Change of Scenery-chapter
13
by SamPast
and Huggedlots
Copyright (c) 1999
Heather was so
excited that Bob and Maggie were finally coming home that she slept at Bob's
place in a sleeping bag. Everything was clean and she had plenty of time to go out
and get groceries so she could fill the fridge and closets so Bob wouldn't have
to worry about that.
After putting everything
away, she paced and paced until Mrs. Warner knocked on the door and asked her
to come down for coffee before she drove her nuts.
About 1 pm, they both heard
a car pulling into the driveway, and Heather bolted to the window and shouted,
"They're here, they're here."
Laughing Mrs. Warner, said,
"Yup, looks like it."
Running out the door,
Heather was standing in the driveway as Bob pulled in his car and U-haul. Bob
thought he had never seen a lovelier sight, but Maggie beat him out of the car
and rushed and threw herself into Heather's arms.
"Ohhh
Mom, I sure missed you!" Maggie exclaimed.
"Ohh
Maggie, I missed you soooo much, too," said
Heather.
Bob came over and had tears
in his eyes, as he looked at "his" two girls. Even though Maggie had
talked to Heather every day, twice a day, she still had plenty left to tell
her. Heather stroked her hair, and looked over her head at Bob, who stood with
a silly smile on his face, she thought. Finally, Maggie let her go, and Bob
scooped Heather up in his arms and hugged her hard.
"I missed you soo much, Heather. You and I have some talking to do
later," Bob said mysteriously.
"We do?" Heather
asked him shyly.
"Yes, young lady, we
do! But right now, we have a whole lot of work to do," and with that, he
swatted her playfully on her behind, and said, "Get to work."
"YES SIR," she
laughed.
Maggie started unpacking
the small stuff, and running up to the apartment. Bob felt he could stand and
hug her all day, but knew that they would never get done at that rate, so he
started lifting things out of the truck. About half an hour later, they heard
more cars, and looked up to see Lisa, Charlie and the twins, as well as Jack
pulling in.
"Okay, here comes the
work crew. Stand aside," Charlie said.
"Ohhh, big brother to the rescue, huh?" Bob laughed. "Thanks guys, we sure
could use more muscle."
With everyone's help, it
only took about two hours to get everything moved in. Bob figured he would
unpack all his book boxes later, but the bed was set up, furniture arranged,
and Lisa and Heather had the linens put away and the bed made, so he was in
pretty good shape.
"How about I buy everyone
some dinner?" Bob asked.
"Thanks, but we have
other plans," Charlie told him. "The twins sure have been missing
Maggie, though, and wondered if she would like to spend the night."
Charlie winked at Bob,
knowing what he had in mind for that night. He and Charlie had had a long talk
on the phone a few nights before.
Heather overheard and said,
"No thanks, Charlie. I need some time with Maggie myself."
Bob hadn't planned on THAT
snag and realized he should have. Just then, the twins and Maggie came running
down. "Mom, Uncle Bob, Jenn and Robin asked me to come over, can I please,
please, please?"
"Whoa, young
lady," Bob said. "Your mom has been missing you, and wants some time
with you."
"Ohh,
sure Mom, I'm sorry," Maggie said quietly.
Heather looked at her
crestfallen face, and said, "It's okay, sweetie,
I will pick you up tomorrow afternoon, and then we will spend time together,
okay? You sure are growing up, Maggs."
"Ohhh
Mom, I am still your little girl, so don't worry, okay?" Maggie said, well
beyond her years.
Lisa hugged Heather, and
told her to relax and have a good time with Bob. Heather smiled and said,
"Ohhh, I will, thanks."
~~~~~~~~~~
With everyone gone, Bob
poured them both a glass of wine that Heather had chilled in the
frig, and put out some snacks. "Come here, sweetie," Bob said
to her. Heather settled onto his couch and felt right at home in his arms. Bob
realized that he never, ever wanted to let this lady go. They sat there, each
in their own thoughts for a bit, relaxing, and then Bob turned her around to
look into her eyes.
"Heather?" he
asked. Heather smiled. "Yes?"
Bob continued, "I have
had time to do a whole lot of thinking the last two weeks. I know this is going
to sound crazy, but I felt like when I met you, that I had known you forever,
and that it was just well, right, do you understand?"
"Yes, Bob, I felt that
way, too. It feels like coming home, when I am in your arms," Heather
replied.
"Ahh,
so you DO know. Heather, I love you!" Bob slipped off the couch, and onto
his knees. He took Heather's hands in his, and asked her, "Heather, will
you marry me?"
Heather didn't even
hesitate. "Ohhhh Bob," Heather burst into
tears, threw her arms around him, and said, "YES- OH -YES!!!!!!"
Bob felt so overwhelmed
that he picked her up in his arms, and went into the bedroom. Several hours
later, when they were both able to talk again, Bob told her the rest of his
thoughts.
"Sweetheart, remember
when you told me you couldn't go to college?" Bob asked.
"Um hmm," she
replied drowsily.
"Wake up, hon, I really want to talk to you," Bob exclaimed.
Heather was still too
groggy and rolled over. Bob, deciding she had rested enough, swatted her bare
bottom, hard. "Y'ouchhhhhh!" Heather
yelled.
"Are you up yet dear?"
Bob asked, teasingly.
"Grrrrr,"
Heather replied, "I am now, SIR."
"Good, I needed your
attention," Bob chuckled. "Now, answer my question." Heather
sighed and said, "Hmm, well, I did want to go to college, and yes Maggie
made that impossible, but I like my job."
Bob said, "Do you
really like your job, hon?"
"Well, its okay, I
guess. I haven't been there that long. It might get better when they give me
move responsibility. Why?" Heather asked.
Bob replied, "Well,
honey, I make enough to support us all, and as a professor, you can attend
college for free. That way, you can also be home when Maggie gets home, so we
can save the expense of child care. What do you think?"
"Ohhhh,
Bob. I dont know. What if I fail? What if I cant do it? I haven't picked up a book in like
forever!" Heather whined.
Bob decided to ignore that.
"Hmm, I think you are forgetting something here."
"What?" Heather
asked.
"You will be married
to a full professor, who can help you with any homework you bring home.
Okay?" Bob reasoned.
"Well, I think I am
too old," Heather suggested.
"Too old, EXCUSE ME,
old lady! I think you just demonstrated that you are NOT too old," Bob
stated.
Heather blushed and looked
shy. "Heather, I am serious, and I really want you to think about this. I
will get a catalogue, and we can look through it, and talk more, okay? But I
really think it would do Maggie a lot of good to have you home with her in the
afternoons. After we are married, she will have adjustments to make, AGAIN, new
school, new friends, and she will need you," Bob reminded her.
"You are sooo thoughtful. I am going to love being married to
you!" Heather expressed.
"Me
too, you. Let me
show you how OLD we both are," Bob said as he smiled.
It was several hours before
either one of them could resume the conversation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, over
breakfast, Bob asked Heather when they should set the date for.
"Well, I think it
would be fun to get married on Christmas Eve. What do you think?" Heather
asked, crossing her fingers.
"Christmas
Eve? That's
like, in two weeks!" Bob exclaimed.
"Yeah?! It's a Saturday this year, and that works
perfectly. What do you think?" Heather inquired.
"Well, I think...I
don't know what I think. Okay, the sooner the better," Bob said.
Heather laughed.
"Okay, what kind of wedding should we have, dear?"
Bob said, "Well, we
don't have much time to plan. How about a small noon wedding in one of the
wedding chapels out here in Westbury, and then a luncheon?"
"Sounds good to me,
hon. Whatever you want. All I need and want is
YOU," Heather exclaimed.
"Okay, I'll put my
people on it. We don't have much time to plan, so I guess we'd better get
busy," Bob suggested. "And, Heather?"
"Yes hon?"
"I was serious about
school. I would like you to give notice at your job on Monday. Then, right
before the wedding, we'll get you and Maggs moved in.
And then we'll have the entire Christmas break to be together. I don't have to
go back to work till January 12th," Bob admitted.
"Ohh,
and have you planned our honeymoon too?" Heather playfully asked, as she
threw a pillow at him.
"Watch that, young
lady, or you will wind up over my knee," Bob said in mock sternness.
"Ohh,
you think so, huh?" Heather threw another pillow at him, and upon seeing
his suprised look, started to run. Easily grabbing
her, he put one foot on a chair, lifted her robe, and spanked her bare bottom.
"Sooo,
you think you can sass me, do you?" Bob asked, as
he started smacking first one cheek then the other. "Huh? Young
lady?"
"Umm, no sir,"
Heather tried not to laugh, as the smacks didn't really sting at all. Upping
the ante a bit, Bob started to warm her bottom, and asked, "Now, shall we
discuss school again, young lady?"
"Ouuchhh,
hey, no fair. This is coersion! OUCH," Heather
yelped. Before long they wound up back in the bedroom, and reached for each
other in a way, two hungry lovers, happily in love will do.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Around noon, Heather called
to check on Maggie, and told her that she and Uncle Bob were coming to get her,
and had a suprise.
"Really
Mom, what? Tell
me," Maggie pleaded.
"Nope, you have to
wait, hon. We will be there around 3, okay?"
Heather declared.
"Sure,
Mom. But hurry,
I want my suprise," Maggie said.
~~~~~~~~~
Driving to Charlie and
Lisa's house, Bob asked Heather again about their honeymoon. "Sweetie, do
you think we should take Maggie with us?"
"I certainly DO NOT.
She can go stay with my mom, or we can ask Charlie and Lisa. Besides, you said
yourself we have lots of time with her before you go back to work.
"You're right,"
Bob said, "Maggie will understand, and she will have her daddy for the
rest of her life! I love you, hon."
"I love you, too.
Where are we going, anyway?" Heather asked.
Bob scratched his head and
pretended to be thinking. "Well, I thought we could go to the Bahama's. It is beautiful there, and you will love
it!" he exclaimed.
Heather leaned over and
kissed him on his cheek. They arrived at Charlie and Lisa's, holding hands.
Maggie ran to the door when
she heard the bell.
"Hi Mom, Hi, Uncle
Bob. Tell me, Tell me, Tell me!" Maggie pleaded.
"Whoa girl," Bob
said to her as he swept her up in his arms. Heather came over and the three of
them stood there hugging in the hallway.
"How would you like it
if your mom and I got married, and we all lived together, and I was your new
dad?" Bob said quickly.
Maggie's eyes opened wide.
Uncle Bob had hinted at something like this, but that had been only two days
ago. "Ohhhhhh, WOW! Gosh, I thought you two
would NEVER get around to it," Maggie exclaimed.
"Oh
yeah?"
Heather said. Both Heather and Bob started tickling her, and she squealed with
joy.
"Can I tell the
others?" Maggie asked.
"NOPE, but you can ask
them all to gather in the living room, if you would, Magpie," Bob said.
Maggie smiled at the name
he had given her while they were in Chicago. "Okay," and with that,
Maggie scooted off to get the others.
Yelling at the top of her lungs,
Maggie gathered everyone quickly.
Bob and Heather stood in
the middle of the room, hand in hand, and announced that they were engaged and
were going to be married on Christmas Eve.
"Ohhh,
that's wonderful," Lisa cried.
"Congratulations,"
Charlie told him and shook his hand. Then, thinking better of the handshake,
Charlie pulled his brother into a hug and said, "Christmas Eve, huh? Man,
you two don't waste any time."
Maggie and Robin and
Jennifer held hands, and jumped up and down. "We're gonna
be cousins! We're gonna be cousins!" they
yelled.
Lisa hugged Heather, while
Charlie hugged Bob. Then they switched. Hugging Heather, Charlie whispered in
her ear, "I hope my brother knows how to handle you, young lady."
Heather blushed and said,
"He does, he really does."
The End.
to
next series: New
Beginnings