Chapter 47: First Family Night

With the plans Mitch and Amy had put in place the day before, getting Lyndy off to school on Friday morning went much more smoothly. They all felt like they'd accomplished a goal together. Amy even had time to help Lyndy with her hair. She felt pretty as she headed to the school bus which bolstered her confidence even more for riding by herself. Of course, Katie would be joining her soon on the ride.

Mitch and Amy headed back toward the house chatting as they walked hand-in-hand. They finished morning chores and cleaned up the kitchen. Then they got the gifts they'd purchased for Shane, Georgie and Quinn ready to mail so they could drop them off when they went to town to sign the remaining adoption paperwork. Amy asked if they could talk for a minute before leaving, so they moved to the couch.

"Mitch, I realized as we were talking with Lyndy last night that I needed to discuss something with you."

Mitch turned his full attention to her.

"When Ty was alive, we had a will drawn up especially to be sure that, if anything happened to us, Lyndy would be taken care of. We thought through who we would ask to take her, and we settled on Caleb and Cass. When we discussed it with them, they both enthusiastically agreed. I know that the will needs to be revised. Would you be comfortable and feel good about us keeping them as her guardians, if ever needed?"

Mitch knew this was uncomfortable to talk about, but he knew they did need to have a plan in place. The sudden loss of Ty was certainly proof of that. He responded to Amy's question, "Darling, I know we both hope this is never needed, and I don't really have any objection to Caleb and Cass, but perhaps we should have them over for lunch on Sunday and just reconfirm the plan with them now that it's you and me. I guess the main thing I'd be concerned about is being assured that both of our families would always remain paramount in her life. What do you think?"

"I think that would be a good idea just to reassure all of us that the plan still remains the same, and we can talk with them about your concern," Amy affirmed.

"Sweetheart, may I ask why it was that you didn't decide on Lou and Peter?"

"Would you be more comfortable with them?"

"Not really, considering that Lou not wanting to have more children played a big part in our breaking up. In fact, Caleb and Cass would probably raise Lyndy more in the lifestyle she'd already be accustomed to. And she already loves Carson. I was just curious."

"Well, at the time we made the decision, Lou was all over the place, and she and Peter were not doing well. We thought about Grandpa and Lisa, or Dad and Casey, but Grandpa's age was a factor, and it's good we didn't go with Dad and Casey since that didn't work out. Though I guess he and Jessica might be a possibility now. Dad has changed quite a lot over the last few years, but he's also not that young anymore. Lou and Peter are in a better place, but like you said, she doesn't want more children. And I really don't want to renege on Caleb and Cass. Let's see how our talk on Sunday goes. We likely won't need to change anything other than replacing Ty's name with yours."

They called Caleb and Cass to invite them over for lunch and they accepted. Mitch and Amy decided that when they went to sign the adoption paperwork, they would ask the attorney to draw up a revision of the will so they could have it ready for the four of them to sign on Sunday, but they would ask him to leave the names blank to be filled in should they all agree anything needed to change. In fact, they decided it would be prudent to add a second option, if for any reason, Caleb and Cass would not be able to care for her. After thinking back through all their options again and knowing that Doc and Ginny were in much the same category as Jack, they decided they would talk with Tim and Jessica about being a back-up to their plan.

Their appointment with the attorney was at 12:30pm, so they did a little planning for the adoption and naming ceremony and then went into town a bit early to mail the packages and to grab lunch at Maggie's beforehand. The appointment went well, and the attorney told them the adoption would be finalized in court on Friday, one week away. They were thrilled! They would need to get Lyndy out of school early that day for the finalization but would consider the ceremony for family to be on the Sunday they'd already planned. They then talked with him about drawing up the revised will. He asked if they could come back in an hour to pick it up. They agreed and went back to Maggie's to have coffee and dessert while they waited.

After swinging back by the law office, they didn't linger in town long since today was the first day that Lyndy would be dropped off the school bus at home. They were able to get a lot accomplished before she arrived. The bus was a few minutes late, but Amy knew that was not unusual. Both of them were there to meet her this first time, and once again, she got off excitedly chattering about her day. Mitch offered to take her backpack inside while she went to the barn with Amy to help with brushing down the horses. Mitch went in to begin prepping dinner for them, hanging Lyndy's backpack on a hook as he came in the door. He'd thought ahead to put a roast in the fridge to begin thawing when he'd come in from the barn the night before. So he seared it, cut up potatoes, carrots and onions and put them all in a roaster and into the oven. It would be ready in time for them to have an early dinner before their family time.

When Amy and Lyndy got in, they all showered and got into PJ's early, which Lyndy loved. When she came downstairs, she said enthusiastically, "What smells so good?"

Amy answered, "Your daddy cooked us a roast. I agree, it smells wonderful!"

Mitch was in the kitchen by now, having taken the roast out to rest and was busy making gravy. Amy and Lyndy set the table, finished putting together the toss salad Mitch had started, set bread and dressings out, and got drinks ready. Lyndy reminded them that they could have the remaining cupcakes and cookies for dessert.

"I love that idea, Sweetie!" Mitch happily agreed from the kitchen. "And then, we thought we'd watch one of the Anne of Green Gables movies."

"Oh, Daddy! Can we watch the first one again, then Mama can see them, too?"

Amy said, "Well, I have seen them, but it was a long time ago, when I was about your age, so I'd love to watch them again with you!"

"Mama, do you remember the really funny part when Anne dyes her hair, and it turns out green?"

"I'd forgotten that, but now that you mention it, I do. I thought that was pretty funny, too! She was so mortified!" Amy replied as she and Lyndy giggled.

"Mama, can we pop some popcorn to have for the movie?" Lyndy asked.

"We surely can, Sweetheart! Anything else you'd like?"

"Well, there is one thing. Daddy, can we take that ride together tomorrow with me using the saddle you gave me?"

Mitch was a little surprised at the shift in subject, but was very pleased as he answered, "Sweetie, I'd love to go riding with you! In fact, we need to get all the horses out for rides tomorrow, so that may be how all of us spend a good part of the morning."

"Oh goody!" she replied.

Mitch felt a tinge of guilt that they were only now getting around to what Amy had told him several months back that Lyndy wanted to do. Remodeling, wedding plans and the honeymoon had too easily pushed it out of mind.

When they finished the meal, Lyndy leaned back and said, "Daddy, thank you! That was scrumpdiddlyumptious!"

She and Mitch heartily laughed together, and Amy wondered what was so funny. They explained to her about Lisa and Lyndy leaving home-made cookies for him when they were working on her room and when Mitch had first used the word to describe the taste to Lyndy. All three of them joined in the laughter at that point.

"That's a fun word, if it's really a word," Amy mused.

"Of course it's a word!" Mitch winked. "Just like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"

And then they both had to explain that one to Lyndy. That made them all come up with the idea of sneaking that movie in for a future family night before they watched the second Anne movie.

"Now may we have the cupcakes and cookies?" Lyndy asked.

Mitch answered with an anticipatory sparkle in his eye and a wink to Lyndy, "You bet we can!" as he went to bring them to the table while Amy poured them glasses of milk. They again praised Lyndy for what a great job she did in making the snickerdoodles, prompting a bashful but grateful smile on her part, and they all enjoyed finishing off the treats! Then they popped popcorn to settle in for the movie. However, as they started to sit down on the couch, Mitch asked Lyndy to come stand in front of him, which she obediently did.

"Sweetie, do you remember me telling you during the wedding that I'd explain more to you about this Claddagh ring that I gave you?" and Mitch reached for her little hand tapping the ring.

"Yes, Daddy. I've been waiting for you to teach me about it," she answered sweetly smiling up at him.

"Well, there are several traditions as to how the first ring was created. Do you know what a tradition is?" She shook her head no. "Well, that could be a story or action or behavior that is passed on from family to family, or as we often say, from generation to generation. For instance, like we talked about wanting to have a taffy pull each Christmas, or the naming of the stones on GG's hearth. Which, by the way, is also something that Mama and I want us to continue with our family. In fact, we have plans to have a ceremony here Sunday after next to do that."

"I kind of remember something about that, but not very much," Lyndy said as her forehead wrinkled.

Amy interjected, "I guess you may have been a little young to have a clear memory of that. Anytime someone new becomes a part of GG's family, a stone on the hearth is picked out to name after that person as a way to honor them as a family member. So since we are starting our new family here in this house, we want to carry on that same tradition with the stones in our fireplace. It's a really nice heritage to carry on. A heritage is something similar to a tradition."

"I like that idea, Mama! But what is a gen-ration?"

"Oh, well, it's all the people in a family born about the same time. For instance, Daddy, me, Auntie Lou and Uncle Shane are all from the same generation. Then you and Katie and Georgie were born in the next generation of our family," Amy explained.

"Oh…I get it! …So that means that Granddaddy Tim and Papa Doc and Gram-Ginny are the gen-ration before yours?"

"That's right. However, it's pronounced gen-er-ation," Amy said.

"Gen-er-ation…generation to generation. Now I see." Lyndy responded.

"You've learned a lot of new words tonight!" Mitch praised. Then he continued, "So back to the Claddagh ring…there's a little village named Claddagh in a country called Ireland. That country is also very close to the country, Scotland, that the generations of my family lived in before Papa Doc and Gram-Ginny's parents moved to Alberta. Anyway, a man named Richard Joyce was a goldsmith in Claddagh, and he very likely designed the first Claddagh ring. Do you remember what I told you the parts of the ring represent?"

Lyndy began to recite back to Mitch as she pointed to each symbol, "The heart stands for love…the crown for loyalty... and, uh…the hands holding the heart…for friendship," she stated looking quite proud.

"Very good, Lyndy!" Mitch encouraged, realizing she must have been thinking about it a few times since the ceremony. "So another thing that became a tradition with people who had the rings was how to wear them to indicate certain things. For this time in your life, you wear the ring on your right hand with the tip of the heart pointing away from your hand. That means you are open to love and waiting for someone special to come into your life. You won't have to worry about that for a loooong while. One day, a long time from now," Mitch said hopefully, "when you meet someone who is very special to you, you will turn the heart to face your hand meaning your heart is taken. And whenever there is someone so special in your life that you both decide you want to get engaged like Mama and I did, you would move the ring to your left hand with the heart pointing out again. Being engaged is a time to make sure you want to promise to spend the rest of your life with that person as a married couple. And when that happens, you would turn the heart to face your hand showing that you are married…that your heart belongs to them. Some people wear them without following these guidelines, but I think it's a nice tradition. What do you think?"

"I think I like that tradition. But Daddy, what if the man I want to marry gives me an engagement ring like you did Mama?"

"Well, if that happens, probably by that time, this ring will fit on your pinkie finger, so if you wanted to, you could wear it there, or you may want to put it back in its box and save it for a daughter you may oneday have."

"Both ideas sound nice, but Daddy…I think I will want to always wear it because you gave it to me, and you have my heart."

With that declaration, Mitch's heart melted, and he wrapped Lyndy in a huge hug as he answered with a bit of a quiver in his voice, "Sweetie, you have my heart, too…always!" And Amy and Mitch were both misty-eyed and smiling as, looking over Lyndy's shoulder, he caught Amy's eye.

In a moment, Lyndy pulled back from him and asked, "Can we watch the movie now with Mama?" totally oblivious to the emotion she had just envoked.

Mitch recovered, and with a heartfelt grin, he answered, "We surely can! Do you need me to show you how to start the DVD?"

Lyndy laughed incredulously, "No, Daddy, I can do that!"

Mitch realized she'd thought it a silly question and reassured her, "Of course you can!" and Lyndy proceeded to get it started with ease.

They all snuggled up on the couch to watch together, and when it got to the part about Anne turning her hair green, laughter filled the room.

When the movie finished, Lyndy asked, "Mama, is this something we can do every Friday?"

Amy looked to Mitch waiting to give him a chance to weigh-in, "Well, Sweetie, we will try to do it every Friday unless we have something important that comes up, but for the most part, yes."

Lyndy clapped her hands and exuberantly asked, "And can we always wear our PJs?"

"Let's play that part by ear, but probably most of the time, if you'd like that," Amy answered.

"Oh goody, it feels like we are camping out at home!" And that brought laughter from all three of them.

"You know, it kind of does," Amy affirmed and then said, "Ok, Sweetheart, it's time to get ready for bed."

"Ok, Mama."

Satisfied, Lyndy skipped off to head upstairs.

"We'll be up shortly to tuck you in," Amy said.

Lyndy turned halfway up the stairs to ask, "Daddy, will you sing me that song you sang to me last time we watched Anne?"

Mitch paused, remembering the circumstances that night, but answered, "Of course, Sweetheart, if you'd like me to?"

"Oh yes, please!"

And Amy added, "You know that I'd love to hear it, too!"

"Ok, call us when you are ready," Mitch replied.

Mitch and Amy went to brush their teeth while Lyndy was getting ready, then Amy went up to help her brush her hair while Mitch went to get his guitar. He'd not yet had a chance to put his new strap on it, so he attached it. About the time he finished, he heard a sweet little voice from the top of the stairs, "Daddy, we're ready for you to come sing for us!"

"Ok, I'm on my way," Mitch replied as he headed up the stairs.

When Lyndy saw his guitar, she exclaimed, "Daddy, where did you get that guitar strap? It's so pretty!"

"Mama gave it to me for a wedding gift," Mitch answered proudly.

Lyndy looked it over a little more closely running her fingers over the smooth leather, "Wow, she did really good, Daddy!"

"Yes, she did!" And they headed on into Lyndy's room. Lyndy knelt beside her bed to say her prayers folding her little hands together as she'd seen Anne do in the movie. Mitch and Amy sat together on the bed as they listened smiling down at her.

"Dear God, thank you for a really good day! Thank you for Mama being able to help me this morning with my hair, for doing good on my spelling test today and getting to be with my friends, especially Cody at recess. Thank you for the scrumpdiddlyumptious dinner that Daddy cooked for us and all the things we got to do together tonight. I like family night! Help us all to have sweet dreams and to have a fun day tomorrow. Thank you for our family and that we are all back together. I love you, God.

In Jesus name, Amen."

Lyndy propped herself up in her bed getting her stuffies just so. Mitch moved to her winged-back chair where he'd leaned his guitar, and Amy remained on the bed beside her. Mitch tuned up his guitar, and started to sing 'Goodnight, My Angel.' Amy listened through the first few phrases and began to add her beautiful harmony as the words came back to her. Lyndy listened attentively until her eyes began to grow heavy. She slid down under the covers as Amy tucked her in. Mitch and Amy both had bittersweet tears in their eyes as they finished up the song. Their little girl was sound asleep by the time they sang the last note. Mitch walked over carrying his guitar to join Amy as she carefully got off the bed, and they stood arm-in-arm adoringly viewing their precious daughter before they kissed her gently on the forehead. Then they tiptoed out of the room.

At the bottom of the stairs, Amy said, "Mitch, that was absolutely beautiful! And I can understand why you felt shaken the night you sang it to her. But it seems obvious that it has become a favorite for her, so hopefully, it can become special for you to sing to her without it causing any sad feelings."

"I'm sure, with time, it will. It was easier tonight than last time, especially with you joining in with me. I love harmonizing on it with you!"

"And I, you," Amy replied as she reached up to cup Mitch's cheek, and their lips sought each other out in a gentle kiss that so naturally deepened igniting passion.

Mitch pulled back and raspingly said, "I'll go ahead and lock things up down here. You finish getting ready for bed, and I'll meet you in our room, my love." And he tipped her chin up to softly kiss her once again in a lingering kiss. As their lips slowly separated, his hand lightly trailed down her arm to the tips of her fingers as he headed in the opposite direction, and they joyfully anticipated the rest of their evening together.