CH 8

Laura stayed and helped out with the names for the wedding list for an hour before she left to go home.

Rose and Evan counted how many were going to be invited. "Wow, almost four hundred" Rose said

"yeah, question is where do you want to get married"

"Church wedding"

"Cathlic wedding"

"Yes"

"Ok i like tradition"

"same here, now reception"

"I don't know perhaps we can look around to what what places can handle over four hundred people"

"Good idea and wedding photos"

"that to"

"you know what Evan lets go to the park and go for a walk"

"Ok, i know that walking help clears your mind then you start coming up with crazy ideas"

"and what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing" he said smiling as he followed her outside and got into her car since the Jacksons gave it to her as a wedding gift after she married Eric.

They went to the gardens since it was a fine day with clouds about. They even went into the mall to look around and did some shopping including returning the tux.

When they return home Rose walks inside carrying seven different bridal books to look though.

That night at the Jones house Laura looks at Reg and Dylan while eating dinner. She put her folk down. "Reg, Dylan there something i need to talk to you about"

"Can it wait" Reg said

"No," she said.

"What do you want to talk about?" Reg said in an angry tone while looking at her.

"About my will"

"what about it"

"I'm going to change it"

"Are you going to write Evan out of it, good he deserves nothing after what he did to me" Dylan said.

"You damn well know he didn't know that there was drugs in those biscuits Dylan, so don't blame him for something he didn't and Same for you Reg, you haven't gone and told him about what that woman was doing to the neighborhood kids. He still think it was his fault" She shook her head at them both

"Well if he hadn't of brought them then Dylan wouldn't ended up high as a kite and spent three days in hospital"

"Then you and your mates wouldn't have known about the biscuits then and this neighborhood kids would get hooked on them which would lead them to steal money to buy biscuits and later on drugs." She looked down at her plate then back to her husband of sixteen years and her fifteen year old son.

"This christmas i want to spend it as a family"

"I might be working"

"Please reg take that day off for me"

"Why"

"I want to spend at least one christmas as a family with no fights and no augments"

"That's fine by me it's just the three of us" Dylan said "No we are going to be going to the Watson family this christmas. We been invited around there"

"Why go there"

"Rose been through a lot this year and she going to need all of us there, Evan going to be there"

"then i'm not going" Reg said

"Same here"

"Please" she said then she started to cry

"Mum what wrong, you never like this before since Evan left"

"all i ask is for this one thing, Reg you know i never ask for anything, Now i am"

"I'll think about it"

"Dylan"

"Why mum why is this christmas so important"

"Evan getting married"

"what" Both Dylan and Reg said at the same time

"he getting married on the fourteenth of December, he would like for all of the family to be there"

"Who is he marrying" David asked

"Rose"

"your joking her husband been dead for what three months, they crazy" Reg said

"you don't know the full story Reg"

"i don't care they to young to get married"

"I was twenty when we got married"

"but that was different" She stood up and walked to the door then stopped and turned to them "Evan been there for Rose a lot more than you even been there for me Reg. Evan shows Rose something that you hardly shown and that is love, patience and understanding. Evan was there for Rose while she was going through hell because of what Eric was doing to her, he was threatening and black mailing her into being his girlfriend and getting married, he was using her one weakness and that was her family. If she didn't do as he said he was going to get her parents fired from their jobs, decline a bank loan and make them lose their house which they only had eighteen months left on their mortgage. She has put up with his abuse and womanizing and parties and trips. Out of the three and half weeks they were married he slept with her three times. What sort of marriage is that? And yes, Evan knows what he's been doing and now his family does. They support her since they know the truth and sudden death of their son and grandson." She turns and walks out of the room leaving Reg and David shocked.

Two days later Joan took half a day off so she could take Laura to the hospital and be with her while she was having her treatment. Laura told Joan about what happened on Sunday night at home.

"They don't know about the cancer"

"no i don't want to use it to get the family together"

"I understand, you still welcome you know that"

"thanks"

"Evan and Rose we out for the rest of the day then return home with bridal magazines" Laura grin

"She started already"

"Yes she has. She told everyone at the rest home about her prom and surprise engagement. They are all happy for her and some of them tease her about her prince charming" She said with a giggle

"Well he was the prom king"

"That's what she told them. Good news is that I spoke to the father at the church and he met both Evan and Rose. They both willing to do the pre marriage counseling and the church already been book"

"that great news"

"they were lucky cause the church been book right up till april next next"

"they are lucky"

"Yes they are"

The next day Laura was shocked when Evan showed up home after school "Evan what are you doing here"

"I'm here to help take care of you mum, I've taken time off work on the days after you have chemo. So why don't you go and sit down and i'll make you a drink of this tea that a lady from the rest home surgested to Rose since she been going through chemo herself"

"thank you son" Evan went and made the tea with honey in it.

He gave it to his mum then he went and got dinner then brought the washing in and cleaned the bathroom and mop the floors for her. He gave her a kiss before he left knowing what time Reg and David got home.

Rose and Evan took turns looking after Laura after school and sometimes on a Saturday Dave and Joan stay with her and look after her since David and Reg are out all day. Rose and Evan showed up on a Saturday morning to talk to the father and have their pre wedding counseling as well spending time checking areas out for wedding photos and reception location.

When it was Evan's birthday Rose took him out for the day. She drove to ST Davids and to a park. "Rose what going on"

"Come on trust me" they got out and walked along the walkway while holding hands.

"What are you up to" he ask

"You will see" when they reached the spot they saw the back of a guy who was wearing light brown pants and a checked shirt.

"Hello" Rose said then the guy turn around looking at them. He step ford

"Rose what is going on" then he stopped in front of Evan.

"Evan this is Sam your dad" Evan was shocked. He look at Rose then to the man in front of him

"You grown up to be a fine looking young man Evan"

"thank you Mr Bridges" He laugh as he pull Evan in to his arms for a hug then pulled back

"Call me Sam son"

"Ok Sam"

"Last time i saw you, you where four hours old and look at you now"

"Mum told me everything"

"i know, she told me, how is she"

"she been having good and bad days"

"Chemo will do that, does Reg know"

"No, she's been trying to get us together this christmas. It is not working and it upsets her that dad… Reg putting work before family"

"He was always like that, no bloody wonder his first wife left him"

"He was married" Evan said in shocked

"Yeah, it's been five years, I have two kids, a boy and a girl, both at uni. He devorice Sarah and married Laura a year later. Their son is four years older than you and daughter two years older than you, she married some guy…. Jeff Dawson, he a multi millionaire… what " Rose and Evan was shocked

"Oh my gosh" Rose said

"We know Terry and Tina Dawson. They are friends of Eric, well some friends. They didn't show up at the funeral" Evan said

"Really, that is a surprise"

"you and me both" they talked for ten minutes and they decided to go into town to a cafe to get a cold drink and talk some more. When they were at the cafe

"what would you two like, it on me" Sam said

"Rose has a caramel thick shake and i'll have a choco banana thick shake thanks"

"Food"

"two ham and chicken sandwiches and two vanilla slices thanks" rose said

"wow you must be hungry" they laugh

"We got same taste in things" Evan said

"Ah, ok" He shook his head as he walked inside while they found a spot in the shade outside.

"Are you ok Evan"

"Yeah it's just a shocking surprise about Terry and Tina"

"I agree" they talk till Sam returns carrying a tray outside and puts it down on the table before sitting down.

"Your milkshakes will be here soon"

"thanks" they both said

"so Rose what are you planning on doing when school over"

"I'm planning on becoming a nurse"

"good for you, how long will that take"

"Three years and when the exams are over I'll be able to see if I qualified to go to nursing school"

"Good for you, what about you Evan"

"I got a part time after school job. I haven't decided yet but i'll be supporting Rose any way i can"

"good for you son. Laura said you are good at tech drawing and woodwork at school"

"I'm doing ok why" Sam smile at him

"you just like me Evan i'm an architect and a builder"

"Chip off the old block" Rose said, making them all laugh.

"Why don't you go to uni to do tech drawing artistry course"

"How long does that take?"

"Five years" Sam said

"Are you one" rose asked

"Yes i am"

"what about becoming a builder"

"three year apprenticeship for starts"

"Evan what are you thinking about" Rose asked

"I know this is going to sound crazy but how would you feel if i move here and work with Sam and come home on weekends while you studying your nursing degree"

"for three years"

"Yeah and it would be one way for me to get to know Sam here and i won't bug you with your studies"

"and then what"

"You could get a nursing job up this way, Mount Thomas is short staffed for nurses and it is only twenty kilometers north from here" Sam said Rose thought about it.

"How about you spend a year with me so we can get use to married life and still work part time where you are while i'm training and then you can move up here after a year"

"Whatever you guys what is fine by me"

"Ok we can do that"

"Great," Rose said leaning over and gave him a kiss just as the waitress walked out with the cold drinks.

Rose picks up her milk shake "a toast to one big happy families" Sam and Evan pick there drinks up

"to families" they clicked their drink and took a large sip of it.

Rose suddenly shake her head and Evan laugh "Are you ok rose" Sam asked

"Brain breeze it happen every time she suck up a cold drink like that to fast"

"yeah i'll be fine"

"Once her brain defrosted" she lightly wacked his arm while he was laughing

"One day i'll get you back for that" They enjoyed their lunch and talked for the rest of the afternoon.

When they left Sam and Evan shook hands before Evan got in the car and he drove back to Melbourne since he and Rose were going out to dinner at a restaurant with family and friends.