Chapter 20: The Dawning Of A New Year

December 31, 1991 - Tuesday

Everyone gathered around the kitchen, while Rob began to place the food all around. As it was every year, he was in charge of the New Years Eve party, and he took the job very seriously. Alan had always told Ellie that Rob was an excellent cook, but she never really believed him. He was about to put to the ultimate test, though, as Patricia Sattler was in attendance, and she was watching Rob like a hawk.

"Okay, everyone. Dig in! Grub is ready," Rob said, clapping his hands together, and looking rather proud of himself.

Ellie grabbed a plate and was the first one to walk up to the food. She smiled at Rob.

"I can't believe it. Everything is beautiful, Rob. I'm sorry I doubted you," she said, leaning in and giving him a small peck on the cheek.

Rob smiled.

"Well, you haven't tried it yet," he joked.

Ellie shook her head and then began to load her plate with the various delicious-looking foods in front of her. With a full plate, she turned around, looking for Alan.

"Rob, have you seen Alan?"

Rob shrugged and then laughed.

"Perhaps your mother hunted him down and killed him in the backyard," he suggested.

Ellie smirked at him.

"I'll explain it to you again, Robert. My mother likes him now. Understand?"

"You keep telling yourself that. But, have you really thought about it clearly. I'll lay it out for you, dear," Rob said, slightly patronizing her, "Okay, she hated Alan. Then, Alan fell down . . . went boom . . . and almost knocked himself out. Then, wow! Your mother liked him."

"So," Ellie answered.

Rob playfully overreacted by opening his mouth in a grand fashion, pretending to be surprised that she didn't get it.

"Wake up, lady! She's only happy when he's hurting himself," Rob said, laughing, ". . . and that is why, at this very instant . . . she's killing him in the backyard."

Ellie laughed and was about to say something in return, when she heard the back door open. She turned in time to see Alan coming into the kitchen from outside in the backyard. He was carrying a case of beer. She smiled and then looked at Rob again.

"It's amazing!" Rob exclaimed, "Look at that! He was able to escape the evil clutches of the Witch of Eastwick!"

Balancing her plate, she slapped Rob in the shoulder, and then walked toward Alan.

"The beer is outside?" she questioned.

"Yeah. It's cold enough out there, so Rob stores it in the shed out back. It was my turn to get it, I guess."

She nodded, as she watched him put the case down. People suddenly came out of nowhere to get a beer, which caused her to laugh. Seconds later, she had already forgotten about that and looked at the handsome man in front of her. Alan was wearing one of those white shirts, that she loved so much.

"The food looks great. Why don't you get a plate?" she whispered, as she got really close to him.

He smiled and leaned in, giving her a kiss, which lasted longer than their usual kisses in public.

Patricia had been in the living room, talking with a few of the dig site volunteers, basically trying to get to know some of the people her daughter was spending time with. Apparently, every year for the last six years, Rob had hosted this event. People would actually drive and/or fly in to hang out during the holidays, and then go to wherever it was that had come from. They seemed like a happy bunch, and Patricia had found herself laughing with them a few times, which had surprised her.

She stood up to get some of the so-called food that Rob, the silly fool, had been preparing, when she saw her daughter standing in the kitchen, kissing Alan Grant. Her first initial reaction was to march right over there and ruin it, but then she noticed how happy her daughter looked. She decided to simply observe for a while, as she found a chair to sit in that allowed her the perfect view into the kitchen. She watched Ellie blindly reach back, putting her plate on the table, and then she wrapped her arms around Alan, embracing him tightly. Patricia noticed that he rocked her back and forth while embracing Ellie, and thought that had been a nice touch. Her daughter looked absolutely happy, as she talked and smiled at the man she claimed she loved. They really did make a nice couple and Patricia was ready to just be happy for her daughter. It looked as though she had found "the one".

They walked to a different part of the kitchen and she couldn't see them anymore. She stood up and walked to the kitchen doorway. Getting ready to walk into the kitchen to fill a plate of her own, she was detained in the doorway by Rob.

"So, Mother Sattler, do you know about the holiday rules?" he asked.

She could see that he was on the verge of being drunk, which annoyed her for some reason. He wasn't fall-down drunk, by any means, but he was acting very happy. She played along with his stupid game, just for now.

"Holiday rules?"

"Oh, yes," Rob said, pointing above them.

Patricia looked above her head and saw a mistletoe hanging in the doorway. She sighed and then cringed, as she looked back at Rob, who was staring at her.

"If you try to kiss me under this mistletoe, young Mr. Tandy, this will be your last New Year's Eve on earth. Do you understand me?"

Rob smirked. This woman was still capable of scaring him, even when he was feeling the effects of alcohol.

"Oh, fine. You're no fun."

Patricia watched him very closely, as he made his way past her. He saw that she was watching him, so he kept pretending as if he was going to kiss her anyway. After a few seconds, though, he gave up and went into the living room.

"You owe me a kiss!" he yelled, as he disappeared.

Shrugging and shaking her head, she made her way into the kitchen. After filling up a plate, she walked to where Alan and Ellie were standing. Alan quickly cleared away a spot for her to eat at the kitchen table. She smiled politely and sat down on the chair that he had pulled out for her.

Before there was time to start talking to each other, Rob's front door opened. Alan heard Rob yell in a jovial manner.

"Carl! Buddy! How have you been?"

Alan excused himself and walked into the living room to see Carl Porter. As he walked up to his colleague from the dig site, Rob asked the exact question he was thinking about asking.

"So, Carl. Give us a status report. Don't be shy. We're all family here," he said, grabbing Porter by the shoulder and shaking him for a second.

Porter smiled from ear to ear, as he pushed Rob's arm away.

"I'm a free man!" he shouted, holding his arms up like Rocky Balboa.

Rob, who looked as if the news was the single best piece of news he had ever received, hugged Porter, cheering and chanting loudly with him.

"Well, sir. You fought the good fight, and you finally came out . . . well . . . alive. Good job!" Rob said, slapping him on the back.

Porter smiled, and then looked at Alan, extending his hand. After a quick handshake, Porter looked past Alan, toward Ellie.

"Congratulations, by the way, Ellie. Glad to see that you're going to stay on at the dig site."

"Why thank you, Dr. Porter."

"Well, now that we're equals, maybe you'll finally get used to calling me Carl. What do you think?"

Ellie smiled, slightly embarrassed.

"Sure thing."

"Excellent," Porter said. Then, he clapped his hands together and looked at Rob.

"Direct me to the food."

After putting his coat on, Alan went into the backyard again, but this time with a plate full of table scraps. Patricia noticed that Ellie didn't follow him, so she waited a few minutes, grabbed her coat, and then followed him outside. She found him standing near the fence line in the back, feeding the dog that was waiting patiently back there. She smiled as she walked closer.

"So, you're a dog person, I take it," she said.

He quickly looked behind him, to see who it was. He was kind of surprised to see her near him and, after noticing that it was just the two of them out there, he became very nervous.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I guess I am," he said awkwardly. He gestured toward the chocolate lab that was waiting for him to give up more food, "This is Bear."

"Well, hi there, Bear," she said, petting him. She could see that she had startled Alan, so she added, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, that's okay. I just wasn't expecting anyone to be out here, that's all," he said, his breath showing up in the cold as he spoke.

His accent was very cute. She found herself wanting to talk to him more, just to hear him speak.

"I have to admit something to you, Alan."

"What's that?"

"You make my daughter very happy."

Alan reached down to pat the dog on the head, and then looked at her.

"Your daughter makes me very happy, as well. I love her."

"I'm starting to understand that. It's just," Patricia said, thinking, "It's just that she's my only daughter and I really want her to be safe and happy. She left home, in pursuit of a career, and then she ended up falling in love."

"Sometimes, plans change, I guess," Alan said, putting his hands in his coat pockets.

"I didn't mean to make it sound like a bad thing."

Alan looked at her, but didn't respond, except for with a smile.

"Okay, well, maybe I did intend on that sounding bad," she admitted, smiling back.

"I know you're looking after her. And you should. It shows how much you care," he said, thinking he was beginning to sound corny.

Patricia didn't see it as corny in the least. She was starting to see why Ellie liked this man so much. He was gentle, understanding, caring, as well as good looking. She decided to talk about something more personal to herself. She wasn't sure if it was the right time, but it was the holidays, and she was feeling a little down, so she wanted to talk with someone who would understand.

"Ellie told me you lost your wife a few years ago."

Alan, surprised by the change in topic, went along with it.

"Uh, yes, I did. Her name was Kathryn."

"And I understand that Ellie will be working with her father?"

"Yeah. Small world sometimes, isn't it?" Alan said.

"Yes, it is."

There was a silence that lasted about a minute. Alan was petting the dog and Patricia was lighting up a cigarette.

"I didn't know you smoked," he said.

"Only when I'm depressed or nervous."

"So, which are you?"

"Depressed," she answered, looking around.

"I'm nervous," Alan said, laughing, "Nervous and cold."

Patricia laughed, too. She was still making him nervous, which wasn't really her intention at this point, but she was secretly happy that he still seemed weary of her.

"Wanna head back inside?"

"Yeah, I think so. But, by all means, finish that cigarette first."

"Don't mind if I do," she said, smiling at him. She took a few puffs, exhaled and then continued, "I lost my husband at a very young age, like you lost your wife. It's really hard to get over something like that."

"Yeah, Ellie had told me about that. I'm sorry."

"It's been so long for me now. I've learned to cope with it. It only really gets to you during holidays, know what I mean?"

"I certainly do," Alan said, nodding.

"Having someone around that loves you, though, must help a lot," she said, referring to her daughter.

Alan nodded and smiled. Patricia continued.

"I never really had a significant other, after Ellie's father. I guess no one could compare to what he was to me."

"Maybe the right someone just hasn't come into your life yet."

She laughed.

"Well, I certainly hope they hurry the hell up. I'm not getting any younger."

Alan joined in her laughter. Patricia finished her cigarette and they began to walk back inside.

"By any chance, you wouldn't happen to have a brother . . . about ten or fifteen years older than you?" she joked.

"I'm afraid I'm an only child, Mrs. Sattler."

"Just my luck," she said, laughing again, "Oh, and please call me Patricia. You're making me feel old."

"Okay. I'll do that," he said, smiling.

As they walked toward the house, Alan noticed Rob running by the window. Then an instant later, he saw him reappear in the window, pointing toward the backyard and yelling to his right. When they were close enough to hear what he was yelling, Alan laughed as he heard his friend ramble on.

"Ellie! I don't know how she did it! But she managed to trap Alan in the backyard! She's about to kill him right now! God help him! Ellie! Where are you! You need to save him! Ellie? Where the hell are you? Anyone seen Ellie?"

Alan shook his head and looked at Patricia.

"Is that man really your best friend? I'm hoping Ellie was joking," she commented.

"He's a good guy. He's just in need of his medication," he playfully whispered, as he opened the back door for her.

About an hour after dinner, Alan and Patricia were sitting at the table, talking. Ellie had gotten a phone call and had left them alone, which made her a little bit uneasy. Alan seemed to be holding his own, though, so she felt it would be okay to go.

Alan saw her hang up the phone and come back to the table.

"That was Allison. She wanted to wish us all a Happy New Year."

"Where is she?" Alan asked.

"Home. She really wanted to come out here, but she couldn't get away."

"That's too bad."

"She missed a very nice dinner," Patricia added.

Ellie looked at her mother. Did she just say something totally unexpected and nice? Yes, she certainly did.

"I agree. Rob really can cook," Ellie said.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Alan joked. "Speaking of Rob. Anyone know where he is?"

Ellie and Patricia shook their heads no.

"I'm going to go and look for him."

"Okay. Good luck," Ellie said, smiling.

Alan nodded and left the kitchen, asking everyone he came into contact with, if they had seen Rob. Ellie stood up to leave the kitchen, too, when her mother stopped her for a minute.

"I'm happy for you, Ellie. It looks like you're truly happy," Patricia said, hugging her daughter.

Ellie, completely taken aback by her mother's affection and honesty, couldn't think of anything to say. She settled on simply returning the hug, with tears beginning to form in her eyes, as she held onto her mother. They had been through a lot together as a family. It had always just been the two of them really, except for the occasional boyfriend that her mother would bring home. It had been a very long time since there was a male influence though, and when Ellie went away to school, she had left her mother alone. She had always felt a little bit guilty about leaving Georgia, but Patricia was insistent that she get on with her life and go to college . . . to become someone, to follow her dreams of being a scientist.

"I love you," Ellie finally managed to whisper, in between her joyful sobbing.

Patricia let her daughter go and looked at her closely, wiping away a few of her own tears that were beginning.

"This wasn't exactly the path I was hoping you'd take, but it looks as though you're doing well, in career and in love."

Their conversation was interrupted, when Rob hurried by them, heading down the hallway. Ellie thought it was a little strange, but she did her best to ignore him, only telling him that Alan was looking for him.

"Yes, I am," she answered her mother.

"I'm not sure if you know this, but career and love hardly ever fit together, Ellie. You are truly a very lucky woman, to be able to have both."

She was about to answer again, when Rob came back from the other way, hurrying past them again. Ellie noticed that he had something in his hand, but he flew by so fast, she didn't notice what it was. She ignored him once again, and answered her mother.

"I know I'm lucky. All my life, I've dreamed of having a career and having a man to share my life with. All girls dream of that, Mom. And my dreams have all come true."

Patricia's attention was diverted for a second, as she looked toward the kitchen.

"I'm just glad you didn't pick that half-wit to fall in love with."

Ellie looked where her mother pointed, and saw Rob in the kitchen. He had no shirt on now and was kind of drunk, leaning back, balancing a toilet plunger on his forehead. There were more people in the kitchen, surrounding him, cheering him on. Ellie didn't really want to know why he was doing that, so she did her best to ignore it. She turned to her mother.

"Rob has his own kind of charm, Mom. Trust me. The right girl will wrangle him in, and settle him down someday."

"God help that poor girl," Patricia said.

Ellie couldn't help but laugh, as she knew her mother was probably right.

"Hey! Hurry! Someone turn on the tube!" Rob yelled.

Someone turned on the television, and Dick Clark was there, talking about how there was only three minutes left until the new year. Everyone gathered together in the living room and watched as there was only one minute left. The countdown began in the corner of the television screen and, when it got to twenty, everyone joined in and counted down with it.

" . . . Four, three, two, one!" Everyone shouted.

Immediately afterwards, people cheered, both on the television and in the living room. People began to kiss and hug each other. Rob had even managed to steal a quick kiss from Patricia in all the hoopla. Alan held onto Ellie and smiled, as the celebration was happening all around them. They didn't notice, though. All they noticed was each other, as they began to kiss, bringing in the new year properly.