Chapter 2: Laney...

Tom hung up his phone after spending the last hour in a pleasant conversation with Laney, explaining to her what had happened about four months earlier when his parents had died. She now understood what he had gone through, and why he had left home for Omaha the day after his mother's funeral service. He had explained to Laney why he hadn't had the service with his father's, but instead had scheduled it for the following day. His father's service had been complete, with the burial in the plot they owned in the Shady Grove Cemetery. Since Tom had decided not to bury his mother's ashes in the same plot with his father, he still had to get a plot for her and have the graveside service.

Before Tom had ended his call to Laney they had made a date for Friday night. He'd asked her to go with him to watch stock-car racing at the local dirt track. Laney had never gone to the races, and he was a big fan. He was hoping she would enjoy them as much as he did. There were three days to wait before that date with her, but he knew he had lots to do.

The next morning Tom took his time, and after a leisurely breakfast he left the house to begin his jobs list. His first stop was at the Motor Vehicle Department to put the two family vehicles in his name. Fred Greenstein, his lawyer, had already done the paperwork with him, so all Tom had to do was to deliver the forms and pay the proper fees. From there he went to the funeral home and picked up his mother's ashes. They seemed to be happy to have the urn containing her ashes taken off their hands.

His last stop before lunch was at the Shady Grove Cemetery, where he met with the director and eventually selected a plot for his mother's ashes. It was about 50 yards from his father's grave, with a large oak tree situated so that you could not see one gravesite from the other. He thought that would have received his father's approval and just hoped that his mom's parents wouldn't object too much. They had been happy enough with the service he had arranged for her, and he hoped that the choice of burial plot he'd made wouldn't be a problem.

Tom went to the Plaza Restaurant for his lunch, even though he knew that Laney wouldn't be working. He had been lucky to catch her the previous day, as she only worked that one afternoon during the week. Every other weekday she had classes, at least until her school year was completed. He had a leisurely lunch, and when he finally left he headed for his grandparents' home. Tom knew he had to see them, to let them know he had purchased a plot for his mother, and to find out when would be the best time to have her burial service.

He was more than a little nervous as he approached the door of his grandparents' home. He hadn't spoken to them very often while he was away at his uncle's, but they had seemed pretty friendly on the phone when he did. They must have seen him coming, as his grandfather met him at the door.

"Tom, come on in! It's so good to see you." Bob Nolan grabbed his grandson in a bear hug, and then quickly released him so that Tom could enter the house. He was about Tom's size, with dark eyes and prematurely gray hair. He was in his late fifties and very fit.

"Mary, come out here! Tom's here."

Mary Nolan came into the living room from the kitchen, a large welcoming smile on her face. "Tom, it's been so long since we've seen you. You're a sight for sore eyes."

"Grandma, it's so nice to see you; you too, Grandpa. I've been thinking of you both often." Tom hugged his grandmother, and then gave her a kiss on the cheek. The three of them entered the kitchen, where they insisted that Tom join them at the kitchen table for a cup of coffee.

"So, how have you been, Tom? How was Omaha? We were beginning to wonder if you were ever coming back," his grandfather said.

"I've been fine, thank you. Omaha is nice, but it's not home. It's really nice to be back here," Tom said. He was glad to see that his grandparents were happy to have him back in town. They hadn't been quite so happy when he had told them that it was his father's wish not to be buried with his mother.

Tom explained about having purchased the plot for his mother's ashes, and asked them when they thought he should arrange for the burial service to be held. Eventually they all agreed he should wait until he'd spoken with a minister and made arrangements with him. They reminded him that headstones would have to be purchased as well, something that Tom hadn't even considered. He thanked them for reminding him, and said he would arrange for it right away.

The three of them had a pleasant visit, and caught up on everything that had been going on in their lives. When Tom eventually arose to leave, his grandmother took him by the arm and said, "You realize we've forgiven your father for what happened, don't you? We both realize Mary helped bring this upon herself, and while we wish you're Dad had chosen some other way to handle the situation, life doesn't always work out the way you want it to. We've moved on now, and we really hope you will forgive us for being so hard on you about the funerals."

"There are no hard feelings at all, Grandma, and I'm glad we've gone past all that." Tom gave his grandmother another hug, and then stepped back to look at her. She was so much like his mother, and he could imagine his mother would have looked exactly like her if she was her age.

As Tom went out to his car, his grandfather went with him. "If there's anything you need Tom, be sure to call us. We want to be able to help you in any way we can." Tom thanked him for their offer, and then waved goodbye as he drove away, greatly relieved they had received him so warmly.

By late Friday afternoon Tom had completed all of the arrangements for his mother's funeral, and as well he had contracted for headstones to be engraved and installed for both of his parents. He had even been able to get to the college to make arrangements for getting back to his studies as soon as possible. The counselors had been very helpful, and he was now enrolled in two summer courses. They felt that he would be able to completely catch up within the next 12 months if he didn't mind a little extra work.

At four o'clock Tom arrived at Laney's house to pick her up for their night at the races. He had told her they would stop for burgers on the way, and not to have her supper early. When he knocked at her door it was answered by a woman Tom assumed was Laney's older sister. Her hair was shorter than Laney's, but they both had brown hair and brown eyes, and Tom could see a strong resemblance in their facial features.

"Hi, I'm Tom Prentice, and I'm here to pick up Laney," he said.

The woman smiled and turned, before calling, "Elaine, I hope you're ready, your date's here." This was the first time that Tom had ever heard Laney's proper name, as no one had ever called her anything but Laney in high school. Tom was still registering this surprise when he heard Laney answer from inside the house.

"Mom, you know I hate that name. Please just call me Laney, like everyone else does. I'll be right there."

Tom was so surprised to find that this was Laney's mother that he said, "You're Laney's mother? I thought for sure you were her sister."

"Why thank you, Tom. That's a very flattering thing to say. I'm Grace Frost, Elaine's ... I mean Laney's, mother." She smiled as she extended her hand to Tom, and shook his hand firmly. "Come on in, I'm sure she'll be longer than she says, so you may as well wait inside."

Tom and Grace stood in the living room and talked about the high school while they waited for Laney to join them. When she arrived, she went over to her mother and gave her a hug and said goodbye. Tom was able to compare the two of them as they stood side by side and said, "There is no doubt that the two of you look more like sisters than mother and daughter." He looked back and forth between them, and was still finding it difficult to believe Grace was Laney's mother.

Laney laughed, and said, "We'd better leave, Tom. Mom will want us to stay here for the evening if you keep talking like that. I've told her plenty of times that she doesn't look her age, but she didn't believe me; maybe now she will." The two of them said goodbye to Grace, and headed out for their first date.

It wasn't very far down Main Street to the most popular of the local burger restaurants, and as they drove they exchanged small talk about high school and mutual friends. Once there, and with their orders in hand, they moved to a table in the back where they continued their conversation.

"I'm seriously surprised that your mother looks so young, Laney." Tom took a bite of his burger while Laney responded to his statement.

"Actually, there's quite a story to all that. My mom is only 34; her birthday was less than a month ago. She had just turned 16 when I was born," Laney said.

"Boy, that is sort of young. You don't hear of that sort of thing very often now. It's no wonder she looks like your older sister. What about your Dad?" Tom said.

"Well, I don't know a lot about him, just what my mom has told me. He died in a car accident a couple of months before I was born. When I was little I used to visit his parents, my grandparents that is, quite a lot, but my grandmother died when I was six, and my grandfather moved away a few years later; he phones from time to time. It's just been my mom and I since he moved; Mom's parents died a few years ago as well."

"So your mother raised you by herself? That must have been hard for her."

"Yes, it was. Her parents helped a bit, but they weren't able to do a lot as they both worked just to make ends meet for the rest of their family. Mom was able to finish high school by correspondence and got a job as a secretary at the auto parts plant. She's worried now though, as she knows her hours are going to be cut soon." There was a look of concern on Laney's face as she told Tom about her mother's worries.

"Wow, your mom sounds like she's had a bit of a rough time of it." Tom had a real feeling of respect for Laney's mother, a woman who had handled single motherhood, completing her education, and holding down a job.

"It was hard, but my mom always made sure we'd have what we needed. Sometimes she works a second job, waitressing in one of the bars downtown. She doesn't really like to work there though."

Their conversation continued while they ate their meal, shifting from the story of Laney's mother to a discussion of the racing they would see that evening. By the time they had finished their meal and then driven to the track, Laney had learned a lot about what to expect that evening. When the last race ended at 11 p.m., Laney was almost as big a fan as Tom was. She had picked a favorite driver, and was excited to see her favorite edge out Tom's at the last checkered flag of the evening.

At about the middle of the evening, as they had passed through a milling crowd in front of the concession stands, Tom had taken Laney's hand to prevent the two of them from being separated by the crowd. It seemed so natural a thing to do that Tom hadn't thought about it in advance, and they had walked hand in hand back to their seats. After that time, though, both of them had taken the opportunity to take the other's hand as they moved about between races, and at the end as they returned to their vehicle it was again hand-in-hand.

As they left the congestion of the track parking lot, Tom asked, "Would you like to go out to the lake for a while, before we head back into town?" Tom was hoping Laney would agree, as he really wanted to have some time alone with her. He'd always found her attractive, but now that he had gotten to know her a little he really liked her, and was anxious to hold her in his arms and kiss her. Just the thought of it had him excited, and he was hoping she wouldn't notice his aroused state.

Laney thought about his question for a few moments, and said "Not tonight, OK Tom? I really enjoyed this evening with you, and maybe we can go to the lake another time. My mom and I have an agreement that any time I date someone new, I'll get to know them well before we spend a lot of time alone." Laney looked apprehensively at Tom, knowing that several of her previous dates had become angry when she explained her rules to them. She was afraid she may have misjudged Tom, and that he would be one of those to take it poorly.

"No problem, Laney. I've really enjoyed our time together, and I wouldn't mind taking you out again soon. My parents had rules for me too. Even though they're gone, I still try to live by them." Tom turned to Laney and smiled at her.

A smile immediately appeared on her face, and she said, "Thanks so much for understanding, Tom. My mom and I are really close, and I could never really go against her wishes. I'd love to go out with you again, just let me know when." She reached over and took his hand, squeezing it before she let it go.

They stopped for soft drinks on their way home, and continued their cheerful conversation before agreeing to have another date the following Friday night. Their plans were tentative, and they agreed to decide later in the week where they would go the next time they went out together.

When they arrived back of Laney's home, she quickly leaned over to give him a quick, soft kiss before she said goodbye and opened the door. As she unlocked her front door she turned and waved as Tom drove away, a big grin on his face.

The next week started with Tom finalizing arrangements for his mother's burial. It was arranged for 2 p.m. the next Sunday afternoon. He made many calls to family members, both of his parents' former employers, as well as couples that he knew were friends of his mother and father. A newspaper announcement was arranged for the Friday paper.