crazy,” Adam dismissed Rebecca’s accusation.

“No, really.  When I came over that night to tell you about the job, I wanted nothing more than for you to beg me to stay.  Deep in my heart, I knew you wouldn’t, but I held out a sliver of hope you would.  You told me I had to take it; it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“And it was!  How could I hold you back?”  Adam argued.

“That’s just it, Adam!  You let me go!  You wanted me to go.”

“I was devastated the night you came to my house and said you were leaving in just a few days, and you wanted to end everything immediately.  I was willing to try a long distance relationship, but you were the one who didn’t want to, Becky.”

“Adam!”  Rebecca laughed with a hint of sorrow in her voice, “It wasn’t I didn’t want to try, I knew it wouldn’t work!  Jessica wanted you back, and your heart never stopped loving her.  With me gone to Boston, our jobs demanding as they were, it was bound to happen anyway.  Why draw out the inevitable?  Believe me, I thought long and hard about it.  I agonized over it.”

“I never knew!”  Adam’s voice was urgent.

“Everything played out the way it was meant to.  My heart wanted you to be happy; even if it meant my heart would be broken for an indefinite amount of time.  I knew your happiness was with Jessica.  That’s why I said what I said that night, do you remember what I said to you?”

“How can I forget?  Be good to Jessica, you told me.”

“And when you opened your heart back up to her, the love came pouring out again.  Before you two knew it, you had produced a product of that love; Jillian.”

“The wood didn’t get cold under your fire either if I recall,” Adam retorted.

“No, it didn’t.  I moved to Boston and met Dave.  We hit it off and had instant chemistry.  I knew from the moment I met him I would marry him one day; just like you told me you felt when you first met Jessica at Harvard.”

“I won’t deny I felt a pang of sadness when I got your letter, Rebecca.  Even though I was in love with Jess again and we had Jillian on the way, it was still like a knife in my heart when I read your letter…”

“As was the knife in my heart, too, when Jessica picked up your phone, and she said, ‘this is his wife, Jessica.’  I felt the same pain even though I was happily married with two beautiful girls.”

“And here we are, ten plus years later.  We are both happily married, spending a summer vacation with each other’s families, and we both approve of the other’s spouse.  Who would have ever thought, huh?”

“It was how it was meant to be, Adam.  Oh, I still love you with all my heart, but it’s a different kind of love now.  A love of mutual respect, admiration, and friendship.  I know Dave loves you and Jessica, too!  He tells me all the time how thankful he is to you for letting me go,” Rebecca laughed.

“I couldn’t imagine you with a better man.  You’re both so blessed to have each other.  I’m thankful you found each other.  I see the love between the two of you,” Adam said as he reached out and grabbed Rebecca’s hands.

“I see the same love when you look at Jessica, Adam.  How could I not like her?  She’s a great woman and an amazing mother.  I always knew that about her, even in the days when she went out of her way to keep me from you.”

“That’s one of the things I love about you the most.  You see the darkest in people and find the light.”

“Adam, I knew she was special because if she wasn’t, you would have never fallen in love with her and you certainly would not have married or had children with her.  I knew it was just a matter of time.  We just needed to get to know each other, that’s all.”

“She’s a good woman, Rebecca.  You’re right, she’s a genuinely amazing mother, too.  Our kids are so blessed to have her as their mother.”

Rebecca looked at her watch and the hour was approaching 2:00 AM.

“It’s time we get to bed, it’s very late.  I’m really glad we finally got to have this time together, Adam.  This talk was ten plus years in the making.”

Adam stood up and put out his hand for Rebecca to take.  She put her hand in his and she stood up.  She and Adam walked into the house arm and arm.  When they reached the foot of the stairs, she turned to Adam and smiled.

“I’m so glad you came into my life when you did.  I’m so proud to call you friend.”

Adam took Rebecca into his arms and smiled.  He looked her in the eyes and said, “I’m the lucky one,” he kissed her on the forehead and said, “Goodnight, Friend.”

Rebecca rubbed her cheek against Adam’s well-manicured beard and said, “Goodnight, sleep well, my friend,” and she turned and walked up the stairs.  Adam stayed and watched her ascend the staircase.  When she reached the top of the stairs and opened the door to her bedroom, she turned and smiled one more time at Adam and then walked into her bedroom and quietly closed the door behind her.

Adam stood at the staircase for a moment and smiled as he thought back on the conversation they just had.  He looked up to Heaven and quietly said, “Thank you,” and walked down the hall into the bedroom he shared with Jessica.  As he walked in, the moonlight showed through the shutters which were cracked open.  Jessica was sound asleep with Adam’s pillow curled up next to her.  He realized how lucky he truly was, and he had Rebecca to thank for opening his eyes to the love he had shut off so many years before.

Adam stripped down to his boxers, gently crawled into bed, and softly lifted Jessica’s arm from the pillow.  She stirred but did not wake up.  He crawled under the covers and laid there watching Jessica sleep quietly.  Exhaustion from the day finally overtook Adam and he, too, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the sun broke on a new day at Nantucket, everyone woke early to get dressed for their day’s activities.  The women were taking a late morning ferry over to Martha’s Vineyard while the guys were headed to the country club for a round of golf and lunch.  It was Jessica’s birthday, and because she had told Adam she didn’t want any celebration, he took her at her word and didn’t plan anything special for the day.

Adam woke up first and found his wife sleeping soundly with her back to him.  He snuggled up next to her and kissed her bare shoulder.  He moved his hand around her waist and slipped it inside her silk boxers where he found no panties to impede his way with her.

Adam’s fondling between her legs and gentle kisses along the nape of her neck and shoulder quickly woke Jessica from her slumber.  She turned over on her back where Adam smiled down at his wife and wished her a happy birthday.  She smiled and kissed him good morning as Adam slipped his fingers up inside Jessica. She quickly stopped his hand and pulled it away.

“Not now, Adam, not here!  In your ex-girlfriend’s home?  It’s not appropriate.  What are you thinking?”

“This was doing my thinking for me,” he said as he placed her hand to his groin.

“Stop it! will you?”  Jessica protested.

“I thought it would be a great way to start your birthday today, Babe; I guess I was wrong,” Adam said dejectedly.

“What if the girls come in or what if Rebecca were to walk by and hear us in here?”  Jessica continued the argument.

“They would know we still love each other and show our love to each other in the most intimate way, but you’ve pretty much killed the moment,” Adam said as he rolled over and got out of bed.

“Whatever, Adam, we need to get dressed anyway,” Jessica said pushing aside Adam’s attempts to show his wife how much he still loved her.

The two showered independently and got dressed with not much conversation.

Jillian knocked on the bedroom door just as Adam was buttoning his golf pants.  Jessica was still in her robe and straightening up the sheets to make the bed.

“Good morning, Sweetpea, did you sleep well?”  Adam asked as he invited his youngest child into the room he shared with his wife.

“Yeah, I did, Daddy.  Mommy, I can’t find my purple shorts.  I want to wear them today.”

Jessica stopped making the bed and thought for a moment.  “I wonder if I accidentally put them in Emily’s suitcase.  Come on, baby girl, let’s go look.”

Jillian and Jessica walked out of the room while Adam put on his shirt and shoes.  He was finishing up the bed when Jessica came back in.  She curtly told Adam she would finish making the bed if he wanted to go on out and join the others on the patio.  Adam took the cue from his wife and left without saying another word.

“Good morning, everyone,” Adam said as he joined Brianna, Jason, Rebecca, and David on the patio.  Adam shook David’s and Jason’s hands, while he bent down and gave a light kiss to Brianna and Rebecca on their cheek.

“Adam, would you like some coffee?”  Rebecca asked pointing to the carafe sitting on the cart next to her chase lounge.

“You read my mind,” he smiled as he headed over to the pot.

“Sit down, make yourself comfortable, I’ll be happy to pour you a cup.”

Adam sat down and thanked Rebecca for the offer.  After he had sat, Dave asked how everyone slept.

“Great!  Jessica is finishing getting dressed, and the girls should be out shortly.  Jillian had a mystery as to where her purple shorts were, but they were found, and I’m sure they’ll be out here in no time.”

Adam didn’t let on he and Jessica had rolled out of bed at odds with each other.  He hoped the tension between them would not be evident when she came out to the patio.

“Jason and Brianna were telling us about their studies, how they met, and what their plans for the future.  It’s amazing to see how much the little boy I first met on the playground when he was eight has grown into such a good-looking young man,” Rebecca filled Adam in on the conversation which had taken place between her, David, Jason, and Brianna before his arrival.

“I had a great role model,” Jason smiled at his father.

“I’m the lucky one here,” Brianna spoke up, putting her arm through Jason’s as they snuggled closer to each other on the love seat.  The two stared lovingly into each other’s eyes.  Adam smiled at his son and future daughter-in-law and thought back to the many times he and Jessica stared at each other in the same fashion.  He kept quiet, but Rebecca could see something was weighing heavily on his mind.

“Where are your girls, Rebecca?”  Adam asked as he looked around and noticed they were not around.

“They’re spending the day and night with some dear friends of ours who also have a home here on the Island.  Tom and Jana have two twin girls the same age as ours and they offered to keep the girls today since they knew we were headed to Martha’s Vineyard and you boys were going to play golf.  Jana called me up a few days ago and asked if the girls would be happier staying with them for the day.  They could swim and play with their girls.  The last time Jana and I took both of our girls to the Vineyard when they got tired, they got very cranky, so it’s best they stay back today.”

“Just wait until you two have a couple of kiddos.  When they get tired,” David laughed as he was warning Jason and Brianna.  The young couple smiled, and Brianna laid her head on Jason’s shoulder as they both pondered being parents.

“I remember when Em and I were young.  When she got tired, she would get so cranky and start crying.  Jillian would just crawl up in a ball somewhere and fall asleep, Emily, on the other hand, would whine and cry the whole time.”

“It was just to annoy you, Jason,” Emily said in a snarky tone as she, Jillian, and Jessica entered the covered patio.

“Good morning!”  David stood and offered Jessica his seat and gave her a gentle peck on her cheek.

“Thank you, David,” she said as she sat down and greeted everyone.  Adam got up and offered his seat to Emily and Jillian made her way to her brother’s lap.

“Now that everyone is here, I wanted to let you know Rebecca, and I are going to take you all to breakfast at the Fog Island Cafe.  Our friends, Mark and Ann Dawson, own the restaurant, and they make an extraordinary breakfast.  Would you girls like some coffee or tea before we go to breakfast?”

“No, I’m fine,” Jessica commented as she looked at her two girls and they both nodded in agreement with their mother.

“Well, I guess we should have all pile in the car together, then.  Some of the smaller people might have to sit on laps, but it’s just a short ride over to the restaurant.  The boys can drop us at the pier for our ferry after breakfast,” Rebecca commented.

After a hearty breakfast, the girls were dropped off at the pier for their short wait as the ferry from Martha’s Vineyard arrived, and all the of the passengers got off, and the crew prepared the vessel for the next trip over to the Vineyard.

After everyone had boarded the ferry, Emily, Jillian, and Brianna sat at a table where they could play a game of Hearts while Rebecca and Jessica sat in two seats across from the table.

“Are you and Adam having a good time?  I hope you are enjoying your vacation so far,” Rebecca asked.  She could see that Jessica’s demeanor was a bit different this day than the previous.

Jessica smiled and said, “Yes, we’re having a great time, Rebecca.  I want to thank you and Dave again for inviting us to come and stay with you.  I know the girls, and I was quite excited about the trip over to the Vineyard today!  I spent many summers there with my parents when I was a kid and when Adam and I were at Harvard, we would sometimes return to school early and enjoy Labor Day weekend with friends who’s parents owned homes there.  I haven’t been there in years; I’m looking forward to returning!”

“When Dave and I were looking for a summer home to buy, we considered Martha’s Vineyard as one of the places to look at, but we decided Nantucket was more suited to a lifestyle we wanted to while away from work.  When Dave can work from home, which is not too often, we try to come here and relax.  The girls love Nantucket so at times, I’ll bring them over for a week or two during the summer months.  Dave joins us on the weekends and will take the ferry back on Monday morning.”

Rebecca could tell Jessica still seemed to be a little distant but didn’t want to ask why but hoped it wasn’t because she had once shared a relationship with Adam.

As Jessica continued to look out on the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, she sighed deeply.  She looked over at Rebecca, who smiled but didn’t say anything and turned back to the rolling white caps of the sea.

Jessica turned her attention back to Rebecca and again thanked her for opening her home to her family.

“We’ve come full circle.  Who would’ve ever thought we would be sitting here today after how I treated you when you helped my son after he broke his leg and then…” Jessica said, shaking her head downward in humiliation, “How I treated you when Adam was in the ICU.   All you wanted to do was see him and know how he was.  I was so awful to you.”

“Those were difficult times for you, Jessica.  I don’t hold any of it against you.  It was what you felt you had to do.” Rebecca softly said.

“I was out of my mind with worry back then.  I still loved Adam, although I had a sick way of showing it at times, huh?  I didn’t know if he was going to live or die when he came into the ER that night after his accident.  I wasn’t thinking straight at all.  I only could think about my children and how I would tell them their father wasn’t with us anymore and how I would never be able to make up all the stupid, mean things I had said and done to him,” Jessica bowed her head again.

“I won’t lie and say I wasn’t angry with you or how I wanted to let you know how inconsiderate you were of Adam’s feelings for me, but I knew it would only fuel the flames of your perceived hatred toward me, so I just let it go.  You were hurting enough.”  Rebecca quietly replied.

Jessica looked over at the girls smiling and having fun playing different card games, passing the travel time to Martha’s Vineyard.

“You know, Jillian came to me yesterday and asked if Adam and I were getting a divorce.  We’ve tried to shield her from what happened between us before she was born, but I guess it was inevitable she would one day find out we divorced for a time.  We elected not to tell her about your’s and Adam’s involvement with each other.  We felt knowing her parents were not always together would be enough for her to handle at her age.  If it should ever become a question on down the line when she’s older, we can tell her then, but for now, all she knows is Adam and I divorced for a time, but we are married now and have no plans to divorce again,” Jessica professed.

“I’m sorry she had fears you might be divorcing.  What caused her to feel this insecurity?”

“A few times it was brought up in conversation when she was around; the other party didn’t know we had never explained to her about our lives before she was born.”

“I see,” replied Rebecca.

“I hope Dave and I never put our girls through such an emotional time. I know it was hard on Adam; watching Emily and Jason have to live between two homes when they were younger. They seem to have come through it just fine, though.”

“I pray every day my children won’t have lasting effects of our selfishness.  I know I blamed our breakup on Adam, but I had a hand in it as well.  I could have been a more supportive wife and try to understand what all he was going through. I guess I just wanted to have my cake and eat it, too.  I was young, immature.  I was so hard on him.  I loved him so much, and he disappointed me.  I wanted him to make the kids and me his priority.  It wasn’t until I filed for divorce when he woke up.  It was too late by then.”

“In the first few years of our marriage, Dave and I had our share of priority struggles.  We didn’t have the girls yet.  We were both still working at the hospital.  Even though we worked in the same hospital, we rarely saw each other.  If we could get away for lunch, getting away at the same time proved to be the largest hurdle.  We found ourselves drifting apart.  We still loved each other, but finding the time for ourselves was always what seemed to be the elusive butterfly.  We considered separation.  We thought maybe we had jumped into marriage without actually considering our careers; our calling to help sick children.”

“I had no idea.  Does Adam know any of this?”

“No, he doesn’t.  Last night when we talked after everyone went to bed, we just reminisced about the past, how the decisions we both made affected not only our lives for the better, but it also changed the lives of you, your children, Dave, and eventually our girls.  I didn’t see the need to tell him about how my marriage almost failed and our girls almost never came to be.”

“I’m sorry, Rebecca.  I do understand your struggle.”

Rebecca smiled at Jessica.  “Thanks.  We finally one night sat and talked it over.  We were both very candid on how we had failed one another.  It was hard to express the failures we felt as well as to hear how we had failed the one we claimed to love.  It was a turning point in our relationship.  I wanted to have children, but I felt it was not a good time to start bringing children into the world.  I didn’t want our kids to end up like Jason and Emily; with parents living apart and having to spend time going between them.  I know you two tried to stay supportive of each other’s roles in their lives, but Adam told me of a few times when you both failed, and the kids got caught in the middle of your battles between each other.”

“I’m not proud of those moments.  I know it scared Jason and Emily terribly.  Even now, when we have arguments, we try to shield the kids, but it’s hard because we all live under the same roof.  We try to keep our arguments in the bedroom.  I guess Emily has some battle scars because she at times tries to work us against each other for her advancement.  Adam would do anything for her.  He spoils her way too much.  Adam was hard on Jason growing up.  He loves all of our children of course, but I know Emily holds a very special place in his heart.  She always has.”

Jessica smiled and chuckled, “Of course he says the same of me with Jason and Jillian.  He says I spoil them rotten while I’m hard on Emily.  I just don’t want Emily to be a spoiled brat.  She’s a good girl.  Jason and Jillian are so much alike.  Adam often calls Jillian his girl Jason.”

“She seems so tender and sweet.  She took to Eva and Ava.  They took to her as well.  My girls have never taken to someone so easily so quickly.”

“Jillian’s a gentle soul,” Jessica said looking over at her daughter playing cards with her sister and soon to be sister-in-law.  “She doesn’t have the battle scars Jason and Emily have.  She does love her daddy, though.  She’s crawled in his lap before when he’s watching a football game on Sunday afternoon, and she’ll fall asleep in his arms.  I treasure those moments.  I know Adam does, too.  He tells me all the time what a mommy’s girl she is.  I always reply, just like Emily is a daddy’s girl.”

“I guess my girls are more mommy girls, too.  Since most of their time is spent with me, they tend to come to me when they are sad or have a boo-boo that needs to be fixed. Dave is so sweet with them when he’s around.  I’m usually the disciplinarian of the family, too. When Dave hands down punishment, the girls know it’s serious.  They’re sweet girls for the most part.  I just hope as they grow older, Dave will be able to balance his work life and home life better than he does today.  I guess having come from the medical world, I understand and can be a little more tolerant now.  When the girls are old enough to start being in sports or other extracurricular activities, I will demand Dave put the administrative pen down and come home to be at events that are important to his children.  He’s promised me he will.  I feel he will hold true to that promise; even if it means going from the boardroom to private practice again.”

As the hour-long journey across the water to the Vineyard was ending, the captain of the ferry came on and let the passengers know they would soon be arriving and gave disembarking information.  Emily and Brianna packed up the cards as Jillian looked out the window and saw the Vineyard in their sights.  She got excited and shared her excitement with Jessica.

“Mommy!  We’re almost there!”  Jillian exclaimed.

“I see, Baby Girl!”  Jessica said as she stood up to look out and see the ferry arriving at the dock.

As the girls disembarked from the ferry, they found the company they would take on their tour of the island.

Once on the bus, the tour director-driver welcomed everyone to Martha’s Vineyard and went over the safety features of their tour bus and what their tour would consist of throughout the day.

As they started to drive, the tour director started giving his narrative on the town to which they were starting their tour: Vineyard Haven.

“Excellent shops, fine restaurants, and a beautiful harbor are only a few of the attractions that make Vineyard Haven so special to tourists and residents alike.  The town which incorporates Vineyard Haven is called Tisbury, after a parish in England near the birthplace of the Island’s first governor, Thomas Mayhew.  English settlement of the area dated from the mid-1600s when Mayhew purchased the settlement rights from the Crown.  Owen Park, off Main Street (just beyond the shopping district), honors one of Vineyard Haven’s whaling captains.  The town beach here is an excellent place to watch the harbor.  Ferries shuttle in and out, providing the Island’s year-round connection to the mainland. On the opposite side of Main Street from Owen Park is the Old Schoolhouse Museum.  Erected in 1828, this building has served many uses.  It was once a carpentry shop, a school, and later acted as the Congregational Church.  In front of the museum stands the tall white Liberty Pole, commemorating the daring of three young women who inserted gun powder in the base of the town’s liberty pole in 1778 and blew it up to keep it from being used as a spar by a British warship.  When the Congregationalists outgrew their little church in 1844, they built a Neo-classic building on Spring Street which later became the Unitarian Church and eventually the town hall.  Vineyard Haven’s municipal building is one of the Island’s most handsome architectural legacies of whaling days.  The Vineyard Playhouse building on Church Street was built in 1833 as a Methodist meeting house.  Today it houses the Island’s only year-round professional theater company.  When ships were powered by wind and canvas, Vineyard Haven was one of New England’s busiest ports because of its strategic location on the sailing routes.  Most of the coastwise shipping traveled through Vineyard Sound (13,814 vessels were counted in 1845).  Holmes Hole, as this harbor community, was called, provided a convenient anchorage.  Here a ship and its crew could lay over comfortably to wait out inclement weather, pick up provisions, or take on an experienced local pilot who could negotiate the rips and shoals that were the unique perils of this sea route.  Along with Owen Park, the town maintains War Veterans’ Memorial Park off Causeway Road (located just behind the fire station). The park includes playground equipment for young children and playing fields used by local ball teams.  There are many scenic places around the town: in addition to Main Street and the harbor, the Tashmoo Pond overlook on State Road, the nearby Tisbury Water Works, West Chop Lighthouse, and the area around the drawbridge on Beach Road are favorite spots for photographers.”

As the tour left Vineyard Haven, Rebecca said once they returned, they would have time to do some shopping in town before they had to catch their ferry back to Nantucket.

As the tour bus drove west, the tour director said they were entering the next town which was West Tisbury and as he drove around the town, he gave a history lesson as he drove by different historical sites.

“It was the mill site which originally attracted settlers to West Tisbury because there was no stream in Edgartown robust enough to the dam for a water wheel.  The grist mill gave way in 1847 to the manufacture of satinet, a thick fabric for whalemen’s jackets made from Island wool.

The Congregational Church on State Road is always open to visitors.  Solid and settled as it now looks, even this structure did not escape the Islanders’ penchant for moving buildings around. The original churchyard, where the first settlers of the town are buried, is about a quarter of a mile down the road.  Near the church is the West Tisbury Town Hall.  Several old houses here started out as inns, back when a trip from the down-Island ports to Aquinnah or Chilmark was a long haul over sandy roads.  Daniel Webster stayed at the house next to the store building.   Across the little pond from the old inn is the site of a house built by Miles Standish’s son in 1668.

The largest houses in town were owned by captains, and some of the finest are still occupied by their descendants.  Several captains’ homes can be found on Music Street, given its name after a number of its families purchased pianos with new whaling money.  The Lambert’s Cove settlement has its share of fine homes and a charming white church.  The Cove was once a place of anchorage for the town of West Tisbury.  The area housed clay works, salt works, and extensive trap fishing operations.  All this has vanished.  Even the road to the harbor is gone.  A woodland path leads to the beach, which is now set aside for year-round and summer residents of West Tisbury.  Other points of interest are Cedar Tree Neck Nature Preserve, the Polly Hill Arboretum, and the Christiantown Memorial.  Cedar Tree Neck offers unspoiled woods, with a freshwater pond and brooks, bounded by North Shore Beach.  Picnics, fishing, and bathing are not permitted, but there are marked trails for those who enjoy the opportunity to watch birds and walking.  The Arboretum contains more than 200 species of trees, a picnic area, and Visitors’ Center.  As we drive down Christiantown road, you will see The Christiantown Memorial.  Here you see a tiny chapel, a pulpit rock where services were held for the Wampanoag in the 17th century, the rough small burial stones of these first converts, and a nearby wildflower garden.”

Continuing on the tour hits the next town on the Vineyard.  The tour operator told the tourist if they had any questions about any of the towns, to please ask, he’d be happy to answer any questions.  As they entered the town of Chilmark, the tour guide-driver began his talk about the third town on the tour.

“Chilmark is a town of rolling hills and unmatched coastline.  Not so long ago uninhabited except for an occasional farm or fishing village, it now provides the setting for many a summer home.  The stone fences of the sheep farms still ribbon the hills, while the old stone animal pound stands on the South Road, a reminder of the days when a gate left open resulted in a roaming flock and a penalty for its owner.  The center of Chilmark boasts a lovely church.  The unique pointed steeple was added when the building was moved in 1915 from its original site on Middle Road.  All roads from the center at Beetlebung Corner lead to points of beauty.  Middle Road, perhaps the least improved of Island main roads, provides a lovely view of a placid farm with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop.  The Menemsha Crossroad joins North Road and takes one to the fishing village once known as Menemsha Creek.  Here the draggers still come in with their great nets, and the lobstermen land their catches. Seafood may be purchased on the spot.

Lovely private vessels lie along the docks while yachtsmen take on fresh water and supplies.  A safe public bathing beach is another attraction.  Menemsha is also the home of a Coast Guard station.  Before the days when the Coast Guard looked out for shipwrecked vessels, Islanders took it upon themselves to form volunteer groups that provided assistance to sailors in times of need.  Open dories were launched into the stormy seas from Squibnocket Landing, the only beach on the South Shore shallow enough for a boat to be launched or landed in heavy weather. It is now a beach for year-round and Chilmark summer residents.”

As they began the half way mark of their tour, the tour guide starts to tell them about the southwestern point of the island, Aquinnah.

“Many year-round residents of Aquinnah are descendants of the Wampanoag Indians who showed the colonial settlers how to kill whales, plant corn, and find clay for the early brickyards. Much later, these Aquinnah Indians were in high demand as boat steerers in the whaling fleets.  It was the boat steerer who cast the iron into the whale.  The Aquinnah Indians were judged to be the most skillful and courageous boat steerers of that era.  The courage of the early residents of Aquinnah demonstrated itself in the many instances when they took to the seas in deadly weather to aid survivors of wrecks that occurred off the Aquinnah Cliffs.  As further testament to their valor, a plaque on the schoolhouse commemorates the fact that Aquinnah sent more men, in proportion to its size, to fight in World War I than did any other town in New England.  The brilliant colors of the mile-long expanse of the Aquinnah Cliffs astonished early explorers and have continued to be a source of intense interest to scientists and visitors alike.  Here layers of sands, gravels, and clays of various hues tell a hundred-million-year-old story of a land first covered with forests, then flooded and laid bare, then covered with new growth, time and again.

The seas, glaciers, and the land itself have contorted these once-level layers into waving bands of color that stream above the sea.  Erosion continues as it has for centuries, turning the seas red and revealing fossil secrets.  From the fossils revealed by erosion, we know of the great sharks that swam over what is now Chilmark, of the clams and crabs that inhabited ancient seas.  Pieces of lignite from the Cretaceous period are found on the beach, looking like nothing so much as the remnants of recent campfires.  Fossil bones of camels and wild horses, as well as those of ancient whales, have been found in the Cliffs.  The Aquinnah Cliffs are a national landmark, yet they are severely threatened by carelessness.  To protect the Cliffs, climbing and the removal of clay are both prohibited by law.  Because of the extremely dangerous rocky ledge offshore, the seas around Aquinnah have always been a place of great peril to the mariner. One of the first revolving lighthouses in the country was erected atop the Cliffs in 1799.  It had wooden works that became swollen in damp or cold weather when the lighthouse keeper and his wife would be obliged to stand all night and turn the light by hand.  The current red-brick, electrified Gay Head Light stands in its place.  In the beginning, the cliffs were called Gay Head instead of Aquinnah.  The name change caused quite a stir on the Island, of course.”

As the tour rounded the island and headed back east, they entered the next stop on their tour, Edgartown.

“One of New England’s most beautiful communities, Edgartown was the Island’s first colonial settlement, and it has been the county seat since 1642.  The stately white Greek Revival houses built by the whaling captains have been carefully maintained.  They make the town a museum-piece community, a seaport village preserved from the early 19th century.  Main Street is a picture-book setting with its harbor and waterfront.  The square-rigged tall ships that sailed all the world’s oceans have passed from the Edgartown scene, but the heritage of those vessels and their captains has continued.  For the past hundred years, Edgartown has been one of the world’s great yachting centers.  To view and appreciate this town fully, you must walk its streets.  North Water Street has a row of captains’ houses not equaled anywhere. Study the fanlights and widows walk by day and stroll down the streets after the lamps are lit.  South Water Street is dominated by an enormous pagoda tree brought from China as a seedling by Captain Thomas Milton in the early days of the 19th century.  The house beyond it was that of Captain Valentine Pease, on whose ship Herman Melville made his only whaling voyage.  Many homes in Edgartown predate the whaling era.  Most are private residences, but three notable ones are serving other needs.  The Vincent House (built in 1672, the oldest known house on the Island) and the Thomas Cooke House are museums.  At 34 South Summer Street, you’ll find the home built by Benjamin Smith in 1760.  It is now the office of the Vineyard Gazette.  Across from the Gazette is the Federated Church, constructed in 1828.  It still has the old box pews, which are entered through little doors and have narrow seats around three sides.  The famous Old Whaling Church with its six massive columns commands Main Street.  Built in 1843 at the height of the whaling industry, the Church was given to the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust in 1980.  It has been transformed into a performing arts center.  Next door is the Dr. Daniel Fisher House, built three years before the Old Whaling Church.  There are excellent public beaches in the township of Edgartown.  Norton’s Point, known as Katama, is a barrier beach providing surf bathing and the opportunity to explore Katama Bay on the other side of the dunes.  Wasque and Cape Poge on Chappaquiddick are both unspoiled areas owned and maintained by The Trustees of Reservations.  They are favorite spots for bluefish and bass fishermen.  Lighthouse Beach, located off North Water Street near the town center, offers calm water and views of harbor activities.  Bend-in-the-Road Beach, part of Joseph Sylvia Beach, has ample parking and is accessible by bicycle trail.  Felix Neck is 200 acres, owned by the Massachusetts Audubon Society, provide marked trails and a program of wildlife management and conservation education throughout the year.”

As the tour entered the last township on the tour, the guide gave a brief summary of the eastern town on the Vineyard: Oak Bluffs.

“In 1835 this community served as the site for annual summer camp meetings when Methodist church groups found the groves and pastures of Martha’s Vineyard particularly well suited to all-day gospel sessions.  The early participants were African Americans.  It was what set the town apart, and the Islanders are quite proud of it.  Wesleyan Grove, as the Oak Bluffs Campground was called, rode the crest of the religious revival movement.  By the mid-1850s the Sabbath meetings here were drawing congregations of 12,000 people.  They came for the sunshine and sermonizing in hundreds of individual church groups.  Each group had its own communal tent where the contingent bedded down in straw purchased from local farmers.  Services were held in a large central tent.  The communal tents gave way to “family tents,” which reluctant church authorities granted only to “suitable” families.  But the leisure urge could not be checked.  Family tents turned into wooden cottages, designed to look like tents.  And the cottages multiplied, trying to out-do each other in brightly painted fantasies of gingerbread.  A new all-steel Tabernacle structure replaced the big central tent in 1879; it stands today as an elegant memento of the age of ironwork architecture.  Within 40 years of the first camp meeting here, there were crowds of 30,000 attending the Grand Illumination that marked the end of the summer season with a grand show of Japanese lanterns and fireworks.  Wesleyan Grove struggled to hold its own against such secular attractions as ocean bathing, berry picking, walking in the woods, fishing, and croquet playing.  There were efforts to ban peddlers, especially book peddlers.  A high picket fence was built around the Campground proper.  By 1870, Wesleyan Grove had expanded into Cottage City and Cottage City had become the town of Oak Bluffs, with more than 1,000 cottages.  Steam vessels from New York, Providence, Boston, and Portland continued to bring more enthusiastic devotees of the Oak Bluffs way of life.  Horse cars were used to bring vacationers from the dock to the Tabernacle.  The horse cars were later replaced by a steam train ran all the way to Katama.  One of the first passengers on the train was President Ulysses S. Grant.  The railroad gave way to an electric trolley from Vineyard Haven to the Oak Bluffs wharves, and the trolley eventually gave way to the automobile.  Oak Bluffs is also the home of the Flying Horses Carousel, the oldest continuously operating carousel in the country. Its horses were hand-carved in New York City in 1876.  This historic landmark is maintained by the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust.  It is open daily during the summer, and on weekends in the spring and fall.”

As they entered back into Vineyard Haven, the tour operator explained he would drop off in the center of town for those who wanted to go shopping.  He then would make his way back to the ferry dock where those who were to be transported to their guest houses, bed and breakfast, or hotels for their stay on the Vineyard would be picked up.  Rebecca, Jessica, and the girls got off to do some shopping.

“I want to take you girls to lunch at the Black Dog, but I would like to take you first to Brickman’s,” Rebecca told them as they got off the bus.

“Established in 1913 as a cobbler shop, Brickman’s has evolved into a full-service footwear, apparel, sporting goods and toy store for the entire family.  They feature brand name merchandise as well as many private label items, including their unique world-famous Brick-Red apparel and accessories collection,” Rebecca explained as they walked toward the shop.

Once inside, the younger Cartwright girls and Brianna headed over to the section that had clothes for the younger generation while Rebecca and Jessica headed to the ladies department and looked through the vast array of clothing they offered.

After picking up some Martha’s Vineyard t-shirts, sweatshirts, as well as shirts and shorts for Adam and Jason, the girls left the shop and headed to the Black Dog for lunch.

As they walked toward the tavern, Rebecca gave a brief history of the tavern and how it came into existence.

“You might be surprised to learn the inspiration for this hearty fare was, of all things, a stale donut.  It was a desperately cold day in 1969.  With the Vineyard having no year-round restaurant, Captain Robert Douglas’ repast on that particular night was a bitter cup of coffee and a dry, packaged, store-bought donut.  The Captain had finally had enough.  He began sketching on a paper napkin.  A small gambrel-roofed building started to take shape.  There were more napkins and more sketches.  Captain Douglas played with the placement of the windows, added dormers, and then pulled it all together with a large red brick chimney.  The restaurant would look just right on the beach at the head of Vineyard Haven harbor, he thought.  It would give Islanders and visitors a place to meet and eat.   The Captains excitement was contagious. Townsfolk helped build and shingle the establishment.  Locals shared their recipes for pies, chowders, and soups.  The Captain named the restaurant after his faithful black canine companion, The Black Dog.   Now, Robert Douglas had three passions, his sailboat, the Vineyard and good food.   The Black Dog is known for its menu, desserts, and atmosphere, as well as the view of the harbor and its sailing vessels.”

“Sounds fantastic!  I’m getting hungry!”  Jessica exclaimed as they walked through the door of the restaurant.

As the girls sat down and looked at the menu, Rebecca whispered to the hostess it was Jessica’s birthday and would she mind telling the waiter.  She smiled and was happy to pass along the information.

“Hello! Welcome to the Black Dog.  Is this everyone’s first visit?” asked the friendly waitress who would be serving them.

“Yes and no,” replied Rebecca with a big smile.  “I’ve been here many times, but this is the first time for everyone else.”

“Well, welcome!  We’re glad to have you back,” she said looking at Rebecca, and looking at the Cartwrights and Brianna, she welcomed them for the first time.

“If you need extra time to look over the menu, may I get you all something to drink?”

Emily, and Brianna all ordered sodas while Rebecca, Jessica, and Jillian ordered lemonade.

When the waitress came back to the table with the drink orders, the girls were ready to order. Rebecca suggested everyone order at least a cup of Quahog (clam) Chowder.  Each of the girls except Jillian also ordered one of each of their fresh salads from their menu.  Rebecca ordered the Caesar salad, Jessica and Emily both ordered the spinach salad, while Brianna ordered the orange sesame chicken salad.  Jillian ordered a chicken pesto sandwich.

“The chowder is excellent, Rebecca!”  Brianna said as she enjoyed her cup of The Black Dog’s specialty.

“The butter floating on the top really adds a delicious richness to the chowder,” Jessica also commented.

“You just can’t come to The Black Dog without having some Quahog.  It’s just not done,” Rebecca said.

After finishing their lunch, the girls were sitting, talking about how they were going to take a cab over to Edgartown to do more shopping. The waitress and other staff from the Black Dog came out with a slice of the Black Dog’s famous decadent blackout cake with a candle lit in the center, singing Happy Birthday for Jessica.  Jessica’s face showed shock and a broad smile as everyone at the table joined in with the waiters wishing Jessica a happy birthday.  After the song was finished, Jessica thanked everyone for their wishes, and she blew out her candle.  The waitress brought out forks for everyone as the piece of cake was enormous and all could have several bites.

After the waitress had dropped off the check, Rebecca paid the tab and the girls asked to stop at the gift shop so they could get a souvenir t-shirt and Black Dog boxers.

The girls caught a taxi over to Edgartown for shopping, and Rebecca insisted everyone must have ice cream at Mad Martha’s before catching their ferry back to Nantucket.

“Mad Martha’s has the most amazing handmade ice cream.  A trip to Martha’s Vineyard is never complete unless you eat at The Black Dog and have an ice cream at Mad Martha’s,” Rebecca said.

While in the taxi, Jessica explained to Rebecca she had told Adam she didn’t want anything special for her birthday, but how she always told him this every year but he never listened, and she always enjoyed seeing what Adam would surprise her with.

Rebecca smiled as Jessica told her of some of the special surprises he would come up with each year.  Rebecca then told her of some of the personal birthday fantasies David would come up with to surprise her as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Dad, what are you planning to do for mom’s birthday tonight?  Do you have anything special planned?”  Jason asked his father as they were waiting for David to tee off at the sixteenth hole.

“I asked your mother if she wanted to do anything special tonight, but she told me since we were the guest of friends, she didn’t want anything special so I haven’t planned to do anything this year.  By the way, Jason, do you have the ring I had custom made for her by the jeweler in Cambridge?”

“Yeah, Dad, it’s in my luggage at the house.  Remind me to get it when we get back and I’ll give it to you.  It’s beautiful.  They did a magnificent job.  Mom’s going to love it.”

As Jason took his turn on the tee, David came over to Adam to talk to him about doing something special for Jessica’s birthday.

“Adam, if you would like to take Jessica out to dinner tonight, Brant Point Grille is a beautiful restaurant, and it has magnificent views of the harbor as well.  The girls can stay with us.  I know our girls love playing with Jillian, and we can find something to entertain Emily while you two are gone.”

“It’s very kind of you, Dave, to want to stay back with our girls while Jessica and I go have dinner, but she was very emphatic about not doing anything special for her this year.  I have a gift for her I plan to give her tonight.”

“Okay, it’s your funeral, friend,” Dave laughed.

Adam and Jason also laughed at David’s remark about Adam not planning anything special for Jessica, but Adam felt Jessica was right about not feeling it was appropriate to celebrate her birthday while the guest at Rebecca and David’s home.

After the golf game had been finished, the three guys joined in the country club dining room to have a late lunch and drink beer.  Adam told David about the beautiful mother’s ring he commissioned from a favorite jeweler he had in Cambridge, MA, he had found when attending Harvard. Whenever he wanted a custom piece of jewelry made, he always called his friend at Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers.

“I can tell him what I have in mind, and he brings it to life.  He’s an amazing jeweler.  He designed the diamond cuff I gave Jessica for our last anniversary.  She absolutely loved it.”

“What did you have made for her for her birthday this year?”  David asked, eating a bite of his lunch.

“I had a mother’s ring made, but not your typical mother’s ring.  It has our children’s birthstones in it, but it also has her’s and mine as well.  It’s a scroll design, almost like a tree of life if you will. It has our birthstones repeating all around the entire ring.

Jessica prefers white medals, so I had it designed in platinum.”

“It sounds lovely.  I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“It is gorgeous, Dave.  Mom will love it, I’m sure.  Dad has great taste.  I don’t think Mom has ever not liked any jewelry you’ve ever had custom made for her, has she, Dad?”

“Not that I’m aware of, Jason,” Adam laughed.

“I can’t imagine a woman ever not liking jewelry that is given to her as a gift,” David smiled.

“You’re probably right there, Dave!”  Jason smiled as well.

“Jessica has been through a lot this year.  First, her eldest and only son moved away to go to college for the first time.  She had the cancer scare, and she’s always saying how old she’s getting.  I wanted to have something special and unique made for her this year.”

After their late lunch, the boys headed back to David and Rebecca’s home.  David stopped and picked up the twins at their friend’s home.  The girls cried when they had to leave, but David assured them it would not be long before Jillian would return, and they could all play before having to go to bed.  This news seemed to make the girls happy, and when they returned home, they went into their room to play until Jillian could join them.

It was almost 7:30 P.M. when Rebecca called to let David know the ferry was about ten minutes out and for him to come and get them at the pier.  David excused himself while he went to pick the ladies up from their trip.

When everyone returned home, Jillian went to the twin’s room and joined them as they were playing with their Barbies.  Jason went with Brianna to the room they shared together so Brianna could tell him about their day at Martha’s Vineyard and show him all the things she had bought for both of them.

Jessica went into the room she shared with Adam and began sorting through her many shopping bags sorting out the items she had bought for the girls and Adam.  Adam came into the room and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on the neck.

“Happy Birthday, my love,” he said as he started to pull her blouse from her crop pants.

Jessica slapped his hands away.  “Will you stop that, Adam?” she protested, “I told you this morning, I don’t want to make love in your ex-girlfriend’s home!”

Adam rolled his eyes and let go of his embrace around Jessica and sat on the bed as she showed him all she had bought on their day trip to Martha’s Vineyard.

As Jessica was showing Adam the clothes she had bought for him, herself, and the girls, she casually asked where Adam was planning to take her for her birthday.  Adam’s face got long, and he looked at her with a puzzled look.

“Jess, you told me you didn’t want anything special for your birthday.  I took you at your word and didn’t plan anything this year.”

Jessica stopped at looked at Adam.  She fought back the tears, but her eyes glistened over anyway.  She started to say something, but she held her tongue and folded the clothes back up and put them away without saying anything more.

Adam sat on the bed a few moments as he watched Jessica put the things away.  He saw her move her hand to her face a few times; he could see she was wiping away tears from her eyes.

He got up off the bed and headed over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, but she shrugged him away.

“I’m sorry, Jess.  You told me you didn’t want any special celebration this year since we were going to be visiting Rebecca and Dave at their home.”

Jessica spun around and glared at Adam with teary eyes, “When has that ever stopped you in the past, Adam?  You’ve always planned something special for my birthday!  This year was more important than ever because all I’ve been through!  I can’t believe you would actually take my comment so literally this year!”

“If you want, we can go have dinner somewhere together.  Dave offered to watch the girls while we were gone.  Do you want to go to dinner, just me and you?”

“That’s not the point, Adam.  It’s not something you planned out.  It’s something you’ve tried to come up with at the last minute to soothe me.  It doesn’t even have any meaning behind it.”

Adam turned away from Jessica and went over to the dresser in their room.  He opened the drawer and pulled out the small ring box and a birthday card.  He was so upset with how Jessica reacted to him not planning a birthday party for her, he decided to just give her her present and go for a walk on the beach.

“Here, this is for you.  Happy birthday, Jessica.  I might not have been a good husband and planned a birthday party for you, but I hope you at least like the present I got for you.”

He laid the ring and card on the bed and walked out.  He walked through the kitchen toward the back door that led to the beach.  David and Rebecca were in the kitchen when Adam entered.

“I’m going for a walk on the beach.  I’ll be back in a little while,” Adam said in a somber tone.

“Is Jessica…”  Rebecca started to say but didn’t get to finish her sentence before Adam was out the door and the door was shut.

Rebecca turned to David and looked at him with a worried look on her face.

“What do you think that was all about?” she asked David.

David shrugged his shoulders, and he went back to making a glass of lemonade.

After Adam had left the room, Jessica turned around and saw the ring and card laying on the bed. She came to the bed and sat down, picking up the ring and card.  She opened the card, and it was a silhouette of a man and woman standing on the beach at sunset, in a loving embrace. 

The caption on the front read:

To the most amazing wife on her birthday.”  Jessica opened the card to read the inside which was inscribed: “I’m enthralled by your beauty, mesmerized by your charisma, and spellbound by your love.  Because you’re the gift in my life, I give you my gift of love.

Adam then wrote a personal message of his own:

My heart for you will never break.  My smile for you will never fade.  My love for you will never end.  I love you.  Adam.

Jessica put down the card and picked up the box.  She opened it and found the ring inside.  She immediately noticed all the birthstones of her children, herself and Adam.  She rolled the ring around, looking at all the stones and diamonds that were mixed in throughout.  Tears filled her eyes as she slipped the ring on her right ring finger.  She wiped away the tears and stared at her hand.

The guilt she felt for being so hard on Adam for not planning anything for her birthday was starting to take a toll on her.  She grabbed her purse and anxiously looked for a tissue to wipe away the falling tears.  She wanted to be angry at Adam still, but she was finding it difficult after reading such a romantic birthday card and opening her beautiful gift.  She was more upset with herself for being so angry with him for not having something planned for her birthday.

After she composed herself and wiped away the last few escaping tears, she walked out and ran into Jason in the hallway.

“Have you seen your father?” she asked him with still a slight sorrow in her voice.

Jason’s face turned from happiness to concern when he realized his mother had been crying, and now she was asking where Adam might be.

“No, Mom, I don’t know.  Is everything okay with the two of you?”

“We’re okay, honey, I just need to find your dad, that’s all.”

Jessica walked down the hall toward the kitchen.  Rebecca was the only one in the kitchen when Jessica entered.  She hated to ask her if she knew where Adam might be because Jessica didn’t want to set off any alarms, but she needed to ask.  She took a deep breath, tried to put on a smile and entered the kitchen.

“Hi, do by chance know where my Adam is?”  Jessica asked trying to sound as if nothing was wrong.

Rebecca turned around and smiled. “Yes, he came through here about fifteen minutes ago saying he was going to take a walk on the beach,” pointing to the door.

Jessica smiled and said, “Thank you,” and walked out the back door.  Rebecca went to the door and watched Jessica walked down the deck toward the stairs that led to the beach.

Jessica saw Adam sitting on the sand picking up broken pieces of shells and throwing them in the ocean.  She walked up to him, but he didn’t acknowledge her presence.  She sat down next to him, staring at him, but Adam did not look her way, he only continued to pick up the shells and throw them into the surf.

“I love the ring and my card, thank you, Adam,” she said continuing to look at him.

Without even looking at her, Adam replied, “You’re welcome.”

He picked up a few more pieces of shell and threw them toward the water and stopped.  Still unable to look at Jessica, he put his hands on his knees staring into the blue-green water.

The two sat silent for several minutes.  Jessica finally spoke again.

“I’m sorry for the way I acted.  I had no right to be angry after I told you to not plan anything for me this year.  It’s just in the past, you always had even though I would say not to worry about planning anything special.”

Adam looked at Jessica with a furrowed brow.  He was not happy with her immature attitude back at the house.  He did, however, appreciate her coming to apologize, but he wondered if he had waited to give her a ring, would she have had the change of heart and attitude now.

“I work really hard to give you and our family a beautiful home, a comfortable life.  I’m not perfect…”

“I never said you were, Adam.  I’m not either,” Jessica interrupted.

“May I finish?”  Adam responded curtly.

“I’m sorry, please continue,” Jessica said looking down, picking up sand and letting it fall through her fingers.

“I always strive to be the husband you want me to be, but I’m human, Jessica.  I will fail your expectations at times.  I’m sorry I didn’t plan a surprise party for you.  You said you didn’t want any type of celebration this year because we were going to be here at Nantucket.  I wish I had made dinner reservations for us tonight, but I didn’t.  I wanted to give you your present tonight before we went to bed.  I wanted to share in your opening it, but your outburst at me made me lose the desire.”

“I do love it, Adam,” Jessica said with tears starting to fall again.  “I sometimes know I act like a little child when things don’t always go my way.  I guess Emily gets that from me.  I’ve been through so much this year.  I’m sorry for expecting you to always know what I really want even though I communicate it differently.  I’ll let you be alone now.  I just wanted to come and apologize to you and thank you for the beautiful ring.  I do love it very much.”

Jessica got up and started back for the house.  Adam stayed sitting for a few moments before turning to see Jessica walking back to the house.  He began to get up, but turned back around and looked at the waves rolling in.

After about fifteen minutes, Adam got up and headed back to the house.  He saw Jessica sitting on the steps of the deck that led back up to the house.  When Adam reached the steps, he sat down next to her and took her hand, the hand with the ring.  He rolled the ring on her finger and looked at it.

“It’s a perfect fit.  It looks beautiful on you.”

“Thank you.  A very loving man gave it to me.  He always knows what to give me, and it’s always a great fit.”

Adam chuckled and smiled.  “That man is a very lucky man to have a woman as amazing as you. I know he loves you with all his heart.”

“As I do him.  Always have, always will.  Oh, Adam, I do love you, and I am really sorry for my behavior earlier.”

Adam reached over and stroked Jessica’s check with the back of his hand.  “All is forgiven.  I love you, too, Babe.”

Jessica leaned over and placed her head on Adam’s shoulder.  He scooted next to her and put his arm around her.  She laid her head on his chest and put her arms around him.

“Mom needs a kiss from Dad,” Jessica said.

“She does, huh?  I think Dad needs a kiss from Mom, too,” Adam said as he looked down, put his hand under Jessica’s chin, put his lips to her’s kissing her tenderly.

“Let’s go in the house.  Everyone will wonder where we are if we don’t go in soon,” Adam said getting up and holding his hand out to help Jessica up.

The two walked to the house and met Emily, Jason, Brianna, Rebecca and Dave in the living room enjoying some lemonade and sandwiches that Rebecca had made.

“There they are!”  David said as he saw Adam and Jessica walk back into the house.  “Everything okay?”

Jessica looked up at Adam and smiled.  “Yes, everything is just fine.”

“Can I get you two some lemonade or something else to drink?”  Rebecca said as she got up to head into the kitchen.

“Lemonade sounds great to me, Adam do you want anything?”

“I’ll have a beer, thanks.”

Adam and Jessica went to sit down on the fireplace hearth and David went to help Rebecca in the kitchen.

Jason and Adam were listening to the girls tell about their trip to Martha’s Vineyard when David and Rebecca reentered the room singing, “Happy Birthday” and carrying a cake with candles lit on top.

Jessica looked totally surprised and then looked back at Adam.  He shrugged his shoulders and said he didn’t know anything about it, but joined in singing with everyone else.  Jillian and the twins heard the singing and came out to see what was happening.  They came and sat on the floor next to Emily as Rebecca sat the cake on the coffee table for Jessica to blow out the candles.

Once Jessica blew out the candles, David handed Adam his beer and put the tray into the pitcher of lemonade, glasses, and plates on the table next to the cake.

“I knew it was your birthday, and even though you didn’t want a huge celebration, we couldn’t let the day go past without a cake, so I took the liberty of ordering a cake for tonight!  Adam didn’t even know about it,” Rebecca explained.

“I don’t know what to say!  Thank you so much.  It means a lot to me you went to all this trouble.  It’s so pretty!”

“Mommy, Jason, Jillian, and I, with the help of Daddy for Jillian and me, of course, got you a present.”

Jason handed the small box gift-wrapped so elegantly along with the card to their mother.

“Oh, Honey, thank you!”  Jessica said as she looked at the box and card.  She sat the box on her lap and opened the card.

Jessica opened the card, and it had a cake with streamers, balloons, and the card read:  Happy Birthday, Mom!

Jessica opened the card and read the inscription aloud:  God created mom’s to help their children grow and nurture them with love.  Today is your birthday, Mom, and we want to share a piece of our love back with you on your special day.  Each of the kids signed the card in their own special way.

Jason and Brianna: We love you, Mom.  Thank you for always being there for us.  We love you. Happy Birthday. Love, Jason and Brianna.

Emily:  Mommy, I’m so lucky to have you as my mentor and role model.  Thank you for being the best mommy ever.  I love you, Emily.

Jillian:  Mommy, thank you for being my mommy.  I love you so much!  Happy Birthday, Love, your baby girl, Jillian.

Tears came to Jessica’s eyes as she read each of the inscriptions.  “I’ll treasure this always! Thank you so much again!”

Jessica picked up her present from her lap and started to open it.  She handed the paper to Adam, and he held it as he looked on to see what was in the box.  Jessica opened the box and inside the box was another box.  Jessica turned the box over to empty the inner box into her hand.  She opened the inner box and gasped at the beauty of what lay inside the box.  It was a white gold locket on a white gold snake chain.

“Oh, kids, this is exquisite!  Thank you!”

“Open the locket, Mommy!”  Emily said with excitement.

Jessica pulled the chain and locket from the box and opened the locket.  She put her hand to her mouth and tears started to fall from her eyes.  On one side of the locket was a picture of Jason and Brianna.  On the other was a picture of Adam, Emily, and Jillian.

“Oh, guys!  It’s beautiful!”  Jessica’s voice was hardly heard because she was so taken over by emotion.  She passed the delicate chain and locket around for everyone to see, including David and Rebecca.

After everyone had a look at her birthday present, Jessica was handed back the chain and pendant.  Her hands started to shake because she was so overcome with joy when she tried to unhook the clasp to put it on.  Adam took the locket from her hands, unhooked the clasp and put it around Jessica’s neck and hooked it.

Once the locket was on, she put her hand on Adam’s face and mouthed, “Thank you!”  She then got up and kissed each of her children and Brianna, and thanked them all for the special present.  She then showed everyone her ring Adam had given her.  Adam told everyone how it was a collaboration between him and Jason to get the ring to Nantucket.

David handed a card from him, Rebecca, and the girls to Jessica.  Jessica opened the card, and it contained birthday wishes from each of them with the girls signing their names in five-year-old fashion along with Rebecca signing for her and David.  A gift certificate was included from a luxurious day spa in Carson City for Jessica to enjoy at her leisure.

Jessica thanked everyone for their presents and birthday wishes.  She said it was the best birthday she could have wished for.

The twins were getting anxious and wanted some cake so Eva spoke up and said, “I want some cake!”

Embarrassed by her daughter’s outburst, Rebecca yelled, “EVA!”

Everyone burst out in laughter.  Jessica said, “I’m sorry, Honey, we adults just aren’t moving fast enough are we?  Come here, and help me cut the cake.”

Ava came over to sit with Jessica and cut the cake.  Her sister didn’t want to be left out so she came to her and said, “I wanna come, too!”

Both girls came and symbolically helped Jessica cut her cake, while Rebecca scooped ice cream onto the plates and Jillian handed one to everybody.

After everyone had enjoyed cake and ice cream, Rebecca cleared the dishes.  Jessica offered to help clean up, but Rebecca nor David would hear of it.

Once the dishes were done, David took the twins to get ready for bed, much to their protest.

“See what you have to look forward to when you two get married?”  Rebecca laughed.  “Children are wonderful, and I’m blessed to have my girls, even when they’re little terrors like tonight.”

Brianna grabbed Jason’s hand and smiled lovingly at him.  “We’re looking forward to starting a family one day.”

“Yeah, and we’ll be able to spoil our grandkids rotten and send them home to you!  Just like Poppy used to do with you kids.”

“How is Ben, Adam?”  Rebecca asked.

“He’s hanging in there.  He’s had his share of ups and downs, medically speaking.  He sends his love to everyone.”

“Tell him I said hello and give him a big kiss and hug for me.  Tell him we’re thinking about him and wish him well.”

“I will!”  Adam replied.

Everyone was looking tired so they decided to call it an early night since they had gotten up so early.  Jessica hugged and kissed each of her children as well as Brianna and thanked them for her gift.

Adam hugged Rebecca and thanked her for getting the birthday cake.  She winked at Adam and told him no problem, it was her pleasure.

Jessica came over and joined them, placing her arm around Adam’s waist, she, too, thanked Rebecca for the lovely gift and the birthday cake.  She and Adam wished Rebecca a good night and walked arm and arm back to their bedroom.  Once in their room, Adam took Jessica into his arms and told her he was sorry for disappointing her by not having something planned himself.

Jessica kissed him and again apologized for not being more considerate of him and acting like a selfish child.

Adam stripped down to his boxers and climbed in bed.  Jessica put on her pajama shorts set and climbed in next to him.  Adam put his hand on Jessica’s stomach and moved his hand up under her shirt and was rubbing her stomach.  He leaned over to kiss her and cupped his hand over her breast.

“Adam, not tonight!  Not in your ex-girlfriend’s home!”  Jessica objected as Adam started to kiss her on her neck.

Adam stopped and looked at Jessica.  “What?  What am I doing that’s making you protest?”

“Fondling my breast, Mr. Cartwright?  You trying to get me all worked up so I’ll give in to you!”

“It’s your birthday.  Is there something wrong with wanting to make love to you?”

“It just doesn’t feel right here in Rebecca’s home, Adam.”

Adam let out a heavy sigh.

“I’m sorry, Adam.  Please understand how I feel.”

“I get it, Jess,” he said as he leaned over to give her a kiss.

Jessica then snuggled into Adam’s arms and laid her head on his chest.  She put her hand on his chest and let out a sigh of contentment herself.

“I feel safe in your arms; I could lay in them forever.”

Being more tired than he realized, Adam closed his eyes and enjoyed feeling his wife next to him.  He let out another small sigh and was asleep in no time.

The next few days were spent on the beach, playing in the surf and the girls getting a golden tan. Adam and boys had played another round of golf before the Cartwrights and Brianna bid farewell to Rebecca, David, and the twins.

As they called the announcement for the ferry boarding, Jessica, the girls, Jason and Brianna all hugged and shook hands with Rebecca, David, and the twins.  After the others had started to board the ferry, Jessica stepped toward the loading dock to give Adam a few moments with David and then he also stepped away to give Rebecca and Adam a few minutes alone.

Adam and Rebecca hugged each other tightly for a few moments, both not saying anything, but just feeling the warmth of each other’s embrace.  Adam was the first to speak.

“It’s been great seeing you again.  Your daughters are beautiful.  I know you and Dave are proud of them.  You’re a great mother, too.  I knew you always would be.

Rebecca pulled away, looked at Adam and placed her hand on his cheek.  Tears filled her eyes as she thanked him for coming and thanked him for the lovely compliments about her children.

“Jessica and the kids make you happy, Adam.  I can tell in your eyes and in your body language.  Even when you had a little spat the other day with Jessica, the love you have for her was very evident.  I love you so much, my friend.  I’m glad our lives have turned out the way they did. I’m so much richer for having you as a dear friend.”

Tears filled Adam’s eyes as he pulled Rebecca into his embrace again.

“I love you, too, woman.  You tell that husband of yours, he always better take care of you like the amazing woman you are, or he’ll have me to answer to.”

Rebecca kissed Adam’s cheek and broke their embrace wiping the falling tear from Adam’s cheek.

“You go now.  Jessica is waiting for you.  Let’s keep in touch and not let another ten years go by before we see each other again.”

“I won’t let it, and you better not either.  You know we have a big ranch.  You and Dave need to plan a vacation with us next time.  We have plenty of room for everyone, the girls can go horseback riding, we can take our boat on the lake, it’ll be a great vacation for all of us.”

“It sounds like a marvelous trip.  Let’s plan on it next summer.  The girls will be a little older, too.  I can look into getting them riding lessons when we get home so they’ll enjoy themselves.”

The two hugged each other again, and Adam headed toward the ferry.  When he reached Jessica, he took her into his arm and kissed her on the cheek.  The two turned around and waved at Rebecca and David, who had also joined his wife with their two girls.  Adam and Jessica turned around and joined the others on the ferry.

The hour long trip back to Hyannis was an enjoyable journey.  The girls played cards while Jessica read a book and Jason and Adam talked about the upcoming school year and the classes that Jason was going to take.

Before they knew it, they were back in Hyannis gathering their luggage and catching the shuttle to the parking lot where their rental SUV was parked.  After paying the parking, the Cartwrights and Brianna headed back to Cambridge where they arrived shortly before 11:00 PM.  Everyone had fallen asleep in the car except for Adam, who was driving, and Jason, who was sitting in the front passenger seat keeping him company.

When they arrived back at Jason’s apartment, they all took showers and went straight to bed as their flight back to Nevada left early the next morning.

Jason and Brianna rode with the family back to the rental car return.  Adam checked in the car as the rest of the family emptied suitcases from the back of the SUV and loaded them into the rental car shuttle back to the airport.  Everyone piled in the van, and they drove to the terminal.  Once they checked their bags, and the boarding passes printed, everyone headed to security where the family said their goodbyes to Jason and Brianna.

Jason hugged his sisters first while Jessica gave Brianna a hug.  Adam shook his son’s hand and then pulled him in for a big fatherly bear hug.

“Thanks for everything, Son.  It’s been wonderful sharing these last few weeks with you.  Be good to Brianna, you understand me?”

“No worries there, Dad.  I love her almost as much as you love Mom.”

Adam pulled back and smiled at his son’s beaming face.  “Almost as much?”

Jason smiled and laughed at his father’s grin.  “Dad, I don’t think any person can love another the way you and Mom love each other.  God broke the mold when he made you two.  Em, Jill, and I are very lucky to have you and Mom as our parents.”

Adam took his son back into his embrace and thanked him again.

“Out of our love, we had you and your two sisters.  We’re the lucky ones, Jason.”

After Adam and Jason had finished their goodbyes, Adam went to Brianna and Jessica to Jason.

“I’ll take good care of your son, Adam.  I look forward to being a part of this family very soon,” Brianna said trying to hold back the tears with her future father-in-law.

“You already are a part of this family, Brianna.  You stole all of our hearts the first time we met you last Christmas.  Our son is the lucky one to have found you, and you want to be a part of his life.”

Brianna pulled back and gave Adam a light kiss on the cheek.  Tears filled her eyes as she said, “Thank you, Adam.  I do love him more than life itself.  I hope I can be the wife Jessica is to you.”

Adam pulled Brianna back into his embrace and hugged her tightly again.

“Mom, I’m going to miss you.  Take care of Dad and the girls.  We’ll be in touch about wedding plans.”

“I love you, my baby boy.  I’m going to miss you so much,” Jessica sobbed as she hugged her son.

Hearing Jessica’s weeping, made tears come to Jason’s eyes.  He loved his mother so much, and it was hard for him to let her go.

“I’m going to miss you, too, Mom.  We’re just a phone call away.  We’ll be home for Thanksgiving.  It’s not that far away.

“I know, Honey.  I just can’t believe my baby boy is all grown up into such a handsome man.”

“I hope I’ve made you proud, Mom,” Jason said as he fought back the tears.

Jessica pulled back and placed both her hands on her son’s face.

“Proud?  Are you kidding me?  I’m beaming with pride, Honey!  Look at you.  So handsome and strong.  You’re doing well in school, and you have a new future bride.  I’m so very proud of you.”

She stood there a few moments holding her son’s face and staring at him in his eyes.  She then took him back into her embrace and hugged him tightly again.

“I love you, Jason.  You and Brianna be good to each other, you hear me?”

“I will, Mom.  You don’t have to worry about that.”

Jason and Jessica let go of each other, and Jessica wiped her eyes.  Adam took her carry on and then placed his arm around her waist.  The family waved goodbye as they headed for the priority security line.  As they reached the x-ray machines and put their belongings on the belt, they all turned around and waved one last time to Jason and Brianna before entering the terminal’s secured area for ticketed passengers only.

The family made their way to their gate where they boarded their flight for Dallas/Ft. Worth with a connection to Reno.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a full day of flying, the Cartwrights arrived back to their home in Carson City in the early afternoon, due to three hour time gain heading back west.  Adam unloaded everyone’s bags and put them into each of their bedrooms.  Jessica told the girls to unpack their bags and place their dirty clothes in the hallway where she would come around and collect them to start the massive laundry detail.

Adam headed into the office and checked his work emails to get caught up on them before Monday morning so he wouldn’t be spending half of his day going through them.  When he signed in, he noticed his admin had done a good job in weeding out emails he didn’t need and left the ones he did.  He still had a large list to sort through, but he knew they had been sorted down to only ones that needed his absolute attention upon his return.  He sent her a text to let her know he was back in town and to thank her for going through his email while he was gone, and he would see her first thing in the morning.

After unpacking her clothes and putting her dirty clothes pile just outside her room as her mother requested, Emily came into Adam’s office and spun his chair around so that she could sit in his lap.

Emily placed her arms around her daddy’s neck and kissed him on the cheek.  Adam smiled at the sweet distraction by his eldest daughter and then looked at her with a curious eye.

“Princess, what do you want?”  Adam asked with a smile on his face.

“Why do you always think I want something?  Can’t a girl come sit in her daddy’s lap and kiss him on the cheek without wanting something?”

Adam looked at her again and said, “Um, no,” and then he laughed.

“Okay, busted!”  Emily laughed along with her father.

“Daddy, I know we just got home, but can I please see Trey?  I haven’t seen him in two weeks, Daddy!  Please?”

Adam gave his daughter a light kiss on the lips and then tweaked her nose.  “Sure, Princess.  In fact, why don’t you go check with Mommy and if she says it’s okay, invite him for dinner, too.”

“Really, Daddy?  You mean it?”  Emily said with great excitement.

Adam nodded his head with a huge grin on his face when he saw how happy his response made her.

Emily then looked at Adam with a skeptical look.

“Wait a minute.  Are you sure you’re Adam Cartwright, Emily Cartwright’s father?  I think an alien has kidnapped my Daddy, and some outer space man has assumed his role.”

Adam laughed at his daughter’s look on her face and her statement about being kidnapped. He patted his princess on her hip and gave her another kiss.  “No, I’m Adam Cartwright, your daddy, not an out space man.  I know you haven’t seen Trey in two weeks, and you didn’t spend your whole vacation on the phone with him. I’m proud of you for that.  Now, ask Mommy if it’s okay if he comes to dinner and then you can make plans for him to come over, okay?  Daddy needs to get back to his email.”

Emily hugged Adam’s neck again and kissed his cheek.  She thanked him many times over and then ran into the laundry room where Jessica was starting her first load of laundry.

“Mommy!  Daddy said Trey could come over tonight.  He said if it was okay with you, he could have dinner with us also.  Can he, Mommy, please?”

Jessica stood there with her hands on her hips as she finished loading the first basket of laundry into the washer.

“Are you sure you spoke to your father about this?”

Emily jumped up and down with excitement.  “I know!  I asked him if he was my daddy and not some space man that had abducted him and entered his body, but he assured me he was the one and only Adam Cartwright,” Emily laughed.

Jessica laughed at Emily’s statement about her father and told her daughter if it was okay with Daddy, it was all right with her.

“Go get me a roasting chicken out of the freezer so I can put it water to thaw.  Tell Trey dinner is at 6:00 PM, but he can come over around 5:00 PM if he wants to.”

Emily threw her arms around her mother, hugged her and kissed her, thanking her for her approval for Trey to come to dinner.  Emily went out into the garage to get a roasting chicken from the deep freeze while Jessica went to grab another load of laundry in her basket.

Emily filled the sink with water and laid the chicken in the water.  She ran back to her room almost knocking her mother down as she came around the corner.

“Easy, Em!  Stop running in the house, young lady!”  Jessica scolded her daughter.

“Sorry, Mommy!  I put the chicken in water for you!” she said as she continued to her room with an enthusiastic gait.

As Jessica was checking the water level of the thawing chicken, Adam came into the kitchen to get a bottle of water from the fridge.

“What’s cooking, Mom?” he asked as he reached in to get the cold bottle of water.

“Roast chicken and veggies with cornbread and cranberry stuffing.  Since Trey is coming for dinner, I’ll make some brownies, and we can have some sundaes if I can convince my very handsome husband to go to the store and pick up some ice cream, hot fudge, almonds, and whipped cream.”

“Mmmmm, that sounds yummy.  I’ll go on one condition,” Adam said, wrapping Jessica into his arms.

“Yeah?  What’s that?” she asked.

“That I can eat the remaining whipped cream off your naked body tonight in bed.”

“Adam Cartwright!”  Jessica said, beating him in the chest lightly.  “All you men think about is sex, sex, sex,” she laughed.

“When we men have sexy wives like yourself, we can’t help ourselves,” he said kissing her deeply.  “Woman, I love the way you taste,” Adam continued as he went back for another deep kiss.

The next thing the lovers knew, they heard a small clearing of the throat.  They turned their heads, keeping their embrace and saw their youngest daughter standing there with her suitcase that was almost as big as she was.

“Sorry to break up the love fest, but where do I put my suitcase?”  Jillian stood asking with a sarcastic tone.

Adam and Jessica laughed at their daughter’s sense of humor.  Adam let go of Jessica and went over to his youngest and said, “Well, why don’t you leave that suitcase where it is, and come join us in our love fest!”

Adam scooped up Jillian, and she squealed with laughter as Adam brought her to where Jessica was, and they each put their arms around each other holding Jillian between the two of them, kissing her all over her face and head.

“Mommy, Daddy, let me down!” she screamed with delight.

The three Cartwrights giggled at the fun they had, and when they let Jillian down, Adam asked her if she wanted to go to the store with him to pick up the fixings for fudge brownie sundaes Mommy wanted to make for dessert.

Jillian jumped up and down and said, “YES! YES! YES!”

Adam told Jillian to get his keys, wallet, and phone while he put up her suitcase, and to meet him in the car.  Jillian ran to Adam and Jessica’s room to get his things while he went out into the garage and up into the attic to put away the suitcase.  Jillian put Adam’s keys, wallet, and phone in the driver’s seat and climbed in the back seat and buckled her seatbelt while she waited for Adam to come back down.  Adam jumped in the car, and the two were off to the local market to buy the items Jessica had requested.  Jessica ran out into the garage just as Adam was shutting the garage door but he pushed the button on the remote to stop the door from closing when he saw Jessica run outside.

“I need some potatoes, too!” she yelled as Adam rolled down the window and stuck his head out the window.

Adam waved in acknowledgment and headed down the driveway and toward the store.

On the way to the grocery store, Jillian told Adam how lucky she felt to be his and Jessica’s daughter.  She talked about some of her other friends at school who had parents who were divorced and said she felt so blessed to have both of her parents at home and very much in love. Adam assured her he was not going anywhere, and while he and Jessica had disagreements from time to time, he loved her mother, Jason, Emily and her very much, and he had made a commitment to Jessica always to put them first.  He wanted to reassure Jillian the love he had for her mother was unyielding, and their family would always be solid.

Once they were at the store, Adam helped Jillian from the backseat, and they walked hand in hand into the store.  After grabbing a hand basket, they sauntered to the produce section where Adam picked up a small bag of potatoes.  Father and daughter headed over to the frozen food section where Adam allowed Jillian to choose the brand of vanilla ice cream to buy; she picked Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean.  Adam commended her on her fine choice, and they headed over to the aisle where they picked up the hot fudge, almonds and then to the dairy section to get the whipped cream.  On their way to the check-out, Jillian’s eyes got enormous, and she said, “Daddy, we need cherries for the top!”

“You’re right, Sweetpea!  A sundae wouldn’t be a sundae without a proper cherry on top!”

The two got out of line and found the aisle where the cherries were, and Jillian chose the biggest jar of cherries they had.

“I love cherries, Daddy!” she said with a broad grin on her face.

Adam winked at his youngest child, “Daddy does, too!” he said putting his arm around her shoulder as they went back toward the check-out.

After the short ride home, Adam and Jillian walked back into the house to the aroma of fresh baked brownies cooking along with the smell of a chicken roasting in the oven.

Jessica was at the sink washing off the better dinnerware.  She smiled when Jillian came bouncing in telling her Mommy that Daddy allowed her to choose the ice cream and that they had also gotten a big jar of cherries.  She tweaked her daughter’s nose and told her while she was gone, her best friend, Diana, had called and to give her a call.  Jillian put the sack of sundae fixings on the island and ran into the other room to call Diana.

Adam came in with the sack of potatoes and put them on the island.  He started to put the ice cream and whipped cream away as he told Jessica about the conversation he and Jillian had about the divorce and how he felt he had put her mind at ease once and for all.  He suggested they want to have another talk with her together just to make sure she understood everything was right between them and their marriage was stronger than ever, even when they might be angry with each other and verbally express said anger from time to time.

Dinner was coming together quickly when Trey arrived.  Adam was in the kitchen helping Jessica make the final preparations when they heard the doorbell ring.  Emily yelled from the front of the house, “I’ll get it; it’s probably Trey.”

Adam started setting the table as Jessica was making lemonade for the kids and pulling out a bottle of wine for her and Adam.

Adam unwrapped the chicken on the platter Jessica had foil tented to keep warm and began carving it up before placing it on the table.

Emily answered the door, and Trey was indeed on the other side.   He had two bouquets of flowers; a dozen red roses in a vase for Emily, and a bouquet of assorted exotic flowers for Jessica.

When Emily opened the door, she gasped loudly at the beautiful flowers.  She took them from Trey and sat them down on a table in the front hall next to the door.  Once his hands were free, he took Emily into his arms and gave her a hug.  He looked around to see if anyone was around and when he realized that they were alone, he bent down and kissed her deeply.

“I’ve missed you so much.  Welcome home, Baby.”

Emily melted in Trey’s arms; she kissed his tender lips.  She held him tight and told him how much she had missed his hugs and kisses while she was away and how she couldn’t wait to return to the security of his arms and sweetness of his lips.

After their reunion, Emily picked up her vase of flowers and Trey picked up the bouquet for Jessica and they walked back toward the kitchen and dining room.

“Mommy, Daddy, Trey is here!”  Emily said as she and Trey walked into the kitchen.

“Hi, Trey, it’s good to see you again.  Can we get you something to drink?  Dinner’s almost ready,” Jessica said as she was loading up the dishwasher with some of the dirty dishes.

“No, I’m fine right now, Ma’am, thank you, though.”

“Mommy, Trey brought these beautiful flowers for you, and look at the ones he brought for me! Aren’t they to die for?”

“Oh, Trey, thank you!  You’re too sweet.  Honey, your roses are just beautiful!”

Jessica then looked at Trey and smiled.  “Very nice touch, Trey!”

“Daddy, aren’t these just the most beautiful flowers you’ve ever seen?”  Emily said as she was smelling the delicate flowers.

Adam came over to shake Trey’s hand and inspect the lovely bouquet.

“They’re beautiful, Princess, just like you.”

“Oh, Daddy!  You’re embarrassing me!”  Emily blushed.

Trey laughed and put his arm around Emily’s waist.  “He’s just stating a fact, pretty lady,” Trey agreed with Adam.

“Stop!”  Emily protested with laughter in her voice.

“Em, Honey, can you call your sister, please?  Dinner’s ready,” Jessica asked as she brought the last of the veggies to the table.

Emily took Trey by the hand, and they went to get Jillian from the family room where she was chatting with Diana on the phone.

“Come on, Jill; dinner’s ready.”

“Hi, Trey!”  Jillian said as she jumped up and skipped to where Emily and Trey were waiting for her.

The three kids came to the table, and everyone sat down to enjoy dinner.

“Mrs. Cartwright, you are an excellent cook, Ma’am.  I appreciate you inviting me to dinner tonight,” Trey said as he cut his chicken.

“Thank Mr. Cartwright,” Jessica explained.  “He was the one who told Emily to have you over tonight.  I was informed after the fact, which, by the way, I thought was a splendid idea.”

“And Mommy made brownies for dessert, too!  Daddy and I went and got ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, cherries and almonds to put on top,” Jillian explained proudly.

Trey smiled at Jillian.  “Why thank you! brownie fudge sundaes are my favorite dessert!”

“I like them, too, Trey!”  Jillian bounced in her chair with excitement.

“Jillian, eat your dinner, Sweetpea, if you want to have a sundae, okay?” Adam said.

“Okay, Daddy.”

Trying to continue the conversation, Trey asked about everyone’s vacation back east.

“I trust everyone had a great vacation in Massachusetts?  Emily told me you and Mrs. Cartwright went to Harvard, and aside from you and Jason going to Mass when he started at M.I.T., you hadn’t had a chance to get back.”

“We had an excellent time,” Adam began.  “We flew into Boston and stayed at Jason’s apartment for several days and visited the M.I.T. campus so the girls and my wife could see where Jason attends school.  We then went to Boston and took the Duck Tour, which everyone enjoyed…”

“The Duck Tour was the best!”  Emily interrupted.

Adam continued, “from the Duck Tour, we decided on the things we would like to get a closer look at and did those by foot the next day.”

Jessica then picked up on the next stage of the vacation.  “We left Cambridge and stopped at the cemetery and visited Adam’s grandfather’s and mother’s graves.  We then headed down to Cape Cod for a few days.  Our son’s girlfriend…”

“Who is now his fiancée, Jason proposed to her at Cape Cod,” Emily interrupted again.

Jessica smiled at her daughter’s enthusiasm at the vacation, so she did not correct her interrupting a second time, “Yes, Jason’s fiancée, Brianna’s mother’s brother, is the manager of a beautiful resort there, and we were his guest for a few days.  We met Brianna’s parents there, and we all had an amazing time.”

“Emily met some boys at the pool!”  Jillian added her two cents.

“Jillian!”  Adam scolded.  “That’s for Emily to tell Trey about, not you.”

“Sorry, Daddy,” Jillian said pouting with her head down.

“It’s okay, Peanut.  I was planning to tell Trey about them tonight.”

“Two guys were at the pool one day when me, Mommy, Daddy, and Jillian went swimming.  They were from Georgia, I think.  They were nice.  Jason, Brie, Jillie, and I met them at a beach party one night.  I told them I had a boyfriend back home.  They were bummed about that, but said you were a lucky guy,” Emily grinned as she grabbed Trey’s hand under the table.

Trey seemed a bit uncomfortable about the boys whom Emily met on the trip, but didn’t say anything.  He planned to talk to her later about it when they were alone.

Adam picked up on the last leg of the trip, their trip to Nantucket.  “After we said our goodbyes to Brianna’s family, we took the ferry over to Nantucket.  A very dear friend of mine and her husband own a home on the Island, and we visited them for a few days.  Jessica’s birthday was during this time and Rebecca, my dear friend, took the girls to Martha’s Vineyard for the day, and Jason, Dave, her husband, and I played golf.”

“Martha’s Vineyard was great!”  Emily picked up on the story.  “We took a tour of the island, and Dr. Rebecca took us to a quaint tavern for lunch, and the food was delicious!  Mommy bought us some clothes, a T-shirt, and sweatshirt from Martha’s Vineyard, and she picked some clothes up for Jason and Daddy, too!  We teased we should have stopped in one of the jewelry stores and each bought an expensive piece of jewelry compliments of Daddy and his American Express, but Mommy said we better not because she didn’t want to be sleeping on the beach that night.  We had a good laugh about it.”

The table erupted in laughter.  Adam smiled and said, “Um, you never told me about that part of the trip.”

“Oh, I didn’t mention that one, Honey?  I’m sorry!”  Jessica looked all innocent and then busted out in laughter again.

“Oh, you just wait, Mrs. Cartwright.  You just wait,” Adam grinned.

“Oh brother, here they go again,” Emily sighed.  “You have to excuse Mommy and Daddy.  They are still on their honeymoon, eleven years later.”

“I think it’s great!  Maybe if my mother and father had kept their marriage alive like your parents do, they might still be married today,” Trey commented.

“Thank you, Trey!”  Jessica said smugly, winking at her daughter.  “Adam and I feel it’s important to show our children we love each other as much as we love them.  They do get embarrassed at times, but we love to see them squirm,” Jessica laughed.

“But Mommy! you and Daddy take it to the extreme sometimes!”  Emily argued.

“Come on, Princess. You’re going to make Trey think we have sex in front of you and Jillian,” Adam winked at Jessica.

“Daddy, stop!”  Emily cried in embarrassment.

Trey, Adam, and Jessica started laughing uncontrollably.  Emily punched Trey in the arm lightly.

“You’re siding with my parents, Trey?” she whined.

“Oh, Babe, I just think it’s cute how you get worked up over something so beautiful.  You’ve got great, hip parents.”

Trey looked at Adam and Jessica.  “My mother and stepfather are great parents, but they are of the school where certain things are never spoken about or shown in public.  I mean my parents will hold hands, but I never see them hug or kiss in front of me.  This kind of conversation is strictly taboo in our house.  It’s sad.  I would love to see my parents be open with their love.  It’s probably one of the reasons why my mother and father divorced.  My dad is very extroverted and wanted to show his passion for my mother around our family, but my mom wasn’t comfortable showing her love for my dad in public.

“Mom, she feels everything has its place.  You keep your acts of love in the bedroom.”

“We believe our children need to know their parents love each other.  For several years, Adam and I were divorced.  Jillian was not born yet, so it was just Emily and Jason.  We tried to show a unified front when the kids were present, but it was hard at times, and we didn’t always succeed. We scared the kids at times, and we will never be able to take that back.  When we remarried, we always vowed to put each other first and openly show our love for one another with our children so they would always feel happy and secure.  We wanted them to know we loved them as much as we loved each other.  Yes, at times we embarrass them; sometimes we do it on purpose to watch them squirm,” Jessica took her attention from Trey and looked at Emily, winking at her. “but we never cross the line of voyeurism or unhealthy behavior.  We want our children to grow up and be well rounded, secure, loving individuals.  Jason is the first, and we see a lot of us in him and Brianna.”

“Do we ever!”  Jillian rolled her eyes and smiled.

“O-M-G!” Emily agreed.  “Jason is just like Mom and Dad, Trey.”  Emily laughed as she put her finger in her mouth as to signal she was gagging.

“Well, who’s ready for ice cream sundaes?”  Jessica asked.

“ME!  I am!”  Jillian raised her hand and bounced in her chair again.

“I think you cleaned your plate well enough, baby girl,” Jessica said as she looked at Jillian’s plate.

“She eats like a bird when it comes to real food, but she loves her sweets,” Emily commented to Trey.

“I’ll help you clear the table, Mrs. Cartwright,” Trey offered.

“Oh, no, honey.  You’re our guest tonight.  Adam will give me a hand, won’t you, Babe?”

“Oh, yeah, sure!”  Adam said as he got up and began picking up the plates and glasses.

“Mommy, can I help you make the ice cream sundaes?”  Jillian asked.

“Sure, baby girl.  Let Mommy and Daddy clear the dishes first.  Why don’t you come help Daddy and me in the kitchen so Trey and Emily can go into the living room and talk while we finish up the dishes and get dessert ready.”

“Thanks, Mommy,” Emily said, as she and Trey got up and held hands as they walked into the front formal living room.

“Mommy, why do you want me to help with the dishes?  When I cut my hand, Daddy said he didn’t want me carrying any more dishes that could break!”  Jillian asked with a quizzical look on her face.

Adam picked Jillian up and hugged her for her innocence.

“Sweetpea, Mommy and Daddy want you to help us so Emily and Trey can have some time alone,” Adam said as he winked at his youngest child.

“Ooooooh!”  Jillian grinned.

“I tell you what, you can do to help Mommy.  I’ll hand you the forks and knives, and you can place them in the dishwasher for me, okay?”

“Okay, Mommy!  I can help!”

While Jessica rinsed the dishes and handed the forks and knives to Jillian to place in the utensil basket, Adam got the sundae glasses down and started cutting the brownies.  He also got the ice cream out so it could soften up a bit.

“You can either use the double boiler to heat the hot fudge, or you can put some in a bowl and put it in the microwave.  You’ll have to nuke it for a few seconds at a time so it won’t burn if you do the microwave, Adam,” Jessica said as she was placing the glasses on the top rack.

In the living room, Emily was showing Trey the vacation pictures on the camera when Jillian came running in and telling them the sundaes were ready.  They had just gotten to the Cape Cod pictures when Jillian came to call them back to the table.

“I want to hear more about the boys you met in Cape Cod after dessert, Emmy,” Trey said as they got up and headed back into the dining room.

“Not a whole lot to tell, really,” Emily tried to make light of her sister busting her about the two boys.

“I still want to hear about them,” Trey insisted again.

“Jealous are we?”  Emily sarcastically asked as she put her arm through Trey’s and laid her head on his shoulder.

“Maybe a little,” Trey winked as they entered the dining room.

Everyone sat back down and enjoyed their sundaes.  Adam suggested the next time the family headed up to the Ponderosa, Trey might enjoy coming with them to go to the lake or horseback riding.

“We always go up for Labor Day weekend and have a big BBQ,” Jessica noted.  “We would love for you to join us.  We have a guest bedroom you can stay in if you like.  I’m not sure if Jason and Brie will be able to join us because they both have jobs.  If they can come, we can put them in the guest room, and you can sleep in Jason’s room.”

“I wanna go see Poppy, Mommy,” Jillian said as she at her sundae getting chocolate all over her face.

“We’ll give him a call tomorrow to see how he’s feeling.  If he’s up to it, we’ll drive up there tomorrow afternoon, Okay?”

Emily clapped and bounced in her chair.  “Can you go, too, Daddy?”

“No, Sweetpea, Daddy’s got to get back to work.  I think Heather is ready for me to get back to the office.”

“Darn,” Jillian’s face went long with disappointment.

After everyone had finished dessert, Emily asked if it was okay to watch a movie in the family room.  Adam gave his consent and the two teenagers invited Jillian to watch the movie with them.

“What do you want to watch, Em?”  Jillian asked.

“How about Meet the Fockers?”

“Oh, I like that movie,” Trey commented.

As the kids went into the family room to put on the video, Adam and Jessica cleaned up the dessert dishes and the rest of the kitchen.

Jessica was rinsing the dishes as Adam was putting away the hot fudge, almonds, cherries, and whipped cream.  He came over to Jessica and wrapped his arms around her and began to kiss her neck.  He held up the whipped cream and said, “Shall we take this to our bedroom tonight?”

“Oh, Adam, stop!”  Jessica laughed wriggling out of his embrace.

“You taste so good, but oh what fun we could have with the rest of this can,” Adam continued to put the items back in the refrigerator.

“Yeah, our daughter has a boy over, and we’re having sex in our bedroom. Nice thought, Adam.”

“We’ll tell Emily we’re going to bed, and when the movie’s over, Trey will need to go home.  It’s almost 10:00 PM now.  By the time the movie’s over, it’ll be 11:30 P.M. and it will be time for him to leave to be home by his curfew.  You always tell me I need to give a little more leeway where Emily and boys are concerned.  When I do, you’re complaining.  I don’t get it!”

“I’m not complaining, Adam.  I just don’t think it’s appropriate we’re having sex in our bedroom when our daughter has a boy over, that’s all I’m saying,” Jessica said as she put the last few dishes in the dishwasher, added the detergent, and closed it up.

Adam turned out the light to the kitchen, and they headed back toward the family room.  They called Emily to the door and told her after the movie, she would need to say goodnight to Trey and head to bed herself.  She agreed, kissed her Daddy and Mommy goodnight, and they headed back to their bedroom.

Jessica took a shower while Adam checked a few messages on his iPhone.  After Jessica had got out, Adam got in and showered quickly.  When he came into the bedroom, Jessica was in a short silk nightgown and turning down the bed.  Adam came up behind her and started to put his hands on her gown and tug at her panties.

“Adam, stop!”  Jessica protested.

“What, Jess?”  Adam was frustrated.  “You’ve barely allowed me to touch you since Cape Cod.  I want to make love to my wife, show her how much I love her, but it seems you don’t want to show me the same.  What gives?  Was it seeing Rebecca again?  I thought your insecurities about her were in the past?”

Jessica whipped around and scowled at Adam.  “This has NOTHING to do with Rebecca, Adam.”

“Then what?”  Adam inquired as he pulled the towel around his waist and walked over to the chest of drawers to pull out a pair of boxers to put on since he felt Jessica was not in the mood to be playful in bed.

Jessica remained silent, but the tears began to flow down her cheeks.  She hurriedly pulled back the comforter and got the sleeping pillows from the closet.  Hearing the sniffles from Jessica trying to hold back her emotions, Adam turned to her and saw she was wiping away tears.  He stopped her and took the pillows from her hands and threw the pillows on the bed and took his wife into his arms.

“Jess?  What is it?  Why are you crying?”  Adam wiped away the free flowing tears.

Jessica was too emotional to speak.  She simply buried her face in Adam’s chest.  Adam held his wife and his face filled with concern.  Suddenly, making love to his wife didn’t matter anymore, only consoling her and showing his love through his embrace mattered.

“Jess, talk to me.  What has you so upset that you’re crying this way?”  Adam asked as he caressed her back.

Jessica finally was able to grab hold of her emotions.  She looked up at Adam and said, “It’s not that I don’t want to make love to you, Adam.  There’s nothing more in this world  I want than to be close to you, but over the months since my surgery, intercourse has become more and more difficult for me.  Dr. McIntyre told me this might be the case.  I don’t create as much natural lubricant anymore, and, well, it hurts.  When we were on Cape Cod, it was so painful, I wanted to cry, but I held it in for you.  I didn’t want to worry you.”

“Babe!  Why didn’t you tell me?”  Adam caressed his wife’s wet cheek.

The tears started to flow again.  How could Jessica put into words what she was feeling?

“I was afraid to, Adam.  I so damned angry at all of this.  I beat cancer, but it took a part of me with it!  I can’t even make love to my husband anymore without it hurting me.”

“Jessica, I don’t understand why you felt you couldn’t tell me you’ve been having pain all this time.  What did Dr. McIntyre suggest?

“He said to use water based lubricants and jellies, but take away from the spontaneity of making love.”

“Not unless we let it, Babe.  It’s better than the alternative, don’t you think?  Besides, we can incorporate it into foreplay,” was Adam’s response.

“You don’t think I’m less of a woman? Jessica asked.  “During foreplay, my vagina usually gets very wet.”

“Jess, I love you for you.  I love your body and how it reacts to my touch.  Okay, so you don’t have the ability to prepare yourself naturally for intercourse anymore.  It’s fine; I still love you, and I don’t think any less of you.  We have a workaround and, it’ll be a lot of fun lubing you up.  Besides, we can get some of that stuff they show on TV, and we can make fireworks of our own,” Adam winked.

Jessica hit Adam in the chest.  “We don’t need that much help, Mister.”

Adam took Jessica’s hand and placed it on his hard groin.  “This is what you do to me, Madam.  After twenty plus years of loving you, you still cause this.  My desire for you is as strong today as it was when we first made love on Emily’s fifth birthday and created Jillian.  I love you, Mrs. Cartwright.  Even when the day comes that I can’t get it up anymore, I’ll still want to hold you and make love to you in a different way.”

“I hope it doesn’t happen for a very long time,” Jessica added.

“Well, there’s always KY for you and Viagra for me!”  Adam grinned.

“Oh, Adam,” Jessica blushed.

Jessica wrapped her arms around Adam’s waist.  She ran her fingernails up his spine and looked lovingly into his eyes.

“I do love you, you know it?  I don’t know what I did to deserve such an amazing man, husband, and father, but I thank God every day he blessed me with you.”

Adam scooped his wife into his arms and brought her over to the bed, gently laid her down and then laid down next to her.  He placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her gently and lovingly.

“He answered my prayers.  That’s why we’re together.  I prayed for an incredibly beautiful, loving life partner, and he answered my prayers with you.”

“I love you, Adam.”

“I love you, too, Jess.”

Jessica turned toward Adam and placed her hand on Adam’s hard groin.

“Would you like me to take care of this orally, Babe?”  Jessica gently ran her hand up and down Adam’s hard penis protruding through his silk boxers.

Adam looked adoringly into Jessica’s eyes.  “ I’m content just to hold and caress you tonight.”

The two got up, put their pillows at the head of their bed.  They snuggled in under the covers and laid in each other’s arms.

“It’s good to be home, Adam,” Jessica said, running her fingers through Adam’s salt and pepper chest hair.

“Yes, Jess, it’s good to be home,” was his reply.

Martha’s Vineyard information courtesy of Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce.  Nantucket information from my personal trip to the island.

Chapter Thirteen

**Reader warning…You will need tissues**  :'(

Life was getting back to normal for the Nevada Cartwrights.  Adam was back to work, and Jessica was getting the house back in order after their extended vacation back east.  Jillian’s birthday was fast approaching, and Jessica was looking into places to have her eleventh birthday party.

It was late afternoon, and Jessica was in the kitchen adding vegetables to the roast she was slow cooking in the crockpot when Jillian came into the kitchen to give Jessica her list of friends she wanted to invite to her birthday party.

“Mommy, I want to have a slumber party after we come home from American Girl.  Can I please?” was Jillian’s request.

“Baby Girl, I don’t think a slumber party is a good idea.  We’ve only been home from Boston for a week now, and I don’t want to have a bunch of girls over spending the night.  I tell you what, how about we have the party at American Girl, and you can invite Diana and Bethany to spend the night.”

Jillian was already starting to feel the effects of puberty and wasn’t happy with her mother’s alternative decision.

“I want a slumber party, Mommy!” she cried.  “Diana’s mommy let her have a slumber party, and it wasn’t even her birthday!”

“Jillian, Daddy and I are allowing you to have a birthday party at American Girl, and I’ve said you can invite Diana and Bethany to spend the night afterward.  We’re going to be going up to Poppy’s house the next morning to celebrate your birthday with him.  I don’t want you up all hours of the night and not be rested for the next day.”

“Mommy, please!”  Jillian started to throw a tantrum.

“Jillian Alexis!  Stop crying!  If you don’t, you won’t even have a party at American Girl!”

“You’re not fair, Mommy.  Whenever Emily wants something, she gets it.  All she has to do is pout or cry, and you give her whatever she wants!”  Jillian argued.

“I’m warning you, young lady, you’d better stop this behavior right now, or there will be no girls spending the night at all, much less a party,” Jessica went back to peeling the carrots and potatoes for dinner.

“Mommy, please!”  Jillian cried harder, but Jessica ignored her tantrum.  She had given Jillian an alternative that would be acceptable to her, and if Jillian didn’t like it, she could take it or leave it.

When Jillian saw her crying fit was not getting her anywhere, she yelled, “I HATE YOU, MOMMY!” and ran to her room crying.

“Jillian! come back here now, young lady!”  Jessica yelled to no avail.

Jessica broke down in tears, throwing the potato she was peeling into the sink along with the peeler.  Adam walked through the door just as Jessica had yelled for Jillian to come back.  He walked over to the island and placed his briefcase on the counter with his jacket.

“What’s going on here?” was Adam’s philosophical question to Jessica’s demeanor.

“Your daughter, Adam, is what’s the matter.”

“My daughter?  Which one of my daughters?”

“Jillian.  She wants to have a slumber party for her birthday after we go to American Girl for the party.  I told her no.  I gave her an alternative plan.  I told her she could invite the girls to the party and then Diana and Bethany could come and spend the night.  She didn’t want that, she wanted it her way.  When I told her no, she threw a tantrum like a two-year-old.  I threatened to not have any party for her,” Jessica began to cry. “but she continued on, telling me that Emily gets everything she wants, all she has to do is cry and pout, and we give in to her.  I finally decided to ignore her, and she continued on.  She then screamed she hated me and ran back to her room and slammed the door.”

“And is there a reason you don’t want her to have a slumber party, after what do you call it? American Girl?”

“Adam!  I can’t believe you are entertaining the thought of allowing her to have a slumber party after the way she just acted!”

Adam threw up his hands saying, “I’m not entertaining anything at the moment except a vigorous discussion with our daughter on the proper way to speak to her mother, but I need to have the facts straight as they happened first,” he said as he untied his already loosened tie.

“She’s been begging me for a party at American Girl ever since they opened a store at the Galleria Mall in Carson.  I told her we would look into it after we got home from vacation.  I looked into it earlier this week and was able to secure a party in two weeks for fifteen of her friends.  Today, she comes to me with the list of girls and now she wants to have a slumber party on top of everything else.  As if the American Girl party wasn’t enough!  I’m telling you, Adam, I don’t know how I’m going to deal with two teenagers in the house!”

“The way I’ve been dealing with three females in the house all these years,” Adam winked.

“Whatever!”  Jessica laughed as she swatted Adam with her dish towel.  “Go talk to your daughter.  She needs to be taught a lesson on respect of her mother.”

Adam sighed, picked up his briefcase, suit jacket and headed toward the back of the house.  He stopped off at his office and put his briefcase on the desk.  He then went back to his and Jessica’s bedroom and hung up his jacket and tie.

He headed back up the hall around the corner to Jillian’s room.  He could hear her crying and mouthing some not so nice things about her mother.  Adam knocked on the door and entered the room.  Jillian was on the floor playing with her Barbies when she saw her father enter the room.

“What do you want, Daddy?” was her pissy greeting to Adam.

“Excuse me?  I don’t ever want to hear you acknowledge me or any other member of this family like that again, do I make myself clear?”

Jillian, still in a very foul mood, turned back to her Barbies without answering her father.

Adam’s temper was rising, but he was trying to keep his cool.  He had had a long day at work and having to punish his youngest child was not on his list of things he thought he would have to come home to.  He walked over to Jillian’s bed and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Jillian, come here, I want to speak to you about how you spoke to Mommy just a little while ago.”

Jillian decided to test her father’s will and continued to play with her Barbies.

Adam’s voice got deeper as his anger began to rise at his child’s obstinate attitude.  “Jillian, I’m giving you until the count of three to put down your dolls and come stand before me.  One,” Jillian didn’t budge.  “Two,” Jillian stopped playing and thought about whether she wanted to obey her father or not, “three,” Jillian got up casually and walked over to stand in front of her father.

Adam was seething at this point.  He stroked his beard with his hands as he gathered his thoughts on what to say as his youngest child stood before him with an ‘I’m waiting’ attitude and stance.

“I understand you were disrespectful to your mother earlier when she said you couldn’t have a slumber party after your birthday, is this correct?”

“I want to have a slumber party, Daddy, and Mommy won’t let me,” was her cold answer.

“Mommy gave you her reasons why you can only have a few friends over to spend the night after the party, didn’t she?”

“Only because it suits her.  She doesn’t care how I feel,” Jillian started to whine.

“Your mother loves you very much, and I’m not going to stand for you speaking to her the way you did, and I certainly am not going to tolerate the way you just treated me when I walked into your room.”

“But Daddy!” was Jillian cried.

“Do not, but daddy me, young lady.  Your behavior is unacceptable and I will not tolerate such disrespect, understood?  You will not leave this room until I say you can come out.  If this behavior continues, there will be no birthday party, much less any friends spending the night, do I make myself clear?”

Jillian continued to scream at the top of her lungs.  Adam didn’t wait for a response, and walked out of her room.  With all the commotion, Emily came from her room and demanded to know what was going on.

“If you don’t want the same punishment as your sister, you will mind your own business and go back to what you were doing,” Adam said as he walked past Emily toward his bedroom to change clothes, without even looking at her.

“I was only asking, you don’t have to be so mean about it!”  Emily said as Adam walked away from her.

Adam turned around quickly and headed back toward Emily, “What did you say to me?”

“I’m sorry, Daddy!  I just wanted to know what all the yelling was about!”

Adam headed back toward his bedroom.  His face was bright red with anger.  He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off, throwing it in the dirty clothes basket for the cleaners.  He took off his undershirt and placed it in the hamper in the bathroom.  Jessica came back to the bedroom where she found Adam sitting on the bed with just his pants on, unbuttoned and unzipped.  She sat down next to him and gently rubbed his back.

“What has gotten into our little girl, Jess?  She was so obstinate with me.  I almost lost my cool with her.”

“Oh, Adam, you didn’t!”

“No, of course not, but it scared her I might.  I was so angry, Jess.  I was just so angry with her,” Adam said breathing hard, his heart racing.

Jessica placed both her arms around Adam’s waist.  “What a way to end the week.  I’m sorry you had to come home to this.  I know it’s been a busy, stressful week for you.”

“It’s all part of being a husband and father.  I just need a shower.”

Jessica kissed Adam’s shoulder and got up to go turn on the shower while he continued to get undressed.

As Jessica finished getting the shower to just the right temperature, Adam came up behind her and put his arms around his wife.

“Care to join me?” he asked, calming down from his scene with Jillian.

“I would love to, but dinner’s almost ready and I need to finish setting the table.  Maybe later tonight?  I’ve been to the store.  I bought something you might like,” Jessica winked.

“Oh, did you now?”  Adam pressed himself up against Jessica, placing her hand on the excitement she’d caused between  his legs

“I’ll take care of this later tonight,” she said as she gave a loving gentle squeeze and walked past Adam, giving him a gentle slap on his bum.

“Jess!”  Adam yelled back.  Jessica came and peeked around the door frame.

“Yes, Babe?” she smiled.

“You are a wicked woman.” 

“I know, that’s what you love about me the most,” Jessica said with a wicked laugh, and she walked back to the kitchen.

Adam smiled as he got into the shower to bathe and satisfy his sexual hunger.

As Jessica was wrapping up dinner and putting everything on the table, Emily came into the kitchen to speak with her mother.

“Mommy, can Trey come over for a little while after dinner tonight?”  Emily asked in a little girl tone.

“Honey, Daddy had a very hard week at work this week.  He wants to make an early night tonight.  Maybe tomorrow or on Sunday, okay?”  Jessica answered as she worked around her daughter.

“But Mommy!  I’ve only been able to see Trey once since we’ve been home.  I miss him!”  Emily argued.

“You talk to him on the phone several times a day, Honey.  How can you miss him?”

“It’s not the same, Mommy, and you know it.  Daddy won’t let me see him unless he comes over here and I have to ask permission from you or Daddy.”

“And typically it is not a problem, but it’s been a long week, I’m tired, Daddy’s tired, and the answer is no.”

“If I were Jason, you would be falling over yourself to allow his girlfriend to come over,” Emily replied disrespectfully back and stomped out of the kitchen.

Adam finished taking a shower and had changed into jeans and T-shirt.  He was coming down the hall when Emily stormed by him.

“Dinner almost ready, Princess?” he asked, unaware of the blow up his daughter had just had with his wife.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care!  I’m not hungry!”  Emily said as she stormed into her room and slammed the door.

Adam started to walk toward Emily’s door and have a talk with her about slamming the door, but felt he should go talk to Jessica to see if she knew why Emily was in such a tizzy.

“Hey, you’re out of the shower, did it relax you?”  Jessica asked as she was finishing opening a bottle of wine.

“Um, yeah,” Adam said as he came up behind Jessica, placing his arms around her waist and looking toward the entrance of the kitchen to make sure they were alone before he spoke again.

“Your little tease got me all worked up.  I spent a bit more time in the shower than originally planned.  Thanks a lot, beautiful wicked wife of mine,” he answered as he nibbled on Jessica’s neck.

“I told you I would take care of it later,” Jessica replied in a sultry voice.

“Oh, I’m very aware of what you said to me, but it couldn’t wait.  I will hold you to your promise tonight, though, Lover.”

“Looking forward to it,” Jessica turned, giving Adam a quick kiss on the lips and handing him the wine.  “Help me set the table, please.”

As Adam grabbed the wine glasses and headed into the dining room, he asked Jessica if she knew the reason for Emily’s foul mood.

“I passed Emily in the hall, and she looked like she was out for blood.  You two have words?”

Jessica was continuing the final preparations for dinner as she explained what had transpired between her and their daughter concerning Trey.

“I suppose I need to remind her the proper way to speak to her mother, especially if she wants her boyfriend to come over.  Maybe I should ground her from her phone and seeing Trey, too.”

“No, Adam, just let it go.  She’s just upset I won’t allow Trey to come over tonight.  She’ll get over it.”

“I don’t want our children to think they can be disrespectful every time they don’t get their way, Jess,” Adam argued.

“Please, Adam.  It’s been a long week for both of us.  Let it go this time.” Jessica stopped and looked at Adam with a pleading look.

“Okay, but she needs to be made aware this type  of behavior will not go unnoticed in the future.”

“I agree.  Now, will you go get the girls?  Dinner’s ready.”

Adam went and knocked on Emily’s door first.  There was no response from the first knock.  He knocked again and said, “Princess, time for dinner.  Let’s go.”

“I’m not hungry, Daddy,” was the response from behind the closed door.

“This is not a request, Emily.  Dinner is ready.  Tell Trey you’ll call him back later.  Now let’s go.”

Adam left Emily’s door and headed back down the hall and around the corner to Jillian’s room. He knocked on the door and opened it up to stick his head in.  He saw Jillian laying on her stomach reading a book.  She looked up and saw Adam.  The frown on her face showed her mood had not improved any from their last meeting.  She looked back down and continued to read.

“Supper’s ready, Sweetpea, close up your book and come get washed up.”

Jillian continued to read, ignoring her father’s call to dinner.

“Jillian, this is not a request, Mommy has dinner ready, now let’s go.”

“I’m not hungry.  I want to stay in my room.”

Adam took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger building inside again.

“Jillian Alexis Cartwright, your mother has worked very hard to make dinner tonight.  You have exactly one minute to go wash your hands and be at the dinner table.  If you do not come, there will be consequences you will not enjoy, do I make myself clear, young lady?”

“Crystal,” was Jillian’s cold response.

Once everyone convened at the dinner table, the four Cartwrights sat down to a quiet dinner.  Emily picked at her food, not making eye contact with either her mother or father.  Jillian ate very slowly, only speaking when spoken to.

The two girls asked for an early exit from dinner and were both granted their request.  Emily helped Jillian with her glass and plate, and they both retreated to the comfort of their rooms.  Once they had left the kitchen and dining room, Jessica put her face in her hands.

“I don’t remember having these issues with Jason, Adam,” Jessica said almost crying.

“We had our fair share of problems with Jason, Jess.  He was far from the perfect child,” Adam said as he got up and began to clear the table.

The couple reminisced about the growing pains they had with Jason in his younger years during the divorce and later when they married, laughing at some of his antics and thankful he had grown out of others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jillian was growing tired and decided to take a shower before heading to bed.  As she took off her clothes, she noticed some spotting in her panties.  She was scared as she had forgotten about her talk with Jessica, and didn’t know what it was.  Still reeling from the anger she had toward her mother, she decided to confide in her sister the findings after her shower.

She put on her robe, put her dirty clothes in the laundry basket and headed to Emily’s room.  She knocked, and Emily opened the door to see her little sister standing there almost in tears.  She invited her in and closed the door behind her.

“What’s the matter, Peanut?”  Emily asked as she took her into her arms.

“I’m scared, Emmy!”  Jillian broke down in a sob.

“Scared? about what?”  Emily’s voice grew more concerned with the sobbing of her sister.

A few minutes passed before Jillian could speak.  Emily brought her sister to her bed and had her sit down.  She sat down next to her and stroked her back.

“Tell big sissy what’s the matter,”  Emily said in a comforting sweet tone.

Jillian’s sobs began to subside. In between gasps of air, Jillian explained her findings when she was getting undressed to take a shower.

Emily laughed and hugged her sister.  “Welcome to womanhood, Jillian.  You’ve started your period.  Do you have clean panties on now?”

Jillian nodded no. “I don’t want more blood,” she whimpered.

Emily took her sister’s hand and said, “You need to tell Mommy.”

“I don’t wanna.  I’m mad at Mommy,” Jillian replied.

“You have to, Peanut.  You want me to go get her?”

Jillian nodded yes, so Emily got up and went to find Jessica.  She found her and Adam in the den watching a movie.  Jessica had her bare feet up on the sofa, leaning against Adam and laying her head on his chest with her arms around him.

“Mommy, can I see you for a minute please?”  Emily asked quietly.

Jessica looked up, not moving at first.  “What is it, Honey?”

“Mommy, please?  I need to speak to you in private,” Emily persisted.

“Go on, see what she needs,” Adam said, kissing Jessica on the forehead.

Jessica got up and headed to the doorway.  “What is it?”

“Can you come to my room?  Jillian needs you.”

Jessica followed Emily.  Once the door to the den was closed, Emily stopped and shared the news about Jillian’s starting her menstrual cycle.

When Jessica reached Emily’s room, she found her daughter sitting on Emily’s bed with her hands in her lap.  When Jillian saw Jessica, she began to cry again.

“Oh, baby girl, don’t cry!”  Jessica went over and bent down in front of her.  “Emily told me you started your period?”

“I had blood in my panties, Mommy, and I didn’t know what it was!”  Jillian spoke through her tears.

“It’s okay, Baby Girl.  It’s just part of what happens to us when we grow up.  It just happened to you a little sooner than it did with your sister.  It’s nothing to be scared of,” Jessica said as she took her daughter into her arms.

“Don’t tell Daddy, Mommy.  I don’t want him to know!  I’m embarrassed!”  Jillian cried.

“Daddy won’t think any differently about you, sweetie,” Jessica tried to reassure her youngest child.

“I asked Mommy not to tell Daddy about me starting either, Jillie, but I know Mommy did,” Emily jumped in.

“Mommy!  Please don’t tell Daddy!”

“Jillian, calm down.  It’s going to be okay.”

“Mommy, please!”

“Okay, okay!  I won’t tell Daddy.”

Jessica took Jillian into the bathroom and explained to her about the feminine hygiene products she would need to use each month and then helped her get in bed.  She kissed her goodnight and told her she would talk to her more in depth about her new step toward womanhood after breakfast the next day.  She went back to thank Emily for coming to get her.

After she had left Emily, she returned to the den where Adam was still watching the movie.

“You were gone awhile, is everything okay with the girls?”  Adam asked as Jessica curled back up in Adam’s arms.

“Yeah, they’re fine.  Jillian is entering a new phase of her life, and she found out tonight when she went to take a shower.”

Adam looked down, and Jessica and said, “Did she start what I think she did?”

“I didn’t tell you anything.  You figured it out yourself, Adam.  I promised I wasn’t going to tell you.”

“My lips are sealed,” Adam said as he kissed the top of Jessica’s head.

“She’s a bit young isn’t she?  I mean, if memory serves me right, wasn’t Emily a few years older?”

“Em was thirteen when she started.  She begged me not to tell you as well, remember?”

Adam laughed.  “Yeah, I remember.  You told me in a roundabout way when it happened to her, too.”

“Did you have the talk with her about all of this before tonight?”

“Yes, up at our house at the Ponderosa, remember when I had noticed her breasts started to grow?   I told her we would talk more tomorrow morning after breakfast.”

“I’ll make sure I make myself scarce.  I need to mow the yard and trim the hedges anyway.  It’ll be a good time for you to have some privacy with her.”

“Thanks, Babe, I appreciate it,” Jessica said smiling up at Adam.

The couple turned their attention back to the movie they were watching.  Adam filled Jessica in on what had happened in the movie during her absence.  As the movie ended, Adam looked down and saw that Jessica had fallen asleep.  He smiled as he watched his wife quietly resting.

“Jess,” Adam gently nudged her to wake her up so they could go to bed.  “Jess, Jess, wake up!” Adam said a bit louder.  Jessica woke abruptly, looking up at Adam with sleepy eyes.

Adam smiled down at Jessica and quietly said, “Let’s go to bed.”

The couple got up and headed back to their bedroom.  Once they were in their bedroom, they began to get undressed.  Adam stripped down to his boxers and got into bed.  Jessica looked over at him and said, “You’re not getting naked?  What about my promise to you?”

Adam smiled at Jessica and said, “You’re tired, you need your rest.  We can have fun in the morning,” he winked.

Jessica climbed into bed next to her husband and put her arms around him and placed her head on his chest.

“I love you, you know it?  You’re so considerate and kind.  The girls and I are the luckiest women in the whole world to have such wonderful men as you and Jason in our lives.”

Adam ran his fingers through Jessica’s hair and smiled as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the snuggle time with his wife.

“What about Brie?  She’s a lucky woman to have our son in her life don’t you think?”

Jessica sighed as she closed her eyes and relaxed in Adam’s arms.

“Yes, she’s a lucky woman, too.  You and I are lucky our son is so happy and in love with such a terrific girl.  I think we’ve done pretty well raising our kids, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I think you’re right.”

The two lovers drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Around 3:00 A.M. the phone rang; it was Hoss.

“Hello?” a sleepy Adam answered the phone.

“Brother, it’s Hoss.  Dad’s been taken to the hospital by air ambulance.  You need to get there as quickly as you can.  It doesn’t look good.”

“Hoss?”  Adam asked as he turned on the light, “What’s the matter with Dad?”

Jessica woke up and turned to Adam with a concerned look on her face.

“He called me.  He said he was having trouble breathing, and his chest was tight.  I think he might be suffering another heart attack.  I called 9-1-1 and headed to the main house.  I found him slumped over in his chair semi-conscious.  The ambulance arrived but called Care Flight to air flight him to Carson-Tahoe Med Center.  You need to come, Adam, it doesn’t look good.  Joe’s on his way, too.”

“I’ll be right there,” Adam said springing out of bed and hurrying into the closet to grab his jeans and a shirt.

Jessica jumped out of bed and went to Adam.

“What’s going on?  Is something wrong with Dad?” she asked frantically.

“Hoss thinks Dad might have suffered another heart attack.  He’s been airlifted to Carson-Tahoe.  I’ve got to go.  You stay here with the girls.  I’ll give you a call when I know something,” he answered as he was quickly putting on his clothes and shoes.

Adam grabbed his keys, iPhone, wallet, and kissed Jessica quickly on the lips and headed out the bedroom.  Jessica followed behind him to the garage.  As Adam was getting in his Porsche, Jessica called to him, “Adam, please drive carefully.”

Adam blew her another kiss and raised the garage door, and was out and on his way to the hospital.

When Adam arrived, he went to the information desk and spoke to the young woman who was working the overnight shift at the desk.

“My name is Adam Cartwright, my father, Ben, was brought here by helicopter.  How is he?”

As the clerk got up to find out information on Ben’s condition, Joe and Hoss arrived about the same time.

“How’s Dad?”  Joe asked as he arrived at the desk.

“Have they told you anything yet?”  Hoss asked right Joe’s question.

“No, I just arrived.  The clerk is checking now.”

The clerk arrived back at her desk and sat down.  “Your father has arrived and is currently being treated by our emergency doctors.  Please have a seat and when they’re available, they’ll come speak to you.”

Adam, Hoss, and Joe went and sat in the waiting room.  There were a handful of parents there with their children waiting to be seen by the doctors.  Another woman was there with her husband with an ice pack on her wrist.

Time seemed to tick by slowly as the three brothers waited anxiously for word on the condition of their father.  Joe called his wife, Donna, to let her know he had arrived but didn’t have any news to share yet.  Since it was almost 7:00 A.M. in Massachusetts, Adam decided to call Jason and let him and Brianna know the news regarding Jason’s grandfather.

“Good morning!” was the cheery voice which greeted Adam from his future daughter-in-law.

“Good morning, Brie.  Is Jason awake yet?  I need to speak to him,” Adam kept calm, trying to not alarm Brianna’s good mood.

“Sure, Adam, he just got out of the shower, let me get him for you,” Brianna said with the same cheerfulness in her voice.  “Jason, your dad’s on the phone,” she called from the bedroom to the bathroom.

Jason wrapped a towel around his waist and came into the bedroom to take the call.

“I’ll get the coffee started,” Brianna said to Jason as she handed him the phone and gave him a good morning kiss.

“Thanks, Babe,” Jason said as he put the phone to his ear.  “Hey, Dad, is everything okay? It’s awfully early in Carson City.”

“Hi, Son, sorry to call you so early in the morning.  I wanted to let you know your grandfather has been brought to the hospital by air ambulance.  He called Hoss complaining about shortness of breath and chest pains.  We don’t know anything yet, we’ve just arrived.”

“Dad, no!  Is he going to be okay?” the alarm in Jason’s voice brought Brianna back into their bedroom to hear what was the matter.

“I don’t know yet, Jason.  When I know something,  I’ll give you and Brianna a call to let you know.  I just wanted you to know what’s going on.”

“Is Mom with you?”  Jason asked, his voice still concerned.

“No, Mom is back home with the girls.  They’re asleep, and I didn’t want to wake them up.  Joe, Hoss, and I are here waiting for the doctor to come out.

“Family of Ben Cartwright?” said the nurse at the door leading back to the emergency ward.

“I’ve got to go, Son.  They’re calling to tell us about Poppy.”

“Call me when you know anything, please, Dad!”

“I will, I promise when I know something,  I’ll call you.”

Adam hung up the phone as all three brothers headed toward where the nurse was standing.

“I’m Adam Cartwright, these are my brothers, Eric and Joe.  We’re Ben’s three sons.  How’s our father?”

“Please follow me.  The doctor would like to speak to you in private.”

Adam, Hoss, and Joe looked at each other with concern as they turned to go through the door following the nurse to a private room where the doctor wanted to speak to them regarding Ben.

The nurse opened a door that led into a small waiting room.  “Please have a seat, the doctor will be with you shortly.”

The nurses demeanor didn’t give a clue as to Ben’s condition or what the doctor wanted to speak to them about, so they all sat down and tried to relax as best they could.

Ten minutes passed when the doctor finally arrived.  She was a young doctor with long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail with a red bow to match the red scrubs she was wearing.  As she entered the room, Adam, Hoss, and Joe stood to greet her.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Malory Brewer, I’m the attending physician here in the ER.”

“Hello, I’m Adam, these are my brothers, Eric, and Joe,” Adam introduced himself and his brothers, all shaking hands with the doctor.  “How is our father, Ben?”

“Please, have a seat,” Dr. Brewer said, gesturing them all to sit down as she, too, took a seat. “Your father came into my ER in full cardiac arrest.  I understand he had complained of chest pains and shortness of breath, and when one of you arrived, you found him slumped over in his chair?”

“Yes, Ma’am, that was me.  I’m the one who called 9-1-1,” Hoss spoke.

“He did suffer a massive heart attack.  As I said, he came into the ER in full arrest.  The paramedics were performing CPR on him as he was transported from the chopper to the helipad. I took over CPR as we brought him down into the ER.  We were able to get his heart beating again, but he soon went back into full arrest.  We began CPR again, but we were not successful in getting his heart to start again.  I’m sorry to have to tell you, but your father passed away about twenty minutes ago,” the doctor paused to let the shock of Ben’s passing sink into his three sons.

“We did everything we could, his heart was just too weak to continue.  I’m very sorry for your loss.”

The three grown men sat in shock and silence.  Joe’s eyes welled with tears, and Hoss put his arm around his younger brother to console him.  Adam swallowed hard and tried to remain stable, but his voice shook and broke as he spoke.  “May we see our father, Doctor?”

“Of course, you may.  Please give me a few moments.  I need to see if they have him ready.  Again, I’m very sorry to have to deliver this incredibly sad news.”

“Thank you,” Adam’s voice was almost a whisper as he tried valiantly to fight back the tears that were trying to escape his eyes.  “We know you did all you could to save his life.”

The doctor touched Adam’s arm gently and gave him a look of sympathy as she headed out the door.  Dr. Brewer headed to the trauma room where Ben’s body lay on the table.  The cardiac leads had been removed from his chest, but the pads remained.

“He’s ready for his family now, Doctor,” the nurse said as she finished cleaning up the medical supplies and medicines which had been used in the attempt to save Ben’s life.

The doctor stood alone looking at Ben’s body.  She touched his shoulder and said, “I tried with every medical intervention I had to save you, Mr. Cartwright.  I’m very sorry.”

Dr. Brewer then turned to head back to the room where Adam, Hoss, and Joe were waiting.

“Gentlemen, we’re ready for you now.”

The boys followed the doctor to the room where Ben’s lifeless body was waiting.  As they came into the room, the sight of Ben was almost more than the three boys could take.  Their strong exteriors were collapsing like a house of cards.

“I’ll leave you with your father,” the doctor softly spoke to Adam, and she left the room.

Adam, Hoss, and Joe slowly walked toward their father.  They each looked down on his lifeless body.  Joe knelt down next to his father and wept.  Tears were rolling down Hoss’ puffy cheeks.  Adam could no longer hold back the burning, salty tears and he, too, started to cry as he sat in the chair next to his father’s head.

“I’m so sorry, Dad!” he whispered as he touched his forehead, stroking his snow white hair.  “I should have been there!  If we could’ve only gotten you to the hospital sooner!”

Hoss came over to his older brother.  “Adam, don’t beat yourself up.  There was nothing any of us could’ve done.  We couldn’t have predicted this would happen.”

“He’s gone, Hoss.  Dad’s gone,” Adam cried, staring at his father’s face, continuing to stroke his hair.

Joe came over to his other two brothers and he and Hoss each took one of Adam’s hands and lifted him up, and they all held each other as they broke down crying.

After a few minutes, Adam regained his composure as he held his brothers tightly.

“We’re going to get through this together as brothers.  We have many things we have to work through over the next few days.  The first thing we have to do is go home and tell our families.  I’ll contact Richard Castle to arrange Dad’s funeral.  We’re going to get through this, Dad wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Hoss and Joe looked to their oldest brother for strength.  They knew Adam was now the patriarch of their family and he, as the Executor of Ben’s estate, would be heading up the final arrangements as well.

Adam walked out and found the doctor.  “I’ll be contacting the funeral home later this morning to make arrangements to have my father’s body picked up.  Is there anything else you need from me at this time?”

“We need you to sign some paperwork for your father’s admittance into the ER and the insurance paperwork.  After that, we’ll handle everything else with the funeral director when they come for the body.”

After Adam had finished with the paperwork, he and his brothers said their goodbyes to their father and left the hospital.  They all departed for their homes to share the sad news of their father’s passing.  The planning had started for Adam and his brothers, and they began their journey to say their final good-bye to their father.  The week ahead would be a long one.

Adam returned home.  As he lowered the garage door, Jessica was in the kitchen making coffee.  The sun was coming up over the horizon as she opened the door to find Adam walking toward the her looking very sad, his cheeks tear-stained and his eyes swollen and red from crying.

Jessica immediately knew the news was not good, and she felt her legs start to wobble beneath her.

“Oh, Adam, no! please don’t tell me…” her voice trailed off, and she began to cry as Adam approached her and took her into his chest.

“They did everything they could, Babe.  Dad’s gone.”

“No, no, no!”  Jessica screamed into Adam’s chest.  “Please tell me this is just a dream and I’m going to wake up!”

“I’m afraid it’s not a dream, Jess!”  Adam’s voice cracked.  “Dad’s really gone.  The doctors did all they could, but they just couldn’t keep his heart beating.”

Jessica sobbed uncontrollably into Adam’s chest as he held her tightly and let her cry.  Ben had always been so kind to Jessica, even during the years of her and Adam’s divorce.  She loved her father-in-law like her own father.  She, too, always held a special place for her father-in-law in her heart and now he was gone, and a profound emptiness filled her being.

“How are we going to tell the girls, Adam?  Jason!  Oh my gosh, we have to call Jason!”  Jessica looked up at Adam with her eyes wide open and tears falling like waterfalls.

“I called him from the hospital before we knew Dad had passed away,” Adam tried to keep strong for his wife.  “I haven’t called him again to let him know about him dying.  Are the girls awake yet?”

Jessica shook her head no.  “I’ll go get them and bring them into the den.”

Jessica wiped her eyes as she turned to go get the girls.  Adam stood motionless for a moment as he looked around the kitchen.  Everything was different for him now.  The realization he no longer had either of his parents was weighing heavily on his heart.  He took a deep breath and went into the den where he waited for Jessica to wake up the girls and bring them into the room so he could tell them about their Poppy’s death.

“Daddy?  What’s wrong?”  Emily was the first to enter the room.  “Mommy said to get up and come in here, you had something you needed to tell us?”

“Come sit down next to me, Princess,” Adam said patting the seat next to him on the sofa.  As Emily made her way over to where Adam was sitting, Jessica and Jillian came into the room. Jessica sat down in the chair next to the couch and had Jillian sit in her lap.

Adam put his arm around Emily and began to explain the series of events which had started earlier in the morning with the phone call from Hoss.  As Adam reached the part to tell them their Poppy had died, each of the girls broke down in a sob of tears.  They both loved their grandfather very much, and the news of his death came as a huge blow to each of them.

After Adam and Jessica had been able to calm their two youngest children down, they each got on the phone and made the dreaded call to their son back in Massachusetts.

“Hi, Dad, how’s Poppy?”  Jason answered the phone.

Adam sat silent for a moment, trying to find the words to tell his eldest child about his favorite grandfather passing away.

“Jason, Poppy died today,” Adam just let it all out with a massive sigh.

Jason sat silent for a moment.

“Honey, your Poppy loved you so much.  Don’t ever forget that,” Jessica said trying to break the silence.

Brianna’s voice was the next to be heard.  “Adam? what happened?” she asked with a worried sound in her voice.  “Jason handed me the phone and walked out onto the balcony and is standing there slumped over the railing.

“Jason’s Poppy died, hon,” Jessica’s voice was somber.

“Oh, Adam, Jessica, I’m soo sorry!  Jason told me he had been rushed to the hospital.”

“Brie, listen to me,” Adam’s voice became very matter of fact. “Take care of Jason.  He and his Poppy were extremely close.  This news, no doubt, has come as a huge blow to him.  I don’t have any further news or arrangements at this time.  I’ll be in touch with you when I do.  Go be with Jason.  Tell him to call me if he needs to talk.”

“Adam!”  Jessica’s voice rang from the other extension.

Adam looked sternly at Jessica and shook his hand at her as if to say stop talking.

“I will, Adam.  I’ll take good care of him.  Please let us know when we need to come back home and we’ll be on the next flight out.”

“Thanks, Brie, I’ll be in touch.”

When Adam and Jessica hung up with Brianna, Jessica came over to Adam and said, “What were you thinking?  You sprang the news on our son that his favorite grandfather had just died, and you don’t want to try to talk to him?  What is wrong with you, Adam?”

“What is wrong with me? I just lost my father, that’s what’s wrong with me, Jessica.”

Adam looked at Jessica like she had two heads.  Jessica was trying to be sympathetic to her husband’s hurt, but she was terribly worried about Jason’s sadness a few thousand miles away.

Jessica put her arms around her husband.  She placed her head on his back and rubbed his chest.

“I’m sorry, Adam.  I know you’re hurting.  Remember, I’ve been where you are right now.  I’m concerned about Jason.  He’s so far away, and his favorite grandfather just died.”

“I know, Jess, I know!  I’m doing the best I can at the minute.  I have so many things going through my head right now.  I have to get arrangements made, I have to contact Richard Castle, our company attorney, so he can handle not only my father’s estate but the transfer of the business as well.”

“What about your brothers?  Are they not having any say or part in any of this?”

“Hoss and Joe are dealing with their own grief.  They’ve put their trust in me as the eldest son to handle everything where our father is concerned.  They’ll be there, but they trust me to make the decisions that would be best.”

“Is that really fair, Adam?  I mean, why are you given all the pressure of making all the arrangements and handling Ben’s estate?  I’m worried about you!”

“I’ll be fine, Jessica,” Adam’s voice was low and direct.

“Okay,”  Jessica retreated.

Adam turned to Jessica and took her into his arms.

“I’m sorry, Babe.  It’s just been a hard morning.”

“I’m worried about you, Adam.  I love my brother-in-laws, too, but you’re my husband, and you’re my primary concern.”

“I know, Babe.  I’ll be fine.”

Adam looked at his watch; it was 9:00 A.M.  “I need to call the funeral home to make arrangements for Dad’s body to be picked up from the hospital.  I’m then going to call my brothers to meet me at the funeral home to make the arrangements for the services.”

Jessica gave Adam a kiss and went off to cook breakfast for her and the girls.  She had asked Adam if he wanted something to eat, and he said he was not hungry.

While Jessica and the girls were eating breakfast, Adam headed to the garage to head to the funeral home.  He stopped and kissed both his daughters’ on their heads and bent down to kiss Jessica on her lips.

Jessica got up from her chair and walked with Adam to the garage.

“I don’t know when I’ll be back.  I might head up to the Ponderosa after we finish with the arrangements.  I just don’t know yet.  Depending on how exhausted I am.”

“Okay, Adam.  I love you, please be careful,”  Jessica said as Adam toward his car.

Adam opened the door to his car and stopped to look back at Jessica.  Her face was sad, and the tears were evident in her eyes.  Adam closed the door and came back to where Jessica was standing and took her into his arms.

“I’m sorry, Jess.”

“What?  What are you sorry about?”  Jessica said putting her hands on Adam’s cheeks.

“I’m lost in my own mourning and I’m not here to support you and the girls in your sadness,” Adam said moving Jessica’s bangs from her forehead.

“I’m concerned about you, Adam.  I don’t want you pushing all of your sadness down to protect the girls and me.”

“I’ll be fine, Jess.  I’m sad, but I’ll be okay.  We just have to get through the funeral and burial, and everything else will be all right.”

“Do you want me to go with you?  I can go change clothes quickly if you want me to come.”

Adam smiled and kissed Jessica on the forehead.

“I love you, woman, you know that?  I need to do this on my own, Okay?  Besides, my brothers will be there with me.”

“And the Ponderosa?”  Jessica asked.

“You don’t think I need to go alone, right?”

Jessica shook her head no.

Adam smiled and hugged Jessica.  “Okay, I’ll be home in a little bit.  If I decide to go to the Ponderosa, we’ll go as a family.”

Jessica smiled and kissed Adam on the cheek, and he walked back to his car, got in, Jessica raised the garage door and they each waved at each other as he pulled out of the garage and drove away.

Adam met Hoss and Joe at the funeral home, and they made final arrangements for Ben’s funeral and his eternal resting place at the Ponderosa between the two wives he had been married to since moving to Nevada.

Ben’s three sons met with the funeral director of Autumn Funeral Home and planned a public viewing and memorial service for their father so friends and employees of Cartwright, Inc. would be able to pay their last respects to Ben and their condolences to the family.  The burial would be private for only the family, followed by a gathering of close friends and officers of the company.

Upon Adam’s return home from working out the final details of his father’s internment, he sat in the garage for a few moments alone.  He reminisced about happier times with his father:  when they moved out west; built the Ponderosa and their father’s empire known as Cartwright, Inc.; their trip back to their original home when Adam went to college at Massachusetts; his marriage to Jessica; the birth of his and Jessica’s children; Adam’s near-fatal car wreck; and his final visit with his father just before he left on his family vacation back east.

“Dad, you’ve always been there for me when I needed you most.  I know all three of us made you proud.  I hope we can continue to make you proud as you watch over us now in your heavenly home.”

Adam wiped the tear which escaped his eye and headed into the house.  He found Jessica in the office on the phone with her mother, explaining Ben had passed away.  When she saw Adam walk by the door toward their bedroom, she told her mother Adam was home, and she needed to go be with him.

Jessica walked into the bedroom and found Adam taking off his jeans and changing into shorts and a T-shirt.

“How did everything go, Sweetheart?”  Jessica asked quietly.

Adam continued to change his clothes preparing to do some yard work to help get his mind off of the morning’s activities.

“We made the arrangements.  Family viewing will be on Monday, public viewing on Tuesday, Funeral on Wednesday, burial on Thursday; it’s going to be a long week.”

“I’ll call Jason and Brianna.  I’ll make their reservations to come home for tomorrow morning,” Jessica said somberly.

“Sounds good,” Adam said as he got up off the bed from putting on his sneakers and headed toward the back yard to start his yard work.

Jessica headed back into the office and called Jason on his cell phone.  She worked with him and Brianna on a flight schedule which worked for them and made the reservations and paid for their tickets.

Emily and Jillian decided they wanted to help their father with the yard work, and it would help them also release some of their sadness by working outside in nature.  They smiled when they talked about how they remembered their Poppy always talked about how they needed to be kind to the land on which they lived.  Be good to the land, and it will be good to you in return, Emily remembered her Poppy always preached to her and the rest of his grandchildren.

Adam appreciated his daughters wanting to help with the yard work.  He allowed them to clean up the bush clippings dropped when he clipped the hedges.  He mowed and edged the front and back yard while the girls swept the sidewalk and porch.  When the three of them came in, Jessica had a light lunch and lemonade ready for them.  While they ate, Jessica continued her laundry folding and had the girls take their clean clothes back to their rooms after they ate.

Adam went to take a shower after he finished lunch.  When he came out of the shower, he found Jessica putting up their clothes and clean towels.  She tossed Adam a fresh pair of boxers.  Adam slipped into them and laid down on the bed.  Jessica sat down next to him and rubbed his chest with the tips of her fingernails.  Adam let out a long sigh and closed his eyes.

“Why don’t you get some rest. It’s been a long day for you,” she quietly said while she continued to rub her fingers down his chest.

Adam nodded his head slightly and after a few minutes, Jessica could see his breathing became quieter as he drifted off into a light sleep.  She gently got up, went into the closet, grabbed a light blanket and placed it over Adam’s sleeping form and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Jessica was putting sheets into the dryer when Emily came into the laundry room to talk to her about her grandfather’s funeral.

“Mommy?”  Emily asked quietly.

“Yes, Sweetheart?”  Jessica replied.

“I know I never got to introduce Trey to Poppy, but I would really like to invite him to the funeral.  To give me support more than anything.  Would it be okay?  Do you think Daddy would mind?”

Jessica stopped and smiled at her eldest daughter.  “I don’t believe it would be a problem, Sweetheart.  I’ll talk to Daddy about it tonight after dinner, okay?  Don’t say anything to Trey until I talk to Daddy, but I think it will be all right.”

“When are Jason and Brie coming home?”  Emily asked.

“They’ll be home tomorrow afternoon; they’ll be here through next Saturday.”

“Where’s Jillian?”  Jessica asked.

“She took a bath and went into her room to read.  Can I help you with anything, Mommy?”

“No, Sweetheart.  Not right now.  You can give me a hand with dinner in a few hours, okay?  I think once I’m finished with the laundry, I’m going to sit down and read a book.”

Emily gave her mother a hug and left to go back to her room.

As the sun started to set for the evening, Adam woke from his long nap, and he put on a pair of jeans and headed into the kitchen to grab a glass of water.  He found Jessica preparing some fresh green beans for dinner.

“Hey, did you sleep well?”  Jessica asked as she continued to snap the ends off of each of the beans.

“Yes and no.  I kept waking up when it seemed I’d just dozed off,” he said as he grabbed a glass from the cupboard.

“You still look exhausted.  We’ll call it an early night tonight,” Jessica said as she rinsed the beans.  “Would you go get Emily for me, Babe?  She said she wanted to help me with dinner tonight.”

“Sure, be right back.”

Adam sat his glass down and headed back to Emily’s room.

“Princess, Mommy wants you in the kitchen,” Adam said as he knocked on her door.

Emily came out and hugged her father and laid her head on his bare chest.

“I love you, Daddy.  I’m sorry for your loss today.  I loved Poppy very much.”

Adam hugged his daughter tight and fought back the tears as he held his her in his arms.

“Poppy loved you very much, too, Princess.  He loved all of his grandchildren very much.”

“Thanks, Daddy,” Emily said as she looked up at her hero.

Adam smiled and kissed his daughter on her forehead, patted her bum and told her to go help her mother in the kitchen.

After dinner, the family went into the den and watched a movie together.  Emily snuggled into her father’s arms, and Jillian snuggled into her mother’s arms.  After the movie was over, everyone was exhausted from the long emotional day.  Adam and Jessica kissed their girl’s goodnight and prepared for the arrival of Jason and Brianna the next day as well as the emotional goodbye week ahead.

Chapter Fourteen

**Reader warning…You will need more tissues**

As the night turned to early morning, Adam woke from his restless sleep.  He knew he had a long day ahead of him, and he quietly got out of bed so as not to awake Jessica, who was sleeping peacefully next to him.

He went to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee as he ran through his mind all the things he had to do in preparation for his father’s funeral and the finalizing of his estate.  He’d spoke to his longtime friend and chief counsel at Cartwright, Inc., Larry Jacobs, about the reading of Ben’s last will and the transfer of ownership of the business from Ben to his three sons.

Adam sat in the three seasons room drinking a cup of coffee and reading the many emails of condolences on his IPhone when he heard the loving voice of Jessica behind him.

“You couldn’t sleep, my love?”

Adam turned his head and looked up at Jessica, who was standing behind him.  He grabbed her hand, kissed her palm and smiled up at her.

“No, my brain is on overdrive right now.  So many thoughts are racing through my head on things that need to get done before we lay my father to rest on Thursday.”

Jessica came and sat on Adam’s lap; she kissed him tenderly on the cheek.  “I know this is hard on you, but we’ll get through it together, Sweetheart.”

Adam smiled as he looked longingly into Jessica’s comforting eyes.

“You know,” Adam said with a lift in his voice, “my father always liked you.  From the very first day I brought you home to meet him, he always told me how special you were, and he saw the love you had for me.”

Jessica put her hand on Adam’s cheek, “Dad was a very observant man.   At one time anger and resentment jaded my love for you,  but it never wavered in my heart for you or for Dad.”

“I’m glad.  Dad’s funeral would be tough to go through without you by my side.”

Jessica laid her head on Adam’s chest.  “I’ll always be with you, Adam.  Nothing will ever separate us again.”

Adam kissed the top of Jessica’s head, and they sat in silence as they watched the sun come up over the horizon and listen to the birds begin to sing their praises of another beautiful day.

Adam finally patted Jessica on her hip and told her he needed to get up and get dressed.  He was meeting his brothers and Larry at the Ponderosa to go over Ben’s estate.  Jessica and the girls would be picking up Jason and Brianna from the airport if Adam was not back from his meeting in time.

As Adam arrived at the Ponderosa, he came around the circle drive and sat in his car for a few moments after shutting off the engine.

“This house doesn’t seem like home anymore without you here, Dad,” he said to himself as he let out a deep sigh, exited his car, and headed toward the house.

When he walked inside, he was met by his two brothers who were already there with Larry.

“Good to see you, Adam,” Larry said as he shook Adam’s hand, “I’m just sorry it is under such sad circumstances.”

“Thanks, Larry.”

Without hesitating, Adam gestured for everyone to head into Ben’s office just off the great room so they could get the transfer of the business in order, as well as setting a date for the reading of Ben’s will.

Hoss had come home the morning of his father’s death and informed his lifelong friend and house foreman, Hop Sing, of his father’s passing.  Hop Sing was devastated by the news but in true Chinese tradition, he stayed strong for the family and putting his own grief aside, was there to tend to the needs of the men as they had a full day ahead of them going through everything they needed to get done.  Hop Ling was also available to help his cousin as Hop Sing, too, was getting on up in age.

Adam sat behind Ben’s desk, and Larry pulled a chair up next to him while Joe and Hoss pulled up chairs and sat opposite the two men.  Adam poured a cup of java from the carafe Hop Ling had brought in with fresh homemade croissants, butter, and Jam for the men to nibble on as they went through the small stack of file folders the Cartwright attorney had brought with him.

“Your father had everything in order for just this day.  One-third of the business is to go to each of you.  Should any of you decide to sell your third of the company, the other two brothers will have the first opportunity to purchase the other brother’s third.  Your father was very particular about these conditions.  He worked hard to make this family business what it is today, and he doesn’t ever want it sold to outsiders if possible.”

“Dad didn’t have to worry about that happening, Larry,” Joe interjected.

“No sirree,” Hoss agreed.

“He’s also made provisions for Adam to remain as CEO and for you two,” gesturing to Hoss and Joe, “to continue as Senior Vice Presidents. Of course, it was always his desire to see Jason come into the business after his graduation from college if he so desires.”

“That’s his plan currently, but Jessica and I want Jason to do what he thinks is best for him and Brianna.  We don’t want to pressure any of our children into the family business, but we hope they all want to have some part in its future success.”

After the discussion of terms in regards to the transfer of ownership of Cartwright, Inc., each of the boys signed the transfer paperwork, and became each one-third owner.

“Now, Adam, there is another piece of business Hoss, Joe, and I need to speak with you about regarding your father’s will before we plan the date and have it read aloud to all named in the will.”

Adam looked at Larry, Hoss, and Joe with a surprised look on his face.  He couldn’t imagine what news they each had to share that he didn’t already know.

“When your son came home at Christmas with Brianna, your father could see he was quite serious about his girlfriend, and he soon expected there would be an engagement announcement made.  Ben was happy about the decision they made official this summer, and he hoped he would be healthy enough to travel and attend the wedding.”

“I know Jason and Brianna wanted this more than anything as well.  Jason and Dad were extremely close.  His death has been devastating to my son.”

“It was your father’s wish to give his eldest grandson something very special in honor of their relationship as well as being the first born grandchild.  He discussed it with Hoss and Joe, and with their blessing, he spoke with me to make it a part of his will.”

Adam looked at Larry and his brothers with a befuddled look.  He was curious to know what his father had wanted for Jason and, furthermore, why he was not privy to the information before this moment.

“You see, Adam, your father wanted to leave his home here on the Ponderosa, to your son.  His reasoning’s are very clear.  You and Jessica live in the city with your children, and you also own land and a home here currently; the same with Joe, his wife, and children.  Hoss also has a home on his land here on the Ponderosa, and he’s happy and content living in his home, too.  After Ben had realized Jason would be marrying one day, he wanted his grandson and granddaughter-in-law to have a lovely home to live in after they were married.  If he had still been living at the time of their marriage, he was going to give them the house as a gift and build a smaller home upon the bluffs overlooking the lake.  He told Hoss and Joe it was getting harder for him to climb the stairs and he often slept in the bedroom downstairs when he couldn’t make it up the stairs at night.”

Adam sat back in his chair dumbfounded.  “Why didn’t Dad feel he could talk to me about this?”

“He wanted it to be a surprise to you and Jason, Adam.”

Hoss spoke up.  “He knew you and Jessica loved living in the city and only because of the divorce, you had built a home up here in the first place.  You always said when Jillian was gone to college you and Jessica would then sell your house in Carson City and move back up here and but to the home you had already built.”

“Yeah, I get that, but why?  Why didn’t he feel he could talk to me about it?  I wish I could thank him for his beautiful, generous gift to my son.  I know this will shock him!”

“Dad was afraid you would say no, Adam,” Joe spoke up, remembering the conversation he and Hoss had with him regarding his desire.  “Hoss and I agreed it should go to Jason since we all have homes here as well as you as well as the one Donna and I have in the city.”

“Besides, Jason has always said how much he loves it up here.  He told me he would like to live up here when he got married,” Hoss said.

“Yes, he wanted to live in a small apartment after graduation, work for the company, and save money to build a house on the land reserved for him,” Adam added.

“Well  hopefully, he’ll accept his grandfather’s final gift to him and take ownership of the house which was once his.”

“There is no doubt Jason will accept such a beautiful gift.  I know Brianna will be beside herself as well.  She mentioned how much she loved Dad’s home when she was here last.”

“Of course, I need to ask you to please not divulge any of this information to him before the reading.  We wanted to let you know of your father’s wishes as the executor of his estate,” Larry stated.

“I understand.  I would like to share this news with Jessica, however.”

“You may do as you see fit, Adam, but because Jason is the recipient of this gift, it is best he find out about it at the time of the reading of the will.”

“I understand.”

The four gentlemen went on and wrapped up the other loose ends where the business and the Ponderosa real estate was related.  The afternoon was turning to evening and after they had finished, the three boys shook Larry’s hand as he walked to his car and got in to leave.

Hop Sing and Hop Ling had made themselves scarce during the meeting; only bringing in fresh coffee, lunch, and afternoon snacks.  They continued business as usual, until after Larry’s departure.

“Mr. Adam, we are very saddened by Mr. Ben’s death.  We shall tender our resignation to you after the burial,” Hop Sing and Hop Ling announced.

“Hop Sing,” Adam said as he put his arm around him and led him into the great room to sit down on the settee, “I know I speak for my brothers on this.  We would like you to stay on if you choose to.  You have not only been our cook and housekeeper for most of our lives, but you’ve been a friend to our father.  If you choose to retire, of course, we’ll accept your resignation, but as you know, it was our father’s wish upon your retirement, to build a house here on the Ponderosa for you and there also was a pension set up for you.  The choice is yours but we’ll need someone to keep up the house until it’s occupied again.  Hop Ling, my father has generously left this house to my son, Jason, and Brianna.  They’ll need assistance with this house, and I would like to keep you on as head house supervisor when Hop Sing decides to retire.”

“Yes, Master Jason has more years of school before he comes home to live here,” Hop Sing smiled widely.

“You knew, too?”  Adam said with a big smile on his face.

“Oh yes, Mr. Adam.  Mr. Ben and I discussed it many times!  I told him, splendid idea!  Master Jason loves this house.”

“Yes, he does, Hop Sing.”

Adam looked at his watch and realized Jason was probably arriving about that time and he wanted to get going home so he could be there when they got home.  He hugged his brothers and headed toward the door.  He turned one more time to them and thanked them for wanting his son to have their father’s home.

“We wouldn’t have it any other way, older brother,” Hoss said as he and Joe each joined to hug Adam.

Adam held back the tears until he got to his car and drove away.  As he reached the entrance to the Ponderosa, he called Jessica on his cell phone to let her know he was on his way back and he would see them when they got home.

“Their plane just landed, Babe.  We’ll see you in a little bit.  Did you get everything straightened away with Larry?”

“Yes, I’ll tell you about it tonight when we go to bed.”

“Okay, I love you, Adam,” Jessica said with a soft, quiet voice.

“I love you more than you’ll ever know, Jess,” Adam said, trying to hide the sorrow in his voice.

When Adam arrived home, Jessica’s SUV was in the garage.  Jason and Brianna had only brought a piece of luggage they could bring on the plane, so they didn’t have to wait for their luggage to arrive at baggage claim.

When Adam came in the door, Jason, Brianna, Jessica, and Emily were sitting at the table in the kitchen.  Jason got up and went to his father to hug him.  The sight of her son and husband embracing brought tears to Jessica’s eyes.  Brianna and Emily also began to cry when they heard Jason break down in his father’s arms.

“I can’t believe he’s gone, Dad,” were the muffled words that came from Jason as his father held him tight in his arms.  “He was more than my grandfather; he was my mentor, my friend.”

“I know, Son, I know.  I miss him greatly, too,” Adam said as he held his son.

After Jason was able to gain control of his emotions again, Adam released his embrace and went to Brianna to give her a hug.  She, too, broke down when she expressed her condolences to Adam at the loss of his father.

“Adam, I’m so sorry for your loss.  Your dad was so kind to me.  Even though I had only known him a short time, I loved him dearly; I miss him.  My parents send their love and condolences as well.”

“Thank you, Brie,” Adam said as he released Brianna and wiped the tears from her eyes.

“So what are the plans, Dad?”  Jason asked.

“Well, tomorrow is the family viewing.  Tuesday, for the public.  Wednesday will be the funeral and there will be a gathering at Dad’s house afterward for friends, family, and senior staff of the company.  Thursday will be a private burial with just the family followed by the reading of the will.”

After a light dinner, everyone was growing tired from the long day.  Emily had retreated to her bedroom to talk with Trey, and Jillian had been in her room since returning home from the airport, except for dinner, to read a book.  Jason and Brianna excused themselves and headed to his bedroom to get ready for bed.  Since they were still on Eastern time, it felt like midnight to them and coupled with a long day of traveling they were ready for a shower and sleep.

Jessica and Adam kissed the kids goodnight and they stayed to clean the dishes before retiring themselves.  They stopped off at Jillian’s room after finishing in the kitchen and told her not to stay up too late and gave her a kiss and hug goodnight.  They also stopped and knocked on Emily’s door where she was still chatting with Trey on the phone.  She put her phone down to give her father and mother a hug and kiss goodnight.

“Daddy, Mommy said she would check with you to see if it would be okay to have Trey attend the family functions with me for support,” she said with sadness in her eyes.

Adam smiled and ran the back of his fingers down Emily’s cheek.

“Yes, we talked about it and of course, it’s okay, Princess.”

Emily smiled and hugged Adam tight.  “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too, Princess.”

She went back to her room and quietly shut the door and returned to her phone call with Trey.

When Adam and Jessica got to their bedroom, Adam went to the closet and started to take his clothes off to get in bed.  Jessica went to her dresser and got out a short pajama set and began to get undress.  Adam emerged with just his silk boxers on and helped Jessica turn down the bed.  They each got in bed and met in the middle.  Jessica snuggled up in Adam’s arms and began running her fingers through Adam’s forest of salt and pepper chest hair.

“I have something to tell you,” Adam said as he ran his fingers down Jessica’s right arm.

“What is it?”  Jessica said as she gently kissed Adam’s right breast.

“Dad has left his house to Jason.”

Jessica sat up in bed and turned to look down at Adam with a look of shock on her face.

“Are you kidding me?” she said in total disbelief.

“Do you have a problem with it, Jess?”

“No, of course not, I’m just in shock!  I figured your father would leave it to you, Hoss or Joe!”

“Well, apparently, he spoke to them about it before his death and he said since we all had homes on the Ponderosa already and Joe and I live here in the city as well, he wanted to give his eldest grandchild his home.  Especially since he knows how special the house and the ranch are to Jason.”

“I just can’t get over your father’s generous gift, Adam!  When do you plan to tell Jason?”

“It is to remain among only us until the reading of the will.  Dad didn’t want it revealed until then.”

“Okay,” Jessica said as she resumed her position in Adam’s arms, resting her head on his chest.

The emotional toll had taken a lot out of both Adam and Jessica, and soon the two were sleeping soundly in each other’s arms.

Monday flew by and the time came for the family to leave for the funeral home.  Trey had arrived about ten minutes before it was time to leave.  Since there was not enough room in Jessica’s SUV for everyone, Jason, Brianna, Emily and Trey all rode in Jason’s Rav4 behind Adam, Jessica, and Jillian.  When they arrived at the funeral home, they were met by the funeral director who led them to the room where Ben’s body lay in state.  Adam and Jessica were the first to enter.  The kids had decided earlier in the day they wanted to give their parents a bit of time alone first.  When Adam turned to have the kids come with them, Jason explained they felt he and Jessica needed to go first alone.  He thanked them and took Jessica’s hand, and they walked in together.  When Adam first saw his father lying in the casket, he had to stop and take a deep breath so his knees would not buckle beneath him.  He had not seen his father since he saw him at the hospital shortly after he died.  He now was dressed in his favorite leather vest, cream shirt, and tan pants.

Jessica put her arm around Adam and she nudged him to walk with her up to the casket.  They saw pictures of all his grandchildren in small frames lined up at the top of the opened coffin.

“Donna, Carolyn, and I gathered pictures of all the grandkids and gave them to the funeral director.  We want Dad buried with his source of pleasure.”

Adam smiled and kissed Jessica on the forehead.  “I like it.”

Adam saw Joe, Hoss, and their wives enter the room next.  The four came up to see their father and father-in-law lying in state.

“Still hard to believe he’s gone!”  Hoss said, wiping his eyes with a handkerchief.

A few minutes later, the kids came in holding Hoss and Carolyn’s twins as well as Joe and Donna’s new baby and their son.

The older grandkids each took turns going up to the casket to look at their poppy.  Jason and Brianna first followed by Emily, Trey, and Jillian.  Joe took his son when it was his turn.  Joe Jr. asked all kinds of questions about his grandfather and his death., Joe stood with him answering all them on a level he would understand.

After a few hours, everyone left the room but the three brothers.  They wanted to allow them alone time with their father one last time.  They each kissed their father on his head and told him they loved him and would miss him.  They also thanked him for being the best father any child could ever have.

When the viewing hours were over, they all convened outside and discussed what time to meet the next evening to accept visitors.  They decided the time everyone would meet back at the funeral home the next night, and they all got in their cars and went home.

Tuesday went by quickly and before they knew it, it was time to go back to the funeral home. Ben’s body would lay in state in the funeral home’s chapel as there would be many friends and employees com to pay their respects.  Many flowers and plants had arrived and were placed around the casket and chapel.  Ben’s obituary was put in the paper announcing his death as well as the transfer of ownership of the company to his three sons.  The family sat in the front row of the room and accepted the friends of Ben, as well as the employees of Cartwright, Inc., who came by to give their condolences.

When Ben’s former secretary, Lana, arrived, Adam was the first to see her.  He got up and went to give her a hug at the door and escorted her in.  He introduced her to Jessica and the kids.  She greeted each of them with a hug and said she had heard so much about them from Ben when she worked for him, and she couldn’t believe how big the kids were now.  She had never seen any pictures of Jillian as Ben was retired by the time she was born, but she had heard about her on the many occasions Ben and she would talk on the telephone or over coffee.  She couldn’t believe how big Jason and Emily had gotten.  Emily was just a newborn when Ben had his first heart attack and had to retire.

She then moved on to speak with Hoss and Joe and meet their families.  The boys had always loved Ben’s former secretary because she was loyal and always took such good care of him.  They often had hoped maybe once their father retired he and Lana would fall in love and marry, but they only remained good friends.

The evening was long but filled with many laughs and fond memories of a friend, colleague, business partner, and boss.  It brought great pride to Adam, Hoss, and Joe, to hear such wonderful stories about their father.  Some they knew, others they heard for the first time.

Before Lana left, Adam took her aside and asked her to please come to his house the next day as he wanted her to ride with the family to the funeral and he also wanted her to be present at the burial.  She had been Ben’s right hand from the first day he opened Cartwright, Inc. and didn’t leave his father’s side until he retired.

Wednesday morning had arrived before everyone knew it.  The funeral was at 10:00 A.M. and everyone was ready when the limos arrived.  Lana came a bit early, so Adam invited her into the kitchen to share a cup of coffee with her as they reminisced about the first years at Cartwright, Inc.

“My father was very lucky to find you when he did.  The beginnings were rough at times.  Dad was tough as nails as he tried to establish himself in the cattle and timber industry, but once he did, he was a force to be reckoned with.”

“Oh, Adam, I can tell you about the many times your father and I would have major disagreements about things and I would threaten to leave him if he didn’t straighten up.  He would always raise those eyebrows of his and point to the door telling me not to let the door hit me in my fanny on the way out.  I could never have left your father; he was too good to me!  It was tough at times, though.”

“From the way I hear it, it was you who repeatedly saved sales for Dad.  He would get short tempered with some of those vendors and want to tell them where to go stick their contracts and such, but you would smooth their ruffled feathers and Dad would have another successful sale.”

“Your father mellowed over the years, Adam.  It was hard for him at first; just like when you suddenly had to assume the top position with a young wife and baby at home.”

“You helped me a lot with the business side of things.  When you retired, I never thought I would find a replacement as loyal as you were to Dad.  I was grateful you helped me find a replacement with Heather.  You knew what I needed more than I did.”

“It was nothing, Adam.  I felt I owed it to you and Ben to make sure you were well taken care of before I departed.”

Jessica came into the kitchen and greeted Lana with a smile and good morning, as she went to turn on the tea kettle, but Adam said he already had her a pot ready, and all she needed to do was pour the water into a cup.  She kissed him, thanked him, and poured a cup of hot water over a tea bag.

Jason and Brianna were the next to come in the kitchen.  Jessica pulled two mugs out of the cupboard and Brianna opened a tea bag pouch while Jason poured himself a cup of coffee.

“Jason, I remember you when you were just an infant and look at you now, you’re all grown up and have a lovely fiancée.  I know your grandfather was proud of you.  He loved you very much.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Lana.  I miss him greatly.  Apart from my parents, he was my strongest mentor.  He was always there for me when I was a kid and even as an adult.  I’m just thankful Brie got to meet him before he died.”

The doorbell rang, and Emily yelled from the front of the house that she would get it because she knew it was Trey.

“Emily!  Don’t yell!”  Jessica said as she briskly walked out of the kitchen to the front of the house, leaving her cup of tea on the island.

Lana laughed.  “I see Miss Emily is like her Grandfather; she loves to yell!”

“Much to her mother’s chagrin,” Adam laughed.  “She’s always getting on her about yelling in the house.”

Once everyone had arrived, they all gathered to get into the limousine for the funeral at the church.

As they arrived, the hearse was already parked near the entrance.  The funeral director was waiting for Adam, Jason, and his brothers to arrive.  The other two pallbearers, Larry, and another executive of the company, were waiting with the funeral director.  Hoss and Joe’s limousines pulled up just behind Adam’s.

Once everyone was present, the boys removed the casket from the hearse and placed it on the stand which would hold the casket during the service.  The mourners were already seated in the church, and the organist was playing soft somber music.

When the family was ready to process in, the minister asked everyone to stand and face the rear of the church.  The minister said a prayer over the casket and the organ began to play the processional song as the minister, and pallbearers escorted the casket in with the families behind.

Everyone took their seats, and an opening prayer was said.  A few senior executives from the company read a few of Ben’s favorite scriptures from the Bible and then it was time for the eulogies.

Several people got up to speak and tell how knowing Ben had changed their lives, whether he was a mentor, friend, or business associate.  As the final speaker, Jason got up to give the eulogy of his beloved grandfather.

“My grandfather, my Poppy,” Jason began, having to stop and hold back the tears, “My Poppy was a man of enormous strength, a pillar of the community, and my mentor.  As a young boy, when life seemed so unfair to me at times, my Poppy would take me into his arms and tell me stories of when he, my father, and two uncles didn’t have much money and struggled to make their business grow.  The beginning was difficult and her never realized how difficult it would be to keep his company going, it always seemed the other guy got all the glory, and he got all the pain.  He felt the weight of his employees on his shoulders; their hopes, their dreams, the future of their families all counted on his success.  He once said to me, We dream about the path to a fabulous life and it’s good intentions, but we only seem to find the potholes along the way.  Those pot holes contain the character you’ll need to grow within yourself to become a mighty, well-rounded adult.  When I was graduating high school and got accepted to my top two choices for college; Harvard, where my parents went, and the college I truly wanted to attend, M.I.T.,  I didn’t know how I would break it to them I wanted to attend M.I.T. over Harvard.  So naturally I looked to my Poppy for advice and again, he didn’t fail me.  He gave me advice which gave me the strength to go home and tell my mom and dad I wanted to go to M.I.T. instead of Harvard.  When I knew I had met the girl I wanted to marry, I again spoke to my grandfather and sought his advice about love and marriage that only he could give, since he’d loved, married, and lost three amazing women.  Again, he knew those words of wisdom I needed to hear to know I was making the right decision, and I’m now engaged to be married to the most beautiful woman; apart from my mother, that is,”  The congregation laughed with him.

“I know my father will be the same amazing Poppy to my children his father was to me. I’ll miss those talks when I need a swift kick in the pants or just a sympathetic ear to listen to my fears.  I’ll always treasure the memories of weekends spent at the Ponderosa with my dad and Poppy when we would go horseback riding or sing songs by the lake after a picnic lunch.  Now his words of wisdom have fallen silent, but his love and the memories I shared with him will live on in my heart forever.”  There was a long pause, and Jason began to break down as he looked at the casket.  “I love you, Poppy. I’m going to miss you.”

Jason pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes as he came and took his seat next to Brianna.  As he passed by the casket, he touched his fingers to his mouth, kissed them and then touched them to the coffin.

The minister sat for a few minutes allowing everyone to gain control of their emotions.  He finally rose, and before he gave his final blessing on Ben’s body, he reminded everybody of the lunch and gathering celebrating Ben’s life at the main house.  He told the guests the maps to the Ponderosa were in the back of the church.  He then gave the congregation a final blessing as he sent them forth.

The organist played the recessional song and the pallbearers lined up to escort Ben’s body back to the hearse where he would be taken back to the funeral home overnight until the private burial the next day.

Thursday was a bright sunshine day with a slight breeze as the family gathered at the burial grounds on the Ponderosa where Ben’s body would be laid to rest next to his second and third wives.  The funeral home had come up the previous day and dug Ben’s interment.  The family gathered around the graveside as Adam, his two brothers, Jason, and two other honorary pallbearers brought Ben’s casket to its final resting place.  The minister said a final blessing over Ben’s casket and the men took their boutonnières off and put them on top of the coffin.  The ladies each had a red long stemmed rose to signify the everlasting love they felt for Ben and they, too, placed their roses on top of the casket before lowering into the ground.  When the coffin lowered into the ground, Adam, Hoss, and Joe picked up a handful of dirt and tossed it into the grave over Ben’s casket.

The family walked away and headed back toward the house where the reading of Ben’s will would take place after brunch.  Adam turned to take one final look and realized Jason was still standing at the grave looking down into the hole at his grandfather’s casket.  He started to walk back to his son, but Brianna stopped him and asked him to stay with her until Jason was ready to let go completely.

“Jason’s had a hard time accepting his grandfather’s death, Adam.  Since the call, he has hardly been able to sleep or eat.  I’m so worried about him.”

Adam took Brianna into his arms and held her close.  “Jason was extremely close to his grandfather.  When his mother and I were divorced, he and Emily would come and spend every other weekend and parts of the summer up here with me on the Ponderosa.  My father knew how hard the divorce was on Jason, and he helped him tremendously in those few years.  After Jessica and I remarried, Jason would sometimes spend weekends with his Poppy; just the two of them.  He needed that time with him, and I’m so thankful we always allowed him to go whenever he needed and wanted to.  My father always welcomed his grandchildren whenever they wanted to come up and spend the weekend.  He would take them horseback riding, fishing, and hiking. He even had them help out on the ranch when they got older.  They loved it, and they loved him.  Jason, however, had a unique and extraordinary bond with his Poppy, and I knew his death would be a severe blow to him.  Just love him, Brie.  He needs to feel your love more than ever now.  He’ll be okay in time.”

“You don’t have to worry about me loving him, Adam.  I love him so very much and will help him through this time of mourning.”

Jason stood a few minutes longer and he finally took out his handkerchief, wiped his eyes and headed back to where Brianna and Adam were standing.  Adam took his son into his arms and held him tight.

“We’re here for you anytime of the day or night, Son.  Brianna is here for you, too.  Let her love you, and it will help you through your loss.”

“I’ll always be here for you, Jason,” Brianna whispered as she took his hand. “until my dying breath, I’ll be by your side, loving you.”

Jason smiled as he placed his arm around his beloved, and said, “Let’s go back to the house.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After brunch, Adam and Larry gathered everyone around for the reading of the will.  Larry explained the will was Ben’s wishes for his estate after his death and as executor, Adam would be the one to ensure to fulfill those requests.  Larry began reading the will, explaining what parts of his estate went where.  Each of the boys got special mementos which had been each of their mother’s.  The grandchildren received plots of land on which to build homes when they grew up and got married.

“The final wish Ben had in his life was something which said a lot about who Ben Cartwright was,” Larry continued.  “This house, in which we sit today, was built with the blood, sweat, and tears of Ben Cartwright and his eldest son, Adam.  When he came west after the birth of his first son, and losing his wife, Elizabeth, Ben wanted to build a new life for himself and Adam.  He lived with Adam in a small apartment in Carson City for many years, working and saving his money to start his own business and build his empire.  He bought a small piece of this great land now known as the Ponderosa and built a small house, where he began Cartwright, Inc.  Through the years, the company grew as did Ben’s land.  After Adam had returned home from Harvard, he designed and helped Ben construct this house we are sitting in today.  Adam lived in this house until he was married.  Hoss and Joe, too, lived here until they were married.  Ben loved this house; he loved his land, and most of all, he loved his family.  When Ben met Jason’s girlfriend, Brianna, he knew she was someone special, someone befitting of his grandson’s love and devotion.  Ben was thrilled to know Jason had found his life partner and hoped when the day came, he would be well enough to travel to see them married, but it was never meant to be.  Ben’s final gift he could give his eldest grandson is the home he and his father built together.  Jason, your grandfather, has willed this house to you.”

Jason sat in shock. Brianna started to cry tears of happiness.

“Dad?”  Jason said as he swallowed hard and looked over at Adam.

“Yes, this is what Poppy wanted.  He wanted you to have this house.  Hoss, Joe, and I couldn’t imagine it going to anyone else.”

“Oh my gosh, I don’t know what to say!”  Jason said, still in complete shock.

“Say you will make it your’s and Brianna’s home after marriage and graduation, Honey,” Jessica said smiling with tears flowing down her face.

“Jason, I’m so happy for you!”  Emily said smiling.

“I, I, I just don’t know what to say!”

“Poppy wanted to leave something unique and special to you as the eldest grandchild.  He saw the love between you and Brianna, and he couldn’t imagine anything more than to have the next generation of Cartwright’s grow up here and fill it with love,” Adam stated.

“I just assumed…” Jason started.

“Assumed it would go to me?  Adam interrupted.  “Because I designed the house and helped build it?  Your mother and I have a home, and it’s perfect for just the two of us after you three are on your own.”

“And we’ll be close by to watch our grandchildren grow up here in a house which has always had and will continue to have love overflowing,

“I’m just so overwhelmed!”  Jason said as his face of sadness was warming to a face of happiness.

“When our father told Joe and me what his wish was for this house, we couldn’t think of a better person to receive it.  Adam didn’t know about any of this until a few days ago, Jason.  Dad had talked to me about it first, and then he spoke to Joe, and he agreed also that you and Brianna should have this house to start your family in,” Hoss explained.

“Besides, we all have homes built here on the Ponderosa and Adam and I pretty much live in the city full-time only coming up here on weekends and during the summer,” Joe added.

“The estate will take care of the tax burden and other associated costs which accompany the transfer to you, Jason.  Your grandfather’s only wish is you continue with school until you graduate.  Once you’re married, the house will become yours.  Until that time, it will be held in trust, and the trust will see to its upkeep.  You’re welcome to live here when you come home for the summer holidays and any other times you’re home if you choose,”  Larry added.

“You’re always welcome home in Carson City as well, Honey,” Jessica made it clear to her son.

After a long day at the Ponderosa, the family headed back home to Carson City.  Jason and Brianna spoke about their plans for the house once they were married.  Jason planned to spend the next few days talking to his father about visions he and Brianna would have for the house after graduation and marriage

The week had been long and exhausting for Adam and Jessica. They decided to turn in early.  The kids were wide awake and had teamed up to play Trivial Pursuit.  Adam allowed Trey to stay as long as Jason and Brianna were awake.  Adam and Jessica kissed their three children and Brianna goodnight. Adam shook Trey’s hand, and Jessica gave him a kiss on the cheek, hugged him and wished him a good night.  The two parents went back to their room and could hear the kids talking about how much they all loved their Poppy, how much they would miss him, and how they were sad Trey never had the chance to meet him.

It warmed Adam’s heart to know his children could now talk about their grandfather with love and smiles instead of tears.  He was aware that there would be many more days when he would shed tears in private as he learned to adjust to life without his mentor and friend.  He smiled when he thought about his father in Heaven smiling down upon him.

“You taught me well, Dad,” Adam said as he gazed out the window before closing the shutters and getting into bed with the woman he loved.

Chapter Fifteen

Upon returning to Massachusetts after Ben’s funeral, Jason and Brianna talked about life without Jason’s Poppy in their lives.  Jason was still coming to terms with the thought he didn’t have his elder mentor to talk to anymore.  He often called his grandfather and shared his life at college and how his relationship with Brianna was progressing.  Knowing Ben was not going to be physically at his wedding now was an adjustment for Jason to realize.

As the weeks passed and the summer gave way to fall, Jason and Brianna prepared to return to school.  The couple decided it was best to postpone their wedding until after college. 

Adam, Jessica, Anthony, and Theresa were relieved their children decided to wait until after they graduated to get married since they felt it was best to concentrate on school and get through school first. 

The couple made plans to spend Thanksgiving at Brianna’s family home in Connecticut and come back to Nevada for the winter break and spend Christmas together in their new home on the Ponderosa.  They felt they needed to be with Jason’s family for this first Christmas without their patriarch, Ben.  Jason knew he needed to call his parents to let them know for the first time he would not be spending Thanksgiving with his family, and now that Brianna was his fiancée, they would be splitting their holidays between the two families.

“Have you called your parents to let them know you won’t be coming home for Thanksgiving, Jason?” asked Brianna.

“Have you called your parents to let them know you won’t be home for Christmas?”  Jason retorted.

“It was only a question, Jason, you don’t have to bite my head off,” Brianna replied.

“I’m sorry, Babe,” Jason’s voice softened, holding out his arms for Brianna to come and enter his embrace.  “I hate hurting my mother and I know this will come as a blow to her.  Dad is still coming to terms with Poppy’s death, and I’ll be adding to their hurt by telling them I won’t be home for the first big holiday since his death.”

“I know, I’m concerned with how it will affect them, too.  If you feel it’s important to be home with your family, we’ll just have to spend Thanksgiving apart this year.”  Brianna hung her head trying to shield her disappointment at the thought of not spending the first major holiday together as an engaged couple.

“No, this is not an option.  You’re my future wife; I won’t be spending Thanksgiving without you.  My parents will have to understand; Poppy would understand.”

Brianna looked up at Jason with loving eyes.  “I love you, Babe…” her voice trailed off as her emotions took over. 

Jason’s face grew long, seeing his beloved’s eyes fill with tears.  “Don’t cry, my beautiful bride, I can’t imagine spending a holiday without you; it’s not an option I wouldn’t even consider.  Our parents will have to realize you and I are now building our family and at times we’ll be spending holidays apart.”

“I’ll give my parents a call after we speak with Adam and Jessica about Thanksgiving.  They need to know we’ll be spending Christmas in Nevada this year.  I know they’ll understand why we need to be with your family at Christmas.”

Jason smiled and kissed Brianna on her forehead.  “We don’t need to tell them about Christmas until after Thanksgiving.  We can talk with them on the Friday after to let them know our plans unless it comes up before the holidays.  Ready to give Mom and Dad a call?”

Brianna smiled and said, “I should ask you, are YOU ready?”

“Are you kidding?”  Jason laughed as he led Brianna to their home phone to dial his parents and break the news about their holiday plans.

Jason picked up the receiver and dialed Adam and Jessica back in Nevada.  The evening was still early because of the three-hour time zone difference.  The phone rang two times when Jillian answered the phone.

“Hello?” Jillian’s young voice answered.

“Hi, Peanut, how are you?”

“Jason! I don’t think I’m going to like fifth grade, it’s hard!”

“Peanut, you’re going to do great!  If we can help, call us anytime, okay?” Brianna entered the conversation.

“Hi, Brie! I miss you!” Jillian said.

“We both miss you, too!” Jason interjected.  “Are Mom and Dad home?  Can I talk to them?”

“Who’s on the phone, Sweetpea?”  Adam’s voice could be heard over the phone.

“It’s Jason and Brie, Daddy!  He called to talk to you and Mommy,” Jillian responded.

“Go get Mommy and tell her Jason’s on the phone and to get the extension,” Adam said as he took the phone from Jillian.

“Mommy!  Jason and Brie are on the phone, they want to talk to you and Daddy!”  Jillian yelled as she ran toward the kitchen where Jessica was getting dinner underway.

Jessica picked up the extension in the kitchen and ordered Jillian to quit yelling in the house.

When Jessica came on the phone, she listened as Jason spoke to Adam about the engineering class he was taking and the challenging syllabus the professor handed out for the semester.

“Mom are you on now?”  Jason asked after he had completed his conversation about school.

“Hi, Honey!  How is school going?  You and Brie get settled back into school okay?  Sounds like quite a class you’re taking.”

“Yeah, Mom, it is, but I can handle it; it won’t be any problem, just going to take a massive amount of studying to stay on top of all my classes this semester, that’s all…Mom, Dad, Brie and I called tonight because we need to share something with you.”

“You took some tough classes in high school, Jason, I know you can handle it.”

“Thanks, Dad, I appreciate your faith in me.”

Jason got quiet, he didn’t know how to approach telling his parents he wouldn’t be home for Thanksgiving.  Brianna looked at Jason with a look as if to say, ‘Tell them!  You need to just come out and say it.’

“Mom, Dad, Brianna and I have been making plans for the holidays.  I know this is a tough time for our family because we lost Poppy this summer; however, the reason for my call tonight is to tell you Brianna and I have decided we need to spend Thanksgiving at Brianna’s home this year.  We’re planning to come back to Nevada when the semester is over in December and spend Christmas and the new year at home.   With our engagement, we have two families we need to share our time with, so we’ve decided with this being the first holiday since Poppy’s death, we need to spend Christmas in Nevada and Thanksgiving in Connecticut.”

Adam saw Jessica come from the kitchen with a stunned look on her face.  She glared at Adam with a look for him to intervene, but she could also see a level of hurt in his face, too.

“Son,” Adam began, “while we want nothing more than for you two to be home with us this holiday, in particular, we realize you have a fiancée which means we have to share you with Brianna’s family.  Both of you will be missed greatly, but I know this is what Poppy would want for you as well.

“Your father is right, Honey,” Jessica spoke up, “it will be a hard first holiday for us, however, it would only be fair to Brianna and her family that you spend time with them at Thanksgiving since you’re planning to be here at Christmas.”

“Thank you so much, Adam and Jessica,” Brianna spoke up with a great sigh of relief in her voice.  “Jason and I were dreading this phone call, but we felt it was the best solution for both families, and I know my family will understand why we want to spend Christmas in Nevada this year.  They know how important Poppy was to Jason and how his death has been devastating to him.”

“We’ll call you when we know everyone is together, and we’ll speak to everyone and wish them a Happy Thanksgiving,” Jason said.

“Sounds like a plan, Son,” Adam said.

“Sweetheart, I have to get off the phone now; I need to get dinner finished.  I love you both.  Please call again soon.  Jessica said, dreading to cut the phone call short.

“Okay, Mom, we love you, too, what are you making?” Jason asked, wishing he could be home to indulge on his mother’s home cooking.

“One of your favorites, Honey.  Prime rib roast.”

“Yum, I’m jealous!”

Jessica laughed.  “I’ll make sure we have a large crown roast for Christmas.  Take care, love you!”  Jessica hung up the phone and went back into the kitchen to tend to dinner which was coming together.

“Dad,” Jason said after his mother was off the phone, “thanks for understanding.  It really was hard for us to come to this decision.  We really appreciate you and Mom understanding.”

“Jason, I had to make a hard decision my first year in college when I decided whether to come home for Thanksgiving or spend Thanksgiving with your mother at her home.  I hated making the same call to Poppy.  He was disappointed, and made me explain it to my brothers; I think I told you this story…”

“Yes, Dad, you did.  I told Brianna your story when we were deciding what we were going to do.”

“We’ll miss you, but we’ll be okay.  We’ll all be together, and Poppy will be with us in spirit.”

“It’s getting late, Dad, and I don’t want Mom getting upset with me making you late to dinner,” Jason laughed.

“Okay, Son, thanks for calling.  Love to you and Brie, take care and call again soon.”

“Bye, Dad, bye, Adam,” Jason and Brianna said together as they hung up the phone.

After Adam had hung up the phone, he walked into the kitchen where he found Jessica cutting up fresh fruit for the dessert wiping tears from her eyes before they could roll down her cheeks.  She saw Adam enter.  She stopped, and looked at him with a pout on her face and came over to him, needing a hug from the love of her life.

“It sucks letting your babies go,” she said as she buried her face in Adam’s chest.

Adam wrapped his arms around Jessica’s form, holding her close, trying to stay strong for his wife, pushing down his own sadness.

Adam felt his emotions trying to escape, and he sighed deeply pulling Jessica back asking if she needed any help with dinner.

“I’ve got it under control right now, Babe.  I’ll give you a call if I need anything in a little bit.”

Adam kissed Jessica on her forehead and patted her on the bum telling her he was going to the office to work on contracts he brought home for the weekend, and she could find him in there if she needed him.

Adam walked back to the study and closed the door behind him.  He sat down, pulled out the paperwork from his briefcase, put on his reading glasses and tried to concentrate on the papers he had before him.  Behind the safety of closed doors, Adam succumbed to his emotions at not having his family complete on the first holiday following his father’s death.  He took his glasses off and put his face in his hands, trying not to completely break down.  He’d been strong while assisting his brothers and the company lawyers finalize everything that was Ben’s life.  He stuffed his emotions deep into his soul, remaining stoic as the new patriarch of the Cartwright family.  He now sat alone in the safety of his home; alone with the memories of his life as the eldest son, husband, and father.

Adam was lost in his own sadness and didn’t hear Jessica enter.  Jessica saw Adam’s form slumped over his desk; she could hear soft weeping coming from the man she loved.  She walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders and rested her head against his.

“Let it out, Adam.  You’ve been so strong for the entire family for so long, it’s time you let it all out before it consumes you,” Jessica said with a quiet, comforting voice.

“I don’t know why Jason not coming home for Thanksgiving is affecting me this way, they’ll be home for Christmas.”

“I know, Sweetheart.” Jessica continued to hold her husband, now being the one to comfort her spouse.

Adam was finally able to gain control of his emotions and sat up in his chair, pulling a tissue from the box sitting on the desk and wiping his eyes.

“Are you ready to eat, Sweetheart?” Jessica asked, still stroking Adam’s balding head.

“Yeah,” Adam was able to finally speak as he took Jessica’s hand and kissed her palm.  “I don’t want to tell the girls about Jason not coming home for Thanksgiving…”

“Adam!”

“Hear me out, Jess,” Adam protested as he tried to explain why he wanted to keep the disappointing news from Emily and Jillian until a later time.  “Emily’s birthday is just around the corner…”

“And we can’t upset your Princess now can we!” Jessica interrupted again with annoyance in her voice.

“Oh come on, Jess, what do you mean by that statement?”  Adam’s voice was reaching the same level of annoyance as Jessica’s.

Jessica’s voice and face softened, “I’m sorry, Adam, I just don’t understand what Emily’s birthday has to do with telling the girls their brother won’t be home for Thanksgiving, especially with it being the first holiday without their Poppy.”

“Jessica, I’m not saying we’ll never tell them, I’m saying I want to wait until after Emily’s birthday, that’s all.  This is her sixteenth birthday, you and Emily keep telling me what a significant birthday it is for her.  I don’t want to put a dark cloud over her special day with news about her brother not coming home until Christmas.  It can wait until the next day.  Our girls have had enough loss in their lives for a little while.”

“I suppose you’re right, Adam.  I want to break the news to them the next day, though, I don’t feel comfortable holding the information from them any longer.  Agreed?”

“Yes, Jessica, agreed,” Adam said as he took Jessica into his arms.

As Adam and Jessica came out of the study arm in arm and smiling, they were met by their soon to be birthday girl in the hall; she was dressed in her workout uniform as she had just arrived from cheer practice.  Emily looked at her parents with a skeptical look.  Folding her arms around the curves of her waist she responded, “In the study, Mommy and Daddy? I sometimes do my homework in there, geesh!”

Adam, feeling better, decided to lighten things up even more at his daughter’s expense once again.

“Well, Princess, look at your mother, she has a lace apron on with an M.I.T. Mom T-shirt, stonewashed jeans, and her hair pulled up in a clip; the sexiness of her form came over me and, well, I lost all control.   We got it on right there on the desk in the study.  You want to come see the mess we made?”  Adam motioned as he put his hand on the knob of the study to open the door.

“Daddy! You’re impossible! My virgin ears!”  Emily said putting her hands on her ears.  “You’re so inappropriate!”

Adam could hardly keep a straight face; his daughter was trying to turn the tables on the man who was the king of teasing his children.

“I’m inappropriate?  I think your statement is slightly calling the kettle black, wouldn’t you say? Whatever happened to, ‘Hi Mommy and Daddy, how was your day? Dinner sure smells good, I’m starving!’”

“I’m sorry, Daddy, it’s just you and Mommy, well, you’re so easy to tease!” Emily winked and continued on to her room laughing uncontrollably.

Adam stood stunned, and Jessica’s eyes were large as saucers, and she started to snicker under her breath, finding it hard to hold her laughter at the father-daughter banter.

Adam looked at Jessica in disbelief. 

“Princess one, Daddy, zero,” she said as she started to walk away laughing.

“Oh yeah?” Adam said grabbing her hand, picking her up and putting her over his shoulder, screaming and laughing as he took her into the kitchen.

When he reached the kitchen, Adam put Jessica on her feet and took her into his arms.  “How about I score with my sexy wife tonight in the bedroom.”

“Shall I wear the apron?”  Jessica modeled her apron which read, Happy Wife, Happy Life.

Adam took Jessica into his arms, kissing her tenderly on her lips, “As long as you aren’t wearing anything under it.”

“Oh, Adam Cartwright,” Jessica laughed, kissing her growling husband.

She broke the embrace to tend to the dinner which was ready to plate and put on the table.

Adam called his daughters to come and help set the table and came back to tend to the roast beef while Jessica put the fresh green beans and roasted carrots in bowls.

As the four Cartwrights sat at the table and began to plate their food to eat, Emily brought up the fact her sixteenth birthday was quickly approaching, and she would be able to finally have a proper date out with Trey.  She also would be able to take her driving test and, in her mind, free up her mother from being a taxi to take her to school and other places.

“Jenni brought me home in her brand new BMW tonight; it’s gorgeous!  Her parents are so hip and awesome.”

Adam looked at Emily as he chewed his meat, thinking of precisely how he wanted to respond to his daughter’s strong hint of wanting a new car for her sixteenth birthday.

“If you think you’re getting a BMW for your birthday, my dear, keep dreaming,” Adam said as he cut another piece of meat to put it in his mouth.

“No, I want an Infinity Q60 Coupe,” Emily said very casually as she stabbed a carrot to eat.

Jessica sat quietly and looked at Adam, waiting to see what his reply would be.

“Q60, huh?” was Adam’s simple answer as he cut his green beans and held the fork to his mouth, waiting for Emily’s response.

Jillian could feel the air thicken and looked over at her mother who winked at her smiling, letting her know everything was okay, and her father had complete control of the conversation.  She smiled and continued to eat as she looked across the table at Emily waiting to see what she would say next.

“Yeah,” Emily continued eating, not looking up to see the look on Adam’s face. “Q60 Coupe, Daddy, I don’t want a 4-door sedan, they’re for parentals like you and Mommy; the coupe is for young people like me.”

“I see,” Adam said, trying to keep a straight face as he looked over at Jessica.

“We’re now parentals, Em?” Jessica entered into the conversation.

For the first time Emily looked up and rolled her eyes smiling as she said, “Oh, Mommy, you know what I mean don’t you? The sedan is for the elders.  Young people like me want a sporty two door.”

“Oh, I see, we’re elders, not parentals, is that what you’re saying, Honey?”

“NO, Mommy! That’s not what I’m saying at all.  What I’m saying is, I want a two door coupe as most of my friends to have.”

“So Jenni’s BMW is a two door coupe, Princess?”  Adam entered back into the conversation.

Jillian tried to keep a straight face as she would look at her mother, then her father, and finally her sister, who was still oblivious to the fact her parents were boxing her in and would release on her when she was surrounded with no escape.

“No, Daddy, she has a 325i four door sedan,” she responded back without looking up as she cut her meat.

“Oh, so she’s got a parental car? I thought you said it was gorgeous, and her parents are, what did she tell you, Jess, hip and awesome?” Adam asked.

Emily stopped eating and finally looked up at Adam, still oblivious to where the conversation was leading, and it wasn’t going in the direction she hoped.

“Daddy, she’s hip and cool, she just wanted a four door car, but still, it’s a Beemer, so this gives her a pass that it’s a four-door,” Emily winked.

“Oh! I see,” said Adam enlightened.  “So, Mommy, what do you think.  Emily says she wants a brand new Q60…”

“Q60 Coupe, Adam,” Jessica interrupted, hardly able to keep a straight face.

“Jess, when was it we got the Lexus for you? It’s been awhile, I don’t recall what year your car is.”

“It was about ten years ago.  I was very pregnant with Jillian, and you wanted to get a new SUV since the family was expanding.” Jessica casually said as she finished eating her green beans.

“Oh yes, now I remember.”

“Your Porsche is about 12 years old, Adam,” Jessica reminded her husband, knowing why he was asking.

Emily started to catch on to her parents, and she stopped eating.  She looked at her mother and then her father.  They stared back at her; both with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh wait a minute, Daddy,” Emily put her fork down on her plate, “You’re not going to make me drive Jason’s Rav4 are you?  Please, Daddy, no! I’ll be the laughing stock of the school!  They know you’re CEO of Cartwright, Incorporated, it’s no secret we’re, uh, not hurting for money.”

“EMILY!” Jessica was exasperated.

Adam put his hand up at Jessica, motioning he had complete control of the conversation though he was beginning to lose his temper with his daughter, he remained calm and collected.

“First of all, young lady…”

“Oooh, young lady, not Princess.” Jillian quietly said.

Adam shot a glare to his youngest daughter and started to say something, but Jessica stepped in.

“Jillian, that’s enough, you’re excused from the table.  Please leave your plate, go take a bath and get ready for bed,” Jessica ordered.

“Okay, sorry!” Jillian said sarcastically as she got up from the table and headed toward her bathroom.

Adam and Jessica both turned their attention back to their middle child.

“Emily, the fact I’m CEO of a company and the economic situation our family is not yours or anyone else’s business.  My title and our economic status have no bearing on what type of automobile you will drive and, no, you will not be driving Jason’s Rav4.  It’s his car, and when your mother and I feel you’re ready for a car of your own, we’ll be taking Jason’s car to the Ponderosa so it’ll be there for him to drive when he’s home and to make room in the garage for yours.”

“So you’re saying I’m not getting a car when I turn sixteen, Daddy?” Emily’s voice became worried.

“That’s not what Daddy said, Emily Elizabeth,” Jessica noted.

“What I’m saying is, my dear daughter, when we get you a car, it will not be a BMW, it will not be an Infinity Q60 or any other luxury car.  It will be, however, a new car, as we feel you need reliable and safe transportation.  I won’t spend sixty thousand dollars on your first car and certainly not when you’re only sixteen,” Adam finally burst his daughter’s bubble.

Emily could see her father’s eyes were changing from an amber-hazel color to a dark gray-black, and she knew when his eyes turned, he was holding his anger internally so she decided not to press her luck any further as it might result in no car at all.

“Noted, Daddy,” Emily said defeated. 

Trying to lighten the mood she turned her little rich girl mentality to one of a grateful child.

“May I please go with you and Mommy when you do look for a car for me?  I promise I won’t be a pain.  I’ll be grateful for whatever you want to buy for me.”

“Honey, how about you turn sixteen and pass your driving test.  You can’t drive a car by yourself unless you pass your driving test and get your license,” Jessica reminded her daughter.

“Oh, Mommy, you’re such a buzzkill!” Emily smiled widely.

Jessica laughed and replied, “Oh, I thought I was parental.”

“Buzzkill is an elevated parental, Jess,” Adam winked.

“Oh, Daddy…”  Emily laughed, “May I be excused?  I would like to call Trey.”

“Sure, Honey, go ahead,” Jessica said laughing.

Adam and Jessica both shook their heads and smiled at each other.  As they got up from the table and cleared the dishes, Adam said, “Daddy one, Princess one.”

Jessica and Adam cleaned the dishes and kitchen then headed back to their room where Adam wanted to make good on the promise he had mentioned earlier in the evening.  They stopped by Jillian’s room, and she was already in bed and sleeping soundly.

“The first week always does her in by Friday,” Jessica said looking adoringly at her daughter’s sleeping form.

The couple closed the door gently and headed to Emily’s room where they knocked quietly.  Emily answered the door with her phone up to her ear.  “Hold on, Trey, Mommy and Daddy are here to say goodnight.”

Emily put her phone down, hugged and kissed both of her parents.  Adam ordered her to not stay up too late, and she promised she wouldn’t.

Adam and Jessica entered their bedroom, and Adam headed to the bathroom to start the shower and Jessica headed into the closet.  She quickly stripped out of her clothes, put the apron back on and headed into the bathroom where she stood in the doorway.  Adam’s back was to her as he was adjusting the temperature of the water in the shower.

“Happy wife, happy life,” Jessica said in a sultry voice.

Adam turned around, his eyes widened as his lips curled up into a full-tooth grin.  He took his wife into his arms, untied the apron, and it puddled to the floor.  The naked couple stood in each other’s embrace. 

“A happy wife you shall be and a happy life we will live,” Adam said as he picked up his wife and they entered into the shower, bathed each other and began the foreplay which led to the night of magical lovemaking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the weeks leading up to Emily’s birthday, Trey emailed Adam and asked if it was okay for him to come meet him at his office as he wanted to talk to him about his plans for Emily’s birthday celebration.   He wanted to make sure he didn’t step on any plans they’d for her special day.  Adam liked Trey a lot.  He consistently impressed Adam with his manners and how he was a gentleman to his daughter. 

Adam was in deep concentration with an upcoming timber sale when his admin rang his phone.

“Yes, Heather,” Adam said, pressing the speaker on his phone, not realizing what time it was.

“Adam, your 1:30 PM appointment, Trey Hollingsworth, is here to see you.”  Adam looked at his watch and rubbed his head, bewildered by how the time flew.

Trey had a short day at school as usually he had football practice the last half of his day, but on game day, there was no practice.

Adam walked out of his office and found Trey sitting on the sofa across from Heather’s desk.  He walked over to Trey, and when he saw him, Trey stood and extended his hand to shake Adam’s.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Cartwright, thank you for seeing me today,” Trey said smiling.

Adam gestured to the open door leading into his office, “Come in, Trey, let’s talk.” 

The two men walked into Adam’s office, and he shut the door behind him.  Adam gestured to the couch across from the conference table at the front of his office.

Trey sat down, and Adam sat next to him, crossing his legs.  “What brings you out to Reno today?” Adam asked.

“Well, Sir, with Emily’s birthday approaching in a few weeks, I wanted to talk to you about the plans I had for that day and wanted to make sure they didn’t interfere with what your family might be planning.”

Adam smiled.  “I appreciate you thinking of Jess and me.  Unless things have changed, we’re planning to meet my brothers and their wives at Adel’s for dinner.  Adel’s is Emily’s favorite place to eat; you’re invited of course.”

“Thank you, Sir, I appreciate it.  If it meets yours and Mrs. Cartwright’s approval, my plans are to pick Emily up around noon and take her to lunch.  I have some other surprises in store for her, but I’ll have her home in time so she can get ready for dinner at Adel’s.”

“Actually, Trey, you could help in the surprise.  We haven’t told her we’re going to Adel’s just yet.  If you could let her think you’re going to take her there for dinner, we’ll be waiting there for you two to arrive.”

“Sounds like a plan, Mr. Cartwright,” Trey smiled broadly

“Jess and I are planning to buy a car for her birthday present.  We’ll get it to the restaurant and have a big pink bow on the hood of the car.  We’ll give the keys to her in the restaurant and bring her outside to see it.”

“Don’t you think she’ll want to drive it home, Sir?” Trey interjected.

“I’m sure she will, however, she won’t have her driver’s license yet.  Since the DMV isn’t open on Saturday, she won’t be able to drive it until Monday, assuming she passes her test.  Jess is planning to take her on Monday after school.”

“She told me about the car talk with you and Mrs. Cartwright the other night,” Trey’s face soured.

Adam laughed.  “Yeah, it didn’t turn out the way she wanted.  She has a pie in the sky idea we’re going to shell out sixty thousand dollars for a luxury car.  She isn’t taking into account we do have a home at the Ponderosa, and there are times she’ll need to drive up there and during the winter, she’ll need an automobile which will be able to handle the mountains.”

“She feels as though she needs to keep up the image others at the school have put upon her.  I keep telling her she only needs to be who she is and not worry about what others think of her.  I will say this of her, Mr. Cartwright, Emily is very thankful for everything you and Mrs. Cartwright do for her.  She loves you very much and as much as she would love to have her dream car, the Infinity Q60….”

“Q60 Coupe, she made us very aware it was the coupe she wanted,” Adam laughed.

“Oh yes, she’s often corrected me, too,” Trey smiled in return.  “I know she’ll love whatever kind of car you get her.”

Adam looked at his watch and noted it was 2:00 PM.  He looked over at Trey with an arched eyebrow and said, “Had lunch yet?”

“No, Sir, I have to admit I was a bit nervous to come here and see you, so I felt it best I didn’t eat before I came,” Trey smiled with a hint of crimson shading his face.

Adam looked at Trey with a surprised look.  “Do I intimidate you, Son?”

Trey looked off and could feel the warmth on his face and could only imagine how red his face was getting.

“Mr. Cartwright, I respect you very much, and I really like your daughter, too.  I…I…”

“Trey, Mrs. Cartwright and I really like you.  We feel you are right for our daughter, and she apparently likes you.  I have two requests.”

“What’s that, Sir?”

“First, will you please call me Adam and my wife, Jessica.  Mr. Cartwright was my father.”

“Thank you, Adam, I appreciate it, and you said first, is there something else?”

“Yes, I’m hungry, will you join me for lunch?”

Adam could see Trey’s form relax tremendously, “Yes, Adam, I’d be happy to join you for lunch.”

Adam and Trey got up and headed out to Heather’s desk, “Heather this is Trey Hollingsworth, Emily’s boyfriend, Trey, this is Heather, the best admin a CEO can have.”

“Nice to meet you, Ma’am,” Trey said smiling and nodding his head to Heather.

“Nice to meet you as well.  Emily is a sweet girl, you’re a lucky guy.”  Heather smiled broadly to Trey.

  “We’re going to lunch, so will you clear the next few hours on my calendar please.”

“Sure will, Adam, enjoy lunch.”

Adam took Trey for lunch at a downtown eatery he often frequented with clients he was doing business with.  Trey and Adam spoke about business, sports, school and, of course, the commonality in both of their lives: Emily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day had finally arrived; Emily’s sixteenth birthday.  She went to bed talking to Trey, but he told her he wanted her to get a good night’s sleep because he had a day packed full of activities since it would be their first official date where they were allowed to date outside the family home without supervision.

Emily woke the next morning to the smell of bacon cooking in the kitchen so she got out of bed, put her hair in a ponytail with a headband and put on the over-sized baby pink T-shirt Trey had given her a week before which read, Birthday Princess.  She saw Adam in just jeans and slippers in the kitchen cooking breakfast and went to his side, putting both of her arms around his waist, laying her head on the side of his chest.

“Morning, Daddy, sure smells good in here.  Where’s Mommy?”

Adam kissed his birthday girl on the side of her head and said, “Good morning, Princess, happy birthday! Mommy’s taking a shower; she should be out shortly.  I told her I would get breakfast started, can I make you some tea?”

“Yes, Daddy, thank you.”  Emily rubbed her eyes.

She went and sat at the breakfast table in the kitchen and talked to her father while he continued to prepare breakfast for his birthday child and the other two girls special in his life.

“What do you and Trey have planned today, Princess?” Adam asked adding water to the tea kettle and placing it on the stove.

“I don’t know, Daddy.  He’s been very secretive about what he has planned for us today.  I just know he’s coming to pick me up around 11:30 A.M. and we’ll be out most of the day.  Mommy said we’ll celebrate my birthday with the family tomorrow.  Thank you for allowing Trey and me to spend the day together, just the two of us.  I have to say I was a bit surprised when he told me you said it was okay for the family celebration to be delayed a day.”

“I like Trey, Princess.  I know you two have been waiting for months now to have a date alone, away from the house, and I talked with Mommy, and she was okay with delaying the family celebration until tomorrow so you and Trey could enjoy the day together by yourselves.”

Emily stood and ran to her hero, throwing her arms around his waist again, jumping up to kiss him on his neck and cheek.

“Princess! Be careful, I don’t want to splash hot grease on us.  I would hate to burn us, and we end up in the ER instead of you spending the day with Trey.”

“Sorry, Daddy, I’m just so excited.  I can’t believe I’m finally going to be able to have a real date with Trey today!”

The kettle started to whistle, and Adam poured the hot steaming water in Emily’s favorite mug.  He handed it to her, and she said she was going to take her tea to her bathroom, shower, get dressed and would return in time for breakfast to be served.

Emily ran into Jessica as she was exiting out of the kitchen. 

“Morning, Mommy! Isn’t it the best day ever?”

Jessica gave her daughter a hug and a kiss on her cheek.

“Morning, my beautiful girl, happy sweet sixteen birthday!  How do you feel to be sixteen today?”

“I feel grrrreeeeaaaat!” Emily shouted like Tony the Tiger.

She continued on to the bathroom to take a shower and get dressed in anticipation of the many birthday surprises which Trey had in store for her throughout the day.

Jessica laughed as she entered the kitchen.  She saw Adam refilling his mug of coffee as he turned to see Jessica dressed in her pastel green sweater, indigo blue jeans, Italian leather loafers, with her hair flowing in soft curls to her shoulders.

“You look ready to go pick up a couple of new cars today,” Adam smiled at his wife looking particularly beautiful, casually dressed for the day.

“I am! Thank you for offering to get me a new car, too! What a treat for me.  I have the most generous husband on this earth,” she said, placing her arms around Adam’s waist, giving him a tender kiss on his lips.

“I hadn’t realized it had been ten years since we last bought you a car until you mentioned it a few weeks ago.  Besides, you had a good thought about getting a smaller SUV since Jason is gone to school now and most times it’ll just be you and Jillian or the three of us when we’re going somewhere together.  No need for a large capacity SUV any longer.”

“Thank you for letting me get the Porsche Macan Turbo.  I fell in love with it when I first saw it.  You are such a generous man.”

“Jerry wrote me an amazing deal, and besides, you deserve it, my beautiful lover.”

“You promised me you would wear your happy wife, happy life apron naked for me every night if I got it for you and I’m going to hold you to it,”

“I’ll wear it in the car for you if you want me to,” Jessica laughed.

“Mommy,” Jillian gasped, “You’re going to wear your apron naked in your car? Ewww!”

Jessica and Adam looked up with horror on their faces and then laughed.

“Come here, baby girl,” Jessica motioned to her youngest child.  “Daddy and I are going to pick up Mommy’s new car today, and I’m just excited.”

“Can I go with you?” Jillian asked, not realizing how boring and time consuming it is to do paperwork on a trade-in and purchase of a new car.

“It’ll be boring, but if you want to hang out with Daddy and me today instead of playing with Diana, you can go.”

Jillian thought a moment and shook her head.  “No, I’ll stay and play with Diana, thank you,” she giggled.

“Will my beautiful girls please have a seat at the breakfast table; Daddy is cooking this morning.  I have apple juice and tea coming right up.

“Uh oh, Mommy, where’s the Pepto Bismol?  I think we might need it; Daddy’s cooking,” Jillian giggled.

“You calling Daddy a bad cook, little girl?  Adam bent down and tickled his youngest child.

Jillian squealed with delight and wiggled in Adam’s strong arms.

“Stop, Daddy! You’re going to make me tinkle in my panties!”  Jillian screamed, knowing this statement always made her daddy stop tickling her.

“I’ll have you know Hop Sing taught me everything I know.  I expect Hoss to come driving up any moment; he can smell biscuits cooking miles away,” Adam said laughing.

“Uncle Hoss is coming over?” Jillian questioned.

“No, sweetie, Daddy’s just boasting his breakfast will be so good, Uncle Hoss will be able to smell it and come running.”

“Oh,” Jillian responded.

As Adam finished up and Jessica put the last plate on the table, the birthday girl walked in for breakfast.  As the four Cartwright’s sat down, Adam started singing the Happy Birthday song to his eldest daughter, and the two other Cartwright girls joined in while Emily blushed and bowed her head in embarrassment.

“You look beautiful, Princess,” Adam said noting Emily’s stone washed jeans, light pink sweater, leather Keds tennis shoes and side pony fishtail braid.

“Trey told me to dress comfortable and casual for this afternoon, that’s all he would tell me,” Emily said as she grabbed some bacon and toast for her plate.  “He said we’ll be out most of the afternoon, and he’ll bring me home long enough to get dressed to go to dinner somewhere very special.”

“I’m sure you’ll take his breath away, Sweetheart, you look beautiful,”  Jessica smiled.

After the Cartwrights finished breakfast and the dishes were done, Jillian went and got dressed in anticipation of going down to Diana’s house for the day. Adam went to the room he shared with Jessica to take a shower and get dressed to head to the Porsche dealership in Reno to pick up Jessica’s new car and the Acura dealership to get the new Diamond White Pearl Acura RDX for Emily’s birthday present.

After Adam had left the kitchen, Emily walked up to her mother and said, “Mommy, can we go into the living room and talk?”

Jessica could see the seriousness in her daughter’s face so she took her in her arms and said, “Sure, let’s go in the living room.”

Emily put her arm around her mother, and the two girls headed into the formal living room to have a heart to heart talk.

Jessica sat down, and Emily sat next to her.  Jessica turned to her daughter and asked, “What did you want to speak to me about, Sweetheart?”

“Mommy?”  Emily said, but started fidgeting with her fingers, “Mommy, when did you know you were in love with Daddy?”

Jessica looked at her daughter with a befuddled look, unsure why she was asking such a strange question on her sixteenth birthday but decided to answer her daughter without question.

“I was attracted to your father from the moment I first laid eyes on him in Freshman English, but when I fell in love with him? I truly fell in love with him and when I say fell in love, I mean, fell in love body, soul, mind, and spirit, was in December of our freshman year.”

“How did you know, though, Mommy?  How will I know?”

Jessica was wondering why her daughter was asking these questions about love, so before she went any further, she decided to ask more questions herself.

“Love has many facets, Honey, why do you ask?”

“I really love Trey.  I mean, I know I don’t love him like you and Daddy love each other, however…Oh, Mommy, I do love him!”

Jessica smiled at her daughter’s sweet innocence.

“Honey, what you feeling is puppy love.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not discounting you when you say you love Trey.  However, you are only sixteen and while you certainly have matured to know the feeling of love beyond the love you have for your family, the love you feel for Trey is an affectionate love and physical attraction; I’m sure he feels the same for you.”

“I agree, Mommy, but I’ve heard of people falling in love with their high school sweethearts and one day getting married.  I think it’s so romantic,” Emily sighed.

“It is, Sweetheart, and it could happen, I’m not saying it won’t, however, know when Trey goes off to college, things could change for you two.  I’m not saying they will, but you have to be realistic about this possibility.  You are both young, and as you mature, things which don’t bother you now could bother you later.  It’s all part of growing up.”

“Mommy, there have been a few girls on the cheer squad who have lost their virginity because their boyfriends said they loved them.  I know you and Daddy have always told me I need to wait until I’m married to have sex, but when you love someone, is it okay if you’re not married?”

Jessica’s face fell.  Her form got very tense as she was afraid her daughter was building her up to tell her she was no longer a virgin.  Emily could see the fright in her mother’s eyes and her eyes got wide.

“Oh, Mommy, Trey and I haven’t had sex, I promise!  Besides, where would we have done it? We haven’t been able to spend any time alone together.”

Jessica’s face softened, and she let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Honey, ideally it would be best to wait until your wedding night to make love with your partner for the first time.  Is it realistic? Probably not.  I only ask when you do, you make sure the man you give your body to and the person you become one within the most intimate way is the man you do want to spend the rest of your life with and preferably at least be engaged.”

“Were you and Daddy engaged the first time you made love?”

“No, we weren’t formally engaged, but your father knew he was going to ask me to marry him, and I knew I was in love with him, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.  We had dated for awhile, and we loved each other very much.  Did we plan to make love the night we did for the first time?  No, but did we regret it?  No.  It actually made our love stronger.”

“What about that man you were with when you and Daddy were divorced?”  Emily was curious.

Jessica sat dumbfounded at the question regarding the only man she had dated outside of Adam since her children had been born.  Emily had never mentioned Clint after Jessica broke up with him and was in shock she would even remember him.

“You had sex with him, I saw him moving on top of you, you were both making noises and it scared me.  I was young, but I remember.  I didn’t know what you were doing back then; I was too young, but I now know what you two were doing.  Did you love him like you love Daddy, Mommy?”

“Oh, Sweetheart, Clint was someone I did care very deeply about.  I didn’t even know you remembered him…”

“I don’t remember him very well,” Emily interrupted, “He was very nice, I remember.  I saw you and him in your room, and it scared me.  I told Daddy about it when I saw him the next time.”

“Oh yes, I know you told Daddy,” Jessica remembered Adam’s scathing call to her when Emily confessed her witnessing Jessica’s and Clint’s sexual encounter.  “Your father read me the riot act after you told him.”

“Did you love him?” Emily questioned again.

“Yes, Sweetheart, I did love him, but was I in love with him like I’ve always loved your daddy? No.”

“Then why would you have sex with him if you didn’t love him, Mommy?

Although Jessica was getting a bit uneasy about the deep conversation she was having with her daughter, she felt it was beneficial to share her experience with Clint and Adam so she could understand the difference between the two relationships.  She hoped it would help her to remain celibate until she found the man she would spend the rest of her life with and only want to share her body with him.

“Emily, Daddy and Mommy had hurt each other very much.  I was young and immature.  Was I mature enough to be married with children?  Yes, but Daddy and I had many obstacles we had to overcome in our young marriage, and I, unfortunately, allowed those impediments to cloud my love and rational thinking.  I blamed your father for the demise of our marriage, but in reality, we were both very much to blame.  I met Clint not long after our divorce and was immediately attracted to him.  Looking back, I dated Clint because I knew your father still loved me and deep down I still loved him, but I was more interested in hurting him the way I had perceived he’d hurt me.”

“Oh, Mommy!” Emily cried.

“Sweetheart, I know it is hard to hear and believe me, I will always regret my actions in those few years we were divorced but in some ways, I think it made us stronger the second time around.”

“I don’t remember Clint very well, but certain things are very clear as if it was yesterday, I really can’t explain it.  I do remember he was very nice, and I did like him.”

“He was very kind to you and Jason, and he loved you very much.  When he came over, he played with you guys on the floor all the time.  He let you crawl all over him, and he would play hide and seek with you in the backyard.  He always made sure he was easy to find for you.  Those were the things I loved about him the most; how good he was to you and Jason.”

“Did you want to marry him?”

“We had talked about it, but I never could commit.  I still loved your father, but when I would think about how he had abandoned us in those early years when he took over as CEO, I would allow my anger to dictate my life where you father was concerned.  If I had married Clint, I don’t think we would be married today, unfortunately.  As I said, I loved Clint, but I was not in love with him.  The only man I’ve ever been in love with is your father.”

“Mommy I want you to know Trey has told me he does love me very much, but he also respects me.  We’ve talked about the kids in school who have lost their virginity, and he says he doesn’t want to be one of those statistics.  He wants to make sure the woman he shares his body with is someone he knows he will marry.”

“I’m happy to hear Trey feels this way.  I’ve always liked Trey, he’s a very upstanding young man with high moral values.”

“His mom brought him up that way.  Trey says this is one of the reasons she and his dad are no longer together; because his father, being a sports agent, is very extroverted and free spirited.  His mother is not like that.  She’s a very private person.  She’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but she has a different set of morals than his father; his words not mine.”

“She was very nice the time we got to meet her at their jewelry store.  Daddy and I liked them very much and look forward to getting to know them better.”

“Trey’s step dad is really cool.  I’ve spoken to him a few times when I’ve called Trey’s house, and he wasn’t home so we would talk for a few minutes.  He seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me better and looked forward to when I turned sixteen and was allowed to date outside our home.”

Emily thanked her mother for her candid talk.  Jessica had always told Emily she would be as open with her as she could about love and sex.  Jessica wanted all of her children to be comfortable in talking to both of their parents about relationships, love, marriage, and sex.  They wanted to be the ones to answer their questions, their fears, their desires, instead of learning them on the street or getting into a situation they would not be able to handle.

“Emily, I’m going to tell you something, now that you and Trey are going to be able to date outside of this house and unsupervised.  I was once your age, and I know how hormones can be when you start kissing and hugging.  The desires will get strong, and you’ll get curious to want to explore each other’s bodies.  If you allow it to grow stronger, you’ll feel the urge to explore, and you’ll say, ‘We can stop at any time,’ but this is not always the case.  Human desire is a strong emotion to overcome, and if you don’t allow it to get started, you won’t ever find yourself having to say, ‘stop’ or ‘no.’  You can kiss, you can hold hands, walk arm and arm, and hug each other.  If you feel the urge to want to continue to get a little more intimate, this is when you need to get out of the situation you are in.  Don’t let peer pressure dictate decisions you make.  Wrong decisions can have lifetime consequences,” Jessica tweaked her daughter’s nose, “And don’t you forget that.”

“I can only hope I have a marriage like you and Daddy have one day, Mommy.  I hope when I’m your age, I’m still having sex with my husband.  I know some of my friends say their parents only exist in their home.  They don’t see their parents sharing their love so outwardly like you and Daddy do.”

“Sweetheart, Daddy and I share our love outwardly with you kids because we always want you to feel secure.  We felt our selfishness robbed you and Jason of that for a time, and we never want to make you feel insecure in our love ever again.  We want you to feel the love we not only have for each other but the love we have for each one of you.  The way to keep a marriage alive when you get older is to never lose touch with one another, whether it be intellectual, communicative, or most importantly, sexually.  A big part of marriage is intimacy.  It’s so important to always keep it spontaneous and creative.  Sometimes just lying in your father’s arms and him holding me is all we need to feel like one, other times the need is greater.  There will be times you might not need it as much as your spouse, but because you love him and want to please him, you will comply with his need.  Your body will respond, believe me,” Jessica winked, and Emily blushed.

“Thank you, Mommy, for having this talk with me today.  Thank you for being so candid in answering all of my questions.  I hope I wasn’t inappropriate of the things I asked.”

“Oh, Sweetheart, if I felt uneasy in answering any of them or felt it wasn’t any of your business,  I would have told you so.  Daddy and I have always told all of you kids we want you to come to us about love and making love.  We don’t want you hearing about it on the street or from your friends who may or may have not experienced it because believe me, there is a huge difference in making love and getting naked with someone.”

“I can’t talk to Daddy about sex, Mommy! That’s so embarrassing!”  Emily scrunched up her nose.

Jessica let out a deep laugh.  “Honey, Daddy would be as candid as I am, only he can speak from a male perspective.  If you ever need to talk about it with Daddy but would be more comfortable with me there, too, you can let me know, and Daddy and I will speak with you together.  We would never put you in a position where you would not feel safe and comfortable.”

“Mommy, one more thing, Trey told me Daddy said he could start referring to you like Adam and Jessica.  What made him decide to allow Trey to call you by your first name?”

“Sweetheart, Daddy said Trey had proven himself to him, and he and I really like him.  We feel he treats you well and would protect you always.  Trey will be eighteen soon, and we just feel Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright is a bit formal.  We love Trey and want him to feel part of the family.  While you two are not at the same level as Jason and Brianna of course, Trey is still a wonderful young man and we want him to feel comfortable around us and calling us Adam and Jessica will make us feel more at ease, and we want him to also feel at ease, too.”

“I don’t know if I could ever call his mother by her first name.  His step dad, yes, but his mom? Um, I don’t know about that,” Emily nervously laughed.

“If she feels it’s appropriate for you to call her by her first name, she’ll let you know.  We felt Trey had proven himself to us so we’re okay with it.”

“Hey, what are two of the most beautiful girls in my life doing in here?” Adam asked as he came in cleaned up, wearing a white button down Polo shirt, stonewashed blue jeans, and loafers.

“Hey, Babe, I see you trimmed up your beard, Mommy likes very much!” Jessica winked.

Adam stroked his beard and winked, “Happy wife, happy life.”

“I’ll show you the happy life, my good-looking man,” Jessica winked back.

“Oh, Mommy and Daddy!” Emily bellowed. “Take it to the bedroom please!”

“No time for that, Princess,” Adam said as he bent down and scooped the birthday girl into his arms and twirled her around as she screamed and laughed.

“I love you, Princess.  You, Jason, Jillian and Mommy make my life complete.”

“Daddy, I love you, too, and I thank God every day for you and Mommy, Jason and Jillian.  I’m the luckiest girl alive, I’m sixteen today, and I get to go on a date with Trey by myself!”

“What were you girls talking about earlier?” Adam asked still holding Emily in his arms.

“Just girl talk, Adam, Mommy Daughter stuff,” Jessica winked at Emily, and she gave a knowing smile in return.

Skeptical, Adam dropped it and decided to inquire more later, on their way to Reno to pick up the two new cars.

The door bell rang, and Emily wiggled out of Adam’s hold, and he gently set her back on her feet.  She ran to the door, and Trey walked in when Emily opened the door.  He presented her with a dozen light pink roses in a pink vase with a Happy Birthday balloon tied to the bouquet.  Emily kissed Trey on the cheek and hugged him for the beautiful flowers. 

“Hello, Adam, Jessica, great to see you.  I hear you’re getting a new car today?”

Jessica stood up and came to put her arm through Adam’s and looked up adoringly into her husband’s eyes and said, “Yes, we’ve decided to step down a bit in the size automobile I need to drive.  When we realized it had been ten years since our last family car purchase, Adam surprised me and told me I was going to get the car I really wanted.  I’m very excited.”

“I look forward to seeing it,” Trey smiled.  “I guess we best get going.  My first surprise is time sensitive.”

Emily handed the vase of roses to her mother and kissed each of her parents.  Trey grabbed Emily’s hand, and they walked hand in hand out the door.  Adam and Jessica moved to the door and watched as they walked down the sidewalk to Trey’s Mustang.  He opened the door for Emily, and she got in.  She waved back to Adam and Jessica and had the biggest grin on her face as she now was free to date Trey unsupervised and away from the house.  After the kids had driven away, Jessica went to put the flowers in Emily’s room and call Jillian to come and get in the car so they could drop her off at Diana’s house on their way to Reno to get Jessica’s car and Emily’s surprise birthday gift: her brand new car.

“Where are you taking me?”  Emily asked excited to finally be riding in Trey’s car alone with him on a date.

“We’re headed up to Lake Tahoe.  I thought I would take you for a lunch cruise on the Tahoe Bleu Wave.  I know how much you like the lake, and I wanted to do something special, just the two of us today.  I have plans for later, and tonight, I’m taking you to your favorite restaurant for dinner,” Trey replied, taking Emily’s hand in his as he headed toward Highway 50 toward South Lake Tahoe where the Tahoe Bleu Wave was docked.

“How exciting!  We go riding up to the lake often when we’re at the Ponderosa…Trey!”  Emily’s eyes got wide, and a smile graced her face, “Now that we’re able to date, you can come up to the Ponderosa, and we can go horseback riding.  I’m sure Daddy would let you ride Sport or Jake, and I have my beautiful horse I got for my fifth birthday; his name is Banana.”

“Sounds like a plan next spring for sure, Babe,” Trey smiled.

The couple arrived at the docks on Lake Tahoe where they would catch their luncheon cruise.  Trey paid for parking, and they found a parking spot near the pier.  Trey came around and helped his birthday girl from the car, and they headed toward the ticket booth where his pre-paid tickets were waiting for him at the will call window.  After getting their tickets, Trey took Emily’s hand, and they headed toward the pier where the boat was docked.  As they gave their ticket to one of the stewards of the vessel, he instructed the couple to stand in front of the boat where the photographer would snap their picture for a memory of their day’s excursion on the lake.  After boarding the boat, they found their table and a waitress came to take their drink order.

“I’ll have a cup of hot tea please,” Emily said smiling, very excited to be spending her special birthday alone with her boyfriend.

“I’ll have a coffee, black, please,” Trey said.

“The buffet is now open if you would like to go ahead and get in line.  We have a cold salad station, hot station, carved meat station and everyone’s favorite, the dessert station,” the waitress pointed out. “I’ll be back with your drinks momentarily.”

The couple got up and filled up their plates with delicious salads, meats and vegetables from the buffet, and when they returned, there was a pot of hot water with a tea bag for Emily and a small carafe of coffee for Trey.  The two kids ate their meal, and both were so full of their salads and meat selections they both elected not to partake in the dessert although both said they did look tempting and delicious.

“Why don’t we head outside and bask in the beauty of the scenery.” Trey motioned as he got up and came around to take Emily’s hand.

They stood outside, and there was a slight breeze off the lake, and it was a bit chilly.  Trey took his leather jacket off and placed it on Emily’s shoulders.  Before taking his jacket off, he pulled out a small wrapped gift and once Emily’s chill was gone, he presented her with the gift and a card.

“Ever since we became boyfriend and girlfriend, I looked forward to your birthday when I could spend time alone with you and give this gift.  I hope you like it, I chose it myself…well, with a little help from my mother, since she knows what girls like,” Trey said with a hint of pink coloring his face.

Emily’s eyes opened like wide blue saucers.  She opened the card first, and it was a beautiful birthday card which she read out loud:

My Girlfriend, who made my life go from lonely to livable, to lovable.

Happy Birthday.

She opened the card, and she again read aloud what was written on the inside:

On you birthday, I wish you as much pleasure and joy as you have given me.

Love, Trey.

Emily shut the card and looked at Trey with loving eyes.  She leaned over and kissed tenderly kissed his lips. 

“Thank you, Babe, I’ll keep this card always.  I love it!”

“Open the gift, I really hope you like it,” Trey said anxiously.

Emily unwrapped the very smartly wrapped gift box and then opened the outer box to expose a purple velvet box inside.  She looked up at Trey, who was smiling from ear to ear.  Emily’s hands were shaking as she pulled the velvet box from the gift box which she placed in her lap so she could open the velvet box.  She lifted the lid and found a beautiful pear shaped Australian opal pendant with small diamonds cascading up the bale and a gold snake chain.

“It’s exquisite, Trey, I love it!” she said breathlessly, “Thank you so much! I’m speechless.”

“I’m glad you like it.  My parents recently returned from Australia, and they sourced some beautiful stones while they were there for their jewelry store.  I told my mother I wanted to give you a pendant with your birthstone, and she helped me pick just the perfect stone; my stepfather set it in this setting.”

As Emily turned to allow Trey to clasp the pendant around her neck, she said, “I’ve wanted an opal for a long time.  My parents bought me a beautiful pink tourmaline pendant, earrings and ring for Christmas last year, which is my other birthstone but I’ve always wanted an opal because I love the fire opals have, and this one is such a rainbow of blues, yellows, greens, and lots of red!” 

When Trey finished clasping the chain, Emily put her hand on the stone and then placed both of her hands on Trey’s cheeks and gave him a long very sensuous kiss.  When the kiss ended, Trey looked at Emily with glazed eyes and smiled.

“If giving you an opal gets me that kind of kiss, I’ll shower you with them daily,” he laughed.

The couple stood up, and each placed their arms around each other’s waist and walked to the railing of the boat as they came into the cove of Emerald Bay.

“I love this lake, I love this area.  This is God’s Country isn’t it?” Emily said as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply taking in the clean, crisp autumn air.

“It’s beautiful, but it’s not as beautiful as you, Emily.”

After the luncheon cruise was completed, Trey and Emily got back into Trey’s car, so they could head back to Reno and on to Trey’s second surprise of the day: shopping for a dress for Emily to wear to dinner.

The two shopped at several stores in the mall and ended up finding a dress at Macy’s which was a strapless sweetheart neckline top and a flowing chiffon knee length skirt in light blue with a wide band of iridescent sequins and beads which adorned the middle of the dress.  Trey took Emily to the ladies shoe department where she found a pair of elegant strap sandal heels to wear with the dress as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After their day’s excursions, Trey took Emily back home so she could get dressed for their dinner date at Adel’s.  Little did Emily know what she thought would be an intimate birthday dinner for two would be a surprise party her parents had schemed with Trey to pull off.

Upon returning home, Emily noticed her family was not home.  She knew Jessica and Adam were headed to Reno to get Jessica’s new car, however, she thought they would have been home by the time she returned back at 5:00 PM.  When she entered her room, she saw a note from her parents that read:

Emily,

We’ve headed up to the Ponderosa to Uncle Hoss’s house to have dinner with his family and to show him Mommy’s new car.  We should be home by the time you return from dinner with Trey.  We look forward to hearing about your day and what Trey had planned for your birthday.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Emily jumped in the shower to clean up from the day’s activities and once out of the shower, she put on a fresh face of makeup and let her hair fall around her shoulders into soft flowing curls.

Shortly before 7:00 P.M., Trey rang the doorbell to pick her up for their dinner at Adel’s.  His breath was taken away when she answered the door in the new dress he had bought for her earlier in the day.  Her jewelry were small diamond stud earrings her parents had given to her for her fifteenth birthday along with the opal pendant Trey had given to her earlier in the day.  She had a silk and cashmere pink sweater with seed pearls scattered across the two front panels and pearl buttons which were a perfect match, and she wore this over the dress as it was beginning to get cooler at night.

Once the couple arrived at Adel’s, the hostess greeted them with a warm smile. 

“Welcome to Adel’s, do you have a reservation this evening?”

“Yes, reservation for two, Trey Hollingsworth,” Trey smiled at the hostess. 

The hostess was made aware when Trey and Emily arrived, she was to take them to the private dining room where the rest of the family would be waiting.

“Follow me, please,” the hostess said as she grabbed two menus as if she were taking them to an intimate table for two.

As they reached the private dining room, she opened the door, and Emily walked in to see her parents, sister, two uncles and their wives all sitting at a table decorated with white and pink balloons and other sweet sixteen party favors.

“SURPRISE!” Yelled the entire Cartwright family.  Emily stood shocked and surprised.  She turned to Trey, who was grinning from ear to ear who along with Adam and Jessica, was able to pull off the surprise of her life.

“You knew didn’t you?” she said as she hit Trey in the chest as she put her arm around his waist and placed her head on his chest.

“Your dad and I along with your mom put the whole plan into motion a few weeks ago,” Trey said as he led Emily to her seat in the middle of the table.

“I should have known you had something cooking, Mommy and Daddy.  Why else would you have been so totally okay with Trey and me spending my sixteenth birthday together without you somewhere in the mix.”

“How was your day today, Honey?” Jessica asked as she sipped on a glass of champagne.

“Oh, Mommy, it was fantastic.  We first went up to the lake and took a lunch cruise where he gave me this beautiful opal pendant and chain,” Emily showed off her new necklace.  “We then went to the mall because he wanted to buy me a special dress for our dinner date tonight,” she said looking at him and lightly punching him in the arm again for being able to pull off the surprise the way he did.

“Your dress is simply beautiful, Emily,” Donna, Joe’s wife commented.

“Thanks, Aunt Donna, Trey was the one who actually saw it first.  I was having such a hard time finding something I liked.  If I found something, they would have every size but mine so when he found this one, they had it in my size, I was so excited. I love it, too,” Emily said smiling back at Trey.

Jessica got up from her seat next to Adam and came over to her daughter to get a closer look at the opal pendant she had received from Trey.  She held the necklace in her hand and marveled at the workmanship and quality of the stone.

“It’s just beautiful, Honey.  I know you will treasure it and take good care of it.  Opals are very fragile stones so you’ll need to be sure to take it off each night before you go to bed and place it in your jewelry box.”

Adam’s phone rang, and he answered it.  He then put the phone on speaker and asked everyone to be quiet as he had someone who wanted to say hello; it was Jason and Brianna on FaceTime.

“Hi, little sister,” Jason said as he and Brianna huddled together in their phone’s camera so they could both be seen by all of the Cartwrights.  “Happy birthday!” they both said together. 

“We wished we could have been with you tonight,” Jason then spoke on his own. 

“This is a special night for you, and we wanted to virtually be a part of it so Dad sent me a text when you and Trey arrived so we could call in to wish you a happy birthday and give you our love.”

“Thank you, Brother, for calling.  I wished you could be here, I love you guys!”

“We love you, too, Sweetheart, happy birthday!” Brianna spoke up.

“We’ll let you go so you can get back to dinner, it’s getting late here.  Emmy, call tomorrow and tell us all about your day, we want to hear about it,” Jason finished the call.

“Will do, Jason.  Love you, and I’ll give you a call tomorrow after church.”

“Great, talk to you then.”

Everyone waved and said goodbye as Emily turned the phone around and scanned everyone around the table so they could see Jason and Brianna and they could see them.  After the FaceTime call had ended, Emily got up to give Adam his phone and a big kiss to thank him for having Jason call so she could talk to her older brother whom she was extremely close to, and he and his beloved could be a part of her birthday.

As dinner wound down and the staff removed the dinner plates, the presents all the family members had brought were set in front of Emily.  The lights were dimmed as the staff brought in the sweet sixteen birthday cake the restaurant’s pastry chef had made in honor of Adam and Jessica’s eldest daughter’s special day.  The family sang happy birthday while Jessica snapped pictures of Emily’s glowing face among all the lit candles.  After the song was sung, Emily blew out her candles, and the staff took the cake to one of the back serving tables, and the head waiter cut the cake while other employees served a piece to everyone.  After the cake was served and all the family was enjoying dessert, Emily began to open her gifts.  Hoss and his wife gave Emily a pair of True Religion black corduroy jeans and a soft pink cashmere sweater.  Joe and Donna gave her a new North Face ski jacket and pants set she had wanted for the upcoming ski season.

“Thank you, Everyone.  Trey and I are so excited we can go skiing together up at Squaw Valley this winter and these will come in handy.”

The wait staff came back in and delivered champagne flutes to all the adults and white sparkling grape juice to Emily, Trey, and Jillian.  Adam stood and lifted his glass to his daughter and began to speak.

“Emily, your mother and I are very proud of the beautiful woman you are becoming.  It seems like only yesterday I held you in my arms for the first time shortly after your mother gave birth to you.  We’ve been through a lot over these last sixteen years; some good, some bad, some great, some sad.  Mommy and I couldn’t be more proud of you, and we thank God each day for the blessing of selecting us to be your Mommy and Daddy.  We love you, Princess, happy birthday.”

The rest of the family clinked their glasses together, toasting Emily.  Adam took Jessica’s hand, and they got up and came to their daughter.

“We have one last present to give to you tonight, Sweetheart.  Daddy and I researched long and hard what we wanted to give you today for this special birthday.  We hope you like it.”

Adam asked Emily to close her eyes and hold out her hands.  She looked at her father with skeptical eyes as she had fallen for his pranks and shenanigans many times, but decided to play along as she knew her Daddy probably would not end a special night with a joke.

Adam pulled out the key fob to Emily’s brand new car and placed it in her hands.  When she opened her eyes and saw the keys, her eyes opened wide, she gasped and then leaped into both parent’s arms, kissed and hugged them for their generous gift.

“I was beginning to think I wasn’t getting a car! Thank you so much, Mommy and Daddy, I promise I’ll be very careful once I get my license and can drive on my own.”

“Princess, it’s not the Q60 you wanted…”

“Q60 Coupe, Adam,” Jessica reminded him, and the whole table erupted in laughter as Adam and Jessica had shared the story with everyone before Emily’s and Trey’s arrival.

“Touché, Babe,” Adam smiled.

He turned back to Emily, who was shaking, and tears were running down her face.  Trey stood up and held Emily as he could see she was getting weak in the knees from the excitement of having her own brand new car.

Adam continued, “It’s not the Q60 Coupe,” he said looking at Jessica standing next to him and then turned his attention back to Emily, “but it’s a car Mommy and I felt was best for you and the type of driving you’ll be doing.  It’s somewhat of a parental car as it does have four doors, but it is a sporty crossover SUV.  It will be perfect for when you need to drive up to the Ponderosa in the winter or when you and Trey go skiing.  We know you’re ready, and all you need to do now is pass your driving test on Monday!”

Emily thanked her parents again as Adam took Jessica into his arms.  Jessica was crying as she thought about her daughter becoming more independent.

“I can’t wait to see it!  Is it at home?”  Emily asked.

“No, Princess, it’s right outside!”

Emily’s eyes opened wide again as she couldn’t believe she was going to be able to see her new car right then.

“Shall we all go look at Emily’s new car?” Adam said looking at everyone.

Joe spoke as he stood up, handing his arm to his wife, Donna, “I’m ready, I can’t wait to see you in the driver seat, my dear niece.”

Everyone stood up and walked outside.  Adam passed the head waiter of the staff who was serving them and handed him his black American Express.  He asked the bill be tallied, and an additional twenty-five percent tip to be added to the already included gratuity.  He also asked the gifts be gathered up, and he would be in shortly to settle his account.

The family walked outside and headed to the parking lot at the back of the restaurant where Adam and Jessica had parked the car and placed a big pink bow on the hood.  When Emily rounded the corner and saw her new Acura RDX, she leaped into her father’s arms and planted a big kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you, Daddy! I love it!” she said as she turned back around, still in her Daddy’s embrace. “You even got me the pearl white I wanted!”

“It wasn’t easy, Sweetheart,” Jessica piped in.  We wanted specific options, and they had to go to San Francisco to find one in the pearl.  Daddy had to pull strings to get it here in time for tonight’s celebration.  We were actually biting our nails if it was going to get here in time, but the dealership came through.”

“Let’s see what you look like in the driver’s seat, little lady,” Hoss spoke up.

Emily squealed as she skipped over to her new car.  She clicked the fob to open the doors and told Trey to get in on the passenger side.  Adam got in the back seat, and Jessica came on the other side and got in the middle so Jillian could join the family.  Adam explained all the different options they had added to the car such as the navigation package, and a ski rack among others.  Emily sat in the driver’s seat and turned on the car the radio to come on. 

“There is Bluetooth capability on this car, Sweetheart, for when you need to talk on the phone, but as Daddy and I discussed with you before, we don’t want you talking on the phone while driving unless it is absolutely necessary.  You’re still a new driver, and it’s not safe to talk on the phone while driving, is that understood?”

“Yes, Mommy, I promise I’ll only talk on the phone while driving if it’s an emergency.”

“I’ll hold her to her promise, Jessica.  I don’t even drive on the phone.  Emily always asks me when she calls, ‘Are you driving?’  If I am, she says to call her when I get to where I’m going.  We’ve had this conversation many times ourselves.  She knows how I feel about it, too.”

“I like you more every day, Trey,” Adam replied.

After a quick overview of all the features of the car, Adam instructed Emily to turn off the car and hand him back the fob.  He said he would give it back to her after she passed her driving test on Monday.

Everyone got out of the car and each said their goodbyes and again wished Emily a happy birthday.  Emily thanked each of her uncles and aunts for coming and sharing in her special day.  Both of her aunts took a closer look at the necklace Trey had given her and told him he had exquisite taste, and Emily was a lucky girl to have such a thoughtful boyfriend.  The four of them gave her a kiss, Hoss and Joe gave Trey a handshake and he gave Emily’s aunts a kiss on their cheek.

After everyone had left, Emily turned back to her parents and thanked them and Trey for the best birthday she had ever had. 

“I feel blessed, and I love you all, including you, Peanut!”  Emily said grabbing her sister and giving her a big hug.

“Will you take Diana and me for a ride when you get your drivers license?” Jillian asked.

“I sure will! Trey and I can take you guys to the movies or something, okay?”

Jillian jumped up and down with excitement of getting to spend time with her older sister and boyfriend.

“Why don’t you and Trey head back to the house.  Mommy and I will settle up things here at Adel’s, and we’ll pack up the car with all of your gifts.  We’ll be home shortly.” Adam said as he took off his jacket and placed it around Jessica’s shoulders as she was beginning to shiver in the cold night air.

“Okay, Daddy, can we take Jillian with us? Is it okay, Trey, if Jill comes, too?”

“Sure! If it’s okay with your parents,” Trey responded, looking at Adam and Jessica.

“It’s okay with us, would you like to go back home with Trey and Emily, Sweetpea?” Adam asked.

“Would I, YES, Thank you, Trey!” Jillian jumped up and down.

“Okay, Peanut, control your enthusiasm,” Emily laughed, and the others joined in.

Jillian grinned from ear to ear as Trey gave Adam a handshake and Jessica a kiss on the cheek.  Emily kissed her father on the lips and gave him a tight hug and thanked him again for a wonderful birthday celebration and for being the best daddy a girl could ever wish for.  She then went to Jessica kissed her on the lips and hugged her tightly and told her how much she loved her as well.  Once all goodbyes were complete, Emily and Trey each took one of Jillian’s hands, and the three walked to Trey’s Mustang, and they drove back toward home. 

“She’s growing up isn’t she?”  Jessica asked Adam as he held her in his arms and they watched their children and Trey drive away.

Adam kissed Jessica on the side of her head and agreed, “Yes she is.”

Adam patted her on the bum and said, “Let’s go wrap up the dinner bill and get Em’s presents loaded up in the car.

“Why don’t you head inside, Babe, and I’ll drive the car up to the front door so we don’t have so far to carry the presents,” Jessica said as she took the key fob from Adam’s hand.

“You’re as smart as you are beautiful,” Adam said kissing his wife tenderly on the lips.

“Well,” Jessica said sarcastically, “I did go to Harvard and I did marry you didn’t I?”

“I’ll show you how smart I am in bed tonight, Mrs. Cartwright,” Adam growled grabbing  Jessica’s buttocks, giving them a gentle squeeze.

“Adam, stop! Someone might see us,” she said giggling, looking around to see if anyone was lurking.

Adam patted Jessica’s bum again and broke their embrace to open the door for her.  When she got in the car, he shut the door and walked back toward the restaurant.  Jessica drove the car up to the front and waited for Adam to finish settling the check.  Once the bill was taken care of, he and the head waiter brought out Jessica’s coat and Emily’s presents.

Jessica moved over to the passenger side, and Adam jumped in the driver’s seat.  He grabbed Jessica’s hand, and they headed back home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When they arrived back home, they pulled Emily’s new car in the garage where Jason’s car once was. 

“A new chapter begins,” he said as he shut off the engine and they both exited the car. 

They walked into the house, and it was dark.  The only light left on was a lamp in the formal living room.

Adam and Jessica brought in the gifts and headed back to Emily’s room where they knocked and found her talking on the phone to her best friend, telling her about her day with Trey and her new car.

She put the phone down and thanked both her parents again for the new car and the wonderful surprise celebration. 

“Don’t stay up too late, Honey, we have to go to church in the morning.”

“I won’t Mommy, I promise.”

Adam and Jessica shut Emily’s door as she turned her attention back to her phone call.  The couple then saw Jillian coming out of her bathroom with her robe on and her hair wrapped in a towel.

“Did you have fun tonight, riding back with Trey and Emily, Baby Girl?” Jessica asked.

“I did, thank you, Mommy, for letting me go back with them.  Trey is a very good driver.”

“I’m glad to hear that.  Give Daddy and me a kiss and you get in bed, we have to go to church in the morning.”

Jillian reached up, and Adam bent down to give his youngest a kiss and hug goodnight.  Jillian then wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist, and Jessica followed her into her bedroom where she got her a fresh set of pajamas to put on and then tucked her youngest in bed. 

“Sweet dreams, my baby girl, I love you,” Jessica said as she kissed her daughter on the forehead.

Adam had already head to the bedroom, stripped down to his boxers and was in the bathroom warming up the shower.

Jessica came in behind him.  Feeling a little playful, she wrapped her arms around him and placed her hands down in his boxers.  “I need to liven things up down here don’t I?” she purred in Adam’s ear.

Adam turned around and found his wife still fully dressed in her tight short black dress which showed off all her womanly assets.

“You buy more KY?” Adam asked nibbling on Jessica’s neck, unzipping her dress.

“You know I did, it’s already on the nightstand,” Jessica replied moving her hands to Adam’s hips, lowering the boxers off his body.

Jessica slipped out of her dress and let it fall to the floor.  She was left standing in her black heels, a black lace bra and matching panties which were sheer in the front.

“Oooh, you seductress, you.  You wore this lingerie on purpose didn’t you?” Adam whispered as he kissed her ear.

“Who me?  She said as she turned around and rubbed the soft silk panties against Adam’s hardening member.

Adam unhooked the front closure of Jessica’s bra, and she let it fall from her arms and then she stepped out of her panties and shoes.  The couple got into the shower and stood under the rain of water falling from the ceiling shower head.

After the shower, they continued sharing in their mutual satisfaction in bed. Adam held his wife in his arms, rubbing her arm and feeling the dew of sweat shared by their lovemaking. 

Jessica laid her head on Adam’s chest and sighed.  “Our babies are growing up too fast, Daddy.”

“I know, Babe, I know.”

“I love you, Adam Cartwright,” Jessica said looking up at Adam and kissing him on the lips.

Adam smiled at his wife and replied, “I love you more.”

Jessica smiled and returned her head to Adam’s chest where she fell off to slumber land in the arms of the only man she ever had truly loved.

Chapter 16

As Thanksgiving approached, Adam, Hoss, and Joe were dreading the holiday as it would be their first without Ben to share it with.  Adam was particularly affected, as he would also be missing his son who would be spending his first holiday away with Brianna and her family.

The weeks following Emily’s birthday and the lead up to Thanksgiving, Adam felt the pressure mounting, and while he usually kept his emotions in check, he found his temper short with his brothers and staff at work.  He also found himself intolerant of typical sibling bickering between his two daughters and small things Jessica would do which under normal circumstances, were perfectly fine with Adam like taking the girls shopping and buying something frivolous.

Thanksgiving Day arrived, and Jessica woke early to begin her long day of cooking.  She tried hard to hold her emotions of missing her son and father-in-law.  She wanted to get her emotions out so she could be a good hostess for her extended family who would be coming for dinner later in the afternoon.  It had been decided the night of Emily’s birthday party when they were all together, the families would gather at Adam and Jessica’s house for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year since they had a large enough home to accommodate everyone comfortably for the holidays.  The brothers had tossed around having Thanksgiving and Christmas at the Ponderosa but with their father gone, and the house now belonging to Jason, they felt it was time to create a new holiday tradition.

Jessica was busy preparing the turkey to roast in the oven when Adam came around the corner.  He stopped and watched Jessica as she busied herself with giving the holiday bird her culinary love while wiping tears from her eyes with the towel she kept thrown over her shoulder.

“Good morning, Jess, Happy Thanksgiving,” Adam softly said to his wife as she scurried around the kitchen multi-tasking on the large spread she had planned for their family.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Adam.”  She answered smiling up at him then turning her attention back to the holiday preparations.

Adam walked over to Jessica spinning her around and held her in his embrace, staring intently into her eyes.

“Today is going to be a good day.  You’re brothers, their wives, and children are coming over.  Trey will be here for Emily, and we’re starting a new tradition.  Dad will be here with us, just in a different way,” her lips curled upward as a tear escaped her right eye.

Adam smiled back and simply replied with a shaky, “Yeah,”  his eyes misty as he wiped a rogue tear falling down Jessica’s cheek.

Adam patted Jessica’s bum, breaking away as he asked if he could help her with anything.  Jessica made a cup of coffee for her husband and handed him a croissant she had bought at LA Bakery the day before.

“No, I’m faster without your help, but I’ll need it later when the turkey is ready to be carved.”

Adam left the kitchen and headed into the back yard to the shed to get the  Christmas lights out for the house.  It was a Cartwright tradition the Friday after Thanksgiving for Adam to put the lights on the house while Jessica and the girls put the tree up and decorate in anticipation of Christmas.  Trey had offered to come help Adam with the lights, and he gladly accepted the help.

“Good morning, Mommy,” Jessica’s sleepy daughter said as she came dragging into the kitchen half awake, her hair in a tangled mess.

Jessica stopped and smiled at her disheveled looking daughter.  “Morning, Sweetheart, you’re up early, did you sleep well?”

“I did.  I slept like a rock.  The allergy medicine makes me sleepy.  I think I fell asleep on Trey.  I woke up this morning with my phone on my pillow.  I don’t remember saying goodbye to him last night.”

“The doctor gave you some allergy medicine to take during the day so you wouldn’t be so sleepy.  The medication you took last night is for nighttime only so don’t get them mixed up.” Jessica said, handing her daughter a cup of tea and the daytime allergy pill bottle.

“Thanks, Mommy.  Daddy up yet?”

“He’s in the shed getting out the Christmas lights.  He’s going to test them to see if he needs to go get any replacements tomorrow morning.”

“Jillie up yet?”  Her line of questioning continued as she opened the pill bottle and poured out a pill placing it on her tongue and taking a drink of her hot tea.

“No, I think she’s still be sleeping.  She got up once during the night with a nightmare.  I had to come lay down with her for a little bit until she went back to sleep, so she’ll probably sleep in a little longer this morning.”

“Is there anything I can help you with, Mommy, before I go take a shower and call Trey?”  Emily asked, putting the pill bottle back in the cabinet where medicine was kept.

“Not right now, Sweetheart.  I need to get the rolls done so they can rise.  Would you like another cup of tea and a croissant?

“Yes please.  Have you ever made homemade croissants, Mommy?”  Emily asked her mother while she poured herself a fresh cup of hot water and her mother put the buttery flaky roll on a plate and brought it to her daughter with a new tea bag.

“No, they’re tough to make, and it’s easier just to buy them from the bakery,” she winked.

“These are so good.  I could eat a whole box of them by myself.”  Emily replied as she tore off a piece, placed it in her mouth, closing her eyes and sighing as her taste buds came alive from the delicate buttery taste of the French creation.

“You want some cherry jam to put on it, Sweetheart?” Jessica smiled as she watched her daughter’s eyes close and dissolve into culinary heaven.

“Oh no, Mommy, they’re amazing just like this.  You know they’re perfect when they’re good cold as they are hot.”

“LA Bakery is the only place to get them, that’s for sure,”  Jessica replied, leaning against the island taking a short break to have a bite of a croissant she had taken for herself along with her tea.

Adam came in through the back door through the three seasons room.  As he rounded the corner into the kitchen, he said, “Jess, do we have any more replacement bulbs from last year?  We have several lights out on various strings.  Looks like I’ll need to get a few new strings this year as well.  Good morning, Princess, Happy Thanksgiving,” Adam said, seeing his daughter now in the kitchen also.

“Morning, Daddy,”  Emily said with a mouth full of bread.

Adam kissed his daughter on the top of her head and pat her on the bum, “Don’t talk with your mouth full of food, Princess, it’s not ladylike,” he smiled as he headed out to the garage to look in the custom cabinets he had built for the replacement bulbs.

Emily swallowed and replied, “Sorry, Daddy.”

When Adam returned to the kitchen with a few cards of replacement lights, Emily stopped him on his way back out to the backyard.

“Daddy, Trey and I want to talk to you and Mommy tonight about something after everyone leaves, can we or shall we wait until tomorrow?”

“Is it something urgent, Princess? Do we need to talk about it today?” Adam’s brows furrowed.

“No, Daddy, it’s nothing urgent or to be concerned with.  He just wants to talk to you and Mommy about something he would like to do with me, but he wants to get your blessing of course.  You know how Trey is.”

“He’s a good boy, Sweetheart.  Daddy and I really like him.”  Jessica said as she added yeast, sugar, and water to the mixing bowl.

“He really likes you and Daddy, too, Mommy.  He says you make him feel like part of the family, and he really appreciates it very much,” Emily grinned.

Adam put his arm around his daughter and gave her a light squeeze.  “We appreciate how he treats you, too!”

Adam headed back outside to replace the lights which were burned out to get them ready for hanging on the house the next day.

Once the dough for the rolls was made in the bowl to rise for the first time, and the turkey was in the oven at a low temperature, Jessica headed back to the room she shared with Adam, and she laid down for a little while.  When Adam came back into their room and saw his wife laying down with her arm draped across her forehead, he sat down and rubbed her stomach.

“You feeling okay, Babe?” he asked tenderly.

“I’m fine.  Just a little tired and emotionally drained, that’s all.  What’s the situation with the lights?  Jessica asked as she moved her hand to Adam’s, interlocking her fingers with his.

Adam laid down next to Jessica and said, “All ready to go, just need to make a quick run to the store tomorrow and get a couple of new strings, and we’ll be ready to hang them.  I’ll go first thing in the morning before Trey gets here so I can have everything set by the time he arrives.”

Jessica smiled.  “Sounds like you have it all under control, Mr. Cartwright.”

Adam leaned down and kissed his wife tenderly.  Looking into her big blue eyes, he asked, “You need to rest or???” with a growl in his voice.

“Hmm, it’s Thanksgiving, it’s a day to give thanks, isn’t it?” she purred back.

Adam gave his wife a quick kiss on the lips, got up to close the door and lock the knob so they wouldn’t be disturbed.  As he returned to the bed, he began to undress as did Jessica.  The two giggled as they began to explore each other, heightening their desire. 

After bringing the other to full satisfaction, they laid next to each other feeling the warmth of their dewy skin.  Adam continued to fondle Jessica’s breasts as they talked about everything from the love they had for each other to what was planned for the rest of the day.  Adam was starting to get a bit frisky again when the couple heard a knock at their door.  Adam grabbed his robe and put it on to answer the door.

Emily, who had showered and was fully dressed, came to tell her parents she was headed to Trey’s house to watch the first Thanksgiving football game with him but would be home in time for the afternoon game between San Francisco and Dallas.  She saw her mother lying in bed, sheets pulled up to her shoulders, both of their clothes strung out on the floor.

“Uh, I’m so sorry, Mommy and Daddy, I didn’t know.”  Her face blushed different hues of red.  “I was just coming to tell you I was leaving,”  she turned and hid her embarrassment.

Jessica grabbed her robe and went to the door.  “Sweetheart, it’s okay, you didn’t disturb anything,” Jessica winked at Adam.  “We were done.”

“Mommy, stop!” Emily laughed.

Jessica took her daughter into her arms.  “I’m sorry, Sweetheart, it’s just Daddy and I love to tease you and watch you squirm.”

Jillian came from her bathroom and saw Emily at her parent’s bedroom door.  She came down to see what was going on.  When she saw her parents in their robes, clothes strewn about on the floor, she rolled her eyes and continued on back to her room. 

“Really, Mommy and Daddy? It’s Thanksgiving!” she said as she walked away.

The three laughed.  The two lovebirds gave Emily a kiss, telling her to have a great time with Trey and his family. 

“Don’t forget the bottle of wine and fruit basket.  It’s on the island in the kitchen,”  Jessica said as Emily headed back up the hall toward the kitchen and garage.

Jessica closed the door and locked it back.  “Now, where were we?” she asked as she undid the tie around her robe, slipping it off her shoulders and letting it fall to the ground as she moved back toward Adam.

Adam watched with excitement as his wife came to him and undid the tie on his robe. “I need a shower.  Wanna scrub my back, fella?”

“You little sex kitten, you,” Adam said as he picked Jessica up and carried her into the bathroom.

He sat her down on the ground and turned on the shower heads.  He took her back into his arms and pressed his body up against hers.

“Woman, you bring the animal out in me,” he growled kissing her neck and fondling her breasts.

“I love you, Adam, and I never want to lose the intimacy we share with each other.”

The couple got into the shower and enjoyed another encounter before they bathed each other clean.  Once out of the shower, Jessica put the towel around her body and her head.  She went back into the bedroom to pick up their clothes they had thrown to the floor when they undressed.   Jessica made the bed while Adam was in the bathroom shaving.  She unlocked the door and went to the chest of drawers to get a pair clean panties for her and boxers for Adam.  She tossed him his pair, and he placed them on the edge of the jacuzzi tub as he continued to manicure his beard.  Jessica put her panties and bra on and came into the bathroom to finish drying her hair and turn on her hair rollers to heat up.

Adam dropped his towel and put his boxers on after he finished shaving.  The sexiness of his wife standing in her bra and panties overtook him.  He came and wrapped his arms around his wife just as she had begun to put the rollers in her hair.

“Do you know what you do to me when you’re standing there half naked?” he said giving her a playful slap on her bum.

“Oh yes, it’s the no make-up and rollers in my hair that brings out the epitome of sexy in me,” Jessica laughed.

“I love you all natural: no make-up, your hair wet, and just like this, bra, panties, nothing…”

Jessica turned and scrunched up her nose, “Really?”

“Babe, you are gorgeous just the way you are.  I love you with all the make-up and hair, but I adore you just natural, too.”

“You act as I put on makeup like a drag queen, Adam,” she smiled as she turned back to the mirror to put another roller in her hair.

“No, Babe, I didn’t mean it to come out that way.  Your make-up is very tastefully done.  You look beautiful with makeup.  It enhances the gorgeous face you naturally have.  I appreciate you wearing minimal make-up.  I think a woman looks ridiculous when she looks like she’s wearing war paint.”

Jessica laughed as she put the last roller in her hair and began her skin care regimen.  “The older I get, the more serums and creams I need to use to keep my face looking youthful and sexy for my gorgeous husband who, the older he gets, is more sexy and distinguished.”

Adam twisted his wife in his arms, “You’re the most beautiful woman in the whole world.  You will be just as beautiful to me at 90 as you were when I first laid eyes on you at Harvard.  We’re blessed to have produced three gorgeous children who look just like you.”

“Awe, thanks, Babe, you know how to flatter a woman.  I will say, however, the older Jason gets, the more he looks like you.  He’s got natural waves in his hair, and he’s got your eyes and strong jaw line.  He’s got your height, too, thank goodness.  I see you in the girls, also.”

“Emily is the spitting image of you, Babe.  She looks just like you did at Harvard.  She has your personality, too.”   Adam winked in his mirror across from Jessica’s.

Jessica spun around, her mouth wide open but with a smile shining in her eyes.  She looked over in the mirror across the bathroom at Adam.  “Are you saying I’m a drama queen like our dear daughter?”

Adam laughed at Jessica as she had one eye done and the other still was in need of shadow.

‘I’m sorry, Babe, you need to look at yourself.”

Jessica looked at herself in the mirror.  “What?” she said as she looked at herself and then back at Adam.

“Nothing, just finish putting your eye-shadow on,” he turned her shoulders and had her look at herself in the mirror.”

Jessica then realized what Adam meant and laughed.  He went into the bedroom and into the closet where he got out a pair of blue Tommy Hilfiger chinos to wear for the day. 

“Wear the light pink shirt, Babe, I love you in pink.”

“You love pink period, Sweetheart,” Adam laughed.

“I think Emily loves it more than me,” she replied from the bathroom.

“I believe you ‘re right.”

Adam came back into the bathroom to brush his teeth.  He had put the pink shirt on, and it was untucked and unbuttoned.  He brushed his teeth as Jessica took down the rollers from her hair and gently took a hair pick and lightly brushed out the curls.  She gave her hair a light mist of hair spray and turned to Adam, who was rinsing his mouth with water. 

“You ready for the day, Sweetheart?”  She asked as he dried his mouth.

“I should ask you the same thing,” Adam came to Jessica pulling her to him.

“We’ll make it through like we always do…as a family.” 

Jessica brushed Adam’s lips tenderly with hers.

Several hours had passed.  Jessica was back in the kitchen, continuing to put her chef inspired touches on the holiday feast cooking while Adam sat with Jillian in the family room working on a science project she had been given to complete over the long holiday weekend.

The father-daughter conversation was interrupted by the doorbell. 

“I’ll get it,” Emily yelled from the back of the house.

“Uncle Hoss, Aunt Carolyn, Happy Thanksgiving,” She said as she welcomed Adam’s brother, his wife and their two children in the house.

“Mommy and Daddy should be out shortly,” she said as she took one of the two homemade pies from her aunt.

“These look delicious, Aunt Carolyn, is this the apple blueberry cherry pie I love so much?”

“I made it just for you, Sweetheart.”

“Hey, Older Brother, Happy Thanksgiving,” Hoss smiled largely as he saw Adam and Jillian come around the corner.  “Hey, Jillian, how are ya? Where’s that cute momma of yours?”

“I’m right here, Hoss,” Jessica replied as she came from the kitchen, drying her hands on her apron.

“You know you’re in 49er country don’t ya, little one?” Hoss winked at his youngest niece who was an avid Cowboys fan.

“Oh she’s quite aware, but she doesn’t let it deter her from her boys with the blue star.  She’s their biggest fan.” Adam ruffled her hair.

“We’re going to slaughter the 9ers today, Uncle Hoss.  We’ll make new history with a new Hail Mary, and my boys will make ‘The Catch’ look like the red and gold have gone fly fishing,” she said with conviction, standing with her arms wrapped around her chest.

Both Cartwright families laughed at Jillian’s referral of two important sports history-making moments in both franchise’s histories.

“She knows quite a bit about football doesn’t she,” Hoss took his niece into a playing choke hold.

“You don’t mess with her Cowboys.  She can tell you every stat on each of the players, and she knows the history of the team since it’s inception.”  Jessica noted.

“How bout a game of checkers before the game, Uncle Hoss.  Like my Boys, I’ll give you a pre-game taste of what’s going to happen later today.”

“It’s a match, lil filly, where’s the game board.”

Adam took Hoss’ and Carolyn’s child, and they all headed toward the kitchen while Hoss and Jillian headed toward the den to start their checker tournament.

The doorbell rang again, and Emily ran to answer it.  Trey was on the other side of the door.

“Happy Thanksgiving, again, Babe,” he said as he walked in the house with a couple of bottles of wine, giving Emily a kiss on the cheek.

Emily took the bottles of wine from him, and they headed back to the kitchen to leave them with Jessica.

“Mommy, Daddy, Trey’s here, and he came bearing gifts.”

“Hi, Adam, Jessica,  Happy Thanksgiving,” he said as he extended his hand to shake Adam’s hand and hug Jessica.

“You remember my Aunt Carolyn; she’s my Uncle Hoss’ wife.”

“Yes, I remember, it’s good to see you again, Carolyn, only this time under much happier circumstances.”

“Yes, it is, Trey, it’s good to see you again, too.  Happy Thanksgiving,” she said as she shook his hand.

“We’re going to go watch Jillian murder Uncle Hoss at Checkers,”  Emily grinned.

“She learned from the checker king; your brother,” Adam laughed.

As they walked toward the den and had a little privacy, Trey grabbed Emily’s arm, spun her around into his and gave her a proper kiss on her lips.  She stood mesmerized for a few seconds and then laid her head on his chest.

“I want to talk to your mom and dad this evening after everyone leaves about the week between Christmas and New Years.  How do you think they’ll react?” Trey asked Emily.

“I don’t know, it’s hard to say.  I think Mommy would probably be okay with it, but Daddy is the one I’m not sure about.  He’s so overprotective.”

“We can only ask, but I’ll respect his decision, whatever it is,”  Trey said as he took Emily’s hand and they continued to the den.

As they walked past the formal living area, they heard the doorbell ring again.

“I’ll get it!” Emily yelled again.

“Uncle Joe, Aunt Donna, Happy Thanksgiving, come in.  Mommy and Daddy are in the back with Aunt Carolyn and the kids.  Uncle Hoss is getting creamed by Jillie at checkers in the den, that’s where we’re headed.”

Joe and Donna gave their eldest niece a kiss on her forehead, wished a happy holiday to her and Trey, and headed back to the kitchen where the other grown ups had gathered.  Joe was carrying a box which held three different pies: apple, cherry, and banana cream.

“Donna, these look divine,” Jessica said as she took the desserts out and placed the two fruit pies on the side buffet in her large chef’s inspired kitchen and the banana cream pie in the refrigerator.

“Hey, Older Brother, Happy Thanksgiving,” Joe came over to give his brother a big hug.

Adam gave Donna a hug as well and wished her a Happy Thanksgiving.

“We’ll leave you girls to what you enjoy.  Joe and I will go watch Hoss sweat a few pounds away while Jillian strategically takes him down.”

Once the boys left for the den, Jessica offered her two sisters-in-law a glass of wine.

“Do you need any help with anything right now?” Donna asked.

“No, everything that needs to be in the oven is in there right now.  I have the stuffing all made, it just needs to be put in the oven when I take the turkey out.  I made the fresh cranberry last night, and my veggies are all ready to be steamed right before dinner.  I think we need to take this bottle of wine and our glasses into the three seasons room and catch up.” 

Jessica grabbed the wine and led the way into the back room.

After all the girls had settled into their seats and the wine was poured, Jessica asked how the other two Cartwrights were handling the first major holiday without their father-in-law, Ben.

“It’s been hard on Hoss,”  explained Carolyn.  “He still blames himself for not being able to get Dad to the hospital any faster.  He feels like he should have tried other things to save him while he was waiting for the paramedics to get to the house.”  Carolyn swished her wine in the Waterford Lismore wine glass.

“Joe’s been really taking it hard, too,”  Donna joined in.  “I’ve woken a few times in the night to find him looking out into the yard with tears running down his face.  He misses Dad so much, we all do.  How is Adam handling things?”

Jessica sighed.  “He’s not handling it any better than Hoss or Joe, I’m afraid.  He’s been moody, and he’s snapped at the girls for stupid little things that would normally not be a big deal to him.  I console them and tell them Daddy’s just having a hard time.  I try to bite my tongue with him because I know it’s just the sadness.  If it continues, however, I will have to say something and suggest he go to counseling, which I know will go over like a lead balloon.”

“How are you doing with this being the first holiday without Jason being here? I know it has to be rough on you guys.”  Carolyn questioned.

“Oh, you have no idea, girl.”  Jessica’s voice was shaky.  “Hold on to your babies as long as you can.  Before you know it, they’ll be grown, falling in love, and beginning their own families.  I want my little boy back, but I have to realize he’s now a man, and I don’t want to accept it.  He’ll always be my baby boy,”  Jessica bowed her head trying to control the tears.

“I’m sorry, Jess, I never meant to make you cry.  Every time I think of my babies growing up, I tell them they have to stay small forever,” Carolyn smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

“I’m sorry, girls, I didn’t mean to be a blubbering Mom, who can’t accept her kids are gaining their independence and starting a new life with their beloved,” she said wiping her eyes.

“It’s a mother’s right as far as I’m concerned,”  Donna smiled and Carolyn nodded her head in agreement.

It was shortly after 1:00 PM and they heard a loud roar coming from the den. 

“The game is on, I wonder if that was a roar of cheer or jeer,” Jessica laughed.

“Poor Jillian, she’s the lone Cowboys fan in 49er country isn’t she? How did she become such a Dallas fan?” Donna asked.

“We were at the mall one day in Reno.  The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were there for some type of show.   I don’t remember now, but they were doing one of their dances in the middle of the mall, and we stopped to watch.  She was mesmerized by the outfits, the precision of their dancing and of course they’re all so beautiful, and they look amazing in their uniforms.  We got to meet them and get their autographs and take pictures with them.  She fell in love with the cheerleaders and has been a fan of the football team ever since.  She’s told me she wants to be a cheerleader for the Cowboys one day.  Adam says there’s no way he’s going to let his daughter wear skimpy shorts and cowboy boots while shaking her groove thing.”

The three sisters-in-law laughed hysterically as they could only imagine Adam making a statement about his daughter becoming a world famous cheerleader.

“I’m sure he admires the view when they’re on TV, though,” Donna winked.

“Oh of course he does! I see his lips turn up into a smile when he sees the girls shaking their pom poms on the sidelines.  He does the same with the 49er girls, too, but he says there’s just something about the Cowboys Cheerleaders.  Probably because they’re the originals, and truly, they are the cream of the crop.  We were going to enroll Jillian in dance this last semester, however, with Dad’s death and everything else going on, we decided to wait until after the holidays when they’re enrolling for the spring.”

“She’ll love it.  When she comes over to stay overnight with us, she and Joe will play with the karaoke machine, and she’ll dance to the music.  She’s quite good, too.”  Donna said.

“She’s looking forward to the classes.  She’s really serious about wanting to be a cheerleader someday.  I want her to follow her dream, whatever it may be.  I know some of those girls are professionals, others are in college, but they find the balance.  Jillian watches Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders:  Making the Team on CMT so she sees what hard work and determination these girls have and what they have to do to keep up the demanding schedule they have to endure.  She’s already told Adam and I she wants to go to SMU down in Dallas so she can try out for the team while in school.  While Adam protests the skimpy shorts, I know he would be in full support of her living her dream and would be very proud of her if she did make it someday.”

“I guess you two would have to get seasons tickets to Dallas’ home games so you could go watch her perform if she did make it, huh? Can you see Adam cheering on the Cowboys?” Carolyn asked.

“Adam would be a Cowboys fan in cheerleader name only,” Jessica laughed.  “Yes, we would get seasons tickets and fly down to Dallas every home game if Jillian ever made the squad.  How could we not support our daughter if she were to be among the elite club of the most famous cheerleaders in the world?”

Throughout the next few hours, the girls heard cheers from the family and Trey, and a single loud jeer from Jillian.  Other times, they would hear Jillian whooping it up while the others would cry foul and a bad ref call.

When half time arrived, Adam came out with his brothers to get some beer as they talked about the missed chances the 49ers had during the first half and the bad calls which were made by the refs on the field and in the box. 

“You’re just jealous because my boys are winning!”  Jillian said smugly as she came out to get sodas for her, Emily, and Trey.

“How’s the game?  Jessica asked as Adam came in to check on everyone to see what they were up to.”

“We’re just in here talking, laughing when we hear you screaming at the TV,”  Jessica smiled, looking up at Adam, answering his question.

Adam’s cell phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket and saw it was Jason.  He answered the phone saying, “Hello, Son, Happy Thanksgiving!”

Jessica put her hands to her mouth and tears started to flow from her eyes.  “Hi, Sweetheart! Happy Thanksgiving, I love you,” she said as she grabbed the phone from Adam’s hand.

Jessica put Jason on speaker, and Adam went to get Emily and Trey to join the family in the three seasons room so everyone could talk to Jason for a few minutes.

“I thought I would call at half time as I know you’ll be sitting down to dinner after the game.  Brianna and I wanted to tell everyone we love you, we miss you, wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and say to you we’ll see you all at Christmas.”

“Happy Thanksgiving!” Brianna said over the speakerphone on her end.

“Hey, Brother, Happy Thanksgiving!” Emily said as she and Trey entered the room.

“Hey, little sis, we miss you and Peanut so much.  We’ll see you in about three weeks.”

“Can’t wait, Jason.  I miss you and Brie.”  Jillian chimed in.

“Peanut, your team’s holding their own today aren’t they?”  Jason asked

“Yes!” Jillian replied with satisfaction.

After a short conversation, Brianna and Jason ended their call to the Nevada Cartwrights and joined back with Brianna’s family.  Adam, Hoss, Joe, along with Jillian, Trey, and Emily all went back into the den to resume the second half of the game while the three wives worked on getting dinner finished and ready to eat after the game was over.

“Hey, how was the game, Baby Girl?”  Jessica asked as Jillian came into the kitchen with a huge grin on her face.

“We wiped the floor with them.”  She boasted.

“I take it your team won?”  Donna asked with a chuckle in her voice.

“Yep, we sure did.  It’s going to be a long plane ride back to San Francisco for those boys.”  Jillian replied as she took a carrot stick from the crystal tray lying on the island.

“Hey, Babe, are you ready for me to carve and plate the turkey?”  Adam said as he entered the kitchen, not mentioning the outcome of the football game.

“Yes, I just took it out of the oven about 15 minutes ago, it’s ready to be carved.  Uh, I heard it’s going to be a long flight home for the 9ers?”  Jessica asked as she cut up the last of the raw veggie sticks which would be placed on the buffet in the formal dining room where all the Thanksgiving delights would be displayed and enjoyed.

“Let’s not talk about it,” Adam chuckled.  Jillian’s already advised us who’s superior, but we’ll see which team ends up in the playoffs,”  Adam smiled as he sharpened his carving knife.

Once the food was prepared, the family sat down to say grace and a prayer for their father and grandfather who couldn’t be there in body but was with them in spirit.  They each got up to peruse the buffet, ladies first, filling their plates with the holiday feast.

Jessica poured wine for the adults, and the kids enjoyed their choice of iced or hot tea and coffee.  Once everyone was seated, the only thing heard was the tinkling of forks and knives hitting the fine bone Lenox china which finished off the beautifully appointed tablescape.

“Jess, I don’t know what magic you have in those ten fingers of yours, but this rivals Hop Sing’s Thanksgiving spread,”  Hoss said as he buttered a homemade yeast roll.

“She cooks with tons of love, Brother,”  Adam said, winking at his wife sitting at the other head of the table.

Jessica smiled and replied, “I have big shoes to fill.  Hop Sing set the bar high when it comes to holiday fare so I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”

Carolyn rubbed her husband’s arm and chimed in, “There’s not much this big ole lug of mine doesn’t like, but he’s right, this is just fantastic, Jessica.  Thank you so much for going to all the trouble to make such an excellent meal.  I know Dad would’ve been proud.”

“He sure would have,” interjected Joe.  He always boasted about what a fantastic cook you are.  He used to say Jessica could hold her own with some world class chefs while his other two daughters-in-laws could bake like any world famous pastry chef.”

“Trey, wait until you try my aunt’s pies, your taste buds will dance with delight, I promise,” Emily commented.

“Jillie, I even made your favorite, banana cream pie,” Donna smiled at her youngest niece sitting across the table from her.

Jillian bounced up and down in her chair with excitement because other than her Dallas Cowboys winning the turkey day game, she would get to enjoy her aunt’s delicious sweet treat.

As dinner wound down, and the last of the wine was consumed, Jessica got up and started to clear the dishes.  Donna and Carolyn also rose to help her and take the uneaten food back to the kitchen to be stored and made into leftovers for the weekend.  Emily also got up to help clear the plates, but Jillian knew she was not allowed to carry the fine china or crystal goblets into the kitchen. 

“Trey, you’re a senior this year aren’t cha?” Hoss asked as the boys started to talk sports as they let their food settle while the girls washed dishes and prepared for dessert.

“Yes, Sir, I am.  I’m hoping to attend Stanford in the fall.  The scouts came to see me play a few times this past season, and my dad and I have been in talks with them to play football.  It’s pretty much a done deal that I’ll be playing ball on scholarship.”

“You want to move on to the NFL when you graduate then?” Joe joined in the conversation.

“Yes, Sir, that’s the plan.  My father is a professional sports agent.  He owns a talent agency in L.A.  He’ll have one of his partners represent me in the draft my senior year.  My parents are divorced, I live with my mother and stepfather.”

Both men listened to Trey talk about his college plans and life in the NFL after graduation as Adam looked on smiling.  Adam’s brothers had only met Emily’s boyfriend one time before the holiday when he came to Ben’s funeral.

The girls reentered the formal dining room with the coffee service, pies, dessert plates, and forks. They laid everything on the buffet for serving.  Each of the boys gave their orders as each of the wives cut the pies of choice, and Emily scooped ice cream, poured coffee and served.

Jessica cut a piece of banana cream pie for Jillian first and took it over to her daughter.  She politely waited till everyone was served, but did dip her finger into the mountain of whipped cream on top and smiled with delight.  Adam cut his eyes to his daughter and smiled.  He knew it was her favorite, and since she only got to enjoy it on the main holidays, he didn’t say anything about her not being able to wait until everyone was served and sitting down to enjoy their pie selection before indulging in her piece.

Once everyone was served, Jessica sat her plate at her seat and hurriedly closed up the ice cream, taking it back to the freezer.  Once she returned, everyone dove into their sweet ending to a perfect meal and day.

“Everything was excellent today, Jessica, I thank you and Adam for inviting me to spend the day with you and your family.  Mom and Dad went to my Aunt Lydia and Uncle Brett’s house up in Salt Lake City.  I have a big exam on Monday, so I asked if I could stay back this year.  They reluctantly agreed and were thankful you had opened your home to me so I wouldn’t be spending the holiday alone.”

“We’d never let that happen,” Emily curled her arm around Trey’s and placed her head on his arm looking up at him with loving eyes.

“When will they return? Adam asked.”

“They’ll be coming back on Monday.  They should be home sometime in the evening.  Their staff will be minding the store tomorrow, and Saturday and they’re closed on Mondays.”

“What type of store do your parents own?”  Donna inquired.

“They own Carson-Tahoe Jewelry on Fairview,”  Trey replied with a smile to Donna.

“Honey, isn’t that where we bought our wedding rings?” Donna looked over at Joe.

“The one and only,” Joe smiled.  “I had no idea your parents owned Carson-Tahoe Jewelry.  They have exquisite jewelry creations there.  I’ve bought all of my wife’s jewelry from them.  They are a cut above the competition.  I guess I never put the two together as your last name is Hollingsworth, but it makes sense now knowing your mother is divorced and remarried.”

“I’m glad to hear you appreciate my stepfather’s and mother’s jewelry.  My stepfather customizes all the settings himself unless the customer has a setting already and their just replacing stones.  When he met my mom, he brought her in the business, and she’s now is a certified gemologist and travels the world to source unusual stones.  I’ll sometimes go and help them on the weekends, during the holidays, and around Valentine’s Day when they’re busy.”

“Daddy, you and Mommy have an anniversary coming up…Just sayin,” Emily winked at her father.

“You let Daddy worry about my anniversary gift, Princess.  If I need your assistance, I’ll be sure to let you know,” he winked back at his eldest daughter.

Trey sat and smiled at Adam and Emily’s banter.  He appreciated the closeness of father and daughter and wished he could have had a bond with his father growing up, but his father and mother had divorced when he was six.  He never got to spend quality time to build a bond a father and son should have.  He had developed a better relationship with his father in the past few years as he accelerated in sports and became a potential college all-star and draft pick for the NFL.  Trey loved his father and was glad for whatever reason they were finally getting to know each other and building a father and son bond.

As the early evening turned into night, Hoss and Joe’s children were beginning to get cranky so they knew it was time to call it a night.  Jessica, Carolyn, and Donna all went into the kitchen to gather up to go containers Jessica had made for each family with leftover turkey, dressing, gravy, and homemade cranberry sauce to take home and enjoy over the weekend.  As they each took their bags, the men gathered up the children, put their jackets on each of them, and helped their wives on with their coats.  Everyone shared hugs and kisses as they departed out the door to head to their homes on the Ponderosa.

Adam shut the door and headed into the kitchen to help Jessica carry the china, silver and crystal back to the formal dining room where she stored the fine dinnerware in the china cabinet and buffet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mommy, Daddy, can Trey and I talk to you in the formal living room for a few minutes?  Trey has something he would like to speak to you about.”

Adam and Jessica stopped and looked at each other.  “Just leave it stacked here on top of the buffet and I’ll put it up tomorrow,” Jessica said.  She walked toward Adam, and he grabbed her hand as the two couples headed into the formal living area and sat down so Trey could explain what was on his mind.

“Adam, Jessica,” Trey fidgeted a bit, nervous to talk to them about the upcoming trip he wanted to request permission for Emily to accompany him on.  “My father and his fiancée are getting married on New Year’s Eve this year…”

“Oh how lovely,” Jessica interrupted.  Adam and I were married on New Year’s Eve as well.”

Trey smiled and replied, “Yes, Emily has told me.  It must be a good omen to be married on the last day of the year as I see you have a beautiful marriage and I hope the same for my father and his fiancée, Lauren.”

“What a pretty name, Jessica replied again, curling up next to Adam.”

“So what’s on your mind, Trey,” Adam asked, trying to steer the conversation back to its original intent.

“My father and soon to be step-mother own a chalet in Aspen, Colorado.  They’ll be getting married in Aspen.  Lauren has a daughter from a previous marriage and she’s Emily’s age.  We’ll be heading to Aspen with my father and Lauren the day after Christmas and staying until New Year’s Day.  My new step-sister will be joining us on the 27th; she’ll be at her father’s for Christmas.  My dad and Lauren are coming here to Carson City to spend Christmas with me.  My dad’s company has a corporate jet.  We’ll leave from here on the plane for Aspen and then return home on a commercial flight after the wedding.  My father will arrange for transportation back to Carson City from Reno airport so there would not be a need for anyone to come pick us up…”

“We’ll, us?”  Adam interrupted with his brow arched, wondering where this conversation was headed.

My dad has opened the invitation for Emily to come for the wedding and spend the week in Aspen with me and my new step-sister.  I would like to ask permission for Emily to go with us the day after Christmas and we’ll return on New Year’s Day.  You’ll be able to meet my father and his fiancée when they arrive on the 23rd.  If you’re not busy, my dad has requested the honor of taking you and Jessica to Glen Eagle Steak House that evening to get to know the two of you, and you know him and Lauren.”

Emily could see Trey’s hands shaking, so she grabbed his hand to calm his nerves.  He knew it was a long shot Emily would be able to accompany him on a trip out of the state, but he felt he needed to ask on the off chance her parents would agree to let her go.

Adam sighed deeply.  Jessica looked at her husband for direction.  She smiled and said, “Adam, what do you think?  Trey’s step-sister is Em’s age, and we’ll meet his father and fiancée when they arrive.”

Adam looked at his wife as if she had two heads.  He found it hard to believe she would actually entertain allowing their sixteen-year-old daughter to go away to Aspen with her boyfriend.  Adam decided before flat out denying this gracious invitation, he would get more information, so he began to ask questions he had for Trey.

“What type of sleeping arrangements will there be?”

Emily was surprised her father had not come right and out and said no, and her lips turned up at the possibility she might be able to go since her father was asking qualifying questions.

“My dad’s condo has four bedrooms.  We would each have our own.  My dad will buy all ski lift tickets as well as pay for all of Emily’s expenses while she’s with us in Aspen.  He said all she would need are her skis if she didn’t want to rent them, and her clothes she would wear while we’re there.

“What type of plans are in the works activity wise?”  Was Adam’s next question.

“We would leave on the 26th in the afternoon.  We will fly into Aspen and settle into the condo.  It’s a resort where my dad and Lauren have a home so there are many things to do other than skiing.  We can go cross country skiing, ice skating and the resort has lots of activities around the chalet as well.  Kendall, Lauren’s daughter, will be coming on the morning of the 27th, so we’ll go pick her up from the airport that morning.  We are all avid skiers so we plan to ski the slopes every day except New Year’s Eve.  My dad and Lauren will be getting married in the late morning, and we’ll be having a celebration lunch afterward.”

“I’m sure they’ll not be staying at the condo on their wedding night?” Adam’s eyebrows arched again as he asked the question, knowing what the answer would be.

“No, Sir, won’t be.  They’re staying at the St. Regis Hotel, which is where their wedding will also be held.”

“And what about you?  You’ll be at the condo?”

“Yes, Sir.  The resort is gated, and only registered guests of the resort or owners of the condos are allowed onto the grounds so it’s very safe.  My dad and Lauren will be back the next morning, and they’ll take us to the airport to catch a flight back to Reno.  He, Lauren, and Kendall will fly back to L.A. on the corporate jet where they’ll leave Kendall and head off to their honeymoon in Fiji.”

“How lovely.  I’ve told Adam I want to go to Fiji; to Turtle Island.”

“Turtle Island is where my dad and Lauren are going for their honeymoon, Jessica.  I’m sure she’ll be happy to share her experience with you when they return.  They’ll be coming for my graduation in the spring.”

“Oh, I would love to hear all about it!  I’m so jealous…a good jealous,” Jessica smiled.

“Adam, what do you think, Babe?”  I believe that it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for Emily.  We’ll be able to meet Trey’s father and his fiancée before Christmas.  Lauren’s daughter is Emily’s age, and the kids will have lots of activities to do while they’re there so they won’t be bored.  What will you three do on New Year’s Eve?”  Jessica turned her attention back to Trey.

“The resort has a big masquerade ball every New Year’s Eve.  If you allow Emily to go, we’ll go shopping for a ball gown and a mask to wear.  Of course, I’ll pay for her dress, mask, and everything needed for the ball.  Lauren told me she and my dad attended last year, and she said they had so much fun.”

“Don’t worry about buying her dress, Trey, I can take her to get a dress,” Jessica smiled.

“So does this mean I can go?”  Emily looked anxiously at both of her parents.

Jessica looked up at Adam again and said, “I don’t see why we shouldn’t let her go, do you, Adam?  We both like Trey, and we know he would never let any harm come to her.”

Adam looked down at Jessica and then at Emily, who sat attentively squeezing Trey’s hand waiting for her father’s response.

Adam sighed deeply.  “Trey, Jessica and I like you very much, and we know you would never allow any harm to come to our daughter, however, I don’t feel comfortable allowing Emily to travel outside the state on her own.  I’m sure your father and his fiancée would see to her safety and care, however, I’m very uncomfortable with just the three of you staying at the condo alone on New Year’s Eve.  I’m very sorry, Trey, but the answer is no.”

Jessica looked up at Adam in shock.  For the first time, Emily did not bite back bitterly at her father’s denial of her plans. However, tears ran down her cheeks, and her lips quivered as she had high hopes her parents would allow her to go since they entertained all the information about the trip and meeting his father and Lauren.

“Oh Adam,” Jessica said as she looked back at Emily, who was crying.

“Daddy, please say you’ll reconsider?”  Emily asked crying.

“Princess, the answer is no and it’s final.  Trey, Emily, if you’ll excuse me, it’s been a long day and I’m tired.  It was a pleasure having you spend Thanksgiving with us today, Trey.  Goodnight.”

Without another word, Adam got up leaving Jessica sitting on the couch alone with Trey and Emily sitting on the love seat.  Emily was trying to hold back the sobs wanting to escape and Trey was trying to not show the deep disappointment he was feeling.

“Mommy, please, please talk to Daddy and see if he’ll reconsider.  Please, Mommy,” Emily cried, no longer able to hold back her tears.

Jessica’s rage was growing inside.  How could Adam decide for himself what the final decision would be and then just walk out of the room as if to dismiss everyone like they were employees rather than his wife, daughter and her boyfriend, a boy he had grown to really like and respect.  She could not show her rage she was feeling for her husband in front of Trey.  She needed to show a united front, even if she vehemently disagreed with his decision.

“Jessica, thank you for today.  It’s getting late, and I should probably be heading home as well.  You ready to walk me to the car, Babe?”  He said to Emily as he wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Jessica got up and stretched out her arms to give Trey a hug goodbye.  “I’m truly sorry my husband said no.  It’s not a reflection on you or your father, I hope you understand.  Adam likes you and trusts you with Emily.  He’s just concerned with her being so far away from home at such a young age.”

“Jessica, I do understand.  I’m disappointed, of course, but I do get it, and I’ll make sure Emily does, too.”  Trey smiled.

Emily grabbed her coat from the hall closet, and Trey helped her put it on.  When the young couple walked out and closed the door behind them, Jessica headed back to their bedroom where Adam had stripped out of his clothes and was entering the shower.

Jessica went into the bathroom and glared at Adam, not saying a word. 

Adam looked back at her and with his eyebrows arched he responded to her look.  “Not a word until I get out of this shower,” and he closed the door and began to bathe, not paying any attention to Jessica standing with her arms around her waist.

She let out an exasperated sigh and stormed back into the bedroom.  She took down the comforter and grabbed the pillows from the bed and threw them across the room.  Her anger was at the boiling point with Adam.  She had put up with his moodiness for several weeks now because she knew her husband was dealing with the approaching holiday without his father, but she now was angry.  His actions were inexcusable, and she could no longer stand silent. 

Adam came out of the bathroom wrapping a towel around his waist.  Jessica was in the closet undressing to get into the shower next.  She was still in her pants and bra when she saw Adam head toward the chest of drawers to grab a fresh pair of boxers.

“Adam, I’ve put up with your moodiness now for weeks.  I haven’t said a word to you about it because I knew you were missing Dad, but your actions tonight were horrendous if not downright rude.”

“What are you talking about, Jessica?” Adam’s voice was annoyed.

“What am I talking about?” Jessica’s voice began to rise.  “How dare you make a final decision on Emily going to Aspen with Trey and his family without giving me the courtesy of discussion first? The last time I looked, I was Emily’s mother, and I thought I had a say in our daughter’s life. Your dismissal of us was inexcusable, like we were your employees.”

Adam’s brows creased as he tried to hold in his temper at Jessica’s tone with him.  He undid his towel and threw it on the bed.  He bent down to slip into his boxers and then calmly walked over to Jessica in the closet.

“Don’t speak to me in that tone of voice, Jess.  I gave Emily and Trey my answer and the answer is no.”  He responded with a low controlled voice in Jessica’s face and then turned to walk back to the bed where he grabbed his towel and took it back to the bathroom to hang it on the rack to dry.

“The discussion about whether Emily can go to Aspen is far from over, Adam,” Jessica followed him into the bathroom.  “I have a say in the matter, too,” she said, taking off her pants, leaving her standing in her panties and bra.

Adam turned back to his wife, his annoyance reaching a fevered pitch.  “What is it with you, Jessica?” Adam’s voice was controlled but shaky as their argument turned into an all-out fight.  “Do you have some sort of sick infatuation with Trey and are trying to live it out through our daughter?”

Jessica’s jaw dropped.  She was at a loss for words for a split second, her rage was overflowing.  She reached up and slapped Adam across the face.

“I won’t even dignify that statement with an answer, Adam,” her voice cracked as tears fell down her cheeks.

“I don’t get you!  There was a time when we were on the same page together with how we would raise our children, but now, I don’t even know you anymore.  Maybe it’s Trey, but you were so quick and willing to let Emily date before she was sixteen, now you’re ready to let her run off to Aspen and stay with two people we’ll have just met and don’t know.  Maybe his father is a liberal thinker and says it’s okay for Emily and Trey to share a bedroom and bed together.  Maybe that’s what your fantasy wants to happen.”

“You know damn well, Adam Cartwright, Trey is not that type of boy.  He loves and respects our daughter, and he would never take advantage of her like that, and you know it.  Maybe it’s you, Adam.” Jessica’s voice turned spiteful.

“Maybe what?” Adam’s tone was filled with disgust.

“Maybe it’s you who doesn’t want another man coming between you and your PRINCESS!!!”

Adam glared at his wife.  His nostrils flared, and he was seething.  “You are out of line, Jessica Cartwright,” he said shaking, pointing his finger at her as he grabbed his robe and threw it on before headed toward the bedroom door. 

As he reached the door and opened it, he turned back around and screamed, causing Jessica to jump, “WAY OUT OF LINE!!!”  he yelled, walking out, slamming the door behind him.

Jessica screamed, throwing her bra at the door.  She took off her panties and threw them across the room and banged her hand on the wall.  She got in the shower and let the rain fall upon her, as she began to sob uncontrollably.  She fell to the floor of the shower, sat in a fetal position and cried.  She and Adam had not fought or said such hateful things to each other since they were divorced.

“How dare he think I would desire Trey!” she screamed, throwing the bar of soap against the wall. “That’s just SICK!” she continued as she relived the fight in her head. 

Jessica got off the floor of the shower and finished bathing herself.  She got out of the shower, threw a towel over her body and her hair.  She went into the bedroom and finished taking down the bed and headed toward the chest of drawers and got out a nightgown.  She slipped on a nightgown with nothing on underneath and got into bed.  Jessica towel dried her hair and threw the towel on the floor.  She was so exhausted from the early morning wake-up and busy day preparing the holiday meal, she elected to leave her clothes scattered on the floor.  Sleep was calling her name, but her anger and tears were preventing her from falling into a sound rest.

Jessica’s body finally succumbed to sleep with the stress of the day, uncontrollable sobbing, and tears lessened as she started to fall off into a deeper REM of sleep.

Several hours had passed when Jessica abruptly woke up.  She turned to look at the clock, it was 3:09 A.M..  She looked over at Adam’s side of the bed, and it had not been disturbed.  Jessica pulled her, pillow to her and the oceans of tears began again as she realized Adam had not come to bed after she had fallen asleep.  She worried her hateful comment had gone too far.  As she began to relive the argument in her head again, she remembered the below the belt comment Adam had made to her regarding her wanting Trey.  Angered filled her being again at how Adam could be so cruel.  I can’t believe he would ever think I wanted a young boy she cried to herself.  “I don’t even know my husband anymore!”  She was infuriated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next time Jessica opened her eyes, there was light coming in through the blinds on the french doors which lead to their private patio off their bedroom.  Jessica blinked her eyes, trying to clear the fog from her tear soaked swollen lids.  She looked at the clock, it was 8:21 A.M..  She turned over, and Adam’s side of the bed was still in the same state it had been at 3:00 A.M. in the morning when she woke up the first time.  Tears fell from her red swollen blue eyes, but the storm began to brew again as she realized Adam had never come to bed.  They had not slept apart from each other except when Adam would be away on a business trip since they had started seeing each other again shortly before they were remarried.  Adam had promised her they would never go to bed angry at each other and her being filled with disgust but mostly hurt.  Jessica got out of bed and picked up all of her clothes she had let fall where they were.  She laughed and then began to cry as she said to herself, “This looks like any other time when Adam would undress me and make love to me…Now he won’t even share our bed with me,” her voice trembled as she wiped away the free flowing tears again.

“Bastard!” she said through her tears as she threw her clothes into the laundry basket, took off her gown,  and headed toward the bathroom to splash water on her face.

She came back out, put on a fresh pair of panties, and found a pair of pink velvet lounging pants hanging in her closet so she put those on with a pink Ralph Lauren Polo shirt and headed into the house which was still quiet.  She filled the tea kettle with water and turned it on to boil.  While she waited for the water, she put her tea bag in a mug she had gotten down from the cupboard.

Adam had slept in Jason’s room all night.  He, too, did not get much sleep as he thought about the worst fight he and Jessica had had since their divorce when they routinely hurt each other with their words during heated arguments.  He was angry when he walked out the marital bedroom he shared with his wife, but now, he was filled with sorrow how they could have let themselves deteriorate into such words of contempt.  He walked back to their bedroom and quietly opened the door and looked in.  He didn’t want to wake Jessica if she was still sleeping but when he opened the door, he found the bed was neatly made, and Jessica was not in the room or bathroom. 

Adam came in and put on a pair of jeans and went looking for his wife to try and have a civil conversation with her.  He heard the tea kettle whistle so he knew she was in the kitchen.  He stopped at the entry and watched Jessica as she unloaded the dishes from the previous day. He saw her wipe tears from her eyes as she stacked the dishes on the counter to be put away. 

As she retrieved the last dish and closed the door, she grabbed the plates and walked to where she kept the dishes and placed them on the shelf.  She turned back to grab the pots and pans, and she saw Adam standing there watching her, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and his leg crossed over the other.  She glared at him and continued to put the clean items away, not saying anything to him.

Adam walked into the kitchen and came up behind her and touched her arm, softly saying, “Jess.”

Jessica shrugged him away without a response and continued to put her kitchen back into an orderly fashion, stopping on occasion to drink her tea.  Adam leaned up against the island, patiently waiting for her to finish putting away the last dish.  Once she had done so, she walked passed him, unable to look at him in the face as she was heading toward the formal dining room to finish putting up the china from the holiday dinner.

As she walked past Adam, he stretched out his arm and grabbed Jessica by the arm, stopping her in her tracks.

“Let go of me, Adam,” she said with anger and hurt in her voice.

“I’m not going to let you go, we’re going to talk about last night.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” as she tried to wiggle out of his hold, but he only held on tighter.

“You’re hurting my arm, let go!”  Her voice got louder.

Adam grabbed hold of her arm with his other hand and then moved in front of her.  He put his finger under her chin and lifted her head so she would look up at him.  He calmly said, “I’m not letting go until I know you won’t walk away.  We need to talk.”

“You said a mouthful last night, don’t you think?” she said shaking herself free and walking past him again.

“JESSICA!” Adam yelled, his voice growing angry again.

Jillian had just begun to round the corner toward the kitchen when she heard Adam’s angry voice.  He scared her, and she ran back to Emily’s room and without knocking, she ran in and dove in her bed, waking her older sister from her sleep.

“Mommy and Daddy are fighting! I’m scared!” she said with tears running down her cheeks.

Emily was still in a sleepy fog when she asked, “What? What are you talking about, Peanut?”

“Daddy is yelling at Mommy! They’re going to get a divorce!” Jillian cried, not knowing what she was saying.

“No!” Emily cried, and started to shake. 

She didn’t realize Jillian didn’t know sometimes married couples had heated arguments, but it didn’t always mean they were divorcing.  She had never known a life where her parents were living separate lives.   She was only going off the knowledge of the kids she went to school with who’s parents were divorced and they had said their parents yelled and were angry with each other so she had come to the conclusion her parents were divorcing because they were yelling at each other.

“Daddy’s so angry with Mommy.  Mommy told him to leave her alone!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Will you keep your voice down, Adam? The girls are still sleeping!” Jessica spun around straight into Adam’s bare chest.

“I don’t give a damn if I wake up the entire neighborhood, we need to talk about last night.”

“I don’t think there is anything left to say, Adam.  You said quite enough last night don’t you think?”

Jessica turned back around and opened the doors below the top of the buffet and pulled the china holders from the cabinet which kept the china safe and dust free when she was not using it.  She pulled out her Lenox Holiday china from the buffet to replace her everyday china for the holidays.

“What? That I denied our sixteen-year-old daughter from going to Aspen with her boyfriend? Is that what you’re talking about?”

“No, Adam, try the one where you hit way below the belt, or do I need to remind you? You know, Adam, the one where you said I desired a sexual relationship with my daughter’s boyfriend!  I see you haven’t lost your touch with hurtful words.”

Emily and Jillian had come from Emily’s room and were standing at the end of the hall listening to their parents argue.  The hair on Emily’s arms was standing on end as she was transformed back to when she was four and heard her parents arguing, saying nasty things to each other.

“No, Mommy, please tell me you don’t!” Emily cried softly to herself.

“Can you condone how you insinuated I have an incestuous attraction toward our daughter? Even for you, Jess….It’s just sick!  How could you even think….I can’t believe you would even speak such garbage…”  Adam spun around, pinching his nose at the disgusting thought.

Emily ran back to her room.  She threw herself on her bed sobbing.  She felt this was all her fault.  “Please, Mommy and Daddy, please don’t get a divorce again.  Stop hurting each other!” she cried into her pillow.

Jillian cried with her sister.  She had heard her parents have disagreements before but the anger she heard in their voices, this time, was a level she had never heard before, and it scared her.

Jessica’s voice began to shake, “Adam, we promised each other NEVER to go to bed angry at each other.  You not only walked out of our bedroom last night, but you also slept elsewhere!  You’ve never done that since we remarried.  Do you know how badly you hurt me when I woke up at 3:00 A.M. and you were not there?  I was devastated.”

Adam turned back around, he closed his eyes as he began to speak.  “To think you would even think I would have inappropriate thoughts about our daughter, I was just so disgusted I had to get out of there before I said anything more I would regret.  I came this morning to apologize to you.  I knew I had hurt you, and I’m sorry.”  He said grabbing her hand and pulling her toward him.

“Adam,” Jessica’s red, puffy, eyes overflowed with tears, her voice shaky. “it was my anger talking.  You had hurt me so badly to think I could ever look lustfully at another man, a boy, our daughter’s boyfriend! I wanted to throw up.  I know I was wrong…I was so angry!  If I had ever actually felt you were having inappropriate thoughts about our daughter, I would leave you in a New York second and take our daughters as far away from you to where you would never see them again.  I would never subject them to that type of betrayal or pain.”

Jessica’s head fell forward, she was growing weak in the knees.  Adam pulled her to his chest and held her tight.

“Adam, I’m so ashamed of those horrific words I said to you last night.  I’m so hurt.  I’m sorry for what I said, but I’m just so hurt!”

Adam allowed Jessica to cry, the curls on his chest catching her tears.  He rubbed her back, holding her in the safety of his love.

“Yesterday, despite Dad being gone, my baby boy being gone, we had a beautiful day and look how it ended!”

“It was all my fault, Jess, I’m so sorry.” Adam’s voice was soft and loving.

Jessica pulled herself back and looked up at Adam, her eyes almost swollen shut.  “I’m just as much to blame, Adam.  Don’t try to be the martyr in all of this mess we’ve created.”

“Had I considered your thoughts in the decision where Emily is concerned, this would have all been avoided.  I shouldn’t have made such a snap decision.  I should have never slept in a different bed either.”

Adam placed his hands on Jessica’s cheeks, trying to dry away the tears which stained her face.  He bent down and lightly brushed her lips with his. 

“I love you.  Don’t ever forget it.”

Adam pulled Jessica back to his chest.  She felt his heart beating strongly. 

“I love you, too, Adam…I never had stopped loving you, even when we were divorced.”

“Shhh, don’t say that ugly word ever again.  I hate it.”

Jessica looked up and smiled.  “Never again,” she whispered.

“Mommy, Daddy, please don’t fight.  You’re scarring Jillian and me,” was the childlike voice which broke up the tender moment between two lovers making up.

Adam spun around, both he and Jessica wore startled looks on their faces.  They each looked at one another and then back at their frightened children – Emily holding her baby sister who was visibly shaken to her core. 

Adam opened his arms and invited his daughters into the safety of his love.  Jessica joined him, surrounding their anxious forms.

“Mommy and I are okay now.  We hashed it out and have forgiven each other.  We’re sorry we scared you so,” Adam said rubbing both his girl’s backs.

“Don’t divorce!” Jillian’s voice was panicked.

Jessica bent down and placed her hands on her youngest child’s cheeks.  Mommy and Daddy aren’t getting a divorce, Baby Girl.  Mommy and Daddy love each other very much, and we love you, too.  We were angry at each other, but we’re okay now.  Daddy nor Mommy are going anywhere.”

“You promise?”  She asked in a very innocent tone.

Jessica smiled.  “I promise.”

Jillian threw her arms around Jessica’s neck, and Jessica stood straight up, lifting her daughter off the floor.

“Baby Girl, you’re getting heavy! Mommy won’t be able to lift you or carry you much longer,” she laughed.

“She might be too heavy for you, but Daddy can handle her!”

Adam grabbed his daughter from Jessica and held her in his arms like a baby.  He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.  He looked into her eyes and smiled. 

“I love you, Sweetpea.  I’m so sorry we scared you.”

Jillian smiled back at Adam and pinched his cheeks.  “Don’t scare Jillian again, Daddy!”

“Yes, Ma’am!”  He said laughing.

He placed his Sweetpea back on her feet, and she ran back to her room to get dressed. 

“What time should I tell Trey to be over to help you with the lights, Daddy?” she asked curling her arms around her hero’s waist and placing her head on his chest.

“Maybe in a few hours.  I’m going to make you girls breakfast right now.”

Okay, but can Mommy make breakfast? She’s a better cook than you.” Emily winked.

Jessica hid her smile and laughter with her hand over her mouth.

“How about Mommy and I do it together then…Mommy?”

Jessica took her hand away from her mouth, exposing her laughter.

“Sure, it’s fine with me.”

Emily left back to her room to change into her clothes and to call Trey to let him know when to be over and help Adam hang the lights on the roof for the upcoming Christmas holidays.

Chapter Seventeen

The weeks following Thanksgiving flew by quickly.  Christmas was quickly approaching, so Jessica spent many afternoons at the mall and specialty shops finishing up last minute shopping for Adam and the children.  With the last present bought, Jessica decided to stop at her favorite boutique in Carson City to purchase a new gown for her’s and Adam’s wedding anniversary they would be spending in Reno.   She only had a few hours until everyone would be home from work and school and they would then head to the airport to welcome home Jason and Brianna.  She knew she might have to make another appointment for dress shopping and fitting, but she thought she would at least stop in and see what they had of interest to her.

“Hello, Mrs. Cartwright, it’s so good to see you again,” stylist, Kevin, said as he welcomed Jessica to his exclusive boutique in Carson City with a kiss on each cheek and a glass of champagne.

“Hi, Kevin, it’s so great to see you again also.  It’s that time of year again, and I need to try and outdo my dress from last year,” Jessica smiled, looking at the mannequins which were tastefully situated in the small boutique store.

“My son and his fiancé are flying in from Boston today so I don’t have a whole lot of time to shop, but if I find the perfect dress, I’ll purchase it and come back for my fitting.”

“How fabulous your handsome son is coming home for the holidays, Mrs. Cartwright.  I know you and your gorgeous husband are over the moon,” Kevin said as he guided Jessica to sit down in his customer’s chair so they could chat about the kind of dress she was looking for this year.

“We are Kevin.  Since Adam’s father died, having his son so far away has been tough at times on both of us.  We celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time without either his father or our son, but we made it through.”  Jessica smiled, taking a sip of her sparkling spirits.

Knowing he didn’t have as much time as he would like, Kevin cut straight to the point to see if Jessica had any ideas on what she would like to wear for this year’s anniversary celebration.

“I would really like a show stopper gown this year, Kevin.  Adam and I have been through a lot, and I want to make his eyes pop when he sees me,” Jessica smiled broadly, winking at Kevin.

With an evil laugh, Kevin knew exactly what his best customer would want for her special night.  “Do we go soft and demure or sparkle and shine?” Kevin asked, trying to narrow down the dresses he had in mind.

Jessica looked at her friend and stylist with a sex kitten look in her eye and smiled, “What do you think I should wear?” she asked standing up and turning to show her off her body.

Kevin growled, stood as well.  He walked toward the back of his boutique saying, “I’ve got some show stoppers in mind, Mrs. Cartwright, I’ll be right back!”

While Jessica waited for Kevin to return with his creations, she pulled out her phone and saw a text message was from Adam.  She had sent a text to him earlier, and they now had the following conversation:

Adam:  Hey Babe, I’m waiting for Jill to get out of school.  Wanted to tell you I love you…Oh, your anniversary present was delivered to work today, too. 😉

Jessica:  It did, huh? While I haven’t purchased your anniversary present as of yet, I have in mind what I want to get you.  Guess who I’m with right now?

Adam:  Who?

Jessica:  My other boyfriend, Kevin. 🙂

Adam:  Should I be jealous? 

Jessica:  I don’t know, should you? 

Adam:  Depending on what Kevin styles you in.

Jessica:  I guess you’ll find out on New Year’s Eve. 😉

Adam:  Can’t wait.  I have something very special planned for us this year.

Jessica:  I’ll be sure to let Kevin know.

Adam:  He already does.

Jessica:  Adam!

Adam:  What?

Jessica:  He knows what your plans are?

Adam:  Well, not all of them, but he knows what I have planned and what I like my lady to wear.

Jessica:  Oh, I like being your lady.

Adam:  Not as much as I love you being my lady.

Jessica:  Love you, see you soon.

Adam:  Love you, too, Babe, find something sexy.

Jessica:  Don’t I always?

Adam:  You never disappoint.  See you in a bit. xoxo

As Kevin rounded the corner with several of the handcrafted designer gowns in his hands, Jessica placed her phone back in her purse and turned her undivided attention back to her stylist, Kevin. 

“Oh, I already see a few contenders in your hands, Kevin.  You do know what I like,” she rubbed her hands together in anticipating a closer look at each of the gowns.

“I know what you like, but better yet, I know what Adam likes you in,” Kevin winked.

“Why do you think he lets me shop with you?” Jessica laughed as Kevin hung the gowns on the garment rack so he could hold each one out separately as he described the fabric, make, and colors available for each.

After showing her the first three gowns, there were things she liked about each, but none of them caused her to have the wow factor to the point where she knew it was the gown.  When Kevin reached the sixth of seven gowns, Jessica could feel her heart skip a beat and her breath taken back.  She knew this particular gown had everything she had thought about and more.

“This Badgley Mischka sequin bombshell has a 100% silk shell is adorned with green sequin lace and a black lining.  It’s sleeveless with an illusion crew neckline.  The skirt is fitted with a mermaid hem, upper back keyhole with hook-and-eye closure, hidden back zipper and is completely lined.”

“This is it, Kevin, this is the dress.  Can I get it fitted in time?”

“Darling, you know I’ll do anything for my favorite customer.”

“That’s, why I love you so much.  It’s a good thing you’re gay, Adam might have a problem with your’s and my relationship!”  Jessica laughed as she came to give Kevin his champagne glass back and a kiss on the cheek.  “I have to run now, Adam and the girls will be home soon.  Will you be open on Christmas Eve?”

“I won’t be open to the public, but text me and tell me what time to be here and I’ll meet you for a fitting.”

“You’re the best, my dear.  Thank you!” Jessica said as she was hurrying out the door to get home before Adam and Jillian arrived.

Just as she was pulling up in the driveway, she saw Adam’s Porsche already in the garage.  Adam and Jillian were still sitting in the two-seater.  Jillian was showing Adam a book she had been given to read over the 2-week holiday break.  They both looked up when they heard Jessica’s SUV drive up next to his sports car.

“Hi, Babe, Jillian,” Jessica said as she got out of the car and closed the door.  We have to hurry and get ready.  With the holiday just around the corner, traffic could be heavy with people headed to the airport to fly out or pick up passengers.”

“And we wouldn’t want to be late to pick up dear sweet Jason now would we?” Jillian asked with a sassy tone.

Jessica glowered at her youngest daughter and then looked at Adam for discipline.

Adam put his two middle fingers under Jillian’s chin and turned her face to his.  Her eyes grew wide as she knew she was in trouble. 

“I’m sorry, Daddy, it’s just Jason always gets the most attention when he’s home.”

Adam sat staring at his youngest child with one eyebrow arched, not saying a word for a moment.  Jillian was worried she might be in deep trouble.

Jessica could feel her blood pressure rise as she held back her anger.  She hoped Adam would handle the smart remark from her youngest child swiftly, but it seemed he was going to dismiss her actions, and she stormed off into the house.

Adam cut his eyes as he watched Jessica slam the garage door behind her into the kitchen.  Adam turned his eyes back to his daughter who was still looking intently at him without blinking.

“You know your mother and I love each of you kids equally.  We cannot imagine our lives without you and for you to say your mother loves Jason more than you or Emily is very hurtful.”

“I know, Daddy, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,” Jillian replied in a sorrowful tone.

“Then why did you say it?”

“I don’t know!”  Jillian cried.

“You, young lady, owe your mother an apology right now,” Adam’s voice was stern.  “I never want to hear you talk like that again, understood?”

“Yes,” said Jillian in a meek voice, “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t owe me an apology, young lady, you owe your mother one.  Now get inside, find her, hug her, and tell her you’re sorry, now!”

Jillian could not open the car door fast enough.  Adam sat as he glared, watching her run into the house.  When Jillian opened the door, and he could hear her cry, ‘MOMMY!’ with the garage door slamming behind her.  Adam gathered her books and walked into the house calming himself.

Adam walked to the back of the house, stopping at Jillian’s room to drop off her books on her desk.  He then went to his and Jessica’s bedroom, loosening his tie.   As he entered the bedroom, Jillian was in there with Jessica, embracing her mother, sobbing while Jessica was consoling her and wiping the tears from her eyes.  Adam stood at a distance with a stern look on his face.  Jessica, holding Jillian in her arms, looked up at Adam and pulled back from Jillian handing her a tissue and telling her all was forgiven, and she loved her.  She patted her on the bum and told her to go wash her face and get ready for the trip to the airport.  Jillian turned around and saw Adam standing, watching her intently.  She stopped for a moment then ran from the room, afraid if she stayed any longer, afraid she would be punished more severely for the display of disrespect to her mother.

Once Jillian was down the hall, Adam shut the door and continued to the closet where he took off his dress shirt and tie.  Unzipping his trousers, he grabbed a pair of jeans and the hanger which he kept his suit.  Jessica entered the closet, and the two chose their casual wear in silence.

Once dressed, Adam went to the dresser and picked up his wallet, phone, and keys he had dropped off before getting undressed.  Jessica moved to the bathroom and was brushing her hair when Adam walked in reading email on his phone and asked if Emily was home and ready to go.  Once finished, she stopped and looked at Adam in the mirror.  After a moment when he had not received a response to his question, Adam looked up at the mirror to see Jessica looking at him in her mirror.  Adam looked befuddled and then asked Jessica again if she knew if Emily was ready to head for the airport.

Jessica stood staring in the mirror at Adam without saying a word. Adam rolled his eyes as he knew something was bothering Jessica and he knew they would not be able to leave the house until the air was cleared between the couple.

“What did I do now?” Asked Adam putting his phone in his pocket moving to the door jam, leaning on it then placing his hands on his hips.

Jessica looked at him as if he had three heads but then spoke for the first time.  “What you did?  More like, what did you say?  Our daughter came in screaming, I’m sorry, Mommy, I’m sorry, don’t spank me, I’m sorry! What did you say to her that would make her react so frantic?”

Adam arched his eyebrow, not believing the change in attitude he had witnessed in less than an hour.  “Excuse me,” he said to his wife as he moved toward her vanity and was now leaning up against it next to his wife with his hands placed casually in front of his legs.  “Have you seen my wife, Jessica?  You see, she came home.  My daughter was disrespectful to her.  She looked at me as if to say, Are you going to discipline this child for how she just spoke to me? and then stormed into the house.  I simply gave my daughter a stern look, advised her to apologize at once to her mother and that she was to never speak to her or to me that way again,” pointing his finger back at himself.  “I made her tell me she understood.  She then leaped out of the car running in the house to find you and apologize.  Why do you ask? What did you want me to do?”  Adam asked exasperated at the conversation he was having with Jessica.

Jessica grabbed Adam’s hands and intertwined her fingers with his and replied, “The way she ran in here, her demeanor was so urgent, I just couldn’t imagine what must have transpired.  It’s been a long day. I’ve been fighting the holiday shoppers trying to wrap up last minute stocking stuffers, and picking up last minute gifts.  I had to go choose a gown for our anniversary quickly.  I’m excited to see my son and his fiancé, I’m just exhausted, and I overreacted, I’m sorry.”

Adam nodded his head in agreement with Jessica about her overreaction.  “Judging by how you reacted, I disciplined our daughter accordingly, however, it seems it might have been something I should have only told her to go find you and apologize at once.”

“I’m sorry, Babe, forgive me?”  Jessica said removing their held hands and placing her arms around his waist and looking up at him with her big baby blue eyes.

“Nothing to forgive,” he said softly, gently kissing her lips.  “However, if we don’t get a move on, our son and future daughter-in-law will think we left them at the airport.”

Jessica jumped and then picked up her watch off the counter and looked at it.  “We’ve got to get going!” she said frantically.

Adam remained calm and took Jessica’s face in his hands.  “I just said that, are Emily and Trey here?”

“Emily is with Trey.  We don’t have the big Lexus anymore, remember?  They’re going to take Trey’s car and meet us there.”

Adam nodded his head as he remembered the arrangement they had made when the travel plans were finalized after Jessica had bought the tickets.

“Mommy, Daddy!”  Jillian yelled in the hallway.  “We’ve got to go!”

“Will my children ever learn to not yell in the house?”   Jessica laughed as the two walked out of the bathroom holding hands. 

Adam grabbed his leather jacket he laid on the bed, and they headed out of their bedroom, leaving the door open.  Jillian tensed a little when she saw her father, but he held out his arms for her to come to him.

“Sweetpea, you know Daddy loves you, and I don’t like getting angry with you any more than you like being on the receiving end of that anger.  Mommy told me all is forgiven with her, and I want you to know I forgive you, too.  I love you and even when I get angry with you, my love never waivers.”

Jillian poked out her bottom lip and a rogue tear fell from her eye.  She lifted her hands to Adam for a hug, and she grabbed his neck and held on tight. 

“I love you, too, Daddy, and I’m sorry.  I love Jason and Brie, too.  Mommy told me she was excited to see him because she hadn’t seen him in forever and she missed him.  She said she misses me when I’m gone, too!”

“She does, Sweetpea, I can vouch for her, she misses all three of you when you’re not home or with her.”

Jillian’s demeanor relaxed, and she took her daddy’s hand and pulled him toward the garage so they could head to the airport to pick up her brother and future sister-in-law.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once at the airport, Trey saw the three Cartwrights enter into the baggage claim area.  “There they are,”  Trey told Emily as he pointed toward the car rental desk.

“Jason and Brianna or my parents and Jillian?”  Emily asked as she stretched to look over the many travelers walking between her and the sliding doors.

“Over there, your mom has a North Face jacket on, your dad has a leather jacket and your sister is wearing a blue Cape Cod sweatshirt and red turtle neck underneath.”

Emily and Jessica saw each other at the same time.  Jessica told Adam she saw Emily and Trey and pointed in their general direction.  Emily grabbed Trey’s hand and pulled him toward the other members of her family.

“Mommy, Daddy! We were wondering if you were stuck on the highway.  I tried calling both of your phones, but it just kept going to voicemail.”

Jessica looked surprised and remembered she had left her phone at home on the charger in the office.  Adam pulled out his phone and saw the missed calls from his middle child and then realized he had put his phone on silent while he was at a director’s meeting earlier in the day at the office.  “The meeting was the last thing I had to do today before the holiday break, and I guess I forgot to turn it back on the ringer.  I’m sorry, Princess, I hope you weren’t too worried.”

“Now you know how it feels, Daddy, when I can’t find you,”  Emily alluded to the time she had gone to the movies and then miniature golf with her brother when she was younger and decided to ride home with one of Jason’s friends after miniature golf.  Emily and Kimberly struck up an instant friendship and against Jason’s wishes, Emily refused to go back with him and went with Kimberly.  Kimberly needed to drop off a book at the library and then stop by her house.  Emily said she was okay with the delay, and it was over an hour before she returned home.  Unbeknownst to Emily her phone had gone dead and her family was frantic when they could not get a hold of her or Kimberly because Kimberly’s phone had been left on silent and in her purse after the movie so neither girl knew Adam, Jessica, and Jason were trying to reach her.

“All is good now that you, Mommy, and Jillian are here,” she grinned, looking up at her hero.

The four Cartwrights and Trey all headed toward the terminal exit out to baggage claim and anxiously awaited the arrival of Jason and Emily.

Once Jason and Brianna arrived through the secured area and hugs and kisses were shared with each other, they headed toward the baggage claim carousel to collect their bags.  Jason and Brianna commented on the flight and how full it was as well as the hassle of flying during the holidays but were happy to have made it back to Nevada without delays or cancellation.

Once the last piece of luggage was collected, Adam said he would carry the bags in Jessica’s car, and they could ride back to Carson City with Emily and Trey.  Jillian was feeling left out, and tears welled in her eyes since she would have to ride back with her parents since there was only room for two other people in Trey’s Mustang.  Jason took Jillian in his arms and told her he wanted her to travel with Adam and Jessica because they would miss her if they only had the luggage with them.  Jason assured Jillian he and Brianna were planning to stay with her on New Year’s Eve so their parents could spend their anniversary in Reno together.  Emily would also be there, however, this year, Trey would be gone to Aspen for his father’s wedding to his new fiancé.

Jillian’s tears subsided, and the family headed toward the airport’s short-term parking.  Jason went with his father, mother, and Jillian to help with the luggage.  Adam told Trey where they were parked and they parted ways so Jason and Adam would load up the car with the luggage and Trey would pick him up on their way out.

Once home, everyone settled in the formal living room while Emily and Jessica made a pot of coffee, tea, and cocoa for everyone.

While in the kitchen, Emily took the mother/daughter time to again plead her case to be allowed to go with Trey to Aspen for the wedding.

“Mommy, will you and Daddy please reconsider letting me go with Trey to Aspen? He doesn’t show it, but he is very disappointed I can’t go with him.  We would have so much fun, and his father would never allow anything to happen to his son, stepdaughter or me.  Why doesn’t Daddy trust Trey and me?”

“It’s not a matter of trust, Honey,” Jessica replied pulling the tea bags from the cupboard, “it’s a matter of your safety…”

“I understand that,” Emily interrupted rolling her eyes and then sighed.

Jessica stopped, turned toward her daughter and looked at her sternly because she interrupted her, not letting her finish. “If you let me finish, I’ll explain Daddy’s reasoning.”

Emily stood with her right hip-slung to one side and her hands wrapped around her waist as she waited for Jessica to finish her sentence.

“Daddy is very protective of you since you were almost kidnapped.  It doesn’t matter if you are twelve or if you are thirty, Daddy will always be your Daddy, and he will give up his life to protect you.  You’ll understand when you are older why he makes the decisions he does, Emily,” and she turned around to close the cupboard door and head toward stove to check on the water which was beginning to boil.

“You just won’t stand up to Daddy is more the answer,” Emily mumbled.

Jessica whipped around and leaned against the island.  “What did you say, young lady?”

Emily raised her hands in exasperation.   “You don’t stand up to Daddy, Mommy!  You were so excited about me going, that is until Daddy said no, then you flip-flopped yourself and agreed with him.  Can’t you speak up for me? Get him to change his mind?  Have some backbone, Mommy!”

Back in the formal living room, Trey and Jason were talking about college life and what Trey could expect his first year away at Stanford. Adam was talking with Brianna about the Shakespeare class she and Jason had taken together in the previous semester.  Adam could hear raised voices coming from the kitchen so he politely excused himself to go help Jessica and Emily as well as to see why the two girls were raising their voices at each other.

As Adam entered the kitchen, he could see Jessica’s form very tense as she was lecturing her daughter on respect for her parents and the decisions they made for their children.

Keeping a moderate demeanor, trying to defuse the dynamite waiting to ignite between his wife and middle child, Adam walked in and came to separate the two ladies.

“What’s going on here?” Adam said as wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist kissing her on the side of her head.

“You and Mommy are the problem, Daddy, when will you let me grow up and gain some independence?”

“When you can afford to live independently, and care for yourself, but I will never stop loving you or care about your well being.  Why are you going down this road again, Princess?”

“Will you quit calling me Princess, Daddy?”  Her voice was raised again.  “My name is Emily, I’m sixteen years old! I want you to start treating me like a grown up!”

Trying to continue his calm demeanor, Adam’s nostrils flared as he took his daughter by the shoulder and said, “Get to the garage now, before I lose my temper with you in here and embarrass both of us.”

Emily shook off her father’s grip on her shoulder and headed to the garage.  Adam followed behind her and shut the door.  Jessica went back to the now whistling teapot, poured the boiling water into the teapot and took the service with the teapot, thermal coffee pot and a host of tea bags, hot chocolate and other munchies in for the family to enjoy.

Jason noticed Adam and Emily did not accompany his mother and asked where they were as he got up to take the tray from his mother.

“Emily’s being Emily.  You know how your sister can be.”  Jessica said, trying to keep her middle child’s behavior in the other room. “They should be along in a few minutes.”

Trey slightly shook his head but didn’t make any comments.  He knew how headstrong his girlfriend could be, and the fact her father was not allowing her on the Aspen trip was a constant subject she would complain about when they were together, and it was mentioned.

As Adam shut the door to the garage, Emily started to lash out at her father about letting her be more independent.

With a controlled voice, Adam said, “Stop while you’re ahead, young lady,” he said as he walked toward her with his eyes narrowed.

“Don’t you ever disrespect your mother or me again, is that clear?”

“Why don’t you let me go to Aspen?” she said trying to hold back the tears welling in her eyes.

Emily leaned on her mother’s car and began to cry.  “You never allow me to grow up, Daddy! If it were Jason, and Brianna’s parents were getting married in Aspen, you would let him go with her without any hesitation. I just don’t know why you won’t allow me to go.”

“It’s not a matter of us allowing Jason to go over you, it’s not about us trusting him over you.  It’s because we love you, we care about your safety.  We don’t want to put you in any position which might bring harm to you or get you into a situation you don’t know how to get out of.”

“You don’t love me, you want to control me,” Emily continued to lean on her mother’s car, trying to wipe her eyes with her hands to keep her make-up from being ruined.

Adam’s voice softened to try to defuse the anger between him and his daughter.

“It’s not a matter of control, Princess.  When you’re a parent, you’ll understand why your mother and I make the decisions we do for the three of you.  Control does not enter into the mix ever.  We love each of you more than life itself, and we will always do everything we can to make sure you are safe and happy.”

“I just want to spend new year’s eve with Trey and his new step-sister. Instead, I have to spend it here babysitting my sister.”

“Brianna and Jason will be here with you two.  They will not be going out this year.  Maybe you all would prefer to stay at the Ponderosa for the holiday.  Mommy and I can come there on our way back from Reno,” he suggested as he turned his child around, took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed Emily’s tear soaked eyes.

“It just won’t be the same without Trey there,” Emily replied between each gasp of breath she took trying to stop her crying.

“Emily Elizabeth,” Adam tried again to reason with her, “you’re only sixteen years old.  You still have your whole life ahead of you.  There will be many more New Year’s Eves for you to spend with Trey or whomever you fall in love with when you’re older.  Don’t rush being an adult, there’ll be plenty of time for that I promise,” Adam said as he took her into his arms and held his daughter tight.

Father and daughter stood silent for a moment, only the gasps of air and sniffles from Emily could be heard.  Adam broke their embrace slightly enough to put his fingers in the handkerchief under Emily’s chin to bring her face up to his.  He took the handkerchief and again dabbed her eyes, trying not to smear the light make-up she was wearing.

“Now go to your room and freshen your face and join us all back in the living room,” Adam said in a soft voice.  “This will not be the end of the world, I promise.”

Emily broke the embrace she shared with her father and headed into the house, shutting the door behind her easily.  Adam stood and stared at the door for a few moments and then headed back to the house and back to his family.  He apologized for the disruption and said Emily would join them shortly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas day had been a joyful day for the Nevada and Massachusetts Cartwrights.  Jason and Brianna were happy to be together with their aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews again since the last time they had all been together was at the death of their beloved patriarch, Ben.  Although there was a cloud of sadness hanging over the day, they were able to smile, enjoy themselves as they watched the kids playing with their new toys Santa had brought to them and wearing the new clothes they found waiting for them under the tree Christmas morning.  A large holiday feast was shared by everyone.  Jessica and Adam had extended an invitation to Trey, his father, and fiancé to come and enjoy Christmas afternoon and evening with them.  Trey’s mother and stepfather had again decided to spend the holiday in Utah with her family since Trey would be enjoying Christmas and the new year with his father.  The three gladly accepted the invitation to come and spend the holiday at the Cartwright house as this would give Trey the opportunity for him to introduce his girlfriend’s parents to his other parents so they could get to know them better.

As Christmas came to an end and everyone said their goodbyes outside, the twinkle of the lights on the house lit up the lawn with a festive hue of green, red, pink, yellow and blue.  Trey’s father commented on what a great job the two men had done in outlining the roof of the house with the lights.  Adam gave most of the credit to Trey as he had done much of the work on top of the roof while Adam concentrated on the perimeter.  The December evening was cold so the goodbyes were kept short and Emily went with Trey and his family to their car while Jessica and Adam went back into the house to straighten everything up before heading to bed.  Laughter, cheers, and groans were heard from the family room as Jillian was battling her brother and future sister-in-law in a wild game of Sorry!

While Jessica was in the formal dining room putting away her Christmas china, she heard Emily come in and lock the front door.

“I’m going to join the others in the family room, call me if you need me, Mommy,” she said as she passed by.

Jessica looked up and smiled saying, “I will, Sweetheart, have fun.”

As Jessica finished, she went back to the kitchen where Adam was putting the last of the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and turning it on to wash overnight.

Jessica melted into Adam’s arms and held her husband tight.  She was so proud of both of them as they had made it through their first two major holidays without their beloved father.

“It’s a new normal now isn’t it?” She said with her face buried in her husband’s firm chest.

“It is, Babe,” he replied holding her tight in return.  He stood silent for a moment, reflecting on the day.  He then broke his embrace slightly, staring into the eyes of his loved one. “You know, with our children growing up, each year we will probably experience a new normal.  Soon we’ll have a new generation of Cartwrights crawling and running around here for the holidays.  When one life ends, a new one begins; A new circle of life starts over.”

Jessica leaned up and kissed her husband.  “I love you so much, Adam Cartwright.  I thank God every day for you.”

Adam smiled and gave Jessica a light peck on the nose and replied, “Me, too, Babe, now let’s go to bed,” he winked at her, giving her a slight pat on her bum.

As they walked arm and arm toward the back of the house, shutting out the lights as they went from one room to the next, Jessica purred, “What do you have in mind tonight, my dear husband?”

Adam held her tight and replied, “You’ll soon find out,” and the two giggled as they made their way to the family room.

“We’re headed to bed.  Don’t stay up too late tonight.  Goodnight, we love you.”

“Night,” the four kids said in unison and then returned to their game that was now split into two teams.

After their showers, Adam and Jessica got into bed and held each other in their arms.  Jessica gently rubbed her fingers through the salt and pepper forest of curly locks on Adam’s chest.

“I look forward to the safety of your arms each night, Mr. Cartwright,” Jessica said as she laid still, feeling the love around her.

“I could stay like this forever,” Adam replied rubbing Jessica’s back.

The day had been long and exhausting.  With several nights ending with a night of lovemaking, the emotional toll of the day and season had drained them both, and they decided to drift asleep in each other’s arms instead.  After the lights had been turned out, it didn’t take long before the sleep they each desperately needed took over.

It wasn’t much later before the next generation of Cartwrights were, too, feeling the late hour creeping upon them.  They finished their game, and while Emily and Brianna took the leftover snacks into the kitchen and put them away, stacking the dirty dishes on the counter neatly, Jason and Jillian stayed behind to put the game up as well as straighten the room.  Emily and Jillian went to their respected bedrooms while Jason followed Brianna into hers.  Jason took his shirt off while Brianna changed into a nightgown.  He laid down with her in her bed, and they held each other in their arms.

“I wonder if this is how my parents end each night in bed?” Jason pondered.

Brianna smiled and replied, “Maybe some nights, but you weren’t delivered by a stork you know,” she winked at him, kissing his lips tenderly.

“Jason chuckled.  “Yeah, I know,” he thought about his parents loving each other in the same way he made love to his future bride.

“You know, I never told my parents but I saw them one-time making love.  I was probably twelve at the time?”

Brianna sat up a little, surprised at this revelation Jason had never shared with her.

“You never told me about this,” she smiled at the serene look on her fiancé’s face as he remembered the moment.

“I just remembered,” he turned and smiled back at Brianna.  “They always locked their door; which was most nights,” he laughed remembering the days when they were all much younger.  “This one time, however, they forgot.  When I walked in, I saw my mom on top of my father; they were really in the heat of the moment,” he smiled.  “One thing I remembered thinking to myself was the love I could see being shared between them as my mother and father moved together as one.  I didn’t feel as if I was prying in on some dirty porn site, I really felt the intense love in the air.”

“Were you aware they were making love or did you not know what was going on?”  Brianna asked, not feeling as if Jason was inappropriate by sharing the story of his parents making love to each other.”

“I knew what they were doing, my dad had already explained sex to me and the difference between fornication and making love.  Even seeing my mother naked didn’t seem unnatural or weird to me at that moment — not that I see my mom naked all the time; she’s always clothed or has a robe on.  It was only for probably 5-10 seconds because when I realized what was going on, I immediately left quietly so they didn’t know I was there, but I didn’t feel weird or dirty.”

“Didn’t you tell me your parents always said if the door was open, you were welcome to come in but if the door was closed or locked, it meant do not disturb?”

Jason smiled, “Yeah, but I was twelve, I needed my dad, and the door was unlocked, but it was after that, I knew why my parents had that rule,” he smiled and winked.

“And you never told them?” Brianna asked.

“No, I didn’t want to embarrass them, not that I think it would because they’ve always been very open with their love for us since they re-married. I believe it was more me not wanting to out myself that I had come in when the door was closed!” Jason laughed.

“I for one think it’s beautiful you’re parents share such an incredible intimacy between them.”

“Oh, I think they still do!  My father has alluded to that fact when we’ve talked about love and marriage.”

“Really, that’s great!  I, too, want to have the same desire for you when we have children our age.  I can’t promise you it will be daily as it is now, though,” she said leaning over, kissing him, placing her hand on his mild erection, “but I do want to make sure we always share our intimacy together for as long as we can.”

Jason turned toward Brianna and slipped his hands under her nightgown and raised it above her head, and then made his way to freeing her from her panties.  She helped him finish undressing, and he then recreated the love he felt when he saw his parents sharing their love many years before.

Chapter Eighteen

Adam and Jessica kissed their children goodbye as they left for the anniversary rendezvous in Reno.  Once the parents were gone, the three Cartwright children and Brianna went to the family room and got out the game table and several board games.  Emily and Jillian went to the kitchen for lemonade, chips, and pretzels to snack on while everyone played games they all enjoyed.

After a few hours of playing Monopoly, the teams decided to take a break and chill out on the sofa and love seat.  Emily and Jillian were curled up on the loveseat while Brianna curled up in Jason’s arms   

“I wonder what Mommy and Daddy are doing tonight? Mommy’s new gown this year is the prettiest yet.  Daddy always looks forward to seeing what she chooses each year,” Emily said as she stared up at the ceiling picturing herself in the sexy gown her mother had shared with her the day before when she went with her to the final fitting.

“I’m sure whatever the dress is, it won’t be on for long tonight,” Jason chuckled.

“Ewe, yuk, Jason!  I don’t know how Mommy let’s Daddy see her naked.  I’d be so embarrassed!”  Jillian said innocently.

The two elder children and Brianna all erupted in laughter.  “Peanut, how do you think you were created?”  Jason said laughing.

Jillian blushed.  “I know that, Jason!”

“I think it’s wonderful your parents display their love so freely with you three,” Brianna said as she looked up at Jason and he smiled down at her, giving her a light kiss on her lips.

“Jason, why were Mommy and Daddy divorced?”  Jillian asked out of the blue.

Surprised, Jason looked over at Emily.  Emily glared back at him as if to say, what are you going to say to her?

“Why do you ask, Peanut?”  Jason prodded, trying to keep his voice calm as if the question was typical for her to inquire about.

“I’ve heard over the years Mommy and Daddy talking about when they were divorced, and they even told me they were divorced for a few years but were married again.  Mommy and Daddy have promised me they aren’t getting divorced but why do they say that?”  Jillian wanted to know.

“Has Mommy and Daddy done anything to make you think they will get divorced again?”  Jason continued his questions.

“No, but why would they say that when they aren’t getting a divorce if they talk about it?”

There was a silence and then Jason blurted out, “Because, Peanut, Mommy and Daddy were divorced for several years when Emily and I were younger before you were born and it was hell for Emily and me.”

“Jason!” Emily bellowed, giving her brother a look of horror at how he would dare tell Jillian the life they had with their parents living apart.

Jillian sat up with a befuddled look on her face.  “What?  Mommy and Daddy are getting divorced?” she asked nervously.

“No, they’re married now, Peanut, and as far as I know, they’re not planning to split, but before you were born, there were a couple of years Mommy and Daddy didn’t like each other very much.,    They often argued when they didn’t think Emily and I were listening.”

“Oh, Jason!  Mommy and Daddy are going to kill you!”  Emily teared up, afraid of how much information her brother would give Jillian.

“They have arguments now, does that mean they’re going to get divorced again?”  Jillian worried.

“No, no, Peanut, when Mommy and Daddy argue now, it’s because they don’t agree with each other.  When they were divorced, they fought to hurt each other, there’s a difference,” Jason’s voice was sad, remembering how his parents didn’t realize their young children were listening, being permanently scarred by their venomous barbs at each other.

“Jason! Stop!”  Emily pleaded to no avail.

“Why, Emily? Don’t you think Jillian deserves to know Mom and Dad once hurt each other the way they did because of their anger and selfishness?  It was horrible!”

“Of course, I remember, but Daddy’s going to be angry you decided to go somewhere that’s none of your business,” Emily said, her form very uncomfortable.

Brianna sat stoic as she listened to the two elder siblings argue how much more Jason would divulge to their youngest sister who, until this point, had known very little about her parents divorce before she was born.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a night of celebrating the end of an old year and ringing in the new, Adam and Jessica woke up and enjoyed a late breakfast in the lobby restaurant before returning to their home on the Ponderosa.

“It was another lovely surprise you planned for our anniversary, Mr. Cartwright.  You always outdo yourself every year,” Jessica winked as she held her mimosa glass to toast her husband’s plans for their wedding anniversary.

“You looked stunning in your new gown.  All I could think of all evening is how fast could I get it off you when we returned to our room,” Adam smiled as he clinked his champagne flute to Jessica’s.

“Oh, Adam, I’ve never stopped loving you.  Why did I allow my immature selfishness to send you away?”  Jessica said somberly.

Adam took Jessica’s hand and rubbed the rings which were again on her left ring finger. 

“It’s in the past, we both made mistakes when we were younger but they’ve made us into the people we are today and in many ways, have made us a stronger married couple and better parents.”

“I know,” Jessica said as she sat her glass down and grabbed Adam’s hand with her other.  “It’s just I wasted so many years trying to hate you instead of just loving you.  I knew you had never stopped loving me and in some ridiculous, selfish way, I enjoyed it, I enjoyed watching you suffer.  It makes me so sad now how I hurt you the way I did.”

“I won’t lie,” Adam looked down at their fingers intertwined with each other, “you hurt me big time when you allowed Clint to move in with you.  I didn’t think we ever had a chance of ever getting back together after he moved in.  All I wanted was our family to be whole again.  I wanted it for us, but most of all for Emily and Jason.  With Clint in the picture, being there full time and me only every other weekend, it was hard and many nights I stayed at work just to try to keep my mind off the reality my kids had another man in their lives nurturing them.”

“Clint was a wonderful man,” Jessica smiled, looking down remembering her relationship with the handsome man she had met in the emergency room where she was working as a nurse when he came in with one of his employees who had been hurt.  “He was excellent to me and the kids, Adam.  He always made sure we had everything we needed, and he never spoiled them either,” Jessica looked back up with a shiny glaze over her eyes.

Adam smiled, “I’m sure he’s a fine man, and I appreciate he loved our children and took care of you when I couldn’t.”

“Thank you,” Jessica quietly said under her breath as she took her hand away and patted her eyes with her napkin.

As she was putting her napkin back to her lap, the waitress brought the couple their breakfast along with an assortment of breakfast pastries and rolls.

“Everything looks fantastic, thank you!”  Jessica smiled at the young waitress who was serving them on the chilly new years morning.

“Yes, thank you,” Adam quickly looked up and smiled with acknowledgment before picking up his fork and knife, cutting into his steak and egg breakfast.

The couple enjoyed small talk about their children and what plans Jason and Brianna had for the ranch house.  After breakfast, they returned to their room where Adam contacted the bellman to come and collect their luggage while they headed downstairs to check out and drive back to the Ponderosa to spend the next few days with their family at Adam’s childhood ranch his father had built with his help as a legacy to future Cartwrights.

It was mid afternoon when Adam and Jessica arrived home.  When they came into the kitchen from the garage, they were greeted with Emily in the kitchen making sandwiches for her and Jillian.

“Hi, Daddy, Mommy, you have a good time?”  Emily stopped to give her mother and father a kiss on the cheek, welcoming them home.

“We did, Princess, thank you,”  Adam responded with a kiss on her forehead.

“Where’s Jill?”  Jessica asked as she placed her purse on the kitchen table.

“She’s up in her room getting dressed.  We just got up not too long ago.  We stayed up late playing games with Jason and Brie.”

“I’m going to head upstairs to see if Jillian needs my help,” Jessica said as she walked toward the staircase in the living room.”

Adam and Emily sat at the table, and Adam told her about their evening of dining and dancing.  He also told her about how Jessica turned many heads at the party in her stunning gown but stopped at the point when they came back to the hotel room to continue their anniversary celebration.

“I hope Trey and I are as happy as you and Mommy are after all these years.  I never want to put our children through what we went through,” Emily’s voice trailed off from happy to one of sadness as she thought about the years her parents spent apart.

“Mommy and I talked about that briefly this morning, too, Princess.  It was a hard time on all of us, and we are better spouses and parents because of it.  Our only regret is the scars our anger toward each other left on you and Jason.  We’ll never be able to ask your forgiveness for those years, and I’m truly sorry,”  Adam said as he leaned over and stroked his middle child’s cheek.

Emily smiled as she took her father’s hand.  “No need to ask, Daddy, you were forgiven a long time ago.  Yes, it’s part of our past, but it doesn’t have to define our future,” she smiled.

Emily stood up and sat in her hero’s lap.  “Do you remember the time when I was sick, and you stayed home with me while Poppy took Jason out for the day?”

“Do I remember? Oh, course I remember!  You had the chicken pox, and we didn’t know it until later that day after your bath.

“Oh my gosh, did they itch!  I remember you and Mommy always giving me medicine to help the itching.  I tried so hard to not scratch because you said they would leave a scar.”

“Yes, and you have a couple of them.  I think we all do,”  Adam smiled as he moved the strands of tangled hair from his daughter’s face.

“Even though there were many sad times, there were good times, too, Daddy.  I don’t regret any of them,” Emily smiled as she hugged her father.

Adam took his daughter into his embrace and held her tight.  He tried to fight back the tears as he thought about his tenure as a weekend dad, but happy he and his wife were able to reconcile their differences and find the love they had for each other again and continue it through to their children.

“Sweetpea, we’re home, do you need Mommy’s help?”  Jessica asked as she knocked on the bathroom door, seeing her daughter standing at the basin looking in the mirror, trying to put her hair in a ponytail.

“UGH!  I can’t get my hair to stay!”  Jillian complained as she again ripped the band which held her hair loosely in a ponytail.

“Here, let me have it,” Jessica said as she took the decorative band from Jillian’s hand and her brush.  “Would you like a fishtail?”  Jessica asked with a smile.  Jillian jumped with excitement and Jessica sent her daughter to her room to get dressed before she braided her hair. The two walked into Jillian’s room which had once been Emily’s when she and Jason would come to stay with Adam during their younger years when their parents were divorced.  Every time Jessica would enter, it brought back a flood of memories from a bittersweet past.

Jillian took out a white turtleneck and the mint green M.I.T. sweatshirt her brother had brought her when he came home for Christmas.  She also grabbed a pair of jeans and sneakers.  After she had got dressed and put on her socks, she sat down on the ottoman next to the chair in her room so Jessica could braid her hair into a fishtail pony.

After Jessica was finished, Jillian turned to her and jumped into her arms, hugging her mother tightly.

“I love you, Mommy!”

“I love you, too, baby girl!”  Jessica laughed as she held her youngest daughter in her arms.

After the love fest, the two Cartwright girls headed back downstairs where they found Adam holding Emily is his arms on his lap.  She was laying her head on his shoulders and his head resting against hers.  The sight from behind brought tears of joy to Jessica’s eyes.  She was so happy to see her middle daughter exchanging a beautiful father-daughter moment, and she could see the love pouring from both of them to each other.

“Hey, I thought you were making us a sandwich!”  Jillian snapped at her sister but then grinning up at her mother standing next to her at the entrance to the kitchen.

“Hey, I was, but you were taking too long, as usual,” Emily stood up from her father’s lap smiling and headed back to the counter where the bread, condiments, and meat were left when she went to share time with her father at the kitchen table.

“You know, my dear, you’re getting it back just the way you used to antagonize your brother when you two were younger,” Jessica came over and kissed her daughter’s head, as Emily was finishing up the sandwiches.

“Yes you are, Princess,”  Adam responded.  You used to antagonize Jason all the time.  Most of the time he was a good sport about it, though.”

“I love my sister…for the most part,” Emily winked at her sister, “but some days!”

Uh, that would be the same here, Princess, Emily,” Jillian responded back sarcastically.

The four Cartwrights had a chuckle while Jessica got a couple of glasses from the cupboard and Jillian got the sack of chips and orange juice from the refrigerator.

As the girls were setting the table for the two younger Cartwrights to have lunch, Adam kissed Jessica on the cheek and gave her a pat on her bum and said he was going to head down to the main house to talk over renovations with Jason.  During their daughter and father time, Emily had mentioned Jason and Brianna had told them about different things they wanted to renovate to make it more their style but still keep the warmth and tradition Ben had built and lived in for many years.

“Bye, Daddy,” both of the younger Cartwright girls said as their father grabbed his keys off the counter and headed out to the garage.  Adam jumped in the SUV and headed down to the main house where he was greeted at the door by Brianna.

“Hi, Adam, when did you and Jessica get back?” she asked as she greeted her future father-in-law at the door and welcomed him inside.

“Not long ago, the girls are having lunch, do you want to go up and have a visit? I thought I would come down and lend my engineering help to Jason with the proposed plans you guys have discussed for the renovations.”

“Jason ran upstairs.  He opened a can of soda and didn’t realize I had dropped it just a little time before and placed it back in the fridge.  I knew I should have put it upside down, that’s what we always do when the can is off limits for a bit.  Anyway, the can spewed all over his shirt so he’s upstairs changing, he’ll be down in a few minutes.”

Adam couldn’t hold back his laughter, thinking about the surprise on Jason’s face when he popped the top and soda went spewing all over him.

“Thank goodness you weren’t here to hear what came out of his mouth,” Brianna laughed.

“Oh yeah? I don’t know if I’ve ever heard Jason curse,”  Adam smiled.

“Oh, Adam, he was so mad.  I think it was surprise and frustration at the same time, he doesn’t usually curse.”

“No, Jessica and I tried to be careful around the kids when they were younger.  We didn’t want them to think cursing was acceptable language, but we’ve been known to have our moments then and now, too.”

“Me, too, but it’s the exception.”

“Hey, Dad, what brings you down?  You and Mom have a good time last night?” Jason smiled and winked.

“Jason, what are you implying?”  Brianna asked with her face turning a warm pink.

The Cartwright men laughed.  “Brie, one thing you’ll learn over time is Jess and I have never held back our show of physical love to each other with our children.  I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable.  Jason’s okay, he really is.”

“Oh no, Adam, it’s fine, it’s just my parents were very loving to my brother and me, but some things were left behind closed doors if you know what I mean,”  she smiled.

“Well, of course, we don’t openly talk about our intimate relationship with our kids, but we don’t hide our love to the other either.  Our children know we still engage in a physical relationship.”

“I for one think it’s great my dad and mom are still physically attracted to each other at their age.  I know we’ll be the same way at our parents age as we are today,” Jason took Brianna into his arms and kissed her forehead.

“Jason, you’re embarrassing me!”  Brianna laughed nervously.

Adam smiled and wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulders.  “It’s okay, Brie, he doesn’t mean to embarrass you, I’m sorry.”

“No, Adam, it’s okay, I know you and Jessica don’t approve of well, you know.”

Adam hugged his future daughter-in-law. “Brie, you and Jason are adults and are engaged.  Jess and I are not prudes, and we’re certainly not naive.”

“Thanks, Adam.  Now with that, I think I’ll head to see Jessica while you two discuss load-bearing walls, support beams and all of that annoying construction stuff.  The girls and I will talk appliances, furniture, and paint,” Brianna said as she hugged and kissed each of the Cartwright men and made her exit to go see Jessica and the girls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Can I get you something to drink, Dad, coffee, beer?”

“Anything but a shaken can of soda, Son,”  Adam chuckled.

“Yeah, right,” Jason laughed as he headed to the kitchen with Adam following.

Jason shared construction ideas he had with Brianna and discussed with Adam, for his approval.  He advised his father how he wanted to blow out the wall leading from the dining room into the kitchen to make the kitchen and dining room a huge room which would flow into the main part of the house.  Jason also shared how they wanted to modernize the kitchen with top of the line appliances, custom cabinetry, a large prep island with Carrera marble counters.

“I’m impressed with your ideas, son.  Sounds like you and Brie have some great ideas.”

“Thanks, Dad.  We want to keep the charm and warmth you and Poppy built, but add a modern flair.”

“Jason, this is your home now.  Dad left it to you to make it your own, but I know he would be happy with the plans you have to keep his spirit alive with keeping some of the original architecture intact.”

The two men took their beers and headed into the great room where they could be more comfortable.  Adam sat on the settee as Jason stoked the fire he had built when they woke up bringing it back to a roaring flame. 

“Dad, there are a few things I need to discuss with you.  One concerning a decision Brianna and I have come to and one which involves Jillian.”

Adam sat up and stiffened a little.  He could see and hear the concern in his son’s face and voice.

“Dad,” Jason said as he stood again and headed toward the fireplace.  “Brianna and I have decided we’re not ready to get married at this time, and we’ve decided once we’re finished with school, she’ll move out here, find a job, and we’ll move in here and live here together for a while.”

“You mean you’ll shack up together, don’t you son?  Married people live together, they share their lives, their beds, their bodies, their love.  Boyfriends and girlfriends shack up, sleep in the same bed and have sex, something your grandfather would not approve of in this house.”

Jason could hear the anger in his father’s voice and knew he was not happy with the decision his son and fiancee had made.

“Dad, it’s just we don’t want to end up like you and mom did.  We know it’s going to be really hard for me in the beginning when I start with the firm.  I don’t expect to be given any leniency….”

“And you won’t, I can guarantee you that, Jason,” Adam interrupted with a sterner tone and volume.

“I didn’t ever expect any, DAD,” Jason’s voice was tense and rose in volume as well.

“I really resent the fact you think I don’t love Brianna enough to marry her, and I wouldn’t treat her with the love and respect she deserves like you do Mom.”

“Don’t put your relationship even in the same realm as your mother’s and mine.  We’re husband and wife, Jason, you can’t even commit to your girlfriend, how dare you even try to compare our relationship with yours.  You want to just live together, no shack up, and not make the commitment to her she deserves.  I guess if life gets rough, it’s easier to just end things and have the other move out than stay together and work it out.  This seems to be the way your generation lives today; shack up and when life gets tough, one of you get going instead of fighting for what matters.”

“That’s not fair, Dad!”  Jason yelled at his father.  “How dare you!  How dare you even lecture me with a holier than thou attitude when you put my sister and me through HELL when we were younger!  You, Dad, couldn’t commit to Mom, Emily, and I.  You, Dad, were spending long days and nights at the office while Mom was left at home to raise me alone.  You, Dad, were the one who couldn’t commit to Mom and me!  Then your selfishness grew and thought it would be better to bring Emily into the family to make both of our lives hell, so you did!  Don’t be a hypocrite, Dad, not in my house.  Who couldn’t commit?  Who didn’t fight when the going got tough?” Jason yelled as he turned his back to Adam.

Adam walked over to the fireplace where Jason was standing.  “How dare you speak to me the way you are, in this house your Poppy and I worked hard and poured love and sweat into to build?  Your grandfather would not approve of you living with Brianna in this house outside of the confines of marriage, and you know it.  I will admit I was wrong, I’ve always realized I was wrong, but I never stopped loving your mother…”

“Then why did you leave, Dad?  Why did you allow our family to be broken?  Why did you scare my sister and me when we would hear you and Mom fight?  Not argue, full on fight with hurtful words at each other.  I know, Poppy would not approve, just like I’m sure he wasn’t happy you and Mom were bringing yet another child into a broken home.  Poppy would want us to be happy and do what we felt was right for the two of us, something you and Mom can’t seem to wrap your head around.”

“Don’t you ever speak of how Jillian came into this world as if she were a mistake, don’t you ever!  You’re mother and I was very much in love again when she was conceived.  I had already planned to ask Jessica to marry me again.  Don’t ever speak ill of your mother, what she would want or her judgment, Jason, not without her here to defend herself,” Adam’s voice was low and furious.

“Dad, I’m a grown man, I love Brianna, and I do want her to be my wife…”

“Then what’s the problem? Why can’t you commit to her?” Adam interrupted loudly.

“I DO, DAD!  I love her with all my heart, it’s just…”

“Just what, Jason?”  Adam was furious at his son.

“I DON’T WANT US FAILING LIKE YOU AND MOM DID!”  Jason yelled with anger.

“I DON’T WANT TO FAIL MY CHILDREN LIKE YOU FAILED ME and EMILY!”

Adam was beside himself.  His heart was breaking, but his anger was blocking him from any emotion.

Without saying another word, Adam stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind him.  Jason knew his father would not take his decision to postpone his marriage to Brianna lightly, but he was so angry, and he had allowed emotions to take him to a place he didn’t even realize existed.  He knew he’d hurt his father deeply, but like Adam, he, too, had a stubborn streak and could not find it within his heart to go after him to beg his forgiveness.

Adam got in his car and headed back toward his home.  He parked in the garage and stormed into the house.  Jessica, Brianna, and the girls, who were in the living room, heard the door slam, and Adam came walking through quickly, his face red with anger.  He didn’t even stop to acknowledge any of the women. 

“ADAM!” Jessica yelled as he had already started ascending the stairs.

“NOT NOW JESSICA!” Adam responded as he continued up to their bedroom.

Jessica and Brianna looked at each other in disbelief.  What could have happened at the main house that would cause Adam’s demeanor to change so drastically to the negative? 

“I think I need to go home and find out what’s going on,” Brianna said with caution in her voice as she stood.  She grabbed her keys, wallet and headed toward the front door.

Emily and Jillian sat in shocked silence.  They both wanted to leave because they felt a wave of tenseness in the air and thought it would be best if they were not around so they both asked if they could take their bikes and go see their Uncle Hoss and his family.  Jessica allowed the girls their escape, and they both hurried to the garage and headed down the road to the peace and calm of their father’s brother’s house.

Once alone, Jessica gathered the glasses in the living room and put them on the counter in the kitchen.  She took a deep breath and headed up the stairs into her’s and Adam’s bedroom.  She found Adam changing into his black jeans and pulling a black cowboy shirt from the closet, the clothes he wore when he was going for a ride on his mount.

“Just where do you think you’re going, buster, without telling me what the hell just happened downstairs?”

“Jessica, not now, not you, too.”

“No, right now, Adam!  What is going on? What has you so angry?”

Adam put on his shirt and turned to Jessica, the shirt untucked and unbuttoned.

“It’s been my life’s mission to always love and take care of you and our family,” Adam’s voice was low, tense, and in control.

“And you have, Adam, you have!  Even when we were divorced, you always made sure we never wanted for anything!”

Adam laughed sarcastically.  “Well not according to your son!  I’m the biggest failure as a father, and husband…”

“First of all,” Jessica interrupted, her voice growing in anger, “Jason does not speak for me, he can only speak for himself.  You have NEVER failed me, Adam, EVER!”  Jessica moved toward the closet to pull out clothes to go riding.  She was not allowing her husband to go riding alone in the state of anger he was in.  She knew while Adam found it hard to share his emotions when he was angry, she was going to get to the bottom of what brought it on and put it to rest.

“I don’t know what was discussed, but whatever he said was obviously out of anger…”

“Or was it pent up frustration and resentment all of these years?”  Adam interrupted.

“I don’t know, Adam, why don’t you tell me what happened?”

“Where are the girls?” Adam asked with a sudden change from anger to concern for his other two children.

“I’ve sent them to Hoss’ house.  You charging in like a bull in a china shop scared the living daylights out of them.  Adam, what were you thinking?” Jessica asked as she slipped out of her wool slacks and into her riding jeans.

“I wasn’t,” Adam’s voice was vexed as he tucked in his shirt and buttoned it up.

“This stops here and now.  We’ll ride as long as we need until you can tell me what happened between you and Jason.  I’ve never seen you two at odds like this.”

Adam grabbed his hat and headed toward the bedroom door.  I’ll meet you down in the garage.

Jessica finished putting on her riding boots, grabbed her hat and headed downstairs where she found Adam in the car, engine running and the garage door up.

“You forgot your coat, silly,” she said tossing it in the back as she got in the passenger seat.  Without a word, Adam put the car in reverse and the two headed to the stables in silence.

Once they arrived, the hand Adam had called ahead had both mounts ready.  Adam helped Jessica on to her gray mount and Adam on to his.  They rode together in silence toward the shores of Lake Tahoe.  As they grew closer to the lake the cold breeze was picking up, but Adam’s anger was still fierce, and he didn’t seem to notice.

Once at the lake, Adam helped Jessica down, and he tied their mounts to a nearby tree.  He took his wife’s hand, and they headed toward the shoreline.  The only sound was the small waves rolling on shore.

Jessica bundled her coat and pulled up her gloves.  She was shivering, but she was determined to be there and listen when her husband finally decided to speak.

“You’re freezing.  Why don’t you go back home where it’s warm?”  Adam turned to Jessica and took her into his arms to warm her up.

“My place is with my husband.  He’s upset, and he needs his partner.  I’m not leaving.”

“At least let me build a small campfire so you’ll stay warm,” Adam said as he looked around for twigs and pine cones from the massive pine trees which inspired the name of the Cartwright ranch.

Adam went in his saddle sack and got the matches he needed for the fire of pine cones, twigs, and broken tree limbs he had stacked.  When the fire was going strong, he grabbed the blanket roll on the back of his saddle, laid it out and helped Jessica sit down, then sat next to her.

Adam sat quietly and stoked the fire with a larger tree limb to keep the fire burning hot and vigorous.  Jessica could see his form was beginning to soften and his anger slowing.

“Do you want to talk about it, now?” She asked quietly.

Adam sat for a few minutes quietly and laughed with disbelief.

“My son called me a hypocrite and a failure today, Jess.”

“What?”  Jessica asked in disbelief but kept her demeanor in check as she could see her husband’s form was relaxing into sorrow instead of anger.

“Yeah…We were talking about taking down walls and putting in beams if the walls were load bearing and somewhere between the steel beams and marble counter tops, he informs me he and Brianna have decided not get married and just live together,”  Adam continued, staring into the fire.

“They what?  They’ve decided to not get married?  Why? When?”  Jessica sat and asked in disbelief.

“I don’t know why and I don’t know when.  The conversation dissolved into a hot mess afterward.  He started insulting you, me, our marriage, and I wasn’t having our son disrespect you, our marriage, or the choices we made in the past, no matter how much they affected us all.”

“WHAT? I can’t believe this,”  Jessica remained calm but was shocked at what she was hearing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh, Jason, why?  Why would you say things you would later regret?”  Brianna asked her fiance as they sat on the couch and he explained what happened to cause Adam to storm out of their house the way he did.

“I don’t know, Babe, it was as a demon that came out of me, a demon I didn’t know even existed.  I don’t feel that way about my parents.  I know my dad did the best he could when I was young.  The pain is still there, I guess it’ll never leave,” Jason looked down at his twiddling fingers.

“Both of my parents were at fault in the dissolution of their 1st marriage, it wasn’t just my dad, although that’s the way I made him feel today.”  Jason got up and moved toward the fire to place more wood on the embers.

“You knew he would have problems with us deciding to postpone the wedding and just live together for a while.”

“Yeah, I guess I knew, but I never knew he would react the way he did.  You know it’s not what we want but what I feel we need.”

“Is it what you need, Jason, or is it you’re afraid?”  Brianna asked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What did we do to our kids, Jess?  Our selfishness really made a big mess of things.  I don’t know why I didn’t fight for our marriage harder.  We thought we were so smart, not fighting in front of them. Who did we think we were kidding?”  Adam laughed at his naivety so many years before.

“Oh, Adam, don’t be so hard on yourself.  We were younger then, life was so much different than it is today.  I was the one who gave up…”

“Yeah, but it was my foolish actions which brought you to your breaking point, Jessica.  I know, and I accept it,” Adam interrupted, taking most of the blame for their divorce.

“Oh come on, Adam, don’t be the martyr.  We were both at fault, and we both equally need to share the blame.”

“Besides, what is in the past is nothing we can change, we have to keep looking toward the future and learn from our past mistakes so we don’t let them happen again.  I just never knew Jason was harboring such resentment and anger.”

“Neither did I!”  Adam said, thinking back to the hurtful words his son confessed, even if they were in a fit of rage.

“Was he saying them because you were both angry and he didn’t want to hear what you were saying?  It was the truth, whether he wanted to hear it or not.  I’m not happy about his decision at all,” Jessica continued.

“If he’s angry with us, he needs to talk it out with us and tell us how he’s feeling.  If what happened to us during his childhood is stopping him from wanting to commit to Brianna now, he might not ever be able to commit to her or any other woman if he doesn’t get to the root cause of this.”

“My baby boy, what did we do to him?” Jessica’s voice cracked.

“Babe, don’t be hard on yourself…”

“I’ve always wanted to just protect my son!”  Tears welled in Jessica’s eyes.

Adam took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the waterfalls from his wife’s cheeks.

“We did what we both thought was the best thing for our family at the time.  Don’t doubt yourself now.”

“He’s angry, Adam.  Hurting like I’ve never seen him hurt before,” she sniffled and wiped her nose with Adam’s handkerchief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are we making the right decision, Brie?  Maybe my fears are really unrealized.  I’ve known from the day I met you I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, but then I think that’s what Dad thought about my mom, too, and we see what happened with them,” Jason sighed.

“Jason, we’re not your parents, you had a difficult few years when you were eight.  Even though your parents were divorced for a time doesn’t mean we’re destined to fail.  If anything we can look back on what caused the breakdown of your parent’s marriage, and not allow it to happen to us.  I’m not saying it won’t but there’s nothing to say it would either.”

“I don’t want us to change our minds on something we’ve both agreed to do just to appease my parents.  They have to realize we’re adults now, and they have to accept I’m not going to always make choices they are going to find acceptable in their view.  I have to do what is right for me, for you, for us.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m going to call him when we get back.  I need to know what made him snap as he did.  I don’t want this negativity about us to go unchecked.  We need to talk, mother and son, and, I want him to know how I feel about his decisions.”

“What exactly do you think about his decision to not marry Brianna and they live together in Dad’s home?”  Adam looked Jessica in her eyes.

Jessica turned her head back toward the fire.  “I don’t know.  A part of me feels exactly the way you do, another side of me wants to embrace what would make my son happy.”

“Oh, Jessica…”  Adam got up and walked back over to the shore, picked up pebbles and started throwing them into the wind swept lake.

“Don’t oh Jessica me and then walk away, Adam Cartwright.  I didn’t say I condoned what Jason and Brianna’s decision is, but I also realize my son is an adult now, and I can’t stop him.”

“I agree, Jessica, but I also think about my father’s legacy.  My dad would want them to be married and live in his home together.  He wasn’t very happy at all when I agreed to allow them to live together in Cambridge, but I resolved it to be a better move for them both.”

“So what’s the difference here then, Adam?”  Jessica stopped him from throwing the pebbles.

“Cambridge is temporary.  Living here at the Ponderosa, this is permanent.  If we just give our blessing to them living together and not making a commitment to each other, we’re condoning they can split at any time and move their separate ways if times get tough.  Besides, what if kids become involved?  I don’t like the idea of them having kids if they’re not married.”

“It’s not our decision, Adam,”  Jessica said with resignation in her voice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I love you, Jason.  I want to be your girlfriend, but what’s most important is I want to be your wife, your life partner.  I want to have your kids, our kids.  I want to grow old with you.  I’m not so stupid to think there won’t be times when we’ll be at odds with each other, but it’s how we choose to handle those situations which will determine our success or failure.  There is no guarantee our marriage will last until we’re old in rocking chairs, I think Poppy would tell you that, times three.”

“You have a point, Brie, and this is one of the reasons I love you so much.  You make sense when I think there is no sense to be made.”

“You can choose to hold on to the fears of what happened in your life, or you can conquer them, not allowing them to control you and do what you know in your heart is you want and need.  Remember when you had to tell your parents you wanted to attend M.I.T. and not Harvard?”

“Do I ever.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I love my son, Jess, and I will not allow this argument to affect our relationship.  I can only continue to live in the present and look toward the future.  I won’t live in the past, and if I’m a good father, I can only encourage him to do the same.  I can also accept his decisions, even if they are not what I would choose for him.  I have to honor him as not only my son, but as an adult who knows what’s best for his life.”

Jessica wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist. “I love you, Adam Cartwright.  I know it’s hard watching your son grow up, it’s hard for me, too, and I’ll always want him to be my little boy, but I have to also realize he’s not a kid anymore, he’s someone else’s man, their partner in life.”

Adam grabbed the coffee pot he had in his saddle bags, took some of the cold Tahoe water and doused the flame that was keeping them warm.  He helped Jessica mount, and he then mounted himself, and they rode back to the stables where they were met by the hand who was tending his other livestock.  He took their mounts and told them he would brush and bed them down for the night.  Adam and Jessica drove back to their house where they were met by their two daughters as well as Jason and Brianna.

When Jessica saw her son, she looked at him with sadness and disappointment.  He came over to his mother and held her tight in his embrace.  Emily could tell her brother and fiancee needed private time with their parents and took Jillian’s hand and said, “Come on, I want you to hear the latest Jencarlos Canela CD I bought the other day.” Jillian and Emily scurried from the kitchen quickly and ran up the stairs to Emily’s room and turned on the tunes of their favorite Latin singer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Dad…” Jason started, but Jessica stopped him.  “I think the two of you need to speak in private first,” Jessica interrupted.  “Why don’t you and Dad go up to his office and smooth out what happened between you two this afternoon and once you’ve done so, then we can all come together and talk, the four of us,” Jessica gestured toward the stairs leading up to Adam’s office.

“Dad?” Jason said with quiet atonement in his voice.  Adam still afflicted by his son’s barbs earlier, gestured for his son to go forth and he would follow; he did not want to continue to be at odds with his eldest son any longer.

Once the two Cartwright men were on their way upstairs, both Jessica and Brianna let out a sigh of relief.

“Can I get you something to eat or drink, Brie?” Jessica asked as she headed to the wine fridge to grab the bottle of wine.

“I’ll get the glasses and bottle opener,” she smiled.

“Adam tells me Jason said you two were planning to live together instead of getting married? What brought Y’all to this conclusion?” Jessica asked as she took the wine opener from Brianna’s hands as they sat down at the table.

“Oh, Jessica, I don’t really know what he wants to do.  I love Jason with all my heart, and there is nothing more I want than to be his wife and the mother of our children, but we had some issues, and I think he’s afraid we will end in divorce, and he doesn’t want that.”

“I understand those fears.  When Adam and I were young, before we both graduated, we talked about our lives together, graduation, moving out here and him beginning his career.  We both feared the unknown, too.  I think it’s natural.  What’s not natural is for my son to tuck tail and want to run from them.”

“I know!  I’ve told him we cannot know what the future holds for us, but we can’t let the unknown dictate our present actions either.  Jessica, I don’t want this, but I’m willing to do what I have to do to keep us together.  I can only hope this will help show Jason I’m not willing to give up on our love or life together so quickly.”

“I applaud your unselfishness, Brianna, but Jason is unreasonable, and he certainly is not being fair to you either.  If he truly loves you with all of his heart and soul and most importantly has faith in you, he’ll do what is right and respectable for you and him.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Dad, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what got into me.  I, I don’t know what has come over me lately,”  he said with a contrite voice as he sat in the leather wingback chair in front of his father’s desk.

“Son, I need to apologize to you, too.  I was very judgmental and harsh with you earlier, I’m sorry.”

“I know you must have told Mom about what happened, how did she take it?”  Jason looked up at Adam, who was standing by the window behind his desk.

Adam chuckled, “She wasn’t happy about it, but she actually took it pretty well.  She said you and Brie were adults, and it was your decisions, not ours.”

“She is right, Dad, you know that…”

“Jason, I know that,” Adam interrupted, “but could this decision have an ultimate effect on your relationship with Brianna?  How does she feel about all of this? Somehow I don’t think this was a mutual decision.”

“It is, but it isn’t.  Dad, I don’t know, part of me says this woman is my soul mate.  I’ve loved her with all of my heart from the moment I laid eyes on her. But there is a part of me that reverts back to when I was eight and saw you and Mom hurting each other, a part of me that’s afraid of losing the only woman I know I’ll ever be capable of loving.”

“Jason, you can’t allow the past of when you were a child to control your actions as a man today…”

“You sound just like Brianna, Dad,” Jason interrupted, “are you sure you two didn’t speak before?”

“So this is not a mutual decision then?”  Adam came over and sat in the other leather wing back chair next to Jason.

Jason bowed his head, “No, not entirely.  I think she’s agreed to it because she loves me.”

“And do you feel it’s fair for her to compromise on something life changing such as this?” Adam looked at his son with a raised eyebrow.  “What are you frightened of, Jason? Do you love Brianna enough to marry her? If you don’t, it’s okay to admit it, and if this is the case, you have to let her go, you cannot allow her to live with you in the hopes you will one day be able to marry her.”

“No, Dad, I love her with all my heart and soul!  I told you I’ve loved her from the day I first laid eyes on her!”

“Then what is it? You say you let the fears of your childhood affect the actions of you as a man.  I’ve never seen you allow fear to stand in your way of anything.”

Jason stood up and headed toward the window and looked out into the night sky. “Dad, you don’t know how I agonized over telling you and Mom I wanted to attend M.I.T. and not Harvard.  I prayed at least one of the schools would not accept me so I wouldn’t have to face your disappointment.  I may seem self-assured on the outside, but I am vulnerable at times on the inside.”

“And that is who we all are, son!” Adam got up and met his son at the window.  Placing his arms on his shoulders, he continued, “Jason, we are all vulnerable to a degree, we are human, we are not God.  We cannot possibly know what our future has in store for us, but we have to move forward with what our hearts and our faith are telling us to do!  If you feel living together out of wedlock is what you need to do, you have your mother’s and my support.  We may not like it, but we’ll support you, regardless because we love you unconditionally.  However,  it has to be what Brianna wants, too.  She cannot compromise based on what you alone want for the two of you.  I did that with your mother, and it dissolved into a disaster as you know all too well.  I didn’t fight for our marriage or our love.  I did what I thought she wanted, and I left.  I allowed her anger toward me affect our marriage, but most importantly, change your’s and Emily’s lives forever.  I only ask you don’t make the same mistake with the woman you love.”

“I shutter at the thought of us hurting each other the way you and Mom did, Dad, I just can’t do that to her!”

“Then you have to let her go, Jason, you aren’t being fair to her at that point.” Adam’s voice was assured and to the point, hoping it would shake sense into his son’s vulnerability.

“No! I can’t do that, Dad, I love her too much, I’ve told you that.  There is no other woman for me.  I love Brianna!”

As if a streak of lightning struck Jason, his face softened, and he realized what he had been thinking, feeling, and saying.  The talks with Brianna about postponing their marriage and living together was all one side; his side.  The vision of Brianna’s saddened eyes when they would discuss it came flooding into his memory.  For the first time he realized it was not a mutual agreement, he had only conjured up the thought to cloud his own fears.

“Dad, you’re right, I’ve been afraid…not of my love or commitment to Brianna, but my childhood fears, the fears of disappointing Brianna as her husband.”

Adam laughed.  “Jason, do you know how many times I’ve disappointed your mother in the course of our relationship?  Too many to count, I can assure you, but the same goes for her with me.  It’s who we are, and it makes us not only stronger as individuals, but it strengthens our love and commitment to one another, too….the makeup sex is an added bonus,” Adam winked.

Jason’s body was relaxed, and he laughed from the soul for the first time since he had conjured up in his mind this was the best course of action for his relationship.  “Thank goodness Emily and Jill are not here to hear you say that, they get so embarrassed,” he said through his laughter.

“I know your mother has a hard time with thinking of her little boy in that respect…”

“As do you with your princess, Dad, admit it…”

Adam shuttered and laughed, “No, not ever!”

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Dad.  Em and I are pretty tight, the thought of sex for her is still frightening, believe me.   Besides, Trey is a good guy, and I know he respects her too much to even talk her into something she doesn’t feel right doing.”

“Good, it needs to stay that way…always!”  Adam laughed, but as he got serious again, he continued, “I know my sweet princess is growing up and I’m losing her to another man….gosh, it’s hard to say that.”

“Dad, we’ll always be your kids, even when we have spouses and kids of our own, you and Mom will always be our mom and dad.  Look at Emily, she still calls you Mommy and Daddy; she’ll always be daddy’s girl.”

“I love the three of you equally, don’t ever forget that,”  Adam took his son into his embrace.

“I love you, too, Dad, and I’m the luckiest man alive because God blessed me with you and Mom and two amazing sisters.”

The two Cartwright men decided it was time to head back downstairs to join the two women in their lives.  They found the two women gathered in the kitchen with half a bottle of wine consumed between them.  They could hear the laughter coming from the girls as they entered in where they were enjoying time together talking about their days in college and how they shared many of the same anxieties of graduation from college and how entering the real world as an adult felt and feels.

“Well, it seems your talk was mutually beneficial,” Jessica said as she got up and went to her husband, kissing him on the cheek and holding him in her embrace.

Jason took the hand of his beloved and smiled, “It was very enlightening on many levels, Mom, and I must now take my beautiful fiancee home as we have some talking to do, just the two of us.”

A surprised but delighted look filled Brianna’s face as she took Jason’s hand.

“Adam? I take it things went well?” she said as she hugged Jason’s neck.

Adam winked at his future daughter-in-law, “I’ll let you be the judge of that.”  He smiled, and with that, the younger Cartwright and Brianna headed to their car and left for the main house.

Jessica and Adam stepped back into the house when the tail lights of Jason’s car were in the distant, the music could softly be heard coming from Emily’s room.  Adam took Jessica into his arms and began to nibble her neck as he moved his hands to her blouse and began to unbutton her shirt.

“Thank you, Mrs. Cartwright, thank you for giving me three amazing children,” he said through his kisses and nibbles on her neck.

“Must have been one heck of a great conversation, I take it…” Jessica said breathlessly.

“Um, yeah,” Adam said lost in the love he was feeling for his wife.

Adam picked Jessica up in his arms and headed upstairs toward their bedroom.  They started to stop off at Emily’s door to tell her to keep the music down but decided to continue on as she could hear the two girls singing over the music like backup singers in the band.

As they entered their bedroom, Adam placed Jessica’s feet gently back on the ground, and she locked their door.  They began to undress each other and decided to come together as one on the bear skin rug next to the roaring fire.  Jessica felt the urgency of Adam’s body next to hers and relaxed as she felt his love penetrate the core of her being.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’ve been a fool, Brie, and the talk with Dad today proved it.”

“Jason, don’t be hard on yourself.  With the stress of finishing the semester, losing your grandfather, and our wedding, it got to be too much, and you got scared,”  Brianna said as she sat on the settee and stroked Jason’s face.

“I realized today I never didn’t want to marry you, I just couldn’t imagine ever hurting you the way I saw my parents hurt each other.  I love you too much to ever be like that to you.”

“Jason, we’ll have arguments, we’ll probably have flat out fights where we do say things that might be hurtful, and we’ll probably regret.  It’s part of being human, and God gives us the grace to forgive one another when that happens.  I have no doubt we’ll be able to forgive each other when and if it should ever occur.”

Jason looked into Brianna’s eyes, studying the love staring back at him.

“I love you, and I don’t want you to be just my live-in girlfriend, I want you to be my wife.  Brianna, will you please do me the honor of marrying me?”

Brianna’s lips turned upward into a huge grin.  “Of course! I say yes again and again and always, Jason!  I love you,” she leaned into him, and he fell flat to the settee.

The couple kissed passionately as they were both ready to share their lives together as husband and wife.

“You know,”  Jason said as he looked up into his bride to be’s eyes,  “Dad said the make-up sex is intense after a fight, shall we see if he’s right?”  Jason winked and smiled with a devilish grin.

Brianna stood up and held out her hand for Jason to take.  They headed for the stairs, but Jason couldn’t wait and pressed Brianna to the wall and kissed her passionately.  The couple slid down the wall as they began to undress each other.  They made their way back toward the living room and became one next to the fire burning in the stone hearth of the great room.

Chapter Nineteen

The spring semester of Jason’s and Brianna’s senior year had finally come to a close, and they had reached commencement.  Both families were extremely excited and proud of their children for finishing their classes and both graduating with highest honors in their respective field of study.

Emily and Jillian had to miss their last day of school because the Nevada Cartwrights traveled to the east coast in time to catch  Brianna’s commencement at Wellesley College and a week later at M.I.T. for Jason.  Because Emily and Jillian had finals scheduled the week before, they could not attend Brianna’s Baccalaureate Day and Picnic Lunch held at Tower Courtyard overlooking Lake Waban.  Jason, Brianna’s fiancé, and her parents took several pictures at the ceremony and lunch to share with Adam, Jessica, and his extended family back in Nevada.

Because Jason was still finishing school when the Nevada Cartwrights arrived in Boston, Adam put his family up at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Memorial Street near the M.I.T. campus so Jason could concentrate on the few finals he had left to take. 

Brianna’s uncle and his wife were unable to make the trip to Cambridge for the two graduations as his wife was in the last few weeks of her pregnancy with their first child.  It was the start of a busy summer season for the Cape as well.  Since her uncle was the resort manager for the Cape’s most exclusive resort, he was busy making sure the resort was up and running with an elite service level, but he had sent his congratulations to both his niece and her future husband earlier.

The morning of Brianna’s commencement ceremony was a beautiful Saturday in New England.  There was a crisp morning breeze, perfect for the outdoor graduation ceremony. 

It had been an early wake-up for the Nevada Cartwrights to get dressed, pick up Jason, and get to the campus on time to park and be transported to the graduation ceremonies.  They wanted to arrive early to get a good seat for the commencement exercises.  Since Adam knew they would not have time to enjoy breakfast, he had stopped at the Au Bon Pan near Harvard on their way to the hotel the previous evening and picked up pastries for them to enjoy in the morning.  The plan was to meet up with Brianna and her family after graduation for the luncheon honoring the newest alumni of Wellesley College. 

Once graduation ended, and the new graduates had exited, there was a mad dash for everyone to find their family members.  Brianna had known this from a previous experience when she volunteered at the commencement exercises a few years prior, she set up a meeting place for her family and the Cartwrights to all come together once the families got up to leave the ceremony grounds.

“Baby, you did it!” Jason yelled and ran to Brianna waiting patiently for her family and the Cartwrights.  Jason, Adam, Jessica, Emily, and Jillian were the first to arrive at the designated meeting point where Brianna was anxiously waiting.  When Brianna saw Jason, she ran to him, and he picked her up and swung her around kissing her passionately.  Her graduation cap fell off her head, despite the four bobby pins she wore to keep it in place on top of her head. Emily picked up Brianna’s hat and put it on Jillian’s head.  Jessica thought it looked cute and took a picture of her two daughters with Jillian wearing part of Brianna’s graduation regalia.

When Jason set Brianna back on the ground, she received congratulations, hugs, and kisses from the entire Nevada Cartwright clan.  A few minutes later, Brianna’s parents, Theresa, Anthony, and Brianna’s brother, Liam,  joined the group, and another round of hugs and kisses were in order after Brianna had introduced her brother to Jason’s family.

They were all together when they walked to the post-ceremony luncheon.  On the way to lunch, Brianna talked about the highlight of Senior Week, which took place the week between the end of classes and graduation.

“The alumni committee hosted a wonderful luncheon on Wednesday organized by the Alumnae Association. Once lunch was over, the induction ceremony took place, and we have all been inducted as alumnae of Wellesley for life!  I would have loved for Jason to be there with me.  I can’t believe I now have a degree in education and history,” Brianna said excitedly.

The week following Brianna’s graduation, Jason had a hectic week of finals.  Brianna stayed with her family, and they met up with the Cartwrights a few of the days and attended museums together, as well as a day trip to Newport, RI, the site of where Brianna spent many summers as a child.  Brianna originally wanted to have their wedding in Newport until they opted for a much smaller ceremony in Nevada at the Ponderosa. 

Since Hoss, Joe, and his family could not travel east for either graduation, both universities streamed their commencement ceremonies, and they were able to watch the ceremonies on the big screen TV at Hoss’ house via his IPad.

When the morning of Jason’s graduation arrived.  His assembly time at Johnson Athletics Center was 8:00 A.M..  He had gone over the security expectations with his family Friday night during dinner.  Since each graduate was only allowed four tickets per student with no exceptions, Jillian offered to stay back with Anthony, Theresa, and Liam, so Brianna could attend Jason’s graduation in person.  M.I.T.  streamed the ceremony live, and Brianna’s family and Jillian watched it on Anthony’s laptop at the hotel.  Once graduation was over, the plan was for everyone meet at The Capital Grille on Boylston St. in Boston. 

Adam, Jessica, Emily, and Brianna met in the hotel lobby at 8:30 A.M. and took the next scheduled shuttle bus to Killion Court, site of the M.I.T. graduation ceremony.  Once they arrived and cleared security, they had found seats behind the students on the side aisle which Jason had processed in on.  The weather, like the week before, had been glorious and the keynote speaker, Matt Damon, was funny and enlightening for the newest M.I.T. graduating class.  When Jessica and Brianna heard Jason’s name called and watched him walk across the stage, they both held each other as they were overcome with emotion watching him receive his diploma and moving his tassel from the right to the left on his academic cap. 

After the last degree was awarded and the graduates were dismissed, the Cartwrights and Brianna stayed at their seats and Jason came back and met up with them.  He hugged Brianna first, and she gave him a long congratulatory kiss.  Jason then hugged both of his parents, and Jessica gave her son a kiss on his cheek, telling him how proud she was of him.  Jason then picked up his sister and hugged her tightly.  They held each other for a few minutes with their eyes closed and communicating only with their body language. 

“I’m so proud of you, Brother,” Emily’s voice broke as she tried to hold back her tears of joy for Jason. 

“We’ve been through a lot, you and me, Sis,” Jason replied, “but I made it, and I look forward to the day you walk across that same stage, whatever it might be,”  Jason’s voice cracked.

Watching their two children, who had become so close during the years of their divorce, Adam and Jessica held each other, both wiping tears away as they saw the immense love of their two oldest children.

Once they were able to exit Killion Court and make their way to The Capital Grille in Boston, Jason left his gown on, and they met up with Brianna’s parents and Jillian for a post-graduation luncheon honoring both of their graduates who would now transition to bride and groom to be.

Once both graduations were complete, Adam and Jessica, along with Brianna’s parents stayed a few more days and helped the kids pack up their belongings.  Adam had sold the apartment to a girl who would be attending Harvard in the fall.  Closing on the apartment would be handled by Adam’s attorney at Cartwright, Inc. and the buyer’s real estate agent.  Since Adam had needed to return back to work as soon as possible he, Jessica, Jillian, Brianna, and her mother, flew back to Nevada while Jason made the week-long road trip to Nevada with Emily and the moving truck.

Brianna and her mother traveled back to Nevada to handle last minute wedding preparations at the Ponderosa.  Since their wedding was only a week after everyone had finally arrived, Brianna’s father and brother, who drove Brianna’s car to Nevada, would fly back to Connecticut with Brianna’s mother after the wedding.

After the moving truck was packed and apartment cleared, the cleaning crew came in to make the apartment like new for the new owner’s arrival in July.  Brianna had a tearful goodbye with Jason, Emily, her father, and brother as they set out for their long road journey back to Nevada. 

“Massachusetts has been amazing to us, and we’ll never forget her,”  Jason said as he and Brianna held each other one last time, looking at the building where they had spent the last four years of their lives as students.

Early the next morning, kisses and hugs were shared with the family.   Jason and Emily in the moving truck, Brianna’s father, Anthony, and her brother, Liam, in Brianna’s new Land Rover Discovery Sport, the SUV her parents had purchased for her as a graduation gift, headed out for the first leg of the trip west.  After parting ways, Adam, Jessica, Jillian, Brianna, and Theresa took a cab to Boston’s Logan airport for a long day’s flight back to Reno.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The week had gone smoothly for Theresa and her daughter, who were staying at Jason and Brianna’s home on the Ponderosa.  Extensive renovations had been done to the house after they returned to school back east for their final semester.  Brianna was excited to show her mother the newly renovated house Ben had left to her fiancee upon his death.   She admired the blending of the modern and original western charm and complimented her daughter and future son-in-law on the architecture and interior design of their new home.

Adam, Jessica, and Jillian stayed at their home on the Ponderosa in case Brianna, or Theresa needed anything, they wanted to be close by.

The day of Brianna’s final fitting for her wedding dress arrived, and she invited Jessica and Jillian to come with her and Theresa to see the dress custom fitted to her body.  Jessica offered to drive as her Porsche Macan was more comfortable than Jason’s Rav4. 

“Emily will be disappointed she wasn’t here to attend the final fitting of my dress,” Brianna said from the back seat of Jessica’s SUV as they headed down the mountain toward Reno.  “She will, but you can come up to the house so she can see it when she gets home.  Adam will be off all next week for the wedding, and we plan on staying up at our ranch house until after the wedding.”

The foursome arrived at Swoon…A Bridal Salon and Brianna advised the receptionist she had come for her 10:30 A.M. appointment for the final fitting of her dress with Monique.  They were escorted to the center of the salon where they were quickly met by the bridal consultant, Monique, who had worked with Brianna from the first day she had looked at dresses.

“Brianna, hello! Today is it, we have your gown ready for you.  Who is with you today?” Monique inquired.

“Hi Monique, you might remember my mother, Theresa, and I also brought my future mother-in-law, Jessica, and my soon to be sister-in-law, Jillian.”

“I do remember your mom.  Hi, Theresa, I’m happy to see you again.  Hi, Jessica and Jillian, have either of you been to Swoon or any bridal fitting before?”

“No, we haven’t.  My daughter, Emily, who is traveling back from Cambridge, Mass, with her brother and Brianna’s fiancé, Jason, would have loved to have been here to see all of these beautiful gowns.

Jason and Brianna graduated from college these past few weekends, so she’s keeping her brother company as they are moving him and Brianna to their new home and they won’t be back for another few days.”

“Congratulations on your new degree, Brianna, how exciting for you!  Graduating college, getting married, moving to Nevada, you’re one busy girl…You’re from the east coast originally aren’t you?” Monique made small talk, getting to know everyone a little better.

“Yes, I’m from Connecticut originally.  Jason and I met when we were both attending our respective schools in Cambridge.”

“I’m so happy for you both, and I know you’ll have a long happy life together.  Now, on to why you’re here!  We have your gown ready in the dressing room.  If you’re ready, let’s slip it on and show your family!”

Brianna and Monique left for the fitting room reserved for her and her final appointment. 

“It’s so beautiful.  I know Jason will die when he sees me in this dress,”  Brianna smiled as she placed the gown over her head.

From the bohemian ivory lace which adorns this dress from top to bottom to its ultra feminine silhouette, it features a plunging sweetheart neckline and is fitted to just below the hips and flares into a  sweeping train.  This gown puts a bold twist on a timeless look with a lace keyhole back with elusion netting and silk covered buttons centered in the sexy plunging back of this dress.  It’s a true showstopper from both directions.

Brianna elected to not wear a veil but only a headpiece inspired by baby’s breath and vintage wax flower crowns.  The pearl-encrusted halo is soft, and a romantic piece made with freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, and a nylon ribbon tie.

“It’s a perfect fit!” Brianna said as she moved her hands to her face as her breath was taken away by how stunning she looked.  She twisted her body to see herself from the back. “I love how the dress hugs every curve of my body.  Jason won’t be able to control his emotions when he sees me in this dress for the first time.  “My eyes are getting misty right now just looking at it.  I love it, I absolutely love it.”

“Are you ready to go show your family?” Monique smiled at Brianna in the mirror.

“YES!”  Brianna’s face was glowing with love and beauty.

As the bride made her way around the corner, she carried her dress so she did not step on the train as she was walking toward the pedestal in front of the couches where her mother, Jessica, and Jillian were sitting.  Jessica and Theresa were talking about the upcoming rehearsal and dinner when Jillian saw Brianna for the first time in her gown.

“Mommy, look!” Jillian tapped Jessica on her arm to see Brianna walking toward them in her dress.

“Oh, Theresa, Brie looks stunning!”  Jessica said putting her hand over her mouth.

Brianna arrived and stepped up onto the pedestal, and Monique took the train from Brianna and spread the train to its full drama.

“Oh, baby, you look incredible…absolutely beautiful,”  Theresa wiped her eyes with the tissue she had in her hand.

“You like it, Mommy?” Brianna turned her head to look at her mother.

“Baby, I love it, and I know Jason and Daddy will, too.”

“I think the final few alternations were what she needed to make this dress a perfect fit,”  Monique grinned.

“I agree 100%, Monique,” Theresa replied.

“I hate to be a Debby downer, but let’s go take the dress off so I can get it prepared for you so it doesn’t get wrinkled for your wedding day. When is the big day again, Brianna?” Monique asked as they headed back to the dressing room.

“A week from Saturday, I can’t wait!” Brianna giggled.  “I can’t believe it’s almost here!  I’ve been waiting nearly four years!”

Once Brianna was back in her clothes, she came back out to where her entourage was waiting and sat with them until Monique had her dress ready for travel.

After fifteen-twenty minutes, Monique came back and told them her dress was at the front desk ready to go.  Brianna hugged Monique and thanked her for everything she had done for her in helping her select the dress to the accessories to the final fitting.

“I wish you a beautiful wedding day as well as many happy years of wedded bliss. God bless you, Brianna.”

“Thank you again,” Brianna said, blowing her a kiss as they headed for the front desk where a large box was waiting.

“The dress is folded in this box, and we ask you not remove it from here until you’re ready to put it on for your wedding.  Our staff has it folded in this box a particular way so it will not wrinkle or get damaged.”

“Can I open the box to at least show my other sister-in-law who will be arriving in a few days? I know she’ll want to see the dress,”  Brianna inquired.

“Oh sure, you can open it all you want but it’s laying on a cardboard bust, and the rest of the dress is folded very carefully below so be very gentle and try to not touch or move the dress until your wedding day,”  Nicole, the front desk clerk, ordered.

She handed the large box to Brianna, and they exited the store.  Jessica quickly walked to the car and opened the back hatch.  The box fit perfectly in the back of the SUV.

When the girls got into the car, Jessica advised since they were in Reno, Adam had invited them to lunch at 4th St Bistro.  Adam had made the reservations for noon, as the restaurant had just started lunch hours about a month prior, and Adam was excited to take them to one of his and Jessica’s favorite restaurants in Reno.  Once in the car and on their way, Jessica called Adam on his private line to let them know they had just left the bridal boutique, and they were on their way to the restaurant.  Adam told Jessica he had just left his last meeting of the morning and would probably arrive around the same time they did.  They made it just in time since the traffic was not too heavy. 

Once at the restaurant, the ladies and Jillian were getting out of the car when they saw Adam pull up in his sports car.  He found a place to park, and he escorted them to the entrance.  As they were walking, Jessica told him about the gorgeous dress Brianna had chosen and how Jason would cry when he saw her in it on their wedding day.

For the next few hours, the ladies and Adam dined on succulent beef and fresh seafood.  Adam had ordered wine for the adults and Jillian preferred a glass of iced tea. 

When it was time to go, Adam settled the check with the waiter and escorted the ladies and Jillian to Jessica’s car, gave her and Jillian a kiss and told them to have a safe trip home.  Adam removed his jacket and headed back to his sports car and then to the office.

Once they arrived back at the Ponderosa, they stopped at Jessica and Adam’s house first to drop off the dress, they did not want to give Jason a chance to sneak a peek at Brianna’s dress before their wedding day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was mid-afternoon on Saturday when Brianna heard a honk in the circular driveway.  She went to the door to see who it was, and it was Jason and Emily in the moving truck; they had finally arrived home.  Brianna ran outside into Jason’s arms as they met half way.

“I’ve missed you so much, Babe!  I can’t believe you’re finally home!”

Emily got out of the passenger side and stretched her legs.  She grabbed the trash collected along the way of the final 7-hour day of their journey.  She went inside to throw away the garbage and call her mother to let her know they had finally arrived.

“Where’s dad and my brother? Are they right behind you and Emily? Brianna asked.

“Probably, they stopped a few places along the way so they should be arriving within the next half-hour to an hour, I would imagine.”

“Is your mom here? How did she like what we did with the house?”

“She loves it.  She especially loved we kept some of the old western charms yet integrated a lot of modern conveniences, especially the kitchen, she loves the kitchen.  She told me it made her want to get renovations done on our house in Connecticut when they return home after the wedding.”

“Tell her to wait until after the wedding to tell Anthony.  I don’t want him getting mad at us until they are back home,” Jason winked.

“Hi, Jason, welcome home!  It’s so good to see you made it safely.  How was the trip?” Theresa came and hugged her soon to be son-in-law.

“The trip was long, but it was great having just Emily with me to keep me company.  We reminisced about the old days when we were little and how we’ve grown so close over the years.  She misses her boyfriend a lot, though.  She spoke to him every day when we would finally stop for the night.  I know she can’t wait to see him.  I’m surprised she didn’t ask for me to drop her at our house in Carson City on the way up here so she could go see him but I think she just wanted to get home and see everyone.”

Emily sat on the settee in the great room and called her mother to let her know they had made it and could she come down to Jason and Brianna’s home.  After she had called her mother, she called Trey to let him know they had finally made it home as well.  After they got off the phone, Trey immediately headed up to the Ponderosa for his reunion with Emily.

Jason and Brianna were unloading the moving truck when they saw Jessica drive up.  They stopped, and Jason ran over to his mother’s car and gave her a hug when she got out.

“Jason, welcome home!  I’m so happy you made it safely.  Did Emily give you any troubles?” Jessica wanted to know.

“Actually, Mom, Emily and I got along famously.  We never fought really, just an argument here and there on where to stop for lunch or what song to play on the IPod.  We had a great 5 days together.  She missed you, Dad, Jillian, and especially Trey, but she was great.  I’m really glad you and Dad let her come with me.  I’m so blessed to have such a great family!”

“Honey, I’m really glad to hear it was a good trip.  I know Dad will be happy to hear you two made it home together in one piece, and she didn’t give you any trouble.”

“Mommy!” Jessica heard a squeal from the house.  She saw Emily run to her and grab hold of her, practically knocking her down.

“I missed you and Daddy so much, but I had a blast with Jason; I would do it again!”

“Where’s Jillian?” Emily looked around, not seeing her sister in the car.

“She was sound asleep on the couch.  She had stayed up late last night playing a video game.  We had to get up early this morning so we could go for the final fitting of my dress for the wedding and I think the early wake-up and summer heat caught up with her.  I came downstairs to get down here, and she was sleeping hard so I left a note in case she wakes up, she would not worry.”

As Jason and Brianna were getting the last few things into the house from the truck, Anthony and Brianna’s brother, Liam, drove up into the circular drive. Theresa came out to welcome Anthony and her son to Nevada and helped them in with their luggage while Brianna and Jason closed up the moving truck.  Theresa was anxious to show Anthony the renovations on their daughter and soon to be son-in-law’s home and plant some ideas for their home once the wedding was over.

Jessica and Emily had already left and headed back to their ranch house a few miles away.  Adam was on his way home and had planned to stop and see Jason for a short visit before heading up to the home he shared with Jessica and the girls.  Since Jason, Emily, Anthony and Liam had been on the road most of the day, Adam felt it best everyone have a quiet evening at their own homes.   They could all come together for a big barbecue the next day with Hoss, Joe, and their families so Brianna’s family could meet the rest of Jason’s family and to talk about the upcoming wedding the following weekend.

Chapter Twenty

The day of Jason’s and Brianna’s wedding had finally arrived.  The couple had been through a lot in the almost four years they had known each other and fell in love, and it was finally the day the woman of Jason’s dreams would become his wife at 3:00 P.M..

After the wedding rehearsal dinner at Lone Eagle Grille the night before, Jason parted ways with his fiancee as a single man.  The next time he saw her was when she walked down the aisle at the wedding site made for them on a bluff which overlooked Lake Tahoe, one of their favorite places to visit on the Ponderosa during the summer months.

It was 8:00 A.M. and the house was quiet.  Jason had a restless night of sleep as his nerves were filled with the excitement of seeing his bride later that afternoon. 

He got up, took a shower, went and made coffee and sat on the back deck and listened to the morning birds singing their praises to another beautiful summer day.

Jason thought about the joys and sorrows of his life from the time he was old enough to remember to his current day.  He rewound his memory to when he was a young boy, spending every other weekend and a month in the summer with his father and Poppy on the beautiful land his family worked hard to build and create a legacy for future generations of Cartwrights.  Jason recalled his boyhood years when he first found his passion for mine engineering and knew this would be his future career when he became an adult. Those years seemed so long ago now.  He chuckled to himself at the memory of having to tell his parents about choosing M.I.T. over Harvard and how he had to gather enough courage because he felt his choice would disappoint them.  His most precious memories though were the times he spent with his grandfather, Ben Cartwright at the very house he now lived at with his future wife.  Not only did he have his parents to thank for the man he had become but Ben had played a starring role in not only the man he had become but the husband, and career man he would soon be.  Tears puddled in his eyes when he thought about his Grandfather not being there in physical form at the most important day of his adult life, but he knew he would be with him in spirit and in his heart.  Jason’s selfishness wanted Ben there so he could see his smiling face, hear his voice and feel his embrace as he welcomed him and his new bride into the family, but it was not meant to be.  He would have to find his way through the day without the second most important man in his life by his side.

Jason stood up from the outdoor furniture on the deck, grabbed the t-shirt he had brought downstairs with him, headed to his Rav4 and drove to the site where Ben was buried next to two of his three wives.

As he drove up to the location where his grandfather was buried.  He saw the two headstones which read, beloved wife and in the middle of them was a large marker which simply read CARTWRIGHT.  Jason walked up and knelt down in front of his grandfather’s grave and sat in quiet solitude for a few moments before speaking.

“Today is the day, Poppy.  Remember when we Face Timed, and I told you she said yes?  You were so happy for us.  You loved Brianna from the day you met her.  You always told me I had a sparkle in my eye and an aura of light around me when she was with me, or I would talk about her.  You told me it was the same sparkle your dad said you had when you married, Elizabeth.  It was the kind of love only Heaven could produce you told me.  Well here it is, here is the day we seal that love with a promise of forever.”

Jason found the moment almost unbearable.  He didn’t want to be saying these words to dirt and a cement marker.  “Damn, Poppy, why did you have to die so soon?  There was so much life I still had to share with you,” Jason’s voice broke.

“He shares those moments with you every day, Jason, just in a different way now,” was the voice he heard behind him.  “He’s here with us now, at this moment.  He’ll be with us today and every day.”

Jason turned around and saw his father standing beside him, his face filled with happiness but with a touch of sadness showing through.

“Dad, how long have you been standing here?” Jason asked as he stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes.

Adam held out his arms and took his son into his embrace.  “Long enough to know you miss him just as much as I do.”

“You made your poppy so proud, Jason.  You make your mom and me proud every day.  We couldn’t be happier for you and Brianna today.  I know Poppy would be over the moon if he were still here.”

Jason chuckled as he broke his embrace with Adam.  “You know, Dad, when I would come up to the Ponderosa after you and Mom married again, Poppy and I would come and sit on the site where Brianna and I will marry today, and we would stare out onto the lake, usually when the sun was saying goodnight.  We would talk about how great it was we were a whole family again.  He said he saw me become just a little boy again, and it filled his heart with joy.  I really didn’t know what he meant back then, but now I do.  I lost a part of me when you and Mom split.  It wasn’t your’s or Mom’s fault, it just was.  It helped mold me into the man I am today and in some strange way, I’m thankful for it.”

“You know, Jason, Jessica and I made a lot of mistakes along the way.  You and Emily paid a huge price for some of them, but I’m thankful you found a rainbow in the dark cloud.  I know we did.”

“It’s a testament to your love for each other, Dad.  I’m not naive to know Brianna and I won’t have rocky roads throughout our life together.  We’re human, we’ll make mistakes with ourselves and to one another.  Poppy was the best teacher about forgiveness.  What an incredible pillar of strength he was.”

“And I see the same strength in you, Jason.  Dad was always extremely proud of his eldest grandson.”

“Thanks, Dad, I really needed to hear those words today.”

Adam pulled a gold coin from his pocket and handed it to Jason.  He looked at his father with confusion.  Adam placed it in his son’s hand and folded his fingers around it.

“When Poppy was building his empire, he worked long hours every day and most weekends when I was growing up.  When he finally fulfilled his legacy, he had this gold coin commissioned.  He had three made; one for each of his sons.  The heads side you see is the Ponderosa tree logo and the flip side was one of Dad’s favorite quotes from his favorite naturalist/author:   

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. —John Muir.

“ He always said if we were good to the land…”

“…the land would be good to us,” Jason finished what his Poppy always said.

“I want you to carry this coin today, Jason.  This is part of your Poppy’s legacy.  I want him to be with you when you say your vows to Brianna.

Jason looked at the coin and then Adam.  He was speechless.  He never knew the coin had existed.  He never remembered his father talking about the coin.  He was glad on his special day, his wedding day, he shared a very intimate moment about his grandfather and what he did for his three sons.  He was graced with his father’s trust to share such a precious keepsake with him on the happiest day of his adult life.

The two stayed arm in arm a few minutes longer staring at Ben’s eternal resting place before Adam patted his son on his hip and told him it was time to get back to the house, they had a wedding they had to get ready for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brianna woke up early but laid in bed thinking about her last few hours as a single woman.  “My life is getting ready to change this afternoon, and I’ve never been more excited for what the future holds.”

Since Nevada was a Certification Reciprocity state, she was able to obtain her teaching certification in Massachusetts but be legal to teach in Nevada.  Once she and Jason returned from their honeymoon, they would discuss what her future would hold in the educational field.  They both desired to start a family as soon as possible, but Jason wanted Brianna to fulfill her dream as an educator if she so desired before settling down to be a full time mother to their children they hoped to have together.

Today was her’s and Jason’s day, she thought to herself.  There would be plenty of time to think about a new family when they returned from their honeymoon in New Zealand.

She jumped out of bed and went over to the dress she would,  in a few hours, be putting on just before she was to leave and marry her best friend.  She smiled as she looked at it hanging on the back of her closet door.  She went into the bathroom and took a warm shower and started the preparations for the busy day ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mommy!” Emily yelled from her bedroom.

“What, Emily, I’m trying to get ready, what do you need?” Jessica asked as she was placing the last roller in her hair.

Adam walked out of the shower, and Jessica tossed him a towel to wrap around himself after he dried off.

Without even thinking, because the door to the master bedroom was open, Emily came running in.

“Sorry, Daddy!” Emily said as she turned her head quickly but lucky for her, Adam had already put the towel on his waist.

“It’s okay, Princess, but you know the rule…”

“But Daddy,” Emily pleaded, “your bedroom door was open!”

“What do you want, Emily?” Jessica walked out of the bathroom, tightening the soft pink silk sash around her summer robe.  “I’m trying to get dressed! We have formal pictures in a few hours!”

“Mommy,” I left my shoes in Carson City!”

“You what? Emily, how could you be so absent minded? I asked you when we went back to the house the other day if you had everything, and you said you did…Adam!”

Adam came out of the bathroom, wiping his face from the left over shaving cream around his neck.

“What’s going on?”

“Emily left her shoes at home in Carson,” she turned and placed her hands on her hips.

Adam cocked his brow at his middle child. “I guess you’re going to have to drive home and get them then,” was Adam’s simple solution.

“Daddy! I can’t! I have to put my make-up on, do my hair…Jillian and I have to be at Jason’s house in an hour and a half for pictures.  I don’t have time!” She began to panic.

“Princess, don’t cry,” Adam came and took his daughter into his arms and pulled her to his chest.  Has Trey already left?”

Emily pulled away and looked up at her hero, “TREY! He can get them for me!”

“Problem solved, now close the door behind you, please,” Adam calmly said as he headed back into the bathroom, tossing his towel on the bed after Emily had left the room.

Emily got on the phone to call her boyfriend.  She gave him the garage door code and told him where the shoes were in her room.  Trey stopped by the house in Carson City to get the shoes before heading up to the Ponderosa for the wedding.

Jessica went back into the bathroom where Adam put on his boxers and brushed his teeth.  She leaned against the door jam and stared at Adam without saying a word.  Adam continued to brush his teeth and when he was finished looked at Jessica in the mirror; she had no make-up on, and her hair was in large hot rollers.

Adam smiled, he was trying not laugh at Jessica.  He knew she was not happy.

“What?” Adam said, trying to hold in the laughter he was feeling at how Jessica was looking at him, but he knew if he knew what was good for him, he’d keep a serious tone to his voice.

“What was that?” Was Jessica’s short, terse response.

“Enlighten me please?” he asked as he walked by her into the bedroom.

“Emily came in and practically caught you naked because she was so wrapped up in herself and the fact she had forgotten her shoes and you dismissed it like it was nothing.”

Adam went and closed the door, as he had asked Emily to already do, but hadn’t.

“First of all,” he said as he came to his wife and took her into his arms, “she didn’t catch me naked, and if she had, it would have been her fault for barging in on us like she did.  Second, me getting upset when she was already panicked was only going to add fuel to the fire.”  Adam undid the tie on his wife’s silk robe and placed his arms on her breasts.

“Oh, Adam, stop,” she pushed his hands away.  “All you men think about is sex all the time.  It’s a wonder we didn’t have a half dozen or more children before my hysterectomy,” she turned and went back to the bathroom, leaving her robe untied as she started to put on moisturizer ahead of her make-up.

“It wasn’t from a lack of trying, ” Adam winked entering the bathroom behind her as he came up from behind, and gave her a love slap on her bum and kiss on her neck.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do with Emily.  One of these days she’s going to barge in, and she’ll catch you or both of us completely naked, and making love or just having raw sex.”

“If she does, she’ll get an eye full won’t she?” Adam was flippant.  “I really don’t know why either one of you are in a tizzy about her shoes.  Trey can quickly grab them on his way up here.  He’ll be here before she has to leave for pictures with Brianna and her family anyway.”

“I know, I guess she comes by her drama from yours truly.” 

Adam came and stood next to Jessica and looked her in the mirror and said, “Ya think?” and winked.

“Adam Cartwright, you’re not fair!” Jessica laughed.

He laughed and apologized as he took his wife into his arms and kissed the tip of her nose.

“I wouldn’t change you or Emily in any way.  I love you both more than the air I breathe.  I’ve guess I’ve just learned how to take you both in stride when you get worked up.”

“You definitely are the ying to my yang, Adam Cartwright,” Jessica smiled and kissed her husband tenderly.

“Mommy!” Jessica heard her youngest daughter now yelling her name.

“Jillian, must you yell in the house?” she said as she walked out of the door to her’s and Adam’s bedroom toward Jillian’s room.

“What is it, Baby Girl?” she asked as she entered her room.

“I can’t get the zipper zipped on my dress.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brianna had showered and was in her white terry robe with Bride embroidered in gold on the right side of her chest.  She was brushing her teeth when Theresa knocked and entered asking if she was decent because the photographer, hair and make-up people had arrived to get her styled and photographs started for the big day. 

“Oh my gosh, it’s really happening isn’t it, Mommy?” she asked as she sat in the tall chair looking at her mother in the mirror as the stylist prepared the make-up and hair products to transform Brianna into a beautiful bride.

“Honey, where is your pearl halo? Randy will need it when he finishes pinning your hair up.”

“It’s on my dresser, can you grab it, please?” She asked her mother.

“While Cynthia puts makeup on you, I’m going to go take a shower and get dressed so she can do my makeup next,” Theresa said as she placed the box with Brianna’s headpiece on the counter away from the makeup and hair products.

“I’ll be done in about thirty minutes, Theresa,” Cynthia replied as she prepared the airbrush with foundation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You’re all dressed now, and don’t you make a beautiful bridesmaid,”  Jessica commented as she stood back and looked at her youngest daughter completely dressed for her brother’s big day.

Brianna had wanted to carry the lace into her attendant dresses and chose a feminine A-line re-embroidered lace dress with a sheer lace yoke and softly flared cocktail length priness seam skirt.  The dresses were a soft blue which carried through the color theme of light blue and gold of the wedding.

Jessica sent her daughter downstairs and told her to not eat or drink anything and to sit carefully so she wouldn’t wrinkle or tear the lace on her dress.

As Jessica was headed back to her room, she heard a quiet, Mom from Jason’s bedroom.  She turned back and headed to his room where she found the door partially open.  She knocked and walked in and said, “What is it…” She stopped mid sentence as she caught first sight of her son completely dressed in his tuxedo.

“Oh my gosh, my baby boy!” she cried.  “You look so gorgeous!”

“Will you do me the honor of helping with my boutonniere?” he asked, holding out the delicate white rose and stephanotis arrangement made specifically for him to wear.  He tried not to cry with his mother but seeing her reaction to him caused him to choke a little.

“I would be honored to, Honey,” she said as she took it from him.  She took the pin from the stalk and placed her hand behind the left lapel, trying to find the perfect spot to pin the groom’s flower.

“My wedding bouquet was a cascade of stephanotis with white and pink flowers sprinkled throughout when I married your father the first time,” Jessica said as she pinned Jason’s boutonniere.  “Do you know why the stephanotis is such a traditional delicate flower for brides to use on their wedding day?” she asked Jason.

“I don’t, but I bet you’re going to tell me,” Jason smiled and winked at his mother.

“I am because like I’ve always told you and your sisters, you need to learn something new every day,” she giggled. “Seriously, the meaning of the stephanotis flower is happiness in marriage and a desire to travel.”

“Does this mean Brianna will want to travel a lot? Jason looked bewildered.

Jessica laughed.  “No, honey, I think most brides use it for the happiness in marriage part of the meaning.”

“Whew, I sure hope that’s the way Brianna sees it.  I like to travel, but I’m kind of a homebody, like Dad.”

“You are your father’s son, Jason.  You always have been,”  Jessica looked at her son seriously after she secured the flowers to his lapel.

“You sure clean up nice, my boy,” Adam’s voice boomed behind Jessica.

Jessica whirled around and smiled.  Adam was now dressed in the same style tux as Jason, the only difference was his vest and tie were black to Jason’s off white to match Brianna’s dress.

Jessica placed her hands on Adam’s chest; she was overcome with emotion of how handsome her two favorite men looked.

“Will you do me the honor with my boutonniere now, Mrs. Cartwright?” Adam asked as he held out the single white rose for Jessica to pin to his lapel.

“It would be my honor, my love,” she smiled as she took the flower from Adam and pinned it to the left lapel of his tuxedo jacket.

The three Cartwrights heard the doorbell ring, it was Trey, and he had arrived with Emily’s shoes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You look stunning, Sweetheart,” Anthony said to his daughter as she stood in front him completely dressed as a bride.  “I’m breathless.  I don’t know if I’ve seen you look so beautiful.”

“Thank you, Daddy.  I love you,” Brianna said beaming.

“Oh, honey….” Theresa said as she came in just behind Anthony.

“Hi Mommy, how do I look? I think I’m ready to marry my groom now.”

After a short family prayer, Brianna, Anthony, and Theresa met Brianna’s brother, Liam, downstairs to continue the wedding portraits which had already begun with the photographer. 

Pam, the life photographer they had hired to document the most special day in Brianna’s and Jason’s life, had talked about how she wanted to not only take standard wedding portraits and photographs, she wanted to tell a story through pictures of their most special day.  She had come in with the stylists and took random shots of the bride and her family as they prepared to hand over their only daughter to the man she loved in marriage.  Pam’s assistant, Joe, was doing the same, only with the groom and his family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the typical bride’s and groom’s family pictures had been taken separately, and the last of the guest has arrived and were seated, the small orchestra hired for the wedding began to play Johann Pachelbel – Canon in D Major.  The minister, Jason, and his best man, his father, Adam, walked up the aisle to the floral arch overlooking Lake Tahoe. 

After they had turned toward the guest, Hoss escorted Jessica to the right front row.  She was wearing a stunning off the shoulder fit and flair silk floor length dress in medium blue. The mother of the groom’s dress was designed with middle rushing, and a delicate lace appliqué across the sweetheart neckline, short sleeves, and right side. The lace was adorned with shimmering sequins sprinkled throughout for a hint of sparkle.

Once seated, Jason came to his mother and presented her with a single red rose and bent down to kiss her on the cheek.  When Jason resumed his place next to the minister, Brianna’s mother was escorted in by Brianna’s brother, and they sat down on the left front row across from Jessica.  Theresa looked stunning in her sheath lace mother of the bride gown with scallop lace at the v-neckline.  The dress had a slimming fit through the waist and hip, Theresa chose a two-tone of black lace over a latte color chiffon lining.

After Theresa and Liam had been seated, the small orchestra began Jeremiah Clarke’s,  Trumpet Voluntary.  Jillian processed in first followed by Emily.  Brianna’s best friend from childhood and her matron of honor was the last of the bridal processional before the bride.  Once all of the attendants were in place, the music stopped, and the minister asked the invited guest to stand and turn toward the back.  The orchestra began playing a stronger version of Trumpet Voluntary again as a horse-drawn carriage adorned with white roses, lilies and stephanotis rode up to the center aisle.

Anthony, Brianna’s father, stepped out of the carriage and helped his daughter down, and they took their place at the beginning of the aisle.  They stood for a moment, so Jason and Brianna could capture the moment they saw each other for the first time.  Jason felt his knees begin to give way to the beauty before his eyes.  Adam took his son’s elbow to help steady him.  The bride and her father started to ascend the aisle toward her groom.  Brianna’s smile was larger than Lake Tahoe.  She was beaming with love and happiness.  Once Brianna and her father reached the front row, Theresa stood with her husband, and they each gave Brianna a kiss on her cheek.  Brianna presented a single red rose to her mother to signify the unconditional love she had provided her from birth.  Jason moved toward Brianna, shook Anthony’s hand and took his bride to his arm, and they moved toward the floral arch and the minister together.

Once they were ready, the minister asked Jason and Brianna to face each other and hold hands.

“Dearly, Beloved, we are gathered here today at this beautiful site, built by Jason’s grandfather, Ben,and his sons, in the face of this company to join together this man and woman in holy matrimony.  It is commended to be honorable among all men, and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly.  Into this holy estate, Jason and Brianna, present now, come to be joined.  If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

When there were no objections for Jason and Brianna’s union, the minister continued.

“Marriage is the union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind.  It is intended for their mutual joy, and for the help and comfort given on another in prosperity and adversity.  But more importantly, it is a means through which a stable and loving environment may be attained.

Through marriage, Jason and Brianna make this commitment together to face their disappointments, embrace their dreams, realize their hopes, and accept each other’s failures.  Jason and Brianna promise one another to aspire to these ideals throughout their lives together, through mutual understanding, openness, and sensitivity to each other.

So I ask you, Jason, do you take Brianna Lynn Nelson to be your wife, to have and hold from this day forward.  Do you promise to love her, cherish her, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, forsaking all others, until you’re naturally parted by death?

“I will,” Jason vehemently replied.

The minister continued, “Brianna, do you take Jason Benjamin Cartwright to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward.  Do you promise to love him, cherish him, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, forsaking all others, until you’re naturally parted by death?

“I will,”  Brianna’s voice cracked.

“May I have the rings please,” the minister requested from the matron of honor and best man; they were placed on the minister’s book.

“The circle of the wedding band is also a symbol of eternity.  The circle has no beginning or end and is, therefore, a symbol of infinity.

Traditionally, the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. This is because the vein in this finger was believed to lead directly to the wearer’s heart.

So I ask you now, Jason and Brianna, to exchange vows and rings with each other.

Jason’s hands quivered as he picked up the diamond and platinum wedding band to place on his bride’s finger.

“Brianna, take this ring as a seal upon the marriage promise I have spoken to you.  As you wear it, may it be a reminder of how much I love you, not only on this precious day but every single day of your life.”

Jason finished slipping the band on Brianna’s finger, and the minister requested her to do the same.

“Jason, I give you this ring as a sign I choose you, and as a reminder I will always love you as my partner, my lover, and my best friend to the end of my days.”

Once the exchange of rings and vows were completed, the minister gave the final blessing to the couple and presented them as married to everyone in attendance.

“It is my indeed pleasure to pronounce Jason and Brianna married as husband and wife.  What God has joined together, may no man put them under.

May I ask you, Jason and Brianna, to please turn to your family and friends.”

Jason took Brianna’s hand, and they turned toward the audience beaming with pride, love, and joy.

“My dear friends, it is my distinct pleasure to be the first to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jason Cartwright.  Jason, you may kiss your bride.”

Their family and friends stood, started clapping, and cheering.  Jason dipped Brianna and gave her their first kiss as husband and wife.  The entire group of invited guest erupted in louder cheers and laughter. 

Once Jason brought Brianna back to her feet, her matron of honor handed her back her bouquet and the bride and groom recessed to the back of the meadow followed by their honor and bridal attendants then families.

After the music had ended, the minister invited the guest to load into the waiting carriages to be taken to the covered tent where they could enjoy cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres while the wedding party took additional photos.

After a half hour of family photos with the two families and attendants, Jason and Brianna entered the carriage in which Brianna and her father rode in while the bridal party, Brianna’s family and the other Cartwrights loaded into another carriage and headed toward the covered tent to greet the rest of the invited wedding guest.

Pam held the bride and groom’s carriage back to get a few more photographs of them inside their flower adorned carriage with the site of their wedding in the background.

Once all photos were taken, Pam and her assistant, Joe, headed out in front of Brianna and Jason.  The couple stayed back a few minutes so one last time, they could enjoy the site of their ceremony newly married.

Jason put his arm around his bride and looked lovingly into her eyes. He thanked her for making The Ponderosa the place where they were married.

“I could feel my grandfather’s spirit showering his blessing on us.  It was always his wish for the future generations of Cartwright children to marry here if they desired,” he told Brianna as he pulled out the gold coin his father had given him to borrow earlier in the day. 

Jason explained how Ben had created the coin and had it commissioned for his three sons, and his father had allowed him to carry it with him so he could feel his grandfather close to him at the most meaningful part of the day.

“Jason, this is exquisite, and I’ll thank Adam for his generosity to you this evening at the reception.  I know it means so much to you, so it does to me as well.”

Jason kissed his bride and told the driver they were ready to head to the reception tent.

As they grew closer to the tent, they could hear the music playing with laughter and talking in the background.  They saw the catering staff gliding through the guest with trays of food and glasses of champagne. 

Pam had been capturing candid snapshots of the guest, talking, laughing, hugging, kissing, and smiling, to add to the wedding story for Jason and Brianna’s wedding album.  When Pam saw the carriage arriving, she went over to the DJ to let her know the couple was arriving.  Pam got in place to record in pictures, the arrival to the party held in their honor.

“Friends and family, it is my pleasure to announce to you the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Jason Cartwright!”

The bride and groom danced into the tent among the family and friends standing around welcoming them to the reception.  Jason and Brianna made their way to the dance floor where the DJ had begun to play the music to their first dance, Amazed, by Lonestar.  The couple drew closer together and moved as one across the dance floor in each other’s arms.  Adam and Jessica, Anthony and Theresa, Liam, Emily and Trey, all stood at the edge of the dance floor watching the eldest Cartwright son and his bride dance in each other’s arms, talking and laughing with each other between kisses. 

When the song ended, the bride and groom were lost in each other’s eyes and had forgotten there were any other people around them until the DJ congratulated them again.  She then announced to Jason she was his from now on, but it was time for the bride to share a dance together with her father.  The DJ started the daddy/daughter dance song, I loved her first, by Heartland.  Anthony took his daughter into his arms and held her tight as they swayed to the music. 

Jason stood with his parents as he watched his new father-in-law dancing with his wife.  Listening to the lyrics brought tears to his and Adam’s eyes.  Jessica wrapped her arms around Jason’s waist until the end of the song.

“Okay, Mom Jessica, your son has a very special song he would like to dance with you at this time, will you step onto the floor with your son now please.”

Brianna and Jason had kept it to themselves that Jason would have a special dance with just his mother.  The DJ started the song Jason had chosen to dance his mother with.  The Perfect Fan by the Backstreet Boys.

Jason took his mother’s hands and wrapped them around his waist and asked her to listen to the lyrics as they spoke directly to his heart when he thought about her.

It takes a lot to know what is love

It’s not the big things, but the little things

That can mean enough

A lot of prayers to get me through

And there is never a day that passes by

I don’t think of you

You were always there for me

Pushing me and guiding me

Always to succeed

[Chorus:]

You showed me

When I was young just how to grow

You showed me

Everything that I should know

You showed me

Just how to walk without your hands

Cuz mom you always were

The perfect fan

God has been so good

Blessing me with a family

Who did all they could

And I’ve had many years of grace

And it flatters me when I see a smile on your face

I wanna thank you for what you’ve done

In hopes I can give back to you

And be the perfect son

[Chorus]

You showed me how to love

You showed me how to care

And you showed me that you would always be there

I wanna thank you for that time

And I’m proud to say you’re mine

[Chorus]

Cuz mom you always were,

Mom you always were

Mom you always were,

You know you always were

Cuz mom you always were… the perfect fan

As the song was ending, Jason spoke the last words with the song’s artists, “I love you, Mom,” and he held his mother tight, holding back tears of gratitude and love.  Adam was so moved by the beautiful gesture their son had made to his life partner, he joined his son, with Brianna, to the middle of the stage and they all hugged and kissed each other.

Jason left Adam and Jessica as Adam was dabbing tears from Jessica’s eyes so her makeup would not run.  He asked if he could have the microphone from the DJ because he wanted to address everyone but especially his new in-laws and parents.

“Hi, everyone.  Brie and I would like to thank you all for sharing this very special day with us.  I would like to take a few moments before we sit down to dinner to thank Anthony and Theresa for hosting this beautiful wedding and reception in our honor.  We love you both so much and are blessed you’re in our lives as Brianna’s mom and dad and my new extended family.

Mom, Dad, I want to thank you for loving me, and accepting me, even when I wasn’t always the best brother or son.  I’m so proud you’re my mom and dad and Brianna’s in-laws.”

There was applause from everyone and Jason smiled as he tried to compose himself as he paid tribute to his grandfather, Ben Cartwright.

“As you all know, I lost a great mentor in my life not all that long ago.  He would have loved this party we have going on tonight,” He said as he looked to the heavens.  He choked up and continued, “Poppy, this party’s for you,” and blew a kiss upward.

Brianna came and put her arm through Jason’s, and she placed her other arm around his waist, and he fell on her shoulder trying to hold back his emotions.

“Aw, Jason, that was a beautiful tribute, thank you,”  the DJ said as she took back the microphone. “Now, I ask everyone to please be seated at this time.  The staff will be coming around with wine selections, champagne, and dinner, thank you.”

The DJ turned on soft dinner music as everyone made their way to the ten person round tables throughout the tent.  Each table was adorned with elegant white china plates with a clear glass charger lined with a gold rim underneath.  Each table was covered with a light blue linen table cloth.  Large sprays of flowers were set high in the center which rounded out the tablescape.  The couple didn’t want to be seated separately from their guest, so they took their seat at one of the tables with friends whom the couple had met at M.I.T. and Wellesley, and had traveled to Nevada for the wedding.

The staff came around with wine and water, and each guest was also provided a glass of champagne to toast the couple during dinner. 

Each person was asked if they would prefer red or white wine with dinner, starting with the table the bride and groom sat at first.

Dinner consisted of a choice entree of either tender filet of beef or salmon, and the vegetables were the same for both entrees:  roasted carrots and fingerling potatoes, Jason’s favorites.

After all guests had been served dinner and wine, each of the honored attendants got up and gave a small speech about the bride and groom.  Other guests were invited to also stand and give a little toast if they chose to.

Even though plates had been served to Jason and Brianna, they took the time to get up and personally thank each guest who had come to celebrate their special day with them and hoped they were enjoying their evening. 

Shortly after they had finished making their way around the tent talking to friends, family, and senior management members of Cartwright, Inc., the time had come for Jason and Brianna to cut the bride’s and groom’s cakes. 

The three-tiered bridal cake was covered in a light blue fondant with delicate lacework in white icing neatly placed on the tops and sides of each tier.  The cake sat on a grand gold pedestal, and a small bouquet of flowers finished the top.  The three bridal attendants had laid their bouquets along with Brianna’s at the base of the cake.  The grooms cake was a simple round dark, delicious chocolate cake and icing with the M.I.T. logo done in fondant in the school colors.

As Pam was getting the shot ready for pictures, friends of Jason’s and Brianna’s were teasing them to smash cake in each other’s faces.

“You don’t have to sleep with her tonight,” Jason laughed at his friends, and they started chanting, “smash it, smash it…”

The catering staff had cut a small piece of cake for each of them to take the oversized bite piece and feed it to one another.

“Jason Cartwright, you better not if you know what’s sacred to you,” She laughed as they both had their pieces ready to feed to one another.

When Pam was ready, they each fed the other the piece of bridal cake and just as they took the cake into their mouth, a flash went off.  They both commented on how moist and tasty the cake was, licked their fingers and took a drink of their champagne.  Once the bridal cake pictures were taken, the catering company took the cake away to be cut up and served to the guest.

Brianna and Jason then moved onto the grooms cake where another piece was cut and served to them to feed each other with.  Jason and Brianna readied themselves until Pam advised them to feed each other for the picture.  Jason started to gently put the piece of cake in Brianna’s mouth but this time, Brianna shoved the piece of her cake in Jason’s face, and their friends went wild.  Brianna shrugged her shoulders, and Pam snapped another quick picture with cake all over Jason’s face and the ‘gotcha’ look on Brianna’s face.

Jason took Brianna into his arms and kissed her with the cake all over his face, and she started laughing hysterically because now cake was all over her face, too.  Pam kept snapping pictures and got great impromptu moment shots of the bride and groom along with their friends having fun with each other and the cake.

The catering staff moved in and took the grooms cake away to be cut and served along with the bridal cake, to all the guest in attendance.

After the cake was consumed, the DJ turned the music up, and the guest along with the bride and groom all joined on the dance floor and danced the night away. 

As the time was drawing near 10:00 P.M. Jason and Brianna decided it was time to thank everyone again for coming and take off for their honeymoon.  They planned to stay in Reno overnight before they headed to Los Angeles for their flight to New Zealand the next day.

Adam and Jessica would see to it Brianna’s family made it back to the airport for their trip back to the east coast.

Trey brought Emily’s SUV up to the tent, and Jason helped his bride into the front seat.  Trey drove them to the house so they could change their clothes for their send off.

Once back at their home and out of the car, Jason lifted Brianna into his arms as they headed toward the front door.  Emily looked at her brother and new sister-in-law and sighed.

“They look so happy.  I wished that was us.”

Trey smiled and drove around the circle drive to the side of the house so the couple could have a little private time before entering their home for the first time as husband and wife.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Well, Mrs. Cartwright, we’ve married our first child, how do you feel?” Adam said as he brought his wife into his chest and kissed her on the lips.

“I’m so tired, Adam, but I’m happy.  I can’t believe my baby is married, now.”

“The dance Jason dedicated to you was quite a surprise tonight,” Adam slow danced with his wife to the gentle soft music.

Jessica looked up at Adam, “Did you know about it?” She inquired.

Adam shook his head, “No, I had no idea he was going to do it.  I think it was his way to show us how much you meant to him, especially in those few years when you were a single mom to him and Emily.”

“Huh, I never thought of that, but you might be on to something there, Adam,” Jessica laid her head against Adam’s chest, and they continued to dance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once inside their home, Jason and Brianna walked up the stairs to their bedroom where they changed their clothes. 

“Shall we have a quickie before we leave, Mrs. Cartwright?” Jason growled in his bride’s ear as he pulled her close to his bare chest.

“Jason, no!” Brianna laughed.  “We have your sister and boyfriend waiting for us.  Besides, we have all night tonight, once we’re alone,” she winked at her husband.

Brianna changed into a multi color short summer sundress, and Jason had already put on a pair of chino pants but finished dressing with a Ralph Lauren Polo button down cotton dress shirt.  Brianna felt it was best to end their honeymoon in their bed instead of starting it there.

When the couple exited the house, Trey had pulled back around and was patiently waiting for them to return.  Emily had moved to the front seat, and when they came back out, Jason opened the backdoor and Brianna slid in followed by Jason.

They arrived back at the reception tent, and the catering staff had handed out bubbles and birdseed to everyone to throw on the couple as they left to send them off on their honeymoon.

Jason and Brianna got up on stage and once again thanked everyone for sharing their special day with them.  Brianna had her bouquet, and she asked for all of the single ladies to come forward when they headed out, and she would toss the bouquet as they were getting in the car.  Trey had remained in Emily’s SUV as he would be driving them to their Reno hotel.  Emily wanted to be part of the bouquet toss so she told Trey she would join in on the fun and then come get in the car with them.

As everyone lined up at the entrance of the tent, Emily and Jason thanked their parents for everything they had done for them in planning the wedding.  Brianna grabbed her bouquet again as she had sat it down to give her families a hug and kiss.  When Pam was ready, they both ran through the rain of bubbles and birdseed.  As the newlyweds reached the SUV, Brianna turned around and tossed the bouquet over her shoulder, and it landed right into the arms of Emily.  They both screamed as Brianna was not intentionally throwing it for Emily to catch but was happy her sister-in-law caught it none the less.  After Pam snapped a picture of the two sisters-in-law, Emily handed the bouquet off to Jessica, and she leaped into the front seat, and Trey whisked the newly married Jason and Brianna Cartwright off to start their new life together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After seeing the Nelson’s back to the main house and made sure they were settled in comfortably, Theresa and Jessica went to Brianna and Jason’s room to get Brianna’s dress and Jason’s tuxedo and Jessica took them to be cleaned in the next morning.  Brianna’s dress also was be put into a professional storage box to keep it from discoloring or the material falling apart over time.  Once their clothes were placed in their respective garment bags, Adam put them in the SUV, and they headed back to their home on the Ponderosa.  Jillian had played so hard at the reception she fell asleep on the short ride to Jason and Brianna’s house in the back of Jessica’s SUV.  They arrived back at the ranch house shortly after that, and Adam took his youngest child into the house, up the stairs, and into her bedroom.  She woke up slightly when he sat her down on her bed to help her get undressed for bed.  She whined because all she wanted to do was to lay back down and go to sleep but Adam made her change out of her bridesmaid dress so it would not get torn overnight sleeping in it.

Once she was changed into her pajamas, Adam tucked her in bed, and before he could turn out the light, she was rolled over and back to a deep sleep.

Adam joined Jessica in their room at the end of the hall.  When he arrived, he found Jessica laying cross-ways on their bed with her eyes wide open staring at the ceiling.

Adam walked over and looked at her, but she continued to stare at the ceiling not saying a word.

“Are you awake or are you sleeping with your eyes wide open?” Adam inquired with a broad grin at how Jessica looked in her elegant long gown, no shoes on and hair a tangled mess.

“I can’t move ever again.  I’m stuck like this for the rest of my life.  My feet hurt, my arms hurt, my hips hurt, the ends of my hair hurt,” Jessica said in a weak monotone voice.

“Babe, first of all, you can’t lay like that all night, I’ll have nowhere to sleep.  Second, you can’t sleep in your dress.  I wouldn’t let Jillian sleep in hers, I won’t let you sleep in yours….”

“And is there a third?” Jessica asked in the same monotone tired voice.

“As a matter of fact, there’s….not.  Now let me get this dress off of you, and then I’ll help you lay down so you can go to sleep.”

Adam leaned down and put his arms around Jessica’s body and gently helped her sit up.  She moaned when he started to move her.

“If I knew you weren’t so tired, I think you might be trying to have your way with me, Mr. Cartwright,” Jessica’s voice remained weak and almost slurred from the exhaustion.

“Somehow I think I could have my way with you tonight, but I’m exhausted to, so what fun would there be in that?” he asked as she fell forward and he unzipped her dress and gently laid her back down to slip it off her body.

Once he had Jessica’s dress off her, he hung her dress up and left it hanging on the closet door.  Adam went back downstairs to the car to get his jacket and hung it up with the rest of his tuxedo and put it with Jason’s tux and Brianna’s dress for Jessica to take to the cleaners the next morning to be professionally cleaned.

When he returned, Jessica had not moved from the position she was in from when he removed her dress, but now she was asleep.  Adam went into the closet and removed the rest of his tuxedo and came out in just his boxers.  Jessica woke up slightly when he picked her up to put her on her side of the bed.  It was obvious she was ready for to sleep so he left her in her panties and bra and covered her up.  Adam went into the bathroom to shower before joining his wife in bed.

When Adam came out of the shower and was putting on a fresh pair of boxers, his phone rang.  Emily had called to let him know they had dropped off Jason and Brianna, and she and Trey were on their way back to the house.  Since it would be very late by the time they got back in, Trey was staying the night and sleeping in Emily’s room, and Emily would climb in bed with Jillian.

“Your mother and sister are already down for the count, and I’m ready to call it a night, too.  I’ll probably be asleep by the time you and Trey get back so, please be careful and we’ll see you tomorrow morning.  Love you, Princess.”

“Love you more, Daddy, sleep well.”

After he had hung up the phone, he climbed in bed next to Jessica.  Her hair was scattered all over her pillow, and her makeup had started to run down her face.  Adam thought about waking her up to remove her makeup but decided the sleep her body was craving was more important.  He gave her a kiss on the cheek and whispered in her ear, “You did good, Mrs. Cartwright.  Your son and his wife had a beautiful day and will remember it for the rest of their lives.”

Adam rolled over on his side of the bed and laid on his back silently.  He thought back to when he and Jessica had only been married less than a year when she told him the good news she was pregnant with their first child.  He smiled when he thought about the day Jason was born, and the nurse placing him in his arms for the very first time.

“Yeah, that was a great day,” Adam chuckled in a whisper to himself as he smiled reminiscing about becoming a father for the very first time.

“I can’t wait for you and Brianna to experience the same feeling of being first-time parents, my son.  You’ll be a good one,” he said as he looked over at his wife sleeping soundly on her side with her arm thrown over her head.  “You had the best teacher, Jason.  I was just along for the ride.”

Adam turned over and gently kissed Jessica on the cheek.

“Goodnight, Babe, sweet dreams, and thank you.” 

With that, Adam turned out the light and closed his eyes on another amazing chapter of his life.

The End

THANK YOU FOR READING!

🙂

Tags:  Adam Cartwright, Family