Chapter 386 – Adjusting to a New Reality

After they were done eating, Nathan looked at Doug and Lee

"Thank you for supper." Nathan said. "But I really need to get my room organized, especially if I am going to be adding a toddler bed this weekend. Even if it is only temporary, it is going to take some coordination."

"We understand." Doug said. "Let us know if you need anything or if you want to talk. We are just going to be watching TV, since we upgraded to the sports package."

"Thank you again." Nathan said.

"Nathan got up and started clearing his place.

"I can clean up." Lee said.

"I got this stuff if you will put the food away." Nathan said.

"Got it." Lee said.

Nathan threw his trash away and put his plate in the sink before heading back to his room. He stopped at the laundry and put the other load in the dryer and took the dry one to his room. When Nathan got to his room, he took a moment and looked around. Jack had done a great job decorating the apartment. Then Nathan wondered if it wasn't Katie who had maybe done it. Either way, he knew that he was going to have to bring in some things that were more him. Nathan took a moment and pulled out his phone. He did a quick search for toddler beds and found one he liked so reserved it. He also figured she would need a rug or something and when he searched, he found some pretty purple interlocking plush floor mats. He also reserved two packages of those. He knew that it would be more than he needed, but they could be saved for when Allie got her own room. He then searched for a simple dresser to match the bed and reserved that. He would talk to Trish and Katie to see what else he would need.

Nathan took a deep breath and pulled out a tape measure from his stuff and measured out a space for Allie, based on the size of the toddler bed and giving her a little room to play. Nathan ended up pushing his own bed over and realized that Lee was right, there was plenty of room. It might get a little tight for a while, but they would deal. Nathan looked at the clock and saw there was plenty of time, so he picked up the phone and called Katie.

"Hey Katie." Nathan said. "Can you talk?"

("Sure." Katie said. "Chris is doing bedtime, what is up.")

"I don't know what to do about the apartment right now." Nathan said. "Colleen is day to day and it could be months before she is discharged if she is discharged at all."

("Jack said to get the stuff and all else he advertises it as a furnished or partly furnished apartment." Katie said. "He might also just store the stuff and have it for later. So don't worry about it.")

"Okay." Nathan said. "I am going to bring Allie here for the time being. I have talked to Doug and Lee. They are fine with it. I looked at a toddler bed for her and reserved one. I also reserved some plush floor mats to put down. I was thinking about a dresser."

("Send me what you reserved." Katie said. "Then cancel it. I can probably get a better deal.")

Nathan did what Katie asked.

("Okay tell me what you are looking for." Katie said. "I can talk and reserve at the same time. I already found the bed cheaper. It is not exactly the same, but the same idea. It will fold into a bench. I have also got the plush floor mats.")

"I have no idea." Nathan said. "You know what my room looks like. I need something for her clothes and a few toys so that she will not be in my walk-in closet."

("Okay." Katie said. "I hear you. What if it was a cube storage thing? We get some canvas cubes and they go in the slots. We can keep it to neutral colors or have it something that will go with Allie. I love them for my kids. It makes picking up for them easier. They just grab a cube and put what belongs in it.")

"Can you send me a picture?" Nathan asked.

Katie sent him a picture of the storage unit and the cubes she was looking at.

"I like those." Nathan said.

("I would get two sets." Katie said. "Then if you did it right, it would give her a bit of her own space in your room and could easily be moved to her own room later on. I know that they are recommended to be anchored to the wall and come with the hardware to do so, but it isn't like she is a small toddler who is prone to climbing.")

"I understand what you are saying." Nathan said. "And you like those."

("I love them." Katie said. "It makes cleaning up easy. You can also take one one and put books in a the space and use the cube for say stuffed animals in the corner.")

"So two six cube things and the bins." Nathan said. "I think that would work. I am not expecting this to be a long term solution, but to get through the next couple of weeks while we figure things out. I just feel that Allie deserves her own space as much as we can."

("I understand what you are saying." Katie said. "And all of this will easily be able to transfer to a permanent bedroom one you figure things out.")

"Okay." Nathan said.

("So I will go and pick these things up with the truck tomorrow morning." Katie said. "That way you don't have to worry about it. Chris and even help you put it together or I am sure that Doug and Lee could help if you want. I know that it works better with two sets of hands. That way you can focus on getting settled, checking on Colleen and touching base with Trish.")

"Thank you." Nathan said. "I was starting to feel overwhelmed again."

("Hey." Katie said. "We are here for you. You are not in this alone. And I get that you have way more questions about things then you have answers, but it will work out. So I have an idea of what you are going for and I will continue to look for other things for the apartment. I might not get it tomorrow, but I will reserve some things and with my contacts, I can hold stuff for up to three or four days. So we will talk again.")

"Thank you." Nathan said. "I will talk to you tomorrow. I guess I better finish unpacking."

("One last thing." Katie said. "Have you found the safe yet?")

"No." Nathan said.

("Well there are two of them." Katie said. "Look in your packet to see instructions on how to open or have Doug show you. He knows where they are. One is in the walk-in closet. The other is smaller and is in the wall. Your thumbprint will open both. I only say something because I know that you have firearms.")

"I also have a portable lockbox that can go on a shelf in the walk-in." Nathan said.

("Very well." Katie said. "I was just thinking ahead.")

"Thank you." Nathan said.

("Have a good night and we will talk tomorrow." Katie said.)

"Good night." Nathan said.

Nathan hung up with Katie and looked around. He was feeling a little better about things, but it was still overwhelming. Then a thought hit him. If something happened to Colleen and he pursued Kayla, he would have an instant family of four. Nathan blew out a harsh breath and ran his fingers through his hair. He never thought it could be the father of two when he was twenty-five.

… … … …

While Elizabeth and Caitlin were in the library, Jack sat with his grandfather and went over some reports and things for the immediate needs that had to be filled at the ranch.

"We just got two really good applicants for the business manager position." James said. "I like both of them and have set up a phone interview with each. Both also indicated that they would need some kind of housing, but we don't have any apartments right now. I also don't know about contracting with something in town. It just seems like a pain and a bad precedent to set."

"I hear you." Jack said. "Do you think Uncle Conrad would be willing to allow us to use the mother-in-law suite that he built at his place. It is a whole apartment. Small, but totally functional for this type of arrangement. We could include it in the employment package and give Conrad a stipend each month to cover their increased expenses. Also on the plus side, there would be someone 'living' at the place while they traveled and they wouldn't have to worry as much about it sitting empty."

"I will talk to him." James said. "And bring up those points. Do you want to be a part of the interviews or just let me decide?"

"You hire who you think is best." Jack said. "You are the one that is going to be working with them the most right now. I would offer a two year contract with the ability to renegotiate after that."

"Okay." James said. "Once I figure out the housing, I will let you know who my choice is."

"Sounds good." Jack said.

After Jack spoke with his grandfather, he switched over to talk to Frank and Father Mark who had been talking while looking over plat maps.

"What are you two plotting over there?" Jack teased.

As Jack looked closer at the plat map that had been going over, he realized that it wasn't the one that he had ordered and made notes on, but a fully to scale color one that someone had done. Water and sewer lines were clearly marked as well as underground electrical lines. The various bushes and trees were color coded based on what they would produce. The new RV hookups were marked as well as the outlines for the helipad and other buildings that needed to be built.

"Who did that?" Jack asked.

"It is something that Bill, Peter and I have been working on the last week and half or so." Father Mark said. "Peter needed a few more badges before completing his Eagle Scout application. So he used this as part of his drafting project for his badge. Bill made a copy for you and I colored it according to what Peter had done."

Jack moved the map so he could see it better.

"This is amazing." Jack said. "It is so detailed and I love the color. It makes the whole place come alive. It is so much better than the one from the county."

"And because it is drawn more scale and with all the changes you marked." Father Mark said. "It is better and more useful."

"He even included the proposed helipad, your new house and my house." Frank said. "And while where he placed the commercial building is not exactly where we had put it, it actually works so much better. Looking at this has given me several more ideas about things we can do and/or include. We don't need to talk about those now as there are several steps we need to complete before that point."

Jack nodded.

"This is amazing." Jack said, running his finger over the page. "I hope he knows how amazing it is to have the ability to draw things to scale like this. This takes some serious talent and he really should consider pursuing something that involves drafting or cartography in the future. I know that maps are not as widely used by the general public like they used to be, but they are still needed as this plat map proves."

"He would probably do good to hear that from you personally." Frank said. "But after talking to him this summer, I don't think he would mind me telling you. But I think he is leaning more toward architecture with maybe a focus in landscape architecture or urban planning."

"Wow." Jack said. "How did Bill take that? I know that he had hopes that Peter would follow him into law enforcement and/or conservation."

"I think that has been a huge obstacle for Peter." Frank said. "It might have been why he was struggling in school, granted it seemed the teachers had it out for him because of his conservative views. That aside, I think that this factored into as well. I encouraged him to sit down and have an honest conversation with Bill about what he wanted and why he felt that way. I think Peter was afraid that Bill might not love him as much if he didn't follow him into law enforcement, especially after not taking his name."

"Bill is not like that." Jack said.

"But that doesn't change the way that Peter feels." Frank said.

Jack sighed knowing that Frank was telling the truth.

"I can say that Bill was pretty excited about this project and what Peter wants to do for his Eagle Scout project." Father Mark said. "So I think that they came to an understanding."

"I am glad to hear it." Jack said. "Any more about his Eagle Scout project?"

"I don't think he would mind me telling you." Father Mark said. "But I think that his project does play right into what he wants to do and now that he has come to an understanding with Bill, I think he is much more excited to actually do it."

"So is he going to do it?" Frank asked..

"What is he going to do?" Jack asked.

"Him and another boy are doing tandem projects to benefit the kids of St Clement's." Father Mark said. "I would say joint, but they really are two separate projects that go together. Peter is going to redesign the landscaping behind the church parking lot and add some raised beds that can be used by the school children to plant some things. He will also be working with the other boy who wants to update the playground equipment and add some sensory/interactive features for kids with disabilities. Peter will design the landscaping to go around it."

"Back where the old rectory that burned was?" Jack asked.

"Yes." Father Mark said.

"Wonderful." Jack said. "I never liked that they just bulldozed it over and never really did anything about it."

"You aren't the only one." James said, without looking up from his paperwork.

"Both of those projects sound amazing and will benefit the kids at the school for years to come." Jack said.

"They are great projects." Frank said. "And like I told Peter, there is so much that he can do when he designs the area. He can bring in native grasses and flowers, put vegetables in the beds or even native wildflowers."

"I can't wait to see them done." Jack said.

"I guess the plan is to get approval and get everything lined up this winter so they can start in the spring." Father Mark said. "As part of the approval, they need to talk to the joint board for the two churches as well as the school board for St Clement's and get them to agree."

"Like that will be hard." James said. "Two boys who want to make improvements to benefit the church and school without costing either any money. As a board member, they have my support."

"Getting the board's approval is more of a learning opportunity." Father Mark said. "It is also making sure that boards know what is going on."

"Good point." Jack said.

"What did you do for your Eagle Scout project?" Frank asked.

"Me?" Father Mark said.

"Both of you." Frank said.

Both Jack and Father Mark ducked their heads and turned red.

"We have several miles of additional trails thanks to Father Mark." James said. "They can be ridden in the spring, summer and fall on horseback or even walked. During the winter, they are snowmobile trails."

"That is awesome." Frank said. "Jack?"

"It is no big deal." Jack said. "I did a project in the city with the parks department."

"Jack is embarrassed because his project turned into a big thing." Father Mark said.

"You have to remember that most scouts get their Eagle Scout when they are between sixteen and seventeen." James said.

"I was sixteen." Father Mark said.

"I was seventeen." James said. "Both Bill and Thomas earned theirs around their sixteenth birthday. John was fifteen, I think."

Jack earned his just a few months after turning thirteen." Father Mark said.

Jack was bright red at that point.

"I did something with monarch butterflies." Jack said. "And that is all I am saying."

"What Jack is not saying is that the butterfly garden that Jack worked on." James said. "Well it has become a crown jewel in the conservation project for the New York City parks department. The garden had turned into one of the largest and most visited in the city. While Jack didn't do all of it, it was his project that was at the core of it."

"That is amazing." Frank said. "You should be proud."

"I am." Jack said. "It is just one more thing Ma almost ruined for me. She was the one who invited the media to the unveiling and made it seem like she was the one who gave me the idea and sacrificed so much to be able to make the project work. It was my idea and I didn't tell her until it had been approved. I was the one that worked with the parks department. She just wanted the credit and tried to make herself seem more important in my life then she was. She had barely had anything to do with my entire scouting career, but I achieved something at a younger age than most boys, of course it was all her."

"Watch the tone." James said. "I know that you are not happy with your mother, but you still need to be respectful."

"Sorry." Jack said. "But you and I both know that I was in scouts because of Devin. Even Dad was too busy to care."

"I am sorry." Frank said. "I can see how that would mar your memory of what should be a great achievement."

"So you can see why I kept my drawing and music from her." Jack said.

"Very much so." Frank said.

The guys continued to talk about projects and things while sitting at the table.