A/N – Thanks for the comments!
Chapter 61
They reached the cottage and stepped inside.
"Welcome home, Dad!" Danny said smiling.
Drew returned it. "Thank you."
"May I hug you?"
"I think I would like that."
They embraced as everyone watched.
Jake stepped forward. "Hi."
Drew pulled him into an embrace. "It's good to see you, Jake."
"You remember me?"
"Yes. I don't have all the feelings that go along with that, but I do remember you."
Jake wonders if it's permanent.
Cam hugged Drew and then Aidan.
Elizabeth retrieved Alana and when she saw her dad, she held her arms out and Drew practically melted.
"Hey, baby."
She bounced in his arms.
"She's so beautiful."
Danny smiled. He's so happy his dad is back. His memory is not perfect, but that's okay. He's here and that's all that matters.
Liz took a few pictures as Drew sat on the couch as the baby babbled like she was catching him up.
"You might have to take an extra job to pay for her phone bill," Francis said.
Drew grinned. "I think you might be right."
Jason smiled as Liz moved to his side near the door.
"He looks happy."
"Yeah."
"We all just deserve some peace and happiness and we're getting it if it's the last thing that I do."
Jason smirked and tucked her hand into his. They watched for a while longer and then Drew yawned and Monica kicked everyone out.
IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi
For the next two weeks, Drew recovered and tried to get a handle on his new life and being a single dad. His emotions were all over the place, but his family and friends were there for him.
Monica moved into the room.
"Are you going back home?"
She sighed. "I'm not sure. These last few weeks have been nice."
"What are you saying?"
"Well, maybe I should retire closer to you and Jason."
"Really?"
"I feel a little guilty about Michael, but Ned and Tracy are still there. She travels a lot but at least he'll be around family."
"Wow. Are you sure?" He's just shocked that she'd move across the world for them.
Monica smiled. "Between you and Jason, I'm scared to leave you alone for five minutes."
Drew grinned.
"I just—the kids are here and my boys. Maybe I don't want to miss anything. I could go home and get things settled, spend the holidays with the family, and then when you move, I'll join you."
"So, you've made up your mind?"
"Yes."
There is a knock on the door and then Jason moved inside.
"Hey."
Drew stood. "Hey."
"What's going on?"
Monica smiled and then gripped Jason's hands. "Well, I've made a decision. I hope you'll be okay with it."
"What?"
"I want to live here when you move, so I can be around my sons and their children."
Jason is shocked.
"Well, does the silence mean you're okay with that?"
"Yes. I'm surprised, but I would feel better if you were closer."
"Good. I'm going to go in a few days. I'll spend the holidays with Michael and Ned and whoever wants to join us and then when you're ready in the spring, I'll return."
"I will make sure you get a private cottage."
"I don't need a lot of space."
"What about Alice?"
"Well, she can stay there at the house, or she can come with me on a new adventure."
Jason smirked. "I don't know if they have wrestling here."
Monica giggled. "She is way past wrestling years. I'll ask her when I get back. For now, I have a baby to spoil."
She went into the bedroom to tend to Alana.
"How do you feel about this?" Jason asked.
Drew shrugged. "She's been there for me and the parents I thought were mine are dead. It's nice to have a family again and the kids love her."
"Yeah. We're going to Tuscany in a few weeks. I'll take pictures. If all goes well and he agrees to a sale, we'll draw up some contracts. Johnny and Francis will be active investors as well as the boys. You had offered to run the farm."
"I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm a fast learner."
"From what I understand, not everyone is leaving with him, so they'll be people there to help us who believe in the company. We just have to get them to trust that we have their best interest at heart."
Drew nodded. "It sounds like a good challenge."
"Diane referred me to a lawyer here, so she'll get all the contacts together, and then we can move from there. I'm pretty confident we'll get the sale."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Are you doing this mostly for the boys?"
"I want them to have a good future and to have a good bond. I didn't have that before with AJ, but I was close to Emily. Knowing they'll be close and working together is the best gift."
Drew studied his brother. He's quiet for the most part, but when he speaks from his heart, he says a lot. "They are lucky to have you."
"I'm the lucky one. I threw it all away and let fear cloud my judgment. They are the best, and I wasted too many years pining when I could have just been with them. I was lucky and got another chance. I won't waste it."
"Did I have that with Sam?"
"Well, it was complicated. She chased you for years and then you had one night, and she got pregnant and it changed everything between you. In the end, you loved her, and you had a good life."
"Was I pining over Elizabeth?"
"Yes."
"This is awkward."
Jason slightly smiled. "Yeah. We worked through it. I wasn't meant to be with Sam. You would have had a good life with Elizabeth but—"
"Her heart was with you."
"She'll always love you, and trust me, having her in your corner is a good thing."
"I hope I find what you have someday."
"Oh, you will. I have a feeling my future wife won't stop until you do."
"Should I be scared?"
Jason chuckled at Drew's fearful expression. "You'll be fine."
"I know I probably sound like a coward, but maybe it's good I'm not drowning in grief right now and trying to deal with this brain mapping stuff.
It would have been overwhelming."
"You're doing fine. The kids are happy, and they seem to make you happy."
A smile lit up Drew's face. "They are great. I think they stole my heart the first time I saw them in a picture. Meeting them in person was the icing on the cake. Do you want to have more?"
"Yes, I do. I just have to get Elizabeth onboard."
"Good luck with that."
IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi
A week later, Elizabeth entered the doctor's office.
"Hi."
Jake is not with them because the doctor wanted to talk to them privately.
They sat across from him and waited.
"Jake is doing well. So far, he hasn't had any episodes at school. There was one time the teacher said something that almost triggered him, but Jake was able to control it. I don't think hypnosis is necessary anymore. What I've uncovered is that he was on a very regimented program. Most of it was Pavlovian conditioning. If he did something that pleased her, he was rewarded. If he disobeyed or refused her commands, he was punished. Some of the punishment was extreme for his age. I think a lot of that experience is what drove him to want to protect because that meant he was in control."
"Do you think he still wants to be an enforcer?" Elizabeth asked.
"No. I think the winery is a good diversion for him. He's very excited about it. Of course, once you have something in writing, I'll feel more comfortable with it. I'm leery about him getting his hopes up to high."
"We're going there in a few weeks and I'll probably know either way," Jason said.
"That's good. Jake is going to have his ups and downs, but I'm confident that by the time he hits his next birthday, the world is going to be a different place."
Liz smiled. "Is there anything else we can do?"
"Just keep doing what you're doing. It's working."
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done for Jake."
Dr. Messina smiled. "Thank you for trusting me. Jake has a great life ahead of him. I want to continue to solidify that. I told him we can start meeting once a week. It's part of allowing him to stand on his own and not rely on me."
Jason and Elizabeth left the office very happy with how their son is progressing. Life is good.
IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi
The trip to Tuscany has finally arrived. The plane landed and everyone excitedly debarked.
The boys had wanted to come along, so Jason made it happen. Francis and Johnny are along for the ride but Drew decided to stay home with the kids and bond further. He is doing well. The surgery was a success and aside from his disconnection to his feelings during the time he was Jason and after, he is okay and just adjusting to his new life. Alexis is joining them for Thanksgiving and makes regular calls to talk to the kids.
They piled into two SUV's and headed to Tuscany. The ride was beautiful, and Elizabeth can't wipe the smile off her face.
The property is amazing. The main house looks incredible and is the central point, while most of the other homesteads are towards the opposite edge of the property, there is a smaller house closer by which will be occupied by Drew, the kids, and possibly Monica. It's still walking distance, but enough room in between to give the family their privacy. If the boys choose to stay in one of the other cottages at some point, they'll get a golf cart so they can ride to the house easily.
An older man and woman moved toward them.
"You must be Jason," he said focusing on the man and woman holding hands.
"Yes. Buon Pomeriggio."
The woman smiled. "I'm Isabella and this is my husband James."
They shook hands.
"This is my fiancé, Elizabeth, and our sons, Cameron, Jake, and Aidan."
The boys smiled at his reference.
"What a beautiful family."
"Thank you. That is Francis and Johnny. They want to invest as well. My brother couldn't make it, but hopefully, you'll meet him next year."
They are happy that it will be a family run business. "Why don't we move to the veranda. The boys are probably hungry."
"They stay hungry," Elizabeth said making her chuckle.
They went to a covered dining area which isn't far from a giant pool, that has a very large table and chairs and it has various snacks and bread adorning it as well as some wine and olive oil.
"I thought we'd introduce you by having you taste last year's offerings," James said.
They were seated and James weaved a few stories about how they create the wine and olives which everyone listened to raptly.
"Very delicious," Elizabeth said after dipping some bread into the olive oil and vinegar concoction.
"It is," Francis added. So far, he has a good feeling about the place and can tell it is well run.
The couple is peppered with questions and answer them all. Once they were finished, the family was led on a tour of the three-story house. It's a rustic villa and the warmth and love put into it is evident.
"We thought about renting it out at one point, as a bed and breakfast, so we renovated."
"You did an outstanding job," Elizabeth. While the updates made it seems more modern, it still has the general feel of the original structure and the art and wall décor gave it an old-world charm.
"Could you imagine it as your home?" Isabella asked.
"Yes. I think I would love it here."
The couple observed as everyone toured and the boys chose rooms.
"What do you think?" she asked her husband in Italian.
"I like how much they get along and you can tell there is a lot of love there. I don't think the youngest is Jason's, but he is treated like he is." Aidan had mentioned his dad once.
"They are a beautiful family and based on the questions, I can tell they are taking this investment seriously. I didn't think we'd ever find someone to take it that we'd approve of. We put so much love into it and I don't want to see it just wilt away."
He squeezed his wife's hand. "The men have respect for each other too. I want to make sure the workers are taken care of." Some had worked for them for many years.
"They did say they don't want to change a lot, especially at first. That's smart. They need to get a lay of the land and understand the business more. That's my only concern."
"I like they are willing to learn. It's apparent that Jason has read a lot to prepare." The fact that it will be a family business pleases him greatly.
"We should go with our instincts then."
James smiled. "I agree. I'll pull him aside later."
Everyone met downstairs.
"Jason, may we take a little walk?"
"Sure…"
They went outside and walked toward the fields.
"This winery has been my life's work. I'm proud of every detail and sacrifice we've made. You can understand why I have been so cautious, no?"
Jason nodded. "I do and respect you for it. You've created a high-quality product and I know that we don't have a lot of experience, but we're humble enough to put our egos aside and learn. I ran a coffee warehouse for a long time, so I'm not completely green."
"And you're making Italy your permanent home?"
"Yes. The kids love it and we have family and friends here too. I can't imagine going back to where we lived before."
He can see a flicker of pain in Jason's eyes.
"Your offer for the property is generous. I'd like to sit down with you again tomorrow and have you meet my staff, so you get the whole picture."
"I'd appreciate that. If you accept the offer, I won't be making any immediate staff changes. I don't think that would be smart."
James smiled. "We're about a half-hour from Lago Trasimeno." It's a big lake that is a favorite vacation spot.
"I noticed that."
"There is lots to do there. The boys will like it."
"I'll have to do some research." He knows it's over an hour and a half to get to the sea. The lake is a good option.
"I think you will do well. We'll talk tomorrow."
James shared more as they made the walk back to the house.
IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi
The next day, the family did some exploring around the region and then went back to the winery where James was waiting.
"This is Alonzo and Benjamin. They make sure that everything runs smoothly around here." Alonzo is in his forties and Benjamin is in his thirties.
"It's nice to meet you," Jason said shaking their hands before introducing him to everyone.
"You're going to need them if you're going to make a go of this. They know this business like the back of their hands."
Jake's eyes grew big. "You're selling it to us?"
"Yes. I will accept your offer and will take the time until the spring to make sure it's a smooth transition." He is finally getting to retire, and he couldn't be happier with the group of family and friends.
Francis smiled. "Thank you for trusting us."
"You're welcome."
