A/N: This chapter references my "Christmas with the Family," as well as Labyrinth's delightful characters of Lily and Alexis from her story "Welcome Her Home with Red Roses".

Chapter 6:

Saturday afternoon, while Brenda and Charlie were busy in the kitchen, Clay found a channel devoted entirely to shows on cars. Fritz hadn't realized that there was such a thing as the Velocity Network, let alone that their cable package included it. Clay was totally energized by the never ending programs on buying, restoring, and reselling old cars, drag racing, car auctions, and all things pertaining to anything which rolled on four wheels. And everything on the screen was accompanied by his running commentary.

For his part, Fritz was jealous of the chatter and laughter coming from the kitchen, but he was stuck with Clay's play-by-play. Finally he was able to extricate himself by saying that he wanted to change his clothes and then help the women by setting the table before their guests arrived. As he retrieved the table settings from the kitchen cupboard he smiled when he heard two similar southern accents flying joyously back and forth.

Promptly at 7:00 there was a knock on the door. Brenda removed her apron and smoothed her hair as she called out, "Charlie, come meet our guests." Then she took a slight detour so she could grab the remote and turn off the TV.

"Hey!" Clay growled.

"Daddy, our company is here," Brenda replied, in an exasperated tone. "He's been grouchy ever since he got here," she mumbled as she headed to the door.

When she opened the door, her demeanor changed. She was all smiles as she greeted Lily and Alexis. Lily's hair was swept up in an elegant chignon and she was wearing a simple, tailored navy blue suit with a white blouse and a jewel-toned scarf. Alexis was dressed more casually in black low rise skinny kick jeans, with two small holes strategically placed on her hip and leg, and a beige boat-neck sweater. Her red hair was in one long braid interwoven with a black ribbon.

Lily handed Brenda a small package and said softly, "I know you said you weren't having nightmares right now, so just consider this an insurance policy in case they return."

This brought a smile to Brenda's lips and she gratefully replied, "I will. Thank you so much."

Fritz stepped up to the door. He smiled broadly as he greeted his guests. "Let me take your coat," he offered and Lily handed him the coat she carried over her arm.

While Fritz was hanging up the coat, Brenda made the introductions. "Lily and Alexis, I'd like you to meet my father, Clay Johnson, and my niece, Charlie Johnson. Lily Powers and her granddaughter, Alexis Powers-Rosenthal."

Clay and Charlie each shook hands with Lily and Alexis. As Alexis greeted Charlie, she became animated. "I'm especially glad to meet you, Charlie. Brenda and I sat next to each other on a plane last year and she told me about you."

"Well, thank you, Alexis," Charlie responded. "She told me about you, too. By the way, I love your nose ring."

"Thanks. I bought it here last summer."

"Really? You'll have to tell me where. I'd like to get somethin' like it."

"Why don't we have a seat in the livin' room?" Brenda asked. "We made some appetizers. Charlie, why don't you bring them in? May I offer you a glass of wine or tea?"

"Thank you. I'll have a glass of wine," Lily replied.

"I'd take one too, but Gigi would kill me. And then she'd tell my mother so I'd die a second death," Alexis grinned.

"In that case I'd better pour you a glass of tea," Brenda replied with a smile. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to finish gettin' dinner ready."

"I'll help you," Fritz said, "Please excuse me, everyone," as he followed his wife into the kitchen where she immediately put him to work scrubbing and chopping vegetables.

After Charlie passed the tray of appetizers she asked Alexis, "I thought your grandmother's name was Lily. Why do you call her 'Gigi'?"

"When I was little, Gigi took care of me and she was obsessed with feeding me healthy things. She was really into nuts and berries so I started calling her 'Granola Granny'. Then it just got shortened to GG and that turned into Gigi."

"That's true," Lily confirmed. "And look what a wonderful girl all those nuts and fruits created."

Alexis grinned and turned to Charlie and asked, "Brenda says that you're a freshman at Georgetown. "Do you live in a dorm? Was it scary leaving your family to go off to college?" This prompted a lengthy discussion between the two girls. "I think the best thing about college will be that I'll finally be able to make some decisions on my own," Alexis commented enthusiastically.

"I sure do know how that feels. Until I got to college I didn't think I had a right to my own opinions. Where do you want to go?"

"I've applied to UCLA. That's my first choice. And I also applied to Pepperdine as backup. I want to study art and UCLA has a great program. I really want to live with Gigi and commute but she's insisting that I live on campus."

"It may not be your jam, but there are advantages to livin' on campus. There's always somethin' goin' on, and it's great bein' so close to everythin' you need."

Alexis then changed the subject. "What happened to your hair? Brenda said it was red and green."

"Oh, that was just for Christmas. But I saw a woman in the airport on the way out here. Her hair was bleached white and she had one stripe of pink. It was gorgeous. I think I might like to try that when I get back to school."

"That sounds great. Do you always dye your hair? I'd love to see how I'd look with hair like that. Since I'm an artist, lots of the kids I hang with are artists too, and some of them color their hair. I'm definitely changing its color after I graduate. Of course my mom will stroke out."

"Yeah, my mom did too, at first. Then Aunt Brenda got cans of color spray so we all had red and green hair Christmas day."

"I sure wish I could have seen that."

"I think I still have a pic of it on my phone. Let me see if I can find it," and Charlie pulled out her cell phone and began scrolling through her photos. "Here's one. See? Even the little kids had red and green hair, thanks to Aunt Brenda and her cans of spray-on color."

Alexis accepted the phone from Charlie and eagerly looked at the photo. "My parents are too old-fashioned to ever do anything like this. They're so 19th century." She checked to see if her grandmother had overheard her. When she saw no reaction from Lily, she turned back to the image on the cell phone. "Brenda is so cool."

Then a light bulb turned on over Alexis' head. "I've got an idea. Do you have a pen or pencil and some plain paper here?"

"There's probably some paper in the printer. Why?"

"I could sketch you with the white and pink hair so you could see what it'll probably look like."

"That's a great idea. I'll get some," Charlie replied as she got up and walked to the printer. "Here."

Alexis accepted the pen and paper from Charlie and began sketching as she said, "It'll just be an ink sketch but maybe you can get the idea." After a few more questions about the placement of the pink stripe, she turned the sketch around so Charlie could see it.

"Wow, Alexis, you're really good. I hadn't thought about that hair style before but it looks great."

"You'd need to let your hair grow for a while longer to wear it like this, though. But this style is dramatic and I think it would be totally sick with the white and pink color," Alexis explained as she handed the drawing to Charlie.

"Thanks. I'm gonna see if I can do this when I get back to Georgetown. Just don't tell Grandpa. I don't want him to have a coronary."

"I won't say anything," Alexis promised. She was grinning with pride that she was able to do something that her new, older friend appreciated.

As Fritz entered the room to check on the appetizer tray, he overheard the girls talking enthusiastically about tattoos and he smiled when he heard Alexis say, "My parents and I had an epic knock down, drag out about a tat. That's one more thing I have to wait for college to get."

Charlie noticed that Brenda was momentarily alone in the kitchen and turned to Alexis. "I need to check on how things are goin' in the kitchen."

"Oh, ok. I'll come with you."

"Reportin' for KP," Charlie announced as they entered the kitchen.

"Thank you, honey, you can take this pitcher and fill the water glasses on the table. And, Alexis, if you'd like a job you can stir the pots on the stove."

While she checked and stirred the pots, Alexis turned to Brenda. "You were a police officer for eight years, right?"

"Well, I was with the LAPD for almost 8 years. But, before that I was with the Atlanta Police Department for three and a half years. And before that, with the Washington DC Metro Police Department for three and a half years."

"Wow. Did you investigate murders for all that time?"

"Pretty much."

"Did you have to shoot a lot of people? How many people have you killed?"

Brenda turned and faced Alexis. "They weren't notches on my belt. They…"

"But they were all criminals, right?"

"My goodness, Alexis, when did you become so blood thirsty?" Charlie came back into the kitchen so Brenda turned to her. "Charlie, how are the Brussels sprouts comin' along?"

"They're roasted to perfection, Aunt Brenda, so I'm gonna turn off the oven and make the gravy."

After the gravy was made, Charlie and Alexis left Brenda and Fritz in the kitchen to finish up and returned to the living room. While the girls were chatting, Lily and Clay were also getting to know one another.

"Brenda says y'all met at the airport?" Clay asked.

"That's right. Fritz and I were both waiting for the same plane. Brenda was returning home after spending a month with you, I believe. And Alexis was flying out for a short vacation before starting school. They were actually seat mates and Brenda kept her entertained with stories about funny things that happened while she was with the LAPD. Alexis is really taken with your daughter."

Clay was equally taken with Lily. Her voice was so warm and serene, and she was obviously intelligent and well-educated, as well as impeccably groomed. She appeared to be what Clay would describe as a "real classy lady", yet Alexis had indicated that she was what he had always considered to be a "tree-hugging hippie". He had never met anyone like her.

"I saw you give Brenda a bag of leaves and twigs to eat," Clay commented.

Lily laughed and replied, "I mixed up some herbal tea for her."

"Oh, herbal tea," Clay said trying unsuccessfully to hide his misgivings.

"Herbs can do more than just season our food, Clay. Some of them have marvelous healing powers. Most people don't look beyond a pharmacy for our drugs these days but herbs have been used as medicines for centuries. For instance, did you know that foxglove is used to make heart medication today?"

"What?"

"It's true. Foxglove is used to make digitalis."

"I did not know that. How is it that you know so much about herbs?"

"They're a hobby of mine."

"Really? But to eat all that funny stuff? I just don't know. I'm a meat and potatoes man, myself. I just don't understand how anyone can survive on tofu and tree bark."

"Oh, I'm not a vegetarian. I believe in a well-rounded diet. I love variety." Lily's voice was calm and stress-free.

When Brenda came into the room with the roll basket and butter, Alexis practically shouted, "Brenda, Charlie says you bought a house! When I come back this summer, can I come to dinner again so I can see it?"

Lily raised her hands to her face and then said, "Oh, my! Once again, good manners fall victim to adolescent enthusiasm. Alexis, we can't just invite ourselves."

"Of course we'll invite you and your grandmother again. But before we make plans for this summer let's see if we all survive my cookin' tonight."

"Aunt Brenda, Alexis said that she's an artist and that she did a drawin' of you and Uncle Fritz."

"That's right, she did. We framed it and it's hangin' in the bedroom."

"You framed it? Really?" Alexis was beaming.

"We sure did."

"May we go see it?" Charlie asked.

"Sure, honey, go ahead. Fritz and I can handle gettin' these things on the table."

The girls disappeared into the bedroom. When they came back, Charlie said, "Wow, Aunt Brenda. That's one hot drawin' of the two of you."

Brenda laughed, "Well, Charlie, you have to remember that Uncle Fritz and I hadn't seen each other in a month."

"I had no idea old people acted like that," Alexis said, "So I just had to draw them."

"Aunt Brenda and Uncle Fritz aren't old. They're just not teenagers anymore. But they still have juice."

"We sure do," Fritz said with a twinkle in his eye as he entered the kitchen and made a playful grab for Brenda.

"Friiiitz…" Brenda pretended to scold while the girls laughed.

The laughter caused Clay and Lily to turn their attention to the kitchen just as Brenda brought two bowls to the table. Lily noticed Clay's frown directed at his daughter. "Clay, forgive this nosy old lady for prying, but you seem upset with Brenda for some reason."

He stared at Lily for a minute. And she looked back at him with warm, encouraging eyes so he continued, "I don't quite know what it is. She just seems so different."

"Really? I hadn't noticed. What about her has changed?"

"She seems happy."

"Why does that bother you?"

Lily's tone and expression were of concern, not criticism. Even so, Clay stumbled through his answer. "I don't mean that. I don't know what I mean. I mean… Well… Her mother has been gone for only eight months and she's acting like she's already forgotten all about Willie Ray."

"Oh, please don't think that. While I don't know her as well as you do, I'm very sure that she has not forgotten her mother. But it's healthy for her to let go of some of her grief. Fritz told me once that she wants to pay more attention to the living, and that's a healthy thing. I'm sure that she still loves and misses her mother."

Clay just nodded.

"It's never easy, I know," Lily gently explained. "But it's something that has to happen. Otherwise we'd become emotionally crippled. I know that I still miss my Walter. But I can't shut myself up in my house with my memories and stop living."

"I'm trying to do the same thing, Lily. I really am. But Willie Ray was my entire life for over fifty years. I just don't know what to do with myself. Sometimes it seems that life doesn't matter anymore. And it hurts to see my children going on with their lives."

Lily saw that he had tears in his eyes. "Do you want them to be monuments to their mother, carved in granite and frozen in time?"

"Well, when you put it like that… But Brenda has never been a monument to Willie Ray. As a matter of fact, sometimes I don't know who she is. She's never wanted to do anything we wanted her to do."

"In what way?"

"We wanted her to go to Emory University in Atlanta. She went to Georgetown. We wanted her to get a job in Atlanta, maybe as a teacher or a college professor. She went to work for the State Department and traveled all over the world, to terrible, dangerous places. Then she became a police officer. And not just any police officer. She investigated murders - in Washington, DC, of all places. And when she finally returned home, we wanted her to stay in Atlanta but she turned right around and moved clear across the country to Los Angeles. And when she finally got engaged to Fritz, we wanted her to get married and give us more grandchildren. She delayed getting married for over a year and then continued with her job instead of having children. The truth is, she has rejected everything we wanted her to be. She's nothing like Willie Ray."

"I never met Willie Ray so I have no idea whether she's like her or not. But I do know that you both raised a talented, independent, intelligent woman. She married a good man who loves her immensely, and she's made a great career keeping the rest of us safe from all manner of danger. Brenda couldn't have done all that if she hadn't been raised by two loving and committed parents. She is definitely a daughter to be proud of."

"Maybe. I just don't know anymore. Nothing is the same without Willie Ray."

"She's your and Willie Ray's only daughter. It's only natural that you want her to be a reflection of who her mother was. But whether she is or not, she's a remarkable woman. And that's something both you and Willie Ray made possible. But, most importantly, she's on a good path, in spite of several upheavals in her life."

Clay looked at her and smiled. "A good path." He smiled as he tasted those words. "A good path. Yes, she is, isn't she? I like that."

When Brenda announced that dinner was served, she noticed that Clay maneuvered to sit next to Lily instead of his usual move to usurp the head of the table. As they took their seats, Brenda said, "I hope you enjoy everythin'. Charlie and I did most of the cookin' together. If she hadn't helped me I'd have had to check your health insurance cards at the door." This drew a laugh from everyone.

"I'm sure I'll enjoy it," Lily said and turned to Charlie. "If you helped with all this, you did an excellent job. Everything looks and smells wonderful."

"Thank you. I love to cook so this was fun for me."

"No point in letting everything get cold. This chicken fried steak looks great. Lily, may I hold the platter while you help yourself?" Clay asked, without saying the blessing. "And here's the white gravy."

Brenda watched her father attend to Lily. When she saw Fritz looking at her she picked up her fork and said, "I sure hope y'all like it," and then began eating.

"Brenda, this is delicious," Lily said. "I thought you said you're not a good cook."

"Thank you," Brenda smiled back. "But I couldn't have done it without Charlie. She's an excellent cook."

"Thanks, Aunt Brenda."

"Lily is right," Clay agreed. "Both of you prepared a delicious dinner."

"Charlie, how did you become such a good cook?" Alexis asked.

"My parents both work so I started cookin' dinner when I was in junior high. At first it was just easy things. Hamburger Helper, Sloppy Joes - that kind of thing. But before long I was cookin' most everythin' and I learned to love it."

"I like to cook some, too, but I wouldn't want to have to do all the cooking," Alexis said.

"Yeah, if you're gonna cook all the time, you really should enjoy it."

"But it never hurts to add new skills to your repertoire," Lily commented.

Alexis nodded, then she and Charlie continued their college conversation. "I'm so glad to be able to talk to someone who actually has been to college. None of my friends are there yet."

At the end of the evening, Clay retrieved Lily's coat and, while Brenda couldn't hear the conversation, she observed Clay write something on a piece of paper, smile and put it in his pocket.

After goodbyes were said and the front door finally closed behind the visitors, Clay asked, "Would it be ok if I borrowed one of your cars next Wednesday night?"

"Why, Daddy? What's happenin' Wednesday?"

Clay saw Brenda's puzzled expression. "Nothing to worry about, little girl. I just asked Lily to have dinner with me, that's all."

Fritz saw Brenda's spine stiffen and, before she could reply, put his arm around her waist. "Sure, Clay. I usually get home from work around 5:30 or 6:00. You can use my car any time after that."

"Thank you, Fritz. I might need some suggestions about where to go for dinner, not to mention directions. I'm not sure I know how to use your car's navigation system."

"I'll be happy to help you in any way that I can," he reassured Clay.

When Fritz came out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth, he saw the storm clouds swirling together over Brenda's side of the bed. She was sitting up, her arms folded, and a black scowl covered her face.

Here it comes, he thought. "Honey, are you all right?"

"How could he, Fritz? How could Daddy start datin' so soon after Mama died?"

He got into bed and turned to her. "Maybe it's not a date. Maybe he's just lonely and would like some time with someone closer to his own age."

"Oh, no. It's a date." The scowl deepened.

"You were fine with Alexis and Charlie spending time together. Just because Lily is a woman doesn't mean…"

"Don't be ridiculous. You saw how Daddy was all over her at dinner. I never saw him act that way before. He definitely didn't treat Mama that way. That's how a man acts when he's datin'."

"What if he is sick and tired of always being alone? What if he is ready to date again?"

"After only eight months? He can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's an insult to Mama. It's like now that she's gone he's movin' on to someone else without any regard for her memory."

"So do you want to put him up on a shelf and keep him there forever? Will you remember to dust him occasionally?"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. He's not showin' any respect for Mama."

"Honey, why don't you get a good night's sleep tonight and talk to him tomorrow?"

"I don't think I can sleep. All I can think about is the way he was all purrin' around Lily."

"I don't think that Lily…"

"Oh, I don't blame her. She doesn't know how long Mama's been gone. And you told me that her husband has been gone for two years now."

Fritz knew better than to tell Brenda that he had told Lily that Willie Ray died at the end of July. "Maybe he just wants a friend closer to his own age. Taking her out to dinner doesn't mean that…"

"You're repeatin' yourself. Of course it's a date."

"Even if you're right, he's going back to Atlanta next week. Nothing is going to happen between them."

"But how do I know he won't start datin' women in Atlanta?"

"If he is ready to start dating again, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Look, why don't you get a some sleep and talk to him tomorrow?"

"You know that you're drivin' me crazy repeatin' yourself. I heard you the first time. And, anyway, how can I sleep thinkin' about my daddy runnin' around on Mama?"

"He's not 'running around', Brenda. He's a grown man and he's single again. Maybe he's ready."

"He can't be ready. It's not time yet."

"And just how long does he have to wait to satisfy you?" Brenda had no answer for that. She just sat there, propped up on her pillow and fuming. After a minute Fritz asked, "Do you want me to brew a cup of Lily's tea for you?"

"Yes… No. Charlie has gone to bed so you can't go into the kitchen and turn on lights."

"Ok. What about your essential oils? Would you like to use them?"

"Where are they? Oh, they're right here in the drawer. I'll get them."

After she rubbed the oils on and they turned out the lights, Fritz held her and softly said, "You know, if anything ever happens to me, I don't want you to sit by yourself and just be lonely. When you're ready, I would like you to begin dating again. And don't let anyone else try to decide when that should be."

"I can't imagine ever datin' again. When we got engaged, I meant it when I told you that I was glad I never, ever had to date again."

"I wouldn't think you were being disloyal to my memory. Just the opposite, in fact."

"Just the opposite? Why?"

"Do you think I want everyone we know to think that being married to me was such a miserable experience that you can't bear the thought of trying to be happy again? Because I don't. When you're ready, I want the world to realize that we had such a wonderful marriage that you want to try again."

She put her head on his chest and her finger on his lips. "Hush. I can't think about ever losin' you."

He just kissed the palm of her hand and held her until they both drifted off to sleep.

Easter dinner at the Bourbon Street Restaurant was a Cajun buffet feast. Clay was in his glory. His eyes positively shone when he saw the pile of crawdads and the steaming pots of gumbo, pans of jambalaya, Creole Macquechoux, Blackened Catfish, and Shrimp Étouffée. His mouth was watering and he was chomping at the bit long before their waiter took their drink orders.

For her part, Brenda had her eyes on the dessert table. The La Reine Cake, New Orleans Bread Pudding, Coconut Buille Tarts, and the Cajun Chocolate Pecan Pie had her on the verge of drooling.

Finally their drink orders were placed and they snaked their way around the buffet tables. While they were eating, Charlie asked, "Aunt Brenda, Alexis wants to show me the UCLA campus. Do you mind?"

"No, of course not. When do you plan to go?"

"Well, she has to ask her grandmother about usin' her car so we don't know yet. But, how does Tuesday or Wednesday sound to you?"

"If she can't get the car, maybe Brenda could drive me to work and you could use mine," Fritz offered. "Of course, since your grandfather wants to use it Wednesday night you'd have to have it back in plenty of time."

"Ok, that would be great. She knows her way around LA and says she knows of a cool place for lunch where kids play music and read poetry. Alexis says it's sick. And the best part is that it's right next to the jewelry store where she bought that great nose ring. But we'd be back before supper so that would give Grandpa plenty of time for his date."

"It's not a date, Charlene. It's just dinner with a new friend. Just like you going sightseeing with Alexis is spending time with a new friend," Clay explained, without changing his granddaughter's mind or allaying Brenda's misgivings.

"Uh huh. Sure it is, Grandpa," Charlie smirked, then changed the subject. "Uncle Fritz, after we finish eatin' will you take us by your new house?"

"You don't think you can wait until the final inspection to see it?" Fritz chuckled.

"I can. But if we go home now we'll have to watch the Velocity Network all afternoon."

"There's nothing wrong with the Velocity Network," Clay objected. "That's good, clean entertainment." And you can learn some good tips about maintaining your car."

When Fritz pulled up in front of the house so they could get a good look, Clay immediately began criticizing, saying that he couldn't understand why Fritz would buy a house that was no bigger than the bungalow. Brenda had to bite her tongue in order to keep from lashing out at him. After checking his wife's mood in the rear view mirror, Fritz calmly reminded Clay that he was only seeing the front and suggested that he'd think otherwise once he had seen the entire house.

Charlie, however, was predictably complimentary and, as they drove off, said, "I'll bet you're excited to move in."

"Yes, Charlie. We both are," Brenda replied. But even as she spoke, her stomach tightened a little.

To be continued…

A/N: Please leave your review.

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