Week 10: Mid July

Sunday

It was early Sunday morning, and Alex had hardly slept the few hours since Jim and Caroline had left. He had knocked on a lot of doors and been through a lot of first encounters in his businesses. None had left him feeling like this. Jim greeted him warmly before he could even knock and ushered him into the living room. Caroline and the children stood when he entered. He made the mistake of looking at Janie first, and it almost ruined him for the rest of the visit. He was absolutely smitten! Somehow, he got through the introductions. The kids had not been told about his intentions toward Shannon, so the talk was about him training their mother.

Breakfast was waiting, and they all sat down. The talk was lively as they ate. Alex found himself forgetting they were only 14 and 13. He was impressed with their manners and the comfortable way they interacted with all the adults. And Janie! He had to work to spread his attention to the others.

Caroline had just cleared the dishes and everyone was still at the table, when he got to the real reason for his visit. "Janie, Terry, I came to meet you today for a very important reason." He had their complete attention. "I have fallen in love with your mother. I want to ask her to marry me."

Apparently, neither one had any idea beforehand what was coming. Terry sat motionless and stared straight at Alex's face. Janie gave a small gasp and covered her open mouth with her hand. Her eyes opened wide and her face ran through the color spectrum several times. She dropped her hand from her mouth and clasped both hands together, pushing them hard into her lap. The struggle for control was evident on her face, and she kept it up for several seconds. Eventually, she lost and the tears gushed forth. She jumped up and ran down the stairs toward her room. Caroline got up and followed her down.

Alex's concern must have shown on his face, and it was Terry that spoke up. "She's OK. She's not upset or anything. She's always had this dream, and it just happened, and she couldn't handle it."

"What dream is that, Terry?"

"Well, that Mom would find someone and we could be a whole family. Mostly, she dreamed that someday she would have a Daddy."

"So, she's told you all about this dream?"

"Yeah, we talk about it a lot of times. She always gets real sad and lots of times she ends up crying."

"What do you do when she cries."

"Well, it's tough when girls cry, you know. But I try to help her feel better. Sometimes I can make jokes. Sometimes I tickle her. Lots of times none of that works."

"What do you do then?"

The boy blushed furiously. "Well, I... Sometimes I just hold her and cuddle a little until the crying stops. I, uh, wouldn't want the guys to know. Maybe it's not very macho, but she kinda looks up to me, you know."

"Hey, giving a woman what she needs is very manly. She's lucky to have a brother who is man enough to do that. You should see how some of those macho ballplayers change when they are around their wives and children. They're not afraid to show them love."

"Do you know some ballplayers?" Alex proceeded to tell Terry about his work as a trainer with the baseball team.

"Hey, I'm not on regular game night duty anymore, but I can get dugout passes. I was hoping you could join me for this afternoon's game. We can have lunch at the stadium and get better acquainted, and you can see the game from the players' side."

"Are you kidding? That would be way cool!"

At this point, Caroline and Janie came back into the room, Caroline with her arm around the girl. Janie's breathing was still a bit unsteady, but she walked right up to Alex.

"Mr. Torvold, I..."

"No, no, no, Janie. Just Alex. Please."

"Uh, Alex, I'm sorry I broke down. It's not because I'm angry. I'm just so surprised and happy, I couldn't help myself."

"That's OK, Sweetheart. Terry told me about your dream. I hope we can make it come true for you."

"I mean, it already has, hasn't it."

"Well, I need you to help me. Your mother doesn't know how I feel about her yet. She may suspect, but I have not told her. I need you to keep this a secret for a little while, OK?"

"But, but, how could she not? I mean, you're so..." She stopped herself, blushed, and then giggled. It was a refreshing sound after all the heavy emotion. The conversation lightened considerably after that until Alex brought up another subject.

"You know, kids, if your Mom and I marry, we will have to live where my business is. You will have to move from here. Will you be able to handle that?"

Terry spoke without hesitation "That doesn't matter to me. Nothing's as important as Mom being happy. Us, too."

Janie chimed in, "I'll miss some of my friends, but I'll live anywhere if we can be a real family!"

"One thing might make it easier - I think you can go to the same school as your cousins." Both kids were enthusiastic about that news.

The conversation went on a little longer. When the conversation wound down a bit, he pulled Janie aside, knelt and asked her, "Janie, will you go out on a date with me tonight? I have made some plans to help it be really special. Would you do that?"

"Oh, wow! Would I!" She reached up and hugged him fiercely, then, suddenly embarrassed, stepped back and apologized.

Alex reacted instinctively, lifting the girl clear off the floor and hugging her tightly. He whispered in her ear, "I hope we have a future with lots of these hugs." When he put her down, she was absolutely glowing.

He asked the kids if he could speak to their grandparents alone for a few minutes. They agreed and Terry took off to get ready for his big outing. Alex handed Caroline a slip of paper with some names, addresses, phone numbers, and times on it.

"I'm taking Janie to a ballet tonight. It's a touring company that is supposed to be very good. I had no idea if she even liked that kind of thing, but I wanted something dressy and special."

"She'll love it, whatever it is," Caroline assured him. "She doesn't have any very dressy clothes, though."

"That's what that slip of paper is for. An influential client helped me set up a clothing store and a hairdresser. They are opening especially for Janie, so that is why those times are important. Oh, and payment is all pre-arranged. Can you get her to those places while Terry and I are at the game?"

"You bet I can! I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Because I will have to drive back down from the game, I have a dinner reservation for after the ballet. She will have to be out fairly late. Maybe she can get a nap before her appointments."

"Nap! Who are you kidding? It's a good thing your date with her is tonight. I know she wouldn't sleep a wink until whenever it is. Do you have any idea what you have just done for that child?"

"I have something to confess. It was love at first sight when I saw her. How can I be so lucky to find two such fantastic women?" He paused briefly, then said "Three fantastic women, actually!" and pulled Caroline into a hug.

"Thank you, Alex. We're so happy to have you in our family. Please, stay with us tonight so you don't have to drive all the way back again."

The Randolph house was complete bedlam for hours after Alex and Terry left. Janie was never silent for more than ten seconds, constantly asking what time it was. Jim and Caroline alternated between disbelief and elation.

Alex wanted to give Terry a chance to enjoy batting practice and other pre-game activities, so they left as soon as they could break away. He was a bit nervous about how to talk to the boy, but since meeting him, he thought of him as a young man, not a boy.

"Terry, as you know, I have no experience at the father-son thing. I hope we can talk more as buddies. I've been around a lot longer, and know some stuff you will want to know, and I look forward to sharing that with you. I hope you won't ever be afraid to ask."

"Well, I've never had a Dad. Pops has been great, but it's not the same. You know what has been neat? The way Greg and I have talked on our Thursday rides to his house. You and Greg are good buds, right?"

"The best!"

"That means you probably see things the same. I've learned a lot from him."

"Hey, how come you chose wrestling and not football or some other sport?"

"Our wrestling coach is a cool guy, and I like the idea of bodybuilding. Our high school football team is not very good, and a lot of the players are real jerks. I just didn't care to get into that crowd."

"Hmmmm. That's too bad. For the school, I mean. The school district I want to buy in has a four year high school, and they are always championship contenders. I know the coach personally, and when he sees you, he is going to think linebacker, or maybe fullback. Would you be interested in a good football team?"

"Wow, you mean I could be in High School this year instead of Junior High? That would be great! The coach wouldn't be interested in a Freshman, though, would he?"

"He looks for players. And he looks for solid people. You won't find any jerks on his team. His team grade point average is one of the highest in the country - higher than a lot of private schools."

"By the time you and Mom get married and everything, won't the season be mostly over?"

"That's one of the things I wanted to talk about. If your Mom agrees, I want to register you in the new district right away. My apartment is too small, so we can list Greg's house as the address. He is in the district. You can either stay there or we will rent something temporary."

"Boy, you've thought about a lot of stuff, haven't you?"

The game experience was a smashing success. Alex' only problem was deflecting questions about his relationship with Terry. For Terry's part, he was greatly impressed by the genuine warmth the whole team showed toward Alex. The team's slugging first baseman was the one who insisted Terry take some swings in the batting cage.

Alex was not responsible for on-field attention to the players, but he arranged to take one occurrence during the game. He and Terry donned team jackets and stood by. After one player took a hard slide and wrenched his ankle, Alex handed Terry the kit, and told him to follow him onto the field. Surprised at first, Terry finally sprinted to catch up with him, and stood by transfixed while Alex tended to the injury, which was minor.

On the ride home, Terry's youthful enthusiasm ruled. He fired a constant barrage of questions about the team, Alex' other teams, his business, his track career, and every other aspect of his life.

"Alex, how come you aren't already married?"

"I guess I am just too fussy about the woman I want to live with?"

"I don't want to be nosy, but why Mom? I mean she's overweight, and has had a rough past with the drugs and everything."

"Terry, how do feel about your Mom?"

"I... I really love her?"

"Did you always feel that strongly about her?" Terry sat without replying. "You don't have to admit anything to me. Why do you feel so differently about her now?"

"Well, she's so strong and so loving, and... Oh, guess I answered my own question, huh?"

"Does her weight stop you from loving her, Terry?"

"No! I was surprised how easy it was to forget about that. Besides, she is going to lose that, anyway?"

"So, you can see why I want to marry her, can't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I sure can."

"That's great, because you have a lot of girls and women to evaluate in your future. I think you have already learned to look for the real stuff. Just don't forget it and be blown away by big boobs or sexy looks."

"You know, Greg and I did this little thing 'R-E-S-P-E-C-T' when he took me to see Mom naked the first time. I was scared out of my wits but I tried to remember that. Turned out I found a whole new Mom in just one day. I'll never forget it."

"Good man." Terry fell silent for the first time on the ride. They rode for several miles before he finally asked.

"Uh, Alex. Do you plan to adopt us?"

"I want to, Terry. Do you want me to?"

"Oh, yeah! The reason I asked is, do you think we can register at our new school with our new name, even if it isn't legal yet?"

Alex had a battle with his emotions over this one. He had to fight to keep his sight clear enough for safe driving. He hoped his voice sounded steadier than it felt as he replied, "We'll find a way, Terry. We'll find a way!"

Caroline's afternoon was spent observing the battle between child and woman as her granddaughter visited first an exclusive women's boutique, then a beauty salon. Neither establishment was normally open on Sunday, and she wondered what kind of pull Alex' client must have to get the wonderful service Janie received. Of course, Janie's joy and her beauty naturally affected everyone around her. The Randolph's were certainly not poor, but the dress, shoes, and accessories they left with were far beyond anything Caroline had spent on herself since her wedding dress. She read a magazine while the beautician worked on Janie for over an hour, and nearly fainted when the vision that was her granddaughter emerged into the waiting room.

Back at home, Caroline's hardest task was getting the girl to wait until the proper time to dress. Janie was so fidgety, her grandmother feared her gorgeous hairdo would never survive.

Alex dropped Terry off at home, but did not come in. He had arranged with the manager of a nearby health club to shower and change into his tux there. As he left the locker room all dressed up, every single eye in the women's aerobics class followed him to the exit, the instructor completely forgotten. He drove to the livery service office and left his car there.

As Alex strode to the front door from the parked limo, Caroline opened the door on the waiting Janie. It was impossible to tell who was most stunned by the others' appearance, as both were immobilized for several seconds. Alex finally walked up the steps, took the corsage from its box and slipped it on Janie's limp wrist. Holding her hand and reaching around to hold her other elbow, he escorted her down the steps, concerned whether she had completely mastered the low-heeled pumps she wore. Janie's eyes opened even wider, if possible, when the driver emerged to open the back door for them.

Once seated, Alex finally spoke. "Janie, you look absolutely gorgeous!"

"Th... this is like a fairy tale. I think I'm dreaming! Just don't ever wake me up, OK?"

"I wouldn't think of it, Beautiful. Dream on."

Conversation was almost non-existent as they rode to the theater and were escorted to their fifth-row seats. Alex just let her absorb the experience. During the performance, he took her hand, and she didn't let go until intermission.

After the performance, she began gushing about how beautiful it was and how much she enjoyed it, but he told her they were not done yet. They went around the stage and he handed a note to the backstage guard. Alex waited outside the dressing room door while an attendant took Janie to meet the ballerina. He didn't even try to make her talk when she emerged.

In the limo, he finally asked her if she was hungry. "I... I don't know. But I don't want this to end!" The restaurant was elegant and filled with theater-goers. Strolling musicians stopped and played at their table. They danced. They toasted, her non-alcoholic bubbly spiked with just a little of his. He had the photographer take several pictures of them, to the broad smiles of their fellow diners. As the meal progressed, she became more talkative, and by the time they returned to the limo, the conversation flowed easily. Alex instructed the driver to take at least a half hour to get them home and to put up the opaque divider window.

"Alex, Mom wouldn't ever say no, would she?"

"Oh, I don't think so, Honey. I think she feels the same way I do, but just hasn't let herself admit it."

"I wish I could talk to her and make sure." That gave Alex an idea, and they conspired for a few minutes."

"Um, if we're sure Mom will say yes, can I start calling you Daddy now?"

Alex was glad someone else was driving this time as he pulled her onto his lap and hugged her tightly, telling her nothing would make him happier.

Tuesday

It was the third Tuesday in July. Shannon had continued her aggressive workouts and had stuck strictly to the eating plan. The day before, she weighed in at 153. Her beautiful figure-to-be was just being to announce itself. There was still extra weight in the wrong places, but the sight of her nude would definitely bring most cocks to attention even now.

Alex was finding it harder and harder to work with her on a completely professional basis. He was lingering longer and longer after each session to talk with her. Their early morning runs and swims had become the highlight of his life. Still, he had made no physical show of affection, nor spoken any words of endearment. Knowing what he was about to do, it took an extreme effort of will to postpone it until after her workout and massage.

This day, Shannon had been less talkative than usual. As he finished her massage, he laid his hand briefly on one buttock. Shannon instantly flipped over onto her back and asked, "Was that an accident or a caress?"

"It was a caress, Shannon. It meant I have feelings for you that are far beyond just a customer."

"Alex, I'm glad! But before either of us start to think about anything between us, I have to warn you." He wondered what terrible thing about her he did not yet know. "You can't be interested in just Shannon. It has to be Shannon and Terry and Janie. For fourteen years I was a miserable mother. Largely because of Greg, I have reconnected with my wonderful kids, and we have grown to love each other very much. For the rest of my life, I will be the mother they deserve. If it means I stay single, so be it. I want to be married, but not at the expense of my kids. You need to know that about me. If you are not interested in an instant family, I should stay just a customer."

He stared into her eyes for a long time. The strength of purpose and determination she showed just now were much of what had attracted him to her since their first meeting. Her obvious intelligence, her humor, her caring nature, and of course, her emerging beauty had more and more made him think of her as the woman he would spend his life with.