Chapter 6

Saturday was a beautiful day for a birthday party for Lindsey, me too for that matter. I had sent Ashley home at four-thirty, just as the day was dawning. Ashley kept saying it was going to be a busy day. At eight I went by the big house and across the street to Mrs. Hamlin's to see the birthday girl as agreed. Mrs. Hamlin had prepared breakfast for me. Ashley joined us before we were finished and had coffee. I surreptitiously held Ashley's hand. Mrs. Hamlin smiled when she saw this.

"Lindsey, your mom is coming over to wish you a happy birthday this afternoon."

"Goody, I miss her. I knew she wouldn't forget my birthday. Is her husband coming?"

"I don't think so. Mark and Steve are coming and maybe Becky." She was all smiles when I mentioned Mark, seemed okay with Steve and made a face when I said Becky. I knew before this how she felt about her stepsister. Today though, I didn't chide her or tell her she had to be nice.

Mark and Steve were the first to arrive. They had their mother Shannon with them. She was a pleasant-faced woman, somewhere between forty and forty-five, I judged. At least ten years older than the new Mrs. James Burgess. Shy, I invited her to spend time in the apartment where she could watch the kids ride the ponies.

These came while Lindsey and Marie were putting on the pretty dresses they wanted to wear. I knocked on the bedroom door. "Lindsey, I think you better put your dungarees back on. Come look out the window and you will see why." It only took a few minutes before my two girls were watching the ponies come down the ramp from the horse transport.

I was some surprised myself. I had ordered one pony and Ashley had overruled me and said she would get one more. Instead there were four ponies and one docile mare for the older kids to ride. Almost immediately Linda and Patrick's two were there and then Will and Kim's.

I was left alone with Shannon Burgess and introduced myself more formally. "I know all about you. Mark has told me you have given him work for the summer. Steve has proudly said that he is on your payroll too. Believe it or not you have shown more interest in them than James ever did. I appreciate it. You know I'm medicated all the time, don't you?"

"Yes, Mark said you needed to be."

"I really want to thank you for inviting me. I don't see my children enough anymore. Becky will probably be here although she doesn't know I am. She doesn't come to see me as much as the boys. Mark said it would be better if she didn't come, but I would love to see her."

"He told me. I think your Becky is going through a phase. She and Jean don't get along although Jean has tried hard enough. You know my ex-wife will be here. Is that going to upset you?"

"No, I need to meet her sometime. I wish I could warn her about James. I almost feel sorry for her. Well, I don't want to say anymore about that, but if she loves him, she is in for some heartbreak. Now go down and join your party. I'll just sit here and watch from the window."

I came up to the ponies just as Lindsey was dismounting. She came over and gave me a hug, telling me this was the best birthday ever. "Thank Ashley. She made it possible for everyone to have a ride without having to wait forever." Lindsey went running away to do as bidden.

I saw Jean arrive. Linda made a bee-line to her to fill her in on what was going on. Jean just waved at me and smiled. I eased over toward the garage. I expected Becky any minute. Mark had whispered that she was getting a ride from one of her many boyfriends.

I was right, and she soon came around the corner of the building. She was alone and I could almost read her mind. She wanted to make a statement, but the people, family included, would not have approved of her choice of apparel. She would have made a statement all right. The outfit she had on was more than revealing and it practically showed everything. She turned to retreat.

I spoke to her as she turned away. "Becky Burgess, Mark said you were coming to your stepsister's party. I'm glad you could make it. Come, I'll introduce you to everyone."

She was in a spot. Her transportation had left and although brave, she was having second thoughts. "I don't think I am dressed right for this party. I thought it would be just a few people."

"What is it, your dress?" Red-faced, she nodded. "I tell you what. Why don't you sell me what you have on and I'll furnish a different dress for you to wear. It will be much more appropriate."

"But I like this dress, just not for here. I paid a lot of money for it."

"I'll double what you paid for this one. You have about a half minute to make up your mind."

"Do I get to see the other dress first?"

"No you don't, but you can trust me that it will be more appropriate than the one you have on."

"Okay, I'll do it. Mark says you are a pretty good guy. You owe me thirty-seven dollars and a new dress." So she had paid eighteen-fifty. It would have been a lot for a girl in her circumstances.

I gave her the money. "The new dress is upstairs in my apartment. There is a lady up there who will help you get changed. You can leave the dress you have on in the rose bedroom after you change."

Uncertain about what was going on, with trepidation Becky went up the stairs. I went back to watch my kids on their rented ponies. I did keep my eye on the doorway. Twenty minutes later, Shannon and Becky were standing there. "Mark, why don't you go escort your mother and sister and introduce them to some of these people?" He looked to where I indicated, seeing his mother, but not recognizing his sister at first.

He was all smiles when he came back to us. He first introduced the original Mrs. Burgess to the new Mrs. Burgess. Surprised, I couldn't see any tension between the two. Jean addressed Becky, "Becky you are a beautiful young woman. Where on earth did you get that exquisite dress?"

Becky started to say "Your ex", but instead said, "Mr. Burns and I made a deal for one I had on when I arrived. My Mom helped me change. She gave me the necklace she had on to wear with it. Thank you for saying I am beautiful." I think she was seeing Jean, the hated stepmother in a new light.

Ashley, who had been watching all of this, was smiling. She came over to me. "I wondered how you were going to deal with Becky. What did she have on when she came and where did the dress she has on now come from?"

"She had on a slutty little number, just as we suspected she would. The dress she has on belonged to Kim Grover. I found out what size Becky wore from Jean and Kim had this one she said she never could wear again. I bought it from her for Becky."

Ashley laughed and whispered, "Milo Burns, I can see where life's going to be really interesting living with you. Now I have a surprise for you. There are two sawhorses in the garage next to the jeep. Would you put one in front of the big house and one on the sidewalk by your apartment? Take Steve with you."

The signs attached to the sawhorses said, "Free pony rides for kids." It wasn't long before the lot filled up with several more kids from the neighborhood, some with curious parents. The next time I saw Marie and Lindsey, they had on a tee shirt over their tops. It was black and across the back it had the advertising and logo that Ashley had copied from my truck door. Mark and then Steve and then Kim's two kids and then Linda's two were sporting them and then it seemed as if all of the kids had one on. There was a sea of them. God love Ashley!

Just then Henry's catering truck pulled in with the cake, ice cream and pop. Lindsey was served first and then came over and sat on the ground next to me. "Daddy this is the best birthday ever. I have a million new friends and Becky even gave me a hug when she said happy birthday. She is pretty isn't she? She said it was all because of you. I just love you to pieces."

Becky left her mother and Jean talking together and made her way over to me. "Mr. Burns, I was shocked when I went upstairs and found my mother there. I never wanted her to see me in the dress I had on. Then when I opened up the box and found this dress, I knew she was going to forget how I looked. I want to thank you again and again. I know why Mark likes you so much and for once he acted proud to walk beside me. He usually wants to stay as far away from me as possible."

"Becky, you'll do fine. Actually that dress isn't anymore appropriate than the other for this type of gathering, but it doesn't label you like the other one did. If you are ever in doubt about what to wear, ask Jean. She is a beautiful woman and instinctively knows these things. Let her be your guide, you can't go wrong."

"I should think you would hate her after she left you for my father."

"I hate what she did to me, but you must remember she is the mother of my two daughters. How can I hate their mother? If I did, that would hurt them and I can't ever do that."

Becky looked at me, puzzled a little. "Jean said you were weird sometimes, but I think it is a nice kind of weird. Can I call you Milo, just as my two brothers do?"

"Sure, I'd like that."

I was a very happy man sitting in a chair watching the kids having fun. It was almost time for the ponies to leave. Even I could tell they were getting tired. Suddenly, someone came up behind me and covered my eyes. "You want me to guess who this is, right?" I got a grunt of assent. Well, let me think, it has to be a woman. It also has to be someone that I know by sight very well. It has to be someone that hasn't been here yet today, but is familiar with the place. I can't tell by sight, because I can't see you and I can't tell by sound, because I can't hear you. The only thing left is smell. I think it is Lilly Trevor behind me. I recognize the scent you wear."

I got the tinkling laugh that was Lilly. After greeting her I asked her to take a picture of the kids in the black tee shirts standing around the idled ponies. She did this and then took one of the kids turned so you could see my logo written on the backs. Having a minute alone with me, she asked about the lovely young woman dressed in the beautiful tan sheath. I explained how and why she was dressed that way. "In other words, she was Milo'd just as I was. Oh, by the way, the supplement will be out tomorrow in the Sunday paper. The story about you giving away some valuable paintings. You will be surprised at what the final appraisal for them is."

"How much?"

"Oh, I'm not telling. Read it in the paper tomorrow." Again the laugh and she was gone. The girls got a hug, ditto, Ashley. Jean came in for a friendly greeting before Becky was asked to relate my little episode with her. Again the expression that she had been "Milo'd" was repeated. Some of the neighbors questioned what she meant and she related what had happened to her on our first meeting. She went on to say, "Believe me, it is an honor to be singled out to be "Milo'd." She worked the crowd telling everyone to read the supplement in the Sunday paper. She came by me saying she had to leave and we all watched as this beautiful creature hurried away.

When the ponies left the neighbors slowly came by Lindsey to wish her happy birthday. Many knew Ashley by sight, but had never met her personally. They thanked her as I had indicated it was she that had supplied the ponies and the location. I disclaimed any knowledge of the tee shirts and said it was a surprise to me. Whether believed or not didn't matter.

Jean came to me as she was leaving. "Would it be okay to have the girls with me tonight?"

"Of course, I was going to suggest it. You might consider taking them out for pizza. Do you need any money?"

"No, that is taken care of. Look, I don't really understand what happened here today. I met my husband's ex-wife and actually like her. My stepdaughter turned from being a possible juvenile delinquent to a semi-refined young lady and all of my stepchildren are getting along with each other and with me. As Lilly would say, I think I have been 'Milo'd.' Anyway, thank you for a wonderful day. The girls are going to be here one more week. Let's sit down before they come back to me and reach some kind of agreement where we can share them with some degree of fairness." The hug I received was especially warm.

I spent the night at the big house in Ashley's arms. "Milo, I have regained my zest for life. Actually, I have more zest now than I had with Calvin. I loved Calvin, but he was nowhere near as outgoing as you are. My life now is opening up. With Calvin, he and I were as one, which meant we were enough for each other and self-contained. If he had lived we probably would have been ecstatically happy together, living and excluding all around us. We would have lived on this street not knowing many more people than I did growing up.

"With you, I'm going to be the center of the community. I just feel that. It is like either scenario would be wonderful. I can't have one, so I'm embracing the other with open arms. Both different, but both lives would make me happy. I'm not saying this well. Don't be mad if sometimes I travel back in my mind to when I was with Calvin. Just know that I'm with you now and so happy you are by my side."

"I think you just said you love me and that you loved Calvin. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Over coffee in the morning, we both heard the Sunday paper hit the porch. I went to retrieve it and Ashley grabbed it when I came in. She spread it out on the table and together we opened it to the supplement. The story was in the centerfold. Eight columns of text and several pictures. One of the columns was a sidebar split halfway between Ashley and myself with a bio. Ashley's service with the county prosecutor's office was recounted. Her widowed status and that her husband was killed serving in Iraq.

My business as a restaurant owner was mentioned, as well as the fact that I was divorced, and shared custody of two daughters with my former wife, Jean. Jean, now married to James Burgess, attorney, of this city. Also that I claimed to be a handyman, but in actuality was an artist working in plaster, doing ceiling treatments. Lilly had taken a photo of the bluebells in the girls' room and a small likeness was shown in the sidebar.

The curator of the city's museum raved over the find that a local handyman had discovered stored away for more than fifty years, unattended, in a garage. Full descriptions of the paintings were given as well as the possible auction value of each. There was speculation as to what Ashley's ancestors had paid for the items. It was determined that they had made an unbelievably good investment. "Still glad you gave them back to me?"

"Yes, no regrets at all. I just don't see where I had any claim to them."

"That's what I love about you, your unswerving sense of what is right. You wouldn't have asked me to be your wife if it wasn't right."

As far as I was concerned, the paintings were a non issue. They made Ashley richer and I suppose that was nice. I wasn't after her money so it didn't matter to me. The phone rang. "Ashley, this is Jean. I can't seem to contact Milo. The girls want to show the Burgess kids the camp. I know you own half of it so I thought you might give me permission to take them all up there for the afternoon."

"Milo is around the place somewhere. I'm sure he won't mind. Is your husband going with you?"

"No. He doesn't have much to do with any of the young ones anymore, even his own. He goes off somewhere every chance he can." Jean didn't say anything for a moment. "If you are not doing anything and can find Milo, we could meet you up there and he can bring the girls home with him."

"I'll look him up, and in fact I'll stop at the deli and pick up some picnic stuff. It'll be fun."

"Do you think it would be okay to bring Shannon Burgess too? She could ride in Milo's truck if he won't mind Mark driving it up there."

"By all means, bring her. She was telling me yesterday she never gets away from the half-way house very often. She can leave anytime as long as she is with family."

Ashley had motioned to me to listen on the phone with her so I knew what was developing. When Jean disconnected, I asked Ashley, "You don't suppose James is running around on Jean already? Maybe she will get a good dose of what it feels like to have your spouse cheat on you."

"If he is, and she is free again, are you going to want your wife back? It would certainly solve the problem of you having the kids with you permanently. Where would that leave me?"

"Think, sweetheart? Would I do that to you? To fall in love with you and then drop you? I was committed to Jean and she broke it. I'm committed to you totally now. If my commitment gets broken, it will have to be you that breaks it."

"I knew that, but I had to say it. She is beautiful though, and no one would blame you."

"I couldn't live with myself if I did that to you. I think I can be friends with Jean, but I can't ever love her again. The trust just isn't there. Do you want to go up to the cabin then? You can say you couldn't find me to go with you if you don't."

"Oh, I want to go. I can go there under any circumstances."

The cabin had been Calvin's and my retreat. Jean had been there only once before that I remembered. For some reason I resented seeing her there. I felt this was mine and Ashley's now. I found out that Lindsey and Marie were the ones to convince their mother to ask us to take them to the cabin on the mountain and this eased my resentment.

I totally relaxed when we reached the cabin. Shannon Burgess and I sat on the porch and looked down the mountain and over the valley. We watched a hawk soar in huge circles hunting. Neither of us said very much. Jean, Becky and Ashley were putting the picnic lunch together. Mark, Steve and the two girls went up the mountain to the big rock.

Shannon spoke quietly, "You know your ex-wife is a beautiful creature. She doesn't deserve to be married to James. No one deserves to be married to him. I'll admit he can be quite charming when he wants to be, but basically he is dishonest. If she is smart she will dump him the first chance she gets. This isn't just his ex-wife talking. Ask anyone who has been associated with him very long. He barely escaped being disbarred at least two times that I know of. I put up with his cheating for years. Oh well, I'm out of it now and he is Jean's problem."

"They have only been married a little over six months. They should still be on their honeymoon."

"Most likely her money is about gone. She must have had quite a bit or he wouldn't have married her."

"I could tell you to the penny how much, for it came right out of my pocket. That is behind me and my little business is growing. My life is finally looking up."

"It should. According to Mark, you work all the time. I want to thank you for giving Mark some work this summer. Steve, too, for that matter. I could wish you could find something for Becky to do. She is the one I worry about the most."

"I'll keep it in mind. Something may present itself. I understand you have been sick a lot. How are you now?"

"I have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. That pretty much limits my future. Mark has been my mainstay. He wants to be my guardian when he gets old enough, but it is an awful burden to put on him. He is so much different than his father. James just dumped me and turned me over to the state. Actually I am better now than I have been in a long time. I feel pretty much normal. The doctors caution me that I must take my medications. Skipping just a few doses would put me right back in an institution."

"In other words you need constant care, but just lightly."

"That pretty well sums it up." Ashley came looking for me as the picnic was being laid out.

I went back to the porch after the lunch and dosed off. I sensed someone take the other seat. Thinking it would be Ashley, I spoke without opening my eyes. "Hi, Ash Baby. Having fun?"

There was silence. It was Jean staring at me in disbelief. "Well this is a surprise. Were you kidding when you said that or is there something more between you two?"

I hesitated, then thought she has to know sometime. "More--a lot more."

"Good, Ashley needs a husband and you certainly qualify. Is the baby she is carrying yours?"

"No, it is Calvin's baby and it will bear his name. I am going to raise the child as my own though."

"Is there any love involved between you two?"

"As much and more than I had for you when we were first married. I suppose we noticed each other because both of us had lost our spouses. Calvin being killed and mine with the divorce."

"I'm happy for both of you. I was going to approach you today about having Lindsey and Marie come to live with you permanently. James and I aren't getting along at all. I made a mistake and I'm paying for it now. His kids don't know yet, but I'm filing for a divorce very shortly. I don't want our two to be present when it all comes to a head. You and Ashley must have plans. Will having the girls upset those plans?"

"No, in fact it will make us all the happier. Ashley has come to love them as much as I do. We were hoping they could come and live with us and we will welcome them. When you and I were first divorced, I wanted to rip them right out of your arms any way I could. Now I want us to share and be a part of their lives together. Jean, I am really sorry things aren't working out for you."

"Well, after the way I treated you, I suppose it was bound to happen. You know, what goes around comes around."

"What are your plans?"

"When I'm free again you mean?"

"Yes."

"I plan on going after the house we live in. Not for myself, but for the Burgess kids. Mark could make it on his own, but Steve is way too young and Becky needs a lot of guidance. You have helped a lot, especially with Becky. Yesterday morning she was out of control. Making sure her mother saw her dressed as a slut shamed Becky. Then when you followed through and made the mother proud, it showed that other people cared how she appeared. Becky and I had a long talk last night. At least now she is headed in the right direction."

"I'll help in any way I can. Ashley will too. You might not know this, but Ashley didn't have a friend in the world to turn to when Calvin died. All her life she never was close to anyone. Now she sees that people need friends. Just a few weeks have made a big difference in her outlook on life."

"Yes and we know who made the difference don't we?"

"Some maybe, but she was ready. Someday she might tell you what turned her around. I can't because it is her story."

"I bet you were involved somehow."

I was smiling just as Ashley came around the corner of the cabin and up the steps. "Hi, Ash Baby." Ashley was shocked. This was my pet name for her and here I was sharing it with my ex-wife. "Come sit in the chair and I'll perch on the railing.

"Ash, Jean has asked me to have the girls come live with us permanently. Are you still all right with that?"

"What do you mean, us?"

"Just what I said. I confessed that I loved you and she thinks it is great. She was concerned that the kids might interfere with our plans, but I assured her that we want them to live with us."

"You're sure, Jean? Milo told you that you would have all of the access you wanted even if they were staying with us didn't he?"

"Yes, he did. I want to know that they are safe and happy. They shouldn't be with me with what is going to be happening at home shortly." Jean told Ashley what she was planning. Ashley thought it was very generous of Jean to watch out for James's kids. She continued, "Milo said he would help by keeping them occupied with his business. By the time school starts, I should know how difficult this is going to be." We all agreed that nothing would be said to any of the children today. Lindsey and Marie were to be with me, anyway.

Ashley and I received a hug from Shannon, thanking us for letting her be included in the get-togethers, both yesterday and today. Jean gave me a warm hug just before she got in her car. Becky came to me. "May I hug you too? Jean and I had a long talk last night. I told her I thought you were a special person and she agrees with me. I'm glad you and her are still friendly. I've had a lot of fun the last two days. I'm hoping to have more."

On the way home, Marie spoke from the back seat, "Daddy, you like Mom again don't you? Are we ever going to live together like we used to?"

"No sweetheart, I don't think so, but you are going to see us together a lot. We are good friends again and both of us love you."

Lindsey had other things on her mind. "Dad did you know Becky gave me all of her Beanie Babies for my birthday? She gave Marie two dolls too. She said she didn't play with them anymore. What made her change?"

"I think she is growing up. That was really nice of her to think of you--both of you. Did you remember to do for her what you did for Mrs. Brown by writing a thank you note when she gave you the nice things?"

"I forgot. Is it too late?"

"No, we will take time in the next few days to do it."

"Dad, how come you are holding Ashley's hand? I've been watching you."

"Ashley is our special friend. By holding her hand it is my way of telling her that she is." Ashley was laughing and squeezed my hand a little tighter.

Ralph Peterson was outside my door when I came down in the morning. The girls were still sleeping. "About time you started getting your building materials together if you are going to do this job. Have you done anything about hiring a carpenter yet?"

"No, I haven't found anybody. You know of anyone?"

"No, but I was reading the classifieds. There are a couple of possibilities listed."

"Good, I'll give them a call. Would you help me on the interview if they are interested? You can tell if they are what they say they are. Look at me, I can use a saw and hammer, but that doesn't make me a carpenter."

Ralph looked pretty pleased that I would ask him. We went into the garage and inspected the place we were going to warehouse the material until we needed it. We were going to make up the columns here too. Mark showed up and he had Steve with him. "I wasn't doing anything and Mark said I could hang around and that you wouldn't mind."

"Good, you can help him. First you can pick up all of the papers and stuff around the lot here that was scattered from Lindsey's birthday party and you can sweep out the garage. By the time you two have that done we will start bringing in stuff to store from Home Depot. I will want six sawhorses to work on so we don't have to bend down too much. We will build those this afternoon. Have you guys had breakfast?"

"Yes, Jean was up and made some for us. Dad didn't come home last night so it was just the three of us kids."

"Okay then, if you need anything I'll be upstairs. I need to make some calls. Ralph how about you? I'm making pancakes for the girls. Would you like some?"

"Yes, by God I would. You cook do you?"

"Yeah, ran a restaurant for awhile." The phone was ringing when I got upstairs.

"Mr. Burns, I read about you in the paper yesterday. It said you do odd jobs and stuff. I need some work done on my house. I've got three broken windows and a door that sticks shut when it rains. I don't suppose you do any plumbing do you?" I took down the man's address and said I would be over at six this evening to see what I could handle.

Ralph was laughing at me. "Boy, by evening you are going to have enough work for ten men. When the people around here read about someone trustworthy to do their work and he lives right in the neighborhood, they fight to line him up."

He was right. There was a call while I was cooking breakfast. I knew that I would get nothing done if I was on the phone. I called Jean. "Jean do you think Becky would be any good taking information over the telephone for me? I can write down some guidelines for her to follow."

"She takes down information for her father sometimes. You can talk to her. She is right here. Where is Ashley?"

"Ash had to work today. I'd ask you, but I don't think it would be proper."

"I know. Here's Becky."

I hired Becky to take names of those who called and relay that I would return the calls the minute I had a chance. It would be this evening though. The truck hadn't been loaded yet, so I sent Mark after her. Before they returned I had two more calls. I made a call to the employment agency and arranged to have a person who said he was experienced come to me for an interview. He asked if I had any need for a plumber. He said his brother was working on his license, but needed time on the job before he could apply. "Bring him along if you can. I'll talk to both of you."