"And after lunch, Billy was still feeling yucky, and we went to recess but before we even got on the playground, he threw up everywhere! It was gross!"
"Oh no, yuck," Lisa chuckled and made a face at Lyndy as Lyndy sat on the porch bench between Jack and Lisa telling them about her day at school.
"Okay, Lyndy, you promised me after you finished telling them about school today, you would go to bed. Time for bed," Amy told her, somewhat sternly as she leaned up against the column on the porch, giving Lyndy a look.
"But, I'm not tired," Lyndy said, and as soon as she said it, she yawned. The adults all laughed, and Jack squeezed Lyndy.
"Time for bed, Pumpkin," Jack said kissing her head. "Listen to your mom. You have another day of school tomorrow."
"Yes, and who knows what Billy might do tomorrow," Lisa said, hugging Lyndy's side as she hummed at her. "Goodnight, Honey."
"Night, night Gigi's,"Lyndy said to them, turning to hug both of them. She scrunched her face at Lisa, and Lisa frowned at her.
"What?"
"Mommy said your birthday is tomorrow. Is it? Are we having cake?"
"Yes, it's tomorrow, and I'm betting Aunt Lou will have a cake," Lisa said tickling Lyndy's side. "When is there not a cake for someone on their birthday in this house?"
Jack leaned toward Lyndy, whispering loudly for all to hear, "I took care of the cake for tomorrow. You'll have to wait and see."
"You did?" Lisa asked, and at the same time, Amy, with a surprised face, said the same.
"Why are both of you so shocked? I might have forgotten things, but I haven't lost my mind."
"Yes, but," Lisa tilted her head and almost smiled at Jack, "I'm just really surprised."
"Umm, me too, it's not just Lisa who is surprised," Amy told Jack, raising her eyebrows at Lisa.
"What? Haven't I done that before? I spoke to Lou and took care of it."
"Ahh, you have," Lisa eyed Amy, and Amy shrugged back at her. Lisa smiled softly at Jack, "I think Amy and I are both surprised considering you have made it very clear you are trying to figure out your place again, especially your place with me. On top of that, birthday details have never been your thing, but yes, I'm impressed."
"Well then," Jack waved his hand in the air and then winked at Lyndy, "Suppose it's no surprise now, birthday cake for tomorrow."
"Yay!" Lyndy jumped up and down, cheering. She turned to Amy and while she thought she was whispering, she wasn't, "I need to make a card for Lisa."
"Hmm, yes, you can do that tomorrow. Come on, time for bed," Amy said to her, and Lyndy waved at Jack and Lisa before she skipped into the house. Amy gave them a nod.
"I'm going to put her to bed and call it a night myself. I'm exhausted and have a long day tomorrow, but I will definitely be around for this cake. I must say, Grandpa," she gave him an impressed nod, "Good job. Now, Katie is probably sequestered in her room for the night. Lou was on the phone with Peter and taking a hot shower after that, so you two should have a quiet night."
"Night, Amy," Jack waved. Lisa eyed Amy, and Amy just smiled at her with a small wave. As Amy stepped inside, Lisa glanced over at Jack.
"Did you notice how she gave us the rundown of everyone in the house?"
"Yeah, suppose all of the girls are clearing out of our hair for the night," Jack added.
"Not intentional at all," Lisa chuckled, shifting a little to sit against Jack. She looked up at him and leaned up to kiss him, placing her hand on his chest, knowing that this would be a challenge for him, and she hope that he would be okay with this here at home. She felt him kiss her back but at the same time, tense up. It was at that moment, she decided to address things.
"Now, before you say more," she said, cozied up to his side and pointed her finger at his chest while she looked up at him, "I need you to be okay with this. We're in our home, enjoying this lovely evening, and on top of it, this is something perfectly normal for us. I get that you are trying to figure things out, but you've said you are okay with dating me, so this is going to be part of it. The girls are fine," she waved her hand. "In fact, they seem to be trying their best to give us our privacy. What is starting to look worse is you avoiding me at home, and if that's what you want, then we need to reevaluate all of this. I love you very much, and I know you are really trying with me, but I feel very strongly that we need to start acting normal at home if you okay with us, which you seem to be in public."
"I don't want to avoid you," he told her quietly, waving his free hand, turning to face her and frowning. "I'm sorry. I know you realize I've had the full spectrum of emotions going on over the last month now." He brushed her hair off her shoulder and frowned at her, "I haven't wanted to lead you or the girls on that I was okay with everything, but I wanted to make sure that if and when I was affectionate with you at home, it was what I wanted, not what was the usual or just something expected because nothing is usual to me right now. You are so lovely, Lisa, and when I look at you, I still can't believe that I ended up with you, that you wanted to be with me, and from all I keep hearing, that we were or are so happy. I've been thinking a lot about us, the future, and I do want you in it. I'm 85 years old and recognize I'm a very lucky man to have someone so lovely love me as deeply as I can see you do. I'm really trying to get to what you want to what we were even if I have no memory of it. I've surprised myself these last days when you've been at work, that I've really missed you. I can't imagine how much you miss our life together, and I am sorry about that. I obviously can't remember it, but I've liked making these new memories with you. I know I'm slow," he said, pausing as he looked at her and frowned. She gave him a sad smile and shook her head, but he moved more hair from her face. "You're right, though, calling me out at home. I'm sorry, and I'm going to try and do better. I will do better."
He cupped her face and kissed her tenderly there, Lisa wrapping her hand around his wrist as he did and smiling softly at him.
"Good," she said quietly, swatting at him. "It was about to be a rotten birthday if you gave me grief over this."
"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I just wanted to make sure I was liking you for you and not for what everyone just expected I would jump back to. It's a long road, but you continue to impress me all the time." Jack shifted his arm and pulled her into his side, Lisa turning with her back into his side and stretching out her legs on the bench, the way they often sat on the couch. She tilted her head back to look up at him.
"You really got me a cake for my birthday?"
"Yes," he waved his free hand, "I got you a cake. I wasn't going to say anything but then Lyndy started talking about it. Why is that a surprise? My old self is sounding like I didn't do a very good job with things."
"Eeeeh, well," she shrugged, "I'm having such a nice evening, so maybe I just won't comment." She shook her head, but Jack frowned at her and rolled his eyes, which caused her to laugh. "Fine, yes, you're not exactly the grand gesture type, especially with me, but I know that, and I love you for you. It's really been fine."
"Fine," he replied, groaning. "Just what I expect my wife of over 10 years to say, that things were fine. It sounds like I was such the charmer."
"Stop," she smacked at him. "I'll take fine if it means just getting back to some sort of normalcy." She sat up and eyed him with a small nod, sitting with both her legs over his knee and patting his face, "Thank you. You know, I told you that this," she gestured, "is normal. We've done our fair share of fooling around out here over the years." He jerked his head back quickly, taking Lisa by surprise, and she eyed him while she shook her head. "What?"
"You've said that before, haven't you? I had another moment of Déjà vu just there like I've been sitting here and heard that or said that."
"Yeah," Lisa smiled softly nodding, "we've both said that in jest out here before, usually one of the kids walking out here on us. Anything more?" Lisa looked hopefully at home, wondering if maybe he remembered more. He was quiet for several moments.
"No, nothing specific, I can't even see us sitting here in my memory, just that phrasing," he told her, "and seeing myself sitting here hearing it. It's so strange," he shook his head. "I keep wondering if that means I'm going to get my memory back or if I'm just going to have quick little blips like that where I remember one tiny thing."
"Well, it's something, even as small as it is," she said, still sitting there, here legs dangling over his. Lisa rested her head against his shoulder, and the two listened to the familiar sounds of an evening on the ranch. She shivered slightly.
"Cold?" Jack asked, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. She shook it.
"I'm okay. I'm going to head inside to start getting ready for bed soon. I'm really tired, but I had a really great day with you. Thanks for the birthday outing. It's one I won't forget," she said, pulling her head off his chest to look up at him. He gave her a soft smile.
"You're welcome. Dare I ask about the grand birthdays I've had that I don't remember?"
She shook her head and rolled her eyes at him, "I've kept your birthdays very low key every summer for years. Promise. There was one, ahh, a few years into our dating, where Lou and I got some of your old friends together. One of your old band members had died, and it was a good way to have a reunion of sorts. You really didn't want that party. Lou and I did," she pursed her lips and shrugged at him. "I pushed and probably shouldn't have done that, but in the end, you were really glad we had the party. You saw a lot of old friends, and you had a really good time."
He raised an eyebrow, "I'm guessing that when you and Lou team up, there's not much to stop you two?" Lisa burst out laughing as she shook her head at Jack.
"I don't know what you are talking about," she grinned. Jack patted her legs and leaned in to kiss her again. They enjoyed the closeness until Lisa leaned back to smile at him. "I really do love you, you know? I am not pressuring you, but I want you to know that, to know that you are loved so dearly. You've been my world for a really long time, and memory or not, I'm so glad you are right here with me."
"Thank you for that, for loving me even in this state," he said. He pulled on her legs, Lisa shifting and the two cozied up to each other on the bench. They drifted into silence, enjoy the evening. Lisa finally started to chuckle quietly as she sat up to look at Jack.
"Jack, Honey," she laughed again, shaking her head. She shifted and stood now, her legs stiff from the way she'd been sitting with Jack. He'd fallen asleep and was now softly snoring. Lisa, now leaning over him, put her hand on his shoulder and leaned in to speak softly to him. "Jack," she repeated, laughing at him. He jerked his head, and she, there, looking right into his eyes, nodded at him. "You fell asleep. You need to go to bed."
"I fell asleep?" Jack asked, sitting up now fully from how he'd slumped down slightly on the bench. He ran his hand over his face, "I'm sorry, Lisa. You were sitting with me too, weren't you?"
"Yeah," she laughed softly, "had my legs sprawled over yours, so you could say that."
"Well, that's embarrassing, a lovely woman, and I fell asleep."
"You are old," she said pointedly, grinning at him. He tilted his head and smirked at her.
"Touché, but you're the one turning a whole year older in a manner of a couple hours."
"That I am, but still a couple decades younger than you and not falling asleep while enjoying a romantic evening outside," she laughed. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Go to bed. You do need to get some sleep."
She helped pull Jack up, and he followed her to the door, his arm on her shoulder. Jack locked up at the door while Lisa walked over to the sink and rinsed their coffee cups and started the dishwasher. Jack turned off the living room lights, and Lisa hooked her hand.
"I'm going to get my things for my shower if you want to use the bathroom first."
"Thanks," he told her, and the two went their separate ways.
Lisa reflected over the lovely day as she got ready for bed, grateful that Jack seemed to be making some steps forward with her. He'd defended her with Val, which was huge progress. He'd set up a really nice date for them, complete with lunch and the trip to the apple orchard. He'd listened and been receptive at home with her comments about showing affection at home. Truthfully, for the just over the month he'd lost his memory, he had made great strides, and she couldn't argue with that. She also knew that she really needed to accept things for what they were and be patient. She would do that now that he was okay with showing more affection at home. Finally ready for bed, shaking her head at all the wrinkles now appearing on her face, she sighed and put on the last bit of face cream she had for the night. Tomorrow was her birthday, yes, and she was feeling every bit her age right now.
Lisa tiptoed across the dark house, turning out the last light there by their bedroom, and as she did every night, she quietly opened the door to not disturb Jack. The room was dark again and quiet. As hard as it was, she knew besides his injury, he was getting older and more and more exhausted. It was hard to imagine Jack slowing down, but it had been so subtle over the years, but he was and would continue to do so. He couldn't not, not at his age. She loved her cowboy, no matter what, even if it meant he fell asleep now as soon as his head hit the pillow. She crawled into bed, grunting as she stretched out, grateful to do so at this late hour. She was looking forward to her birthday tomorrow, something even earlier today, she had not been. Maybe it would be a good day after all. Just before she drifted off to sleep, she felt Jack put his hand in hers and squeeze it, the first acknowledgment from him in their room in weeks. As much as she wanted to say something, she didn't, knowing that even that small gesture was a huge step for him. Lisa smiled softly to herself and squeezed his hand back, no words spoken, and the two drifted off to sleep, that small gesture feeling like a huge step to her.