Chapter 22: Di

Di gaped at the house and yard while Jason pulled the RV through the gated metal fence. Bill McGowen's house was actually a mansion. The stone faced two-story home could have been a movie set sporting perfectly square shrubs and geometric topiary in the yard. There were spreading oak trees in front that had to predate the house by a hundred years but looked like part of the landscaping.

Jason had called ahead when they got close so as he followed the curving driveway to the back of the house, a woman and teenage boy came out the back door waving a greeting. He slowed at first, but the woman pointed to a large aluminum carport at the end of the driveway.

"Think it'll fit?" Jason asked Di with a grin.

"We'll find out tomorrow night," Di replied with a neutral expression. Jason burst out laughing and had to stop the RV until his fit passed. Keeping the smile off her face Di asked, "What?"

"Damn," he chuckled as he gunned the motor to get the RV moving again. "You never fail to amaze me."

She slipped out of the passenger seat to gather their bags. They had cleaned up and packed that morning at the rest stop. Wet wipes couldn't replace a shower or completely remove the scent of coconuts and sex, but it was better than nothing. Di had returned the McGowen's sheets to the bed when she packed away theirs and cleaned up the kitchen from their dinner. When she pulled their bags near the door, Jason brought the RV to a halt and turned off the engine.

With a deep breath, Di mentally prepared herself to meet Nancy McGowen. Jason had always treated her like an equal, but other adults in her life usually saw her thin frame and youthful features and treated her like a child. It had been useful to allow others to see her as younger or even as a boy in foster care. But now as Jason's fiancée she needed people to see her as she was and not as she normally appeared. The next few days would test her new role.

"Let's go," Jason said as he joined her by the door and picked up their cooler.

Di opened the door and hopped down to hold it open for Jason. Nancy and her teenage son had just walked up, smiling. She noted the son giving her a serious going over before Jason stepped out and put his arm around her waist.

"You must be Jason," Nancy said as she extended her hand. "I'm Nancy McGowen."

"That's me," he said as he shook her hand. "And this is my fiancée, Di."

Nancy blinked, but her smile didn't falter as she shook Di's hand. "Lovely to meet you. This is our oldest, Ricky."

Jason's arm returned to Di's waist as the teen nodded at them. "Let me get the truck off your trailer and we'll get out of your hair." He gave Di a squeeze before heading to the back of the RV.

"Would you care for something to drink before you go?" Nancy asked. Di could sense her curiosity behind the polite inquiry.

"No, thank you," she said, trying to think of something to say. "You have a lovely home."

"We've been fortunate," Nancy said, beaming with pride. "So Bill tells me Jason has a foster child. I thought she'd be coming with you as well."

They had discussed how to handle the question and decided to use Lola as their excuse since it was technically true. "Her social worker denied the request to leave the state."

"Oh, I bet she was so disappointed," Nancy said with apparent sincerity. "So that means after you're married you'll be a foster mother," Nancy said as her tone lowered. "You hardly seem older than Ricky to me."

Di smiled through her anxiety. "It's just good genes. I'm older than I look," she said with a conspiratorial whisper.

"Well, if you've stumbled on the fountain of youth, help a sister out and share the secret!" Nancy had a lovely laugh that prompted Di to join her.

"You don't need it. You don't look nearly old enough to have a grown son."

"Bill and I started young, like you and Jason. He and I met at a resort we both worked at and fell in love. I sang in a show choir and he was interning while he went to school. Until I met him I didn't realize you could get a degree in hospitality!"

Di hadn't known that either and allowed the surprise to show on her face. "I suppose it makes sense, though. Running a resort probably isn't like running any other business."

"That's true," Nancy said as Jason backed the truck off the ramp with a clatter. "We can't thank you enough for driving the RV back for us. Bill is the one who usually drives and I didn't feel like I could handle it if he left before us."

"I know what you mean," Di said. "Jason drove the whole way. I doubt I could reach the pedals."

Jason got out of the truck and walked over to help Di with the bags. "Ok, here's the keys to the RV," Jason said as he handed them to Nancy. "It's been a pleasure meeting you. Be sure to stop by for a visit when you head back up to North Carolina again."

"We'll do that! And thank you for not making me drive that beast back here by myself."

When they finished their goodbyes, Jason opened the passenger door for Di to get in. They waved once more as Jason backed out of the driveway.

"Nice family," Di said as she took one last look at the mansion. It was hard to imagine what growing up in a place like that would be like. Having a loving mother and father would have been wonderful, but the wealth and comfort they had access to took it over the top. Mall clothes, new cars, entertainment and electronics, all the things Di had dreamed about growing up was just part of their lives.

But Jason was building something real and his excitement about his plans was contagious. After having so little for so long, Jason had offered her a chance to make something with him. She didn't need a mansion or wealth to be happy, she decided. All she needed was a chance to grow and Jason's smile was like warm sunshine after a long season of rain. They would grow together.

"What are you smilin' about?" Jason asked when he realized she was staring at him.

"Everything," she whispered and took his hand. Now all she needed was her father's permission to marry him and begin their life. "How far is it to the prison?"

"About forty-five minutes," Jason said.

They chatted on the drive about all the things they planned to do after they got married like it was a certainty. Di enjoyed dreaming about the future, but the fear that her father would refuse to sign the consent document gnawed at her. His letters had argued for her forgiveness and sympathy, but she didn't really know him.

The signs for the Orange Correctional Institute directed them off the state highway onto an agricultural road with signs warning against picking up hitchhikers. When the tall fences and guard towers came into view, Di felt her chest tighten. Her father was on the other side of those walls and had no idea she was coming to visit.