Chapter Thirty-Five
Eddie consented to the trip to the dancing school for the next day for Mary to say goodbye. One of the last steps before they could close the chapter on their lives in New York and either start new or end up…
"I don't want to go in my chair, Daddy," Mary told Jamie as they pulled up to the dance school. "I don't want my friends to see me in it."
"Honey, you can't go on your leg yet," Eddie explained. "Do you want Daddy to carry you?"
Mary pouted, "Why can't it be like I do in therapy, with my case and my sticks?"
Jamie sighed, 'You aren't strong enough yet on the crutches, buttons. Come on, we'll cover your legs with the pretty blanket with the ballet shoes on it."
Mary pouted in frustration while Jamie put her ballet shoes blanket on. "There we go, Buttons."
Mary nodded and Eddie pushed her pink wheelchair into the dancing school and over to her class.
The kids ran over seeing them walk in taking turns giving her hugs.
"When are you coming back to dance?" they all wanted to know. Mary looked up at her parents, "Well," she began softly. "I'm not going to dance here because we are going to move away."
The kids gave her a sad look following with more hugs and promises of exchanging numbers
"We'll miss you, Mary," said Miss Sandy "You keep dancing honey."
"Thank you Miss Sandy I'm going to miss all of you," Mary said
Eddie saw her daughter's emotions were beginning to creep up. She stepped in to remove her from the situation. "Come on honey, let's go get some hot dogs."
Mary waved bye to all her friends and teacher wiping at her face while they left
"Can we really get a hot dog?" Mary asked. "Or was that to get us to leave?"
Eddie laughed, "You are too smart missy wonder why? We can get a hot dog if you want."
"I don't know if I'll miss them," she replied. "My dance friends, they kept touching me."
"They were just glad to see you honey," Eddie told her.
"I don't like it," Mary replied. "Stings my legs." Jamie and Eddie looked at each other, that was a new symptom and a good sign.
"Let's get a hot dog and relax," Eddie offered
Jamie carried Mary for the hot dog and sat her on the park bench. "What's the first thing that you want to do when we get to our new house?" Eddie asked.
Mary thought about that for a minute, "I want to see the whole house."
"The whole house?" Eddie asked. "What do you mean honey?"
"Do we have a basement too? And a backyard?" Mary was getting excited
"We have a storm cellar," Jamie replied. "Not a basement like grandpa has and we have a huge yard, with a swing and a slide and a big porch to play on. You will have so much fun!"
Mary's eyes lit up eating a little more. "It sounds really nice I can't wait."
"Neither can we baby," Jamie replied. He put all his hope now on this move, Eddie, it was clear had no hope left.
"Well, that is the last of it," Jamie announced as he placed the final box of items Eddie did not trust the movers with into the U-Haul van.
Eddie stepped over with Bella and Mary. She had Bella in her backpack oblivious to the major changes coming in her life. Mary sat in her small, pink wheelchair waiting for Jamie to put her in the car. "Can I see out the window, Daddy?"
"You bet you can, princess," Jamie replied. "You'll see horses, cows, maybe sheep..."
Jamie carefully lifted the little girl and put her in the booster seat. "You comfy?" Eddie asked. "No pains?"
Mary shook her head and looked over at Bella who busily kicked and sucked on her pacifier.
Mary reached over and rubbed the baby's foot. "You ready Bella? We are going on a big trip called moving."
Bella cooed around her paci, she had no idea that her family was uprooting itself, that her mother refused to sit at a table with her uncle and godfather anymore, or that her Mommy and Daddy cried themselves to sleep each night. In a way, baby Bella was the most blessed of the all the Reagans.
Just before Jamie shut the doors, the rest of the Reagan family pulled up. Eddie stiffened and moved closer to her girls. "He's not going to hurt them," Jamie sighed. "Let him say goodbye, you don't have to talk to him. Go back inside and just take a few minutes. Mary and Bella don't understand, let them say goodbye to everyone. Go inside."
Eddie went inside to do one last look around before they left. She looked out the window and watched Frank stand over her girls, he would see them in a week, it was just hard to watch them leave.
When the family had said their goodbyes, Eddie came back out. She had some snacks for Mary and a juice bottle for Bella. Frank was the only one left when Eddie came out. He enveloped her in a large hug. "I'll miss you," he whispered. "I love you as if you were my own. You're the strength of this family, hold it together."
"I will try," Eddie replied. "I'll try my best. You still coming out next week?"
"Yes," Frank replied smiling. "I can't wait to see the new house and these girls again. Love you honey."
"Love you too, Dad," Eddie replied and got into the U-Haul with Jamie. Frank would bring out her car when he came to visit, Jamie's was being trailed behind the truck.
Frank watched as his family pulled away from the curb to start their new life.
Both the girls fell asleep on the drive. "I'm going to wake Mary when we get closer so she can look out. We'll have to put in a few ramps for her so she can go in and out of the house and out to the porch. I didn't think of that."
Jamie nodded, "I'll do that tomorrow before I go to the office. I'll get things done for the family and the community. It's just us now, you and me and the girls."
Eddie was happy about that. It was about time that they were first on Jamie's list, not behind Danny, Erin, even Frank. If they had been first, Joey might be alive, but Danny was first then, and the ultimate price was paid.
Jamie was good driving most of the way only stopping once for a rest and to stretch. As they got closer Eddie reached back tapping Mary
"Honey, wake up and look," she whispered. "We're almost home, look there are cows, you see them?"
Mary was still sleepy but woke up seeing the cows. "Oh wow look Mommy there's so many!"
"Yes, there are lots of them right?" Eddie smiled. "We have some right next door to our house."
"Really? Do we get to milk them too?" Mary sat up watching.
"I'm sure there is a place we can go for you to learn to milk a cow" Jamie replied. "They have petting farms and things all around here." An Amish buggy came towards them on the road. Mary's' eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"A buggy like they used to ride in the old days? Really." she tried to sit up more for a better view
"Yes," Jamie replied. "These people are called Amish, and they have farms, use horses and buggies, they even dress differently and don't use cars, phones or anything."
"Wait, if they don't have a phone Daddy, how do they tell someone if they need something?"
"Well they go visit each other or they write a letter to each other," Jamie replied. "Look there! Another one!"
Mary looked out the window completely taken in by this new life.
They pulled up to their house ten minutes later, "here it is." Eddie smiled at Mary. "Home sweet home"
"Wow this is our house," Mary could barely contain herself eager to go check it out
"Jamie took Mary out and carried her and the chair up the steps. They were surprised to see two buggies approaching the house as they parked the van.
Eddie and Jamie looked back, each holding one daughter.
"Good morning," Levi approached. "We wanted to come and welcome you officially to the community. These are some of your neighbors, Ida and Samuel Garber, Rachel and John Lapp, and Faith Brooks, she's your English neighbor on the back end."
"Thanks, it's nice to meet you all. I'm Jamie, this is my wife Eddie, and our girls Mary and Bella."
"We have something for Mary," John smiled. "We heard about her difficulty from Sheriff Paul and we know that she needed help." Samuel pulled out two ramps from the back of the large wagon. "Built to last."
Eddie smiled, "That was so sweet of you, thank you so much."
"We'll install them and get you moved in," Levi smiled. Bella began to fuss, she was hungry and needed to eat.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry. It was a long ride for her," Eddie bounced the baby, carrying her inside to eat.
"Oh, of course," Rachel smiled. "It will only take a few minutes to get the ramps up and you just rest and relax, we will help you get things set up."
"That's nice of you, thanks," Mary stared at them shyly taking in the Amish folk.
The men and Jamie had the ramps in place in fifteen minutes. "Come one little one, check them out," Faith invited.
Mary looked up at her father, slowly testing the ramp, smiling brightly.
"Look Daddy! I can go by myself..." Her eyes, and her heart, lit up.
"Good job baby," Jamie smiled turning to the neighbors. "This made her so happy I can't thank you enough."
"She's a precious child and you are our neighbor now, we want you to feel welcome."
Jamie smiled, "we do thanks." He couldn't express how it felt to see Mary smile again
"Please come in," Eddie invited them. "I don't have anything to offer yet but..." "Oh, don't worry about that," Faith replied. 'We have milk, lemonade, fried chicken...Come let's get you home."
The men folk helped Jamie move some of the big items inside rather than wait for the movers while the women helped Eddie get the house ready.
Mary waited for her father whispering, "They eat like we do."
"Of course, honey," Jamie replied. "Everyone eats..." He kissed her head. "Go on to Mommy, I don't want you to get hurt." The new furniture would be delivered the next day and the moving van would arrive then too, Jamie, Eddie, and their new neighbors had all their personal items unloaded and unpacked in under three hours.
Jamie and Eddie enjoyed getting to know their neighbors talking for hours until it grew late.
"I'll come around in a few days," Faith promised. She was the youngest on the welcome wagon. "I'll bring my girls to play with your Mary and we can get your more settled."
"That sounds great come by and we can make a play date," Eddie agreed.
The two wagons left and Jamie stood back with Eddie. "Have you ever seen anything like that?" he asked. She shook her head, "Not even the NYPD is that organized."
"Welcome home Eddie this is the start," Jamie said closing the door behind
Eddie got out the blow up bed they were going to use that night for a sort of family campout. "It is...How do you like the house Mary?" Mary had rolled all around her new house, checking out her room. It was a ranch, so she could do it by herself.
"Mommy this house is so cool!" The light reflected in Mary's excited eyes
"We hoped you'd like it honey," Eddie replied. "It's time for your bath, okay? Then we'll do your stretches and all sleep in the living room until our beds come tomorrow, won't that be fun?"
"Kind of like camping out. Can you help me with the pajamas Mommy?"
"Of course I can, honey," Eddie replied. "Daddy's going to finish making up the bed and change Bella while we do your legs okay? Hold onto Mommy."
Mary held on going with Eddie while Jamie finished then tended to their youngest
"You like the house, Bella Bug?" he asked tickling her tummy. She cooed and giggled out loud, she was such a happy girl, Jamie was glad she was flourishing
He got her changed and rocked to sleep by the time Eddie and Mary returned
Eddie put Mary's pjs on and she happily pulled out two candles from the small pocket of her jeans. "We should wish and blow, Mommy. Joey would be so happy and he'd want us to make a wish..." Mary held her candle out and blew, "I wish we are all happy here."
Eddie smiled with tears in her eyes, "That is so sweet honey, I wish the same thing
Jamie moved closer to his girls, holding them close. He and Eddie simultaneously blew the imaginary flame to seal their wish.
Jamie laid on the bed moving an arm around them. Eddie was stiff as a board in his arms.
"You okay Eddie?"
"Fine" she replied biting down hard. He would never understand, he just wasn't able to get it.
Jamie knew she wasn't fine that she was holding back from him
"Mary didn't mean to make you cry," Jamie whispered.
Eddie turned over to him, "Mary didn't make me cry you did, because you can't find it in your heart to forgive me."
Jamie had tears of his own running down his cheeks. "When are we going to stop making each other sad?"
"I don't know Jamie," Eddie lay back down facing away from him.
Jamie sighed, tomorrow he could worry about this, he had to work and start his new job.
He fell into a very light sleep that night having a lot on his mind.