.~*Chapter Nineteen*~.
December 14th, 1971
Dearest Henry,
I am writing this letter while you are in the shower. I cannot help but giggle as I hear you sing loudly to the tune of "Let it Be" by the Beatles. You are so weird. I would join you in the shower, but I fear the little ones will be home soon, and I do not want to be found out. Though, being sneaky is half the fun. You know what? I will join you and finish this letter later.
Before I go – you just changed your song to "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" by James Brown. Goodness me, Henry, I didn't know you had such tastes.
…
It is night time now, and it was a great day. I'm glad I was able to talk you into letting me go horseback riding while you hung out with Aunt Quemi for lessons. I hope I didn't offend you, but I just needed some time on my own. Plus, I wanted to finish this letter without you seeing. It's going to be a surprise.
I've also decided what I am going to do with these letters for this week: I'm going to make them into a documentary so you do not forget your time here in Stallion Run, Nevada. So I shall start with yesterday.
December 13th
When you arrived in our little town, I decided to play a little trick on you. I was rather filthy from going with Uncle Kiewo and a few of the ranch hands to round up some of the cattle that got loose due to a broken fence in the southern pasture. It took us almost two days. It was a lot of hard work, but fun. We rounded up all the steers. And then I decided I would camp out about a mile from town. I kept two horses with me: Vesper and Gingersnap. That was the 12th.
And then around noon on the 13th, I rode into town on Vesper, leaving Gingersnap in the nearby pasture. Everyone knows Ginger belongs to us, and wouldn't steal her. We're a town full of trusting neighbors. We work together.
Well, all except the Reeds. John Reed is a human who does not like how friendly the town is. He and his family moved in about a year ago. His sons are so rude! He has four: Two older named Reese – he's 17 – and Imp – 15. The younger boys are Eevan, 12, and Umon, 10. The younger boys like to chase my cousins around and bully them on the bus, and the older boys talk rudely to me.
I do not know what their problem is. Uncle thinks it is because Mr. Reed came from a successful farm down in Texas, but had hit hard times before they moved here. Failed crops due to a drought. So they packed up and moved up here.
They also do not like the cattle or wild horse herds that roam the land. Claimed that they were ruining the crops. As if. The Reed Farm is far from the lands where the wild horses run, and there was only one case where the cattle broke through onto the farmland. And that was recently. Our fence broke – as stated above – and apparently Reese and Imp had been neglecting their chores on their father's farm and didn't check their fence either, so there were two broken fences.
Long story short, our cattle ended up on their farm, and Mr. Reed was ready to shoot them. Uncle was thankfully able to remedy the situation. After all, there were no seeds planted in the ground and no crops. If anything, the ground had been fertilized.
Oh! Perhaps I should mention that Stallion Run is a fairly odd area. It never gets too cold or hot here. A few times it will dip below 40°, but other than that, it's usually over 50° in December and January, and between 60° and 80° the rest of the year. Isn't that neat? Of course, I do miss the snow. I can't wait to go back to Nashville.
Anyway, I rode into town and spoke to Sheriff Loess, telling him of the plan I had. He laughed and told me to have fun.
Only an hour later, you arrived, and after I watched you look around for a few minutes, I moved in. I lassoed you up – remind me to thank Aunt Q for lessons – and when you tried to escape, I hopped down and hogtied you!
I am having trouble holding in my laughter now. Forgive me. You cussing and getting angry was something I'd never forget. It was glorious!
After an hour, we got to where I had made camp, and I got you off the horse and set you down. Of course, then you kicked me into the fire that I had been trying to light. You didn't hurt me! Don't worry or feel bad about it. It was fun to wrestle you.
I finally revealed myself, and you could hardly believe your eyes. Of course, you got upset when you thought you had hurt me after biting me. Trust me, I've had worse.
Oh, Henry, after that, we broke camp and I led you to town after I had thrown up – at the time, I couldn't figure why I had been doing so. You had almost fallen sideways off the saddle trying to help me, you dolt.
We went to Doc Brown's, and he gave us the news. We were to be parents.
We didn't have much time to celebrate, however, as we had to get back to the ranch before night fell. I introduced you to my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins, and then we had dinner and went to sleep. Well, you did. I sat up to think and write last night's letter.
December 14th
Early this morning, after my cousins went off to school in their bus, you got up and took a shower (see start of letter), and I eventually joined you. Muahahaha. That was entertaining.
After that, I decided to show you around the ranch. I took you out to see the sheep and cattle, and then I took you to the stables. You seemed to really like Kiko, and he to you.
For the next hour, you and I fed and then exercised them in the yard before letting them loose in the small pasture for the nursing mares and foals. I saw how happy it made you watching them play around with the other foals. There were only five others: A Paint filly named Galaxy, a Thoroughbred colt named Jonah, two gray colts named Moe and Larry, and a young, golden filly with a red mane named Sunburst.
Sunburst is one of my favorites, and I think it would be nice for her and Kiko to breed. She's so beautiful! Think of the foals they would produce! Champions.
And then you surprised me. You went right over to Aunt Q and asked her a price on the filly.
What surprised me even more was the fact that she cut the price down to $200 from the normal $800 and said that it was a wedding present. Well, she actually said Sunburst was free, but you offered to pay her however much she wanted, and finally – with prompting – she settled with $200.
I began crying. I asked you how we were going to affording keeping two horses, and you told me not to worry about it.
I then had to excuse myself and I rode up to the hill overlooking the wild herd. Someday I will bring you up here.
It's beginning to get dark, so I will head home.
Yours Forever,
Helena Taylor
He read a few more before putting them away. He missed their two horses, whom they unfortunately had to sell in the 80s after hitting a roadblock with the band. It was at that point the band had gone with a new promoter and manager, Rip… Rip… Oh, he couldn't remember the name. Bah, who cared? Rip Holland? Yeah, that was it! Dick.
The last treasure he found was in his pocket, where it had been ever since it had been brought to him by Méngméng and Zeb. Trista's bracelet, lost on the day she vanished in the twister. He never thought he would see it again, and now that he had it back, he knew it belonged up here with the rest of her things. Silently, he took it over to her old crib and set it within, right on the arm of the teddy bear.
As he finally sat down in the swivel chair before the desk, he sighed softly. Briefly, he wondered why he had never shown this place to Beary. Never brought him up here to see the things that belonged to his mother, or to know of his lost sister, though the cub had asked about the area numerous times.
It was too late now, unfortunately. They were both gone. All of them were. He was the only one left.
As he turned to face the desk, Henry knew he would soon join them.
Henry picked up the pill bottle, frowning as he turned it over a few times. He popped it open with his thumb and began to shake the contents out into his palm. He paused briefly to look at the small mark on his left paw. It was of two Celtic trinities on either side of a heart with a crown. He and Helen both shared the mark. It was not a tattoo, however.
In the Ursinya culture, a mark such as that on the left paw of two bears [be it heterosexual or homosexual] was formed when two souls meant for each other fell in love and shared an intimate moment, such as a kiss. They were called Aeternaque Foedera, or Eternal Bond, and said to be mystical in nature, given to the duo by the Mother Goddess, Ursute, herself.
It was the one thing he had shared with Helen that he could neither hide nor forget.
He shifted the pills to his other paw, clenching the one with the mark tightly.
That was when the lid of the desk began to rattle, startling the older bear so much that he fell backwards with a crash, scatting the pills everywhere.
Shaking, he got up and glared at the desk, his eyes wide with terror. He jumped when it rattled again.
He frowned and looked at the skylight. "Helen? Are you trying to tell me something? You don't want me to join you?"
In answer, the desk rattled again.
That's when Henry realized what was wrong. He pulled the rose skeleton key from his pocket once more and approached the desk lock. This lock, too, he had had custom made for his beloved wife so that she would only need one key for her room and desk.
As the key neared, the desk seemed to calm down, allowing him to unlock it and lift the lid.
Inside was a large, bulky, faded envelope. What was this? He had never seen it before, at least not that he could remember.
Studying it, he blinked. It was addressed to him. From Helena. There was no mistaking her calligraphy.
To my loving husband, for when you are most in need. From your darling, way to appeal to your vanity, Helen. How about from your devoted, no, that's still not right. One more time. From your loving wife, Helena.
PS – I think that one works the best. Hehe!
He cracked a small smile as he gently ran a finger over the penmanship, bringing the envelope up to his nose. It still smelled like her.
This was the last thing she had ever given him. Did he dare open it? Was she telling him it was finally time? Shaking slightly, he carefully ripped along the edge and pulled it apart.
Inside, he found what appeared to be a cassette tape in a case, sheet music, and a letter.
With trembling paws, he opened the letter.
Dearest Henry,
I know how worried you are about me and our unborn child. You have every right to be. I fear that I will soon not be with you. In our last conversation, Jacob told me that he had seen a future where I was gone. I didn't tell you before because I knew you would never allow me to go into hiding. That would have put our child into danger as well.
I pray his prediction does not come to pass. However, in case it does, I have enclosed the following in the hopes that when you are most in need, it will find you.
I can feel our little one kick at my insides. Oh, he is a feisty one. No, I do not know the gender, but I think he might be male. Oh, I do hope so. Then you can have your son!
If only Trista were here to see this day. To be an older sister! But alas, I lost her. Let the terrible winds rip her from my paws. I will never forgive myself for failing her and you.
That is neither here nor now. Henry, I will not always be here for you. I know I won't be. I have felt it for a long time. I am weary, my love, but I will always be watching over you. I have enclosed a gift for you: my last song. I've written it just for you. You can thank Trixie for the years of piano lessons.
Forever yours,
Helena Taylor
PS – I've also included several letters in the upper drawer, one for each of our Bears. Please see that they get them, should you ever meet them again. There is also one for our son and Big Al.
Tearing up, he looked at the rest of the contents of her letter to him, after pulling out the eight other letters and setting them down. A cassette tape. Sheet music. A way to hear her voice again.
Cassette tape.
He bolted upright, picking up all the letters and the tape and music. He had to find a stereo! Anything that would play the precious artifact!
His eyes focused on the lights and sounds booth on the right side of the stage. Stuffing the entire contents of the packages in his vest, he dashed out of the room, leaving the door ajar, and went down the spiral staircase.
Big Al hopped out of the way as his brother-in-law stormed past him like a bat out of hell. "Henry? What on earth has gotten into you?" he asked, following him.
The grizzly ignored him as he raced up to the stage and over to the booth. To his utter dismay, he found that the old stereo system was gone, replaced by one that ran a CD. When had Al done that?!
"You admirin' Buela? She's a beaut, ain't she?" The gray bear grinned as he lovingly stroked the machine.
"Where is the other one?"
"Oh, I dumped it months ago. It just up and died. Nothing I could do to fix it. You signed the order for a new one, remember?"
His ears flattened and his gaze lowered.
Al didn't notice as he began to go on about the new stereo system. "It even comes with a single cassette player, though I don't know why. No one uses them anymore. I almost want to take it out."
Henry immediately perked up. "Cassette player?! Where? Show me!"
"Whoa! Calm down. It's right there," Al said, pointing to it and then batting Henry's paw away. "Oi! You don't know how to work this one! Last time I got a new toy, you broke it! What do you need it for anywho?"
The pepper bear scowled and then thrust the cassette tape at him. "Play this. Now. Please..."
Al raised an eyebrow and took it, studying it. "Last Song? Henry, what is this?"
"H-Helen's last song... She wrote and recorded it and... and I just found it up in the room..."
His eyes widened in surprise. "You actually went up there? You haven't done that in years! What brought this on?"
Henry knew he couldn't tell him the truth. "Alan, please just play it! I have to hear her voice!"
"Okay, okay! Keep yer vest on, ya twit." Al turned on the system, pressed a few buttons, and put the cassette in. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he pressed play.
Immediately, the Hall was filled with Helen Taylor's melodious voice, a mixture of soprano, alto, and tenor. Powerful and full of emotion. A piano accompanied her.
So lately
been wondering
Who will be there
To take my place?
When I'm gone
You'll need love
To light the shadows
On your face.
Unbeknownst to Henry and Al, across the grounds Helen's voice was carried and heard by all who resided by the music hall. The outside speakers had accidentally switched on. One by one, surprised and delightfully confused, they made their way to the Hall, pulled by the memories.
All of them had been close to the she-bear that had welcomed them into her home and life with open arms. She had been like a mother to them all.
If a great wave shall fall
It'd fall upon us all.
And between the sand and stone
Could you make it on your own?
If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go.
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go.
Méngméng was out of town, so Zeb sat alone on the stage steps, he thought about how Henry and Helen had taken him in when he had immigrated to the country from Scotland at the age of nine in early 1975 in the hopes to live with his older brother, Zeke, since his aunt and uncle could no longer care for him due to poverty – they had saved up everything in order to send him to America in hopes of a better life for him. The years of paperwork had taken its toll.
When he had arrived in New York, he had learned that his older brother had been killed in a construction accident a week prior to his arrival. That was how he met eighteen-year-old Theodore Bedderhead, who had worked with his brother and had come to pick him up. Ted and his family took him in for a while, and Theodore's father gave him a job as water boy for the construction company when on site [though they thought he was older]. Even paid him a little, too! They allowed him to add stain and varnish to the wood that needed it, as well.
Then, in 1975, after a tornado devastated the town of Pendleton, Tennessee, the Bedderhead and Sons Co. offered their services to Henry and Helen Taylor, who had lost everything in the twister. After all, Bedderhead and Sons Co. was planning on opening a sister branch in Nashville, and this had just sealed the deal.
From there until early January 1976, they rebuilt the Hall and the cabins that surrounded it. It was also during this time that the band had met and formed their group after Henry Taylor had suggested it when he had heard them play a fun little tune they dubbed Bear Mountain Hop.
It was at the talent show on September 19, 1976, that they got their record deal. Just a month before he turned ten.
Not that anyone but Ted knew. Being a nine-year-old on his own, Zeb had been nervous about meeting people on his own. So he had lied to everyone, claiming he was five years older than his actual age. He could pull it off, too, given that he was fairly tall for his age, and his voice had shifted early with puberty, as was common with bears. Although, most bears didn't hit puberty until the age of eleven.
His aunt and uncle had helped with the lie by falsifying his information on the immigration papers, stating he was fifteen instead of nine. It was the only way he would be allowed to travel and come into the country without a guardian. It was now what was listed on his ID, and how he ended up going to high school before junior high – something he suffered greatly for, as he had had barely any education to begin with. On his uncle's farm, he had to drop out of school at the age of eight to help out when times got tough. His Aunt Tyra tried her best to help him with his education, but it did very little.
Later, they would find out he was dyslexic, which accounted for part of his low grades.
He had only been ten when the band was formed. Everything else said otherwise. Eventually, he all but forgot the truth. Only a select few knew his real age. Among them was Ted, Henry, and Helen.
It was in 1976, just a week after the talent show, Henry and Helen took him in after Ted had told them the truth about his age. The reason for Ted's betrayal was that Theodore had told his father that he was leaving the company to become a musician, along with Fred, his father had blown a gasket and had thrown all three of them out. Fred and Ted had gotten an apartment in Nashville, but didn't have enough money to afford to care for Zeb.
Henry and Helen, though shocked and rather dismayed that Zeb had lied to them about his age during the talent show – and rather surprised at how well he had fooled them – welcomed him into their home with open arms.
Helen had become a second mother to him, and Henry a father, both second only to his aunt and uncle. They had given him a new name and life. He had once been called Alec Seillean, but his family and friends had called him Zebra due to the lighter auburn stripes the coated his body, something he had been born with. As a result, people began calling him Zebra.
Eventually, the name stuck, and everyone calling him Zebra, but shortened it to Zeb. He had never officially changed his name from Alec, and merely allowed himself to be called by his nickname. A few years later, he did make the change official. He had also changed his last name to Zoober after an old Scottish hero his Aunt Tyra had told him about almost every night.
His stripes were still there, but as his entire furry body had been bleached each year from red to amber, they became harder and harder to see. One wouldn't know they were there unless you were looking for them. However, now they were there for the world to see after talking to Méngméng, who convinced him to reveal them once more, as they were a part of him. His fur had returned to a deeper auburn and the lighter stripes returned.
The members of the band knew that his name was Alec, but he was positive most of them, other than Ted, had forgotten at some point in time. He had never told him to call him anything other than Zeb, after all.
As for Henry and Helen, they would occasionally call him by his real name, but promised not to do so near any of the vulture reporters. They helped him create a new identity with the name Zeb Zoober, a bear who was born near Yosemite National Park in 1961. After a while, his accent had diminished quite a bit, and no one knew [other than, again, a select few] that he was an immigrant.
Every night, Helen would sing him to sleep after helping him with his homework – he ended up never graduating, unfortunately, due to being so far behind and feeling rather foolish for being so far behind others his age. Also the bullies, the worst incident that had Henry and Helen pull him out of high school was when they [the bullies] jumped him after school one day and tied him to a tree. They put a noose around his neck and pinned his arms behind him before tying them to the trunk. No one found him for nearly six hours, and by the time they did, he had almost choked to death, his legs unable to support him any longer. He spent almost a week in the hospital.
Oh, the members of the band were most furious, and if Henry and Big Al hadn't held them back, they might have murdered the jerks. As such, the bullies spent quite a few years in jail. For years, Zeb didn't know why they had done what they did. Eventually, he found out that it had been a dare simply because of his accent and his stripes, and they had been the ones who turned themselves into the police after realizing no one could find him. They had also told the cops where to find him as well.
He would always run to Helen's arms when he needed someone to talk to. When the older band members got into fights, he would hide behind her out of fear of being hit by the angry bears. The fear was rooted deep in his past when his father would hurt him before his aunt and uncle took custody and his father ended up committing suicide. There was another incident with his father that gave him a deep-rooted fear of water.
He didn't like thinking about it.
He had repaid her by getting into honey. He had abused her trust and as soon as he was "officially" twenty-one according to his ID, had gone to a bar. He was hooked.
Zeb could still see her disappointed gaze when she picked him up one night from jail.
And now, hearing her voice brought back so many forgotten memories. The happy times where she had given him all the motherly love he craved.
His eyes drifted up to the ceiling of the Hall, almost seeing her sitting on the rafters, listening to them playing on stage, or up in her little hideaway that they had built just for her. He could almost see her joyful expression as she joked around with them, her waterfall of hair hanging down nearly five feet.
Gods, he missed her.
He had been able to see her in Beary, in his laughter and in his eyes. And now... that was gone.
And maybe
I'll find out
The way to make
It back someday
To watch you
To guide you
Through the darkest
Of your days.
Ted settled in atop the main balcony, holding Jade's paw as he smiled gently. He had just gotten home from working in Nashville at the company, and tiredly pulled off his tie, though Jade whispered in his ear that she liked a bear in uniform.
He had heard the music in the parking lot, and curiously had gone to check it out, Jade joining him as she had arrived the same time he had.
As the melody filled his head, he drifted back to simpler times, before the band broke up. Back to where it had all began. Well, a few years after that. When Henry was away in Nashville, over an hour away, at work, Helen would help out around the band.
When all the members finally moved out to the Hall – mainly for convenience, instead of having to drive nearly an hour each time they'd go out there [for Tennessee, it was even longer, since he had lived in Memphis at the time, it took him over three hours to drive to Pendleton and had considered quitting the band for that very reason, but had at last decided to stay] – Helen helped them move in and feel at home. Hell, she had even picked up and washed their laundry once a week! Even cleaned their cabins while they were away at a concert! She cooked them dinner, too!
Ted remembered how he used to object to this, feeling that he was taking advantage of her. Besides, she should only have had to do it for Zeb. Helen had insisted upon it, telling him that he and his friends already had their paws full with the band. Finally, he had given up arguing with her.
One day, when Henry had been away at work, Ted had been walking with Zeb over the grounds. This was just a few months after Zeb had come to live at the Hall, and almost a year before Fred and Ted did the same. He could still remember the day perfectly...
FLASHBACK
"So, how are things going, Alec?" the black bear asked as he walked alongside the precocious ten-year-old [who claimed to be fifteen]. "Do you like it here?" He looked around at the softly falling snow that January morning. The snow was up to their ankles, but neither of them minded very much. The snow wasn't that cold to them.
Ted had driven all the way to the Hall simply for his weekly walk with the cub. He still felt a tremendous amount of guilt over the death of the auburn cub's brother's death.
It had been his fault for not being where he should have been. He had been working side by side with twenty-three-year-old Zeke the day it happened, and had gone down to lunch a few minutes earlier than he should have, thinking that the next bit of work wouldn't start for another hour when they would guide a beam into place.
Because of that, he couldn't save his friend. Zeke had wanted to get the part finished, and thought he could guide it on his own. Then, one of the crane cables snapped. The beam immediately swung out and knocked the Scottish bear off the corner strut he had been working on.
He fell more than ten stories.
Theodore could never erase the moment from his mind. Especially the last conversation they had had just a few minutes before the accident. Zeke had told him about his excitement that his baby brother was coming to live with him. He had gone out and purchased a larger apartment, fresh clothes for his brother, and had the pantry stocked with all sorts of snacks and treats. He then had let Ted in on a secret: That his Aunt and Uncle had lied about his brother's age in order to have him immigrate on his own.
Ted had been rather surprised at this, but promised not to say anything.
Zeke solemnly then asked Ted that if anything ever happened to him, he would take Alec under his wing.
It was after that he had decided to head down to lunch early, with Zeke laughing and telling he'd join him on the ground shortly.
A week later, Ted was driving alone to meet Zeb at the immigration office in New York.
"A'm daein' a' richt. Hendrie 'n' Helen ur gey kind tae me. Ah huv a go tae hulp oot th' best ah kin tae earn mah keep, though thay say ah dinnae hae tae. Ah aye cop a bawherr odd, though. Ah hardly ken thaim, 'n' yit a'm bidyin wi' thaim. Ah lik' thaim enough, bit ah wish ah cuid hae stayed wi' mah brother. Ah haven't bin able tae git ahold o' mah Aunt or Uncle, either. Ah thought thay wid hae cried fur me tae come back awready. Ah suppose thay dinnae waant me. Bit a'm used tae it. Na yin pure wants me fur lang. It'll ainlie be a maiter o' time afore a'm shipped aff tae anither steid," the cub interrupted with a thick Scottish accent.
Ted blinked, trying to decipher the accent. He knew the cub was speaking a form of English, but his accent... He stopped and turned to face the cub that was almost two inches taller than himself, something he was envious of. "Hey, now you stop that. From what I understand, your Aunt and Uncle sent you here because they could not afford to feed you and didn't want you to starve. They wanted a better life for you.
"That aye doesn't explain how come ye kicked me oot."
"Kiddo, I did not kick you out. I asked them to care for you because you needed parental figures in your life. I didn't want to screw you up, little one. I'm not the best guy to ask to be a father. I'm not much of a family guy. Henry and Helen are good people. They will give you all the love you need. Fred and I do not have the resources at the moment to care for you." Ted's ears flattened and he sighed. "Can you truthfully tell me you are not happy here?"
Alec bit his lip and seemed to think about it. "Ah suppose a'm happy 'ere. Juist tae stubborn tae see it. 'n' a bawherr nervous."
"And what are the pair of you doing out here?"
Both bears jumped in surprise, turning to look at the white faced she-bear whose single white ear flicked in amusement as she brushed a strand of her white/brown hair out of her face.
"Helen, what are you doing out here? You've just gotten over a cold!" Ted scolded, laughing a little. Nothing could keep the pretty she-bear bedridden for long. Well, other than Henry, going on how Ted had accidentally walked in on them about two weeks ago.
"Bah. Cold-smold. I don't like being cooped up. Besides, I wanted to speak with you." She then looked at Zeb and smiled gently. "And how are you doing? Haven't seen you in a while, little one. I'm sorry I've been cooped up. I didn't want you getting ill, too."
"A'm a' richt."
"No, you're not all right. You were mighty upset... Henry told me about it." She sighed softly and shook her head. "Don't worry, little one. A little cold isn't going to kill me."
Zeb blushed in response.
Ted raised an eyebrow. "Why were you searching for me?"
This time, Helen blushed and became immediately flustered. "I... I wanted to give you something. I know you g-guys are a bit stuck, and I... I wanted to help." She held out a small notebook with a golden cover. Silver music notes and bars decorated it.
The black bear and auburn cub glanced at each other for a moment. "Maybe we should go inside and look at this. The others should be here by now."
Her blush turned deeper. "Y-You're r-right."
They returned to the Hall in five minutes, and Helen had handed over the book to the band, who were now seated around her dining room table. Zeb had just returned from getting her a blanket and putting it around her shoulders.
"Thank you, Alec. Er, I mean, Zeb. Sorry, honey," she thanked.
Zeb tried his hardest to ignore the snickers from Tennessee and Fred. The pair of them always thought it was silly for a "fifteen"-year-old to be called such petnames like "honey". He sat hurriedly down, folding his arms on the table and resting his head on them.
Ted scowled at his brother and looked through the notebook. "Helen, some of these are very good. Whenever did you write them?"
"Well, I... I wrote them in high school."
"Why are you not singing them yourself? I've heard you sing. You have a lovely voice. Surely Henry gave you a record deal."
Her ears and gaze lowered in sadness. "I'm not allowed to have one. I'm family. We're not allowed to... And I can't sign with anyone else, lest that be seen as competition. Save your pity. I... I've given up on that dream."
Ted frowned and then glanced at the others, who nodded and got up, following him out of the room.
By the time they returned, nearly fifteen minutes had passed, and Helen had fallen asleep at the table.
Chuckling softly, Ted and Fred picked her up and carried her to her room while Zeb and Tennessee followed behind with her blanket and the pillow they had found on the couch.
Ted and Zeb remained behind, getting her settled and comfortable.
Just before he left, Ted leaned over and whispered in her ear, "We won't do the song without you."
END FLASHBACK
It was true, actually. The original recording contained Helen singing the part "Been thinking about you and me, and how this love was meant to be" with Henry. It was released with their first album. Sadly, the board of directors got wind of it and threatened to cancel their contract and vote Henry out if they ever did it again. They went to such measure to recall all copies of the album, claiming there was a defect, and even tried to take the band to court for a breach of contract.
The accusation didn't hold up, however, but it shook Helen up so badly that she refused to sing in a studio ever again. Henry had been absolutely furious and had threatened to quit, but Helen persuaded him not to. It wasn't worth it.
Ted still felt guilty over it. All her talent had been wasted because of one little clause in the company guidelines. Henry had tried to change it, but the board wasn't listening. Ted found the whole situation ridiculous, unable to figure out why they would do something like that.
At least he could now hear her sing one last time. Did she ever sing to her son? He hoped so.
Slowly, the black bear closed his eyes, sighing softly.
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