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Chapter Forty-three

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An Early Birthday

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When Nathan and Zach returned to the Cottage after a chat with the Commissioner and Carol, Adeli and Bill were in the kitchen and Allie was chatting from the doorway. She and Uncle Bill had hung some streamers from the overhead light to the sconces on the dining room walls and hung her handmade sign to wish Zach a happy birthday. The table was set nicely.

At first concentrating on meeting Bill and shaking his hand, then receiving a hug from Adeli with instructions to call her that, Zach was delayed in noticing the decorations and sign. When he did, he gasped. "What's this? Allie's birthday is before mine! Wow!"

Nathan grinned and patted his back. "Welcome to the family, Zach! We won't be with you for your special day, but we maaayyy do something on Wednesday for Allie's. So tonight you can enjoy your own birthday." Nathan winked at Allie who grinned, hopefully.

"How about we share tonight, Allie?"

"Oh? Well, really you might want to have it be for you, Uncle Zach." Allie grinned at her new uncle and leaned over to share conspiratorially. "That means you don't have to help with the dishes you know!"

Zach reached into his pocket and retrieved a small paper-wrapped package. Handling it to Allie, he grinned and whispered, "Then you might want to share the celebration!"

"Go freshen up, Gentlemen and then Bill and I will serve dinner." Adeli announced.

Nathan motioned for Zach to use the WC first, as he commented to Adeli. "Smells good!"

He quickly retrieved a couple wrapped gifts from his bedroom closet, then after setting them on the sofa table, freshened up himself.

Nathan gave thanks as they sat around the table holding hands.

"Dear Lord, We are so grateful for so many things this evening. Thank you for bringing Zachary into our lives, into our family. May he soon feel a vital part of us. Thank you for bringing Adeli to us all and for her culinary skills tonight, along with Bill's, of course. Thank you for the food before us and the fellowship around our table. Be present with us and with all within our concern. Bless your Holy Name, Amen."

In unison the others added, "Amen."

"We have roasted pork with apple walnut dressing, butternut squash and apples, green beans, rolls fresh out of the oven and mashed potatoes, for those who absolutely don't consider it a meal without them…" She winked at Bill. "Plus a special dessert." Adeli introduced the dishes set around the table as Bill stood to carry the meat platter.

"This is a bit heavy, so let me hold it for you as you serve yourself." Bill encouraged. "Now don't hold back! There is plenty more in the kitchen."

Zach looked at his plate in amazement. "Thank you in advance! This rivals the food at Depot for sure! I probably shouldn't tell the fellows in the Troop about this meal…"

"Zach, please remind me to talk to you about what to say to our colleagues at Depot? I forgot to discuss that this afternoon." Nathan nodded at Zach who nodded back. "Let's enjoy this feast now though." Taking a carefully curated forkful, Nathan asked a question before he popped it in his mouth. "So, Bill? Adeli? What was it like to cook together this afternoon?"

Chuckling, both Bill and Adeli colored slightly, but Adeli recovered first to answer Nathan. "Amazingly well, Nathan. Once we figured out how to maneuver around the small space we each did whatever needed to be done next. Right, Bill?"

"Umm hmm." Bill swallowed. "I'd be happy to do it again anytime!" Bill winked at Adeli.

Nathan explained Bill's partnership in the Café and how he was an excellent cook and baker. "Bill has made sure the town hasn't starved for the past few years." Nathan grinned. "Well, that is except when the special is his chili. We have all tried that, but only once!"

Bill's eyes twinkled as he returned Nathan's tease. "Well at least my food is edible, Son, compared to someone who once burned a meal beyond recognition!"

"Now, wait a minute there. I was called out on Mountie business and forgot the meal was in the oven." Nathan emphasized the word 'Mountie!' "Anyway, when I got back, Allie had gotten Rosemary to remove the offending dish and set in on the back steps to cool, airing out the house as well. In the meantime, she made pancakes for Allie's supper and kept some warm for me upon my return. We didn't starve!"

Everyone was laughing at these comments and the story.

Zach contributed with a smile. "I hope you got the bad men, Nathan?"

Laughing at the memory, he winked at Allie. "Well I did! Two teenage boys thought it would be fun to let an enormous pig escape the pen, and after rounding them up, we had to together round up the pig from the cabbage field. My ranching experience helped as I had to lasso the beast! No one was injured in the escapade, but you should have seen the mud on my boots!"

Allie was giggling. "Dad was not happy when he got back that night. I think the boys had to muck out the town stables for a week after that, plus volunteer to help the farmer mend fences on the weekend!"

"Sounds like justice to me, Nathan." Adeli contributed.

"Oh, it was!" Nathan responded. "Just should have had them clean my boots too!"

"Now, I understand you were raised in the city, Zachary?" Inquired Adeli, "Any fun stories from city life?"

"A runaway sleigh on a slippery street? No one was hurt, but the way it slid from side-to-side was funny." He paused to think. "Neighborhood boys who pelted you with snowballs when you emerged from your front door, that is until you and your mother returned fire and ran them home?" Zachary grinned at everyone's surprise. "My mother had a good arm, and good aim too!"

"That sounds like fun!" Allie enthused. "How did you do that? One threw while one made the snowballs? That's how we used to do it in Hope Valley!"

Zach shook his head. "Actually no. We prepared in advance and had a bucketful of snowballs on the stoop, covered with some evergreens so no one knew. We had plenty of ammunition!" Zach's eyes glistened with the happy memory of his mother. "We made a good team."

"Dad and I have made a good team too, right Dad?"

"That we have Allie-girl. One of our favorite things to do was to fish! We had lots of competitions between us, but we both always won with a delicious fish dinner, eh?"

"We did. You should taste Dad's fish. He is the absolute best at frying fish!" Allie bragged. "Everyone says so."

"I can attest to that. Nathan's fish is the best," Bill offered, adding, "And that's from a cook!"

Conversation, sharing and laughter continued for the remainder of the meal until Nathan joined Bill to clear the table and disappear into the kitchen. Soon after they returned to the dining table with plates and forks, tea and hot apple cider. Disappearing again, Nathan began the 'Happy Birthday' song as Bill carried a birthday cake to the table, resplendent with candles that formed the numbers '21.'

Zachary was so surprised he was speechless and had to blink hard to keep the tears from escaping.

"Blow out the candles, Uncle Zach. Oh, make a wish first, then blow them out!"

Zach looked at everyone around the table, coming to rest his gaze on his big brother. He took a deep breath, blew out the candles and laughed joyfully. Recovering his voice, he exclaimed. "This is amazing! Thank you so much… I just never…" He couldn't finish.

Nathan spoke up. "We cannot share your actual day with you, but we wanted to make sure it was celebrated as soon as we found out your birthdate!" He gave Zachary a meaning-filled look. "That's what family's do."

Adeli came around the table and pulled the cake aside so she could remove the candles. "Zach, will you do the honors and cut the cake or shall I?"

"Would you please?" Zach looked up at her. "My hands are shaking!"

"Sure." Adeli made the first cut. "Now you tell me, this big or bigger or…?"

Feeling himself free to tease by now, Zach kept pointing to increase the size of the cake until he would have an entire half. Then he looked into Adeli's face with an innocent expression and everyone burst out laughing.

"Here. Let's start with this and you can come back for more!" Adeli nudged his shoulder then handed him a generous piece and continued to cut and serve everyone else, while Bill poured the cider or tea.

"This looks wonderful." Nathan commented. "What is the flavor? Do I see orange in the middle?"

"Spice cake with orange marmalade filling and dark chocolate icing, Nathan. Tell us what you think?" Bill asked. "We had a debate, but decided on this. Shall we make it again?"

His mouth full, Nathan nodded. "Mmmm hmmm!"

Nathan and Allie joined the others in the front room after finishing the cleanup. Nathan allowed Allie to sit in the second armchair and settled himself on the floor at her feet. "Looks like a few presents need to be presented. Allie will you do the honors?"

"Sure!" She popped up quickly and handed the gifts to a surprised Zach. "These are for you, Uncle Zach!"

"Wow." He looked from the gifts to the family seated around him. He raised the first box and shook it, grinning at Allie as she sat down.

"Don't look at me? I don't know what it is!" She commented. "You want to guess?"

"I wouldn't dare. I have no idea what I could even need, let alone want. I feel I already have everything tonight. Just our little party is enough."

"Well, open it! I want to see what you got!" Allie encouraged him.

Zachary opened the box from Adeli and Bill, lifting out the picture frame. Although there were no pictures, there was a note. Zach read, "Happy birthday, Zachary! As soon as the photos are developed, we will get them to you. You need some photographs of your family. All God's best, Adeli and Bill."

"Thank you so much! This is so thoughtful."

"We thought a small latching frame like that would be easy to transport in your Mountie satchel, Son." Bill explained, totally unaware of the endearment he had used.

Zachary noticed and took in is breath as he stared at Bill.

"What?" Bill looked around.

"You called me Son." Zach whispered.

"Of course I did. Nathan is like my son, so as his brother you are too."

Bill said it so matter-of-factly that Zach couldn't question it, although, he did nod and whisper, "Thank you."

Bill just smiled and nodded at the gifts. "What's next?"

Allie pointed to two boxes wrapped in the same paper, but tied together with a blue ribbon. "Open those."

"Okay." Zach opened the long, box first. "Oh my word! I have never owned such a beautiful pen!" Admiring the fountain pen, Zach turned it over and over in his hands. "Is this from you, Allie?"

"Both of those things together are from Dad and me." Allie explained. "Isn't it handsome?"

"It is. And now this? What could this be?" Lifting out a leather journal, Zach gasped. "I've never had a journal before." He fingered the embossed oak tree pattern. "This is wonderful, Nathan. Allie. Thank you both!"

"Of course. We decided you have plenty of life events and new information to write down now, so it would be a good time to begin to journal even if you never have before. The oak tree is symbolic of your family tree now, Zach." Nathan nodded at the book. "And you are welcome."

"Dad writes in his journal every day and he's taught me to do the same. It helps me remember things and it's good to record things I'm thankful for too."

Adeli and Bill held each other's gaze for a few moments before turning to catch a look of love between father and daughter. Allie had put her hand on her Dad's shoulder and he had taken it in his own and lifted it to his lips to kiss.

Zach took in the tender sight and thanked God silently that he now called this family his own.

Noticing another gift, he slowly unwrapped it to find a box of stunning writing paper. It was ivory colored and plain, but had a deckle edge at the bottom that made it especially elegant. "This is wonderful. But who is it from?" Zach searched the faces around him.

Nathan cleared his throat. "That gift is from your father, Zach." As that sunk in, Nathan continued. "Actually it's from Dad and Mom. They want you to write."

Having done a masterful job of controlling his tears all evening, he just couldn't anymore. Eyes closed, Zach just let the tears fall down his cheeks as he leaned back in the chair.

Giving him a moment, Nathan then stood, went to stand in front of Zach and motioned for him to stand. The two brothers hugged, both with tears falling, even as Allie, Adeli and Bill wept the same. This was the forging of a brotherhood, of a family, of what God had known would happen all along.

God had provided each person in that room for each other.


Later that night, as Nathan sat on the edge of Allie's bed to share and pray, he raised the issue of what to say to others about Zachary.

"Allie, Honey, I talked about this with Uncle Zach when I drove him back to Depot." Nathan paused remembering Zach's gratitude that Nathan wanted to protect him and his father.

"It is not fair, nor is it right, Allie, but children born outside of marriage bear a stigma and are sometimes treated as of lesser value than those born within a marriage. That is why unmarried mothers may spend a year away from their hometown and why families may hide the circumstances of birth to protect that child or adult. It is less a secret than not sharing a private matter."

"In Zachary's case, it appears he has not suffered persecution for something outside of his control. If we were to announce that he is now in our family and previously unknown, or the result of an indiscretion, can you imagine how that would make him feel?"

"Really sad and maybe embarrassed?"

"I believe so. How would it make Grandpa and Grandmom feel?"

"Probably really embarrassed as well."

"Right. Grandpa sinned, Allie, but the world doesn't need to know that since he confessed to God and to Grandmom. That can be his private business." Nathan paused reflecting. "Can you guess how even you could be taunted because of this. There may be those determined to hurt you or jealous of other successes you've achieved?"

"Me?"

"The world can be a cruel place, Allie. Our families reflect back on us. Their choices can affect us in unexpected ways. But if we forgive, accept and love we can continue to honor our family, like Grandpa, and be an example of Christian love, accepting Uncle Zachary into our expanded family. Uncle Zach was alone and now God has placed him with us."

Nathan cleared his throat, "I know from personal experience the embarrassment and teasing that circulated in my school when Grandpa was in prison. I don't want you to experience that, Allie. Have you told anyone about your 'new' uncle or your 'real' uncle?"

"I was ready to tell my friends, but then realized I didn't know what to say so I didn't."

"That was wise, Allie. I am glad you didn't. I spoke with Grandmom the other day about how we should handle this. She suggested we shouldn't mention 'half' anything and just say we got together with Uncle Zach who used to live in Edmonton. Don't offer any additional information and just let the distance be the explanation for his current appearance in our family. We are telling the truth, but we are not revealing private family information. Do you understand? Do you think you can do that?"

Allie nodded thoughtfully. "So I can still talk about him, just act as if he has always been my uncle but we are now living in the same city?"

"That's right. It is true Allie, even though we didn't know about him, he has been your uncle since the day you were born and been my little brother since the day he was born. Sometimes we don't need to over-share, just keep it simple and true."

"I get it, Dad. I wouldn't want Uncle Zach to suffer for something that's not his fault and I want to protect Grandpa too. Didn't you used to say, 'It's not my secret to tell?'"

Nathan chuckled. "So I did. Now, are you ready to pray and then go to sleep?"

Allie nodded, took her father's hand and gave thanks for their special day. "…For Uncle Zach, Uncle Bill and Aunt Adeli, Grandpa and Grandmom, Grampa Peter and Gramma Carol, and all my friends. But most of all, God, thank you for my Dad. God bless and keep each one I love. Amen."

"Amen." Nathan leaned over to kiss her forehead. "I love you, sweet Daughter."