Chapter 8: Little Steps, Big Steps

May 25, 1969

"She's awake!" I yelled as I burst through the front door, startling the people in the living room. "She's awake!"

My mother rose with a look of surprise, and then joy. "Oh Roddy! Is she going to be alright?" she asked as she moved to embrace me.

"Yeah ... I think so. She can't come home right away, but ... she seems to be OK."

"Oh, thank God!" Mom gasped as she turned back to the living room.

When the commotion settled down, I had a chance to tell everyone that I had given Shelly a ring and we were now officially engaged. The mood in the room, already bright, was improved that much more. A Sunday supper turned into a celebration for two big events.

Shelly wasn't released until the following Friday afternoon. She had some trouble walking at first. Her balance was unsteady and she felt dizzy when she stood. The hospital provided a walker for her, and between Monday and Friday morning she had improved to the point where she just needed it for safety. She was still having some trouble with dizzy spells when she stood or moved too quickly, but the headaches were lessening and her ability to concentrate was improving. It was, as the doctor said, a matter of time and rest.

Mom and I brought her home and had her sit in the living room. She could watch TV or just rest. She wasn't able to read with any comfort as her concentration was still weak, and the eye strain produced headaches. For the time being she was confined to the lower floor until bedtime when I would help her upstairs to her room.

We talked a lot during the evenings. The wedding date hadn't been set and since it was already mid-May, there wouldn't be a June wedding. Shelly didn't mind. There was no rush. She had her ring. It hadn't left her finger since it was returned to her before she was wheeled out of the hospital. It was the inspiration for her to get well.

I returned to work that week with a renewed enthusiasm. Shelly was going to be alright. It was just a matter of time. I would let her and my mother decide the details about the wedding. All I cared was that it would happen.

The decision was made for an early September ceremony at First Presbyterian, our neighborhood church. Mom had visited Pastor Ford to discuss the arrangements and set the date. She explained that when Shelly was well enough, she and I would come in to talk with him. He was satisfied, knowing of the accident, and grateful that the prayers for her recovery had been answered.

I had continued to attend church after that first fearful Sunday. I thought myself a hypocrite if I was just there for my own selfish needs. Mother and I had been welcomed by the congregation and Pastor Ford. Jurgen had joined us as well. He hadn't been in a church since his childhood in Dresden. He was a nominal Lutheran, but in the company of Mother, Shelly and me, he was comfortable in our local house of worship.

It took Shelly almost three weeks to recover enough that she felt safe climbing the stairs on her own and walking in her neighborhood. She and Mom would walk for an hour after breakfast and again, when Mom did her shopping rounds after lunch. It was good exercise and helped restore Shelly's health.

Shelly was surprised at how many people took the trouble to ask about her and wish her well. It was a big boost to her spirits. She was used to being invisible, but that was no longer the case. When Mom had posted the notice of our engagement in the local paper, she had included a picture of us.

Shelly joined the rest of the family at church. She was grateful for their prayers and although she had no idea if she had ever been baptized or which denomination her mother or father was, she was satisfied with the nearby church and felt comfortable with Pastor Ford.

It was nearing the end of the school year and I chose to tough it out at the station, not hiring a temporary to replace Shelly. I hadn't yet discussed a return to work with her. I wasn't sure if she wanted to or not. It was a subject that I would have to face sooner or later. As it was, I was working long hours at the station just to keep up with the workload.

Duke was a big help. He was not only there in the afternoons, he was working late with me to complete jobs that Shelly might have handled. Jurgen worked at his steady, productive pace and we were able to keep up with the flow of business. That flow was still increasing. Mike, of course, was available for the grunt work on the weekends and both he and Duke would be full time at the end of the school year.

Duke and his girlfriend Shannon were an unusual couple. The slim, very attractive young woman was forever at Duke's side. She was a McLaren, and the McLaren's were old money. Duke was from "the other side of the tracks," and I wondered just how well her parents were dealing with their daughter's boyfriend. But then, Duke wasn't what he seemed to be at first look.

People were bringing their cars in for pre-vacation servicing now. I had promoted just such a service, requiring us to go over all the main systems of each car to make sure it was safe and in good running order. For $19.95 it was a bargain, and to my surprise and delight it was also very popular. At first, the inspections were entrusted only to me and Jurgen, but by mid June, I was confident Duke could handle the procedure as well.

The first anniversary of our arrival in Bellingham had slipped by unnoticed by almost everyone. Everyone except Mom. She was reflecting back on the past year after the July monthly meeting. She was thinking how much had happened and how much had changed in our family in the past thirteen months.

We had upped stakes in Cut Bank and moved to the west coast. We had purchased and renovated a service station in the heart of the town. We were now owners of a fine old home in the same part of town. I had become engaged to a very nice young woman who was living in our house. Jurgen and my mother had become close as well. We were now responsible for four employees outside the Williams family.