Around 3pm on a sunny Sunday afternoon, Mary-Elizabeth and Katy arrived at Alex and Megan�s to pick them up. Once both Megan and Alex were settled in the car she pulled the car out of their little driveway and headed to her parents house.
In the backseat Alex sat next to Katy, and for the duration of the trip she inched closer and closer to him until she was leaning her head against his chest asleep.
Mary-Elizabeth took notice and smiled back at her nephew. �It�s been very difficult for her since Daniel left for the war,� she said quietly, breaking the silence which had fallen over their car since the journey began.
Megan stopped looking out the window. �When did he leave?� she asked.
�Four months ago. I�ve been staying with my mom and dad since that time. I can�t stand to be in our house for too long, it�s too lonely without him to keep me company,� she said.
The rest of the trip Mary-Elizabeth told them about Daniel, and talked about her two children, Katy and Jacob. When they arrived at the O�Connells, Robert came to the car and easily lifted his granddaughter out without waking her. While he tended to her, Lucy came out of the house with Jacob settled against her left hip, ready to see Alex again.
Alex got out on Megan�s side of the car and took her hand, then walked the short distance to where his grandmother and his Aunt stood. Both of them received hugs from Lucy, whose long brown hair was pulled back in a braid.
�I�m so happy both of you are here, please come inside,� she said letting them walk ahead of her.
Once they were all settled and both children were down for their naps, as Alex had guessed they wanted to hear about Rick. Robert was the only one who didn�t stay to listen, and Alex guessed that he probably had alot of anger to deal with. �My dad was in the Legion, and was in Egypt, that is where mum met him.� he said, not sure to tell them every last detail of that time. He did tell them about Hamunaptra and was surprised that they didn�t know about it, because around Egypt and even in England his parents were well known for the discovery of the treasures found there.
�Now he and his friend Sam, run a shipping firm, well or less they are starting over due to the bombing,� he said.
�Do you have any pictures?� Lucy asked, longing to see what her boy looked like after so many years.
Alex sighed. �I didn�t exactly leave home under good terms. I have a sister named Heidi, and I got into some trouble with her, and well I..� he didn�t finish and looked up as Robert came in scolding both Lucy and Mary-Elizabeth for acting like the Spanish inquisition.
�Alex, would you mind lending a hand outside?� he asked, talking around his pipe.
�Yes sir,� he said as he stood up.
Robert chuckled. �You don�t have to be proper around these parts Alex, and you may call me Grandfather if you want,� he said.
Megan watched as they left, and felt ackward for about a half a second until Mary-Elizabeth and Lucy took her upstairs to see some of her father-in-law�s old pictures, ones Robert recently brought in from the barn. Soon all three women were talking about their lives, and Megan felt right at home, though in a way felt homesick. She missed Evelyn, and had hopes they would be here soon, but was worried what would happen between Robert and Rick.
~*~
About the same time Alex and Megan were sitting down to dinner with his grandparents and Aunt, Rick, Evelyn and Heidi arrived in town. For Rick seeing his hometown of Billings Montana brought back alot of memories. It hadn�t changed all that much since his departure all those years ago, and he was happy to see that Jake�s Hotel still stood. After paying the cab driver his fare, Rick managed the two steam trunks while Evelyn managed the two suitcases, and Heidi carried her baby, Isabella.
Not far from the door of the hotel a young man stepped out, not much older than Alex, and offered to take Evelyn�s suitcases, something she let him do. With her hands free, she took hold of Heidi�s left hand smiling down at her baby girl.
�Is daddy going to yell at Alex when we see him?� she asked.
�No angel, I think your daddy will be quite happy to see him,� she said as they walked into the lobby of the quaint hotel. There was an area by a stone fireplace for sitting, and not far from there was the front desk, where an older gentleman was reading a paper.
Jake looked up from his paper, and for a moment he just stared. �Rick O�Connell is that you?� he asked as he removed his reading glasses.
Rick smiled. �It is,� he said as he let the young man who helped with their suitcases get the trunks.
�Well land sakes, we thought the Legion killed you off,� he said as he began to laugh. He walked out from behind the front desk and gave Rick, then realized Rick wasn�t alone as Evelyn and Heidi, who had been exploring the lobby walked up beside him. Jake knelt down as Heidi hugged close to her mother. �Hello there, my name is Jake,� he said.
Heidi looked at the man for a moment. �I�m Heidi,� she whispered. She wasn�t fond of people she didn�t know and it always took a while for her to warm up to strangers.
Rick grinned. �Jake this is my wife Evelyn,� he said as his friend stood up.
Jake tilted his head down. �Names Jake, and you must be a hell of a gal to shack up with this one,� he said, not afraid to give Rick a hard time of things.
Heidi covered her mouth, catching his attention.
�I�m sorry Heidi, I�ll tell my wife Betty when I get home that I need my mouth washed out with soap,� he said. That awarded him a genuine smile, then he called out to Patrick to see his guests to the best room in the hotel.
~*~
With night upon them, Rick and Evelyn both agreed that waiting until tomorrow to go see Megan and Alex was best. They ate dinner in the Hotel�s small restaurant, then after Heidi was in bed for the night on a cot in the sitting room, Evelyn broached the subject of their son.
Rick had just washed his face and hands and had nothing more on than a pair of boxers. The whole trip, he had wrestled with how to handle things with Alex, and whether or not to even contact his parents, though the news that everyone thought he was dead was swaying him toward not telling them he was alive.
He sat down on his side of the bed and sighed, feeling Evelyn crawl behind him and wrap her arms around his neck. �If you were me what would you do?� he asked.
Evelyn pulled away from him then sat next to him. �If your talking about your family, I think seeing them would be a good start. I also think seeing Alex should be our priority, and also Megan.� she offered.
Once they were settled in bed; Evelyn nestled against his chest, Rick told her about his parents, about the night his father had disowned him and how over the years not making contact with them became easier and easier. �It wasn�t until Alex ran off that I realized what I put them through. Those weeks we didn�t know where he was I thought about them alot,� he said as he pulled her a little closer. �And when Megan called I felt all that weight lifted away. I think we have to honor their marriage, and help them as much as they are willing to let us,� Rick said.
�I think that would be what is best,� Evelyn said as she lifted her head from his shoulder and leaned in kissing him soundly on the lips. �What about getting them to come home with us?� she asked not ready to leave her first born child in this town all by himself.
�That will also be a decision they will make. I think once we talk to them we need to wire Paul and tell him that Megan is here,� he said. They had made contact with him and he had been angry that the two eloped, but the morning they had gone to the docks he had called asking them to tell her he loved her and that he wished she would come home.
When she pulled away from him, Rick leaned over her. �Evie we can�t tell him what to do. Legally we can, but I think that will make things worse, and I think he�s enough like me to try running again if we start making demands of him,� Rick said.
�How do we leave him here Rick?� she said.
When she turned to face him tears were streaming down her cheeks, and Rick sat up then gently pulled her into his arms. �Maybe by then I�ll be ready to see my father and work things out Evelyn. Right now I think taking things one day at a time with both of them is all we can do,� he replied as she cried softly in his arms.
Long after she was asleep, Rick sat wondering how many nights his mom had cried for him, and as he went to sleep his decision about making contact with them was final. Once things were settled with Alex and Megan he would go see his parents and his baby sister.
~*~
Meeting Alex�s grandparents and his Aunt, who refused to let either of them call her aunt Mary-Elizabeth, Megan and Alex felt even more at home. Robert had taken Alex out to a plot of land he had saved for Rick and offered to help them build a house there so they could be closer to the family. Both of them had declined, not feeling right taking something that had been intended for Alex�s dad.
Now at breakfast, they sat talking about last night.
�Were you all right with seeing Jacob?� Alex asked, a little worried because after he had woken up she had become very quiet.
Megan managed to keep a cherry face. �Of coarse I was. He is a very sweet baby,� she said as she nearly choked on her eggs. �You are going to be late if you don�t get going.� She was glad when he hurried up and gathered his things. After a quick kiss goodbye he was gone, and only when she was sure he was underway, did she let the tears which had threatened to fall since last night come.
Somehow she managed to clean their plates and put things away, and as she was walking toward the bedroom, she heard a knock at the door. Megan ran to the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water, then dried it off, and hurried to the front of the house, guessing Alex had forgotten something. When she opened the door both Rick and Evelyn were standing there. The shock of seeing them and everything that had happened since their arrival caused her to crumble to the floor. Megan felt one of them stand her up and let whomever it was lead her to their couch. When she was wrapped in Evelyn�s arms she continued to cry soul wrenching cries, until she could not.
Evelyn�s heart ached as she held Megan in her arms and she was glad for Rick�s hand in her left hand as they both let Megan finish crying.
When she finally spoke, she barely had a voice left to speak. �Alex is at work,� she said, guessing they were wondering where he was. She lifted her face from Evelyn�s dress and wasn�t embarrassed when the woman who had been practically her mother, wiped her tears away with Rick�s handkerchief.
�Where does he work?� Rick asked, guessing that they wanted and needed to be alone.
�Hampton�s Hardware store. It�s in town...�
Rick smiled at her. �I remember my way. I�ll come back after I check on Heidi and see if Alex is willing to see me,� he said. Before leaving he hugged Megan and kissed her, then left to go check on his other two children.
~*~
When there weren�t any customers in the store, Alex�s job was to stock what ever items needed to be stocked. When that job was finished, he was permitted to read the morning paper, which was what he was doing when he heard the bell ring on the door. He looked up, and felt almost faint when his father walked in. With all that had gone on with work and waiting the week to see his grandparents he had completely forgotten that his own parents were on their way. �Um hi dad,� he said feeling his hands sweat.
Rick smiled at his son, wanting to hug him but not sure what was acceptable. �Hey pal,� he said.
�Where are mum and Heidi?� he asked, willing to avoid the enviable lecture as long as he could.
�Heidi is with my friend Jake, and his wife Betty at Jake�s Hotel, and your mum is with your wife,� he said, wishing they had a more private place to talk. Before more could be said the door opened again, and when Rick turned around the face he saw was an older version of his sister Mary-Elizabeth.
�Rick?� Mary-Elizabeth knew his face even though it had been over twenty years since she had seen her brother.
�Yeah it�s me,� he said in shock. The last time he had seen her, Mary-Elizabeth had been no older than Heidi was now.
The two of them stood staring at one another until Alex stood between them. �Mr. Hampton says you can use his office Alex said, both happy and amazed that Mr. Hampton knew his father and his Aunt. Before he knew what was happening, Alex found himself in one of his father�s bear hugs and almost felt like crying.
A moment later they were all three in Mr. Hampton�s office, and Alex sat and watched as his dad held his Aunt as she cried. He was happy that at least the two of them seemed all right, but worried about what would happen once his Grandfather and dad came face to face, and hoped his grandfather didn�t decide to stop by.
�We thought they killed you Rick,� Mary-Elizabeth said as they looked at one another.
�Takes more than they can dish out to do that to me,� he said as he kissed her cheek. �Mary, this is my son Alex,� he said, not realizing that they had already met.
�Dad, she knows me. Grandfather and Grandmother know me too,� he said waiting for an explosion.
At Rick�s surprised look, Mary-Elizabeth explained to him about Alex being sent out to the farm with shipment of lumber, and about their dinner last night. �Mom would love to see you, but I think it�s going to take time for dad,� she said.
Alex left them to talk and even though Mr. Hampton told him to stay and visit with his father, Alex refused, wanting to do his job, needing time to think about all that was happening.
~*~
At Alex and Megan�s Evelyn sat with Megan, listening to her talk about the loss of the baby.
�It wasn�t really a baby yet, but I was getting used to the idea, even though Alex and I are so young. He didn�t even know until they told him at the hospital. I�m not sure how he feels.�
Evie smiled and hugged her for the millionth time. �I miscarried once. Alex was seven years old and it was before we went to Egypt. Rick and I were having arguments about going there, nothing too bad, but I suspected when I missed my cycle, something I�ve never done before that I was with child. I missed one more, and two weeks later at home by myself I started to bleed. Rick and Alex were on their camping trip, and I stayed in the hospital for a week, but Rick never knew,� Evie said as she felt her eyes mist.
�Did you tell him?� Megan asked.
�When they came home yes. Alex doesn�t know. He likely remembers me crying alot, but I know how it feels to have hope for a new life and then to lose it,� Evelyn said.
A knock at the door drew Megan away from her mother-in-law, and when she opened it she found Heidi with a woman she didn�t know. �My goodness look at you,� Megan said as she knelt down and hugged Heidi close.
Heidi hugged her back, then went straight for her mum, the one she had missed all morning.
�I�m Betty Thomas. I�ve known Rick since he was a little boy, and you must be Megan?� she asked.
Megan smiled and accepted a hug, amazed out how friendly people were around here. �Won�t you come in?� she asked.
�No Honey, I have a Hotel to run. Heidi, are you sure you don�t want to come back with me?� she asked.
�My mummy needs me here,� she said. She was settled comfortably on Evelyn�s lap, and wasn�t going to budge.
Once the door was shut, Megan sat down by Evie and Heidi. �How have you been doing?� Megan asked of Heidi.
�Sad because we missed you and because I thought the baddies got you and Alex, but your safe so we can all go back to London now,� she said, not knowing that her brother and Megan would likely not be going back with them.
Megan looked at Evelyn, glad when she suggested they make lunch for when the men returned home.
~*~
By that time Rick and Mary-Elizabeth walked out of Mr. Hampton�s office, it was lunch time. Rick hugged his sister goodbye, and watched as she and Alex hugged then when she was gone suggested they go to the house and eat.
Alex almost hoped Mr. Hampton would tell him he had to stay, and was slightly disappointed when he was given the rest of the day off. On the walk home he wasn�t sure what to say, but knew he wanted to say something. �How angry are you?� he finally asked as they turned onto the street that led to another street where his house was located.
�I was really angry when Megan called us that day, but I knew that me staying that way wasn�t going to help us figure out what we were going to do,� Rick said as he looked at his son. Alex looked like a frightened child, and Rick wondered if letting them decide what to do was wise.
Alex watched the sidewalk in front of him. His hands were stuffed deep into the pockets of his tan slacks and he had to think of what to say next. �I don�t know what I should do,� he finally said. �I love her so much that when I�m away from her I miss her all the time. When I�m with her I�m happy but I don�t know how we will make it by ourselves.�
Rick stopped and reached out, putting his arm around Alex�s shoulder. �You don�t have to try to make it on your own pal. I had to live my life by myself, or at least I thought I did, and I won�t let you go through that alone. You�re mum and I want to be a part of your lives if you are willing to let us,� Rick said.
Alex swallowed the lump in his throat. �So you aren�t going to make us get an annulment.
�No we aren�t, but we need to talk about why you left, and about where you and Megan want to stay,� he said as they walked up to the house. For now the chance to talk freely was gone, as the door opened and Heidi launched herself into her brother�s arms.
Alex held on to Heidi as tight as he could, and felt her hold tight to him, enough so that he had to tell her to let him breath.
�We made lunch for you and daddy,� she said as she kissed his cheek.
�You did, what did you make?� he asked as he carried her into the house.
�Megan made meat-loaf,� Heidi said as her brother put her down. Unwilling to let go of him, she took his hand and held it as he kissed his wife.
As soon as they parted, Alex found himself in his mothers arms and felt Heidi�s hand pull out of his. Once it was he wrapped both of his arms around Evie and took in a deep shuttering breath, then another; emotionally spent he found he couldn�t let go of her just yet.
Rick and Megan coaxed Heidi into the kitchen leaving them alone. After sitting down in his chair, Rick reached out and lifted Heidi up, then settled her on his lap. With only four chairs for the table there wasn�t room for her to have her own.
�Daddy is Alex sad?� she asked.
�He�s happy to see your mum, and sometimes when your happy you cry a little.� As soon as he finished saying that, Alex and Evelyn walked in and lunch began.
~*~
While Lucy�s reaction to the news that Rick was in town was much like Mary-Elizabeth�s, Robert�s was as they both expected. Now in the privacy of their own room, Robert paced back and forth between the door and the far wall while Lucy sat on the bed.
�I can�t believe that you and Mary-Elizabeth are willing to forget the pain he caused all of us,� Robert said as he stopped pacing long enough to look at his wife.
�Robert, don�t you think we�ve hung on to our anger long enough?� she asked.
�Maybe you have, but he�s not permitted to come into this house or step foot on our property. I can�t stop you or Mary-Elizabeth from seeing him, but things will be better off when he�s long gone,� Robert said. �Alex and Megan are still welcome here,� he added as he walked out the door.
Lucy�s heart ached. She knew she couldn�t stay away from Rick, and prayed silently that somehow her two men would find a way to make amends.
~*~
After lunch, Evelyn managed to get Heidi to take a rest in Megan and Alex�s room, and while she tended to her, Rick told Alex and Megan about his life before the bad times. �Jake�s Hotel was new when we moved here from Chicago, I think I was about four or five then. We met Jake and Betty at church, and Edward your boss, and his wife Lilly, at their house for a gathering after church.� He told them about when his sister was born, and was getting into a little of what he had said to Alex in London when Evelyn came out of the master bedroom.
Evie took a seat next to Rick in the chair he had brought out from the kitchen, and after giving her husband a kiss she said what she needed to say. �Alex why?�
�You know how you feel about dad? It�s like that with me and Megan, and I know we are young but I need to be with her, I want to spend my life with her,� he said, as he took her hand.
�What about the tough times? What about what happened with the baby?� Evelyn asked. She wanted to shake him, and make him realize that there was more to marriage than simply loving one another.
Alex looked down at his feet. �It wasn�t what we were ready for, either one of us, but from that I learned I can�t run away from her or be mad,� he said as he looked up.
Suddenly Evelyn stood up and walked back to the room where her daughter was. She opened the door and shut it quietly then crawled into bed next to her Heidi.
In the den, Rick tried to explain how difficult all of this had been on them. �What you and Megan choose to do with your lives isn�t something we will stop. I will offer you advise though. I think you two need to find out more about who you both are before you continue,� he said as he stood up. He walked over to the couch and gave them both a hug then went to check on his wife.
Once Rick was gone, Megan leaned against her husband. �Are you afraid?� she asked.
�More than I�ve ever been, but I�m not giving up on us,� he said as they turned to face one another. They kissed, then went into the kitchen to clean up the dishes left from lunch.
~*~
That evening, Rick and Evelyn returned to their hotel alone. Heidi had begged to stay with Alex and Megan, and Megan had assured them she had a long shirt she could wear. Alone, they talked about Alex, and neither one could agree on what to do.
�So if they decide to stay here and stay married then we let them? You know they are not even really married,� Evelyn all but yelled as she pulled her black cotton shirt over her head.
It had been a long time since Rick had seen her this angry, and he was doing his best not to let his temper rise with hers. �So what do you want to do?� he asked.
�Take them home of coarse. Tell them that this is all nonsense and put Alex back in school,� Evie said more quietly, more matter of fact, as if that was what they were going to do.
Rick stood up from the bed and walked over to his wife. He turned her around to face him. �We can�t keep him where he doesn�t want to be Evie. If that was why we came then it was a waste of time, trust me on this he is too much like me,� Rick said.
She pushed away from him. �We are still his parents Rick and he is just a boy,� she said. Not wanting to talk anymore, she got a nightgown on then went to bed. She felt the bed move then felt herself pulled against him. �I want to turn back the hands of time, I should never have punished him by keeping them apart,� she said as she rolled over to face him.
Rick took her left and brought it to his lips. �We are doing the best we can do Evie, and we aren�t perfect. I�ll say this much, when Heidi has her thirteenth birthday we are sending her to a convent.�
Evelyn laughed for the first time in days, then snuggled closer to him, needing to make love to him, to feel a part of him. Her hands moved over his chest then down between them. She gasped as his hands moved the nightgown she had put on up then over her head.
�We don�t need this,� he said as his lips found hers.
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