The next day, the Camdens are gathered at the house after church. They were setting up the yard for a celebration in honor of Mary and Corey. Annie was carrying a tray of food to the picnic table. Corey and Mary were standing in the center of a large group of teenagers, nodding graciously at the praise they were receiving. Among the throng of people, Mary searched for Wilson, to no avail.
" So, that's the boyfriend?" Corey nudged Mary in the shoulder. She was surprised, Mary seemed quite happy around him, a contrast to her recent depressed state.
" Um, actually he's my ex. He, um, sort of left me." Mary's tone dropped, and Corey felt instantly guilty. Mary beemed though when she saw Wilson walking through the gate. He was being bombarded by Simon, Ruthie, and Lucy, all wanting to hold Billy. He handed his son over to the eldest carefully, and headed toward Mary. Corey noticed the change in Mary, and gently shoved her toward Wilson. They met in the middle.
" Hey," Wilson whispered. Mary reached for his hand instinctively. " So, big turnout, huh?"
" Yeah. You know, with this award both Corey and I have a good chance at a scholarship. Maybe somewhere out east. I was thinking New York."
" Really?" She nodded and Wilson hugged her. " So, about yesterday. I wish I was a big enough person to just apologize, but, I'm not. Mary, there are so many complications, but I know that the time I've spent away from you has been miserable. And I'm still going back, so it is completely up to you. If you'll have me back, that is."
" Wow. I mean, yes." She kissed his cheek and looked at her younger siblings, happily playing with Billy.
After hours of small talk with various guests Mary didn't entirely know, she, Corey, Wilson, and all of the other children retired to the living room. Mary and Corey carried in the two youngest, both sleeping restfully, and Wilson laughed at his son's newfound friendship with Corey's young daughter. Corey rested her daughter in her lap as she sat in the large armchair next to the loveseat Mary, Billy, and Wilson were seated on. Mary leaned against the armrest next to her and Billy layed his head on her leg. Wilson, holding the rest of his son his lap, raggedly placed his head back. Simon and Ruthie went upstairs, too tired to talk, not that anyone else was awake enough to either. After making sure all was okay, Lucy said her goodnights.
" 'Night guys." She smiled at Wilson and leaned down and hugged him. " I'm glad you're back, we missed you," she whispered.
" Me too, Luce, goodnight." Mary hugged her sister, being careful not to disturb Billy.
" I love you Lucy."
" I love you too, Mary." Lucy practically crawled to the stairs in her tired state. Annie passed by her daughter and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. She took one look at the tired crew in the living room and took pity.
" Corey, why don't you stay with Mary tonight? You two go on upstairs, Mary why don't you take Billy up to Simon's room? So he can rest. I need to talk to Wilson." Wilson straightened up. Mary lightly touched his hand before she rose, a movement that was noticed by Annie and Corey. The two ladies grabbed the children, trying desperately not to wake them.
Annie sat down on the couch. " Wilson, why don't you stay here tonight? It'll be fine."
" Mrs. Camden, are you sure?"
" Yes, you are in no condition to drive tonight. Let me send some blankets down for you." She went upstairs and saw Mary gently closing Simon's door. " Mary, will you take some blankets down to the living room? Wilson's going to stay the night. You three are so tired and those two are so asleep they're practically in a coma." They laughed.
" All right." She grabbed a blanket and pillow and headed downstairs. Wilson had actually fallen asleep in the chair that he must have moved to while Mary was upstairs. " Wilson." She shook his shoulder gently as she whispered. He grumbled slightly but didn't wake. " Wake up, Wilson." She laughed as he turned his head, refusing to succumb to her voice. She sat down on the arm of the chair with a devilish grin. Knowing the only way to wake him up now, she leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. He didn't respond at first, but when she intensified the force behind her kiss, his eyes opened briefly, but closed again to enjoy the moment. She pulled back before things got too intense, especially in this household, where someone could, and probably would, walk in at any moment.
" Mmm. Can I be woke like that more often?" He smiled coyly.
" Here are your blankets." She handed him the blankets and he rose, moving over to the couch. He sat down and put the pillow at the head of the couch.
" So, do you want to talk now, or wait until the morning?"
" Well, might as well get it over with." She sat down, smiling to signal him that she was joking. He took a deep breath; he knew how conversations with Mary went, and he knew that he would have to begin.
" We've established that we are back together, but the question is: where are we? I know that some people say it's best to just start over, but from my point of view I think that it would be far too difficult. But, can we just pick it up where we left off? So, I propose an idea. We continue, with the knowledge of knowing how miserable life is when we are apart, and see where the road takes us." Wilson smiles at her and she playfully shoved against him.
" Wow, what are you making in your debate class? That was certainly a convincing speech."
" So, a yes?"
" Yes."
" Okay, next topic of discussion. I'm beginning to worry."
" Why is that?"
" You, Mary Camden, are never that easy to convince of something."
" I am when the argument is correct. Okay, well, I was reading some information on scholarships. First, I am going to have to really push on my grades."
" Are they slipping?"
" Yeah." She looked down.
" All right, so, we have to work on your grades. I'm out of school until next semester, so we have some time."
" You never told me why you took off time from school."
" Internship. I had a semester off, but the company I was going to work for fell through. The counselor had already dropped me off the roster so I basically have a free semester. I am taking some small courses online to fill in the time and a few credit hours. But, until September, I am out of school. Which means, I get to be your personal slave driver." He nudged her shoulder with his own.
" I also need more community service. I have some on my record, but I really need some now. I was thinking of this program I heard about."
" Yeah?"
" It's called the Diversion program, kids who have gotten in legal trouble work with it. If they show real promise, and the facility approves, they are in."
" Okay, that sounds good."
" Well, we have talked, so, I think that we should go to bed. Goodnight, Wilson."
" Sweet dreams, Mary." She kissed his cheek and he hugged her tightly. She left the room, quickly heading off to bed.
" So, that's the boyfriend?" Corey nudged Mary in the shoulder. She was surprised, Mary seemed quite happy around him, a contrast to her recent depressed state.
" Um, actually he's my ex. He, um, sort of left me." Mary's tone dropped, and Corey felt instantly guilty. Mary beemed though when she saw Wilson walking through the gate. He was being bombarded by Simon, Ruthie, and Lucy, all wanting to hold Billy. He handed his son over to the eldest carefully, and headed toward Mary. Corey noticed the change in Mary, and gently shoved her toward Wilson. They met in the middle.
" Hey," Wilson whispered. Mary reached for his hand instinctively. " So, big turnout, huh?"
" Yeah. You know, with this award both Corey and I have a good chance at a scholarship. Maybe somewhere out east. I was thinking New York."
" Really?" She nodded and Wilson hugged her. " So, about yesterday. I wish I was a big enough person to just apologize, but, I'm not. Mary, there are so many complications, but I know that the time I've spent away from you has been miserable. And I'm still going back, so it is completely up to you. If you'll have me back, that is."
" Wow. I mean, yes." She kissed his cheek and looked at her younger siblings, happily playing with Billy.
After hours of small talk with various guests Mary didn't entirely know, she, Corey, Wilson, and all of the other children retired to the living room. Mary and Corey carried in the two youngest, both sleeping restfully, and Wilson laughed at his son's newfound friendship with Corey's young daughter. Corey rested her daughter in her lap as she sat in the large armchair next to the loveseat Mary, Billy, and Wilson were seated on. Mary leaned against the armrest next to her and Billy layed his head on her leg. Wilson, holding the rest of his son his lap, raggedly placed his head back. Simon and Ruthie went upstairs, too tired to talk, not that anyone else was awake enough to either. After making sure all was okay, Lucy said her goodnights.
" 'Night guys." She smiled at Wilson and leaned down and hugged him. " I'm glad you're back, we missed you," she whispered.
" Me too, Luce, goodnight." Mary hugged her sister, being careful not to disturb Billy.
" I love you Lucy."
" I love you too, Mary." Lucy practically crawled to the stairs in her tired state. Annie passed by her daughter and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. She took one look at the tired crew in the living room and took pity.
" Corey, why don't you stay with Mary tonight? You two go on upstairs, Mary why don't you take Billy up to Simon's room? So he can rest. I need to talk to Wilson." Wilson straightened up. Mary lightly touched his hand before she rose, a movement that was noticed by Annie and Corey. The two ladies grabbed the children, trying desperately not to wake them.
Annie sat down on the couch. " Wilson, why don't you stay here tonight? It'll be fine."
" Mrs. Camden, are you sure?"
" Yes, you are in no condition to drive tonight. Let me send some blankets down for you." She went upstairs and saw Mary gently closing Simon's door. " Mary, will you take some blankets down to the living room? Wilson's going to stay the night. You three are so tired and those two are so asleep they're practically in a coma." They laughed.
" All right." She grabbed a blanket and pillow and headed downstairs. Wilson had actually fallen asleep in the chair that he must have moved to while Mary was upstairs. " Wilson." She shook his shoulder gently as she whispered. He grumbled slightly but didn't wake. " Wake up, Wilson." She laughed as he turned his head, refusing to succumb to her voice. She sat down on the arm of the chair with a devilish grin. Knowing the only way to wake him up now, she leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. He didn't respond at first, but when she intensified the force behind her kiss, his eyes opened briefly, but closed again to enjoy the moment. She pulled back before things got too intense, especially in this household, where someone could, and probably would, walk in at any moment.
" Mmm. Can I be woke like that more often?" He smiled coyly.
" Here are your blankets." She handed him the blankets and he rose, moving over to the couch. He sat down and put the pillow at the head of the couch.
" So, do you want to talk now, or wait until the morning?"
" Well, might as well get it over with." She sat down, smiling to signal him that she was joking. He took a deep breath; he knew how conversations with Mary went, and he knew that he would have to begin.
" We've established that we are back together, but the question is: where are we? I know that some people say it's best to just start over, but from my point of view I think that it would be far too difficult. But, can we just pick it up where we left off? So, I propose an idea. We continue, with the knowledge of knowing how miserable life is when we are apart, and see where the road takes us." Wilson smiles at her and she playfully shoved against him.
" Wow, what are you making in your debate class? That was certainly a convincing speech."
" So, a yes?"
" Yes."
" Okay, next topic of discussion. I'm beginning to worry."
" Why is that?"
" You, Mary Camden, are never that easy to convince of something."
" I am when the argument is correct. Okay, well, I was reading some information on scholarships. First, I am going to have to really push on my grades."
" Are they slipping?"
" Yeah." She looked down.
" All right, so, we have to work on your grades. I'm out of school until next semester, so we have some time."
" You never told me why you took off time from school."
" Internship. I had a semester off, but the company I was going to work for fell through. The counselor had already dropped me off the roster so I basically have a free semester. I am taking some small courses online to fill in the time and a few credit hours. But, until September, I am out of school. Which means, I get to be your personal slave driver." He nudged her shoulder with his own.
" I also need more community service. I have some on my record, but I really need some now. I was thinking of this program I heard about."
" Yeah?"
" It's called the Diversion program, kids who have gotten in legal trouble work with it. If they show real promise, and the facility approves, they are in."
" Okay, that sounds good."
" Well, we have talked, so, I think that we should go to bed. Goodnight, Wilson."
" Sweet dreams, Mary." She kissed his cheek and he hugged her tightly. She left the room, quickly heading off to bed.