by Kathi Daley
That was what I figured. “Kyle and I have talked about asking him to move in with us. You and Rosalie are getting married, and I know you would welcome some privacy. It could be a good solution. I just don’t know if he’ll go for it.”
Dad didn’t answer right away. I could see he was thinking things through. I decided to wait for him to work up to saying whatever it was he was going to say. When he finally did speak, I was surprised by what he said.
“I’m happy you found Kyle, and I’m happy you are making plans to build a life with him, and I would never want to do or say anything to dissuade you from that decision. However, if you for one moment think that I’m happy you are moving out, you’re wrong. Yes, Rosalie and I are getting married, but that doesn’t mean I want to trade the life I plan to build with her, for the life I already have with you and the girls. I know that it is natural for children to one day leave the nest, and I suppose that in a way, I’ve been preparing myself for that ever since you entered your teen years, but I’m not sure I even have the words to convey how much I will miss you and the girls. I guess I’m greedy and I want it all.”
“We aren’t leaving town,” I pointed out. “You’ll still see us all the time.”
“I know, but it won’t be the same.”
He was right. It wouldn’t be the same.
“Surely, Rosalie will welcome the opportunity to have the house to herself,” I reasoned. “I know she loves you, but I’m not sure she signed up to have a filled to the brim household, and the mess and chaos that comes with a huge extended family.”
Dad shook his head. “She never really had a family. She lived alone for a long time, and she has told me on many occasions how happy she is to be part of a big happy family. Having said that, it is natural that you would be excited about having your own home with Kyle. I don’t want you to worry about Rosalie and me. We’ll be fine.”
“And Grandpa?”
Dad furrowed his brow. “I’m not sure. He did follow you to South Carolina, so I suppose that experience might open the door to his being receptive to the idea of living with you and Kyle again. He won’t even consider it, however, if he feels like he is a burden. Grandpa needs to feel needed.”
I supposed that feeling needed was a byproduct of the human condition. I let out a long breath. “I wish I knew what to do. I want to marry Kyle, and I want to have a life with him, but if I am honest, I have a lot of very mixed feelings about leaving the resort.” I reached across the table and put my hands over my father’s. “I do worry about Ashley and Gracie and Grandpa. And I do worry about me. Who will I talk to when I can’t sleep if I no longer can wander down to this kitchen where I know you’ll be waiting?”
“You’ll have Kyle. You won’t need me.”
“I’ll always need you. Maybe I’m not ready for this. Maybe Kyle and I are rushing into things.”
“Do you really believe that?” Dad asked.
I paused to think about my answer. “No. I love Kyle. I want to marry him, but I don’t want to upset the apple cart. The girls are doing so well. Everyone is settled, and they have so much support here at the resort. I think that forcing them to move if they aren’t ready would be a mistake.”
Dad took a sip of his coffee. “Have you set a date for the wedding?”
I shook my head. “Kyle wants me to be ready. He said he is willing to wait. He wants to be sure that the girls and I all have the time we need.”
“Then take it. If you aren’t in a hurry, and Kyle is willing to wait, then take the time you need. I have a feeling that if you let things unfold naturally, they’ll work themselves out.”
“And you are sure that Rosalie isn’t secretly wishing she had the place to herself and would welcome us moving out sooner rather than later?”
“I’m sure. If you aren’t sure, you should ask her.”
I thought about her statement that she wanted to spend as much time with the girls as she could before they grew up and headed off to college. I thought about the sewing room she was planning with Ashley and the smile on her face when she talked about their sewing project. What we had really was pretty perfect, if you eliminated my own pettiness where Rosalie was concerned. I just wished there was a way to keep what we had and build a life with Kyle.
Chapter 15
“Two more laps,” I yelled at the girls in my second period physical education class. Running outdoors was no longer an option with the fresh snow, so I had the girls running laps around the gym. Once they finished here, we’d head into the weight room, where they would build up their biceps while I tried not to worry myself into a stress coma. I loved my chats with my father, but today, our early morning talk had left me feeling even more confused than I had been before the talk. If I only had myself to consider, it would be so much easier, but I wasn’t a solitary tree growing in the middle of an open field. I was part of a complex ecosystem, and as part of that ecosystem, I had the other trees, shrubs, insects, and animals that depended on me to consider. If you really stopped to think about it, every tree in the ecosystem was important. Its presence affected the distribution of sunlight, water, and nutrients in the soil. There really were a lot of variables to consider, and I knew I’d be remiss not to obsess about every one of them.
“Something on your mind?” Principal Remington asked as I pulled myself out of my daydream.
“Trees,” I answered. I hadn’t heard him approach. How long had he been standing there? How long had my girls been standing around gossiping instead of working out?
“Trees?”
“Really. I was thinking about the effect a single tree can have on a complex ecosystem. Did you need something?”
“Actually, I did want to speak to you about a phone call I received this morning. Can you come by my office during your prep period?”
I nodded. “Sure. I can do that. Do you need me to bring anything with me? This month’s expense report or the schedule for the ski team?”
“No, the business I want to speak to you about is unrelated to school activities.” Remington looked toward my class, many of who were sitting on the floor by this point. “Just pop by when you can. For now, I’ll leave you to it.”
“Okay,” I called to the girls. “Your break is over. Let’s head to the weight room.”
I picked up my clipboard and followed the girls from the gym into the hallway. I really did need to get a grip. I knew that I was doing what I have a tendency to do, which was to make things a lot more complicated than they needed to be. Kyle wasn’t pressuring me into setting a date. He wasn’t insisting on a timeline for the girls and me to move into his home. I’d opened the door by talking to the girls about the concept of Kyle and me marrying, but perhaps I needed to back off on the immediacy of the whole thing. The way things were now seemed to be working out just fine. During the week, I was home with the girls, but on most weekends, I spent at least one night at Kyle’s, giving us some couple time. As long as Dad was right, and Rosalie was fine with all of us living in the house, I didn’t see why our current arrangement couldn’t continue for the time being.
“Coach Jensen?”
Once again, I was abruptly pulled from my musing to find myself standing in a crowded hallway.
“The door to the weight room is locked.”
I actually felt myself blush. “Oh, sure. Sorry, I was thinking about something else.” I took the master key to all the rooms in the building that I kept on a string around my neck and unlocked the door. I’d speak to Kyle later and get his take on things. Right now, I really did need to pay attention and do my job.
Chapter 16
“You wanted to see me?” I asked, after poking my head into Greg’s office almost two hours later.
“Yes. Thank you for coming by. Have a seat.”
I did as instructed.
“I received a call this morning from Kyle. As I’m sure you know, h
e is working with the remaining town council members to try to get the town back in business.”
“Yes. We’ve talked about it. There are bills to pay, decisions to make, and subcontractors to manage.”
Greg steepled his fingers as he worked up to his reason for calling me into his office. “Of course, I’d heard about the bombing and the total destruction of the town hall, but I have to admit that until Kyle and I spoke, I hadn’t considered what a huge task was actually at hand. The loss of human life has been at the forefront of everyone’s mind, but the loss of the town’s files and infrastructure is likely to have an even more far-reaching effect.”
I nodded. “It really is a mess. The town is basically closed down at this point. There isn’t even a mechanism in place to pay the plow drivers should we have a big storm.”
Greg frowned. “Kyle explained that when he called this morning to ask if I would be interested in one of the three town council seats that are open. My first reaction was to be flattered to be asked, which was followed shortly after by a sense of panic at being pulled into what seems, at this point, to be a sinking ship. Don’t get me wrong. I have every confidence in Kyle to get things back on track, but I have a feeling that the town council as a whole is looking at some bumpy water before things flatten out.”
“The council does have a long and rough road ahead,” I agreed, unsure why we were having this conversation. “And I, for one, understand how important it is to find the best candidates the town has to offer to fill the empty seats.”
Greg leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. “You’ve worked for me for a number of years now. You’ve also been close to the town council and its members. Do you think I’d make a good addition to the team?”
Okay, I wasn’t expecting that, but I could somehow sense he wanted my honest answer. I took a moment to consider all the names that had been tossed around. I thought about the strengths and weaknesses of each of the names on the list and tried to gauge how each would do with such a difficult task ahead of them.
“Well,” I began. “The council is going to need someone who can commit a significant amount of time, at least in the beginning. And this school is a fairly large institution with a lot of moving parts which keeps you pretty busy, so I can see that at times you might encounter conflicts scheduling your time, but you are organized and hardworking, and if anyone can juggle two huge commitments simultaneously, I think you can. As for having the right temperament to be an asset to the community, you are fair and open-minded. You seem to really listen to what people say, and I’ve known you to consider both sides of a conflict before making up your mind. You are both creative and analytical, so yes, I think that you have a lot to offer. The position won’t be easy, but it is important. We need exceptional people to sign on. I’m not certain if you are asking me if you should consider the offer, but if that is what you are asking, then yes, at the very least, I think you should continue your discussion with Kyle and see where it ends up.”
Greg nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate your honesty. I will discuss it with my wife. I do understand the urgency of the whole thing, so I assured Kyle that I will make up my mind one way or the other by tomorrow.”
I left Greg’s office wondering if I had helped Kyle in his campaign to fill the empty seats or if I had hurt it. I supposed in the end, he needed town council candidates who were certain they wanted and were ready for the job, the same way that he deserved a fiancée who was ready and willing to get married and not waffling at every turn.
Chapter 17
Meeting with Greg had put me behind on my paperwork, so by the time I finished up and got everything turned in that needed to be turned in, it was almost time to pick up Gracie from play practice. I was so excited that she was chosen to be part of the annual event, but I would be glad when all the extra running around to take her to practice and pick her up would be over. Thankfully, Kari was in the play as well, so Jenna and I had decided to divide the carpool duties between the two of us.
“I thought I was picking up today,” I said to Jenna as I slid into the seat beside her.
“You were, but it was the first day of dress rehearsal, and I wanted to stay and watch. I texted you to let you know I could bring Gracie home if you wanted me to.”
I pulled out my phone. She had texted, but I hadn’t checked. “I was late getting off today, so didn’t check my phone.” I looked toward the stage. “The girls sure look cute.”
“They really do,” Jenna agreed. “I’m going to have to thank your dad for negotiating for Kari to be an Indian Princess instead of a tree. She was so disappointed when the original roles were cast.”
“Why do they even have trees? Can’t they build trees out of cardboard if they really feel they are necessary? I can’t imagine that any kid would actually be happy to be cast as a tree.”
“Other than the role of a tree, most of the other parts have lines to memorize. I suppose kids who want to participate but don’t want to be responsible for learning lines might welcome the chance to be a tree.”
I supposed that much was true.
“How did things go at dinner last night?”
I laced my fingers together and then unlaced them just as quickly. “Dinner was really nice. The girls loved dressing up, and Kyle treated them like princesses. He let them order anything they wanted, including a Shirley Temple that was presented in a fancy glass.”
“So they’re okay with the wedding plans?”
“I didn’t say that. Ashley seems to have turned the whole thing into some sort of negotiation, and Gracie is very upset about leaving Grandpa. She has a point. He does seem to find his meaning in life from his role as caregiver to the girls.”
“Yeah,” Jenna said in a soft voice. “I can see that. I noticed a real change in his demeanor after they came to live with you and you all moved back out to the resort.”
“I spoke to my dad about it. I thought it might make me feel better, but it made me feel worse. I don’t think he was trying to make me feel worse, but I could see how bummed he was that the girls and I would be moving out at some point.”
“He must have known that would happen,” Jenna pointed out.
“Yes, I think he knew, but I also think that he is going to miss the chaos that comes with living in a multigenerational household. I guess I figured that since he and Rosalie were getting married, they’d both be happy for some alone time, but he said that Rosalie loves living in such a big family. He really seems to think she will miss us as well.”
Jenna turned to look at me. “You aren’t thinking of ending your engagement with Kyle, are you?”
“No,” I said with a conviction I really did feel. “I love Kyle. I want to marry him. I want to build a life with him. I just wish I could do that without messing up the ecosystem.”
“Ecosystem?”
“I just feel like everything is perfectly balanced as it is.” I paused. “Well, except for the two queen bees thing and I think that is my issue and my issue alone. Rosalie does seem to enjoy having the girls around, and Ashley told me that she plans to talk to Dad about turning one of the spare bedrooms into a sewing room for her and Ashley. I know how much you and Kristi enjoy sewing together. I want that for Ashley, but I hate to sew. Rosalie seems to be happy and willing to fill that void and to be honest, I am happy and willing to let her.”
“Ashley and Rosalie don’t have to live in the same house to sew together,” Jenna reminded me. “You will be moving fifteen minutes away. The girls can spend as much time at the resort as they want.”
Jenna made a good point. Maybe I really was overthinking things. “Okay, but what about Grandpa?”
“I wish I could say that it is not your responsibility to provide him a purpose in life, but I don’t actually feel that way. I think of all the obstacles you have brought up, his place in the lives of the girls is the one to really consider. Have
you talked to Kyle about it?”
I nodded. “He suggested that we ask Grandpa to live with us.”
“That could be an option. And it would be nice to have an extra set of hands. Have you asked your grandpa about any of this?”
“No. He doesn’t even know that Kyle and I are engaged. I just told my dad this morning. I told him not to mention it to anyone until I have a chance to talk to Grandpa. I just wish I knew what I was going to say. I sort of feel like I only have one shot of getting it right.”
“I don’t think you are giving your grandpa enough credit. He loves you. He isn’t going to want there to be a conflict between you.”
“Maybe. But I really do want him to consider coming to live with Kyle and me, and I know if I approach it wrong in the beginning, he might decide I am just asking him out of pity and then he’ll never go for it.”
“Again, I am going to counsel you to simply be honest with him. He is an adult. You can be real with him.”
I took Jenna’s hand in mine and gave it a squeeze. “Thanks. I think I needed to hear that.”
Jenna squeezed my hand back. “That’s what best friends are for. To offer advice and moral support.”
I glanced back toward the stage where the pilgrims and the Native American’s were gathering for a feast. “They really are growing up fast.”
“They are,” Jenna sighed. “I’m going to miss this when Kari graduates elementary school.”
“I know what you mean. The events at the middle school are fine, and I know that Ashley really enjoyed the play she was in earlier this year, but the plays put on by the middle school are so much more polished. They just don’t have the heart-tugging appeal of a grade school event.” I huffed out a breath. “I guess it won’t be all that long before Ashley and Gracie are worrying about how to get on with their own lives without leaving a giant hole in mine.”
