Syd dressed her son in a red one-piece sleeper with a black hat. He looked adorable to her, but she could be a bit biased. She strapped him in his car seat and packed extra diapers and an extra sleeper just in case.
"Ready to go, munchkin?" she asked, kissing his round cheeks. One side of his mouth lifted in a bit of a smile, but it could have been gas. He was only eight days old.
The fifteen minute drive just made Syd more anxious. She felt strange going to Gavin's house, somewhere she'd never been invited, to see people she'd never met before. Who knew what Gavin had told them about her, or what they thought about her raising the baby alone.
She pushed the button on the intercom for the gate. "Yes?" a voice said.
"I'm Syd Thornton, ma'am."
"Ok, come in." The huge, ornate, black iron gate opened slowly allowing her to drive through.
"Good grief," she muttered when she saw the size of the house. "Your daddy lived here, sweet pea? Oh boy."
She parked next to the sidewalk and sat for a moment to collect her thoughts. Then she hopped out, grabbed his car seat and diaper bag and walked up to the door.
Before she could knock, the door opened. "Hi! Mrs. Porter?"
"Yes, please call me Laura." Syd nodded and followed Laura into the biggest, richest looking home she had ever seen.
"Laura, thank you for having us today."
"It's my pleasure. I think getting to know Noah will be a good thing, for me and my husband."
They walked into a room that appeared to be a living room or parlor. There was a very large fireplace and mantle in the corner, leather couches and armchairs that felt like butter, plush rugs, and a bookcase spanning an entire wall.
Noah woke up and squawked. Syd reached down and unbuckled his seatbelt. "Waking up, buddy?" She looked over at Laura and smiled. "Would you like to hold him?"
"Yes, please." She reached for her grandson and immediately teared up as soon as he was in her arms. "He's beautiful."
"Thank you," Syd said quietly. "Is Mr. Porter around?"
"He is upstairs resting. The chemo wears him out and with Gavin's accident, he's depressed as well."
"Chemo? I'm so sorry. I had no idea."
"Gavin didn't tell you?"
"I haven't seen much of him," she admitted, without giving too much detail. The last thing she wanted was to upset Laura.
"Oh. What did he say when you told him Noah was born?"
"I didn't tell him."
"Why ever not? Don't you think he deserved to know?"
"In hindsight, yes."
"I don't understand."
"It's a rather long story and I wouldn't want to upset you." Noah started sucking on his fist and whining. "Laura, do you have somewhere I could feed him?"
"You can do it here. I'll warm up a bottle for him."
"He doesn't take a bottle. I breastfeed."
"Oh, of course. I'll give you some privacy."
"Just need about thirty minutes or so," Syd informed her.
"I'll check on my husband." She nodded as she took Noah back from Laura.
"Hi," she cooed as she lifted her t-shirt and started to feed him. She pulled a small blanket from his bag and covered herself in case she walked back in.
UPSTAIRS
Laura walked over to Paul and sighed. He seemed to be sleeping but she wanted to tell him about Noah. "Paul?" she whispered.
"Laura?"
"My dear, Noah is beautiful. He has Gavin's nose and mouth. He looks just like him."
"Did you hold him?"
"Of course I did."
"Make you want another one?"
"No. You're more than I can handle," she teased. He kissed her hand and then closed his eyes again.
"I'm tired, I think I'll sleep now."
Laura smiled and kissed his forehead. "Love you," she said and then left the room.
She walked into Gavin's room and over to his closet. She pulled down a box from the shelf and opened it, pulling out a blue and white crocheted blanket that was his favorite when he was a toddler.
"Oh Gavin, why aren't you here? You should be here to take care of your son!" She sobbed into a pillow, stifling her cries so no one would hear. "He's so beautiful." She took a few moments to collect herself and then walked back to the den.
She opened the door and peeked in. "Can I come in?"
"Yes, of course. He's full now," she said, kissing his cheeks.
"Sydney, I have something for Noah." She unfolded the blanket and showed her. "This was Gavin's when he was a toddler. He carried the thing everywhere."
"I couldn't take it, I mean, don't you want it?"
"I want Noah to have something of his father's. Please take it."
"Ok. Thank you." If Syd wasn't mistaken, she could see tears in Laura's eyes.
AN HOUR LATER, THE THORNTON HOUSE
Syd walked in the house with Noah. "Hey, Syd."
"Hey, Dad."
"How did it go?"
"Laura loved him."
"Of course she did. What's not to love?" Jack unstrapped his grandson and kissed him. "He's a Thornton."
"He is." Syd grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.
"Something wrong, babe?"
"Mr. Porter. He has cancer, and they just lost their son…." Tears started rolling down her face. "It seems so unfair, Dad."
"Life isn't always fair, sweetie. The thing is, you are giving them something good out of all the bad. This precious little boy will be a light in the darkness." Syd nodded and wiped her face.
"I'm so in love with him, Daddy. How am I so lucky to have someone so wonderful?" She touched Noah's cheek. "I certainly don't deserve it."
"I feel the same about you, my love." He hugged her tight, kissing her forehead. "I'm so proud of you."
Elizabeth walked in and saw the tears. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Mom. I'm ok." Syd grabbed her son and went to the nursery to change his diaper.
Jack wrapped his arms around Elizabeth.
"Honey? What is it?"
He looked at her and kissed her. "Just grateful, that's all."
She hugged him back. "Two more weeks and we get to go up north."
She looked at him to see if he had something special planned. "What do you have planned?"
"I told you. I got us a hotel."
"Yeah, but what else?"
"It's a surprise but I know you'll love it."
She reached up and brought his head down for a deep, slow kiss. When they came up for air, she smiled.
"Still not telling you," he whispered. "But that was a very good try. Feel free to do that as much as you want," he said with a wink.
He started to walk away so she took advantage of the opportunity and smacked his rear. He laughed and left the room.
THE NEXT DAY
Charlotte sat in the living room, holding Noah. She had been in town since he was born and now it was time to head back to Florida.
"Are you sure you have to go, Ma?" Jack asked.
"Yes, I do. I got myself a job!"
"A job? You've been retired for five years."
"Frankly son, I'm bored. Teaching school was the most wonderful time of my life, aside from raising you and your brother, but I need to do something different."
"What job did you get?"
"I'm going to work at Hamptons Bar and Grill."
"A waitress?"
"No, not exactly."
"Then what?"
"I'm going to work at the bar."
"The bar? A bartender? Mom, that's crazy, you can't work the bar."
"Yes I can. They hired me."
"You're sixty two!"
"What's your point, son?" Her tone suggested that he tread carefully.
"Mom, do they know how old you are?" That was not treading carefully. He made it sound like she was 105.
"Jack Thomas, I love you dearly, but I've never known you to be mean."
"I'm sorry. How did you find out about the job?"
"My friend Max owns it and he told me about the opening." Jack was starting to guess why she was hired.
"Is Max married, Mom?"
"What does that matter?"
"Is he?"
"He's a widower."
"How old is he?"
"About my age, why? I don't understand these questions, son."
"Mom, I'm guessing this Max guy wants to keep you close by."
"We are friends. I think it will be nice to work for him."
"Ok, Mom. Look, I just want you to be happy, so if working in a bar makes you happy, I say go for it."
"Thank you for giving me permission, dear, but I already decided I would do it." She handed Noah to Jack. "I'll call you when I get home." She kissed him on the cheek, hugged him, and then left.
TWO WEEKS LATER
"Syd, Grams and Gramps are just two roads over. They said they will come right over if you need them."
"I know, Mom. Thank you. You and Dad have a nice anniversary, ok?"
"We will," Jack said, coming back for the last suitcase. "Honey, let's go."
"Ok." She kissed Syd and Noah one last time and then walked out the door.
She climbed into the passenger seat of the Tahoe and buckled in. Jack shut the tailgate and got in. "Ready, babe?"
"Yes, but maybe, with Noah so young…"
"They will be fine. Your parents are close, Julie and Tom or Abigail would come too, if something happened." He took her hand in his and kissed it. "Try not to worry. This week is all about us."
"You're right. I'm ready to be wooed."
"Wooed? Sweetheart, this isn't the 1900s. However, I plan to make you forget about everything back home."
She smiled at him, excited about his secret plans. "Any hints?"
"No, but look in the glove box."
He pulled out of the garage and down the driveway, heading toward the highway.
She found a small box and an envelope. "Should I open it?"
"If you want to." Her eyes lit up as she opened the envelope.
DEAR ELIZABETH,
TWENTY ONE YEARS AGO I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN I HAVE EVER KNOWN.
THEN TWENTY YEARS AGO, I MADE HER MY WIFE.
I LOVE YOU MORE AND MORE EVERYDAY, SWEETHEART. THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME BACK.
YOUR HUSBAND,
JACK
"Oh, Jack. That was very sweet." She opened the box and gasped. "It's gorgeous." She pulled out a thin white gold necklace with a large diamond pendant. She fastened the clasp behind her neck and looked in the mirror. "This must have cost you a fortune."
"You're worth every penny, babe."
They drove for about an hour and stopped for breakfast at a family diner. As soon as he opened her door to help her out, she pulled him half inside the car. She touched his handsome face for a moment and then kissed him. "Thank you so much. I love you."
He kissed her back and then smiled. "I love you more."
As they sat in the diner, across from each other, she slipped off her sandal and found his foot, sliding her toes under his pant leg. His eyes met hers and they both grinned.
Once their food arrived, Jack thought of something. "We haven't picked out baby names yet, honey."
"No, we haven't. I have been looking though."
"Did you find any you like?"
"Yeah, I looked online. I really like boys' names for girls."
"What do you mean?"
"Like Harper or Ryan."
"Oh."
"Jack, I don't like those names necessarily. They were just examples."
"I like Logan," he said quietly.
"Of course you do. Leave it to you to name our child after a character from X-Men." He smiled.
"It's a good name! You like that movie!"
"Mmhmm." She pulled out her phone and looked up the website she wanted. "So, I think because we don't know the sex, we should pick out five or six for each gender. I can make a list on my phone."
"Ok, type in Logan."
"Ok, Jack. Logan is on the list." She rolled her eyes, grabbing his hand.
"Oh, I found one. Kason."
"Kason? Hmm." He liked more traditional names.
"Yeah, like Jason, with a K." She added it to the list.
"I like Brenna Elizabeth," he told her. "I think it's beautiful." She could see he was completely serious, so she added it to the girl's side.
"I added it. I like that name too."
For the next hour, they continued adding to their list. The boy side received Matthew, Baxter, Wyatt, and James. The girl name category was stalled at one. Brenna. She was in love with the name and he seemed to be too. However, if it was a girl, it would be Brenna Logan as a surprise to him.
An hour and a half later, they arrived in Holland. "Oh, babe! It's the tulip festival isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. We haven't been here in a few years, so I thought we could walk around a bit."
"That's a good idea."
They found a place to park on the street downtown and then took a few hours walking through the town and enjoying the flowers. As they returned to the car, they sat down on a bench. "Ready to rest, sweetie?" he asked, kissing her temple.
"Yes, I am."
An older gentleman and woman walked over to them. "Would you like us to take your picture?" the older man offered them.
Jack handed him his phone, briefly showing him which button to push and then slipped his arm around Elizabeth. She looked over at him and kissed his cheek. The man took a few pictures and then handed the phone back.
"Baby coming soon?" the older woman asked.
"Two more months to go," Elizabeth responded, rubbing her tummy.
"Congratulations," she said with a smile. "How long have you been married, dear?"
"Twenty years in June."
"Well, that is wonderful to hear. These days, most don't make it that long."
"Are you married?" Elizabeth asked, gesturing to her and the older gentleman.
"Oh yes, fifty two years to the love of my life." She smiled at her husband. "He may not remember all the time, but I remember for the both of us. Right, sweetheart?"
"That's why I keep you around," he said with a grin and then he kissed her gently.
"Whatever you say, love."
Elizabeth smiled at the two lovely people in front of her. That would be her and Jack in another thirty years.
"Why don't we all grab some lunch?"
AN HOUR LATER
They were back on the road, Jack driving north and Elizabeth asleep next to him, holding his hand.
He gazed at her every so often, admiring her and loving her more and more with each passing minute. He just wished they could clap their hands or click their heels and be at the hotel. He didn't want to drive anymore, he just wanted to be with her.
After about four more hours, stuck in traffic at one point, he pulled into the parking lot giving them access to the ferry in Mackinac City. "Jack, I need to find the ladie's room before we do anything else."
"Ok, sweetie. I'll check the ferry schedule."
She walked into the building in front of them and he looked at the schedule on his phone. They had about thirty minutes before they would leave for the island so he decided the men's room sounded like a good idea too.
"Meet u by the shuttle in 10, babe," he texted her.
"Ok…gonna text Syd," she responded.
Jack met her with their bags at the shuttle. "Why do you have our bags, Jack? We won't need them on the island." He just grinned and kissed her forehead. "Are we staying ON the island?" Her eyes grew big making him laugh. "Oh my gosh, babe."
"How's Syd?"
"She said everything is fine and not to worry."
"Sounds like good advice," he said with a wink. He knew that she was just worrying because they were her children, so he didn't say anything else.
About thirty minutes later, they were stepping off the ferry onto the island. Jack handed one of the boat workers some money and like magic, five minutes later, a horse and buggy appeared.
"Your carriage, my dear," Jack said, handing their bags to the driver and helping her up into the carriage, just big enough for the two of them.
Elizabeth assumed they would be staying in one of the hotels on the island, like a bed and breakfast or something. So when the carriage pulled up to the Grand Hotel, she gasped and then kissed him, making him laugh. "Honey, this is amazing. I imagine it's expensive too."
"Forget about the money, Elizabeth. Twenty years of putting up with me means you earned the best I can give you."
Their room was one of the dormer suites on the fourth floor. "Oh, Jack," she whispered as the bell hop left them alone. "This is amazing."
She walked through the room, admiring the décor. "Its like we are in a different world." She stepped up on the platform where the table and chairs were and stared out the window. "You can see for miles." He walked up behind her, his arms around her swollen tummy and watched everything.
"I think we should order room service," he suggested.
"Yes, and eat it right here, watching the sunset."
He called and had filet mignon, twice baked potatoes, house salad, and the famous vanilla ice cream pecan ball dessert sent up.
When the food arrived, Elizabeth emerged from the bathroom in a white negligee and robe, modest, and yet, incredibly beautiful.
"You look so…." he fought for his words. Beautiful or gorgeous wasn't cutting it. He had officially run out of adjectives to describe her.
"So do you." He hadn't changed. He was still in his dark wash jeans, which fit him perfectly in her opinion, and gray t-shirt. His perfectly sculpted arms were showcased by the short sleeves of the shirt and his jeans were…she was out of adjectives too.
"Let's eat, babe. This sunset is unbelievable."
