Years of Summer: Lily's Story

by Bethanie Armstrong

  I held hands with my first love there and my true love held me there. The thing is my true love is all that mattered anymore. Me and Dave and Ty and Chelsea and Ally and Sam sat there and talked until about three.

  We walked out by Napier hall which is where he and Jace roomed on the third floor. If I had known then what I know now, there would never have been a Jace and me. There would only have been a Dave and me. Our timing though is nothing compared to Providence. Providence will always win out. We left around three-thirty that afternoon after telling Ty and Chelsea goodbye. They had an apartment in Birmingham. Ty was beginning grad school soon for his physical therapist degree. Chelsea had her nursing degree and was putting Ty through.

  We promised to keep in touch as we left for home. Dave had hold of my hand in the truck. “Lily girl, how are you?”

  “I am truly fine. Thank you for doing that for me, and thank you for bringing Sam and Ally and calling Chelsea and Ty. It was good to see them again.”

  Poor Sunshine was worn out. Dave had taken her vest and harness off and she lay in the floor of the truck just snoozing away.

  “You are very welcome, honey. I thought you might want to do that, and I thought it would be easier having family and friends around. You seem to be stronger when you’re surrounded by people who love you, and I love you more than anything in this world. So when do we get to be a permanent part of each other?”

  “How does March 12, 1994 sound to you?”

  “I think that would be better than perfect, the one year anniversary of me and you being together like I had always wanted. I love that idea.”

  “Hey Ally, leave March 12 opened for me please. I want you to be my maid of honor.”

  “Lily, do you mean it?”

  “Of course I mean it. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.” She reached over the back of the seat and hugged me around my neck.

  Then Dave spoke up. “Hey Sam would you be in our wedding too?”

  “You better believe I will. Can you work it out to where I can escort Ally back down the aisle?”

  “I think we can do that. Don’t worry. We’ll make it happen.”

  “Thanks man. I really appreciate that.”

  Ally squeezed my shoulder from behind as another sisterly understanding passed between us. I would throw her my bouquet and get Dave to aim my garter at Sam. Something told me that Sam would willingly catch it.

  * * * * * * *

  I began my student teaching two weeks later at Jones Valley Elementary in first grade. I missed my kindergarteners though. Dave drove us to the school every day. He would come and pick me up every morning right along with Sunshine and that became the way it was from then on.

  I finished my student teaching that December and was given a job to work a maternity leave at Jones Valley Elementary. With those two goals accomplished, which is what I wanted to do before Dave and I were married; that left me free to plan our wedding. Letters to My Future became our wedding planner, because that was my future.

  We were married on March 12, 1994, the Saturday before Spring break so we could go on our honeymoon during spring break and not have to take off work. It worked out beautifully.

  We had our wedding at the Botanical Gardens in their Oriental garden. It was just the right temperature. It was about 70 degrees. Ally was my Maid of Honor and Dave’s sisters, and Chelsea were in our wedding too. Dave’s groomsmen were Ty and Sam. His Dad was his best man. Dave looked so amazing in his tux and our eyes met as I was walking down the sidewalk to him. He gave me the greatest of all Dave smiles and as Dad reached Dave and the minister asked “who gives this woman to be joined to this man,” Dad placed my hand in Dave’s and whispered to him. “Take good care of my baby girl.”

  Dave answered. “I will sir.”

  Dad spoke a little louder in answer to the minister’s question. “Her mother and sister and I.” Sunshine was even allowed to come to the wedding. Everyone stared at the dog in the seat next to Mom and Dad. She even had a special white bow around her neck. It was the most amazing day.

  This all seemed so surreal. I never thought I would be so happy. I am though. We said our vows and he kissed me and the minister introduced us as Mr. and Mrs. David Jordan Jameson. I could have floated down the aisle I was so happy. True happiness had found me and true happiness had found Dave; now, on to forever.

  We met and greeted I don’t know how many people at the reception. There were many though. It all had been such a magical day. We were both swept up in everything. I at last had found my true happiness and my one true love. The funny thing was it had always led back to Dave. We started in Kindergarten.

  Sam and Ally were engaged that summer. They were married in December of that year. Chelsea and Ty were blessed with a baby boy the following January. Dave and I are living our happily ever after. We both ended up staying at Jones Valley Elementary. He stayed in third grade and I kept that temporary job that I had. I taught Kindergarten.

  Epilogue—

  So, that’s the story. I still sometimes wonder what Jace really was. There was always a presence to him. At least in the end, if he was my guardian angel, he led me down the right path, because I have never been happier, and Dave and I are going on seventeen beautiful and amazing years. It’s amazing how time flies.

  Dave is still teaching third grade and he has had many students over the years come back and thank him for not giving up on them, because every other teacher had. All the new parents want their child in Mr. Jameson’s class; I guess you could say he is a legend in our area. I am so proud of him.

  Sunshine came to school with me until I no longer worked. I didn’t really need her for what she was originally given to me, but I just couldn’t stand to leave her at home. She was still a great comfort though. She was more like a security blanket those last two years I worked. My students absolutely adored her and she liked being around them too. I taught kindergarten for five years. I quit work to become a stay-at-home Mom when our children were born.

  Dave and I were blessed with our first children (twin boys) in October of 1999—Jordan and Jacob. Wow, talk about a proud Daddy. He definitely was. Three and a half years later we were blessed with our second set of twins, girls this time—Caroline and Claire—in March of 2003. They are his sweet baby girls. It was the day after our ninth anniversary. Yes, we were blessed with two sets of twins, hence our four children.

  Summer begins in three days. I love summer. I can’t wait. Dave will be home and our summer of fun will begin. It is great having a husband who teaches, because he gets the summers off too, unless he has a workshop to attend or things to do at the school. He has been there long enough to be second in command if the Principal is not there. He loves his job.

  Dave is also into little league baseball; well I say little league but our boys are almost eleven, and they are up for the state championship again this year, and of course have been the past three years. Dave is a great coach. He makes sure they have fun while they’re learning to be a team and work together. He does not tolerate bad attitudes. His favorite saying is “Bad attitudes lead to bad decisions. Teams don’t survive with either one.”

  I sit outside on my porch swing and watch my kids play in the yard in front of our three-bedroom brick house. They’re throwing the Frisbees for our two golden retrievers—Summer and Sammy.

  Sunshine lived to the ripe old age of fifteen and blessed and graced our family everyday with her presence. Summer and Sammy came from the same bloodline as Sunshine did. We knew they were going to be good dogs. They were brother and sister and we specifically called the breeder of them and bought them from her, because we wanted some part of Sunshine to stick around with us. Summer and Sammy are two years old.

  Sam wasn’t too happy when we gave one of our dogs his same name. So they bought them a little White Yorkie and named her, Lily. I laughed when they told me that and so did Dave. Sam and Ally have two children Jared and Amy. Jared is Amy’s big brother. He was born when the boys turn
ed two and Amy was born a couple of years later. She is older than Caroline and Claire, by about six months.

  I still can’t believe how fast time has gone by. Dave and I have been married for sixteen years. I am waiting on him to get home because the boys have a game tonight and we are all going to watch. The boys are really good. Jordan is the pitcher and Jacob plays first base. Jacob is the back-up pitcher. I believe they inherited their father’s talent for baseball. We’re going out to eat after the game. I hear his giant Suburban coming over the hill. So do the dogs and the kids. It’s funny to see them look with anticipation at the road in front of our house.

  It’s just an access road, never busy. The only people that come down it are us and the neighbors that live up the road—Sam and Ally. We went in together to buy the four acres we live on and had an access road put in, actually it’s just a gravel drive. We built our houses on two acres a piece.

  Mom and Dad are retired and traveling and loving it. Dad bought a huge RV when he retired and told my mom that they were going to travel and as of now I think they have been in each of the 48 contiguous states at least once.

  You know, it amazes me how things work out just right. I shouldn’t be amazed, but I am. It never fails once providence has been put into motion. Dave is home.

  “Hey Honey, how’s my best girl? Are you ready for summer? I sure am. Summer, Sammy, heel. Boys go get your uniforms on.”

  “Okay, Dad. We’ll be ready in a minute.”

  “Girls, are you ready too?”

  “Yes Sir. Dad can we get ice cream after dinner?”

  “We’ll see. Lil, will you get the water cooler ready?”

  “Sure will, you need to go get your uniform on too.”

  “Lily don’t forget your shirt.”

  “I won’t.”

  Okay, I know that sounded funny, but I have a team jersey that has “Jordan and Jacob’s Mom” on it. That is what he was talking about. Both of the girl’s have sister shirts just like it. They are into cheerleading and of course I am their sponsor, so I work that end. We all have team jerseys for their football teams too.

  I love my life, and Dave and my kids just make everything better. Ally and Sam and Jared and Amy are coming too. Mom and Dad usually stay in town until baseball season is over so they can see the boys play. Then they travel until football season and then come back to watch the girls cheer. When football season is over they travel from October to December, come home for Christmas and New Years and then leave out until March when baseball season starts again. They are the best grandparents ever and Dave’s mom and dad are too. Our children are so spoiled by them.

  His sisters are abroad with their husbands. They’re all a part of this group of doctors and nurses that travel to third world countries to provide medical attention to people in those countries. We hear from them occasionally. I think they’re coming home this summer and staying put for awhile. They have been traveling for four years straight. I bet they’re ready to come home.

  Well, we have to get ready to go. I’m looking forward to having a great summer and we always make the most of every moment.

  Each moment is a blessing given to you. Make it count for all its worth. Learn that in life and life will be more meaningful. Enjoy it! Life is a gift!

  Enjoy the entire four-book saga:

  They Walk Among Us—Saga of “The Chosen.”

  By Morning’s Light —book 1

  Across the Fields—book 2

  Beyond the Gate—book 3

  Years of Summer:Lily’s Story—Prequel

  Bethanie is a full-time Mom, homeschooling parent to her children, and when the clock strikes midnight her alter ego takes over—Bethanie Armstrong, Author. She enjoys writing stories that prick at the heart of her readers as they laugh and cry along with the characters. She lives in Alabama with her husband, two children—ages thirteen and eleven, a frisky feline named Scarlett, a giant German Shepherd named Ember, and a little Rat Terrier, named Charlie that believes himself to be a giant among dogs.