Sean and Ralph went upstairs and carefully carried Megan down so she could sit with them at the dinner table.
"So Walter, today was the photoshoot, when are they doing the actual interview?" Ralph asked as he passed the potatoes around the table.
"The interviewer is supposed to be here tomorrow sometime after church." Walter told him.
"How did the photoshoot go Walter?" Veronica asked.
Walter shrugged.
"It was boring for the most part, at least until the photographer asked Paige to join in." Walter told her.
Ralph froze just before his fork went into his mouth as his eyes went from Walter to Paige.
"Paige?" Ralph questioned.
"It wasn't a big deal Daddy, they were in between shoots and I was talking to Walter. Walter was having some issues and so I walked over and kissed him. The photographer had snapped a polaroid of us while getting ready for the next set of photos. He really liked it and asked if we'd be interested in some joint pictures, maybe some semi romantic, you know, holding hands, a soft kiss. No big deal." Paige told him.
"Paige, you are looking at things through the eyes of youth, not with experience. What you could see as no big deal adults could have a great problem with." Ralph told her.
"Well I would say it was headed towards a big deal, it went a bit too far and that's why I put a stop to it when I found out. He had them lying in Walter's bed upstairs, thankfully clothed." Louise told them.
Paige sighed as Walter swallowed.
"Mom, I saw all of the poses and they were all really sweet and cute, though the photographer did get a bit creepy in the barn. But Walter put his foot down before I could say anything." Megan told them.
"What do you mean?" Veronica asked.
"I wasn't having it. He wanted Paige to take her clothes off and get under the sheets on my hay bales. Leaving her bare shoulders and legs out from under the sheet." Walter told them, his face getting dark in anger as he recalled the photographer asking her to do it.
"This is exactly what I was talking about Paige. Thankfully you guys put a stop to it. Who was this photographer?" Ralph asked, his face red as he stood up.
"Brad Barris was his name." Walter said as he pulled his business card out and handed it to Ralph.
"You're underage so it wouldn't stand but did you sign a release?" Ralph asked, looking at the card.
"I didn't. He said it might take a while to find a buyer if Tiger wasn't interested in them." Paige told him. "And just so you know, I did not take my clothes off. I did change my top a few times in private so I wasn't constantly in the same clothes."
Ralph pulled out his cell phone and walked out the front door.
"Are you mad Dad?" Walter finally asked.
Sean's face was three different shades of red but he shook his head.
"Not at you boy, you at least had the good sense to protect Paige from something exploitative. But I'm not sure about allowing things like this anymore." Sean told him.
"Sean, we can't just stop because we weren't prepared this time. We've heard how important this could be for Walter's future endeavors." Louise told him as she reached over and squeezed his hand.
Sean nodded.
"I suppose, but if we do allow things like this, then we're going to have to lean on the Dineens more because clearly we are not prepared as farm folk for this kind of nonsense." Sean sighed.
"I'm sorry this happened over here Veronica." Louise apologized.
"Nothing really happened, it just demonstrates to all of us just how young the two of you are and why we as your parents have to set boundaries for you even when you think you are old enough to make your own decisions. I hope you see this now." Veronica told them both but looking at Paige.
Paige wanted to roll her eyes but she knew better.
"Mom, I wouldn't have done something like that. So far the kids have been great about what happened at the Christmas ball. Personally I think a lot of them were jealous of us. But I certainly don't want to give them anything that could change how they are acting towards us. Though I have to admit, Walter has a cute belly button." Paige grinned at him.
Walter blushed.
"Paige." Veronica said, shocked.
"What, do you want me to lie?" Paige asked while grinning.
"Okay, I just talked to our attorney, she's going to get into it with the Tiger Beat people over this character and demand the film and negatives that included Paige be turned over immediately and that we get approval rights over any shots of Walter." Ralph said as he walked in. "She said we probably don't have a leg to stand on getting the pictures of Walter turned over to us since they have a signed contract. But she believes one of the clauses should allow her to assert approval so hopefully that'll be the end of this. Plus their representative doing this on their dime should be an embarrassment that they want to nip in the bud quickly."
"Well that's good to know, we don't need our poor Paige being made more of a spectacle out of something innocent like this. I was telling them I think we're going to have to lean on you more if we're going to keep letting Walter do things like this. Though I'm thinking it might just be best to stop it altogether." Sean told him.
"Well obviously we can't tell you and Louise what to do Sean, but you are more than welcome to lean on us. We'll be happy to help you in any way we can. As far as we're concerned we're all family." Ralph told him. "And where was your detail during all of this come to think of it?"
"Daddy, it wasn't their fault, they did their job and kept me safe. They went everywhere I went." Paige tried to reassure him.
"Well from now on, I think if there is anything going on like this, I'm going to insist it be done with agent Gallo in charge." Ralph told them.
"Agent Gallo? Isn't he the one that let them sneak off to be caught making out in that car?" Veronica asked, shocked at his suggestion.
Walter's face went red and he tried to scoot down in his chair in hopes of disappearing.
"He didn't let us sneak off Mother. You were talking to him on the dance floor when we left." Paige told her.
Ralph tried to hold it in but he started laughing at the look on Veronica's face and before long everyone but Walter joined in with him.
"Mr. Dineen, if I'm not being rude, do people always take your call on a weekend like that?" Megan asked.
Ralph smiled.
"No sweetheart, you aren't rude. When you have cultivated relationships like I have had too, because of my job with the US Embassy, people are quick to respond to me." Ralph told her with a smile.
"It helps when your boss is a high ranking Ambassador too." Veronica told her with a wink.
"True enough." Ralph laughed. "Oh, did Doc Johnson get you a wheelchair for Megan?"
"No, he didn't mention one." Louise looked a bit fearful at Sean.
"That's typical, I'll make a call to the Embassy. Have one brought out to you guys, by morning at the latest, you might miss Mass tomorrow." Ralph smiled at Megan.
"We greatly appreciate all you do Ralph." Sean said quietly.
"It is my privilege and honor Sean, truly it is. Think nothing more about it. I know you are used to handling everything yourself but it's okay to rely on family too." Ralph told him. "I might be losing my daughter to this one." Ralph smiled and messed with Walter's hair. "But that also means I'm gaining a whole lot of family. And nothing is more important than family."
"I'll drink to that, for sure." Sean smiled. "Up until last fall we didn't know what we were going to do with our boy. Louise and me, mostly me, just couldn't find a way to interact with him. We thought he hated us, the way he shied away to be honest. At times we'd see a spark of what we normally see in others but it never lasted long. And then there was his intelligence. He'd make these pronouncements and they were sometimes the most outlandish things and invariably when they didn't come true he'd talk about some variable or something he must have missed that would throw his calculations off. We just had no idea." Sean said a little sadly.
"And then all the trouble he'd get in at school with the teachers, especially his math teachers. I'd never seen anyone who was always so dead set on being right about math." Sean grinned at Walter.
"It wasn't to be right Father, it was so they didn't teach the others wrong." Walter finally spoke.
"How so?" Ralph asked, very curious.
"Well like at the end of school last summer. Father Williams had listed six numbers with three digits each. He asked which were divisible by four. When I told them they were all divisible by four he made a disparaging remark about me and that seven hundred and three wasn't divisible by four. I corrected him that it was, it was one hundred seventy five point seventy five. What he should have asked, which ones were evenly divisible by four." Walter explained looking down at the table.
"Walter, don't hide away. You were right to challenge him. Father Williams is a sloppy teacher." Paige told him as she grabbed his hand.
Ralph smiled and nodded as he messed with his hair again.
"Yes, Paige is right. But you could have also asked him if he meant evenly. But getting to know you these past months I can't find fault in what you did." Ralph told him.
"You didn't tell us about that boy. Have the other problems you've had been similar in nature?" Sean asked.
Walter nodded.
"Well in that case I owe you a lot of apologies for not being more supportive. From now on tell us the truth of the situation Walter. We're your parents, you are our primary concern." Sean told him.
Sean and Ralph stood out in the barn after dinner. The cool air of a late January night was just enough to make both men wear their jackets as they looked everything over.
"So, was there something specific on your mind Sean? I can't imagine there is anything in general out here to spark a conversation." Sean probed.
Sean grinned.
"Pretty transparent I guess. I'm just really sorry this happened today. Under our roof. Paige is as dear to me as Megan and Walter, and I hate that this happened." Sean told him.
Ralph smiled.
"Try not to think about it Sean. You and Louise didn't do anything wrong. Truth be told had this been done at our house, I'd probably have been less involved as well. Trusting in Paige's detail and that Walter and Megan were with her. And they kept it from going too far and thankfully they told us so we can do what we can to make sure nothing else happens. I think back on all the stuff I did at their age and so far I'm comfortable with them. My concern is the coming years. I'd like to see them both graduate college before marriage but with how close and deeply they are growing together I'm quite convinced that Paige will be pregnant before they graduate college or marry." Ralph said as he examined one of the plow horses.
"You say that remarkably calm. If I felt that way about Megan I'd be hopping mad." Sean chuckled.
Ralph grinned at him as he nodded.
"I don't want that to happen of course, I want them to completely grow and learn before they add in a task like a child. But accidents happen. Hormones will flare and passions will go further than intended and before they'll realize it, the act of love will be completed. But like I told Walter at the Christmas ball if it was anyone but him, I would be furious. But I have great faith in what I see in Walter. I believe he will always put Paige before himself and take care of her. He'll make something of himself, something to which we'll all be proud of and something that I'd want Paige to have a hand in shepherding into being."
"Veronica and I had a few pregnancy scares before we were married. Didn't really stop us either. Her Father was an overbearing man, his attitude which he thought would somehow stop our behavior only served to drive us closer together. I'd always thought I'd be something closer to him when the time came for Paige to begin dating." Ralph chuckled. "Boy did that go off the rails. I'd always said that before she would go on a real date she'd have to be at least sixteen. But then I was requested to come to Ireland and Paige met Walter. When he asked my permission to ask Paige to let him escort her to the Christmas ball, oh the anger I felt. But I knew I couldn't stand in the way of their relationship. I figured if I supported them, maybe I could help direct it."
"Yeah, Louise and I were no better. Megan was conceived before we were married. We were already going to get married but we'd been enjoying each other's company long before. I remember as we left the church for our honeymoon Louise confided in me that she believed she was already pregnant. We got one of those test kits while we were staying in Dublin and it showed she was pregnant. So before we left to come home she made an appointment with a Dr there and got confirmation. So I'm a bit of a hypocrite about it but I always tried to only speak against it in the context of it interrupting the kids' lives not as a judgment. But knowing my ire, I'm sure it came out as judgment." Sean admitted.
Ralph smiled as he reached over and cupped Sean's shoulder with a chuckle.
"If you don't have a problem with it, I'm going to be here tomorrow for this interview. I don't see that anything bad can happen but after this photographer, I think I'd feel better keeping an eye on Walter over it." Ralph told him.
Sean nodded.
"I'd appreciate it Ralph. I don't have the smarts for this stuff." Sean told him.
"No, you have more than enough smarts Sean, you just don't have any experience in this arena. You should have seen me in my first negotiation. I was so full of myself and vinegar. I thought I had learned all I needed to know and I could just waltz my way through. Sometimes I'm surprised I wasn't fired from my first job at how bad I did. I danced so badly through that first negotiation, it was worse than watching Walter dance that first time with no training." Ralph laughed. "You're an honest man and you expect others to be honest with you."
"Sean dear, can you come get Megan upstairs so I can help her get ready for bed?" Louise called out.
"Aye, we'll be right there love." Sean yelled back before he reached his hand out to Ralph.
Ralph smiled and shook it before they walked back to the house.
Greetings! Hope this finds you all well!
Railman - Yeah, Brad was a bit creepy. I wasn't liking him too much. Other than as a cautionary tell, no bigger picture for it as far as I know. But who knows what ripples it sets in motion for later. lol
Dean - I hope so too. Right now it is ending at chapter 40 or maybe 41, haven't written either so I guess it depends on any strings. That will take them through the year 2001. Then the story will probably jump to 2003 for a few chapters when Walter graduates secondary school and then it will jump to 2004 when Paige graduates and they both go to college. And ever onward.
Margaret - Things have definitely changed in the world since you or I were early teens (the 70s for me), of course the more things change the more they stay the same. lol Naw, I won't call you a prude. Everyone has their own compass.
Susan - hehe So glad you liked it! I think the first time I saw Teen Beat, it was Sean Cassidy on the cover...Or that one stands out the most I guess. lol
To the Adventure! -Tim