Just a short one-shot for Mother's Day. And of course, it's Mike-centric…like I can write anything else. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.
A Mother's Day to Remember
Mike walked through the store with his groceries. The Mother's Day decorations were a little galling to him. His own mother had died many years before and the other mother in his life, Christine; had never turned up after the Red Flu. Mike had hired private investigators and looked for Christine and his girls himself but had had no luck and had long accepted that they were gone.
Despite that, days like Mother's Day always reminded him of years past. Getting up earlier then Christine and fixing breakfast for the kids to serve to Christine in bed. Helping them make crafts because Christine loved that better than anything he could buy. Picking out her favorite flowers and buying her a rose bush to plant wherever they lived. They had left rose bushes in Chicago, Florida, Rhode Island, Maine and Virginia.
As Mike walked through the store, he knew the day he really dreaded, Father's Day was coming up soon. He hated Father's Day. The year before, Kara Green had Frankie make him a sweet little card that Mike still had on his fridge. It had made him cry a little, but Kara and Frankie would never know that. As he turned down the aisle to get steaks to grill, he focused on two young women; about the same ages that his daughters would be if they were still alive. They even looked a bit like them.
"But, Katie; I know you said you only had twenty dollars to spend on Mom but she loves steak. She hasn't had any in years." The younger, dark-haired remarked.
"I am thinking. I can get her one of these, a baking potato and we have stuff for salad at home. That will leave me enough to get her some flowers. I wish I could afford to get her a rose bush. She misses having them." The older one said. Mike was intrigued by their conversation, so much so that he dropped his list. Both girls immediately noticed him.
"Uh…sorry. I just heard you mention the rose bush. I always got one for my wife to plant wherever we lived. Every Mother's Day." Mike said. As he looked at the two girls, there was something about them. He just couldn't figure it out.
"Yeah, our dad always got one for Mom." The younger one said. The older girl was looking at him suspiciously.
"Dad? Is it really you?" The older one said. Mike felt himself tunneling in and only seeing and hearing the two girls.
"Katie...Hannah?" Mike asked and suddenly found himself hugging both girls and crying into their hair.
"How? Where have you been?" Katie asked as she pulled away but kept an arm around his waist.
"Little bit of everywhere. I just retired here. Bought a house." Mike explained. It was an old rambling farmhouse that he was working on. It needed to be filled with a family and needed a woman's touch. The only woman that he would ever be okay with decorating would be his wife.
"We haven't been here very long either. Katie just got a job and Mom's been trying." Hannah explained.
"I see. How about this? I get the steaks and fixings, your mom's rose bush and whatever else you want to get her. You girls bring her out to my house and surprise her?" Mike offered.
"She'd love that. Mother's Day is really hard on her and she's really missing Lucas, and you, of course." Katie said. Mike noticed the look the two girls exchanged.
"What's wrong?" Mike asked.
"Its…I'm not the right person to say this and you might not be really thrilled but…" Katie started.
"Mom was pregnant with twins. She didn't want to worry you so she didn't tell you when you called. She had them. A girl, Hope Elizabeth and a boy; Teddy. I don't think I have to tell you, but they are yours and..." Hannah started and again Mike tunneled in. His farmhouse would be full of family.
"I…bring them along. I want to get to know them and your mom is going to have a Mother's Day to remember." Mike said as he picked up a family pack of steaks, something he hadn't done in years. He also needed to get hamburgers and hot dogs. Kid-friendly foods. He hoped that Christine and his kids would move in with him immediately. He didn't care about Christine working. He needed to make a home for them all.
The girls helped him shop and get everything they needed to make a Mother's Day dinner and Mike wrote his address for them. They had gotten a rose bush for Christine, in addition to a bouquet of flowers and a necklace. Mike also had to buy dinner plates and silverware, along with glasses and plastic cups for his seven-year-olds. It was hard to part ways with Katie and Hannah.
Mike got to his house and began decorating the dining room. He had made the farmhouse table himself, and at the time was much bigger than he thought he needed. He opened the windows and began preparing food. Hannah had given him her cellphone number and had texted them that they were on their way, telling Christine that they were taking her on a picnic.
An hour later, Katie's beat-up car pulled up the drive. Mike was less then thrilled with the car but smiled as soon as he seen Christine get out. Her hair had turned to salt-and-pepper gray and she was trying to contain an excited seven-year-old boy, Teddy; who was pointing at one of Mike's horses. Mike wanted to rush out and greet them but the two older girls were ushering Christine and the twins up the walkway.
"This is a beautiful house but who does it belong to?" Christine asked the girls. Mike decided to step out then. It was the perfect moment. As soon as he stepped onto the porch, Christine gasped and her eyes filled with tears.
"Yours, if you want it. You just have to share it with me." Mike said as he grabbed Christine's hand and pulled her to him. She melted into his arms and was crying into his chest.
"How?" Christine said between sobs.
"We found Dad at the grocery store. It was purely by chance." Katie said.
"He helped us get stuff for your Mother's Day dinner. It smells good." Hannah said.
"I'm hungry." Hope said.
"Come on in." Mike said as he put an arm on the little girl's back. She reminded him of Katie when she was that age. He still had his other arm around Christine and she gasped as soon as they walked into the house.
"Its beautiful." Christine said.
"It needs your touch. I thought it was too big when I bought it, but I think it'll be just right now." Mike said as he guided them to the dining room. The previous owners had done a pseudo-remodel and opened the kitchen to the dining area and to the family room on the other side. It needed some help but now that he had younger kids, it would be perfect.
"Its perfect." Christine said as she looked over the kitchen, which would be her domain.
"Alright. Make yourselves at home. There's soda and tea in the fridge and I'll just put this meat on the grill." Mike said as he grabbed the tray of steaks, burgers and hot dogs and walked to the back patio. A moment later, Christine followed. He shut the lid on the grill and pulled Christine into his arms.
"Best Mother's Day in years." Christine said.
"Still miss Lucas though?" Mike asked.
"I do but it's a bit more bearable. Listen, we didn't talk about it; but Katie mentioned that she and Hannah could go back to our apartment and pack bags for us. I'd…like that, but…I wasn't sure how you feel about it, or if you had a set up for us." Christine said.
"I have a five-bedroom house. I have beds and dressers in the bedrooms. They need to be decorated to suite the kids but they have a place here. I can't think of anything I want more then to have you guys here with me tonight. I also have a Master Bedroom, bath and closet that I have wanted to share with you." Mike said before planting a kiss on Christine's lips.
"And I noticed the rose bush on the porch. We need to plant that thing. I haven't had a rose bush in years, let alone a place to plant it. I have that now." Christine said just before giving him another kiss.
They had a lot to work out but Mike couldn't be happier. He had his wife back, had his daughters back and had two kids to get to know. Mother's Day had always been a special day for him and this one was the best yet.