“I’m nervous,” said Jenna. “No, scared—no nervous. Oh, I don’t know what I am.”

There was still a good fifty miles to go. But, the road was clear and the sunny day nice. He smiled over at her.

“We’re doing this right,” said James. “We know what we have to do, and, we can do it.”

“We have to convince him,” she said.

“We will, I have a feeling,” said James. “You wanna stop and get something to eat before we get there?” She looked over at him.

“Yeah, I guess,” she said. “You don’t think it will put us behind schedule do you?”

“If it does, we’ll just shack up at a motel for the night and go to his workplace tomorrow. No problem,” he said.

“Okay, then, let’s eat,” she said.

The Wild Horse Café had a limited menu, but the place was friendly and service acceptable.

They’d gotten seated within two minutes of arriving and menus and waters had been delivered a minute after that.

“Whaddya wanna eat?” he said.

“Just a burger,” she said. “James, I’m nervous,” she said.

“Well, you’ve said that often enough so that I’m getting to the point where I actually believe you,” he said, and laughed.

“Funny!” she said, and frowned.

“Honey, we’re in the right here. We’ve got God and righteousness working for us. We’ll be fine. Okay?” he said.

“Okay, I guess,” she said. She was still frowning.

The waitress finally came with their orders. They ate in mostly silence.

“It’s only 4:00PM,” she said. “Shall we try?”

“Yeah, why not. If he got off early, we’ll just get a room and try again tomorrow,” said James. She nodded.

******

The trucks were clearly shut down for the day, and so were the yards. But, the gate was open, and there was a light in what appeared to be the office. They headed for that.

He parked the car in an empty space but a few yards from the office door.

“Well, this is it, let’s see what we can find out,” he said. The two of them climbed the four steps and rapped on the door. A woman, a pretty woman looked up to see who the visitor was. She went to the door and admitted the pair.

“Yes?” she said.

“Hi, we’re looking for David Carter if he’s still around,” said Jenna.

“And, who might you be?” she said, looking from one to the other of the two strangers.

Jenna looked over at her husband; he nodded his okay.

“I’m Jenna Carter. I’m here to see my dad,” she said. The woman in front of her appeared to recognize her.

“Yes, yes, of course you are,” she said. “I’ve seen your picture; it just didn’t click with me till you said it.” Jenna gave her a confused look.

“I’m Rozelle Carter, your mother-in-law,” said Rozelle.

The visitors looked startled.

“Uh-well, nice to meet you,” said Jenna.

“Yes indeed,” said James.

The next few minutes were spent in the mandatory introductions and pleasantries after they had taken their seats at the small round table in the office.

“Yes, it is indeed a surprise,” said Rozelle. Of course, as I said, David isn’t here right now. He’s home, presumably getting dinner ready. I had to stay a little later: paperwork that had to be done by morning.”

“Oh, okay. We’ll get a room in town and be back to see him tomorrow,” said James. “I mean, I’m sure you know of the problems that have gone down in recent times among the family. . .”

“Yes, yes, of course. We’ve talked long and deeply about it all, has David and I,” she said. “Still let me check,” she said.

She picked up the landline and dialed.

“Yeah, hon, it’s me. Look, something’s come up. We’re going to have guests tonight. We’ll be there in a few. Yeah, okay? . . . For sure . . . no it’s a surprise . . . no, I’ll tell you everything when I get there okay . . . Okay, good.”

“Well, I didn’t lie, it is going to be quite a surprise,” said Rozelle. Her guests nodded. James was smiling, Jenna not so much.

******

I heard the commotion at the back door. I went to see what and who my better half was doing and bringing to visit. I stopped in my tracks.

“Jenna!” I said, and I said loud.

“Daddy,” she said, launching herself at me and culminating in a bear hug!

For the life of me I got even with her for her hug with an equally bearish one of my own.

“Dad,” said James, sticking out his hand to shake mine. I took it.

“Well, this is a surprise,” I said, looking straight at my wife.

“They showed up at the office asking for David Carter,” she said, “I had to allow that I knew the guy.” She was smiling, but not quite laughing at my clear state of disconcertion.

“Yes, well that would be true wouldn’t it,” I said, rhetorically.

“I’m assuming that the two of you know that I’m married to this lady,” I said.

“That would also be true,” said my lawyer daughter.

“Okay, I guess that explains why the two of you are here. So, let me formally introduce you. This is Rozelle Carter, my new wife, and wonderful lady. She it is who is my anchor and my love, and dare I say it, my benefactor,” I said.

James was smiling. “Dad,” he said. “I have to admit it was at the least part of the reason for us being here. I mean we didn’t get the wedding invitation, but we were sure that that was just an oversight. I mean the mails these days.”

I snickered. “Yes, well, actually I, we, didn’t send out invitations. My experience with weddings hasn’t been the best. Hence, we decided that it should be a private, low key affair,” I said. The momentary joy at seeing my daughter was fast losing some of its mojo. I was thinking back to the man who gave my daughter away at her wedding and how I had been played. Adding to that the travesty of my own so called wedding and marriage to Stacey Carter nee Wilcox and how that ended.

“Dad,” said James, and yes, I noticed how quiet Jenna had become since our initial greetings. “Wanting to meet, your wife, was indeed, as I said, one reason why we are here. But, well, it was not the only reason.”

I know my look must have telegraphed my suspicion. “I hope that the two of you aren’t here to bring me any more problems, propositions, phony promises or whatever,” I said. “I seriously mean that.”

“Daddy, no!” said Jenna, finally waking up from her coma. “Daddy, can we just sit here and have something to drink or something?” I nodded. I needed a drink too. I did want to talk to them, but I was wary. It seemed like every time I communicated at all with any of them I ended up disrespected, lied to, or treated with what I saw as utter contempt. I wasn’t putting up with it anymore. That said, I was going to see how it went. Mister nice daddy that was going to be my immediate modus operandi.

“Yes, I guess, sure,” I said.

“I’ll put some drinks together,” said Rozelle. She’d been hanging back watching the scene play out. Her expression, I now realized, showed what I would later describe as studied interest.

“Thanks honey,” I said. “Martinis?” I said looking around at the group. They nodded their agreement.

My wife was some ten minutes preparing the pitcher of my favorite cocktail. During the interim the rest of us had settled in at our humble dinette table. Our place wasn’t much, but it was clean and comfortable, nothing like the mansion my brother and my ex-wife lived in. I wondered what my daughter thought of our less than middle class digs. I noted her looking around and appraising the environment.

“It’s the best we could afford for now. But, we’ll be doing better down the line,” I said.

“Huh?” she said. “Oh no! Really, daddy, it’s very nice. I like it.” I laughed.

“Well, thank you for that,” I said, my response to her as disingenuous as was hers to me.

“Dad,” started James.

“Here are the drinks folks,” said Rozelle, interrupting things. We all relaxed as she played barkeep and poured for each of us.

We sagged back in our seats and sipped until Rozelle took her seat next to me.

“Dad, as I was saying,” said James. “We have another reason for coming down, I mean in addition to wanting to meet Rozelle and congratulate the two of you on your marriage.”

“Okay,” I said.

“Dad . . .” he paused. “We know about the donation, the one you made to save daddy Ron.” He waited to see if I would react. I didn’t. I just stared coldly at him. Well, I was quite frankly, speechless. Aunt Delia had double crossed me! I couldn’t believe it!

“Yes, dad,” said Jenna. “And, daddy, I love you for doing it. I mean even more than I did before and I had plenty to love you for before.”

“Aunt Delia?” I said. My meaning was clear. Jenna looked away. James on the other hand decided that a good defense was the best offense.

“Yes, Mister Carter,” he said. And yes, I did notice that he’d suddenly gone formal on me. “Aunt Delia, and really all of us, think it’s time you came back to us. Time you forgave your brother, as hard as that might be for a man as prideful as you. And, it’s time you forgave your daughter’s mom for what she did to you as well. Anger as deep as yours has just got to die, sir.”

“That’s your thinking is it?” I said. I chanced a look in my wife’s direction.

“Some scenes need to still play out, dear,” she said, “but it may indeed be time to think about doing what your son-in-law is suggesting. I know you still dream about it all. You’ve even talked in your sleep on a few occasions. And, I will admit, sometimes you worry me.”

I could feel my expression change to one of questioning concern. The absolute last thing I wanted to have happen was for my baggage to upset or in any way cause my wife worry. I nodded.

“How do you see this playing out?” I said. I was looking at James when I said it.

“You mean you’d consider . . .” started Jenna. James put a hand gently on her arm signaling her to let him keep the lead. She looked up at him with pleading eyes, but nodded her assent.

“Sir, Jenna and I talked these things over before coming down here, and if the truth were to be known, on the way down here as well.

“The way we see it, in the best of all possible worlds, all of the problems of the past would end. And, we think that there are two ways we might could go to reach that goal. Of course the choice in the end is yours and maybe your wife’s.”

“Okay?” said Rozelle.

“One would be for you to come home. Just up and move back and accept the real and well-earned undying gratitude of the whole family. You’re owed that much at the very least by all of us,” he said.

“And, the other choice?” I said. My wife touched my arm; she could sense I was on edge. It, her touch, calmed me. God how I loved this woman and needed her!

“Choice number two would be for the rest of family to come down here and talk it out with you and your wife on your turf,” he said. I nodded.

“We’re just working people,” said Rozelle. “We can’t just take days off. I looked over at my wife. She raised an eyebrow. I got the message.

“Have them come here,” I said.

“Oh thank you daddy!” screamed Jenna. The smile on James’ face was hopeful. He pulled his cell, rose, and walked off toward the miniature patio of our little house.

He put his cell away and returned. “They’ll be here tomorrow,” he said.

“Okay,” I said.

“We have a spare bedroom. You two can stay here tonight,” said Rozelle. “No need you going into town to get a room.” I nodded my agreement with her offer.

“Okay, well that’d be good,” said James.

“Yes, daddy, that would be the best,” said Jenna.

******

“Well, Whaddya think?” I said looking over at my wife as we lay beside each other.

“James is right. It’s time to at least try to put everything behind us. And, David, it is ‘us’ now, not just you. That doesn’t mean that everything will be good, or that some bad memories might not remain. But, it does mean that a healing process should at least be given a look see,” she said. “And, if I have any say in this at all, I think that their motives, their motives these days, most definitely need to be considered.”

“Honey, without you this could not happen. And, you do have a say in all of this. Like you say, it is us now not just me. I need your input, and I trust it more than my own.” I said.

“Well thank you for that,” she said. “And, I know seeing her again is going to make things hard for you, but I’m a pretty damn good substitute for her believe it.”

I looked her straight in the eyes. “Damn straight you are. You are my life, and finding you, or you finding me, I guess, is proof positive that there is a God,” I said.

She smiled her appreciation and that made me smile.

******

“You think that this time . . .” started Ronald.

“I don’t know, but I sure as hell hope so; it’s fucking time. My wonderful ex-husband needs to get it together. Him being married may be the kicker,” she said. “I wonder what kind of woman she is. I’m worried about that one.”

“And he is wonderful. If he kicks my cheating as from Douglas to the red planet Mars, I’ll thank him and ask him to do it again,” he said.

“Not until after I ask him to kick me there first,” she said. “Ron, we, the both of us, did him wrong, no matter that we never wanted to hurt him. What we did was guaranteed to hurt him. We deserve to be punished, and the fact is that putting us in the position were in ‘is’ punishment. The question is will he see it that way.”

“Everything you say is spot on. But, our good intentions notwithstanding, he’s got to want to forgive us, and that’s the kicker, not just his wife,” he said.

******

I saw them pull up in front of the house. The Caddy looked new. Well he was a rich man. Wonder what it felt like to be rich? What I was sure of was that I’d never know. Money just didn’t seem to like me very much. But that’s okay, I was happy, my wife was happy, nothing else mattered.

It was a hot day, and the others were out on the patio waiting for the arrival of the next bevy of guests.

I went to the door; I didn’t immediately alert the fans on the patio; I don’t know why. At any rate, I had instructions from my wife as to how to behave when they did arrive and I was going to be following orders.

The knock was tentative; I thought that kinda odd. I answered it.

“Well, hello,” I said. Ronald looked at me strangely.

“Hello, hi, to you too, David,” said Stacey. She stepped forward and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I stepped back and looked at her; I think I upset her judging by her hand going to her mouth.

“David, I didn’t mean . . .” she started.

“No, no, no problem with me. It was—a nice greeting,” I said, trying to smile my friendly smile. Well, I was under orders. “Come in, come in,” I said. The two of them entered. They were smiling at me, but the smiles were kinda forced. I could see they were uncomfortable. Well, after everything, I guess that that kinda figured.

I could see that the both of them were doing their best to “not” notice my, our, digs. It amused me. They were clearly trying their damnedest too to not offend me. Well, I decided to be magnanimous and to not take offense unless they did something totally egregious.

“Dave, We are really glad that you could see your way clear to allow us to visit you,” said Stacey. “We’ve missed you, honestly.”

“Sure, okay,” I said. “Everyone else is out back. Let’s join then.” I wanted to get my wife near me as soon as I could. I didn’t trust myself around the woman, Stacey. I needed my Rozelle, and I know that that makes me sound like a pussy. What can I say, I am one when it comes to my women.

******

“Momma! Dad!” screamed Jenna. I could see that she had immediately bitten her tongue, greeting my brother as she had.

“Hi, honey,” said Stacey. Stacey went to our daughter and hugged her. Ronald, looking a little uneasy, made the decision. He went to her to and hugged her as well. He didn’t say anything; he just hugged her and stood back. He was obviously doing his best to not upset the apple cart. He was getting the lay of the land: finding out how far I’d come in being willing to kiss and make up. That was okay by me; I wasn’t sure myself. Her being there, across from me, was making it hard for me to concentrate.

“Honey,” encouraged Rozelle.

“Uh—yes, Stacey Carter, Ronald Carter, this is my wife, Rozelle Carter,” I said.

Pleasantries and greetings and questions about the trip down from Phoenix over with, everyone began talking at once, and then laughing kind of hysterically and then calming down and then a moment of silence ensued. And then the doorbell rang. We were all still on the patio, but I heard the doorbell and went to answer it.

“Aunt Delia!” I said. I had not expected her.

“Rozelle called me and asked if I were able to come down. I took the bus,” she said.

“Oh, okay. I wish I’d known: I would have come for you myself,” I said. I had questions for her, but it was beginning to look like they, the questions, were passé.

“Actually, Rozelle offered. But I knew that the others would already be here, and you and Rozelle needed to meet with them more than me. You and I are already on the same page in everything. But . . .”

“But?” I said, totally realizing that I was keeping our guests waiting on the patio.

“I decided that I’d best be here in case,” she said. “But more on that later perhaps. For now, could we just join the rest of the family?”

“Uh—yes, of course. They’re all out on the patio,” I said.

The hullabaloo, that erupted when I brought everybody’s favorite aunt outside and announced her, bordered on the comical. It was like Aunt Delia had saved the day. It remained to see whether or not that that was the case.

I stepped back and kind of out of the way of the maelstrom. I was leaning against the railing that circumscribed the totality of the little patio. I saw Stacey say something to Rozelle. Rozelle nodded in the affirmative. Stacey headed my way.

“Nice that Aunt Delia could make,” she said, as she approached.

“Yes, but I am mildly upset with her for making the trip alone, and on the bus,” I said. Stacey nodded her agreement.

“David, at some point this weekend could you and I talk. I mean alone,” she said.

I looked her in the eyes. I’d expected that we would, but her asking gave me pause. I was not even sure that I would be able to handle being alone with her. Before marrying Rozelle it would have been an absolutely non-happening, but now?

“I guess so,” I said. “But . . . “

“Yes, I’m a little concerned too. For sure, David, it will be uncomfortable, for me more than for you even. But, we have to do it. We have to,” she said. “I’m just so grateful to whatever god intervened and sent you your wonderful new wife. I really mean it, sir. I really do.”

“Okay, Stacey, maybe later tonight. We’ll play that one by ear. Okay?” I said.

“Absolutely,” she said.

******

I was well aware that the reason for accepting the visit of the entire clan was for the sole purpose of getting me to a place where I could see myself as back in the family and having forgiven everything that I saw as having been dumped on me. And, the sole reason that I even considered such a thing was my new wife Rozelle Carter.

The odd thing? It was getting late. Yet no one had asked me to accept anything in the entire time that we’d been together; well, so far they hadn’t. Everyone talked about their jobs. Everyone discussed how they were feeling. Everyone asked me about my job and how I was feeling. In a phrase it was weird.

“Kinda crazy, huh?” said James who had joined me in the kitchen when I’d gone to rescue a can of beer.

My son-in-law was one heckuva a bright guy. “I guess that would be one way to characterize things,” I said.

“You going to come home, sir?” he said. Bright and considerate: I liked the guy.

“Probably not in the flesh. But . . .” I said.

“Maybe bury the hatchet?” he said.

“Maybe that, James,” I said. “Rozelle is kinda hoping I will that we all will. But, we’ll see in the next day or two, I guess.

He and I and Jenna sat down together. The topic? Her wedding and how it had gone down and how I’d cut country and whether or not I could forgive and forget the conspiracy to get me to do the tandem walk down the aisle thing.

What bothered me, though she said that she did wrong in trying to force the tandem idea on me, was the feeling I got that she only did so grudgingly.

This from the daughter who early on was okay with assigning uncle-hood status to me, and who I did a long stretch in prison for. Oh yeah, I was indeed having a problem with that. But, I said nothing. I was under orders from my wife to let the long weekend playout.

CHAPTER FORTY 2015

Jenna and James had arrived on Friday; Stacey and Ronald early on Saturday and Aunt Delia later that same day. Our place was a three bedroom. With the arrival of Aunt Delia, Jenna and James opted to shack up at the motel-6 a half mile down the street. Rozelle had made the offer of our newly purchased convertible sofa bed, but the youngsters argued that it would just be easier for them and for everyone if they moteled for the one night.

On Saturday I’d talked to both Jenna and James more or less extensively, but only briefly to my brother and my ex, to Aunt Delia hardly at all. But that would change now.

It was Sunday morning. It was early. Most of the crew were still asleep, and the Ellisons would be arriving in an hour or two. Rozelle was showering and getting ready for the day. I’d gotten up early and made the coffee. Stacey surprised me.

“Got an extra cup?” she asked, rhetorically.

“Morning,” I said. “Sure, I guess. I was just going to take mine out on the patio and relax a bit before everyone got up and moving.”

“Oh, okay. Would it be okay if I joined you?” she said. Her tone was earnest. “But, I mean if you need to be alone . . .”

“No, no, that would be fine,” I said. I poured her the cup and we made to go outside.

“We used to do this in the old days on Sunday mornings. Remember?” she said.

I did remember. And, I’ve missed those Sundays among other things. “Yes, I remember. Those were good times.”

“Would it surprise you to know that I miss those days, David? Ronald and I sometimes do the same. I guess what I mean is that you will always have a place in my heart, and, I really mean it when I say, so does your brother.”

“It would surprise me that you thought very much about me at all. Look, Stacey, I know you feel guilty about the break up. I know you like me, maybe even a lot. My brother? I guess the same kinds of things might be true of him. But, when you dumped me like you did . . .” I started. I could feel myself getting emotional. She looked down.

“David, I never saw my leaving you for him as dumping you. I saw it as correcting a mistake that I made, more than one obviously, and trying to make them, the mistakes right is all.

“I’m not very smart, Davey. Ronald as good as he is at business isn’t very smart in things of the heart either. Do you know I caught him cheating on me with the maid?” she said. I had to smile at that revelation.

“No, I didn’t know. But, I’m not surprised. He always was a womanizer,” I said. “But . . .”

“The uncle-hood thing, right?” she said, completing my thought for me.

“Yes,” I said.

“In retrospect that was the biggest mistake of my entire life. As I told you before, the idea wasn’t so much to lower your status with Jenna, it was to give a kind of kick start to my husband’s status with her. I mean he was her biological dad. And, you’d been rubbing his nose in it, your fatherhood, so much that he felt kinda kicked in the balls if that would be the right way to say it,” she said.

“But, I was and am her dad. I demanded then and I demand now to have that recognized by all of you,” I said. “If I don’t get that, then all of this is a waste of time!”

“David, surely you must know, that considering all you’ve done for this family, especially Jenna and maybe even more than especially for your brother; that no one is going to deny you anything!” she said. “I can tell you without the slightest shred of doubt that I sure as hell want to give you the fucking moon.”

“Stacey . . .” I started.

“You saved my husband, David. He’s my life. And, I’m going to say it, so are you. Got that young man! I mean it,” she said. “Ronald is the man who will always be sharing my bed, not you; but in every other respect there will forevermore be damn little difference between the two of you in my heart.”

“I don’t know, Stacey. I mean I found a wonderful woman to share my bed with. And make no mistake, she has my heart. I couldn’t go on without her; she’s that important to me. As important to me, as it appears, is Ronald to you.

“But, I don’t know, it’s the years of betrayal as well as all of the rest, Stacey. There were just so many things. I think about it, the whole schmear, all of the time. Roz is trying to help me get by it, and because of her I am able to cope. That’s, she’s, why this weekend is even able to happen, that and the input of James. God he’s a good man, one of a kind, really,” I said.

“He is that.

“David, all said and done, is there any chance that we can get by all of this bad stuff? I mean for real,” she said.

“Maybe,” I said. “We’ll see.”

We heard noises from inside the house.

******

The hullabaloo on VJ Day 1945 in New York City was something to witness. The riot of fun and frolic and togetherness in the Carter home—the Douglas venue thereof—was a close second.

The pancakes and bacon were consumed with a passion. The hopeful toasts that followed the food, made with coffee mugs and water glasses, were for my benefit.

“To the brother who saved my life,” announced, Ronald.

“To my daddy, David Carter,” howled Jenna; I say howled because she cried in the doing of the toast.

“To a wonderful nephew,” avowed Aunt Delia.

“To a man worthy of the name,” said Stacey.

Oh yeah, I was honored as hell. And I was embarrassed. And, all the while my wife, Rozelle Carter, held me back from retreating from the room. Boy did I want to retreat.

Then it was time for a speech. I knew it was time because everyone kept chanting “speech-speech-speech!” Rozelle nudged me. I took a deep breath. I looked over at the clock in the dinette where we were all clustered about. It read 11:15AM.

“Twenty-eight years ago I met and married Stacey Wilcox. We began our lives together and everything looked rosy. Then, over the years between then and now things went from wonderful to bad, for me; and now I guess we start over. My wife and my son-in-law James and Aunt Delia have made the case that I need to rejoin the family. So, as of this minute, well I hope all of you will accept me back among you.

The cheers, yes they actually cheered, were something. But, I was tired. I really wasn’t sure about it all. But, everyone said it was all good, so I guess that it was. Most importantly for me, Rozelle said it was all good; that sealed it.

But, there was one more act to play out. A proposition my brother made me: one, frankly, I would have spit on but a short time before; but now, well I didn’t spit on it.

******

It was late, it was Sunday night, I think he arranged it that way. Maybe he figured I would be too tired to resist. Looking back on it now, I think he may have been right. At any rate . . .

“Stacey talked to you?” he said.

“Yes,” I said.

“And?” he said.

“Nothing. She just made the case that it was time for us all to try and get by the past. By us all, I really mean me,” I said.

“And?” he said. “I mean me and Stacey and you specifically?”

“I guess,” I said. “A lot of it, as I told Stacey, is still kind of a tough nut for me, but my wife has put it to me that it’s time and so I guess it’s gonna be time.” He nodded.

“Okay, David. Thank you for that. We—I—need you to be ours again, my brother again,” he said.

I shrugged, “It’s all good, Ronald. I guess it’s all good.”

“David, I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse. You saved my life. You didn’t have to do that. And given everything I did to you, especially stealing Stacey away from you; well, I need to do this and you need to let me,” he said.

“If you’re going to kiss me forget it,” I said, and I smiled.

“No, no, I draw the line there. No, I’m giving you half my kingdom,” he said.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” I said.

“David, I have six dealerships now; I’m giving you three of them: two new car dealerships and one used car. Oh, and I’m not taking no for an answer; and yes, I did go behind your back and got Rozelle to okay everything first,” he said.

He was smiling, but he did at least have the grace to look worried. I nodded.

“I don’t know anything about the car business,” I said.

“Is that a backhanded way of saying you accept?” he said. I nodded again.

“Don’t worry about that; the office managers and the operations guys know the game. They’ll orient you soon enough. Oh, and I got one of my old employees back to make sure you’d feel comfortable in the new job,” he said. “I had to buy out her old business to get her to. The lady drove a hard bargain, I don’t mind telling you.”

“Old employee?” I said.

“Yes, Marianne Woodley,” he said. “She’s very good at what she does as you know.”

“God, Marianne. It’s been a while,” I said.

“Yes, and well, and of course I will be around whenever you want to talk, discuss, ask anything; well you know,” he said.

“Okay, Ronald, I guess if Rozelle okay’d it; then, I’m onboard,” I said.

“Wonderful,” he said. And, I could have been mistaken, but it looked as if he were about to break up. But, just as I was going to say something, she appeared, my wife.

“Hi honey,” said Rozelle. “I see you and Ronald are getting along.”

“Yes, I suppose we are. He said you okay’d the new business opportunity,” I said.

“Yes, I did. I hope you’re not . . .” she started.

“I’m onboard,” I said short shanking her. She smiled her approval.

“Well, good. It’s time,” she said. “Oh, and your aunt wants to talk to you. She’s in the den. She’s going to be leaving shortly.”

“Oh, okay,” I said.

I headed for the den to say goodbye to Aunt Delia.

******

“Aunt Delia, Rozelle says you’re leaving,” I said.

“Yes, nephew, I am. “Just wanted to have a word with you before I go,” she said.

“Yes, of course,” I said.

“David, I know you still have misgivings about everything, and in the deepest darkest of the night you’ll still be thinking, well, some not so good thoughts. But, it’s time to start weaning those kinds of thoughts out of your system.

“As possessive as your brother is, and that is who he is mister possessive; he’s gone the extra mile here and done his best to make things up to you as much as he can. Stacey is lost to you in terms of the way things once were. But, you seem to have landed on your feet in those respects too: Rozelle is a treasure, and I’m sure you know that,” she said.

“I do,” I said.

“Well, good,” she said. “David, think positive from now on. Like I said, there will be moments of doubt and bad memories to deal with, but they are all about things from the past; you need to live in the now and the future. Okay? Stacey and Ronald are not bad people, just selfish and careless. And, they have a lot to deal with now too. Your generosity has guaranteed that. And, when once in a while the road gets a little bumpy just remember nobody does everything right, nobody.”

“Okay, Aunt Delia, I think that I understand. And, I will remember what you’ve said.

******

It turned out that Aunt Delia was leaving with Jenna and James: she would not be busing it anymore. Ronald and Stacey stayed an extra night and had breakfast with us before hitting the road. I got a scorcher on the lips from Stacey as they left. Rozelle was standing beside me when she did it. Ronald was only a few yards away by the car. The both of them smiled their approval.

“All’s well that ends well,” said my wife, as I rejoined her on our little porch.

“I guess so,” I said. “So, I guess we’ll be moving back to Phoenix. I mean with the businesses being in that area and all.”

“Yes,” she said. “I’ve already arranged for the movers to be here Monday morning two weeks from now. Well, we do have to give notice at the warehouse.” I nodded.

“Yes, that’s good,” I said. “How much for the movers?”

“Forty-seven hundred,” she said.

What!” I said.

“Relax, it’s part of the package from Ronald for taking over the three dealerships,” she said. I nodded, but slowly.

“I have to tell you, I just can’t feature Ronald giving up so much of his business to me,” I said. “I mean he is mister materialistic. He loves those stores of his as much as he does Stacey, and I know that that’s a lot.”

“Hmm, well yes, you may be right,” she said. “But as for the gifts, that was actually Aunt Delia’s idea. That’s the main reason she came down. To his credit he didn’t argue, so Aunt Delia told me, but did look kinda something, she said.”

Well it looked as though things would be working out. Fifty-some years old and starting over—again! Helluva thing.

******

THE FALL of 2016

The gathering was largish. No one was speaking as the minister pronounced the words of condolence and prayer over the still open grave. My, our, Aunt Delia was no more. She’d been the greatest. And, as has been seen, she was instrumental in getting the family past some very hurtful experiences, especially me; but, as to that, really all of us.

I felt numb watching them lower the casket. I was choked up, but numb. I looked over to my right and saw Stacey Carter, my brother’s wife wipe away a tear. My brother, Ronald, was stony faced. Well, I guess that was how I appeared as well. It had to be the saddest day I’d yet lived, even sadder than the funerals of our mom and dad so many years gone.

Everyone began turning away and heading for their waiting cars, everyone except me. I turned when I felt a tug on my sleeve. It was my wife, Rozelle Carter, and next to my Aunt Delia, the one most responsible for saving me, and saving me is indeed the right way to phrase the reality, my reality.

“She was a wonderful person, David. We’ll all miss her,” said my Roz.

“She was all of that and way more,” I said. My wife nodded.

“We need to go, now, my husband,” she said. I let her lead me away. The reception would be at Ronald’s and Stacey’s house, well, it was closer.

I really wasn’t in the mood for a wake or a reception or whatever they were calling these things nowadays. I wanted to be alone or maybe with Roz. I did not want to be having to respond to questions from a bunch of well-meaning guests and family, none of whom could ever really know how I was feeling at that moment. But, Roz had said that we should go, so go we would.

The tables were laden with a surprising variety of eats. Aunt Delia would have been pleased that everyone was there and having a pleasant if not actually a good time. She would have reproved me for not being in a good mood, well, that was who she was always concerned that everyone else was okay.

I’d been to their house, Ron and Stacey’s, any number of times since the great rapprochement more than a year gone, but I was never really comfortable being there; today was no exception.

Roz had abandoned me to help with something or other in the kitchen. I had stationed myself out on the patio with a cup of coffee in my hand. For the moment I was alone and thinking about times gone by, well, this was one of those occasions that suited reminiscing quite readily. Well, I was alone, and then I wasn’t.

“You okay, David,” she said, coming up behind me. I turned to see my ex-wife standing but two feet away. I looked up at her; she was still a pretty woman fifty years old or not.

“I guess,” I said. “No. Actually, I’m not.” She nodded.

“She was a wonderful lady; we all owe her a lot,” said Stacey. I just stared at her.

“David?” she said. I shrugged.

“Dave, are we okay? I mean you and I?” she said.

“I guess so, Stacey. There’s no rancor anymore. Just a kind of malaise. I just don’t feel comfortable here, I guess,” I said.

“I’m sorry for that, David. I really am. But, I guess I do understand. It was the scene of a lot that went down over all of those years,” she said. I nodded.

“May I ask?” she said. “How are you and Roz doing?”

“Well, we’re doing quite well thank you very much. I don’t know what I’d do without her; she’s my rock,” I said. Her turn to nod.

“David, you and Roz need to come over more. You say you don’t feel comfortable coming here. Davey, that’s not it and you know it. You don’t feel comfortable around me, or maybe me and your brother,” she said. “But, you need to. We love you. We love the both of you, you and Roselle. It’s time you granted us some mercy and took our relationships to the next level. Really!”

“Maybe,” I said. “I’m not trying to be a downer or anything, but, well, I just don’t know.” She’d taken a seat opposite me, and was all but staring at me as she spoke.

“Did you know I spoke to Aunt Delia before she, well, before she passed,” she said.

I’d been looking down, but now I looked up at her and saw the earnest expression she’d taken on.

“No, I didn’t know. I mean I knew you’d gone to the hospital to visit her as had we all. But that you’d had private words with her? No, I wasn’t aware,” I said.

“Well, I did. She made me promise to make things right by you, I mean between me and you,” she said. “She knew you were still hurt in spite of all of the forgive and forget rhetoric that went on last year.”

“Okay?” I said.

“Davey, she knew you were still in a blue funk about it all. She knew it might not even be possible for you to overcome it. But, she laid it on me that the responsibility to fix things, if such were indeed possible, was mine. Not your brother’s, not Jenna’s and James’ but mine.

“David, I told her I would do what I could, and I will. I need you to give me the chance to do what she asked of me, I mean to succeed in the doing of it. Okay?” she said, and she said it quietly, softly, pleadingly.

“What do you want from me, Stacey? I just don’t know what it is you expect me to do, believe, what all,” I said.

“I guess what we have to do, well what I think we should do, is to sit down together the four of us, and talk things out, maybe even sit down together many times, however many times it takes,” she said. “Would that be a doable thing for you?”

“I don’t know, but I could ask Roz what she thinks,” I said.

******

“Honey, things are settled. Will you ever be able to forget it all? Of course not. There is just too much bad back there in the past to be forgotten completely,” said my wife.

“Yes, you’re right of course. It’s not that I want to cause any waves, I don’t. Roz, I don’t hate them anymore, I really don’t. I just don’t feel comfortable around them. I know they say that they love and respect me now, I mean now that they know all, or almost all. But . . .” I said.

“But, you don’t trust them,” she said.

“Well, not exactly. I mean what if I hadn’t taken the rap for Jenna. What if all I was able to do was offer my sympathy and give whatever moral support I could to her and them; and, what if I hadn’t had the same exact blood type as Ronald? Would there have been any respect for me then? I don’t think so. I mean do you think so?” I said.

“You’re asking if they had any respect for you before all of that happened,” she said.

“Yes,” I said.

“The answer to that is that it’s unknowable. They would not have had any pressure to respect you, but the guilt the two of them carried would have eventually caused them to react in negative ways toward you, maybe blamed you for your being so angry and bitter rather than themselves. That said . . .

“They’re in a place now where they can’t find a way out,” she said.

“Huh?”

“Before, they were in the driver’s seat. They could offer you all kinds of material goods and privileges and blame you for being unwilling to compromise. But no more. Now, you’re in the driver’s seat,” she said.

“How do you figure?” I said. “I mean they’ve given me, us, the means to be rich; I mean the businesses, and it does indeed look as though we are going to be.”

“More material stuff. But it will always be a fact, as you yourself have pointed out in so many words, that they can never equal in material gifts what you have done for them. And again, that said . . .

“I believe her. I believe her when she says she respects and loves you. I also believe her when she says she loves her husband more than anything. And, I believe that that fact rubs you the wrong way because she’s essentially saying, the way you see it, that you never measured up. It’s your pride that’s getting in the way of you getting by all of this.

“Your Aunt Delia told you as much in the past. She sugar coated it so as to not make you feel worse than you already did, but that was her meaning,” said my wife.

“I guess you’re right, honey; it certainly makes sense, what you say,” I said.

“And, one more thing, young man,” she said.

“And that is,” I said.

“That you lucked out and got an even better woman for a wife and one who will never betray you and one you can never really hope to deserve. So, many sit downs with them? Not necessary. Not necessary because we are going to go there and have them here often. And we are going to be kind and generous to them. And, if that makes them ever so ashamed of themselves in retrospect, well, life is hard as they say and then we die. Got it, mister!” she said.

And, I did get it, finally! And, she was right on every point. I think I married a genius. Yes, indeed, and if not a genius at least a woman a whole lot smarter than me!

And we did visit the Carters on the hill. And the Carters on the hill did visit us in the burbs. And all was indeed well that ended well.

“And Jenna and James? Well, they are a fixture at our place as well as at Ronald’s and Stacey’s.