48.

~ By the time Saturday arrived, Norma was convinced her life was heaven. Or as close to heaven as she was likely to be while still alive. Alex had all but moved into her home with the boys and she didn't know it was possible to be so happy. Just seeing his police SUV parked next to her green Mercedes, as if these objects belonged together and were a couple to, made her feel lighter than air.

Dylan had benefited from Alex being around to. Although he was still grounded, her oldest child was much calmer with Alex there.

Alex had been rather innovative with Dylan's punishment. The child having to learn to do some light yard work with him that morning. Norma watched Dylan clear the back yard of broken tree limbs so Alex could cut the grass. After that, there were all kinds of masculine jobs they were planning to do today. They were just lucky the sun was out that Saturday and the cold had simply vanished. It almost felt like summer rather than a week shy of Halloween.
"We have to run a few errands, Norma." Alex told her. "But I'll have him home before dark."
"Alex?" she questioned. He turned back to her. "I don't want him to have a good time with you. He's still grounded."

She knew exactly what would happen. They would go to awful fast food place and eat something horrible, then drive around town doing errands that Dylan would love because they weren't the kind of thing he did with his mom. Probably go to the hardware store or to an auto shop or something.

"I can blast some really terrible country music on the radio." Alex told her. "But that only punishes both of us."

"I think I have an old Conway Twitty tape." Norma grinned sarcastically.

"God, you're cruel." Alex laughed and kissed her goodbye before meeting Dylan outside.

~ "Where are we?" Dylan asked.

Alex had driven them to the family farm and up the drive to the house. He nodded to the tightly shuttered windows.
"This is the house I grew up in." he explained.
Dylan looked impressed.
"It's big." he said.
"It didn't used to be." Alex admitted. "When it was first built, a long time before my dad was even thought of, it had only one large room."

"Really? Where did everyone sleep?" Dylan asked.

Alex grinned.

"Everyone had shared just one room." he said.

"I don't like sharing a room with my brother." the little boy admitted.

Alex smiled.

"Dylan, I need you to help me take the storm shutters off the windows." he said. "It's very easy, and then we can work on the yard." he said.

The little boy had been just s eager to learn about storm shutters as he was about fishing or cutting the grass. Anything that had to do with 'Man's Work' was fascinating to him.

It took Alex, even with the riding lawnmower, the better part of two hours to mow all the grass on the property. Dylan had been good about picking up fallen branches.

"What do we do now? Dylan asked hopefully.

"Now?" Alex sighed. "We have to do some lights. Then, were going to do something to the barn."

"What?" Dylan asked.
"We have to paint it." Romero told him.

"Red?" the little boy asked nodding to the weathered and faded wood of the barn his father and grandfather built together. It was in serious need of a new paint job.

"No, we're going to paint part of it white." Alex explained.

"Why?"

"You'll see."

It took much longer than he'd have liked, but Alex was satisfied with the way everything looked when they were done. He was glad he had the electric hooked back up to the old house. He forgot how cheerful it looked when the storm shutters were off and light was flowing through the windows. It was like the house was simply asleep all these years. Waiting to be woken up and made a home again.

"What's in that old barn anyway?" Dylan asked when they were almost done.
"Lots of junk." Alex admitted. "Also a really cool old car. You wanna see?"

Dylan nodded and Romero let him charge ahead into the barn. The little boy breathed in delight at the sight of the what and blue and white classic sitting there with new tires and shining to a mirror finish.

"Wow!" the little boy exclaimed. "Is this your car?"

"It was my mother's car." Alex admitted. For the first time in recent memory, he didn't feel pain at mentioning his mother's passing. "She passed away and left it to me."

"Is it a boy car or a girl car?" Dylan asked.

"Cars and ships are always girls." Alex explained promptly.

"Why?"

"Because men love them and want to take care of them."

"What's her name?"

Alex laughed a little.
"I don't think we ever named this car." he admitted.

"Mom's car is 'the old girl'."

"Why don't you give her a name?" Alex offered.

"Lucy." Dylan said with very little thought. "Her name is Lucy."

"Very nice name." Alex agreed. "I think it suits her. Lucy it is."

"Do you still drive her?" Dylan asked.
"I haven't for a while. I had to put new tires on her and change all the fluids. You and I are going home in this car." Alex said proudly. "Then, I'm taking your mom out in it."
"Mom will love Lucy." Dylan said with wide eyes.
"I hope so." Alex agreed.

~ Norma had to put her youngest to bed early. The seizure medication making it hard for him to stay awake. The pharmacist told her he would get used to it, but she hated to see her son so sedated all the time.

All he wanted to do was sleep now.
"Mister Sandman, bring me a dream. Make him the cutest that I've ever seen." Norma sang while tucking him into bed. It was barely six and already Norman was dozing off. She had tried to keep him up till at least nightfall, but he wasn't going to make it. So she gave him dinner and his bath, and put him to bed.

"Sandman, I'm so alone. Don't have nobody to call my own. Please turn on your magic beam. Mister Sandman, bring me a dream." she sang. Her youngest chid already asleep and oblivious to the waking world.

She was lonely in the house with Norman asleep and Dylan and Alex gone. She'd been so used to the noises the boys made and found the quite and the solitude upsetting.

She cleaned for a little while an turned the radio on for company. She was glad when Dylan burst through the door with Alex a short time later.

Her oldest was dirty and sweaty and wore a big grin on his face.
"Mom!" he said excitedly. "Deputy Romero has a farm and we have Lucy outside-"

"Dylan!" Alex snapped.

Norma looked up to see Alex was signaling the child to be quite.
"Who's Lucy?" Norma asked suspiciously.

"No one." Alex said innocently.
"Dylan, if you've brought a dog home-"

"No, that's not it." Alex assured her.
"It's not a dog." Dylan grinned. "Can we have a dog?"

"No." Norma said quickly. "You have your turtle. Now, Norman is asleep and I want you to go wash up. I'll start dinner.

"I was actually going to tell you to go get changed." Alex said
Norma looked at him curiously. She hadn't noticed before, but he was dressed in a dark suit and tie. She wasn't used to seeing him looking like this. He was normally in his uniform or dressed in the layered shirts without end.

He looked very nice. Although she would never admit it.
"For what?" she asked she asked.

Alex looked like he was up to something.

"Just go get changed. Something nice, but comfortable." he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just go get changed."

"Tell me why."

"I'm trying to be romantic here, Norma."

"By telling me I need to change?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's very romantic. Gold star, deputy."

"Just go get changed and I'll order a pizza for the boys. I have a present for you." he explained.

Norma tried to gage exactly what was happening, but decided to just see what Alex had in mind instead of arguing with him.

She made Dylan start his bath first and then went to her room to re-dress. Nice but comfortable had a lot of meanings. Did Alex want to take her out? It would have been poor planning on his part. She didn't have a sitter for Norman and Dylan. Plus, Norman was still getting used to his medication. She wouldn't be able to leave him with a sitter anyway.

She got dressed, knowing full well that Alex hadn't thought this idea of his through and she would have to change again. At least there would be pizza and she wouldn't have to cook. She selected a dark blue dress with white lace around the hem. It was more of a summer dress, but she hadn't had the chance to wear it before now and today had been unseasonably warm.

She quickly slipped it on and admired how the carefully designed panels made the skirt flare out in that vintage style she wished would make a comeback. She combed out her hair and even put on a little make up. She may as well look the part.

When she came back out, Alex was talking to a young woman with dark hair and a hot pink bedazzled jacket.

She stopped short at the way they were both smiling at each other. Who was this woman and why was she in her home?

"Hello?" Norma asked this new visitor.

"Norma, this is Callie White." Alex explained. "She's the best baby sister in town."

"Hello." Callie said with a wave and a bright, girl-next-door smile.

"Nice to met you." Norma said suspiciously.

She turned to Alex.

"Babysitter?" she asked.

"We're going out so we need a sitter." he said.

Norma turned back to the infamous Callie White.
"Look, I don't know if you know this, but my youngest son has epilepsy and he's on a new medication."

"That means he may have a severe loss of appetite and the need for more sleep." Callie said sympathetically. "Those symptoms should level off after a few months."

Norma looked at the girl completely dumbfounded.

"I've been baby sitting a long time, Mrs. Bates. I'm also planning to go to nursing school after I finish college." Callie explained. "I've already logged in several hours as a student aide at the hospital."

"Told you she's the best." Alex explained. "She's also impossible to book and demanded a small fortune. So let's go."

He took, Norma's hand and she pulled away.
"What about Dylan?" she asked quickly. "He doesn't even know her."

"I think Dylan's cool with it." Alex said with a grin.

Norma was about to question that when her oldest son came out of his bedroom carrying the aquarium with the turtle in it.

"I introduced them." Alex explained quietly while Norma watched her son, obviously completely smitten by his new sitter tell her all about the turtle and how he cares for it.
"We can take him outside to." Dylan said.
"No." Norma told him. "It's almost dark out."

"We can do that next time. Lets just work on the craft projects I brought." Callie said. "I bet you're really good at them."

"I am." Dylan said confidently. His eyes were bight and Norma was sure he was already madly in love with this girl.
"We'll be home late. Money for the pizza is by the phone." Alex said to Callie. She nodded and waved at them.

"Norman's already asleep and Dylan had his bath. He goes to bed at eight thirty on a school night, but he can stay up an hour later on Saturdays." Norma explained.

"Take care of the house, buddy." Alex said to Dylan. "I'm counting on you."

Norma grabbed her purse, and reluctantly, let Alex push her to the door.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked once they were out on her porch. The fall air feeling like it was still summer on her skin.
"I'm sure we need a night out. Yes." Alex said.

"No, about a sitter with the boys." Norma asked.

"I'm sure Dylan will behave for Callie. Boys tend to be on their best behavior around a girl they really like."

"Well, that's simply not true." Norma said dryly. "You're never on your best behavior."

"Cute." Alex said with only mild annoyance.

She gave him a soft teasing smile that she knew meant he couldn't stay mad at her, and saw his eyes flicker with delight. Alex's hand was on the small of her back when they reached the driveway.

She spotted a pristine classic car sitting innocently in front of her garage. It was a late fifties model painted a lovely blue and white. It even had matching hub caps and white wall tires to complete the look.
"Who's car is that?" she nodded.
"Mine." Alex said casually.

"That's not your car." she laughed.

"Sure it is." he said. "He name is Lucy."

Norma looked at him in disbelief. She watched as his eyes moved over her dress in appreciation.
"You look perfect by the way." he said.
"Thank you. What are you up to?" she asked.
"Nothing." he grinned.
"Alex."

"Nothing." he said with an even wider grin. "Hop in, we're going out to dinner."