Jeff was on his way home to see Ginger for the first time in a month and he was bringing good news with him. He'd been told after the previous day's game that he was being sent back up to the majors.
Bill Veeck was convinced that what he saw wasn't a "flash in the pan" as Coach told Jeff when he called to send him to the minors. He was being given a week off before he would join the Indians for their first home game after they had been on the road for the previous two weeks. It meant that he would be home in River Run and he and Ginger could figure out what they were going to do about their living arrangements. He didn't know how he felt about starting his married life in his mother's house with Linda and Charlie living there as well.
He sat in his seat and watched the scenery go by as he twisted his wedding ring nervously on his left ring finger. He'd only worn a wedding ring once before when he and Ginger went to Toledo because she thought she might be expecting. It shouldn't have mattered what strangers thought and she told him so at the time but it gave her some comfort to give the appearance that they were married.
But now they really were and if a little one were to come along they wouldn't have to sneak off to a strange city to find out from a strange doctor.
He didn't call to tell her he was on his way home because he wanted it to be a surprise. But the closer the train got to River Run he wondered if perhaps he should have because he knew how much Ginger hated surprises. Jeff wanted to see her so badly though that he hoped she wouldn't be too upset with him.
He closed his eyes for a moment and didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until he heard the porter come through the car. "River Run! We'll be in River Run in two minutes!"
Jeff opened his eyes and tried to orient himself before he stood up and got his suitcase from the overhead compartment. He could have had a berth for the trip home if he'd asked for it but without Ginger with him, he preferred to sleep sitting up.
The wheels screeched on the tracks as the train chugged to a stop and Jeff made his way to the exit. To his surprise Abe Davis stood at the platform with a raised hand to let the younger man know he was there. He stepped off and approached the former ball player before he took his hand and shook it. "Mr. Davis, it's nice to see you again."
"Welcome home Jeff. I hope you don't mind but Choker stopped by Rupert's to let me know that you were coming home to play with the Indians next week. He said that you hadn't told your family you were coming and it didn't make much sense to me for you to spend your hard-earned money on a taxi when I have Mr. Sloan's Packard." He explained as he took Jeff's suitcase out of his hand and walked back into the station.
It felt odd to have Mr. Davis carry his suitcase for him and Jeff tried to retrieve it.
"Let me do this son." Was all he said and continued to walk.
They made their way out of the station and the Sloan's automobile was parked out front. Mr. Davis stowed the suitcase in the trunk of the car before he opened the back passenger door and waited for Jeff.
"If it's all the same to you sir I'd prefer to sit in front." He said before he opened the front passenger door and sat down. He closed the door and waited.
The driver's door opened and Mr. Davis sat down as he pulled the car keys out of his jacket pocket. He put the key in the ignition and the engine turned over. "Thank you."
Nothing else was said as Jeff gave him directions to his mother's house and Mr. Davis pulled away from the station and drove him home. As the car pulled up in front of the house, he couldn't help but understand a little better how Hank might have felt when he came home from overseas. He felt like there were a million butterflies in his stomach and all he wanted was the feel of Ginger in his arms.
"Is this the house?"
Jeff looked over at him and smiled. "Yes sir it is, thank you."
The engine idled as Mr. Davis got out of the car and he followed suit. He walked to the back of the car and took his suitcase from the older man.
"Thank you Mr. Davis, it was swell of you to drive me home." And he put it down on the sidewalk before he shook Mr. Davis' hand.
"It was my pleasure. The Sloan's wanted me to tell you that they'll be at the next home game and Gloria and I will be there too. She doesn't really follow baseball but she knows it's something that Robert and I enjoyed."
"How is your son doing?"
Mr. Davis' smile was full of pride. "He called us a couple of days ago and he's doing just fine. He and Perrette have a small apartment off campus and she has a job as a French tutor. They seem to be happy, though Robert's mother misses him terribly."
"I'm sure she does. I know how much Mom missed Hank when he moved to Chicago." Jeff said.
He pointed a finger to the front door. "Your family is coming."
"Thanks again. I'll look for you next week." Jeff said as Mr. Davis got in the Sloan's car and drove away. He turned toward the house and before he had a chance to move Ginger was in his arms and kissing him. His arms were around her waist as he kissed her back.
"All right you two, let's take it inside." He heard his sister's voice as he tried to make up for the last month he and Ginger were apart. "We don't need to give the neighbor's a show."
Linda was right and he let go of Ginger.
"Welcome home Slugger." Charlie shook his hand before he picked up the suitcase and carried it inside.
"It's good to have you home Jeff." Linda smiled and hugged him. "The house has been too quiet with Mother and Al and Michael gone."
"Did they take that house you told me about?" He asked as Ginger held onto his hand and walked with him into the house.
"She called last night and Al put a deposit down on it yesterday. The local there doesn't pay very well, but the money Mother makes working part-time helps a lot."
"It sounds as though they aren't coming back."
Linda shook her head. "I don't think they are Jeff. The day they left she told me that she felt that it was God's Will that her fourth child was raised somewhere else."
"I wish I could have said goodbye." He sighed as they walked through the parlor. It looked and felt just as it did when Coach called him five weeks ago. He expected Mom to walk out of the kitchen at any moment to remind him to wash his hands before dinner and it was then that he realized how hungry he was.
"I know you do and she wishes she could have said goodbye to you too. But she didn't plan on going with Al until the very last minute." Linda explained.
"I just want her to be happy."
"So do I. And if sharing her life with Al and Michael in New Jersey is what makes her happy I'm not going to quibble."
"All right, I've had about as much gloom and doom as I can stand." Ginger told them. "Jeff surprises us without so much as a telephone call to let us know he's coming and he's darn lucky I had things ready for him."
Jeff looked at Ginger. "What are you talking about?"
"Just follow me buster." She said with a smile and started up the stairs.
He did as she requested and followed her. When they got there Charlie was coming down from the attic, his old room. "Your suitcase is in your room Slugger. I need to scram because I have to go talk to the Rabbi before I go get Gina." And he started down the stairs. "I told her it would be all right if she and Emma came for dinner."
"Sure Charlie." Linda answered. "The more the merrier."
"You're aces Linda." He smiled at her before he went downstairs and a moment later Jeff heard the side door close.
"I'm aces because I feed him." She shook her head in amusement. "Well, before you surprised us I was on my way down to the newspaper. Ginny's got a surprise of her own for you so I'll leave her to it." And she went downstairs.
Did Charlie say Rabbi?
Ginger took his hand again. "I've got something to show you and I hope you like it. Charlie and Gina and Linda helped so I can't take all of the credit."
She tugged on his hand and pulled him through the attic door. The first thing he noticed was the fresh coat of paint on the walls as he walked up the stairs and at the same time those stairs were quieter. He looked down to see that new carpet had been laid and the muffled sound of his own steps felt out of place.
At the top of the stairs he looked at what one time was the attic which was hastily converted into his room after Hank and Sarah decided to get married. It was small but it always suited his needs.
Ginger took that drab, dark room and made it into a real bedroom for the both of them. Gone was the clutter of trunks and storage boxes and the exposed beams.
"Charlie did the hard work." She explained as she stood in the middle of the room. "He did the insulation and the drywall himself and Gina helped me pick out the wallpaper. I was just going to paint but she talked me into doing both and she also sewed the curtains for me. I brought over my furniture from my parent's house so that's why you don't recognize anything. What do you think?"
He looked around the room and didn't know what to say. "Ginny, this is really swell."
Her face seemed to light up. "Do you know what you just called me?"
"What?" Jeff was still reeling from all the changes.
"You called me Ginny." And her smile grew.
He smiled back at her and met her in the middle of the room. "I prefer Mrs. Metcalf."
"I'm still getting used to it." Ginger admitted. "But I liked that you said Ginny."
He shrugged. "It wasn't something that I thought about, it just came out."
"So what do you think?" She insisted. "I think Linda did a swell job painting the stairway."
Jeff nodded because he suddenly realized that he and Ginger were alone in the house and he hadn't seen her for over a month. He reached for her and he smiled as her cheeks turned pink. "I think I'd like to try out those bedsprings."
"Only after you lock the door." She pulled away.
"Ginger, we have the house to ourselves for the rest of the afternoon." He reasoned.
"Lock the door mister or you don't get the chance to see how comfortable my bed is." Ginger was adamant.
"We're married now."
She didn't say another word and Jeff sighed before he turned and walked down the stairs to the attic door and pulled it closed before he locked it. He walked back up the stairs and found Ginger sitting in a window seat he hadn't noticed before.
"You've made us a nice home here Ginger." He said as he joined her and leaned over to kiss her cheek.
"I wasn't sure if you would like the wallpaper or not. I wanted this to be a room you could be happy in." She sounded a little defensive and Jeff didn't want her to.
"As long as you're here to share this room with me it doesn't matter to me what wallpaper you picked. You did this for us and that's all that matters." He tried to reassure her.
"I do love you Jeff." She told him and kissed him.
"I love you too Ginger." He kissed her back and held her close to his heart. "You know, you haven't asked me why I'm home and not with the farm team."
He felt her body still before she pulled away from him and the look on her face was one of disappointment. "Oh Jeff, you didn't get cut did you?"
"Not exactly." He fudged.
"Oh for pity's sake just tell me." She frowned at him. "If it's bad news breaking it to me gently isn't going to help things."
He nodded and acted as though he was reluctant to break it to her. "The fact is Ginger..." And he paused for dramatic effect. "Coach Zelnick called me after yesterday's game to tell me that I'm being sent back to the majors. That's why I'm here. The Indians are home next week and I'll be in the line up."
It seemed to take her a moment to fully grasp what he was telling her and in the next moment her arms were around his neck. "The majors!"
"I'm home for good Ginger." He smiled. "Except for road games and spring training, I'm home."
"I missed you so much."
"I know you did because I missed you too." And he grinned. "So can I see how comfortable your bed is now? The door is locked and we have the house to ourselves."
"Of course." She answered as she stood up. "I've waited for this for five whole weeks. Welcome home Jeff."
"It's nice to be home." He said as he kissed her and got to find out just how comfortable her bed really was.