Chapter 26: The Rest of My Life

When I look back, I realize I hadn't lived in any one place for a very long time. My marriage to Diane was ten years before the divorce. Only ten years, and most of them in Minneapolis even though we were both from St. Cloud. Then seven years in Louisville and now Sacramento. I was hoping that we had found a permanent home. My parents had moved to Scottsdale, Arizona and from all reports, were loving it. In fact, it sounded like Diane's parents were seriously considering it as well. They had stayed in touch with my parents and still got along very well with each other.

I called Christie now and then. Not often, but enough to keep track of how she was doing. Her business was growing nicely and my boast that she would pay off her mortgage on the house in five years wasn't looking so remote any more. I was happy for her. Still no man in her life, but she admitted she wasn't looking very hard. She did take in a business partner and this woman was also living at the house. Apparently they were very compatible, both in the business and socially.

Bill went to spring practice camp for the football team. Coach Warner was pleased with what he saw and invited Bill to training camp in August. That put a big grin on Bill's face. He was no longer dating Lori. She would be moving to San Francisco with her parents at the end of term and while they were close, there wouldn't be any heartbreak on either part. Almost the day that word got out that Bill was unattached, Brigit Stenstrom paid him a visit.

I met Brigit for the first time when we were invited to the Stenstrom home to get acquainted. My heritage was Danish, while the Stenstroms were of Norwegian extraction. It was particularly evident in Anika and Brigit. They were both big, busty, blonde women. I could see why the boys would be sorely tempted by Brigit. While she was only sixteen, she had the body of a fully developed woman. On top of that, when we visited, Brigit only had eyes for Bill. So, it was no surprise that when Lori announced her departure, Bill was very happy to substitute Brigit. If it was hero worship, Bill was all in favor of it.

It was nice to meet some people outside of our little enclave and when Debbie started dating Mike Sikich we got to meet his family as well. Father Mike Sr., and his wife, Bella, were very nice people. They had three children as well, the youngest of which was Mike Jr. Senior was Production Manager at the local box plant. He'd worked there since he graduated from high school. He had higher ambitions for his children. Their eldest daughter was in grad school at UC Berkley, studying political science and interning at the state capital. Their middle son was a sophomore at Sacramento State and enrolled in the honors business program. He was the smart one in the family his father said. He was already planning to finish college in three years. Mike Jr. had big shoes to fill.

Debbie's graduation was a mixture of happiness and sadness. I was delighted that she had graduated on the honor roll and that she would receive an academic scholarship to Sacramento State as a result. It was sad, however, that Diane could not be here to see just how lovely our daughter was and what a fine young lady she had grown to become. She was mature beyond her years and I knew that whomever she would choose for a husband in the future, she would choose wisely. In any event, I had tears as I watched her walk confidently across the stage to receive her diploma and the notification of her scholarship.

I think Bill and Sandy were just as proud of Debbie as I was, but I was surprised to see tears from Rose. I knew she and Debbie were close, but more like sisters. There was no doubt though that Rose was also proud of Debbie and delighted at her success. Mike and his family joined us for a celebration meal afterward and he and Debbie were already planning their courses at Sac State. Mike Jr. would be working at the box plant this summer. He just missed earning a partial scholarship and would need to earn money for his tuition. There was no free ride in the Sikich household.

I'm sure Sandy must have felt a little left out, but she didn't show it. She was watching her sister and Mike Jr. very closely. I wondered what was going through that pretty little teenage head. Bill wanted to invite Brigit, but the Stenstroms had other plans. He seemed to relate well to Mike Jr. and they were engrossed in conversation for much of the meal. Maybe Mike Jr. was trying to get some inside information on Bill's big sister. That would be a long shot.

I was sitting with Rose by my side, and when we weren't eating, one or the other of us would be touching, often holding hands. I felt so secure with Rose now.

That night, together with Rose in our bed, she propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at me.

"You've had that smile on your face all day, Doug. Tell me what it's about."

"That should be obvious. It's about Debbie's graduation. It's about Bill and his doing the right thing. It's about this family and how it has endured some really terrible times and come through them. It's about you, Rose. How lucky I am to find someone like you. I didn't expect it, but I did hope for it. It does give a man cause to smile."

She stared at me for a bit before she said, "When I first met you, I didn't know what to expect. We were hiring a bus driver. I had no idea how much more than a bus driver you were. You and I have had our hard times over the years, but somehow, with help, we've come through. Somehow, I've found the man I want to be with. I love you, Doug."

There it was. That word I so longed to hear.

"I love you too, Rose. We're an imperfect pair, but we are a pair."

"So ... what do we do about it?" she asked hesitantly.

"Rose deSilva, would you marry me ... imperfections and all?"

"Yes, Douglas Hansen, I will marry you with all my imperfections as well."

"Thank you, my love. It's the only thing I wanted to hear. I'm going to be a very good husband ... or at least I'm going to try to be one."

"I don't have any worries about that. You don't have anything to prove to me, Doug. I love you just the way you are."

I held her to me and kissed her lovingly many times. I hadn't felt this content in a long time and I knew that I had made the right decision.

"Do you think the boss will give us some time off to go shopping for a ring?" I asked.

"I'm willing to bet he will. If he doesn't, I'll sic Margaret on him," she giggled.

"That's not fair. He doesn't stand a chance against her."

"I think you'll find that both Margaret and Harlan will be very happy that we've decided to marry. I've talked to Margaret a number of times about it and she's been very encouraging. I know Harlan thinks he's made a very good decision to hire you, so I very much doubt there will be any worries about them supporting us."

"You've talked to Margaret about marrying me?" I said surprised.

"Yes. I trust her judgment and she's a good friend."

"What about your own judgment?" I asked. "Are you sure this is what you really want?"

She chuckled. "Relax. Yes, Doug, it's what I really want. When I talked to Margaret, it was about how to go about getting you to where you would ask me."

"Devious woman," I snorted.

"Guilty. But ... do you want to change your mind?"

"Not for a minute. You've said yes and that's final. We are getting married, Ms. deSilva."

"Oh, all right then, if you insist," she smirked.

"I do insist, young lady. Now, how should we spend the rest of the night?"

"I'll think of something," she said, reaching for my flaccid cock.

The light of a new day caused me to think about some things that I should have considered earlier. First and foremost, I hadn't talked to the kids about me and Rose. I needed to make sure they were okay with it. How would they react to her? I thought Debbie looked on her as an older sister and they were clearly fond of each other. Bill didn't seem to have any relationship with her. It wasn't that he was distant or unfriendly, it was more that she was just "there." Would he be a problem?

Sandy was less of a concern. She and Rose were good friends and Sandy listened to Rose and followed her advice. I was pretty sure she would welcome Rose into our family. But, thinking about it, it was going to be an unusual family. The relationship among the five of us was going to be unlike most families, even reconstructed ones when a widow or widower remarries. The difference was Rose. She was different and her relationship with my children was different. I would know soon enough how they felt.