A May-September Wedding (25 page)

"Grace Humbolt
called last night and let us know that she's not going to be able
to look after Erica any more. She's had Parkinson's for a while and
it's been getting progressively worse – bad enough that she's on
the wait list for a nursing home. But there isn't a home that would
let her keep Erica with her."

David
continued. "She called Jeanine and told her what was happening and
Jeanine said that her career was too important to jeopardize by
doing the single mom thing again. Jeanine called me and gave me an
ultimatum, either give her enough support to hire full time
caregivers or have Erica come live with me."

Judy looked
torn. "Cal, I know this is a huge imposition on you, well on both
of you, but as nice as Erica is I don't think I can have her living
with me. It took me until the last day of her visit with you to be
able to even look at her without crying. I'm working on it with the
counsellor, but she doesn't deserve to live with someone who can't
love her. She's only six and it's not fair to her. So will you take
her?"

Everyone fell
silent while they thought through all the implications. Cal looked
questioningly at Phyl and she took his hand.

The server
interrupted everyone and took their order. After another moment of
silence, Phyl spoke. "I guess it's really down to me. I know that
both David and Cal would do anything for Erica and I really
understand your reluctance to take her in, Judy. In your shoes I
wouldn't even have attempted a reconciliation with David and I
admire that you've been able to do that much." Phyl took a deep
breath and looked at Cal for reassurance.

"I was an only
child and I always wanted a big family. I didn't get that with
Harry. He was an only child, too and we never did get along with
our few cousins all that well." Cal squeezed her hand to let her
know he was listening.

"So, now I'm
marrying into a pretty big family and I feel really good about it.
Cal has agreed that we'll have as many babies as we can before I
get too old to have any more, so one more beautiful little girl
won't be very much extra work." She looked at Cal who was smiling
broadly then at the relieved looks on David and Judy's faces.

"However, I
want David to continue paying support to Mrs. Humbolt so that she
can afford to see her granddaughter when she wants to and so she
can have as much comfort as she can while she deals with her
illness. Jeanine can chase her career dreams and we'll make sure
that Erica won't be a stranger to her mother, but we won't go out
of our way to make it easy for her."

David spoke in
a thankful tone. "I don't know what to say, Phyl. I mean, I was
pretty awful to you for so many years."

"A thank you
will do. I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for Erica, Cal and
Judy, in that order. Believe me, it's going to take a few years
before I'll even think of putting you back in my good books."

Judy took
Phyl's hands and said, "Thank you, Phyl. I expect that things will
get better between Erica and me but..."

"I understand,
completely. She's not your daughter. But she will be my
granddaughter."

Cal said, "I
guess we need to talk logistics and custody arrangements then. If
we're taking her, I don't want either you or Jeanine second
guessing our decisions."

Judy put her
hand on David to prevent any outburst of temper. David took a deep
breath after giving Judy a reassuring look and said, "That's
totally fair, Dad. I didn't do a very good job handling this and
you did a pretty good job raising the bunch of us. What are you
talking about then?"

"I'll need
both you and Jeanine to assign sole custody to me and Phyl with
visitation rights to be negotiated but not less than fifteen days
each per year for each of you. Of course, you'll probably see her a
bit more often than Jeanine but I'm serious about offering Jeanine
the chance to stay in her daughter's life. We'll raise her as ours
and we won't be asking either of you for support. But as Phyl said,
though, you'll have to help Grace out."

David said, "I
think that's better than I was expecting, Dad. What do you think
Judy?"

"I think
you've got the best Dad in the world, David, and you still owe Phyl
a whole bunch of apologies."

David looked
at his wife and then at Phyl. "Heddy, I'm sorry I caused you so
much grief over the years. It was stupid and childish and wrong.
Maybe someday I'll figure out a way to earn your forgiveness."

Looking David
in the eye she replied, "I will forgive you in time, David, if you
can truly accept that Cal and I love each other and will be married
soon. As for the rest, until the Christmas party last year, I had
forgiven you. You were only a small part of the bad girl reputation
I had earned at Brookfield and moving to Kanata was the best thing
that happened to me. Mum and Dad got back together, I found Harry
and I became a Christian. I wouldn't be the person I am today if
those things hadn't happened. So, I accept your apology but I
reserve the right to yell at you if you screw up again."

Cal snickered
at the echo of Brenda in Phyl's words. David looked very thoughtful
and Judy looked at David with pride.

Then the
server came with their lunch and they talked about the kids and the
wedding and house hunting and all of the normal life things that
make up family dinners.

"Grace? It's
Cal Richardson calling."

A quavering
voice on the speakerphone replied. "Good evening, Cal. Would you
like to speak with Erica?"

"Maybe a bit
later, but right now I'd like to speak about what we're going to do
about our granddaughter." Cal tried to sound a friendly as
possible.

"I guess David
told y'all that my Parkinson's has gotten worse."

"He did. And
he told me about Jeanine's conditions for taking Erica back."

"You know,
Cal, I thought I raised that girl better."

"I thought
we'd done a better job with David, too."

"Well, all you
can do is your best. Sometimes it doesn't work out."

"David and
Judy asked me to help them out."

"So are you
going to give Jeanine what she wants?"

"No. Now
before I make my offer, is there another aunt or uncle on your side
that Erica wants to go live with?"

"Jeanine's
brother is almost as old as you and his wife doesn't want a
youngster around. They just got their last one through high school
and they want to travel."

"I thought the
same until we had Felicity when I was forty-two." Cal paused. "I
want Erica to come live with me and my new bride in Ottawa. David's
wife says she couldn't accept Erica because it would remind her too
much of David's infidelity. So my fiancee, Phyl, said that we'd
take Erica. I agreed, but only if we get sole custody. David talked
to Jeanine and they both agreed to do it that way."

Grace clapped
her hands and said "Lord be praised. That sets my mind at rest,
Cal. You have no idea how worried I was."

"There's more.
I told David that he's to keep paying support to you for as long as
you're with us. It should make the difference between a bad home
and a good one, and it will give you enough left over to visit us a
few times a year."

Cal could hear
the sniffles starting. "Just looking after my Erica would be
enough."

"Not for me.
Or for Phyl. And David can and should afford it. So, how about you
get you and Erica ready to celebrate your Thanksgiving with us?
Either Phyl or I will drive down to get you and you can visit for a
while before we put you on a plane back home. I warn you that you
might get conned into helping with the wedding plans."

Cal heard a
piping voice ask, "Nana, why are you crying?"

"Because I got
the best news, child. Your Grandpa Richardson wants you to live
with him."

"I want to
live with you, Nana."

"Now, Erica,
we talked about this a bunch. You know Nana's got a disease,
right?"

"Yeah. It's
that shaky disease, Parkington's."

"Yes.
Parkinson's. Well, soon I won't be able to do any cooking or
cleaning for us because my hands will be shaking too bad."

"I can
help."

"Y'all can
help a bit, but sweetie, I'm going to need lots more help than even
you can give me. They won't let you stay with me at the nursing
home. So I asked your mother and your father what they wanted to
do."

"I don't want
to live with Mommy. She's always working and the nanny was mean.
And Daddy explained that I was his special secret so I couldn't go
live with him."

"Well, you
remember when your grandfather came to visit and took you to his
house?"

"Yeah. He was
nice." Cal smiled.

"Well, the
reason he came to see you is that you weren't a secret
anymore."

"I'm not? Does
that mean I can go live with Daddy?"

"No, sweetie.
Your Daddy's wife is still very mad at your Mommy for trying to
steal her husband from her. So she didn't think it was a good idea
for y'all to live with her and your Daddy cause she wasn't sure she
could love you."

"Oh." Cal
wished he'd flown down to do this in person.

"But your
grandfather loves you a whole bunch and so does your Aunt Felicity.
Your Grandpa has a good idea. He wants you to live with him so that
y'all can see your Daddy every week. Would you like to speak with
him?"

Cal held his
breath. After a pause, Erica said, "Okay."

Cal said, "Hi,
Erica..."

"Dad, are you
sure this is a good idea?" Felicity was biting her lip like she did
when she was nervous.

"Yes, I do.
After all, Erica is going to live with all of us. She needs to meet
her auntie Beast again." Cal grinned to try to reassure her.
"Felicity, she's a sweet six year old and she's scared because her
grandmother is very ill and she doesn't know any of us well. That's
why we're here, so she can get to know us better."

Phyl gave
Felicity a hug. "I know it will be hard, but your Dad is right,
she's probably more nervous than we are. But she really liked you
and Tim."

Cal pulled
into the driveway of Grace's small two story house with the mature
oak tree in the front yard. The lawn was a bit ragged, probably
because Grace wasn't able to keep it trimmed anymore.

Erica and
Grace were sitting on the porch in the cool November weather. Cal
got out first and walked up to the porch. He crouched down and
asked, "Do you have a hug for me, Erica?"

After a brief
hesitation, Erica threw herself into Cal's arms. Grace sat quietly
with a big smile. Phyl and the rest of them got out of the car as
Cal picked up his granddaughter who was clinging to him for dear
life.

Phyl came
forward first. Cal said, "Grace, I'd like you to meet my fiancee,
Phyl Schuyler."

Grace gave
Phyl the once over and said, "I'm sorry, Phyl..."

"I know, you
were expecting someone older. Cal and I have been friends and
neighbours for years and after our spouses died..."

"You did
favours for each other and one thing led to the next." Grace seemed
satisfied. "Happens all the time, although my second guy passed on
the year after my husband before we could get married. Anyway, it
will be good to have someone with enough energy to keep up with
Erica."

"Grace, these
two are mine, Lydia and Tim, and that one is Erica's aunt Felicity,
Cal's youngest." The girls waved hello and everyone stood around
awkwardly for a while. Erica lifted her head out of Cal's shoulder
and asked, "Auntie Flisty?"

Cal put Erica
down. "And these two will be sort of uncle and aunt next month when
Phyl and I get married."

"Phyl is a
funny name for a girl, Mrs. Schuyler." Erica got a puzzled
look.

"It's short
for Phyllida but when you come to live with us, I'll be your other
grandmother."

"You look like
a Mommy, not a Nana."

"You're right,
but I can be both. Maybe you can call me what I called my
grandmother Dordie from Norway. I called her Bestemor."

"Bestemor?
That sounds funny."

"It's
Norwegian for grandmother."

"Mum, you
can't be serious." Lydia was rolling her eyes.

"Well, she can
call me Mum if she wants to. It will take a while for me to answer
to Bestemor. Elaine thought it was cute when Emily tried to say
it."

Grace said,
"Erica, why don't you show the girls your bedroom?"

Erica had
recovered her usual high spirits and said, "Come on Auntie Flisty.
I want to show y'all my dollies."

Felicity
grinned at her niece's enthusiasm and allowed herself to be towed
inside. Grace said, "Tim, there's a batch of cookies on the table
in the kitchen and some soda in the fridge. Y'all can help
yourself."

At the thought
of food, Tim went quickly into the kitchen while the adults went
into the living room to talk.

Cal looked
lovingly at Phyl. "Bestemor?"

She pulled him
down beside her. "Sure. The grandkids need to call me something.
Jason and Eric can keep calling me Phyl and Brenda calls me Mum,
but the rest of them..."

Cal shook his
head. "Bestemor. Oh well, I wonder how long it will be before the
rest of them call Felicity 'Flisty'?"

Grace spoke.
"If the glint in Tim's eye means anything it could start in under
an hour."

The adults
spent a good hour getting to know each other better before they all
went out for supper. Erica was sad when everyone had to go to the
hotel for the night but brightened up when they promised to go to
church with them and spend the afternoon with her before flying
back to Ottawa.

As they took
their leave on Sunday, Grace took Phyl aside. "I am so glad that
you two agreed to take Erica. She took to her Aunt Flisty like a
duck to water. She couldn't talk about hardly anything else when
she got back from Ottawa in July."