Ann sat on the porch railing watching the sun slowly go down. She liked being in Brooklyn learning the ballet, but she missed the quiet of Pleasant Valley. She was surprised that she thought that because before having to live in Brooklyn, she considered Pleasant Valley to be a very boring little town.
"Are you still mad at me?"
Ann was startled and looked to see Jeremy standing beside her, leaning against the railing.
"Mad? Oh... No." She flushed.
"Good...I'm glad."
She fidgeted.
"Your brother misses you a lot," Jeremy stated.
"I know."
"Dancing must be really important to you to leave him here."
She nodded. "It is. Why? Are you trying to make me feel guilty?"
"No...just trying to understand."
"Understand what??"
"You."
She blushed a bit. "Me? Why me?"
"Andy's my friend...I'd to be your friend as well..."
She smiled a bit.
He looked out at the sunset. "It's really nice out here."
She glanced out and nodded. "It is."
"Joey really likes it...he doesn't remember much beyond the orphanage..."
"Joey? That's your brother, right?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"Why did you all come here?"
"There was a fire...and they had to farm us all out for a while."
"Do you all like it here?"
"I don't know about the others, but Joey and I really like it a lot."
"Are you going to stay here?"
He sighed. "No. We have to go back."
She made a face.
"I don't want to go back either, but your parents haven't said anything about us staying."
"Maybe they will take you guys!"
"I'd rather not have Joey get his hopes up..."
Ann nodded. "That's true..."
"Joey and I stick together...no matter what."
She smiled slightly.
Spot walked out onto the porch. "Bedtime you two..."
"Yes sir," they said simultaneously.
"Are you all packed Annie?" Spot asked.
"Almost."
"Make sure you get it all packed up in the morning, sweetie."
She nodded. "I will."
He kissed her forehead.
She hugged him tightly. "Night Daddy."
"Night Annie."
And she hurried off to bed.
Noelle walked into the hallway. "Can I talk to you for a moment Spot?"
Spot stopped and nodded. "What is it Noelle?"
"Nick and I need to go out of town for a couple of weeks."
He nodded. "All right."
"Chris and Molly said they will help out while we're gone."
Spot smiled. "That's fine. After all, we can't expect you guys to stay here forever. You have lives of your own."
"We'll be back. We just have some...business to attend to."
He nodded. "That's fine. Take as long as you like."
"If those people from the orphanage come to get the boys don't let them take Joey and Jerry. Nick and I want to keep them ourselves."
He nodded. "Will do." He smiled. "They're good kids."
"They all are."
He nodded again.
"Oh...I spoke to Chris about a pen for the babies."
"Thank you," Spot said. "What was his response?"
"He said he'll start tomorrow."
"That's good," he said with a smile. "Thank you again for asking him."
"Your welcome. Good night," she replied, walking up the stairs.
"Good night."
He walked down the hall and into the room he shared with Rae. Rae sat at the vanity , brushing out her hair. He walked over and took the brush from her hand. She looked up, surprised. "How are you feeling?" he asked, brushing her hair.
"A bit tired," she admitted. "But alright."
"I talked to Doc when I went into town today..."
"What did he say?"
"That you need to start resting more."
She sighed. "I'm in bed all the time."
He set the brush down and wrapped his arms around her. "I know, sweetheart. But we need to get you well again."
"I don't like laying about all day. I get restless. And unhappy..."
He kissed the top of her head. "But you need to do as he says so that we can get you out of that bed and back to the way you were."
She sighed, resting her head on the vanity.
He gently lifted her into his arms and carried her over to the sofa where he sat down with her in his arms. She sniffled.
"I'm so tired of this, Spot..."
"I know," he said, stroking her hair.
"What are we going to do?"
"We'll do everything that Doc and Trent tell us to do."
She sighed a bit and closed her eyes. "I pray it works..."
"Me too," he whispered as he kissed the top of her head. "Me too."
----------
"Breakfast is ready!" Molly called out the kitchen."
A moment later Chris limped into the kitchen. Molly smiled and handed him a plate. "Thanks," he said, kissing her.
"You're welcome. Did you see Kendra come down?"
"I thought she was already down here."
"Maybe she is..." She leaned out of the kitchen. "Kendra, I said it's time for breakfast!"
"Coming Mommy!"
"Didn't you hear her call the first time?" Chris asked when she ran into the room.
"Yes sir, but I was puttin' my dollies away."
"Eat quickly, kiddo. We have work to do at the big house."
"What kinda work?"
"We have to finish that pen for the babies."
"Can I play with Sam and stuff?"
"Yes."
She gave an excited squeak.
"Finish up," he said.
"Yessir."
"But not so fast you choke," Molly added as Kendra began to wolf down her breakfast.
"Are you going to work in town today?" Chris asked Molly.
Molly nodded. "I should be there until mid-afternoon."
"Sounds good."
Molly knelt down next to the girl. "Now I want you to behave at the big house, understand?"
"Yes ma'am." Kendra said, around the food in her mouth.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Chris said, rising from the table and clearing his spot.
"Sorry," she mumbled around her biscuit.
"Kendra..."
She gulped.
He gave her a warning glance and disappeared into the kitchen.
Kendra hopped up and ran from the room.
Molly sighed and shook her head. "Chris..." she said, following him into the kitchen.
"Yes, sweetie?"
She sighed again. "You're too hard on her. Children make mistakes..."
"She's got to learn, Molly."
"Yes, but children make mistakes from time to time. That look you gave her was uncalled for..."
He sighed. "Molly..."
She folded her arms over her chest.
"I've got work to do," he said, limping from the room.
Molly frowned deeply and cleared the table.
----------
Later that afternoon Molly wearily walked back to the little house by the lake.
"Momma!" Kendra called out, clearly distressed. She dashed off the porch and across the yard to Molly.
As she neared Molly could see tears on the little girl's face. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"
"He...he...he spanked me!"
"He what? CHRIS!" She stormed across the yard and into the house. "Chris, what in the world did you spank her for!?"
"Disobedience."
"Disobedience!? What did she do?"
"I told her to pick all of her dolls up out of the living room, and she refused."
"Refused? She said 'No Daddy, I won't do it?'" Molly demanded.
"No. She told me that she would pick them up, and when I came back thirty minutes later she hadn't touched them."
"That's not refusal, Chris! Forgetfulness, perhaps, but not refusal! My goodness!"
"I asked her why she hadn't done it, Molly! She told me that she didn't want to!"
Molly sighed. "Well, you didn't tell me that, did you?"
"You didn't give me a chance!"
Molly pressed her hands against her temples.
"Molly?"
Molly closed her eyes and shook her head.
"Molly girl..."
"I'm sorry."
"Come here..." he said softly.
She walked over and rested her head on his shoulder. "Am I a bad mother?"
"No..."
She was quiet for a long time.
"Why don't you go lay down for a little while, Mol."
"I think I'll do that..."
He kissed her forehead.
She headed down the hall, thinking how she very much needed a rest.
Chris put his hand on Kendra's shoulder, but she shrugged it off. He sighed. "Did you get your dolls back upstairs where they belong?" he asked.
"Yessir...."
"Good girl."
"Can I go to my room?
"Yes you may."
She ran upstairs
Sighing, Chris walked back into the kitchen and sank into one of the chairs. He never thought parenting would be this hard. After a few moments, he wearily rose and went to check on Molly, his limp more pronounced than normal. Chris entered the bedroom quietly. "How are you?"
"My head hurts," she whispered.
He sat down next to her and stroked her forehead gently.
"I'm sorry for yelling," she said softly.
"Me too."
He stood and crossed to the washroom, where he wet a cloth with cool water. He walked back over to the bed and gently placed the wet cloth on her forehead.
She closed her eyes. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he whispered, taking her hand.
She squeezed it gently. Within a few minutes, she had fallen asleep. He pulled the quilt around her shoulders and quietly left the room.
----------
There was a knock on the front door of 'the big house'. "Andy!" Spot called. "Will you get that!"
"Yes sir," Andy yelled, dashing through the house. He skidded to a stumbling halt and, seizing the doorknob, hauled the door open. He blinked at the official looking person on the other side.
"Can I speak with the master or mistress of this house?"
"DAD!!"
"What is it, Andy?"
"Someone here to see you!"
Spot approached the door, with a baby on each hip.
"Can I help you?" he asked, handing James to Andy.
"Yes... I was told that about half a dozen boys were brought here after the fire at the orphanage?"
"Yes they were."
"My name is Lars Hansen. The orphanage has been repaired. I'm here to bring them back... We're sorry to have burdened you with so many children."
"They weren't a burden at all. Come on in," he said, stepping out of the doorway.
The man removed his hat and stepped inside.
Spot turned to Andy. "Go tell Jerry and Joey to come here...and tell the others to pack their stuff."
Andy frowned but nodded and ran off to do as he was told.
"I'd like to talk to you about the brothers before they come down," Spot said.
"Yes?"
"There is an older couple who lives with us...and they would like to adopt Joey and Jeremy. They asked me to speak to you because they had business to attend to out of town."
Lars nodded. "I'm sure we could work out the paperwork."
"We'd like to keep all of the boys..."
Lars blinked in surprise. "A-all of them??"
"We'd like to...but with my wife's ill health, it's impossible right now."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
Spot bent down and scooped up James, who had been trying to crawl up the stairs.
Before he had a chance to respond Joey and Jeremy ran down the stairs. "Andy said you wanted to see us?" Jeremy said.
Spot fought to juggle the two active boys in his arms. "You two aren't going with the others. Gramma and Grandpa have decided to keep you."
Jeremy stared at Spot. "Really?"
"Really," he said, walking into the main room and depositing James and Robert into the large pen that Chris has made for them.
"Did you hear that, Joey? We're getting adopted together!"
"You mean we don't have to go back?" Joey asked, his eyes wide.
"Nope!"
Joey began to dance around the room. Jeremy snickered.
Moments later Andy and the four other boys walked down the stairs. Lars stood up when they entered. Kenneth dropped his bag and began a signed conversation with Jeremy.
Sam ran into the room. "Daddy...Momma needs you."
Spot nodded, watching Kenneth and Jeremy for a moment. "Alright. If you'll excuse me," he said to Lars, and trotted out of the room. He ran into the bedroom. "Is everything alright?" he asked, worried.
"Everything is fine," she said, pushing herself up. "I just have a request."
"What is it?" he asked, visibly relieved.
"Can we please keep Kenneth?"
"Keep Kenneth?"
"Yes... Jeremy and Joey are staying and I feel so bad for him, because they're really the only ones he can communicate with... I don't want to send him back to a place if he's can't talk to anyone."
He sat next to her. "Are you sure?"
She nodded.
He kissed her forehead. "I'll go tell him he can stay."
She smiled, kissing him back. "Thank you."
"I love you, Rae."
"I love you too, Spot."
He grinned and left the room. Spot walked into the main room and bent to whisper something into Jeremy's ear.
Jeremy looked up at him and grinned. Jeremy trotted over to Kenneth and started signing rapidly.
Kenneth turned and looked at Spot, a questioning look in his eyes.
"If he'll let us, of course," Spot said, smiling at the youth.
Kenneth looked back at Jeremy, who quickly signed Spot's reply. Kenneth nodded a bit and then grinned.
Lars stepped forward. "I assume that you will be keeping this one as well?"
Spot nodded. "Yes."
Lars nodded. "Very well then. I'll bring the papers along in a couple of days. Come on, boys." The three remaining boys pouted, waving their goodbyes, and followed Lars out the door.
"Can't you do something?" Joey asked, pulling on Spot's pants leg.
Spot frowned. "I'll try..."
"Try hard!"
He smiled. "All right."
"Wha'cha gonna do?"
"I'm not sure yet, but I'll think of something."
"What about Uncle Sippi?" Andy asked.
"Hmm? I don't know if he'd be able to take a bunch of kids."
"But he knows a lot of people!"
"What are you getting at?"
Andy gave him a look. "Come on Dad... He can find them homes to live at!"
"Alright, alright. I'll write up a message and I want you and Jeremy to run it into town and send a wire."
Andy nodded. "Yessir."
Joey and Sam started dancing around the room. "We're staying! We're staying!" Joey chanted.
"Hurray, hurray!"
Spot smiled down at them. "Sammy, why don't you and Joey go tell Momma the good news..."
"Okay! Come on Joey!" Sam grabbed Joey's arm and dragged him down the hall.
Spot looked at Jeremy, Andy and Kenneth. "Why don't you all go back upstairs and get Kenneth unpacked...and I'll write that wire." Andy and Jeremy nodded, Jeremy signed the comment to Kenneth, and they ran upstairs.
----------
Molly glanced at the calendar on the wall in the kitchen again. Had she and Chris really been married for three months already? She sank into a chair with a sigh.
"What's the matter?" Chris asked, entering the room.
"Just thinking..."
"About what?" He sat down with a contented sigh.
"Us...we've been married for three months already..."
"Really?" He smiled a bit and held his hand out for her.
She smiled and took his hand.
"I'm so glad you married me," Chris said.
She stood and walked over to him. "It still amazes me that you wanted to marry me..."
"It amazes ME that you wanted to marry this disagreeable grouch." He grinned and kissed her.
Molly sat on his lap. "You aren't a grouch any more than I am."
He chuckled. "Two grouchy people. I suppose that makes us perfect for each other." He kissed the side of her head.
Kendra skipped into the room.
"Hello, little bit," Chris said.
"Hey Daddy, I'm bored..." Kendra said with a pout. "Can I get a little sister yet?"
Molly bit her lip and stood up. Blushing, she walked over to the cabinet and began to wipe the already clean counter.
Chris tilted his head. "What is it?"
"Nothing," Molly said, unable to hide the small smile.
"Come on, tell me. I know that smile means something!"
"Kendra's gonna have to share us," Molly whispered.
Chris blinked. "What? You... you mean..."
Kendra started dancing around. "I'm getting a little sister!!"
THE END!!!