Better Together
Carol woke up from her nap as they crossed into Virginia. Sophia and Mark were talking and she pretended to stay asleep just because it made her happy to listen to them talk. The people she loved the most were in this truck. The baby was moving as if he wanted to join in the conversation.
Sophia asked, "How much longer? I have to go to the bathroom."
"There is a rest area just across the line. We'll stop there."
Carol pushed herself up. "Are we there yet?"
Mark groaned, "We still have a couple of hours. I'm stopping to let you womenfolk take a break. We're in Virginia now." He pulled into a rest area with a welcome center. Sophia hopped out with Muffin. "I'll take the mutt for a walk. You two go on in."
The maple trees at the rest area were weeping out indescribably beautiful leaves and the air had a crispness that made Carol feel fully awake. Daryl was still walking the dog when they came out. He handed Sophia the leash. "Better let her walk as much as you can for a bit."
Sophia grabbed the leash, "I've got her."
Mark leaned toward Carol and kissed her, "Virginia is for lovers. It says so all over the damn place. Even on t-shirts."
Carol kissed him back, "I am going with Sophia. You do know this is the first time you've kissed me in public." She followed her daughter. Rest areas weren't the safest places in the world for little girls wandering off from parents.
Mark was waiting at the truck when they came back. He opened the door for Sophia and handed the dog in carefully. He kissed Carol again before he opened the door. "That's the second time."
The interstate highway climbed a tall mountain with spectacular views. Eventually the mountains turned to hilly farmland and then into wide valleys. Carol found herself watching Mark look at the scenery. He explained that the river called "Lost River" began as a small stream north of the town and then disappeared underground for a few miles and then emerged as a river out of a cavern as a much larger stream heading east. The town Lost River was built at the site where Lost River merged with another stream. He loves this place. He's happy to be home.
Mark drove them through the business section of the town on his way to the house that he and Michael lived in. "That's Big Mike's bookstore and there is the courthouse. This street leads to the college which is why there are so many damn kids running around the streets. Lazy bastards oughta be in class probably."
The town seemed to have more than its share of bars and restaurants. There was an old movie theater and outdoor sports stores. Stores that had pottery and paintings for sale. It was both trendy and a throwback to sleepier times. Farming equipment and feed stores were everywhere and Sophia pointed out that there was a blacksmith shop.
There were many beautifully preserved old homes and Mark honked his horn at a Black woman standing in front of one. He pulled to a stop, "Good to see you, Jacqui."
The woman's severe face softened when she recognized Mark, "Good to see you too. Mark. Now who have you captured down in North Carolina?"
He grinned at her, "Jacqui, I want you to meet my girls, this is Carol." Carol unbuckled her seat belt and leaned over Mark to meet Jacqui's outstretched hand. "And this is Sophia." Sophia leaned over to shake the older woman's hand.
Jacqui smiled at the three of them, "This boy has been missing you. All work and no play. Theodore will want to talk to you, Mark. I'll tell him you're back."
Mark grinned at her, "Yeah, you do keep Theo on track. You know I wouldn't miss your wedding. Next Saturday I'll be holding Theo up at the church."
Jacqui touched Mark's shoulder, "Don't you let him run off and leave me at the altar."
"That ain't happening. Theo thinks the sun shines out of your ass and you know it." Mark smirked at Jacqui, "Gotta go. Michael and Christie are waiting for us."
"It was nice meeting you two. I hope to see you at the wedding if not before. Mark can bring you around for dinner. I have a new kitchen and I'm not afraid to use it."
Mark explained that his first job at Horvath was renovating Jacqui's old kitchen. "That's when she and Theo met. Fell in love the first day we started the job. I think they were engaged within two weeks. She's been waiting for one of her brothers to come home before she got married. I'm Theo's best man." He is tickled to be in this wedding.
Finally, they drove through a residential area and Mark parked in the driveway of an attractive if non memorable brick two story house. "Honey, we're home." No, home is a farmhouse in North Carolina.
Michael and Christie weren't there, but Mark produced a key and ushered them in. "Our rooms will be upstairs. Michael's room is on the main floor."
Sophia seemed pleased with her room and Carol settled into the room that Michael had used as his own. The slag lamp that she had given him was by his bed. There were framed photographs of her and Sophia on the dresser. They must have been on Daryl's old phone and he had the photographs developed. Carol inspected the khakis and polo shirts in the closet. There were jeans and work clothes too and that reminded her that he was still her guy no matter what he wore. Carol unpacked and hung her clothes beside of Mark's. The house didn't have a lot of character but the only thing she really hated was the sheets. She was stripping the bed when Mark came into the room. "We are getting new sheets".
Mark laughed, "I forgot that you are the princess that can feel a pea under the mattress. My Queen, we can run out to the mall to buy some royal bedding." Make fun all you want. Life is too short to not have wonderful sheets. Give me those high thread counts made with Egyptian or pima cotton.
There was a black Suburban in the driveway when they got back and Carol felt her stomach tighten. Meeting Daryl's brother was scary. She knew how much Daryl-Mark loved his brother and had been at his beck and call until Merle got sent to prison. Merle-Mike might resent that his brother had other responsibilities now. Might want this whole thing to fail so that he could keep his brother's undivided devotion. Way to bring up the negative energy, Carol. Be positive. Michael is probably a cupcake.
Daryl opened the door and Carol saw a large man holding Muffin and shaking his head, "This poor excuse for a canine is your dog, Mark?"
Mark laughed, "He's a lot tougher than he looks. He's hell on stuffed toys. Come and meet my girls."
Michael handed the dog to Sophia, "I bet he belongs to the little lady. Sophia is your name and I'm Big Mike." He turned his icy blue eyes on Carol, "And this must be Carol." He gave her the once over and Carol remembered Daryl doing that the day she moved in next door. Don't have to dig very deep in the Reynolds family to find the Dixon.
She gave a polite smile and held her hand out. "I'm so glad to meet you. Mark talks about you all the time." Don't worry. Juries usually ignore hearsay evidence.
Michael eye's glinted, "Probably whining about how mean I was to him. Damn pussy." The two brothers hugged. Another Hallmark moment.
A tall slender Black woman appeared from the direction of the kitchen and Carol saw the tough façade of Michael Reynolds crumble. This must be Christie. "Come here, Christie and meet Carol and Christie." Michael adores her. How bad can he be if he loves Christie?
Christie smiled at her and hugged her and the icy knot in Carol's stomach began to melt. Christie ordered Michael to go pick up some things from the store and he and Mark took off. Sophia went upstairs to read and she and Christie went to the kitchen. Carol put her new sheets in the washer and she and Christie talked as they cooked. Christie is a classy lady. What does she see in Michael? He's loud and obnoxious.
Christie's kids showed up at dinnertime. Carol liked them immediately. They were smart and funny like their mother and she saw that the two teenagers liked Big Mike. They told Sophia stories about backpacking trips with Mark. She listened and watched. Daryl-Mark was happy here. A selfish part of her wanted to keep him in North Carolina. Her perfect nuclear family in their renovated farmhouse. He loved her and they could be happy there. She didn't want to share him with everyone else.
Michael announced, "Got some people that want to see you, Mark. Jesse and Morgan are in town with their wives looking at some property. They're coming over for breakfast tomorrow morning." He glanced at Christie, "You are invited but me and Lil' Bruther will do the cooking." Let's hope that Michael can cook better than his "Lil' Bruther".
After dinner the twins were volunteered for cleanup detail and Sophia offered to help. She was in the thralls of hero worship. Jada and James had offered to take her the next day to see the wild ponies on the Appalachian Trail. Great, my little girl is wandering the wilderness with two teenagers. What happens when they see a bear? Like the old zombie joke. You just have to be faster than one other guy.
Mark got a call from Theo and Merle decided he needed some fresh air. Christie went back to the kitchen to check on the kids. Time to go confront the lion in his den. Things need to be said. Lines need to be drawn.
Carol got a jacket and followed Michael to the back deck. He was sitting on the step looking up at the stars. She sat down beside him, "I would like to talk to you without anyone else around." She could see his face tighten even in the dim light. He looks big and mean, but vulnerable too. He loves his brother and doesn't want to lose him. Mom would tell me to remember the three big things to remember when you get into sensitive subjects. 1. Is it true? 2. Is it kind? 3. Is it necessary?
"I love Daryl-Mark. I know you do too. I need to thank you for that. Growing up knowing that you loved him made him the man that he is today."
Michael frowned at her, "I fucked him up. Wasn't always around to protect him. You got nothing to thank me for. He just was the sweet one. Always was."
Carol shook her head, "He is the sweet one, but you were the one that loved him. I think you came home from school and took care of him. Made sure that he had something to eat. Held him close and told him stories." There is so much good in you, Michael. Christie sees it.
Merle ran his hand over his face, "Hell, I skipped school and stayed home to take care of him. Our mother was barely there before she had Daryl and she wouldn't get out of bed after. Post-partum depression I guess. She self-medicated with wine. Never told Daryl about that because I didn't want him to feel guilty. He was a cute little rug rat. Lots of blond hair and blue eyes. I fed him, changed his shitty diapers, and he gave me someone to love. Someone who loved me."
"That's why I am thanking you. For loving him and taking care of him. I'm sorry that the both of you had to grow up the way you did, but you are both good men now."
"Daryl told me that your first husband was abusive. You don't seem like you would let anyone do that to you. I guess you're a late bloomer." Not that late. I'm in full bloom here.
"I think the three of us are late bloomers. We've changed our lives for the better. Now we just have to trust each other. I'm going to stay here in Lost River." Home is where the heart is, right?
Michael smiled, "I'm happy that you are going to have a baby. Daryl will be a good dad and we better stop calling him Daryl. I have Jada and James. They'll get married one of these days and I can be a grandpa. That'll be enough. Christie will always be enough for me." He shifted on the step, "My ass is freezing but I have something to run by you. There is large horse farm coming up for sale. Lots of land. More than we need. I want you and Daryl to go with me and Christie tomorrow to look at it. Take Morgan and Jesse and their wives with us. I think we can buy the farm together and all live on it."
Oh, a commune. We can grow marijuana and wear flowers in our hair. Maybe it will give us all a safe and comfortable place to call home. Maybe the post-nuclear family looks more like a village. Maybe we are all better together.
"I have another family that might want to join us. Her husband was a cop in Atlanta and he has been training in Quantico for months. So would it be alright if I sent some photos of the farm to her?" Andrea has been hinting that Rick might be working in Roanoke. That's not too far from here.
Michael stood up, "Living next door to a damn cop. Guess I better act more like Michael than Merle. "He held out his hand, "Better get back, Little Sister. Thank you for loving him. Made a man outa him. Men are pieces of shit without women. We have to have a reason to do better."
Later Mark helped her make their bed, "We have to bring our bed from the farmhouse."
He tucked the sheet in tightly, "So are we staying here?" He sounds like I just told him that there is a Santa Claus.
"Of course we are. Its home."
Mark began to babble about all the details involved in moving. Carol continued to make the bed. The pillows are substandard too. She interrupted Mark, "I don't want to talk about moving right now."
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Well, even with my two hour nap today I am getting sleepy and frankly my dear I don't give a damn about moving. I'm pregnant and you are going to get stuck with most of that. Now what I really want to do is christen these new sheets. We can talk or we can have sex. Sophia is asleep. So what do you want to do?"
Mark grinned, "Sex it is. I want our lamp on though."
"You can close your eyes at any time. Just saying." I think I gained five pounds at dinner.
Carol took one more trip to the bathroom and Daryl went in to brush his teeth. He came out and went to a dresser drawer and brought out a large gray t-shirt. "I had this made for you." He held it up, "Virginia is for Lovers".
She laughed, "I'll use it as a sleep shirt, but not right now." The state of Virginia will pay me not to wear it. Virginia is for lovers who don't screw up their birth control.
Mark stripped off his clothes and Carol didn't have time to really enjoy the view before he was under the covers with her.
AN
Virginia is for Lovers was an ad campaign for Virginia. You can still find t-shirts, bumper stickers, ect for sale.
Life is too short to sleep on cheap sheets. Just saying.
Wouldn't you be nervous if Merle was your brother in law?
This story is winding down but there are a few more to go and a lot more if the ZA breaks out.
Love your reviews. You have been so kind. Thank you for your input.