Faith Hope Love Repeat pt.29
At school, Guthrie and his friends sat around waiting for school to start.
"I hear the dance is on Monday. Are you guys going?" Zane asked.
"Yeah." Jenny answered.
"Do you guys have dates to the dance?"
"Sort of. Eddie does and usually Guthrie and I go together."
"Oh."
That afternoon, when they got off the bus, Eddie walked his girlfriend home. Zane ran up to Jenny.
"Jenny, wait up." Zane said. Jenny waited for Zane. "Can I walk you home?"
"Sure." Jenny answered. They walked to Jenny's house and talked a little.
"I really like you, Jenny."
"We just met."
"I know, but there's something about you that I really like. You're pretty and nice and I want to take you to the dance on Monday."
"Oh. Well, I usually go with Guthrie."
"But has he asked you yet?"
"Not yet."
"It's just one dance."
"I'll think about it."
"OK."
Meanwhile, Guthrie and Zuzana were talking.
"So are Jenny and you just friends?" Zuzana wondered.
"Not really. We like each other. She was actually my first kiss." Guthrie answered.
"Oh."
"Why?"
"It's just... it'd be weird if I went to the dance with my brother and no one really likes me. Eddie has a date."
"Oh, I see. I'd take you out, Zuzana, but I think Jenny expects me to take her to the dance."
"I see."
"But we can still get to know each other."
They talked to Zuzana's house and then Guthrie went home. He walked inside Daniel and Dakota's house and saw Molly in the kitchen.
"WHat's wrong?" Molly wondered when she saw how gloomy Guthrie was.
"Nothing." Guthrie lied.
"Uh-huh. So, why are you upset?"
"Zuzana wants me to take her to the dance on Monday and I want to take her, I really do, but... I don't want to hurt Jenny."
"Oh. The dance is on Monday. Today is Tuesday. Maybe if you get to know her a little more, the decision will be clear."
Jenny huffed while she did her homework.
"What's wrong, Jenny?" Tom asked.
"Zane asked if I'd go to the dance with him and I want to, but I don't want to let Guthrie down. We always go together." Jenny answered.
"Well, you and Guthrie are just good friends, right?"
"Well, yeah."
"But..."
"We kissed back in February. I like Guthrie and he likes me, but I also like Zane and I don't know what to do."
"Well, Guthrie will understand either way. You know that."
"But remember what happened at the last dance. Guthrie went through all of that for me. I feel like I'd be betraying him if I went with Zane."
Tom sighed and smiled.
"Get to know Zane a little more. The dance is Monday and you don't have to decide till Sunday. Get to know Zane and see how Guthrie responds. Maybe, he'd want you to go with Zane." Tom suggested. Jenny nodded.
Adam watched Tea, Silver, and Callie. Callie was caring for the puppies and it was obvious the love she had for Tea and Silver. Evan walked in and sighed.
"The sick animals are being taken care of right now." Evan said. "How's Callie?"
"She's good. She's very happy right now." Adam answered.
"She looks it."
Adam walked over to Callie and sat down and rubbed her head.
"Good girl." Adam whispered. Callie was happy around Adam.
"She likes you." Evan answered.
"She's a good girl."
Riley walked in with a kitty in her arms.
"Daddy, can I keep this kitty?" Riley asked as she showed Adam the kitten.
"It depends on if she likes the dogs." Adam answered. "Where did you find her?"
"She was in the pumpkin patch. I'll name her Pumpkin."
"Ok, honey."
Riley put Pumpkin on the floor and Pumpkin meowed and roamed around. Riley played with Pumpkin for a while. Briana crawled in and used Adam to stand up. Adam pulled her onto his lap and Briana curled up against Adam's chest.
"Someone's fussy." Adam said. Hannah walked in and sat down on the couch. Adam walked over and sat down next to her. Briana reached out to Hannah who smiled and picked her up.
Over the next few days, Guthrie and Jenny got to know the twins and they both started having conflicting feelings. Guthrie loved Zuzana's energy. She was a tomboy, but she wasn't a bully instead, she was gentle. She was very talkative but she also enjoyed listening.
Jenny loved Zane's fearlessness and strength. He was compassionate and kind, but he liked to be active. He was quiet, but it was so that he could watch and listen to the world around him.
Saturday came and Tom saw Adam working with the horses.
"Hey, Adam, can I talk to you for a minute?" Tom asked.
"Sure." Adam answered. Adam walked over and sighed. "You're here about Guthrie, Jenny, and the twins."
"Yeah, I am. Jenny's having a hard time deciding who she wants to go out with."
"Guthrie is too. Guthrie won't talk to me. He keeps saying that he needs to figure this out on his own and I respect that."
"Jenny's talked to me about it, but I think they need to talk to each other."
"Well, Jenny's with Hannah and Dakota. I can get Guthrie in there and maybe, we can get this settled."
"I was hoping you'd help."
Adam saw Guthrie and nodded at Tom.
"Guthrie, Hannah has lunch ready in the house." Adam said.
"I'm not hungry." Guthrie answered.
"Liar. You're always hungry. Let's go."
Adam walked out of the corral and grabbed Guthrie and dragged him inside.
"Adam, Jenny's in there." Guthrie said.
"Exactly." Adam replied.
"I can't talk to her."
"Can't or won't?"
Guthrie sighed and walked into the kitchen. He sat down next to Jenny and smiled at her.
"Hi, Guthrie." Jenny mumbled.
"Hey." Guthrie answered.
"Are the twins coming over?" Hannah wondered.
"No. Zuzana has to clean her room."
"She's a nice girl." Jenny said.
"Yeah, she is. So are you." Guthrie answered. "I hear you and Zane have been hanging out a lot."
"Yeah. He's nice and he's different. What about you and Zuzana?"
"SHe's nice. She wants me to take her to the dance."
"What did you say?"
"That I usually take you."
"Oh. Zane asked if he could take me to the dance."
"What did you say?"
"That I usually went with you."
Adam sat down and sighed.
"You know, when I was your age, there was this girl that I was good friends with and we went to dances together so we didn't have to find dates for the dances, but then, I had a crush on another girl and she had a crush on a boy. We didn't want to hurt anyone. I wanted to go with the girl, but I didn't want to hurt Briana. She wanted to go with the boy, but she didn't want to hurt me. Finally, we sat down together and agreed that it'd be ok. We needed to start separating from each other. It's not like we'd be together forever. So, I went with the girl and she went with the boy. Sadly, it didn't work out and Briana and I ended up back together. The point is, are the two of you going together because you like each other or because it's what you've always done because it was easy? I know that the last dance caused the two of you to grow close, but now you both have people that you're interested in. Give them a chance. It may not work out in the end. No one knows what could happen. You guys can still hang out together. It doesn't have to be awkward." Adam explained.
"It might only be for this one dance." Jenny answered.
"You don't mind?" Guthrie wondered.
"No, do you?"
"I guess not."
"Ok."
Monday came and Guthrie took Zuzana to the dance while Zane took Jenny.
"Thanks, Guthrie." Zuzana said. "I hope this didn't ruin things between you and Jenny."
"Nah, we're fine." Guthrie answered. They sat down on a bench and looked around. "Wanna dance?"
"I don't really know how to tell you the truth."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Well, come on. I'll show you."
They stood up and Guthrie showed Zuzana how to dance. They looked over at Zane and Jenny who were dancing and enjoying themselves. Guthrie taught Zuzana how to dance and they enjoyed themselves. On their way home, they sat on a fallen log and looked up at the stars.
"Winter's coming fast." Zuzana said.
"Yeah. And so does the hard work. I have to be up early to shove the paths when it snows and it'll be harder to care of the animals." Guthrie answered.
"Will you have more rescues?"
"Maybe. Right now, we're really busy. With all of the puppies and kittens, it's a lot of work."
Zuzana and Guthrie went home and went to bed. The next morning, Guthrie woke up and went to do his chores. He saw that Adam was worried and he walked over.
"What's wrong?" Guthrie asked.
"Nothing really. I just got a call. There's a man near Sonora who's been abusive to his horses. He did and the people buying his house don't want them. We've been asked to bring them here. Problem is, where do we put them? The barn is full and the shelter for them hasn't been built yet." Adam answered.
"We'll think of something."
"I hope so."
Adam sighed and looked at Guthrie. For the first time, he realized that Guthrie was no longer the same little boy that used to cling to him.
"What?" Guthrie wondered.
"I just... I just realized that you're not the little kid that clung to me left and right. You'll be a man soon." Adam sighed.
"Sometimes I wish I was still a little kid. It's not easy being a teenager and I know it's not gonna get any better."
"Yeah. Sometimes, I miss those days. Those days when it was just us boys and Hannah. Those few years that we struggled together. Don't get me wrong; I love what we have here, but sometimes, it's a little overwhelming."
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
"So, how was last night?" Adam asked.
"Good. We all had fun." Guthrie sighed.
"You and Zuzana?"
"I really like her. I like Jenny, but... it's different with her. Jenny's like a sister to me. It's not like that with Zuzana."
"I bet."
Adam rubbed Guthrie's head and sighed.
"Let's finish up and then go eat breakfast." Adam suggested. They finished their chores and then went inside where breakfast was waiting. They ate breakfast and went on with their day.
Brian and Sam sat on the porch swing on Evan and Sally's porch.
"No one from my mom's side of the family is coming to the wedding. They all say I'm making a mistake." Sam sighed.
"Well, then it's their loss. We don't need them to be with us on our day. We just want them to celebrate it with us." Brian answered.
"My mom has made life so hard. I want her to be happy, but... I don't think that will ever happen."
"Well, then she can watch the world go by and not be a part of it."
"But I worry about my dad. He can't drive. Mom has to bring him here. And you know she won't."
"Sam, don't worry about that. I have some tricks up my sleeves." James said as he walked out.
"Thank you." Sam thanked. James walked away and Brian sighed.
"What else do we need?" Brian asked.
"I think we have everything. We have food and clothes and decorations for the wedding."
"Yeah. I can't think of anything else."
James saw Adam walking the horses around.
"You always had a way with horses." James said. "Just like your father."
"What would dad do about the horses?" Adam wondered.
"The horses that need rescuing?"
"Yeah."
"What about that old shed up on the hill near the Bartons?"
"It could work, but it's out of the way."
"Well, these horses are going to need peace and quiet. They'll get that up there. It'll work for a little while."
"Ok."
James could see how ill Adam was.
"Still in pain?" James asked.
"Grandpa, I don't want to talk about it." Adam mumbled.
"I see. Just like your parents, after being in pain for a while, you just want to move on and treat it like it's normal."
"That's because it is normal."
"Does it have to be?"
That afternoon, Adam, Brian, Crane, and Evan went to the property and saw the four horses. They carefully got them home and squared away.
AT the bus stop, the kids were getting off the bus and going home.
"Hey, Guthrie, wait up." Jenny said. Guthrie waited for Jenny. "So, how was it?"
"How was what?" Guthrie asked.
"Last night. How was it?"
"Oh, it was good. We had a lot of fun. What about you and Zane?"
"It was good. He's a really nice guy."
"Good."
"In fact, he wants to take me out on a date Friday night."
"I'm happy for you."
"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Ok."
Jenny walked away and Guthrie went home. He saw his brothers up at the shed with the horses. He ran up and saw how scared the horses were.
"Well, they're happy." Adam sighed.
"For now. We should have the shelter built in a couple of days." Evan answered.
"Good."
"How bad are they?" Guthrie wondered.
"Not as bad as we thought, but they're very thin and we need to get them healthy before winter or they won't even have a chance." Crane replied.
Down at the house, Hannah was home and she saw the kids in the playroom playing.
"Hi." Hannah said as she knelt down and allowed the kids to hug her. Briana stood up and walked over to Hannah. "Hey, when did you do that?"
"She just did it." Holly answered. Briana had a big smile on her face and Hannah smiled and kissed her cheeks. Adam walked up and Briana walked over to him.
"Hey, when did you start walking?" Adam wondered.
"Dadda." Briana answered. Adam picked Briana up and hugged her close.
"SHe started walking today. First, she walked to me and then to mommy and now, you." Riley explained.
"Well, she walks better than her brother." Adam replied. He hugged Briana close and blew raspberries on her belly. Briana cooed and giggled loudly. Adam smiled and sat down on the couch. Hannah sat down beside them and kissed Adam.
"How was your day?" Hannah wondered.
"Good." Adam sighed. "Yours?"
"Good. Ms. Kroft is a little under the weather."
"I can imagine."
"I heard about Sam. Her mother has really hurt her."
"Yeah. Now, with none of her mother's family coming, it's hurting Sam. She's trying to ignore it and brush it off, but that kind of thing hurts."
Holly and Riley were playing and then Holly slapped Riley.
"Holly!" Adam and Hannah exclaimed. Holly huffed and ran to her room and slammed the door shut.
"I'll go take care of her." Hannah suggested.
"Ok."
Riley sat on the floor crying and Adam reached his arms out and Riley ran up to him and they hugged.
"I didn't do anything." Riley sobbed.
"I know, honey. I know." Adam answered.
Hannah walked into the kids' room and saw Holly sitting on her bed pouting.
"What was that all about?" Hannah wondered. Holly hissed and Hannah sighed. "Hiss and your father will come in here with the belt. Understood?" Holly didn't answer. "Now what was that all about?"
"I didn't want to play with her." Holly mumbled.
"Does that mean you hit her? Hitting hurts, Holly. You could have just told Riley that you didn't want to play anymore and she would have left you alone. Your dad talked to her about that. You didn't have to hit her. Holly, what's wrong?"
"I want to be alone."
Hannah sat down in front of Holly and sighed.
"You know, I was an only child. I didn't have any brothers or sisters to play with. All I had was my kitty and she died when I was 7. Mom wanted me home all the time and she didn't like me playing with my friends. All I wanted, was someone to play with. Not my parents or an animal, but a kid my age. But my mommy wouldn't let me. When we moved to Denver, I had friends at school and we had fun together, but it wasn't like having a brother or a sister. You and Riley are very close. When we move back into our house, you'll get your space away from Riley, but don't let her suffer because you don't want to play. Sometimes, you have to do the hard thing and play even when you don't want to. Luke and Briana are not quite old enough to play with Briana like you can. Give her some time. And I think I can speak for your father when I say that if you hit any of your siblings again, You'll wish that a spanking was all you were gonna get." Hannah explained.
"Yes, ma'am." Holly answered.
"Now, go apologize."
Holly walked out of the bedroom and saw Riley sitting on Adam's lap.
"I'm sorry, Riley." Holly apologized.
"No, you're not." Riley answered.
"Riley, that's not what you say." Adam rebuked. "Go talk to your sister."
Riley got off of Adam's lap and Holly took Riley's hand and they walked down the stairs and sat on the steps halfway down.
"I'm sorry, Riley." Holly apologized again. "I shouldn't have hit you."
"I'm sorry for being myself." Riley mumbled. Holly looked down at her hands and then at Riley who was curled up looking away from Holly.
"I like playing with you, but sometimes, I want to be alone."
"I know."
"I just wanted to play by myself."
"Then you could have said so."
"I know. Do you forgive me?"
"I guess so."
The two girls sat sadly and quietly.
"I guess mommy and daddy should keep us apart forever." Holly suggested as she walked downstairs. Holly walked into the living room and started crying. Crane and Brian walked over and sat down next to her.
"What's wrong?" Brian asked.
"I hit Riley and now she's mad at me." Holly cried.
"Let me guess, you hit her one time too many?"
"Yes."
"Adam and I had that problem and so did me and Crane. It's normal, but... it doesn't make it right. Adam hit me once and he never did it again, but I hit Crane a lot. Adam wanted peace and quiet and I wanted to play. He didn't like that so he would tell me no. Then I'd go to Crane who wanted to play, but I was too rough."
"Yeah, he kept pushing me to the ground like he was Tigger. It didn't feel very nice." Crane answered. Holly smiled sadly.
"I said I was sorry." Holly mumbled.
"Sometimes, sorry doesn't cut it. You can say you're sorry, but if your hand strikes her again, then it means you lied which is worst. You've done that, haven't you?"
"Yes."
TBC
