Declarations – Chapter 12

Cristina checked her watch and realized it had been almost an hour since she had left Owen and his mother alone. This surprised her. The walk with the dog was not nearly as bad as she had anticipated. Upon returning to the back yard, Cristina discovered a small sitting area staged underneath a tree that also included a water dish for Gracie. After taking a needed drink, Gracie plopped to the ground for a rest, instinctively familiar with this spot. Cristina also dropped into a chair and raised her sunglasses to rest on top of her head.

It was a rather warm day and it had become a bit humid. Upon their walk, Cristina had discovered a lake beyond the tree line with a small boat dock and wondered if this belonged to the Hunt family. It was a beautiful place and she found it very relaxing.

Gracie startled her when she jumped up and began to run toward the house. Cristina started to rise, but noticed Owen's mother coming toward her. Gracie greeted Julia as if she had been absent for days and settled into a slow trot behind her.

"Hello my dear. How was your walk?" asked Julia.

"It was fantastic. You have a beautiful home and this land is amazing. I found the lake and the dock. Is that part of your land?" Cristina asked while accepting the outstretched bottle of water.

"Oh yes. We could not drag Owen and his brothers and sister away from that dock when they were kids, and now I cannot keep my grandchildren away from it," Julia said as she sat down in the chair beside Cristina.

"I can see why. It's beautiful. How many grandchildren do you have?" asked Cristina.

"Well, let's see, I have Jake and Justin, the twins. Then I have Molly and Sydney and the newest is Abby. My Owen and my youngest David are the only two that have not had children yet."

This last statement made Cristina's eyes wander toward the house in search of Owen. She found him leaning on the railing of the deck looking toward her. She could not make out his expression, but he looked relaxed and relieved. Cristina wanted to ask how their talk had gone, but was afraid to push the subject with Julia.

"Cristina, Owen speaks of you with such fondness. When he speaks your name I can see the features on his face soften. He tells me that he could not have made it through the last months without you. Thank you for being here for him. I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate what you have done for him."

Cristina's eyes had not left Owen since she had found him standing on the deck. The sight of him sometimes took her breath away.

"Mrs. Hunt, I don't know what Owen has told you about our relationship, but I want you to know that I am in this for the long haul. I love him. I love him more than I have ever loved anyone in my life. He makes me happy. Some days are harder than other's but we make each other happy and he is getting better every day. He may never be the son that you knew before the war, but small pieces of him come back with each day. The Owen you knew before is still in there. He just needs time."

Cristina looked toward Julia to find her wiping tear's away. She reached for the older woman's hand and squeezed it gently. "He is going to be ok and I promise you that I will be here through it all."

Both woman rose from their chairs to share an embrace. At this sight, Owen stepped from the deck and headed toward them. He greeted them with a smile and drew Cristina into a hug. "How was your walk with Gracie?" asked Owen.

Cristina laughed at the excitement of the dog having only heard her name. "It was great. I told your mom how beautiful it is here. I found the lake."

"You did? I spent many a summer in that lake. Good times, right Mom?"

"They most definitely were. I was telling Cristina how I cannot keep your nieces and nephews out of it now, just like when you kids were young," Julia said as she turned and looked into the trees toward the lake.

"Will you kids stay for dinner? I have some chicken thawing. I would love it if you could stay."

Owen looked toward Cristina but she had already made a decision for them. "We would love to stay for dinner. What can I do to help? I don't cook much, but I will do what I can." Cristina said.

This brought a hearty laugh from Owen. "Mom, she doesn't cook at all. Unless you need water boiled, don't ask her"

Cristina playfully swatted at Owen's arm, which made Julia laugh. Cristina linked arms with Owen as the three of them and Gracie headed up the hill. She was so glad to see both of them laughing. She could only assume that their talk had gone well. She would save her questions for later when she and Owen were alone.