Chapter 48

September progressed along just fine. Brenda continued to drive her mustang to and from school. She was the hit of the school and the most popular cheerleader in the whole school. I wonder how that happened? ha ha ha

On Friday's we would go to her school and watch football while she stood on the sidelines cheering her team on. Ashlee and I sat in the stands cheering for our cheerleader and hoping that the football team would win.

Saturday was family day and when we could, we would drive to KU and try to find tickets for us to watch a football game. Most of the time, they were sold out so we would find a bar to watch the game and drink beer. Not Brenda, she had cokes.

Sunday, was FOOTBALL!!! Since we live in Kansas City, Missouri, I bought season tickets to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Yooo Hoooo!!!

FOOOOTBAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!

Ashlee wasn't as excited about as I was, but she said that I could go and enjoy myself if I wanted. Brenda came with me almost every single time I went to the game. Which gave us time to bond further as father daughter.

Now, for anyone who cares Arrowhead stadium has luxury boxes one level up from the down low section. The luxury boxes come with a large buffet and drinks in the price of the season tickets. So, when we go, we don't tailgate which is one of the legendary things that happens in the parking lot before a Chief's football game. We get parked, in the good lot, and go inside. there is food waiting for us along with all of the sodas and beers we care to drink. The luxury boxes are made to hold 20 people comfortably. So, I get 20 tickets per game for our box. Now, can anyone name 20 people they would like to go to a football game with on a regular basis? Nope, neither could I.

I called my old friend who is now my chiropractor. He would bring his wife and three kids with us and Ashlee would call her best friend which included Dana from the radio and she would bring her four kids. The last member of our party would be one of Brenda's friends from the school. She would switch between a boy she was seeing (or liked) and one of the girls from her squad. Needless to say, I had only one tag for parking and I didn't want the others to have to park in the back forty and walk so I would call a bus to come and pick us up at my place and we would take one vehicle to the game.

During the month of September, we had a great time going to the games. The food was really good and we never left sober or hungry.

When October arrives, I started making plans to have my family over to the condo for thanksgiving dinner. I had never done this in all of the years I was married to Samantha. We always went to her sister's house for the dinner, and then on Friday, we would go to her brother's house to cut down wood for winter. Well, this year, we were going to do something different. It was going to be at my house.

My mom was of course excited to have me call. Moms are just like that.

"Mom, I want to have thanksgiving dinner at my house this year. Can you make it?"

"Of course we can. I was going to call you in a few days to have you down to our house, but coming up to see you is even better."

"Thanks mom."

"Should I get a hotel for dad and I to stay in?"

"No, why would you do that?"

"Well you house is kind of small, and you father and I can't sleep on the couch when we stay the night."

"Oh, I can't believe this, I moved. I know I forgot something."

"You moved? Where did you move to?"

"I bought a condo in Kansas City, downtown. You'll love it."

"Really, why did you buy a condo? I haven't heard any of this. Which reminds me, you need to call more often Paul. Your father and I are getting older now and if you don't call, we could drop dead at any minute and our bodies would lie here and rot for weeks on end before you would even think to call us."

"Mom."

"Don't you love us anymore? Do you know how many hours in labor I was to give birth to you? 24 hours. 24 hours of pain and suffering."

"Mom."

"We sacrificed everything we had so that you and your sister could live in a nice house and go the good schools in town and this is how you repay us?"

"Mom, stop."

"You used to be such a good son..."

"MOM!"

"Now you look, you're yelling at your mother."

I take a deep breath and try to calm down. She always does this. "Mom, you and dad are in excellent health. Neither of you have been sick in years so let's drop this talk of you two dying. Ain't going to happen anytime soon. You have an epidural during your delivery so let's drop that talk. Dad had a great job and you worked as a school teacher. We didn't sacrifice very much when I lived at home so you can stop right there. I do love you, I just am busy and don't take the time to call. For that I am sorry."

"Ok. I love you too. So, tell me about this condo."

"As I said it is downtown and it overlooks the entire city. I live on the 16th floor and have a three bedroom condo and only two of them are used so you and dad will have your own bedroom and shower. It'll be great."

"Wait, two of the bedrooms are taken?"

"Yes, one for me and Ashlee and one for Brenda. Didn't I tell you about that?"

"No, I do believe you neglected to tell me about that. Who is Ashlee and Brenda?"

"Ashlee is my girlfriend and Brenda is her teenaged daughter. They moved in with me after I bought the condo."

Ashlee walked into the room and overheard part of my conversation so when I said I bought it, she yells out "I bought half so don't forget to tell her that."

"Thanks Ashlee. Yes, Ashlee bought the other half of the condo as a sign of her commitment to our relationship."

"How serious are you to?"

"Very serious. We are going to get married after we get a chance to meet each other's parents and I get a chance to talk to her dad to see if he will allow me to marry his daughter."

She got quiet for a minute, which is not good. "Honey, Sam and the kids have only been gone for a few months. Are you sure you are ready for this? Getting married this soon after going through what you experienced can't be good. Are you sure this isn't just like a rebound romance?"

"No. I think that this is real, and not a rebound romance. Ashlee and I click together. We are good for each other. I think she is the one."

"Honey, please be careful. I was reading an article that losing your kids is like #2 stressor in life and burying your mate is the #1 stressor in life. Not even divorce ranks that high. Burying your wife and kids really takes a toll on your emotions. Which reminds me, how are you feeling?"

"I feel great. Ashlee and I work out like five days a week"

"No, how are your emotional feelings? I don't care how often you are working out and what not. How are you emotions?"

I leaned back against the couch and covered my face with my arm. "Mom. my emotions are fine. I think that I have dealt with my loss and have come out on the other side better off than before. I'm fine."

"I have heard that before. 'I'm fine.' I'm not convinced."

"Mom, remember the note you left me on my counter after the funeral?"

"Yes. Why?"

"What did you tell me to do?" She thought for a second but I went on before she could answer, "You told me to move on. To get on with my life and that is what I am doing. I'm moving on. I am the luckiest man alive to have found two fabulous women to fall in love with. I lost one, but the second was right there when I needed her to be there. She sees me for who I am and has decided to join me in marriage when the time is right. Her daughter has never had a father so she and I go do stuff together. We cheer her on at her football games when she is going her cheerleading thing. She spends time with me and her mom. We even travel really well together. She's great and I know that you are going to really enjoy meeting her."

She was quiet again. "Paul. We love you so any woman you bring home to meet us we will look forward to meeting. Sam was a great girl who seemed to match you very well. So I can't wait to meet Ashlee, is that her name, when we come up in November for the weekend."

"Thanks mom."

"How old is her daughter?"

"She just turned 18. As a matter of fact, we traveled down to Dallas, Texas for her party which is a whole 'nother story."

"18? How old is Ashlee?"

"33, why?"

"Wow, she had that kid at 15." Mom let out a whistle over the phone upon hearing her age when she had Brenda. "Have you met her parents yet?"

"No, but I have heard a lot about them. They apparently really supported Ashlee when she got pregnant and had Brenda. She graduated from high school, and then KU and she even had a job which is where we met."

"Son," Dad must have picked up the other extension of the phon. "Were you and Ashlee having an affair before Sam died?"

"Hi dad. No, we were not. She worked at the school and I didn't even really talk to her until after the funeral when I went back to work. Why would you ask something like that?"

"I have to cover all of the bases you know. Glad to hear that you found someone else. When you two get married, are you going to have any more kids?"

"We haven't really talked about it dad. I hope that Ashlee and I could have kids together. She is a little taller than mom so our kids would definitely play basketball when they grew up."

"Well that's good to hear. Just so you'll know, your mother and I took the loss of our grand-babies pretty hard, just as hard as you did losing them. More grandbabies would be good for us. You know that how we like to spoil the grand-babies."

"I know dad. You did really spoil David and Josh." I got a bit choked up mentioning their names. I had to take a breath before I went on.

"Still pretty tough saying their names isn't it?"

"Yes, dad, it is. Maybe someday I'll be able to say their names without getting choked up."

"You will son. You will. Here is your mother back."

"Now Paul, call us again before the party so that we can arrange to the food. You know how much I love to cook."

"I know mom."

"What are you going to do with Sam's family during all of this?"

"I hadn't given it much thought. I kinda thought that now that she is gone, I wasn't really part of their family any more. Married until death, you know."

"Honey, I don't want to tell you how to live, but I think that they deserve a phone call from you to. If this condo of yours is as big as you say it is, then maybe you should invite them to your home instead of you going to theirs. Maybe we could have everyone get together and you could introduce your girlfriend to everyone. I don't know. I don't want to tell you how to live your life. But keep it in mind."

"Thank mom."

"Now honey, keep exercising. I'm proud of you for keeping healthy; you know what happened to your grandfather. You don't want to end up like him."

"I remember mom."

"He was a great man, always provided for his family, but his blood pressure got the best of him. You don't want that to happen to you so keep your weight down and keep exercising."

"I will mom.

"Ok. Well. That is all I have to say so call again anytime. Love you."

"I love you too mom. Bye."

We clicked off and I tossed my phone onto the table in front of me, and then grabbed a pillow, held it over my face and AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Ashlee pulled the pillow away from my face, "Stop that."

"But she..."

"No. She is your mother and she loves you. That is all that matters."

I pulled the pillow back and AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

Ashlee then climbed on to my lap and tossed the pillow away from me. "Look here mister. As a mom, I know. As a child I know. Take it all in and relax. She loves you and luckily, nothing you do is going to change that."

She looked me over with a stern eye before asking, "What else did she say about thanksgiving?"

"She suggested that I invite Sam's family over for Thanksgiving." I looked at her. "Do people do that after one of the family members die and the marriage is ended?"

"I have no idea; I don't think it has ever happened that a young couple like you would lose their spouse in death so young. Just remember, that her family lost a daughter/sister in the accident. They also lost two grandsons/nephews during this. They are hurting as well."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Do you want to know what I would do?"

"Yes."

She sat up taking her hands off the back of the couch and focused her gaze upon me. "Invite them here for dinner. This place has a large party kitchen downstairs and an area for entertaining. I am sure you could squeeze them in with everyone else for dinner. If not, then use the kitchen and have everyone else come up here and sit for dinner."

I looked at her, with that 'are you crazy look' on my face.

"Yes, you heard me. This could work."

"If you say so."

"I do say so. Now," She got off my lap, handed me my phone. "Call them and invite them to Thanksgiving dinner."

I took the phone from her. She leaned down and kissed me. "Good boy." She wandered off leaving me looking out the window with a phone call to make.

ring ringring ring "Hello."

"Ronnie, it's Paul."

"Paul! So glad to hear your voice. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine. Thanks for asking. How are you all?"

"We are just fine. We are officially empty nesters now. All three of the kids are off to college or married now, as you know. Joel and I are just loving it. What brings you to my phone?"

"Well, with Thanksgiving around the corner, I was wondering if I was still invited to be with you all?"

She paused for a moment, "Paul, you will always be family, no matter what. We lost her and the boys too. We are family even after they go home to heaven."

"I'm glad to hear that. I wasn't sure. Thanks."

"Is that all? Did you want to ask something else?"

"Well, yes. There was more. You know Sam and I never had a house big enough to handle everyone, but that has changed. I moved to a new home which is bigger and I would like to have thanksgiving dinner at my new house. Would you all be willing to change locations this year?"

I heard her sniffle through the phone. She must have been hit with the thoughts of not having Samantha and the boys around just like I was. "That would be great. Are you going to roast the turkey or should Brian do it like he always does?"

"I would think that everything stays the same, just the location changes."

"That would be just fine." Another sniffle and I had to pull my hanky from my pocket as well.

"Would you help by calling everyone? Sam had all of the phone numbers in her phone and I don't have it anymore."