by Bobbi Holmes
“Apparently not. Which I’m sure makes you happy.”
“When are we going to tell the kids?” June asked.
“We should do it tomorrow. We can tell them we want to take them for a little ride, bring them over here. Show them the property and then tell them.”
He sat in the bathtub with Connor, a pile of bath toys bobbing in the water between them. Connor laughed, picked up a rubber truck, and handed it to him. When he tried to take hold of the truck, it fell through his hands and back into the water, making a splash. Connor giggled, and he smiled.
“You’re as much fun as Lily,” he said. “You look a lot like her.”
Tammy stood in the bathroom doorway with her daughter, watching her grandson play in the bath.
“Connor is a good-natured little guy,” Tammy said. “He reminds me so much of you at that age.”
“How so?” Lily leaned against the doorjamb, her eyes still focused on her son.
“You were like that, always happy. Always entertaining yourself. Now, your sister, she got bored easily, always wanted to be entertained. As for your brother, he was too busy getting into mischief.” Tammy laughed at the memory.
“I have to say, Connor isn’t always like this. He has his moments.”
New voices came from down the hallway. Lily paused and looked that way. She glanced back to Connor and said, “Sounds like Kelly is here.”
“She’s having dinner with us?” Tammy asked.
“Yes.”
“When are Ian’s parents going to be here?” Tammy asked.
“They should be here soon. His father called him about an hour ago, said they should be here before it gets dark. I hope you don’t mind eating so late.”
“No, it’s fine. Your father and I always end up eating later this time of year.”
“We just thought it would be nice if we could all eat together when everyone gets here.” Still leaning on the doorjamb, Lily continued to watch Connor while she talked to her mother.
“Dani and Walt aren’t coming?” Tammy asked.
“Not tonight.”
Freshly bathed and dressed in his flannel pajamas, Connor found himself being passed around the room like a football. His new friend sat in the corner of the living room, watching the commotion. New people kept coming into the house. There was the cookie lady and the man who had brought the box with his new friend. His aunt Kelly was here, along with another older couple. He had seen them before. The woman, like the cookie lady, kept giving him kisses, tweaking his cheek, and kept telling him to, “Say grandma.”
This new lady snatched him from the cookie lady and plopped him on her lap as she sat on the sofa. She kept jabbering unrecognizable words in his ear when Sadie came up to him. Connor smiled at the dog, waved his hand in her direction, and was awarded with a slobbery, wet kiss across his open mouth.
“Ian!” the woman gasped, pushing the dog away. “You need to put Sadie somewhere.”
Ian, who stood by the bookshelf and had been talking to his father and father-in-law, stopped talking and turned to face his mother, who sat on the sofa with Tammy, Connor on her lap.
“What’s wrong?” Ian asked.
“Sadie just licked Connor’s mouth!” June took a tissue from her nearby purse and wiped her grandson’s mouth. He resisted the assault and tried squirming away.
“Sadie always does that, Mom,” Kelly said.
“It’s not sanitary. You really need to restrict the dog’s access to the baby. It isn’t safe,” June said.
With a sigh, Ian walked to his mother and picked up Connor. “He’s fine, Mom. But it’s past his bedtime. I need to put him down.”
June watched as Ian took Connor from her. He let everyone kiss his son goodnight before carrying him to the nursery, Lily trailing behind him.
Tammy stood and picked up the dirty dessert dishes left on the coffee table and carried them to the kitchen. Gene went to the restroom, leaving Kelly alone in the living room with her parents.
“It’s too bad Joe couldn’t have come tonight,” her father said.
“Like I told you, he had to work tonight,” Kelly reminded him.
Alone in the nursery with her husband and son, Lily changed Connor’s diaper while Ian found the Pooh bear to put in the crib. After finishing the diapering, Lily glanced over to where the dry-erase board had been hanging. They used it to communicate with Marie, but they had decided at the last minute to remove it before the parents arrived.
“This is going to be a fun week,” Ian said dryly as he handed his son the stuffed animal.
Lily chuckled. “Poor Sadie. Maybe Walt can talk to her about not licking Connor when your mom is around.”
“That might be a good idea.”
“You had dogs when you were a kid. Did your mom get that upset when they licked you?” Lily asked.
“I don’t remember. But when I was a kid, they kept our dogs in the yard.”
“Dogs belong in the house,” Lily said.
“I agree. But at least my parents didn’t keep our dogs on a chain or rope, like some people. We always had a fenced yard and a nice doghouse. Dad saw to that.” Ian leaned over the crib and gave his son a quick kiss. “Night, buddy.”
“I’ll be out in a minute,” Lily said as Ian headed toward the door.
“You just want some quiet time,” Ian teased.
Lily giggled and watched as Ian left the nursery. She turned back to Connor and smiled softly.
“You were sure a good boy tonight. Impressed the grandparents.” She leaned over and kissed Connor’s brow. Instead of leaving, she continued to watch her son. Lily frowned when Connor picked up his Pooh bear and seemed to offer it to someone.
“Marie?” Lily said aloud. With a frown, Lily stared at the foot of the crib where her son focused his attention. “Marie, are you here? If you are, make Winnie fly.”
“Lily, who are you talking to?” June asked from the open doorway.
Fifteen
Turning quickly from the crib, Lily faced her mother-in-law. Momentarily speechless, Lily wondered what exactly June had overheard.
“Lily? Are you okay?” June asked, her voice softening.
“Um… you just startled me,” Lily said, laughing nervously.
“Who were you talking to?”
Behind Lily, Connor jabbered, “Bah bah…”
Glancing to her son and back to June, Lily said, “I was talking to Connor, of course.”
With a frown, June walked all the way into the room. “I heard you say, ‘Marie, are you here? If you are, make Winnie fly.’”
Lily stared at June for a moment and then blurted, “I was telling Connor a story. Yes, I was telling Connor a story. A bedtime story. I like to tell him a story at bedtime.” Lily turned back to Connor and looked into the crib. He smiled up at her and yawned.
“Sounded like an interesting story,” June said, now standing next to Connor by the crib. “What book is it from?”
“Um… it’s not from a book. I just like to make up stories for Connor,” Lily lied.
“I used to read to Ian and Kelly when they were little,” June said, now looking into the crib. She reached out and gently brushed her fingertips over Connor’s brow, studying the child. “I like to think that’s why both of them love to read now.”
“I read books to him too.”
“I’m trying to figure out who Connor looks like. When he was younger, I thought I saw Ian in him, but now, not so much. Who does he look like?” June frowned down at her grandson.
“I suppose he looks like me at that age. That’s if I can believe my baby pictures and what Mom tells me.” Lily grinned.
Withdrawing her hand from the crib, June looked at Lily and frowned. “I suppose that’s possible; he might look like you,” June muttered.
“We should probably leave so Connor can get to sleep,” Lily suggested.
Lily sat alone in the corner of her living room, talking on the phone to Danielle. The grandparents had all gon
e across the street to retire for the night, and Ian was in the shower.
“Yes, they’re all in their rooms, and their lights are out,” Danielle told Lily. “I imagine they’re exhausted from the long trip. How has it gone so far?”
“Aside from Sadie licking Connor’s mouth and me talking to Marie, everything’s peachy.”
“What?”
Lily told Danielle what had occurred in Connor’s bedroom.
“I’d be surprised if Marie changed her mind,” Danielle said. “But I suppose it’s possible.”
“If she did, she obviously left before I asked her to give me a sign.”
“At least you came up with a plausible explanation,” Danielle said.
“I picked that up from hanging around you all the time.”
Danielle chuckled.
“But you know what really annoys me?” Lily asked.
“What?”
“June seemed to not quite understand why Connor looks like me.”
“You are his mother,” Danielle reminded her.
“Exactly!” Lily said.
“I’m sure she didn’t mean anything. You’re just feeling overwhelmed having all the family here. It’s only two weeks, Lily. Try to enjoy the visit and let the other stuff slide,” Danielle suggested.
“I know, you’re right. Anyway, having them all come for Connor’s birthday was my idea. I don’t know why I’m complaining,” Lily grumbled.
“This is so nice of you, making us breakfast,” Tammy told Danielle the next morning as the grandparents gathered in the Marlow House dining room with Walt and Danielle. She snatched a cinnamon roll from the basket on the table. Tammy sat next to her husband at the table, with June and John across from them, and Walt and Danielle at the ends of the table.
“Ian and Lily aren’t coming over?” June asked after taking a sip of her coffee.
“No. This morning Lily wanted to run down to Old Salts to order Connor’s birthday cake, and Ian had some work he had to get off to his editor,” Danielle explained.
“Did Lily take Connor with her?” June asked.
“No. He’s at home with Ian,” Danielle said.
“Someone has to watch Connor while Ian works. Perhaps I should go over there?” June suggested.
“Ian watches Connor all the time while he works,” Danielle said.
June arched her brows. “Really? And what is Lily doing?”
“Probably watching soap operas and eating bonbons,” Tammy snarked.
June frowned at Tammy.
Gene chuckled. He reached over, patted his wife’s hand, and told June, “You’ll have to get used to my wife’s odd sense of humor.”
Tammy chuckled and took a bite of her cinnamon roll.
“I just assumed, since Lily is no longer teaching, she spends most of her time taking care of Connor. After all, Ian has a job,” June said.
“We need to leave soon,” Gene piped up, hoping to divert the conversation, for fear his wife might pick up her fork and use it to harpoon June.
“Where are you going?” John asked.
“We’re driving to Portland,” Gene explained.
Tammy looked at Danielle and said, “I decided I would go with him. I told Lily we wanted to go shopping in Portland for Connor’s present.”
“You’re going shopping?” June asked.
“Actually, we’re going to the airport to pick up our other daughter,” Gene said.
“But it’s a surprise. So please don’t tell Lily or Ian,” Tammy said quickly, flashing her husband a reprimanding scowl.
“That will be nice. Lily mentioned last night she was sorry her sister and brother wouldn’t be here,” June said.
“I guess there will be lots of surprises for Lily and Ian today, and it isn’t even their birthday,” John said with a chuckle.
“What do you mean?” Tammy asked.
“We have a surprise for them, too,” John said with a grin.
“What kind of surprise?” Gene asked.
It was June’s turn to flash a reprimanding frown to her husband before saying, “We really need to tell Ian and Kelly first.”
“This works out perfectly,” John told his wife when they returned to their room after breakfast.
“I agree. When Tammy and Gene drive to Portland, it will give us a chance to be alone with Ian and Kelly and show them the property. I can’t wait to see their expressions when they realize we’re moving to Frederickport!”
“You’re leaving out someone,” John scolded.
June frowned. “Who?”
“Lily. Of course we’ll ask her to come with us,” John said, now sitting on the side of the bed, changing his shoes.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” June began, sitting next to her husband. “Someone has to watch Connor anyway. It would be nice if we could have some time alone with our son and daughter. I know Joe is working today, so he wouldn’t be able to come with us anyway. And if Joe won’t be with us when we tell the kids, I think it’s okay if Lily doesn’t go.”
“Lily is our daughter-in-law,” John reminded her.
“And Joe will be our son-in-law,” June countered.
“He isn’t yet. Anyway, there’s no reason Lily can’t come with us and bring Connor along.”
“Why don’t we ask Lily if she would like to take a drive with us—or if she would rather stay home with Connor. Let her decide,” June asked sweetly.
“For one thing, it’s not just a drive. And she won’t know that.”
“It’s going to be crowded in our car, with the four of them in the back seat, especially with the car seat. I suppose we could go in their car, but that would ruin the surprise if Ian drives.”
“Fine.” John stood. “Ask her if she wants to go, or would she rather stay home with Connor.”
Lily walked out of the nursery with Connor after changing his diaper, to find her in-laws had come over from Marlow House.
“Did you get the birthday cake ordered?” John asked cheerfully. He stood by the breakfast bar with Ian and his wife. They all turned to look at Lily as she entered the room. Just as she set Connor on the floor, June picked him up and gave the squirming boy a hug, refusing to let go.
“I did. They make awesome birthday cakes,” Lily said. “Actually, they make awesome everything.”
“I always made Ian and Kelly their birthday cakes,” June said, giving Connor a little jiggle to get him to stop wiggling. “Kelly always wanted German chocolate.”
“My dad wants to take us for a drive; he wants to show us something,” Ian said.
“What?” Lily asked.
Ian shrugged. “They won’t say. We’re picking up Kelly.”
“Would you like to go with us?” June asked. “Of course, we’ll need to get the car seat.”
Lily glanced from June to Ian and considered the offer for a moment.
“I think they wanted some alone time with their kids,” Lily told Danielle on the phone fifteen minutes later. Her in-laws had just left with Ian to pick up Kelly. Lily leaned back on the sofa in the living room while Connor sat on the floor, playing with his toys. “I don’t think they really wanted me to go. I get it. And frankly, moving the car seat from our car to theirs would be a pain. Ian tried to talk them into taking our car, but they insisted they had to drive. That’s when I realized they really didn’t want me to go.”
Lily talked to Danielle a few minutes longer. When she ended the phone call, she looked down at Connor and noticed he continued to entertain himself in the same way he had last night. She watched as he offered a toy to someone who was not there—or is she?
“Marie?” Lily blurted. “Ian’s parents left, so you can give me a sign. If you are here, please give me a sign.”
Nothing happened.
Lily continued to stare at her son. Finally, she shrugged and said, “Cool, the kid can entertain himself.”
“Where are we going?” Kelly asked as her father drove away from her house. She sat in the back seat with
her brother.
“We have a little surprise for you both,” June said.
“What kind of surprise?” Kelly asked anxiously. She looked at her brother. “Do you know what it is?”
Ian shrugged. “I have no clue.”
A few moments later, they turned down the street leading to the Marymoor property.
“Did you take a wrong turn?” Ian called out.
“Why do you say that?” June asked with a giggle. The next moment, John pulled his car up in front of the Marymoor property and parked.
“What are we doing here?” Kelly asked, looking warily to the fenced property and back to her brother.
John turned off the ignition, and he and his wife each unbuckled their seatbelts. Wearing silly grins, they turned in their seats to face their son and daughter in the back seat.
“What are we doing here?” Ian asked.
“You both know I retired,” John said.
“Yeah. Why did you park here?” Kelly asked.
“With both of you living in Frederickport—our only children, and now our grandson. And with Kelly marrying Joe, I don’t imagine they’ll be leaving the area, considering his job…” June rambled.
“What are you trying to say, Mom?” Ian asked.
“What your mother is trying to say is,” John said, “we sold our house and are planning to move to Frederickport.”
“You’re selling your house?” Ian asked incredulously.
“No. We sold our house. In fact, before we left yesterday, the movers had already been to the house and packed up our belongings, everything we own—aside from what we brought with us,” John explained.
“You sold your house?” Kelly gasped. “Where is your stuff?”
“It’s in storage for now until we get settled,” June told her.
“Where are you going to live?” Kelly asked.
“We obviously can’t live at Marlow House indefinitely,” John said with a laugh. “We plan to find a rental to move into while I build our forever home.”
