Amelia's stone was put on hold, not because anyone had a problem with her getting one, but it was as if all problems collided that Saturday afternoon. Somehow, even though they checked all the time, one of the fence posts had dry-rot, and all the cows got through it. Jack and Tim spent the greater part of five hours trying to wrangle all of them back in. Some had really spread out, so it was a mess. If that hadn't been enough of a problem, Amy and Lou spent a couple hours in the ER; a client horse bucked unexpectedly, throwing Amy. She was okay, except for a sprained ankle. Lisa, Katie, Lyndy, and Amelia were left on the home front where she ended up feeding the girls and putting on a movie for them. The stone could and would wait.
A few days later, Lisa looked up when she saw Tim and Jack coming down the driveway, returning from a supply run to Calgary. They needed specific fencing that the supply store in town had to order, and their temporary fix was only that, temporary. Lisa waved from her spot in the ring, smiling over at Amelia on her pony.
"Pop Pop is back," she told Amelia, nodding to the pony. "We'll have to show him all you can do." Amelia tried to slide off Bunny, and Lisa sprung into action; Amelia had been trying to do that quite often, like he was a chair, and she had been trying to get the little girl to understand Bunny wasn't a chair. "Hold on, Honey, stay on Bunny. He'll be right over."
"I just miss him," she pouted. Lisa nodded, smiling as she let out a small laugh.
"You and me both," she told her. "Look, Tim is parking, and he'll be right over. He saw us."
"Well, look at that," Jack said, walking up to the fence, winking at Lisa. She flashed a bright smile at him as she led Bunny and Amelia over toward him. "Amelia, you look great there on Bunny."
"Hi, how was Calgary?" Lisa asked, leaning through the fencing to kiss Jack.
"Oh, it was fine," he waved. "Tim and I survived together."
"Stop," Lisa swatted at him. "Like I keep saying, you two don't know what you would do without the other."
"How's she doing?" Jack nodded. "You always seem to be working with her when I'm out with the cattle. She's looking good."
"Pop Pop!" Amelia clapped her hands. "I'm riding Bunny!"
"You're riding Bunny? I thought that was Blue," he told her, a grin on his face.
"No, silly! It's Bunny, my pony."
Lisa nodded, looking to Jack, "She's doing pretty well. We're working on her staying on the saddle. She keeps trying to almost jump off, and I have to explain he's not some ride or something."
"Amelia, do you know you have the best teacher around teaching you how to ride Bunny?" Jack winked at Lisa, and she dropped her head, shaking it.
"I don't know about that. I'm not really a teacher, Jack, just some horse owner."
"Well, she loves you, and you definitely know how to ride horses. That's a pretty good combo."
"Mommy can I take Bunny for show and tell?"
Jack nodded to Lisa, "Seems like she's calling you that more and more. You okay with that?"
"Fine," she said, giving him a nod. "It is odd, honestly, and I still feel somewhat guilty, but it's fine, and I'm honored she wants to call me that."
Lisa glanced over her should at Amelia, "Should we show Pop Pop what you can do?" Amelia nodded, and Lisa, clad in her jeans, a blue barn jacket, and favorite riding boots, led Amelia around the ring a few times, Amelia just grinning at them like crazy.
"Looking good, Pumpkin," Jack finally called to her. "You can't take Bunny to show and tell, but we can take a picture of you on him with your mom there," he told her, and Lisa paused, giving Jack a warm smile. He winked at her. As they walked around again and this time, came toward him again, Lisa tilted her head at Jack, "I love you so much."
"I know," he grinned, and both burst out laughing. He gestured at her, and she leaned through the fence again to kiss him.
"Kissing, yuck!" Amelia started to giggle. Jack pointed at her.
"That's right, you keep thinking that." He turned to Lisa, "Say, let's just do her stone tonight. It's time. We shouldn't keep putting it off. No time like the present. I have some steaks we can grill. It's not too cool outside, and we can even eat at the picnic table. You know what, we keep having things come up, so I'm not going to even mention it until after dinner. Sound good to you?"
"Are you sure? I mean, we do still have that cake Lou picked up. She put it in the refrigerator, daring anyone to eat it."
"All the more reason," he tapped the fencing. "I'll get things started. About time to get her a stone, I mean, unless you did want to wait three more years."
Lisa chuckled, dropping her head, "No, I think that title was reserved for only me. Okay then," she said, smiling at Jack. "Sounds lovely."
That evening as dinner was wrapping up and Katie and Lou stood to start clearing dishes, Jack halted everyone.
"Okay, everyone, we are going to all pitch in, clean up, and then, we are going to adjourn to the living room where Amelia is going to get her stone.
"Tonight?" Katie asked, her eyes wide. "That's exciting."
"Tonight, not waiting any longer," Jack said, standing. "Lyndy, you and I need to go in and discuss all the stones," he winked at Lisa and smiled at Lyndy.
"I'm the one with Gigi who knows all the stones," Lyndy smiled at everyone.
"Oh, we know," Amy leaned over and put her arms around Lyndy. "You make sure to point out everyone's stone all the time, my little historian."
"That's why I need Lyndy's help. Lisa and I are going to narrow down some options for Amelia."
"Oh, WE are?" Lisa asked, wiping off Amelia's face.
"Yes, of course," Jack gestured for her to walk with him. "Let's go everyone. If we all take in our own plates, we can have this cleaned up."
"Jack, you know I still don't have-"
"Not discussing it Tim," Jack smirked, and Tim smirked back at him.
"Come on, Sweetheart," Lisa encouraged Amelia. "Let's go pick out your stone."
"I don't want a stone," she frowned.
"I'll take hers," Tim raised his hand, smirking again at Jack.
"Dad, stop," Lou swatted at him. "We should discuss why you are permanently banned from a stone at another time, though," she eyed him and Jack.
"Tonight, it's Amelia's night," Jack said, picking her up as she giggled and grabbed onto Jack. Lisa carried the stack of their three plates, and Tim grumbled at Jess, but she patted his hand and encouraged him to help clear things and move inside.
Finally, everyone was assembled. Tim and Jess sat in the one chair to the right of the fireplace. Lisa and Amelia were in Jack's chair to the left of the fireplace, and Lou and Amy had the girls with them on the couch.
"Okay, everyone. We're all here tonight to officially welcome Amelia into our family, to welcome her into our home," Jack said, giving a big smile to Amelia.
"I do live in my home," Amelia said innocently, and everyone started laughing.
"Years and years ago, my family-"
"Grandpa," Amy interrupted a small smile on her face as she tried not to laugh, and as soon as she did, Tim muttered, "Thank goodness." That had everyone chuckling again.
Amy gestured at him, still smiling, "As much as you love the story, we do know it, very well."
Jack looked around, gesturing to the room, "Does anyone want to hear the story?"
"No, Gigi! Just pick a stone for Amelia!" Lyndy said excitedly. Jack glanced at Lisa who had Amelia on her lap, and she shrugged, grimacing at Jack.
"I have to agree with them," she shrugged. Jack pretended to act heartbroken, but he was still smiling and now chuckling too.
"Okay," he gestured to the fireplace. "Lise, Amelia, let's pick one." Lisa put Amelia down on the floor, and Amelia made a face, pointing to the fireplace.
"What do I do with the rock?"
That had everyone laughing too as Lisa stood. Jack gestured toward it, pointing out different stones, so that he could at least relive part of his beloved ceremony.
"The rocks are dirty," she made a face and shook her head.
"Oh, don't tell Pop Pop that," Lisa said, laughing and looking over at Lou. "Remember Jack cleaning the fireplace before Katie's naming ceremony?"
"That was a nightmare!" Lou's eyes widened.
Jack rolled his eyes at both ladies and continued after he picked up Amelia, "Now, this is my stone. Here is Lisa's, Lou's, Amy's, and he continued to rattle off people. He looked at Lisa, asking her for a preference. The two narrowed it down to two stones, and then, Jack looked over at Amelia.
"Amelia, you don't do anything with your 'rock,' really," he said, smiling at her as he held here there at the fireplace, pointing at it. "It's about knowing you have a stone on this fireplace, that you are part of this family, and that is your stone from now on."
"I get to keep it?"
"Honey," Lisa patted, Amelia's back, nodding to Jack, "how about you pick one by Pop Pop and me. Would you like that?" Amelia nodded, and they gave her two options. She put her finger in her mouth and finally pointed.
"That one."
"That one is yours, forever, Amelia," Jack said kissing the side of her head. He turned to the group, "Families come in all shapes and sizes. We have seen that here ourselves over the years, as loved ones leave us and new loved ones join us," and at that, he took Lisa's hand in his. "Looking around this room, I see a family that would do anything to help each other. We've all had our share of sorrow and also our share of triumph. Family is there for you in every season, good times and bad. I'm very grateful for this family. I cherish all of you, and it makes me proud how everyone has now rallied behind us as we have now added Amelia here to this lovely family." He put his hand on Lisa's shoulder, and she smiled at him. Jack continued, "What started as a Bartlett family tradition has expanded-"
"Wait, wait," Lou put her hand up. "Let me take a swing at all the names-Bartlett, Fleming, Morris, Borden, Stillman tradition," she said, grinning at all of the last names. Lisa put her hand to her mouth and covered it, chuckling.
Jack glanced at Lisa there who was still chuckling, and he then looked over at Lou, tilting his head from side to side, "Yes and no."
Lou made a face, "Who did I miss?"
"Just an amendment," Jack said, putting his finger in the air to make his point. "As you all know, Lisa and I did adopt Amelia. She deserved that, and it was what her parents wanted in this circumstance, for her to have a family with us. I'll let Lisa explain," he said, giving her a nod.
Lisa gave a slight smile to the family, "We talked a lot about this," she glanced at Jack and back to the rest of the family. "Things are confusing enough for Amelia, and we wanted to simplify at least a couple of things, so she and I are Stillmans, yes, but Jack and I want no confusion, so she and I both added Bartlett too."
"Wow, really, you did?" Lou asked, looking at her.
"After all these years?" Amy asked.
"Let her explain," Jack nodded to the girls.
"Oh, you hyphenated it like I do!" Lou grinned.
"No," Lisa shook her head. "We both just added Bartlett, no hyphens, just the actual last name. I'm still known in the racing world as Lisa Stillman, and that is fine, but we really didn't want confusion for her at home. We toyed with just leaving Stillman for Amelia, but we wanted her to feel part of this family. Jack," she nodded to him, "was okay with whatever, but I wasn't. I didn't want one more reason she didn't feel like she belonged, so officially, as of her papers arriving the other day, Amelia June Stillman Bartlett. Several of you," she pointed around the room, "have four names. I've been at your own children's naming ceremonies to hear all of them," she laughed.
Jack put his arm around Lisa, "Lise just couldn't resist the Bartlett charm," he winked at everyone. She looked over at him, pretending to be horrified. That earned some laughs from the room.
"Pop Pop," Amelia got Jack's attention and leaned in so she could whisper. Jack chuckled and nodded, answering her aloud.
"Yes, I do think there is a pink cake in the refrigerator with your name on it. I think now would be a great time to eat it."
"I'll slice the cake, and Lisa, seriously, probably wise to not hyphenate. It's annoying at times," she rolled her eyes.
Amy, still hobbling from her sore ankle, started to stand, but Tim stopped her.
"You sit, Amy, and I'm sure Lyndy can get you some cake."
"Oh, well thanks, and Lisa, Amelia," she gave them a nod, "you know I'm not one who likes change, but I do like this change."
"Thanks, Amy," Jack winked at her with a nod. Lisa smiled, nodding too.
"Let's eat!" Jack said enthusiastically, gesturing for the family to get cake. He looked around the room and pointed to Tim, "Don't even start on me about the stones."
"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, smirking, "at least not right now. Jack, I have to say, Marion would be rolling in her grave seeing all of this room here right now." Jack started to respond, but Tim gestured, "I mean, in a good way, she wouldn't believe any of this. We've all come a long way."
"Indeed we have," Jack said, putting Amelia on the floor. He, Lisa, and Tim stepped toward the table to help with the cake. Jess was showing Katie some of her latest pictures, and Amelia and Lyndy were waiting for cake. Jack looked at Lisa and then to Tim, a small smile on his face, "You know, the three of us have raised some pretty great girls in this house. I think we can get through another."
Lisa hummed, wrapping her arm around Jack's as she nodded in agreement, "I can already picture it with this new generation of girls," Lisa nodded toward Katie, then Lyndy, and then Amelia, "you two, in your old age, sitting on the porch, staring down any young men who come around. You did it a little with Georgie, but these three," she glanced at them again, laughing, "oh my. I will enjoy that, seeing you two arguing out there but united in your disapproval of any young man."
"That's our job, Lisa, with all of them," Tim smirked.
"Well, I plan to enjoy every minute between now and then, knowing how life can just change in an instant," she said, giving both men a nod and smile. "Life is precious, and I intend to cherish every bit of it."