Family Reunion (41 page)

Manny openly admitted as he
looked down the long table to the opposite end where Lena sat. "The moment I laid eyes on her, wild and fighting, looking for escape, I was determined that she would be mine." Lena blushed hotly, glancing away from him.

Mike felt the tension building between them while Hope sat wearing a silly grin, secretly cheering her father on. Manny continued the tale, candid about his regrets and what he wished he had done differently. He avoided confessing his past dependence on whiskey since the habit, so far, had been conquered. Leon spoke up as well, filling in bits and pieces. To all present, it was obvious that he and Manny had a strong bond, one that would not be easily broken.

Lena studied Manny as she listened, she was still reeling from the news that Manny had attacked Katherine over her and Hope. Watching him, she felt all those old feelings resurfacing again, and knew that nothing would be easy about their coming back together.

Rory sat listening as his mother's life story unfolded before him. Lena went into her time in Jackson when she waited for Manny with Hope, praying that he would return because she had no idea of what she would do. Left with a small child as well as carrying Rory, all she could think of was him coming for them. However, those men had gotten to her first. It brought tears to her eyes when she spoke of the horror of finding out she'd lost Hope. She quieted, not wanting to cry anymore, and turned to Rory. "It was because of that Rory, fear. I was afraid of losing again. I didn't want to love you, because… I was afraid to." Rory felt his face hot; he didn't like being the center of everyone's attention, although at last, he understood.

Hope's turn came, telling of how she was raised by a wonderful family of Gypsies, when Lena interrupted saying, "I remember them, they'd been begging for food at the restaurant."

"Well they raised me, loved me…and daddy… I want them found. If it can be done…please?"

Manny nodded without a word… he would see to it immediately. Hope continued treading carefully as Mike eyed her to watch what she said. Altering the story, she admitted to being taken by bandits to a village. Her brother happened to be there, saving her from them. Lying, she said she was out riding and encountered Red Crow, who thought she was better off with him. Lena gasped, but smiled as she glanced at him.

Hope left out a great deal but ended it saying that Joe knew how badly she wanted to find her father and mother and so, they relocated to New York. Lena turned to Mike, who smiled, choosing to remain quiet.

"Mike…Manny, who found who?" Lena asked.

Mike gulped and Manny spoke up saying, "Our son was arrested
due to a case of mistaken identity. He was held at a fort where I was delivering. I found him and of course, cleared the matter up. He left with me.”

“
We collected his family and…here we are, together again, and we shall stay…together." Manny emphasized the last part while staring at Lena.

The message, the command, could not be clearer. Lena shifted and looked away.

After the meal, everyone regrouped in the family room, where talk of the things past took on a lighter note. Lena told no more of what happened once she was in New York, only that Sandra took her in. Rory stood back listening to his mother's laugh as she recounted the antics of his brother and sister, smiling as everyone joined in. He wondered why his mother did not admit to being in a workhouse prison, because she had chosen not to mention it, neither would he.

Laughter sounded out loud again as Joe talked about his wife, telling of their encounter with the bear, and the fight at the village. Lena had to hold her stomach from her laughter. Hope looked sheepish, wishing the attention would move from her to someone else. Maria had to add her observations of brother and sister, the many fights she’d had to intervene in involving the two. Tears of laughter flowed as Sandra sat getting to know each of them. However, the time had come to leave. Rollo would be back and she did not want to keep him waiting.

She patted Lena's hand lightly since they were sitting on the sofa next to each other, with one of Lena's grandchildren beside each of them. Lena was wiping away a tear of mirth when her friend leaned toward her, "I think the time has come for me to leave you."

Sobering up, she nodded. "Okay, I'll walk you up on deck and we'll wait for Rollo there together." Sandra nodded and stood.

Noticing, Manny asked, "Is it that time already?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. I would just like to say, I enjoyed you all very much. It's been such a wonderful day, and no one could be happier than I to see this joyful family reunion. It’s so nice to see that this type of happy ending doesn’t just happen in fairytales."

Lena stood beside her, groaning in pain. Her son and son-in-law doing the same, as Mike came to her. "Sit mother, we'll see her out." He offered. "I'm fine Mike, just a bit sore." Manny was already standing at the bookcase when he straightened, offering courteous closure to their evening with Sandra, "We enjoyed you as well. Before you go, I have to thank you for her safe keeping; I owe you a great deal. I'd be glad to escort you two above to wait for your driver to return." Lena stopped him.

"That won't be necessary Manny, please ...I
will see her above."

"Not alone." He reminded gently.

"I'll be okay, I'm not leaving the ship and Rollo is punctual. Soon as he arrives, I will return." This went against everything Manny felt, to let her out of his sight, even for a moment, caused him concern. He did not understand why she felt the need to speak to Sandra alone. He had no choice, he had to back up and leave her to it, only because he knew where the men who had pursued her were. For the moment, he had crippled Winston and Greyson's plans and so he nodded conceding.

"Mike… stand by the capstan until he arrives."

"I'll stand with him." Leon spoke up.

"That is not necessary!" Lena piped up annoyed.

"Lena… let them. We really can't be sure, can we?" Sandra pleaded gently. Lena looked away from Manny to Sandra reluctantly agreeing. He was trying to take control of her again; at least that's what it felt like. She knew that he only sought to protect her, but she was growing nervous as the time came to be alone with him.

Out on the deck…

"Did I not tell you this morning that things were going to change for you Lena."

"Yes you did. By no means had I imagined it would be to this extent. My children Sandra, all of my children are back. They are well, happy and had longed to see me again."

"Yes, they are… I am only a little disappointed that it was not I who made it so."

Lena looked at her squarely, quizzically. "You knew! How?"

"Last night, when you told me about everything and said the name, Maynard Ramsey Webster… I thought I'd seen or heard his name somewhere before and I was right. His name was on an...um-..." It suddenly occurred to her what she was about to say. Her eyes grew wide as she wondered if she should tell Lena about that. It was obvious the man was not in love with Gloria West. Yet, she realized the right thing to do was make Lena aware of what was involved. "Come on, what were you going to say?"

"-...um... his name was on, an invitation I received a few months ago."

"An invitation? What kind of an invitation?" Sandra hesitated momentarily, biting into her lip, "An invitation to an engagement party…
his
engagement party. He is ... or - or was, engaged to marry a Gloria West."

Taking worried notice of Lena's sudden fallen expression, she
quickly blurted, "But that doesn't matter any longer Lena. Gloria West doesn't have a chance in the world with him now that you're back in his life with his children!"

Lena grew pensive while her heart took off pounding, making her stomach queasy.

"Lena? You're too qu-…"

"So, they are still engaged then?" Lena questioned.

"I don't know Lena but if they are, I am certain he will be eager to break the engagement now."

Lena, noticing that Rollo had just pulled up gave an ironic chuckle and said. "I think I should leave with you."

"Lena no, give him a chance."

"When was the engagement party scheduled for?" Lena asked.

"April."

"I see…next month."

"Lena, listen to me, there is no way that man is going to marry Gloria West, he doesn't love her, I'm sure of it!"

"That didn't stop him before, did it?!" Lena snapped.

Sandra quieted; she could see the pain in her friend’s eyes. "My God, I shouldn't have told you."

"Don't worry about it, I'm okay, go on, Rollo's waiting for you."

"Lena-a-a, don't. He loves you." Sandra reminded her.

"Yes, as he did before."

"That was then Lena, this is now!"

"Go home Sandra. Go home. I'll be fine."

"Before I go, know this. You always have a home with me… always." Sandra declared, reluctant to leave, gazing at Lena and wondering at the workings going around in her head.

"Will you stop staring at me like that and go - home!"

Sighing deeply, Sandra had no choice because Rollo was waiting for her at the end of the gangplank with Lena's sons staring at him.

"Be patient Lena and believe in him, things will work out."

"Yes of course they will, I'll see you tomorrow." She called to her friend as she stepped into the carriage.

"Get back down below now!" Sandra called from the carriage. Lena nodded and turned from the rail, Mike and Leon looked at each other and back at Lena. Mike ran ahead, escorting her below, he stopped at the door asking her, "Are you okay?"

"Sure I am."

But she stepped within the portal leading below
, knowing that if it were not for her children, she would have gone home with Sandra. In Maynard Ramsey Webster's presence, she was weak, no matter how strong a woman she had become. Something in him touched something deep within her. As if he had access to a switch that made her lose all resolve.
'God Please…'
She began praying,
'…don't let me settle for being his mistress again. Please, give me strength to walk away and not look back.'

Hope was in the corridor waiting for her at the bottom of the second flight of stairs, Manny had sent her to see about her mother. "Everything okay mama?" she asked, rounding the top end of the lower flight to see her mother standing by the door leading on deck. Lena took a deep breath and forced her feet to move down the steps toward her daughter. With a smile on her face, she grabbed her daughter's arm, wrapping it around her own as they walked down the stairs and back to the family room.

"Are you happy mama, to be back with your family again? I mean, there is nothing more important than all of us, being back together again right?"

Lena hadn't a clue where it was coming from, but she felt it… growing, creeping up around her…pressure. "You know what my daughter; no one in the world means more to me than you and your brothers, that, I promise you. Seeing each of you together, reminds me of how blessed I am." They stopped before the door of the family room as Lena turned to her. Mike and Leon finally caught up with them after a pause on deck to answer a question from one of his father's men.

"Do you know how it makes me feel to see the two of you, grown into such beautiful people? I just want you both to know, how much I love you and how much I missed you."

"And you Leon, look at you…the three of you make me proud."

Hope embraced her mother tightly, nervous because her mother hadn't said the words she wanted to hear most of all. "We're just so happy to have you back with us. Now we're complete, we're a whole, with you and daddy back together again." Lena closed her eyes, unable to relieve her daughter of her worry. "Promise me mother, that we'll always be like this."

Hope pleaded, but the door opened with Papo standing looking for them.

"Grandma…we waitin' on you to tell us stories about the Island and your father the king!"

"Yeah! I wanna hear it too grandma!" Felix blasted in his loud voice, giving Lena the break she need. Releasing her daughter, she took a grandson under each arm leading them toward the sofa.

Mike squeezed his
sister’s shoulder without a word as they entered the room. Hope glanced at her father who was smiling as all the kids gathered around their grandmother. Quietly, she took her place next to Lolita on the other sofa, with her husband on the other side of her,
'Mama, please – I need you to love my father…I need you two together.'
She agonized silently.

Manny stood watching over his family
, strong and proud as if he was a reigning lord over his domain, surrounded by all that was his. Attentive as Lena sat amidst their grandchildren telling them stories that left each wide eyed with wonder. He felt there was no better feeling than for a man to look upon his family and see smiles of love and contentment. However, as he watched her, he began to notice a difference in her since she had returned from walking Sandra out. It was as if she deliberately avoided his gaze. He decided to give the children a few more minutes with her and then send them off with their parents. After all, he'd patiently waited long enough to be alone with her.