It had been with a heavy heart that Carolyn had gone to the school to pick up her two children. They had been very upset to find out that their
grandfather had passed on and had gotten right into the car. It was a long drive and as they pulled out of the town Carolyn realized that no one
had eaten. She decided to drive for about an hour and then they would stop to get something to eat.
The lunch was too quiet and she knew that her children were upset. "Grandpa is all right. He came and spoke to Captain Gregg. He wanted to let
you know that he loved you. He will miss you and will see you on the other side one day."
Jonathan and Candy understood what their mother was telling them. They had been living with a spirit in their house ever since they had moved
to Maine. Unlike other children they did not fear death, they understood it. They both loved the captain with all their heart and were glad that their
grandfather had stopped to speak to him before he left.
The drive down to Philadelphia was a long one and when they stopped to get a place to rest Carolyn found a hotel room with a swimming pool so
that the children could have something to do that would get some of their energy out of them. She called Gull Cottage and spoke to Captain Gregg.
They had a code that they used when she wanted him to pick up the phone. She would let it ring three times and then call right back.
Captain Gregg had been up in his room looking out to the sea when the call had come in. The house was so quiet. After all of these years he was
used to the noise of his family. Yes they were his family and Candy and Jonathan could not have been more his children if he had been the one
who had fathered them. There were times that his situation made things difficult but in his own home or ship as he called it they were a family a
very loving family and he missed them.
He picked up the phone and was glad to hear Carolyn's voice. He still called her Mrs. Muir out of respect but called her Carolyn often now and thought
of her by that name most of the time. "Hello Mrs. Muir, I trust that everything is all right with you and the family." he told her.
"Good evening Captain. Yes we are now just outside of New York and have found a place to spend the night. Everything is all right and the children
and I should arrive at my mother's house around noon tomorrow. Is everything all right there ?" she asked.
"Quiet too quiet, but everything is all right. I do miss you, though." he told her.
"Everything will be all right and I will call you when I get there in the morning. I miss you too." Carolyn told him and hung up.
As Carolyn had thought they pulled into her parent's driveway at twelve thirty the next day. She was going to stop and get some lunch, but she
had spoken to her mother on the phone and she had told her that there would be a lunch waiting for them when they got there. As they pulled
into the driveway their mother came out to meet them. She looked as though she had been crying and when Carolyn went to hug her they
both broke down in tears. Carolyn loved her dad very much and was going to miss him. She, although, was very lucky because she knew
without question that there was an afterlife and that he was somewhere at peace.
The funeral was a blur and Carolyn handled her cousins with grace as did her mother. Carolyn's father had been a very popular business man and many
people came. The gathering afterward was at the Masonic Hall, where her father had been a member for over forty years. There was plenty of food
and guests to meet and greet. Candy and Jonathan both showed their maturity by greeting guests and making sure that everyone had a seat and
were introduced to all of the family members. Carolyn was proud of them.
As they came back to the house Carolyn knew that the next morning she was going to have to approach a sore subject. The house was too large for
her mother by herself and she wanted her mother to move up to Schooner Bay with her. As she sat down in her room Carolyn picked up the phone
and called her house. The captain answered the phone right away, "Good afternoon my love. How are you and the family doing?"
"It is good to hear your voice. It has not been a good day here, The funeral was today. I wanted to talk to you about something. My mom is now
alone and I want to ask her to come to live with us. What do you think"
The captain was not fond of the idea that all together. But he was very fond of Carolyn's mother and yes she would be welcome. "I think that it is a
splendid idea Carolyn. She will be welcome here until she doesn't want to stay here any longer. I will prepare the guest room for her."
Carolyn was pleased that her mother was welcome to live at Gull Cottage with the family. It was her house, now. She had bought the home just
a year ago, but she wanted the Captain to be on her side. "I will call you again in a few days. I miss you." Carolyn told him.
Emily Williams was downstairs fixing something for everyone's supper and thinking about the large house that she and Brad had shared for the past
thirty years. It was way too big for her and she wished that Carolyn would come to live with her. But Carolyn had another life in Schooner Bay
and was very happy there. Her grandchildren were growing into young adults. She had been very impressed with their dignity and poise at the
funeral and wake. She could not have asked for any nicer grandchildren.
Emily knew that she was going to have to sell the house. It was too much for her to take care of with the lawn and the upkeep that Brad had always
done for her. She thought about moving to a condominium, that would be better. There everything on the outside would be taken care of by the
association and all she would have to do was take care of the home on the inside.
When Carolyn Martha and the children came downstairs she already had the dinner almost done. She did not want help she enjoyed doing the cooking
it kept her busy. She smiled as everyone took their seats and helped themselves to large portions. It felt good to have a large group there for to cook
and care for but she knew that they were going to have to be going back to Schooner Bay soon. The children had school and Carolyn had her work and
the Captain.
That evening the family sat down in the living room and watched some television together. It was a comfortable living room with a large roaring fire
place in the center. They enjoyed their time together but were all aware that their father and grandfather was missing. His pipe was still there on the
table and his newspaper had not been stopped as of yet. Carolyn did her best to keep things bright and cheerful for her children, but knew that they
both were sad.
Once everyone had gone to bed and Carolyn and her mother were alone Carolyn approached the subject of her mother coming to live with her and her
children in Gull Cottage. "Mother I don't want to think of you here alone in this huge house. It was big for the two of you but with you alone it is just
too much." she told her mother softly.
"Oh I know that Carolyn. Your father and I had even looked into buying a condo. A man at his job has mentioned several times that he would love to
purchase the home. Your father had started asking around about three months ago. But I don't want to move in with you not just yet. I need my own
place, but I do love Schooner Bay. Are there any condos in the town?"
Carolyn thought about the new condos that were just coming up for sale less than a mile down the road from Gull Cottage. They were going to be very
nice and each had a view of the ocean. Her mother would have activities there and a pool and a tennis court. Claymore had been building them for the
past two years and some of them would soon be ready for occupancy. She told her mother "Why yes. There are brand new condos just down the street
from us. I went on a tour of a couple with Claymore and was very impressed. Each of them has a view of the ocean and it has a pool and tennis courts.
I think that you would like it."
Her mother smiled then when you leave the day after tomorrow I will go with you and check them out. Harriet will help me with the packing of the house
along with a couple of my friends so don't worry about that." her mother told her and leaned over to give her a kiss.
That evening once Carolyn went to bed she called the Captain once again. She told him that her mother was going to be looking at the condos that
Claymore had built just down the street. She might be staying with them for a short time, but she would have a place of her own. This pleased the
Captain. "I will talk to Claymore about the purchase of the condo." the Captain told her.
Carolyn thought about saying no, but knew that the Captain would get her mother the best deal. Claymore was still a nervous wreck whenever he saw
or heard from the Captain and he could get him to do things that Carolyn could not even dream of getting.