George Jr. sat there on the bed holding Melania in his arms. To him it seemed like hours until she finally stopped shaking and this whole thing was over with.
"You're fine….You're all right, Lana….." He breathed, running a hand over her dark brown hair. She looked up at him and it brought him back to years before. It reminded him of how much he always loved her. He leaned in and kissed her lips and to his surprise….she kissed him back.
They broke their kiss and Melania stared up at him, her slender hands on his broad chest, and she felt his strong arms yet around her. "I love you…." She whispered. Melania felt tears forming in her blue eyes. "All of the times where you said that you love me….all I always said was….thank you." She felt the tears start to fall. "Because….I never knew of what to say! I knew I loved you once…but I didn't know if I loved you then. I know I love you now…there's no doubt in my mind….I love you, George." She kissed him this time.
"And I love you…." He whispered.
"I know you do…..Any man who would stay here….for four months…..taking care of me….when it was only supposed to be a couple of weeks….." Melania looked at him and smiled. "If that isn't love….."
George Jr. smiled a little.
"Helping me through all of this….I believe it really shows how much you love me."
"I love you and….I always will, Lana." He whispered, and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll go get Mary Jane….and come back and I'll make supper for us…You just lie down and rest."
"All right…" Melania whispered, laying down and placing her head on the pillow.
George Jr. lingered there a few seconds, holding her small hand in his. Melania saw his tall, husky build get up slowly and walk out of the room and heard him walk out the front door.
George Jr. walked till he came to the H & W building, turned the corner and walked till he reached the little wooden bridge, crossed it, and walked the gravel road till he passed the house where his sister, brother-in-law, nephew and new little niece lived, and walked up the gravel road till he came to his parents' little brick house. He opened the door and let himself in….and came face-to-face with his mother.
"I thought you didn't live here anymore…" Franziska stated.
"I never said that, Ma….."
"You're practically living with that woman! Yes, you have a history with this woman….you two have a child together, but that still doesn't make it right, George Jr.!...Go ahead and live with her unmarried if you want to…but your father and I won't be very happy…."
"Ma….I'm not…" He sighed, a little frustrated. "Ma…I don't have time to talk about this right now! I came to get my daughter…."
"Well, she isn't here…."
"But I told Mary Jane to come here and stay with you for a few hours…."
"The girl hasn't stopped by…."
"I need to find her….." He muttered, rushing out the door.
George Jr. wasn't sure of where to look, so he began scanning the neighborhood….why he didn't think of it before, but the closest place from his parents' place was his sister's place…so he finally thought to check there.
….
"Do you need help with anything, Aunt Frances?" Mary Jane asked.
"Well, I was just going to start on supper…..but if you could help me by looking after Freddy and the baby…I'd appreciate that…..Can you handle her all right?"
"Ummm….I think so."
"I think so too…" Frances smiled. "She'll be sleeping is all…but if she wakes up and starts crying, just come get me…."
"I will…."
Frances walked into the kitchen and went about her business, getting her ingredients together for the meal. When supper was cooking on the woodstove in the summer kitchen, she looked up and saw her oldest brother walking up the sidewalk….so she went outside to meet him.
"Hello brother!" She smiled, hugging him. "How's the day been treating you?"
"Fine, Frances….I'm looking for Mary Jane. Is she here?"
"Yes, she is….Didn't you know she was with me?"
"No…I told her to go to Ma and Pa's."
"I'm sorry….I didn't know you told her that!….She just came into the yard, bawling. I didn't know what to do except calm her down and bring her inside for a little while…If she only would've told me….."
"Frances! It's all right!" George Jr. smiled at his little sister. "I trust you with my daughter!" He chuckled.
"George….I wasn't talking about that." Frances laughed, but then was serious. "She disobeyed you, is what I meant…."
"I think I'll let it slide this time….she's been through a lot…."
"That she has." She stated…."Pardon me!" Frances chuckled. "Here we are….on a hot day, and I don't even invite my own brother in! C'mon, let's go inside…."
"All right…" George Jr. laughed. He walked up the way to the summer kitchen, with an arm around his sister. They walked through the summer kitchen and he caught a whiff of the food cooking on the stove. "Somethin' smells good…" He smiled.
"Fred got some rabbits up on the hill a few days ago. I've been boiling them, and I'm going to chop it up and serve it with mashed potatoes and buttered green beans….Sound good?"
"Delicious…" George Jr. grinned. He always loved his little sister's cooking. Frances was a wonderful cook!
"I am making extra. Figured Mary Jane would be eating with us….You can too if you'd like."
"Well, I was going to make supper for Mary Jane,….Lana and I."
"What's this?" Frances giggled. "My brother can cook now?" She said, setting the kitchen table.
"I make a mean fried chicken!"
"Fried chicken? On a hot July day? You honestly want to wrestle a live chicken, kill it, de-feather the thing and all that frying on a day like today? No, no, no..….George….I've got a recipe for you…You want chicken? Here's a recipe for chicken and dumplings!" Frances said, retrieving the recipe from her little recipe book. "Now, please let Mary Jane eat with us…and you go make supper for you and your lady." Frances smiled and winked at her brother. "I'm thinking things are finally working out for you two…I wouldn't mind having Melania as a sister-in-law….."
"At least you ain't like Ma…." He muttered.
"Like Ma?"
"She accused me of…of living with Lana…."
"I guess I can see how she would think that…it has been two months with you there….Look, don't let her get you down."
"Four." George Jr. said.
"What?"
"Four months…..It's been four months that I've stayed with them."
Frances made a face…."Guess it's been longer than I thought it was…Sorry."
He changed the subject. "I wish Ma would let me make my own decisions! I'm an adult!...Yeah, I still live with Ma and Pa…but I don't have a choice! Pa needs help with the farm!" Big George spent part of the year working for the Chicago Great Western Railroad….and so he didn't always have the time to devote to all the farm work, so his three adult sons, till they were married off, helped him with plowing and harvesting. It was just John and George Jr. at home now.
"I feel that way too….Even though I'm married and have two little children now…..Well, you know how Ma is…."
George Jr. nodded and smirked a little.
"Now what are you waiting for? Go get started on that date!" Frances smiled. "Fred can bring Mary Jane home later….."
"Thanks sis…." George Jr. grinned. He turned to leave.
"Wait George!...To help you out a little, I've got a chicken I fixed up a few days back." She walked out the door to the ice house and came back with it. "You do the rest, my brother." She giggled.
"Thanks…" George Jr. laughed and headed out the door, carrying the frozen chicken. Frances chuckled and walked into the other room to call her niece and son for supper. Fred walked in through the front door and through the parlor. Frances met him in her sewing room.
"Hey sweetheart…" He smiled and gave her a kiss. "Supper smells good."
"Oh yes…Boiled up the rabbits you caught."
"Can't wait…." Fred said, his mouth already watering. He saw his niece putting little Freddy in his high chair. "Mary Jane's staying, eh?" He smiled.
"Yes….she came over this afternoon. It's been quite a day for her, Fred. I thought it would be good to…." Frances began.
"It's okay, I don't mind at all!...Mary Jane's a good kid." Fred smiled. "I'm gonna go wash up a bit and change my clothes." He went upstairs and did so, came downstairs and joined them at the table for supper.
….
George had gotten back to Melania's place, and cooked supper for the two of them using the recipe his sister gave him.
"Hey sweet thing…" He whispered, sitting down on the bed. "Hungry?" Giving her a bowl and a spoon.
"Oh,….I could eat." She grinned at him.
"Mind if I join you?" He smiled, placing a bowl in his lap.
"I'd be delighted…." Melania giggled.
"Who knew you could make chicken and dumplings!" She remarked, lifting a spoonful to her mouth and tasted it. "It's actually pretty good….I'm surprised, George!"
"Um, it's my sister's recipe…." George Jr. chuckled.
"Hm….no wonder the chicken has a lot of flavor!" Melania laughed. "It's still good…You did a good job with it."
"Thank you…" He smiled, taking another bite of his supper.
"The dumplings are wonderful too…How did you get them this small?" She chuckled. "Look at these hands!" Melania smiled, holding up one of his large, manly hands. "There's no way!" She laughed, teasing him a little.
"Well, to be truthful….VERY carefully!" George Jr. laughed. "I was thinking I ruined them."
"You didn't. They're absolutely fine…It's all wonderful, George….You should cook for me more often."
"I'm sure you wouldn't mind that…." He chuckled.
"You're right! I wouldn't…." Melania laughed.
They sat there on her bed enjoying their supper until it dawned on Melania that she didn't know where her daughter was!
"George…where is Mary Jane?" She looked at him.
"It's all right!...She's at my sister's place…Stayed there most of the day, I've been told."
"Oh thank God…" She said, placing a hand on her chest. "Scared myself almost to bits! I'm sitting here and I don't even know where my…..our daughter is." Melania smiled, gazing at George Jr. Then she smirked at him. "Say it…I'm a horrible mother…."
"You are not….besides, you were going through withdrawal, Lana….how could possibly you keep track of her? Heck, I didn't even know where she was!" George Jr. put his arm around her. "I think you're a wonderful mother….You raised her by yourself for 12 years….By yourself…" He repeated. "Now that takes strength….you've done a great job there, lady."
Melania tried to smile a little.
"Just wish I could've helped you with her…" George Jr. said quietly.
Melania was silent and looked down at her hands. "You know it wasn't your fault you couldn't…." She whispered, but the door opened and they heard that Mary Jane was home.
"I'll….I'll go and thank Fred for bringing her home…." He said quietly, getting up and walking out of the room.
A few weeks later…..
"So how's the old hand, Lana?" George Jr. grinned, checking on the feeling of her hand. She had most of it back to normal.
"Old hand?" Melania laughed.
"Okay, how's the young hand?" He smiled.
"Fine, George…." She smiled. "You know that!"
"So you can feel this?" He brushed a tip of his finger against her palm.
"Yes, that tickles!...Now stop that!"
"How about this?" He brushed the other hand with his.
"George…you know it was my left hand I injured! Stop being silly!" Melania laughed.
"Can you feel this?" George Jr. asked, placing something in her hand, and closed the other hand on top of it.
Melania opened her hands and sat there, with a shocked look on her face. There in her slender hands, was a diamond engagement ring.
"I'm doing now….what I should've done and wanted to do twelve years ago….before you left." He whispered. "Marry me, Lana?"
Mary Jane was in the hallway, though unseen by her parents…with her fingers crossed. "Please be a yes!" She thought.
A/N: In real life, Big George Gruber worked of the Chicago Great Western Railway at the time of the Spanish-American War from 1898 to 1899. He had tried to enlist, but he was turned down because of his flat feet.
Frances was a one heck of a good cook, according to my Grandpa! Lol….But of course she would be, like any woman of her day!
