San Diego, California, Late March
"You sold our house?" Ruth Thornton asked her parents. "Where are you going to live?"
"We bought an RV. We pick it up tomorrow," Jack told her with a grin. "Your mom and I are going to be traveling."
"At your age?" Joel asked. "Is that wise?" The only thing that saved him was the dimpled grin that matched his dad's.
"We will be fine, kids," Elizabeth told them. "We are in good health according to our doctors. We have worked hard and now we are going to take some time to relax."
Esther, or Essie, their oldest finally spoke. She was the quiet one, who out of the four siblings, always thought before she spoke. "Where are you going to go?"
"We plan to see all 48 contiguous states over the next year," Jack told them.
Esther just nodded, fiddling with her engagement ring. She was happy for her parents but she would miss them.
"Don't worry, sweetheart, we will be back in June for your wedding."
"I know." She knew her parents wouldn't miss it.
Their second born Tim still hadn't said anything. "What do you think, Tim?" Jack asked.
"I think you should do what you want to do."
"Tim, why don't you help me with something in the garage?" Jack said, leaving the room, knowing his oldest son would follow obediently.
About two minutes later, Tim was leaning against the counter in the garage, his eyes focusing on the wall.
"What's going on?" Jack asked.
"Nothing. What do you need help with?"
"Son, I don't need help."
"Okay, well, I think I'll head home to Carrie then."
Ah ok. That's what was on his mind. "How is she?"
"I don't know. Frustrated. Angry. Sad."
"Like you."
"Pretty much."
"It will happen, Tim. You and Carrie will have your family."
He hoped so. They'd been married for two years and nothing. "Maybe its just not meant to be."
"You know, you can adopt. There are lots of children that need homes out there."
"She has always wanted to carry a child. Feel it kick. Nurse it. She's not willing to go the adoption way just yet."
"Just something to think and pray about, Tim."
"Yeah." Tim looked at his dad. He was fifty four years old, a few gray hairs on his temples. But happy. His life had been just what they'd wanted so far. "What made you and Mom want to leave?"
"We have always wanted to travel and now seemed like the perfect time. All you kids moved out, we both retired. It seemed right."
Maybe he and Carrie needed a change. Maybe they needed to put having a baby out of their minds for a bit and focus on something else.
"I think I'm going to head home, Dad."
"You'll be over for family dinner tomorrow night, right, Tim?"
"Yeah, we'll be here."
Jack saw a twinkle in Tim's eye, much like his own. The man had a plan.
Ruthie sat at the counter inside the house, sipping coffee with her mom and Essie.
Elizabeth nudged her with her shoulder. "Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah. I just can't believe you sold this house. I figured we would all be coming here for holidays and we'd bring our kids and open presents by the tree on Christmas...I can't believe none of that will be possible."
"I'm sorry, dear. Its time for your Dad and I to do something for us. You kids are all grown up and out of the house. You don't rely on us so much anymore."
"I guess. I'm just going to miss coming over and talking and our family dinners."
"You can call us, Ruthie. We will have our phones and we will be back to visit at Thanksgiving and Christmas."
Ruthie, the emotional one of the kids, wiped her eyes," leaning her head against Elizabeth's shoulder. "I'll miss you, Mom."
"I'll miss you too, baby."
Tim and Carrie's Beach house
Tim arrived home with a bouquet of flowers, daisies, her favorite.
"Honey? I'm home. You'll never guess what their news was!"
When he didn't get a response, he put the flowers on the counter and ran up the stairs, two at a time. He headed straight for her sewing room. She made all her own clothes and sold many items on her Etsy account as well. She was quite talented.
"Sweetie?" he said, knocking on the door. "Care?"
"Come in," she told him from her seat at the sewing machine.
"Hi," he said, kissing her cheek. "Can we talk?"
"Sure." She stopped and turned. "What's up?"
He saw her pink and swollen eyes and knew. "Honey, you took a test?"
"Yeah. I'm not sure why."
"We both know why." He pulled her up and sat down, pulling her down on his lap. "Sweetheart, I think we need a break from all this worrying and stress." It killed him when she cried.
"Like what?"
"Vacation."
She stood and folded a blanket and a few shirts. "I have a lot of orders to fill, Tim. I can't just leave. You can't just leave either. You have work." He had been at San Diego Police for five years and rarely took time off. He could take it.
"I have a lot of vacation time and how many orders do you have to fill?"
"Six."
"How long until you get those done?"
"I don't know. I get more orders daily."
"So basically, you'll never be able to go on vacation."
"Tim, don't take away the one thing that keeps me sane. I need to feel like I'm worth something because most of the time, I don't."
She shook her head and left him sitting there. He followed her though. "Carrie! Come on. Don't you just want to be able to relax? Stop thinking about it?"
"I'll never be able to stop thinking, Tim. I'm unable to give you children. I won't ever feel them kick or nurse them!" she yelled, tears streaming down her face. "Why me? I would be a good mother!"
He pulled her into his arms and held her as she sobbed. He honestly would never fully understand how she felt. He wasn't a woman, but what he could do was hold her and make sure she knew he loved her.
"Care, I need you to hear me, okay? You are amazing. I love you so so much. To me, this is just a test for us. We are going to get through it. You will be the perfect mother for our children, no matter how we have them. You did not fail me or anyone else." He dried her tears and gave her a kiss. "Now, in two weeks, you and I are flying out of here and going to Hawaii. So you need to finish your orders and do whatever you need to do to free yourself for ten days because Maui is waiting for us and I'm not going without you."
"How can we afford this, Tim?"
"I've been saving since we got married. I planned to take you back someday and someday is now."
"Maui?"
"Yeah. In a bungalow on the beach, sweetie. You and me. Moonlit walks, hammocks, luaus. Its gonna be just like our honeymoon."
Their honeymoon was perfect, she agreed. They had their whole young married life ahead of them back then. She saw babies and love in their future. Nothing could have prepared her for what the last two years had thrown at them.
"Tim?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For being the best husband I could ever hope for."
"I love you, Carrie. It's as simple as that."
Jack and Elizabeth's house
After the kids left, they decided to barbecue on the deck. Elizabeth sat at the patio table and called her mom while Jack cooked the burgers.
"Hey, Mom."
"Hi, Beth," Grace answered. "How did it go?"
"Let's see. Essie was quiet, taking it all in. Tim is distracted. Joel was making jokes about us being too old and Ruthie cried."
"So all is normal and well?"
"Pretty much. How are you, Mom?"
"Right as rain, dear. Playing checkers and poker at the center a few days a week."
Elizabeth chuckled. "Its still funny to me that my seventy eight year old mother plays poker."
"Don't knock it until you try it, Beth. Maybe you should join me when you come visit next time."
"Maybe I should. I'm up for something new."
Jack sat down across from Elizabeth, putting her plate in front of her.
"Okay, well, Jack just handed me my dinner. I'll call you tomorrow, Mom. Love you."
"Love you too, dear."
She slipped her fingers into Jack's hand for the blessing.
"Dear, God. Thank you for this food and our wonderful family. Thank you for protecting us and guiding us through our life and helping us to see the best way to do things. Please forgive us for our sins and help us as we start this new season in our life. Through Jesus' name, Amen."
"Amen."
"So how's Mom?"
"Right as rain, she says."
"Do you doubt it?"
"Well, I just know that if I lost you, I'm not sure I'd recover. Dad's been gone six months...I don't know. It feels too soon for her to be okay."
"Maybe she's just keeping her feelings to herself."
"Yeah. Maybe."
"She's on our way out of state. When we leave, we can stop by for a visit."
"That would be great. Thanks, Jack."
The new owners of the home wanted to take possession in thirty days so the next few weeks were filled with packing and tying up loose ends.
Jack and Elizabeth took Carrie and Tim to the airport for their flight to Maui and to say goodbye as well. By the time the couple returned, Jack and Elizabeth would be traveling.
They parked in a lot close by and stepped out of the truck to say goodbye.
Elizabeth hugged her daughter-in-law tight and kissed her cheek. "Enjoy Hawaii, sweetheart. You and Tim just love each other. All the rest will fall into place."
"Thanks, Mom."
Next, Elizabeth moved to her son. "Timmy. You're a good man. A good husband. Take care of her."
"I will, Mom. You and Dad be careful on your trip, please."
"Don't worry. We will be just fine." With a kiss to Tim's cheek and more hugs all around, Jack and Elizabeth watched Tim and Carrie walk to the airport, pulling their luggage behind them.
"Mark my words, Jack. This trip is going to change their lives. I bet you she will be pregnant very soon."
Ruthie walked into the apartment she shared with Joel after school one afternoon. Joel was already cooking in their tiny kitchen.
"Hey, big brother. What's for dinner?"
"Spinach and ricotta ravioli with a tomato cream sauce."
"Yum! I'm surprised I'm not two hundred pounds the way you feed me."
Joel's former roommate moved out a few months back and so Joel asked Ruthie if she wanted to move out of their parents house and in with him. She jumped at the chance. They had always gotten along, being only two years apart in age.
"More to love, right?" he teased, flashing his dimples.
"Funny!" Ruthie hopped up on the counter and stole a slice of tomato. "No hot date tonight, Chef?"
"Nope. Hailey broke up with me."
"Oh. Sorry."
He shrugged. "I think I'm just going to take time off from the dating scene for awhile."
"Yeah right," she said, laughing.
"Seriously."
"And my name is Minnie Mouse."
"Well, Minnie. Believe it." Joel knew that it sounded crazy for him to say that. After all he had rarely been without a girl nearby since middle school. But after his one serious girlfriend moved out of state his senior year in college, nobody else fit. Laney was it for him. He wasn't sure anyone else would do.
"You should call her," Ruthie said, knowing what he was thinking.
"Who?"
"Right. Come on, Joel. You know that the reason you are finding it hard to move on is because you still love Laney. Call her. Get some closure."
Closure sounded good but getting her back after two years sounded better. The problem was, he didn't know how to do that.
Essie parked in her fiance Deacon's driveway and walked up to the door. She knocked, smiling when three booming woofs came immediately. "Its okay, Champ," she told the dog. "Its just me." She turned the knob and walked in. "Honey? I'm here!" she called.
Champ licked her hand and sat, waiting for a proper rub down from her friend Essie.
"You're such a good boy," she told him, giving him what he wanted.
"Hey, Es. Dinner is almost ready," Deacon told her, kissing her hello.
"It smells good."
"Chicken piccata with rice and asparagus."
"Wow. What's the occasion?"
"Just happy you're here with me."
She smiled and gave him a hug. "You're a pretty sweet guy, Mr. Wells. Maybe I should marry you in forty six days."
"Maybe you should. And maybe you should also help me paint the master this weekend."
Essie knew he was trying to get things ready for her for when she moved in as his wife. They decided that they would change some things so that it felt like their house, not just his. Paint and a new bed were on the list.
"Sounds like a good idea. Count me in."