Seems so Far Away
Meg listened as the phone rang again and again.
"Hello," an out of breath voice picked up.
"Hi, David," Meg said to her son.
"How is the new job going?" he asked.
"Quite well," she answered. "How are things going there?"
"All right, except," David stopped deciding it was his place to tell on his sister.
"Except what?" Meg questioned.
"Nothing," David replied. "I'll put Kate on. She is practically knocking me over trying to talk to you."
"Hi, Mommy," Kate said eagerly.
"Hello, have you been staying out of trouble?" Meg asked.
"Yeah, Michael took me to a movie today, and then we went to David's baseball game. We just got back," Kate explained.
"Sounds like fun. Where is your sister?" Meg asked.
"I don't know," Kate answered. "Uncle JJ wants to talk to you now. Bye, Mommy."
"Bye, sweetie," Meg said.
"How are you doing?" JJ asked.
"Pretty well. The kids haven't been giving you and Beth any trouble have they?" she questioned.
"David and Kate have been wonderful, but." JJ stalled. He realized how teachers must feel having to tell parents their children were horrible.
"What did Sarah do?" Meg demanded.
"I caught her coming home at 5:30 in the morning when she said she was going to be at a friend's house," JJ said.
"What did you do?" she questioned.
"I grounded her," JJ explained.
"I want to talk to Sarah right now," Meg told him.
"I'll go find her," JJ said setting down the phone. He walked upstairs to Christy's room where he had believed Sarah was. The room was empty, and he searched the rest of the bedrooms. No Sarah. Perhaps, she had been downstairs, and he hadn't seen her.
"Listen, I have no idea wear she is right now, and I know how expensive long distance can be. I'll have her call you later," JJ explained.
"All right, I don't care how late it is," she told him. "I want to speak with her tonight."
Meg hung the phone up and rubbed her face. It seemed impossible to parent children who were so far away. She hadn't thought about something like this going on. She didn't want to burden JJ and Beth; they had their own children to worry about.
"Bad call?" Luke questioned. Meg hadn't noticed him enter the room.
"No, I just don't know how much longer I can do this," she said.
"Work for me?" he asked.
"No, being here while my children on the other side of the country," Meg replied.
"Why don't you have them move here?" Luke questioned.
"I don't know, I wanted to see how the job would work out," she explained.
"The job is fine," he told her.
"Yes, but I'd have to find a place to live. I would be taking time off of work to look for something," Meg responded.
"Or you could live here," Luke said.
"No," she began," I mean, I don't think my children and boyfriend should be sharing a house," she told him.
"What if I was your husband?" he asked.
"That would be different," Meg started to say. "Are you trying to get at something?"
"Yes, we should get married," Luke told her. "It would solve everything, that is of course if you love me. You do love me?"
"Of course, but marriage, wow," she replied.
"Just think about, and it would be better if the kids were here to start the new school year," he added.
"You barley know my children. Why do you insist on talking about them during romantic moments?" Meg asked.
"Because it bothers you," Luke said before their lips connected.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ A few Days Later ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Did you get it?" Beth asked her husband as he entered the house. "Michael and Christy were at it all day, and they couldn't find one."
"Yes, and I believe this is the last Cabbage Patch Doll in the state," he said handing the bag to his wife.
"You just proved your manhood by knocking 10 year-olds out of the way to get your hands on one of those dolls," Beth told him. "You're just as happy you found one as I am. Kate is so lucky to have such a wonderful uncle,"
"You know everything," he said before kissing her.
Beth pulled away and said," I also know we'd better hide this before Kate sees it."
Beth quickly left the kitchen with the doll.
Sarah entered the house, sweat dripping down her face.
"Did you finish mowing the lawn?" JJ asked her.
"Most of it, but my head hurts," Sarah explained sitting down in a chair.
"You were probably just out in the sun too long," he said handing her a glass of water he had poured.
"Because you're a slave-driver," she mumbled.
"If you would have woken up earlier this morning, the heat wouldn't have been problem," JJ stated.
"I know, but I really don't feel well," Sarah whined.
"Drink the rest of the water then go rest on the couch," he told her.
She nodded and began drinking again.
Later, seeing Sarah's sunburned face hanging of the edge of the couch, JJ felt a twinge of guilt. He went outside to see the yard was completely mowed except for a small area on the side of the house. He started the mower and finished the task in less than five minutes.
Across the country, Meg waited for Luke to return to the store. When he pulled into the driveway, her stomach turned.
She wasted no time, met him at the door, and said, "I have thought it over, and I would love for my children to move here at the end of the summer."
"When should I rent a tux?" Luke questioned.
"Late August, I think we should have the ceremony on the beach," Meg said.
"You have been doing a lot of thinking," he teased.
"Yes, well, now I have many things to think about," she explained.
"I love it when you crinkle your face," Luke told her.
"I love it when you stop talking," Meg replied.
Meg rested her head on Luke's shoulder, a smile spread across her face. After all the mountains life had put in front of her, the valley was in sight.
Meg listened as the phone rang again and again.
"Hello," an out of breath voice picked up.
"Hi, David," Meg said to her son.
"How is the new job going?" he asked.
"Quite well," she answered. "How are things going there?"
"All right, except," David stopped deciding it was his place to tell on his sister.
"Except what?" Meg questioned.
"Nothing," David replied. "I'll put Kate on. She is practically knocking me over trying to talk to you."
"Hi, Mommy," Kate said eagerly.
"Hello, have you been staying out of trouble?" Meg asked.
"Yeah, Michael took me to a movie today, and then we went to David's baseball game. We just got back," Kate explained.
"Sounds like fun. Where is your sister?" Meg asked.
"I don't know," Kate answered. "Uncle JJ wants to talk to you now. Bye, Mommy."
"Bye, sweetie," Meg said.
"How are you doing?" JJ asked.
"Pretty well. The kids haven't been giving you and Beth any trouble have they?" she questioned.
"David and Kate have been wonderful, but." JJ stalled. He realized how teachers must feel having to tell parents their children were horrible.
"What did Sarah do?" Meg demanded.
"I caught her coming home at 5:30 in the morning when she said she was going to be at a friend's house," JJ said.
"What did you do?" she questioned.
"I grounded her," JJ explained.
"I want to talk to Sarah right now," Meg told him.
"I'll go find her," JJ said setting down the phone. He walked upstairs to Christy's room where he had believed Sarah was. The room was empty, and he searched the rest of the bedrooms. No Sarah. Perhaps, she had been downstairs, and he hadn't seen her.
"Listen, I have no idea wear she is right now, and I know how expensive long distance can be. I'll have her call you later," JJ explained.
"All right, I don't care how late it is," she told him. "I want to speak with her tonight."
Meg hung the phone up and rubbed her face. It seemed impossible to parent children who were so far away. She hadn't thought about something like this going on. She didn't want to burden JJ and Beth; they had their own children to worry about.
"Bad call?" Luke questioned. Meg hadn't noticed him enter the room.
"No, I just don't know how much longer I can do this," she said.
"Work for me?" he asked.
"No, being here while my children on the other side of the country," Meg replied.
"Why don't you have them move here?" Luke questioned.
"I don't know, I wanted to see how the job would work out," she explained.
"The job is fine," he told her.
"Yes, but I'd have to find a place to live. I would be taking time off of work to look for something," Meg responded.
"Or you could live here," Luke said.
"No," she began," I mean, I don't think my children and boyfriend should be sharing a house," she told him.
"What if I was your husband?" he asked.
"That would be different," Meg started to say. "Are you trying to get at something?"
"Yes, we should get married," Luke told her. "It would solve everything, that is of course if you love me. You do love me?"
"Of course, but marriage, wow," she replied.
"Just think about, and it would be better if the kids were here to start the new school year," he added.
"You barley know my children. Why do you insist on talking about them during romantic moments?" Meg asked.
"Because it bothers you," Luke said before their lips connected.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ A few Days Later ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Did you get it?" Beth asked her husband as he entered the house. "Michael and Christy were at it all day, and they couldn't find one."
"Yes, and I believe this is the last Cabbage Patch Doll in the state," he said handing the bag to his wife.
"You just proved your manhood by knocking 10 year-olds out of the way to get your hands on one of those dolls," Beth told him. "You're just as happy you found one as I am. Kate is so lucky to have such a wonderful uncle,"
"You know everything," he said before kissing her.
Beth pulled away and said," I also know we'd better hide this before Kate sees it."
Beth quickly left the kitchen with the doll.
Sarah entered the house, sweat dripping down her face.
"Did you finish mowing the lawn?" JJ asked her.
"Most of it, but my head hurts," Sarah explained sitting down in a chair.
"You were probably just out in the sun too long," he said handing her a glass of water he had poured.
"Because you're a slave-driver," she mumbled.
"If you would have woken up earlier this morning, the heat wouldn't have been problem," JJ stated.
"I know, but I really don't feel well," Sarah whined.
"Drink the rest of the water then go rest on the couch," he told her.
She nodded and began drinking again.
Later, seeing Sarah's sunburned face hanging of the edge of the couch, JJ felt a twinge of guilt. He went outside to see the yard was completely mowed except for a small area on the side of the house. He started the mower and finished the task in less than five minutes.
Across the country, Meg waited for Luke to return to the store. When he pulled into the driveway, her stomach turned.
She wasted no time, met him at the door, and said, "I have thought it over, and I would love for my children to move here at the end of the summer."
"When should I rent a tux?" Luke questioned.
"Late August, I think we should have the ceremony on the beach," Meg said.
"You have been doing a lot of thinking," he teased.
"Yes, well, now I have many things to think about," she explained.
"I love it when you crinkle your face," Luke told her.
"I love it when you stop talking," Meg replied.
Meg rested her head on Luke's shoulder, a smile spread across her face. After all the mountains life had put in front of her, the valley was in sight.