Chapter 33

"Hello? Anyone home?"

Abigail stood up from behind the kitchen counter. "Hey, folks."

Brianna and Merrigan stepped into the living room. They were dressed to work, clad in tennis shoes, jeans and t-shirts. Merrigan had a baseball cap on her head, her long red ponytail sticking through the hole in the back.

"We're ready to work," Brianna said. "Where's the heavy stuff?" She flexed her biceps. Abigail smiled at the sight of the blonde's slender arms.

Another figure stepped through the door. "Someone as skinny as you should be asking if they can carry the blankets instead," Dex Hanson said, then he goosed his sister-in-law in the ribs. Brianna yelped and slapped his hands away. Dex turned to Abigail. "Hey, Abigail. I'm not sure all of your stuff will fit in that little Chevy in the driveway."

Abigail laughed. "Jack and Allison have gone to get the truck. They should be back soon. You guys want something to eat before they get here?"

Dex had moved into the room and was looking over the furniture. "Nah, we ate before we left the house."

"Well, there's a fridge full of sandwich fixings if you get hungry. Help yourself." Abigail wiped her hands on a dish towel. "Where's your wife?"

"She dropped us off and then took the rugrats to her mother's. She'll be along shortly."

Abigail watched the stocky blonde guy test the weight of the sofa. He was a few years older than Tammy, so he was out of high school before Abigail got there. Still, his family was longtime residents of the community, and he had been an all-state football player, so of course everyone knew him. She smiled when she recalled that she'd had a crush on Dex Hanson all the way through middle school. Of course, all the girls crushed on the hard-hitting, charismatic linebacker. She looked back at the girls. Merrigan stood quietly just inside the front door, but Brianna had seated herself on the same sofa that Dex was lifting. He was pretending to strain at the added weight. The interaction reminded Abigail of Jack's playful interactions with Allison.

Abigail moved out from behind the counter. "Thanks, you guys, for helping with the move. It'll make this go so much faster."

Merrigan smiled. "Glad to help. I like to think that Allison and I have become friends over the last few weeks. When Brianna asked if I wanted to help, I jumped at the chance."

Just then a low rumbling sound filled the air. Allison's voice could be heard yelling something outside. Abigail and Dex stepped out onto the porch to watch as Jack slowly backed the U-Haul truck into the grass, trying to get it as close to the porch as possible. Allison was off to the side, directing him with her arms.

"Here comes Tammy," Dex said, pointing just beyond the truck to an approaching minivan.

Abigail sighed. "Well, I guess we'll actually need to get to work then, huh?"

Jack nudged close to the porch and stopped. He shut off the engine and climbed out. "Hey, Dex!" he called when he saw the older guy. "Man, am I glad to see you. When Abigail said she and the girls would help me with the heavy stuff, I cried in despair. I'm glad to know she saw the error of her ways and recruited a GUY."

Abigail grunted. "You're a sexist pig, Jackson," she responded. Dex just laughed.

Brianna pushed between the two adults on the porch. "Allie!" she squealed and hurtled down the steps. The two best friends hugged and began chattering. If she didn't know better, Abigail would have assumed they hadn't seen each other for weeks or longer, instead of at dinner the previous night.

Tammy walked up and started talking with Jack as he pulled stuff from the cab of the truck. Merrigan again stood quietly leaning against the doorjamb and watching the scene in the yard.

"I guess this is it," Abigail called to the crew. "Since Dex and Jack both found it necessary to quip about the lack of brawn found in this particular group of women, we'll leave the moving to them. We, on the other hand, will just sit in the dining room and supervise whilst imbibing in tea and crumpets. Ladies?" She motioned into the house.

Jack walked towards the porch. "That's pretty par for the course. You are the brains, and we are the brawn."

As he climbed the steps, Abigail leaned forward and kissed him warmly on the lips, a simple action that still made her heart flutter. "Oh, don't worry," she said. "We'll reward you two for your efforts later. You know it's worth it."

"Hawt DAMN!" Dex whooped. "What are we waiting for then? The faster we move, the sooner later comes. Do you need your stuff to be undamaged upon arrival to Washington, or can we just chuck it into the truck as quickly as possible? Five women and two men. Reward, indeed!" He waggled his eyebrows at the girls.

Tammy rolled her eyes and punched Dex in the arm. "Dex Hanson, you behave yourself."

The car was quiet as the Garner family drove the short distance to their place of worship. Ben gazed forlornly out of his window. Brad grumped and slumped as low in his seat as possible. Sharon just seemed nervous.

Ted glanced over at his wife. A part of him was angry with her for the whole graduation dinner mess. However, when he confronted her about it afterwards, her logic made absolute sense. Of course, as the primary parental figures in Jack's life, they would offer him a celebratory dinner. Their presence at the restaurant among other graduates and their families conveyed the perfect image to the public.

Still, Ted couldn't shake the feeling that her offer to Williams had an ulterior motive. It was almost like she WANTED to spend the time with the threesome. He cringed at the immoral implications of that word. Threesome indeed.

As Ted turned down the street towards the church, Sharon finally broke the silence.

"After services today, I'm, uh, going to visit Abigail and Allison for a short visit," she said, her voice quiet and trembling.

Ted felt a sudden flash of red-hot anger. "You can't be serious, Sharon! We are done with them. Last night was it. We have no obligation towards them anymore."

Sharon seemed to recoil in the face of his anger. When she didn't respond for nearly a minute, Ted was sure that was the end of that asinine idea. He breathed a sigh of relief. His timely interruption of Jack Williams' rising influence over his family came not a moment too soon. Even Sharon had begun to be pulled in by that deviant's charismatic charm.

"I'm going," she said eventually, her voice still quiet, but sounding more resolute. Her defiance surprised Ted, but not enough to knock him off his moral foundation.

"I forbid it," Ted replied firmly as he tried to stifle the rage building inside him.

She turned to face him. He leveled his gaze at her, unmoved by the tears running down her cheeks.

"I need to see them, Ted," she pleaded. "They are my daughters, for heaven's sake."

"They are no such thing. Not anymore. They ceased to be our daughters when they allowed that scoundrel to seduce them into lives of carnal sin."

"I can't just turn off my sense of responsibility, my ... love like you can."

"You have to, Sharon."

"I can't! Those girls have been our responsibility for their entire lives, Ted. They are the fruit of our loins, for good or ill. I can't just turn my back on them so easily. By the end of today they will be gone, and I may never have another chance to say goodbye." Her voice caught and she looked down at her hands.

Ted had to physically fight to control his emotions. He felt the acrid burning in his throat, a throbbing in his head. This was his wife, the woman who vowed to cleave unto him above anyone else, who vowed through their sanctified union to live under his righteous dominion. He was the patriarch of their home, for God's sake! He kept his voice level. "Are you saying you are willing to damage OUR relationship out of some sense of obligation towards these ... these ... reprobates? Are you really ready to give that up?"

"Please, Ted. Don't make me choose," Sharon whined.

Ted ground his teeth, making his head throb harder. He realized he was tense all over, and so he slowly loosened his grip on the steering wheel and tried to relax his body. That he felt Ben's eyes burning into the back of his head didn't help. There was no question where his youngest son's allegiances lay. At least Ted could count on Brad to abhor the immorality of the situation.

Ted pulled his car into a parking space in front of the church and put it into park. Without comment, Brad was quickly out of the car. Ben, however, stayed seated.

Sharon sniffed and sighed. "Just this last visit, Ted. After today, they'll be gone. You'll have what you want and they won't bother us again." She placed her trembling hand on his arm, which he tensed. "Please?" she begged one more time.

I won't have what I want when they leave, Ted thought. At least, not for a while. "Ben, get out of the car," he finally said.

His order was met with a defiant hesitation. Ted made eye contact with the teenager through the rearview mirror. It took all of the father's inner strength not to smack that glare off the son's face.

"Ben," Sharon said quietly.

With an exasperated sigh, Ben relented. When the door slammed behind him, Ted spoke.

"Sharon, are you committed to our relationship?"

"What?" Sharon asked, obviously not expecting that question. Ted almost smirked. Keeping people off-center was a very powerful tactic he'd learned to use to control negotiations.

"You said not to make you choose. So I need to know, Sharon. Are you committed to our relationship."

"Of course, dear," Sharon said quickly.

One has to pick one's battles, Ted told himself. He wasn't pleased with this turn of events, but he would relent because he knew that Sharon was a woman of character. She may have been momentarily blinded by the adversary, but she was one of the Lord's faithful disciples. She had always honored her commitments. "I will concede this one time, Sharon. After this, don't ask me again. I will not have my family cavorting of their own free will and choice with people who have chosen to so blatantly follow the devil's path. Am I clear?"

Sharon looked down into her lap again and then nodded. "Yes," she whispered. "Thank you."

"However, the visit will have to wait until after our lunch appointment with the Todds and Seavers. I will not tolerate you missing this important opportunity of fellowshipping with other members of the church board. Do you understand me?"

Sharon reached for the door handle with a trembling hand. "I understand," she squeaked as she pushed herself out of the car.

Jack wondered how in the world they'd accumulated so much stuff in the relatively short time they'd been married. Allison and Tammy were rearranging the last few boxes on the truck while Jack and Dex waited on the ramp with the last mattress and box springs.

"Got anything in there that would work in my office?"

Jack leaned over to look around the truck and smiled. Phil was approaching them. "Hey, old man!" Jack called to him. "There isn't any room in your office for anything else."

"OK, Jack," Allison said to him.

"Hold that thought, Phil. I'll be with you in a minute." Jack hoisted the mattress above his head, laying it horizontal and slid it on top of the pile of boxes and furniture. It fit nicely and he pushed it back until it wouldn't go any further.

He turned to Dex, who waved him away. "I can get this."

Jack nodded and jumped off the ramp.

"Hello, my good man," Phil said as the two friends shook hands. "All packed up and ready to go?"

Jack looked at the full truck. He wiped the sweat off his face with the bottom of his shirt. "That was the last of it, so your timing was perfect," he teased. "Abbie and Merrigan are in the house cleaning."

Jack discerned a mixture of sadness and pride in the older man's slight smile. He reached over and patted the professor's back. "Come on. I've got something for you in the car."

The two moved away from the crowd and out to the curb. Phil spoke as they walked. "So you've heeded the call. Go west, young man. Go west."

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so. But not forever. We'll be back. Maybe not here, but somewhere close. This is where our family is, such as it is. Besides, you need someone to wipe your ass after you get too old and decrepit to do it yourself. That's only a few years away."

Phil glanced sideways at Jack. "Wise ass." After a brief silence, he spoke again. "You know, your grandmother always said you'd have to get away from that dinky little town if you were ever going to escape your past. I wonder if she had any idea just how far you'd go to escape."

Jack leaned into his open car window and grabbed the small folder of papers. He fiddled around inside for a moment as he tried to digest what Phil had just said. His statement for some reason really resonated with Jack. Was he trying to escape? Could he have become the man his Grandma thought he could be if he'd never left his hometown? He didn't want to forget his past; he just didn't want to relive it over and over again. Maybe, Grandma was right. Maybe he needed to get away so that he could have a chance to grow. He pulled back out and stood upright. He looked down at the folder as he thought.

"I don't know if I'd call it escaping my past," Jack said. "More like finding my future."

"I'm sure your grandmother meant something like that."

"I'm not so sure," Jack shrugged. "I think Grandma always felt ashamed about how I was brought up. It wasn't just my own piss poor actions that she wanted me to escape. She always felt sorry that she and Grandpa couldn't provide more for me. Then there was the scandal surrounding mom and stuff like that, too, that I had to deal with from so many people in town."

Phil just grunted.

"You know, I wouldn't trade my childhood for anyone else's," Jack said, more to himself than Phil. "Even after everything. Everything that has happened in my life has helped shape me into the man I am today. And that man has been blessed with two incredible women who love him and some pretty damn good friends. I must be turning out OK."

"More than OK, Jack. You are turning out to be even more than your grandmother ever envisioned."

Jack was quiet for a second and then shifted gears mentally. He held out the folder. "This folder contains copies of copies of everything I've accumulated, independent of your team, on Ted and his activities. There's not much. Just some testimonials and some newspaper clippings regarding investigations of bank fraud. Nothing damning."

Phil took the folder. "Thanks, Jack. Every little bit helps."

"I've also included a list of everyone I could possibly think of who might have knowledge about Ted's detailed activities within the bank. I've listed them by likelihood they might have information. The ones marked in red likely have an interest in seeing Ted brought to justice. The ones in black are more than likely to support the man. The ones in blue could go either way. In any case, you should probably proceed..."

"Yes, yes. Proceed with caution," Phil interrupted. Then he smiled. "I've done this before."

Jack shrugged. "Yeah, but you're old. You might have forgotten."

Phil sighed. "I'm not THAT old." Then he muttered to himself. "Goddamn greenhorn. Thinks he knows everything."

Laughing, Jack put his arm around Phil and guided him towards the house. "Come on, let's go say hi to Abigail and Allison, and then get something to eat."

The crew sat around the kitchen floor eating sandwiches and cooling down with water and pop. Phil was regaling Jack and the three teenagers with stories about life as a hippie in the sixties. Abigail had disappeared into the back of the house for one last passthrough. Dex and Tammy took a sandwich each and had headed to the Rawlings house to pick up the triplets. Things were beginning to wind down, and Allison could feel a sort of melancholy begin to sneak over the group.

Allison didn't want the day to end. On one hand, she was excited for life to begin anew, a life that would include her two lovers and lots of new friends and experiences. On the other hand, she wasn't ready to say goodbye to Brianna and her life in Tennessee—the only life she'd ever known.

Abigail appeared from the hall with a tub full of cleaning supplies, a few hangers and a couple of tools.

"This is the last of it," she said with a sigh.

Allison popped up and reached for the tub, grateful for a chance to break away from the group for a moment. "I'll put it in the truck. You sit down and finish your sandwich."

Abigail passed off the load and slid down the wall next to Jack. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek, then went back to eating his food.

Allison carried the load out of the front door and found a space amongst their things to wedge the tub into. She took a long look at the mass of material possessions filling the truck. The lives of three people, neatly packed into a fourteen foot box. With a sigh, she turned and jumped in surprise.

"Stephen!" she gasped.

Stephen Grant was standing at the base of the ramp, his eyes wide with fear. He seemed to jump at the same time as Allison. He mumbled something, then disappeared around the side of the truck.

"Stephen, wait," Allison said as she recovered from her surprise. She leapt from the ramp and quickly darted after him. He was half walking, half jogging back to his pick-up truck. "Stephen, please. Stephen Grant, STOP RIGHT NOW!"

He froze at the foot of the driveway, his back to her. She could see he was trembling.

"Stephen?" she asked calmly. "Talk to me."

Stephen mumbled something. Allison stepped over to him and reached up to touch his shoulder. He flinched as if she was going to hit him. "I didn't hear you," she said softly.

"I said I was sorry," he croaked. "About the other night. And all the other stuff."

"Stephen, look at me." She tried to be assertive in her request while still keeping her voice friendly. He slowly turned around, only letting his eyes look up at her face for a moment before looking away. "Before I can accept your apology, I need to know why you did what you did. I want to understand. Please, help me understand."

She watched his facial muscles work as he tried to form words, only to reject them and then try again. This went on for several minutes, during which time Allison waited patiently. She wouldn't interrupt. He needed to do this on his own, and she couldn't make it any easier on him.

"I ... I was afraid you were being hurt," he finally said. "I thought maybe they were, you know, making you do what all those rumors said."

"But they were only rumors," Allison said. "Since when did you listen to rumors? Why didn't you ask me first? Find out if the rumors were true."

"I couldn't," he said, his expression pained. "You know, 'cause what if you ... I ... I liked you. I mean I like you. Still. I could never act on my feeling, but I could always keep my silly dream alive as long as you weren't really involved with anyone else. So, I didn't want to believe in my heart that you'd be involved anyone, especially your brother-in-law and sister. I was afraid if I asked, you'd say the rumors WERE true, and I didn't know if I could handle that. But they all seemed so ... I don't know ... detailed and stuff. So I told myself they were forcing you do that, that you wouldn't have done it by your own choice."

Allison was quiet, trying to digest what Stephen was saying. She wondered how she could avoid admitting her relationship with Abigail and Jack. She wondered if keeping up the lie even mattered anymore. That Stephen was remorseful was obvious. How his skewed logic had so permeated his psyche would likely remain a mystery. She could accept his apology, so she really had only one question.

"Stephen, do you really believe the rumors are true?"

Stephen fidgeted. He looked ready to bolt again. He looked at Allison, then quickly looked away. After a long moment, he looked at her again, then away just as quickly as before. Finally, he nodded.

"And if they are true, does that really change who I am? Does that make me different from the person you've gone through school with?"

Again, he hesitated for a long moment. This time he shook his head.

"Stephen, understand that this is MY life, and it is nobody else's business. I'm not going to validate rumors about my personal life by admitting to or denying them. I'm still saddened that you felt the need to act on rumors rather than actually ask me. Or better yet, just ignore the stupid things. Rumors are like mud. They soil everyone who touches them."

Stephen seemed to shrink in on himself. Allison felt so sorry for the awkward boy. "I ... I ... I'm s-s-sorry," he stuttered.

This time Allison placed her hands on his arms and gripped them. She waited until his eyes met hers before talking. "I accept your apology. Now, with that out of the way, let me say this ... Thank you, Stephen."

His shuddering ceased and his eyes opened wide. They were filled with confusion. "Uh..."

"I'm thanking you for caring enough about me to take such drastic measures of action, as misguided as they were. Thank you." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. He tensed, and then began to vibrate. Her lips lingered on his skin for a couple of seconds before pulling away. The look of pure, unadulterated euphoria that encompassed his face made Allison giggle.

"Uh..." he stammered.

Allison took Stephen by the hand and poked a finger in his chest. "But don't ever think of doing something like that again, for whatever reason," she scolded, hoping her smile took the sting out of her words. "And if you ever have a crush on a girl, just tell her."

Stephen shook his head violently. "Oh, I could never do that."

"Why not?" she asked. "You're a good looking guy." She quickly looked at him from top to bottom, which turned his face fire-engine red. He was a little pudgy and a little too short for her liking, but he had a handsome face and intelligent eyes and was even beginning to grow out of his pudginess. "More importantly, you are a good guy, and that's all too rare it seems like."

Stephen shook his head again. "Look what I did to your sister and her husband. I'm not a good guy."

"Stephen Grant!" Allison said sternly. "I've known you since first grade. I don't care if you made a mistake with all that crap with Abbie and Jack. All the kindness you've shown over the years tells me who the true you is."

Stephen was quiet for another long moment. "If ... if I'd told you about my crush, would it have made a difference? You know, in our relationship?"

Allison contemplated on how to answer that. She decided to play it safe. "Truthfully, I don't know. I never knew you had a crush on me, so I never really looked at you that way. You were always just my friend. I will say this, however. Learning you had a crush on me was really flattering. Even if nothing ever comes of telling a girl you have a crush on her, you've at least made her feel good. And if she isn't flattered, you don't want anything to do with her anyway."

A car pulled to a stop behind Stephen's truck, and four girls quickly piled out of the passenger doors. "Allie!" one of them called. Allison smiled. All the girls were members of the freshman soccer team. Allison had mentored two of them during their soccer season, something the coach asked of a select few of his varsity squad. He'd asked Allison, even though she was only a year ahead of those girls in school. Because of where her birthday fell, she was almost two years older than some of them.

"Hey, Paige, girls," Allison said with a smile.

"We wanted to give you this before you left," Paige said, holding out a large square present. She glanced at Stephen and smiled sheepishly. Allison noted with a smirk the flirtatious look Paige gave the shy guy. Paige was barely five feet tall with a willowy physique. Her face was not unattractive and her personality was outgoing and bubbly. She always seemed to be lamenting about how hard it was to find a decent guy to go out with. The girl was boy crazy, but refused to settle for the predatory older boys that seemed to circle the freshmen girls.

What were the chances that Allison's words to Stephen would be prophetic so soon after she said them?

"Aw, girls, you didn't have to give me a gift," Allison said as she took the package.

"Open it!" Amy, a tall thin girl, urged her.

Stephen started backing away slowly. "I, uh, I should go, Allison."

"Hold it, Stephen," she said as she ripped into the paper. As she pulled the paper away, she saw a new soccer ball, still in the box. Looking closer, she saw the signatures of all the members of the freshmen soccer team.

"I love it!" she said and reached out to hug the girls. As she embraced Paige, she whispered into her ear. "Have you made it to see the folk art exhibit yet?"

Paige frowned. "No. I can't get anyone to go with me. I'm guessing I might have to go by myself."

Allison released the smaller girl and turned to Stephen. "Stephen here is one of my good friends, and I was just thanking him for helping me the other day." Stephen looked back at Allison, then glanced around as if searching for a deep, dark hole to crawl into. "He's one of the nicest guys I know. Stephen, Paige was just telling me how she has so desperately wanted to see the new folk art exhibit at the university art building but hasn't been able to find someone to take her. What do you say? Can you spare an evening?"

The other girls giggled.

"Allisonnnn," Paige whined coyly. Allison glanced at the short girl and saw the blush and the look of expectation on her face, regardless of the embarrassment she expressed with her words.

Stephen opened his mouth, blinked twice, then closed it again. "I, uh..."

Allison winked. 'Say yes, ' she mouthed silently.

"Uh, yeah. OK. I ... I'd like that."

The other girls continued to giggle as they turned back towards the waiting car and the woman driving it.

"Thanks, girls, and good luck next year!" Allison called to the younger girls. Then she hugged Stephen again and whispered in his ear. "Thanks again, Stephen. Take care, and don't forget to get Paige's phone number."

She heard him let out a long, slow breath and step towards the younger girl. Without a look back, Allison headed back towards the house.

From her position on the kitchen floor, Abigail listened to the quiet of the house. After so much boisterous activity during the morning, it felt so empty now that everyone was gone. Jack had walked Phil to his car and they were still mired in deep discussion as they stood at the curb. Allison had driven Brianna and Merrigan to the Rawlings home since the two girls had arrived with the Hansons and needed a ride home. Besides, Allison wanted to say goodbye to her "other parents".

Now it was just Abigail. She leaned back against the wall and stretched her long legs in front of her. This was it, the last hurrah. She'd spent much of the last couple of weeks packing their lives into boxes and visiting with friends who she was not quite as close to as she once was.

Things changed, sometimes for the best and sometimes for the worst. Regardless, change seemed to be accompanied by feelings of sentimentality and solemnity. In less than a week, they would set up a new home thousands of miles away from the only home they ever knew. They'd make new friends. They'd try to repair a relationship with an estranged family member while at the same time trying to heal from wounds inflicted by other family members.

Change, change, change.

If Abigail was honest with herself, she'd have to admit that she was scared. There was a large medical center just waiting for her arrival as if she, a young woman with only the simplest of life experience, was the solution to their problems. Could she do it? Did she have the skill and the knowledge and the personality to take this bull by the horns?

That was only one aspect of her life. What about her family? What would become of her parents and brothers? Would she ever see them again, ever return to this small town that had meant so much to her? As those questions resonated in her mind, she fought to hold back her tears.

It comforted her that she wasn't going the road alone. She had two people to experience it with every step of the way. She loved Jack, and she loved Allison, and they loved her. Yet even that added to her fear. She was embarking down a path with no precedence. No one SHE knew was engaged in such a complicated relationship, so there would be no advice, no blueprint to follow. She hoped and prayed the relationship would last, but it was a long journey through life. Her father wouldn't be the only force trying to tear them asunder.

There was a gentle knock on the door, but Abigail didn't feel much like standing to greet anyone.

"Come in," she called from her seat.

"Abigail?" called an older, masculine voice.

Abigail glanced up to see Bill Donathon come into view. She looked at him in surprise for a moment then remembered herself. She began to rise. "Mr. Donathon..."