Chapter 148
Tales of Legacy

Suddenly equipped with a plan, Lucas had been able to let the rest of the week go by without being so concerned over the whole question of Sullivan Stables. He didn't have his exact trajectory figured out, and he likely wouldn't for some time still, but until then he would at least have a start, and that would be more than enough for him to, in time, find his way. Best of all, he wouldn't be alone.

He'd called Juliet a few days back, the morning after his talk with Maya, laying out his initial request. He wanted to start coming to the ranch, on a regular basis, and just… help, wherever he could, wherever he might be needed. And he wanted to bring Elliott with him, other times Noah, and other times both, but for now only Elliott. He didn't know why he was so nervous to make that pitch, but at the same time he kind of did, didn't he? He would only be so nervous if it meant a lot to him, and it did… It meant so very much for him to not only return to this place created by his grandparents and be involved with it, but also to get to bring his boys into the fold.

Juliet had been instantly in agreement. As far as she was concerned, he could drive over right away, and they'd figure things out. He told her that he'd wait until Saturday, and that worked, too. If anything, it gave her time to work a few things out before they came. And it allowed her to acquire and dispatch a present. On Thursday morning, a package had arrived on the Friars' doorstep, holding a pair of child's size hats which were instantly as exciting to the young brothers as the best birthday or Christmas present they could ever receive. They wanted to wear them all the time, all day, every day. They knew about the ranch, of course, and they had been there, and now they had their hats, which led into a lot of pretend horse riding. This sometimes meant straddling some random toy or object at their disposal, or just shuffling along as though they were actually sitting on a horse and riding along at great speed. It made for good times all around.

And now, finally, it was Saturday, ranch day. They hadn't told them this yet, only because the plan was for Lucas to bring only Elliott for the time being. He could have brought Noah, too, yes, but seeing as the plan was for him and Maya to help their boys to exist independently from one another, it just made sense. Plus, it would do them all some good to have some one-on-one time, both parent and child together. When he did bring Noah, Elliott would be off doing something with his mother and youngest brother. For this day, Lucas took his eldest son along, hat and all, and they took off. As was to be expected, there was a bit of complaint on Noah's part, though it really wasn't as much as it might once have been, before two weeks ago, when the new daily routine had set in. As ever, the need for his brotherly assistance in Jamie's care compelled him to stay by his mother's side. He liked being a big brother, so any chance he got to take up the position, he was eagerly on board. But he would still wear his hat, he told his mother, and Maya agreed with a barely contained smirk.

"Where are we going, Daddy?" Elliott asked, back in his seat, as they drove along. He'd been quietly enjoying the ride for the last few minutes, but finally it seemed his curiosity had reached its height and he had to know.

"We are going to Sullivan Stables," Lucas informed him, and a peek into the backseat showed him the immediate rise of giddiness in his boy, which made him smile. He loved that place, and he was excited to go.

When they arrived, Lucas pulled the boy from his seat and set him on his feet. As soon as he was there, Elliott took off at a run in the direction of the buildings and the people, suggesting he'd already spotted a horse somewhere. Even as his father was calling for him to stop and return, the wind swept in and carried off his hat, which sent Elliott running in pursuit at once. Lucas hurried to lock the car doors and chase after both boy and hat. He was able to snatch up the latter first, which brought the former's run in his direction. Lucas knelt down before him.

"Remember what we said about the running?" he asked, dusting off the hat before putting it back atop the blond head. Elliott looked concerned that he'd done something wrong and bowed his head with a mumbled 'sorry.' "Hey," Lucas took hold of his hands, presently twisted together. "Look at me," he asked, and Elliott lifted his head again. "It's a big place, and it can be very easy to get lost. You can also get hurt if you're not careful with some of the things out here, especially with the horses. Okay? So, I need you to stay with me, unless I say it's okay to wander around or run. Promise?"

"Promise," Elliott agreed.

"Alright," Lucas nodded. "You want to sit on my shoulders?" The boy smiled.

With his young companion perched up high, Lucas went around in search of Juliet. He had been back here a couple of times now. He'd seen the people who'd been there across the years, like Dr. Alvarez, and Donna Devereaux… He'd also met those who'd joined the team in the years since Marianne Sullivan's passing, since he'd stopped being a regular visitor. They populated the surroundings and made it feel at once like returning to the past, everything he'd loved and left behind, and like stepping into a brand-new world that was just vaguely familiar, where he was a stranger. But they were all so welcoming to him, to his whole family, and so none of those feelings of possibly not belonging would ever find genuine purchase on him.

"You good up there, sprout?" Lucas asked when he felt Elliott's arms tighten their grip, his little chest pressed at the back of his head.

"Look at the horses, Daddy!" Elliott told him. Lucas smiled.

"Yeah, I see them. You want to go say hi?" He did, he really did. So, they went off in their direction. There were three of them, accompanied by Dr. Alvarez and a couple of people from his team. When they spotted the Friars approaching, they stopped and waited.

"Morning, fellas," Manny Alvarez beamed. "I heard you'd be coming in today, happy to have you."

"I still need to track down Juliet and say hi. I'm not sure what she has in mind for…" Lucas explained, mildly distracted with how Elliott was focused on the trio of horses. The animals were interested in him, too, going by how they were crowding nearer to them.

"Tell you what, why don't I look after this guy here while you go and find her. She was headed to the kitchens when I saw her, pretty sure she'll still be there," Manny offered. Lucas pulled Elliott from his shoulders, held him so he could see his face.

"Is that alright with you? I'll be back soon," he vowed. Whether because he already trusted Manny from having met him a couple times before today or, almost more likely, because he was being given a chance to hang out with the horses, Elliott quickly nodded to his father. Yes, he would be just fine with being left behind with the doctor.

So, Lucas left his son in the hands of the man in charge of the ranch's horses. As he walked off toward the kitchens, he turned back to watch Manny standing hand in hand with Elliott, indicating this horse and that one as he spoke. It was not lost on him that here was a man who was doing what he had first set out to do with his life. Who knows, he might have one day come to do this very job, once the man retired. For a while, Lucas had imagined that, confronted with the life he might have had, he would feel some level of regret, of envy, and it would make him feel so bad, as though he was suggesting that he was unhappy with the path he'd followed instead. But now, he stood there, and… Sure, part of him would always think about how it might have been him out there, but at the same time… He was actually okay. He had nothing to regret, not one thing.

He found Juliet just where he'd been expecting to find her, still in the kitchens. As he'd learn, they were hosting a wedding in a few days, as well as a few business meetings, all of them requiring different levels of catering. In one area, he could see various desserts being prepared, and he thought of Maya and her cakes, how he'd mentioned to her this thought of bringing her small business to connect with the ranch. Whether or not they would be able to make it happen, time would tell. For today, his priorities were to make himself useful… and to share this space with his eldest son.

"Just a minute, be right with you," Juliet brightened when she saw him. "Here, actually, try this, tell me what you think," she indicated a tray of small bites.

After the brief tasting, Lucas and Juliet left the kitchens, taking a slow stroll back in the direction of where Dr. Alvarez would still be keeping an eye on Elliott. Juliet asked after Maya and the younger boys, especially baby Jamie, and Lucas gladly filled her in, right down to showing her his most recent photos on his phone. She was delighted to see each one.

"I am really glad that you're here," Juliet told him as they walked. "That you're here and that you will be here."

"Whatever I can do to help," Lucas promised with a nod, recalling his promise from when they'd spoken on the phone. Juliet smiled.

"I appreciate it, I do," she told him. "But it's more than that, I…" she paused, breathing out. "I wasn't sure if I should bring this up, honestly, I thought… well, with the change of plans, if we can call it that…"

"I'm not following…" Lucas admitted with a furrowed brow. Juliet touched his arm, inciting him to stop walking.

"Your grandmother, before she passed, left instructions in her will for the… continuation of Sullivan Stables," Juliet explained, gesturing around them.

"Right," Lucas nodded.

"She mentioned you," Juliet went on with a smile, and his widened in some surprise. He wasn't sure why it surprised him; it felt very much like something she would do, and yet it had never occurred to him. Surely, he would have heard about this before? "She wanted you to have a place here. Specifically, she mentioned how you'd had your mind set on becoming a vet, that if you followed that path and should want it, that you should be hired on here."

He was stunned, didn't know what to say, but also… Yes, she would do that. Only now…

"Listen, now," Juliet went on as though she had read his mind. "I think you and I both know that if Marianne Sullivan was still alive today and she knew why you ended up where you did instead of where she thought you would, she would be just as proud as she always was, alright?" Lucas briefly bowed his head before nodding. Juliet was completely right, of course. "And if you came to her as you came to me, wanting to be a part of this place anyway, then she would tell you what I'll tell you now: This is your home, your boys' home. You're as much a Sullivan as you are a Friar. We will figure things out, alright?"

"Yes," Lucas breathed, let his smile expand while trying to keep from crying. "Thank you."

"Please, don't mention it," Juliet tapped his shoulder as they walked again. "Now, let's go find… Oh…" she laughed and pointed ahead to where both she and Lucas could see Elliott sat astride a horse, with Dr. Alvarez looking after him to ensure he wouldn't fall. He looked so happy up there… He's home.

X

"Mommy, I hold Jamie now?" Noah's curly head appeared over the couch's armrest, hands gripped on to the fabric as though he was dangling from the edge of a cliff.

"Not yet, okay, bee? He just finished eating, it's better if I hold on to him for now. But I'll give him to you as soon as I can, I promise," Maya told him, keeping hold of the baby in one arm even as she looked and saw that Noah was indeed holding on to the armrest for support. "Why don't you come and sit with us? We'll see if there's anything interesting on the TV," she suggested. Noah turned his head to look at the blank screen, sending his curls bouncing before turning to look at her again.

"Okay," he finally agreed and lowered himself to the ground before rising again and moving over to climb up on the couch with her. Once he got there, he sat up on his knees so he could look at his brother. "He's sleeping," he noted.

"Yeah, let's keep it that way, yeah?" Maya suggested in a quiet voice. Noah held a finger to his lips, and she did the same. Yes, quiet.

The more they'd been spending their days like this, him and her and Jamie and sometimes the grandparents or great grandparents, Noah had been adjusting to being without his big brother. Oh, to be sure, he still wasn't exactly a happy camper in the mornings when it was time for Elliott to leave for preschool with Lucas, but once he was able to focus on being the big brother in the house for little Jamie, he was good to go. And then in the afternoon, when they'd be on their way back after pickup, Lucas would text and let Maya know, so, after enough time had gone by, she was able to let Noah know they'd be coming. He would immediately go and stand in wait, ready for the big reunion. Both Maya and Lucas would end up imagining what their boys would be like, years from now, as teenagers, as adults… Would they evolve with this closeness they'd always had, this pure and unadulterated joy at seeing one another again after only a few hours apart, or would they look back on those big squeezy hugs and extended hand holds like something embarrassing? They really hoped it would be the former.

"Hey, tadpole," Maya smiled when Jamie woke up again. Noah sat up on his knees again. Now? "Yes, you can hold him now," she chuckled. When Noah moved to climb down from the couch, she blinked. "Where are you going?" she asked. He pointed to his 'cave.' The small makeshift hideout had been a creation of Grandpa Shawn, and both Maya and Lucas had to promise that they would put it up again, just like he'd done, in order to be able to take it down sometimes and put the living room back in some semblance of order. "Oh, Noah, you can't take him in there," Maya shook her head. Noah frowned. "He's too little. If you want to hold him, you have to come back here, okay?"

"In the cave," Noah insisted with his arms held out.

"He can't go," Maya repeated. "Come on back with me here, please?"

He wouldn't have it. With a grumpy turn, Noah went and crawled to hide inside his 'cave.' Tipping her head to the side, she could see him sitting there, hugging his knees in overwhelming toddler disappointment. Maya sighed.

"Alright, you just take your time there. We'll be here in the meantime, won't we, Jamie? Yeah…" she smiled down to the baby. He just looked back at her, a tiny copy of the boy presently sulking under a tented blanket.

The cave had already turned into his self-imposed timeout space, so it wasn't new to her. It did sort of make her feel bad, like he was in distress, and she couldn't reach him, but at the same time, she knew that sometimes she had to let him go and take a few minutes on his own. Before long, she knew that one of the dogs or the cats would go and check on him, and eventually he would emerge, somewhere between completely back to normal and not quite there yet but eager to be close to her again. In the meantime, she would both let him know that she was still with him even if she wasn't down on the floor with him and she would attend to her baby boy. She would sing, softly but not so much as put Jamie back to sleep, no. Just a happy, bouncy little song, the better to feed his happiness. Oh, he would look at her, that entire little face focused on her so much that it would get to feel as though he was doing the same thing for her… She was certainly smiling from ear to ear.

"Hiya, bee," she looked over, a few minutes later, when she sensed a presence at her side. There he was again, not dangling from the armrest this time, just standing there, arms and head rested one over the other in full audience. "You want to come and sit here to hold your brother?"

"Yeah," Noah nodded. He came back around, climbed up to sit at her side.

"There you go, you know what you're doing, huh? You're a pro now," Maya told him as she passed the baby into his outstretched arms.

"Yeah," he repeated. All his attention was on his little brother. After a few seconds, he started to mumble and speak the odd word, following a melody that Maya easily recognized as the song she'd been singing a moment before. Lightly, she started singing along with him and, hearing her, he grew more confident in his attempt. "You got a good ear, do you know that?" Maya asked him after they stopped. Noah looked at her, reaching his free hand to the side of his head and feeling at his ear as though there was something special about it all of a sudden. She chuckled. "That means that you're good with music," she explained, and he gave a slow nod. She leaned in closer to his face now and whispered. "You get that from me," she told him, pointing to herself. He liked the sound of that, and he expressed it with a kiss to his mother's cheek.

TO BE CONTINUED

See you next week! - mooners