Chapter 2

Healing

As Meghan woke up, she thought about how her dad and Darry had constructed the cottage. They both wanted the cottage to be self-sufficient. First and foremost was electrical power. They had a few options with wind power, solar power, and hydro power. There were pros and cons to each option. The first being water. It was the most economical from an initial capital cost and ongoing maintenance cost but would probably have to be removed from the stream during the winter. Solar was almost out of the question because of the initial capital cost and not enough sunny days during the winter. Finally, wind power had a significant initial capital cost but it appeared that it could provide power all year around even during high winds and deep snows. The two men did extensive research on both systems and decided to use a combination of both. The next issue was how to heat and cool the house. Darry had been reading about a system developed in Sweden that used a tube field buried about six feet below the ground surface where the ground temperature was suppose to be a constant 54 degrees Fahrenheit. They decided to try that system. The last issues before construction were water and sewage. After checking with the municipal district, it was decided to drill and lay a septic system.

With all the supply problems resolved, next was building the cottage. By the time all the drawings were completed there was almost 6000 square feet in the cottage and the two men showed it to there wives Erina and Flanna. The amazed women could not believe their eyes and the first statement was that they hoped the guys liked to clean as they were sure not going to clean that monster. The second issue was that a house that size with a tiny kitchen was ridiculous. After the redesign there was 4000 square feet with a large country kitchen, a grand common room, and four very nice bedrooms each with its own bath.

Meghan was remembering all the good times the two families had while the construction was going on. All the walls, both interior and exterior, were round logs. Exterior logs were uniformly 12 inches in diameter. This was determined as the best insulation factor for both summer and winter while all interior walls were constructed with 8-inch logs. A company north of Sault Ste Marie produced logs of a uniform size. The logs had three groves in the top and bottom that had a sealer put in the groves as each log was laid on top of the other. The company was given a copy of all the cottage plans, and they cut and numbered the logs as to the length needed. Then each log was marked as to its location in the plan. Rorke and Darry said that it was just like building with Lincoln Logs when they were kids. Everyone had a job as the log cottage was being assembled and it was Meghan's job to identify the next log to be placed and fill the center grove with the sealer. Meghan was amazed at how weather tight the house was. Because of the initial tight fit, the seal became even better as more logs were stacked. When the walls were all in place a steep gabled roof was installed and the basic construction was completed. Darry had a couple of men he knew come and spray the exterior with an epoxy that had a high UV resistant finish. The epoxy had such high toxicity they did not want anyone around the building until it had time to cure completely. As the families were preparing to return to Wisconsin, they met Alberto for the first time. Rorke and Darry decided to have Alberto and his construction company work on the cottage. In their discussion, Alberto recommended a new type of window that was just coming on the market. The window manufactures had developed a triple-pane window with a space for an inert gas provide a very high R-value but with the size of some of the windows he would have to contact the manufacturers in Quebec to see if they could even make the windows and they would be very expensive. Allen and Darry ask Alberto to get an estimate and they would let him know. The estimates for the windows was almost as much as the cost for all of the logs to build the cottage, but after doing a long term analysis the return on capital spent would be repaid in twelve years so the estimate was excepted.

Michael began to stir and wake up so Meghan tried to slip out to take care of the morning duties but he came completely awake and said, "Mom I am sorry that I woke you up last night and feel so immature crying like that." Meghan's heart almost broke as she spoke, "Michael we both are dealing with a major loss with the death of Rorke and he will always have a special place in our lives. He will always be the first love of my life and the father of my child. He will always be your father and the best friend you ever had. Most important is that he will always be our protector and watch over us no matter what we do." With that, she leaned over and kissed Michael on the cheek. "Now out of bed as we have to get groceries and boat gas before anything else."

Breakfast was the first order of business, as Michael did not function well without a full stomach and OJ. Michael pissed, washed his face, and went to the kitchen to start breakfast soon realizing that there were no eggs in the place. Bacon yes, eggs no. "Mom there are no eggs here can we go to Perry Sound for breakfast?" Laughing Meghan came out of her room fully dressed to go to town. "I can but, not you." she said looking at him noticing how much he had grown over the last year. "Get dressed and we will be off." Michael said, "Mom, I know I can't go in underwear." as he disappeared into his room. Michael reappeared in a few minutes and headed for the garage to get the F150 (a Ford ½ ton pickup) that was kept there for chores and errands. The truck started immediately and Michael knew that Alberto had been taking care of the truck. As Michael was closing the garage door, Meghan got in the other side and reminded Michael that they needed to get the 55 gallon drum to fill with gasoline for the boat. Michael backed up to the dock and jumped out to get the drum. Because one man could not move a 55 gallon drum full of gasoline, they had installed wheels on the drum and had built the storage area at the height of the truck bed. Dropping the tailgate, he rolled the drum onto the pickup bed and locked it in place with the lock downs that Rorke had installed several years ago. When they finally got ready, off they went to breakfast both realizing how hungry they were. As they approached the swing bridge, they realized that it was open and a large sailboat was passing through. Groaning, Michael said he would starve before he got breakfast. Meghan laughed and said "Michael you have got to relax. You know we'll be on our way in a few minutes. Besides I saw you eating the leftovers from last night." The bridge closed and they were on their way.

After breakfast, they went to the bulk gasoline depot that the commercial trucks and farmers used for fuel. This facility was owned my Maggie Defoe and she had run the place single handed since her husband died some 10 years ago. Maggie and Willard had always run the place as a partnership and as a married couple. It was a great business and Maggie lived very well as she had the only bulk facility within 100 miles. Maggie had gotten to know Meghan and her family over the years and had always wanted to install a large gasoline tank on their property, but Rorke and Darry always declined as they knew they did not use enough fuel and that it would go stale and cause many engine problems. As they pulled into the fuel facility Maggie spotted the F150 knowing who would be driving the Irish green truck. Before Michael could stop, Maggie opened the door and pulled Meghan out. Luckily, she had seen Maggie coming and had time to get her seat belt unfastened. The two women hugged each other as Maggie was just like a grandmother to Meghan. Alberto had told Maggie about Rorke so she knew how Meghan was feeling, as she knew the feeling when she lost Willard. Maggie told Michael he knew how to fill the drum and where the premium was and to bring the fill sheet in when he was finished. She then took Meghan in to her office so they could chat. Meghan and Maggie talked for almost an hour and even though Meghan left with red eyes, she felt much better and Maggie was able to explain many of the emotions she was feeling.

Meghan and Michael went shopping for groceries and you would have thought they were buying for an entire football team. Michael kept saying I am a growing boy, but not being the typical teenager, there was very little junk food: oh the joys of being raised on a farm. Returning to the cottage, they saw four young men about twenty years old at the gate trying to get it open. Michael, being a typical American farm boy, reached under the seat where his grandfather kept his old Army issue .45 and quietly walked to within 30 feet of the boys. He fired two shots into the ground near the boys. The surprise of the boys almost caused them to shit their pants. Michael told them to sit on the ground and not to make any sudden moves. The one who seemed to be the leader started to bluster until Michael shot the ball cap off his head. Michael told him that he could have just as easily put the hole between his eyes. As the boys sat down Meghan got out and tied the ankle of one boy with a piece of rope she found in the F150 as she finished an RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) cruiser rolled up. Michael was putting the .45 back in its hiding place and the officer never saw it. After Meghan explained what they had found, the leader said that they had gotten lost and were just turning around when Michael drove up and forced them to get out of the car with a big gun that looked like a cannon. He said that Michael had hidden the gun in his pickup and that the RCMP would find it in the F150. The constable went to look for the gun but could not find a gun as Michael knew he would not, Granddad Darry had built a compartment for the .45 that they would not have found if they had disassembled the interior of the F150. Looking at the access code box the constable asked if they could get the gate open without touching the buttons. Michael got a data cable that connected the access box to a portable key pad then went to the back of the box inserted a key to unlock the maintenance cover. After attaching the data cable to the access box and the portable keypad he handed it to Meghan and she worked her magic opening the gate. About then two RCMP cars arrived. One was Sergeant Dennis O'Riley who had been to the cottage many times partying with the grandparents. As this was his last month before retirement it felt good to finally bust these guys as they were suspected of several robberies but there had never been enough evidence for a search warrant to find evidence. Now they could get the warrant. The other car had a forensic tech to examine the box for fingerprints. There were plenty. He also took Meghan and Michael's prints for comparison. After the four were handcuffed and loaded, everyone left. Meghan and Michael drove through the gate and closed it listening for the tone that indicated that it was secure.

Meghan and Michael had planned to get the boat into the water and do some skiing this morning, but since there were only about 30 minutes left of the morning, after unloading the groceries Michael backed the F150 to the boat dock to unload the gasoline. He moved the drum on its wheels to the back of the truck and rolled into the storage area. As he entered the kitchen, he could smell the pastrami. Meghan had made Rubin sandwiches with a side of homemade sauerkraut. This was one of Michael's favorite lunches and he made sure he cleaned his plate and anything Meghan did not eat.

With lunch completed and dishes cleaned up, they put on their swimsuits and headed for the boathouse to put the boat in the water. Michael checked all the filters and fluid levels then filled the tank with gasoline. As they lowered the boat into the water Michael started the big 351 V8 engine and could feel the power as if the engine was saying, "Let's go I will show you I can still move it out". Meghan opened the doors and jumped into the boat as Michael idled out to the bay. As soon as they cleared the doors, Michael pushed the remote to close the big doors and spun the wheel to head out to see if he was ready for skiing. Meghan coiled the ski tow rope and insured the alarm was at the end of the rope that was tied to the hold down. The alarm went off very loudly when the skier let go of the rope or fell to let the boat driver know to come back to get the skier. Michael insisted that Meghan be the first skier, as she always liked to ski as close to the middle of the day as possible. Meghan removed the tee shirt that she was wearing and Michael's eyes almost popped out of his head. The bikini that Meghan was wearing was totally white and left very little to the imagination. Meghan threw the skis and towrope into the water, checked her life jacket, and dove into the water. Grabbing the rope, she signaled Michael that she was ready to go and he eased the boat forward to remove the slack from the rope. He watched until the rope was straight but not tight and saw Meghan's hand drop to the tow bar, which was Michael's signal for maximum power. Meghan watched the rope tighten. She felt herself being pulled up, and then felt the sensation of her skis skimming across the water. Meghan had been skiing for about 20 minutes when Michael heard the skier alarm sound. He spun the boat around while hitting the retract switch for the towrope. As he pulled up beside Meghan, he could tell that she was tired but still had excitement in her eyes. Michael ask his Mom if she wanted to go for another round. No way buster, she said her arms were about to fall off, and besides, it was her turn to drive the monster. she wanted to see if she could dump him. Laughing, Michael just shook his head and said, there is no way she was going to lose him, as he helped her into the boat. Meghan put a new tape into the video camera and got ready to take off as she watched Michael get ready. Michael yelled from the water telling his Mom when she started to hit it full force. He wanted to see if he could come up like he did last summer. Meghan watched Michael get his skis ready, and finally when he gave her the thumbs, up she eased the boat out until about half of the slack was gone then she shoved the throttle to full power. Watching the skier monitor to see if Michael came up on is skis, she was surprised to see him up, settle in, and get comfortable on the water. Michael skied for about 45 minutes before he flipped the rope away. Meghan had reeled the towrope in and was pulling up beside Michael to see if he wanted to go again and all he said was, 'Food, I need food!'

Meghan steered the boat into the boathouse and closed the doors. Michael said he would tie up, check the boat, and fill the gas tank while Meghan got Michael a snack. After his snack of hot ham and cheese sandwiches, they decided to relax and get some sun for the rest of the day. Michael got the lounge chairs, pads and towels set up on the deck, and went to find a book to read. Returning to the deck, he saw Meghan had stretched out. She had a container of PF 30 sun tan lotion in her hand. Beside her was a timer set to ring every 20 minutes. Meghan ask Michael put the lotion on her back and then she would do his. After she lay down, Michael started to drizzle the lotion on Meghan's back. She jumped and said, "Hey, that's cold. Put it on your hands to warm it up first." Michael laughed and said, 'Got your attention, didn't I?' He coated her back from neck to toes. Then she rolled over and asked him do the front. Michael started at her toes and worked up and as he neared the top of her legs, he noticed he had almost a full erection. Continuing above the top of her bikini bottom nearing Meghan's breast he was about to hand Meghan the bottle when she untied the top of the bikini and told him to finish. He could not believe she would let him rub her boobs as his erection was now like an iron rod. He poured the lotion into his hand and begin to rub it on her boobs paying attention to the nipples. He put lotion on his hands again and rubbed her boobs again just to be able to feel the nipple. As he finished Michael noticed that Meghan's nipples were hard and standing up, and her breathing was ragged. Meghan took the bottle and coated Michael's back and front hairline to toes however as she finished she palmed his erection. Seeing that he was so hard she thought about straddling him and letting that hard cock sink deep into her pussy. Instead Meghan lowered her head to his cock taking the full length into her mouth and sucking it and soon felt the head swell as he started to ejaculated. Smiling Meghan told him that would feel much better as she licked the remainder of his cum from her lips. As their state of arousal subsided both realizing that what just happened would change their lived. Michael saw the woman beside him not as his mother but as someone he was falling in love with, someone he wanted as a lover and the mother of his children. Meghan felt some guilt having just given Michael a blow job yet she knew that would not be the last time they would be intimate with each other and eventually lovers. Deep in their own thoughts pretending to read the future was heavy on their minds. As the afternoon wore on each eventually dowsed off only waking enough to roll over every time the buzzer went off. The dreams the two of them had were very similar as each had dreams about making passionate love to the other.

They awoke about 5:30, as breeze came up send a chill through them. They felt a shower would be good and started thinking about dinner. While Michael went to have his shower, Meghan put a small prime rib roast into the oven with baking potatoes on the side. Then Meghan went to take her shower and afterwards she rubbed lotion on her body to moisturize her skin after a day in the sun, She put on a pair of shorts and a cropped shirt that had only three buttons left. As she went down stairs, Michael had been to the wine cooler and found several bottles of Piesporter his mom's favorite wine. Even though wine snobs would have berated him for his choice of a white wine with beef, he knew his mother liked the light, dry flavor of the Piesporter, and there was no one around to impress but his mother. The wine had been in an area that was very cold, and it almost had ice crystals in it. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Michael handed her the wine and her eyes lit up as she took her first sip. Meghan checked the prime rib and saw it still had about an hour before it would be ready. She then suggested that they sit in the pit and relax.

Michael sat at one corner of the pit and Meghan snuggled up next to him asking Michael if he had decided what he was going to major in at university next year? She knew he have been talking about both engineering and law and wanted know if he had chosen one?

Michael replied, at yhe beginning of last year, since he had completed all of my high school courses, he had talked to Ms. Jackman. She suggested that he try challenging the required core requirements for university but a parent would have to sign an authorization form and I would have to pay a fee for each courses challenged. I talked to dad to see when I could get time with both of you to explain what I wanted to do and ask for the challenge fees, he suggested that because you had such a heavy school load to complete your Masters in Chemistry that he would sign the authorization and that would only leave me to find the money for the fees. Michael's granddads Artur and Darry had heard the discussion and said that, for every course that I passed with a 3.5 GP, that they would pay the test fee. Ms Jackman said there would be up to 16 exams and I should decide in what order I wanted to take them and to take the ones I felt most comfortable with first. I decided to take the three history exams first then Then I would take the English and English Literature exams. The Applied Math, Statics and Logical Equations, Calculus, and Quantum Math was next. The last exams were the science exams, and depending on my major, that would dictate which courses I would require. I decided to that the 100 level courses for Biology, Chemistry and Physics and if I did well I would challenge the same courses on the 200 level, which would mean that I would take 16 exams. Ms. Jackman nearly had heart failure when I gave her the list, order, and time frame of the exams I wanted, as she was afraid that it was too much. I had to get Dad to talk to her and we decided that, if any the three of saw or felt that I was struggling, we would have a meeting to see if I should continue. I took the history exams on a Monday and the first two English exams that Wednesday and the final English exams on Friday. Ms. Jackman said I should wait a week to see how I did on those before I took the math set and I agreed, as it would give me time to review the text for the math exams. It took the next ten weeks to complete all the exams. Ms. Jackman had set the name on the exams as a number so the university would not know that the same person was taking all those exams. Ms. Jackman also had different proctors from UW give the exams so that there would not be any question of collusion. When Ms. Jackman, Dad, and I went to Madison to get my advanced standing, the Registrar was not happy and wanted to deny all challenged courses. Ms. Jackman had graduated from UW with a PhD in Psychology and Dad had a Masters in Agriculture. They wanted an advanced placement council called as an appeal. The council called every one of the proctors in and decided that I had met all the requirements of the first and second year at UW, and had 15 credit hours of science above that for the 200 level science courses with a 3.95 GPA. So Mom, what I want to do is get a BS in Structural Engineering and a minor in Computer Science, and I want to sit for my LSAT to get into law school."