18 comments/ 13941 views/ 10 favorites On the Other Hand Ch. 11-12 By: coaster2 Chapter 11 Going Home Agent Kosloski took Nicole's bags out of the SUV while Nicole, Agent Caldwell and I walked to the waiting jet. We stopped short of the stairway and shook hands once more. "You've been a real soldier, Ms. Carlisle. I'm going to make sure my boss writes your boss to thank him for the loan of you and to tell him just how much you were responsible for helping us figure out what was going on. I know thanks aren't enough, but you have mine and the agency's for your fine work." "Thank you both. It was a pleasure working with you. But if you ever feel you need me again, please ask for Will's permission first. He's my new boss," she smiled, tightening her grip on my arm. "Agreed," Caldwell said with an equal smile. The bags had been stowed and Nicole and I walked up the steps into the cabin on the chartered jet. Once inside I could see it was fitted out in executive fashion, with only nine seats. There were no other people on the plane besides us, the pilot and co-pilot. I heard the whine of the motor that raised the integrated step-door closed and sealed. "Afternoon, folks. This is Captain Durant. We've got a short hop to Saginaw this afternoon. No headwinds and good weather. We should be back on the ground at three-ten this afternoon, with a flying time of one hour and forty-four minutes. Once we reach our cruising altitude, I'll switch off the seatbelt light and you can help yourself to coffee or any of the snacks you find at the rear of the cabin. The washroom is opposite the galley on the right. So fasten your seatbelts, close up the tables if they're out, and we'll be on our way." This has to be the way to travel, I thought. No fuss, no muss, comfortable seats and a flying time that was at least forty-five minutes quicker than commercial out of Boston. All the seats were luxurious leather singles with build-in trays in the fuselage. I reached across the aisle for Nicole's hand and she smiled and gave it to me. "This is going to spoil me," she said as we began our take-off on the runway. I had to admit, this made commercial travel look like horse-and-buggy. When we reached 34,000 feet, the plane leveled off and I was amazed how quiet the whole take-off, ascent, and cruise was. The bulkhead said we were flying on a Gulfstream G200 and I tucked that away in my memory to let Jimmy know. Nicole was still stiff and sore from her episode three days earlier and was happy to stay seated in the lush leather chair she had chosen. I got curious and wandered about the cabin, helping myself to a soft drink while Nicole declined. I was anticipating our arrival back at the Carlisle's. There was still the logistics of retrieving my car from Detroit Municipal, but otherwise, I was happy to be heading home. When we landed it seemed like such a short trip and I wondered momentarily if they'd made a stop somewhere else. A quick look out the window told me it was indeed Saginaw and we are almost home. I helped Nicole get up and had her follow me down the steep stairway to the ground. I felt her hand on my shoulder, but she didn't stumble. "Ms. Carlisle, Mr. Travers, I'll take your luggage and drive you wherever you need to go," the big man said with a smile. He was another of the dark-suited men I had come to recognize and, of course, he drove a black SUV. "My car is at the Detroit airport parking lot, so if you drop us off at Ms. Carlisle's home, we'll be fine from there." "Yes, sir. Happy to do that. I'll be going to Detroit tomorrow, sir. I'd be happy to drop you off at the airport on my way." I thought about all the clichés that circled around the F.B.I. and thought how different my experience was with them. They had been invariably helpful and polite, considering I had crashed their party. They were definitely interested in how I had tracked Nicole down. I could imagine they were looking for ways to plug that kind of leak in future. "That's very generous of you. When do you plan to leave here?" "I was thinking at eleven o'clock, Sir. We would be there just past noon. Will that work?" "Yes. And thank you. That saves me a lot of inconvenience. I really appreciate it." "You're welcome, Sir." "How about that," I said to Nicole. She smiled and leaned her head on my shoulder. "I'd go with you but I don't think I'm quite ready for a long car ride yet. But you'll be back in plenty of time for dinner, won't you?" "You know it. I wouldn't miss one of your mother's home cooked meals for anything." We got a joyous, but subdued greeting at the house. Angus had left work early to be there to greet his daughter and Jimmy had just arrived home from school. He didn't understand why he couldn't hug his mother, but we told him we would explain it all to him later on. Mary's tears were there, but this time they were tears of relief and happiness that their daughter was safe and home again. I got a huge hug of thanks from her even though I really didn't have anything to do with rescuing her. Jimmy was persistently curious about why his mother was hurt and he was pestering her to tell him what had happened. After a while, I knew he wasn't going to be satisfied with being put off, so I decided to tell him. "Jimmy, your mother was on a secret mission when she was away. She wasn't allowed to tell anyone what it was or where she was going." Jimmy's eyes were wide now, looking back forth between his mother and me. "Really?" I nodded. "Yes. I can't tell you everything because I promised the F.B.I. that I wouldn't," I lied, "but your mom was helping them solve a case about a bunch of guys who were going to blow up stuff. You know, like bridges and boats and things like that." "But Mom isn't in the F.B.I., is she?" "Nope. Your mom is an expert at her job, and the F.B.I. needed an expert to figure out what the bad guys were up to." "AWSOME!" he said, almost out of his seat in excitement. "Did you catch them, Mom? Did you get the bad guys?" "Yes, Jimmy, we did," she said calmly. "But a lot of people got hurt at the same time." "Is that how you got hurt, Mom?" he asked, now more somber as he watched his mother. "Yes. The bad guys were going to blow something up, but they made a mistake and blew themselves up and the building that I was in." I saw the look of horror on Mary's face, but she was fixated on the story now. "AW MAN! You got blown up?" Jimmy exclaimed, hardly able to believe it. "Yes, I was very lucky. The blast slammed me against a brick wall and it really hurt. It also knocked me out, so I didn't know that a lot of the stuff from the building was falling on me and burying me. Lucky for me, a fireman found me and dug me out. They put me in the hospital for a few days so I could recover and then come home." "Mom ... that's like the coolest thing ever. You were with the F.B.I. and you blew up the bad guys. Wait 'till I tell my friends my Mom's with the F.B.I." "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jimmy," I smiled. "Not so fast. Your Mom was helping the F.B.I. and she was hurt when the explosion went off that killed the bad guys. They did it to themselves because they didn't know how to handle explosives," I said, making an educated guess. "That is so awesome, Mom. Are you okay now?" "I'm still sore, but I'll be okay soon." "Did you fly on that jet again? The white one?" "Yes. It was very nice and got us home very quickly." "I wish I could fly on a jet like that. That would be so cool." "Well, Jimmy, I've had about all the adventure I can stand for a while. I think I'll just be a mom from now on. I'll let the F.B.I. catch the bad guys by themselves." "Did they put you on TV, Mom?" he asked. "No. They want to keep it quiet in case there are any more bad guys they have to catch. I don't think you'll see it on TV any time soon." "Aw ... I wish I could show my friends," he said wistfully. "Your daughter had quite an adventure, Mary," I told her quietly as Jimmy ran off to his room and Nicole went to unpack. "I expect you'll see a letter from one of the higher-ups in the F.B.I., thanking Nicole for her work. The two agents I dealt with couldn't say enough good things about what she did for them. "When I arrived that first night and saw what was left of the building, I didn't think there was any way she could have survived it. It was testing all the optimism I ever had to believe that somehow she was alive. Luckily she was, and will be fine in a week or so. She's had a big shock to her system and it might take a while to get over it, but the doctors don't expect any physical aftereffects." "What about mental, Will? Will some of these memories come back to haunt her?" "Can't say, Mary. But I'll be there to hold her and take care of her if that happens. She's a strong woman and I have a feeling she'll be okay once the physical part is better." "Thank you, Will. Thank you for everything. You are going to be such a great husband and father. I'm so happy for Nicole," she smiled kissing my cheek and hugging me. *** Sunday was almost a lost day. I had breakfast with the family and Agent McWhirter arrived promptly at eleven. I was about to leave when a thought occurred to me. "Agent, would it be all right if my son rode along with us?" "Certainly, Mr. Travers." "Thanks," I said, turning back into the house. "Jimmy!" I called, attracting Nicole's attention. "I'll take Jimmy with me for an outing, okay?" I asked, hoping I wasn't about to get shot down. "Yes ... okay, drive safely," she said, a bit surprised by my snap decision. Jimmy came running into the living room. "Grab your coat, Jimmy. We're going for a ride with the F.B.I." The look on his face was something to behold. "We are?" "Yep. No time to waste. Let's go." "Okay," he said, grabbing his winter jacket and running out the door after me. "Agent McWhirter, this is Jimmy Carlisle. Jimmy, this is F.B.I. Agent McWhirter." "Hi," Jimmy said cautiously, clearly awestruck by the big man. "Nice to meet you Jimmy. Hop in." It took Jimmy a half hour before the questions began. The agent explained that he wasn't with Jimmy's mom when the explosion happened. Yes, he carried a gun, but couldn't show it to him when he was driving. No, he had never shot anyone. He had never even shot at anyone. Yes, he had to go to college to get into the F.B.I. And on, and on. I had to hand it to the agent; he didn't get upset or frustrated with Jimmy's constant questions. Maybe he had kids of his own and he knew the drill. On the other hand, I was sure he was relieved when the trip ended at the Detroit Municipal Airport. I thanked him profusely for the ride and for putting up with all the questions. Like his fellow agents, he was polite and courteous and made me feel good about his people. Jimmy fell asleep on the way home. It was a relief and I guessed that he had talked himself out on the way down and could relax on the way home. He would have quite the stories to tell his friends tomorrow when he went to school. Stories that I wondered if any of them would believe. There had been nothing on the news, according to Angus and Mary, and little if anything in the newspaper when I checked the next day. I suspected that the F.B.I. had put a lid on the release of information since the suggestion was that a gas leak had caused the explosion. *** Christmas was rapidly approaching and I was looking for ideas for gifts. I did what any sensible person would do, I consulted. I consulted Angus for Mary's gift, and Mary for Angus. I consulted both of them for Nicole and Nicole for Jimmy. It was a total failure. I heard the following phrases more than once. "Oh, I don't really know. I'm sure he'll be happy with anything you choose." (Mary) "I asked her and she said she didn't really need anything." (Angus) "You know her desires better than either of us." (Mary and Angus) "He'll be happy with anything you get him." (Nicole for Jimmy) Now, any other man might have been frustrated, but I chose not to be. I'm an optimist, after all. I could be creative if necessary. I could figure this out myself. Right! First priority was Nicole. Jewelry was always a winner, I thought. Something nice and elegant, like that pearl necklace she wore on our first date. Back to the jewelry store where we bought the ring. My thinking was that that fellow who served us might remember Nicole and help me with a purchase. Naturally, he was no where to be found when I arrived. Okay, Plan B. Better to talk to a woman, right? She'd relate better to my needs. Well, I sure hope so, because six hundred dollars later I had a nice, simple diamond pendant set in gold and a pair of matching earrings. Nothing too good for my lady, I rationalized. So, on to my next priority, Jimmy. He already had a new bicycle, so I needed something different. I spent some time in the electronics department of Best Buy, looking at what might be suitable for a kid nearly seven years old. The woman who approached me with the usual "Can I help you today?" actually could help me that day. She had a seven-year-old nephew and she recommended a portable notebook sized computer that was specifically designed for kids. It came with a typing program, some kid's games, and a "parent friendly" Internet web browser that would keep him from stumbling onto to undesirable websites. All that for only three hundred dollars. I'd already found what I wanted for my parents. A video camera for Dad to record their various trips as well as Jimmy and my new family. Mom was angling for a new car, but I knew that wasn't in Dad's budget. I consulted with Dad and we jointly got her a paint job and detailing of her current '99 Corolla, to be done between Christmas and New Years. I was able to negotiate both items with the same company and saved quite a bit for both of us. Now for Angus and Mary. I had an idea and I talked it over with Nicole. We could get an inexpensive one week cruise with some careful shopping. She was all for it, a reward she said for putting up with her and Jimmy for all those years. She shared with me her finances and she could well afford it. In fact, the only reason she hadn't moved out and found a place for her and Jimmy was that fact that it would have upset her parents. She also volunteered to find just the right voyage and I agreed. So, I was ready for Christmas, somewhat lighter in the pocketbook, but happy with my choices nonetheless. The idea of teaming up with Nicole for her parents and with my father for my mother was fun. It also syndicated the risk. By mutual agreement, we decided to have Christmas at the Carlisle's. Christmas Eve would be just the five of us with my parents arriving mid-morning on Christmas Day. We allowed Jimmy one gift on Christmas Eve and he would be allowed to open his stocking presents before everyone else got up the next morning. Nicole had dealt with most of the stocking-stuffers, and I was relieved and thankful. We had resumed intimate relations four days after our return when her bruises and general soreness had either ebbed or gone away altogether. I was extremely careful that first time, frightened that I might hurt her and uncertain if she'd tell me. "For the last time, Will, I'm fine. You don't have to treat me like I'm fragile. I want you to make love to me and not be afraid to touch me. Now get to it!" she demanded, only partly in frustration. "You promise you'll tell me if I get carried away?" "Yes ... if I'm conscious." "What does that mean?" "It means I'm so horny that when you finally do get around to making love to me I'll probably pass out from anticipation." "Oh. So ... sooner is better?" I kidded. "Yes, dammit, sooner is definitely better." She was exasperated with my seeming to be being so slow to get the message. Afterwards, we lay facing each other, our hands gently exploring each other in the afterglow. "Everything okay?" I asked. "Yes, finally. I was beginning to think you were never going to do it. You were driving me crazy with your worries. Are you convinced I'm okay now?" "Yeah ... I'm convinced. You're a pretty good pole dancer." "As long as it's the right pole," she whispered as she gripped my resurging erection. "This one's just dandy, thank you." "Care for another dance?" "You have to ask?" she laughed, poking my chest with her forefinger. Since that afternoon, we had used every spare moment to be together. But it stirred my interest in finding a permanent home for the three of us. It was four days before Christmas when we were discussing the new home idea around the dinner table. "Well, the main thing we are trying to accomplish is to find a place we like that's close enough to both Jimmy's school and here," I said. "So far, there aren't very many homes for sale in this district." "Aye," Angus chimed in, "I've been keeping a weather-eye open too, Lad. What does your real estate fellow say?" "Says it's a very stable neighborhood and not a lot of turnover. He's trying to get us to look a little further out ... toward Midland even." "I know a house for sale," Jimmy said, looking around the table. "You do?" Nicole noted in surprise. "Yeah. Shane Robinson's dad has a new job. They have to move." "When did this happen?" Nicole asked. "I didn't see any realty sign on their lawn." "He just told me yesterday. I think his mom is upset. She doesn't want to move." "Oh, I'm sure she is. She told me she loved it here," Nicole added. "Sounds like it just happened," I suggested. Nicole looked at me and I could see the gears meshing. I almost knew what was coming next. "I'll call her after dinner and we'll talk," she said, not looking up from her meal. "Okay, Lefty," I grinned. She didn't dare look at me. Angus picked up on it immediately and I was sure he'd inform Mary what was going on. The preemptive strike was about to happen. "Sue is heartbroken," Nicole said as she sat beside me on the sofa. "Ken is getting a promotion, but it means moving to Cleveland, for God's sake. Yuck!" "Hmmm ... I'm guessing Cleveland is not your favorite city." "I've never been there," she admitted, "but one of my boyfriends was from there as he was a real ass ... wipe," she finally spat out. "Don't sugar coat it, Sweetheart, tell me what you really think," I chuckled. "Oh, find a new one, Will. Anyway, they have to sell and I told her that we were looking. I've mentioned you, but she didn't know we were engaged. She said she'd feel better selling to someone she knows. I've been in their house and it's really nice. Three bedrooms and a den that could be a fourth." "Or an office," I suggested with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, that's what it is now. Anyway, she's going to get her realtor to call our realtor and we'll talk. I'll let you know when we can go look at the place." "Thanks," I said with a somewhat condescending tone. "What? You don't want to do this?" "I didn't say that. I thought we might discuss a few things beforehand. You know, like budget and things that we both want in a home." "Of course," she said indignantly. "Are you suggesting I'm not considering your needs?" "Nope. I'm suggesting you've already got a full head of steam and we need to look at this possibility dispassionately. It's a major decision and it should be made thoughtfully." "Excuse me while I go get a towel to get rid of the cold water you've thrown on me," she said with a disgusted look. I grabbed her arm before she could stomp off somewhere, angry at me. "Don't run away, Sweetheart. I'm not trying to turn you off. I want you to calm down and think about this. You've only visited the house a couple of times and been in what, the living room and maybe the kitchen?" She stopped tugging at my hand and looked at me. I could see her thinking and guessed she was trying to remember what she could about the Robinson's home. After a brief time, I could see the frustration dissipate and a look of resignation replace it. On the Other Hand Ch. 11-12 "You're right. That's all I've seen ... along with a big back yard and a double garage. That's it." "How many bathrooms?" She shook her head. "I don't know?" "Is the basement finished?" "Don't know that either," she admitted, now showing a bit of a smile. "Have you written down a list of 'Musts' and 'Wants' for a new house?" She shook her head, now recognizing we needed to talk first before acting. "Why don't we do that first? We'll make up a list of the things we have to have in our home, and the things we want to have. Then, when we visit the Robinson's home ... or any other home, we can check off the list and see if it meets our needs." "Who taught you that?" she asked, now in a completely different mood. "My parents. Ask your Mom and Dad how they decided on this house. I'll bet they did something similar." She snuggled up to me. "I've got to remember how smart you are," she said. "I was all set to go charging off and buy a house I hadn't really seen. Luckily, you caught me just in the nick of time." "We're a team, Sweetheart. We'll learn to think and act like a team the longer we are together. Being lefties, we will make a formidable team. Unstoppable." "Yeah," she snickered, "unstoppable." Chapter 12 Gotta Live Somewhere "Hello, I'm Roger Kreiger from Sentinel Real Estate. You must be Mrs. Carlisle." "Ms. Carlisle ... and this is my fiancé, William Travers, whom you've already met. Please come in." "Well, congratulations are in order then. When's the big day?" he asked cheerily, clearly wanting to set the mood. "Not confirmed, but possibly in February." "Okay then. So, I know why I'm here. Mr. Travers had already contacted me when he wanted to see some houses in this area a month ago. Sounds like you're getting serious about this now." "Yes, we are," Nicole confirmed. "We e-mailed you our list of things we are looking for in order of importance. I hope you got it." "Yes," he said, pulling out a printed sheet with a copy of our e-mail. "It's very helpful to me. You've set a budget, told me what's important and I can narrow things down without wasting a lot of your time." "We wanted to make you aware of a house in our neighborhood that has just been listed with another firm. It's over on Cordova Road." "Would that be the Robinson residence?" "Yes. You know it?" Roger nodded. "There isn't much activity in this area, so we really watch for listings. They usually move pretty quickly. This is a very desirable area." "So we've discovered," I said. "We would like to see the Robinson house first, then we can talk about other possibilities." "Fine. I'll arrange a viewing as soon as possible. In the meantime, I've pulled down some other possibilities that I think might interest you as well. Why don't we go over them?" We sat around the kitchen table as Roger Kreiger laid out the five other properties that he had downloaded from the MLS site. I didn't say anything, but I thought four of them were quite ordinary and didn't really stir my interest. However, one of them did catch my eye. It was 2500 square foot home with a half-finished basement, four bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, a deep two car garage, and a big lot, more than 14,000 square feet. "What do you know about this home, Roger?" I asked. He smiled. "I thought you'd spot that one. It was built in sixty-four and has been in the same owner's hands since. It's getting to be too much for them to keep up as they are now in their seventies. It has a new roof since last year, new windows at the same time. The furnace is five years old, siding is cement board and seven years old. The half of the basement that is finished is a big family room, suitable for a big screen TV or a pool table. There's also a wet bar and that's where the half-bathroom is located." "Sounds like they've spent a lot of money keeping it up," I suggested. "Yes. In a good market, it would easily sell for $200,000 or more, but right now it's listed for $159,900. It's a great bargain in my opinion." "Where's it located?" "Bangor township, just north of the river." "So it would be a different school district then." "Yes, but if it was important, you could apply to the local school board to keep your son in his current school. You'd have to provide transportation for him to and from school though." "Okay, I'll keep that in mind. Can I have that listing please?" "Of course. You can get a better idea of its location on Google Earth. Otherwise, you have the address and you can drive by to see what you think." Nicole had sat by and said nothing while I quizzed our agent. I thought the house looked ideal for our needs, but I wondered if there was something I wasn't seeing. I wanted to do more research before I talked to Nicole about it. I wasn't going to get away with that it appeared. The minute Roger was out the door, she was on me. "What are you thinking, Will? What made you pick that particular home?" She wasn't dismissing the idea, just curious. "Let's look at the listing on-line. There should be some pictures with it and then we'll look it up on Google Earth and see where it is. It almost looks too good to be true." "Okay. I like the outside and what I can see of the property, so it's worth a look." It took only a minute to pull up the listing on the MLS site and sure enough, there were fifteen pictures attached. We started going through them. "Oh, wow, Will. Look at the size of that kitchen. It's twice as big as Mom and Dad's. Nice master bedroom too. Ensuite isn't large, but it would be fine for the two of us. Gee, it looks good from here, honey." "Look at the size of the back yard," I said. "And look at the distance between the neighboring houses. The lot width is 105 feet. That's big by subdivision standards today. You don't find lots like this close to the city any more." "What about Jimmy?" she asked. "Good question. Let's not get too far down the road, yet. We haven't seen the house and we still have the Robinson house to look at yet." "Okay, but I can't help getting excited. This is the first time I've ever gone house-hunting. I'm really looking forward to it," she smiled. "Well, it's a first for me, too, Sweetheart. I don't call looking for my condo house-hunting." *** The Robinson house was a disappointment. It was conventional in every sense, including the compact lot width. I just couldn't warm up to it, but I said nothing to Nicole until we were well away from it. "Well," I asked, "what did you think of it?" She shook her head. "We can do better, Will. It's nice enough, but only just. The yard is small and that cross street is busier than I realized." Roger Kreiger was listening carefully to our comments and was nodding. "I think you've made a pretty good assessment of that house, Ms. Carlisle. I'm sure it will sell, and probably for something close to the list price, but I think we can do better. It might not be in the same area, but I think we can do better," he repeated. "Let's go see that house you picked out, Will. Can you arrange that, Roger?" "Yes. I'll call them and see if they're okay with an evening viewing, otherwise I'll try and organize it for the weekend." "Good," I said. "In fact, Roger, let's make it for the weekend anyway. I want a good look at the neighborhood and the outside of the house." Roger was good at following instructions and called us back the next evening to let us know we had a two o'clock Saturday afternoon viewing at the Bangor property. "Do you think we should take Jimmy with us?" I asked. "No ... maybe if we really like it, we can take him back for a second look. I think we really need to do this without any distractions. If we do have a second look, then I would suggest we bring our parents and Jimmy along. It would be good to get their opinion too." I was nodding. "Good idea. That's what we'll do then." We met Roger at two on Saturday afternoon. He was there waiting for us. We parked on the wide concrete driveway and he accessed the side door lockbox to get a house key. We used the same door to enter the home. The late December cloudy skies made the house dark and Roger turned on some lights. We took almost an hour to go through the house. I deliberately kept my thoughts to myself. I didn't want to influence Nicole. I wanted her unvarnished opinion. In my mind, this house was perfect. It had everything we wanted and more. What particularly influenced me was the size of the property and the condition of the house. Considering it was forty-five years old, it looked and felt new. Inside was spotless and outside was tidy, bordering on immaculate. I waited for Nicole's opinion. "It's really something, isn't it?" she said as we stood on the driveway looking at the house and surroundings. "I can't think of anything that it doesn't have that we need." I nodded, still holding back my opinion. "How long has it been on the market?" I asked Roger. "Uhhm, just coming up two months," he said, consulting his listing notice. "Any offers yet?" I asked. "No, this time of year is very slow. I understand the wife of the owner had a small stroke and she's in some kind of care home temporarily." I nodded, turning to Nicole. "Do you think our parents and Jimmy would be interested in seeing this house?" She smiled at me. "You're sold, aren't you? In your mind, you're already living in this house." "I'm more concerned about your thoughts," I admitted. "Yes ... it would be hard to find anything better than this ... and at this price. I think we should bring everyone out, but why don't we put in an offer in the meantime?" She was off to the races again, but this time I wasn't trying to hold her back. "What do you think, Roger?" I asked, turning to him. He lit up, enthused that he might have a sale this quickly. "I'd say $155,000 should get it." "Then why don't you write up an offer? We already have financing in place." "We do?" Nicole said, surprised. "I had to do something to keep myself occupied while you were away." In fact, I had arranged for up to a quarter million in mortgage money, far more than it turned out I would need. I could afford it on my salary alone and with Nicole's as well, we would have a big cushion. She was now earning almost as much as I was. When we got home we told Angus and Mary about the house and I called my parents. Both we equally excited about our find and wanted to see it. Jimmy was a bit more cautious, wondering where it was. I showed him on Google Earth just where it was and he could see it wasn't that far from his grandparents home. That seemed to settle him. Roger agreed we could go back on Sunday with our parents since no one was currently living in the house. He was doing the paperwork for the offer that afternoon and we could sign the documents when we met on Sunday. With an offer in place, the owners would know we were serious. "This has a familiar look about it," my father said Sunday when he stepped out of his car. "It looks a lot like our property." He was right. My parents lived out of town, closer to Midland, and had a large piece of property, something my father had always wanted. They had lived there since I left home, my brother following me two years later. Their home was a good deal smaller, but it was more than adequate for the two of them. "Oh, Will, this is lovely," Mary said as she surveyed the property. It was sunny with some broken cloud and I had to admit it brightened the place up considerably. If I liked it on a gloomy day, I liked it even more on a sunny one. "Is this our house?" Jimmy asked. "No ... not yet," Nicole explained. "We're thinking about it. That's why we brought you out to see it." "It's really big, isn't it," he said, looking at all the grass and space around the home. "And it's got a big tree I can climb, too." I suppressed a laugh, thinking immediately of broken bones and an unhappy mother. Nicole must not have heard the comment, but my mother did. She looked at me with a warning note. Six-year-old kids tended to focus on the essentials in their life. Trees were for climbing and there were no trees at Grandad and Nana's place. Roger had stayed out of the way, only answering questions if asked. His work was done and awaited only a response to our now-signed offer. We didn't spend as much time in the house as yesterday, but I was listening to Jimmy for his reaction. He came tearing up stairs from the basement and into the kitchen where the adults were gathered. "You guys! You guys! Come and see downstairs. It's got a big pool table. It's really neat." Our parents obediently trooped downstairs while Nicole and I held back for a moment. "I think Jimmy might be coming around," she said. "I wonder, Roger, do you know where the school is?" "There's an elementary school three blocks east and a block south. We can drive by when we leave. It's quite new." That seemed to satisfy Nicole as we waited for the parents and Jimmy to return. "There's a nice wee bar down there as well, Lad," Angus said with a smile. "A bit of a hide-away it is." "Trust you to find that," Mary said with chuckle. There was enthusiastic approval from our parents and Jimmy was thinking of all the things he could do here as well. I didn't hear any negatives at all, but we hadn't seen the school yet. It was only a ten minute drive from the Carlisle home to the new location. It wasn't far to get anywhere in the district. Roger led us to the elementary school and I could immediately see it was quite new. Jimmy could see it was much bigger than his current school. "Wow, look at all the neat stuff they've got, Mom. Is this where I'm going to school?" "Could be, if we buy that house. You'd finish up at your old school and come here in September." "It's really big, isn't it Mom?" "Yes, it's quite big and new too." "I like that school. I hope we buy that house," he said, staring out the car window and the school grounds. Problem solved. Roger called us Monday evening. "The owners have accepted your offer, Mr. Travers. They won't be out of the house until the end of February. Can you live with that?" I had Roger on speaker phone and everyone in the house, including Jimmy, was listening. I turned to Nicole for confirmation and she nodded. "Yes, we can live with that, Roger. When do you want to meet to do the paperwork?" "Tomorrow evening will be fine," he said. And that was that. We were now on the verge of owning our first home. "That was easier than I thought it would be," I said to Nicole as we lay in bed in my condo. "The offer went through quickly and Jimmy wasn't upset about changing schools." "Did you see the size of that master bedroom?" she asked. "Sure. Couldn't miss it." "Plenty of room for a king-size bed." "And why would you want a king-size bed?" I kidded, poking her lightly. "Bigger playground." "True," I smirked, "and big enough that we can both sleep on the left side." "Jimmy's excited about the new home." "Are you?" I asked. "Very. It's wonderful, but I don't know what we're going to do with all those extra bedrooms." "We'll think of something." "Maybe we already have," she said cryptically. "Oh?" "I'm late." It took me a couple of seconds to catch on. "How late?" "A few days. It's not definite yet, but I think you might have done the deed, Mr. Travers. Despite all odds, I think you might become a father." "Yeah, well, that's no surprise," I said, trying to be nonchalant. "Two lefties are always going to beat the odds." "Can I tell you something?" "Sure," I said, trying not to explode with happiness. "I think you made me pregnant that very first time. I had a funny feeling about it then." "And it didn't bother you. I mean, we weren't engaged yet." "Oh no, that didn't happen until much, much later," she said in mock seriousness. "As long as two hours later." "I hope you're right," I said, holding her tightly to me. "I thought you preferred left," she teased. "You know what I mean." "About being pregnant?" "About that, yes, and when it happened. That would be perfect, wouldn't it?" "Yeah. Perfect." Postscript I was sitting in the food court of the mall, leafing through the latest edition of Newsweek Magazine. Nicky was off shopping for an Easter dress ... or more properly, a Spring maternity dress. She was nearly seven months along and showing every bit of it. I'd given Jimmy a couple of dollars to spend in the arcade to keep him occupied. No telling how long his mother would be. "Hello, Will." I looked up. The familiar face of my ex-wife Leona was smiling down at me. "Leona. How are you? Please, sit down," I said. It was too awkward for me to try and stand in the undersized table seats of the court, but I at least tried. "Thank you. I need to rest my feet," she announced, still smiling. It was obvious that the baby she carried in the pouch on her chest was causing her some stress. She sat side-saddle in the small chair. "You got your wish," I said, looking at what appeared to be a four or five month old baby, dressed in powder blue. "A boy I see." "Yes," she said looking adoringly at the infant. "His name is Ryan ... Ryan Fulton." "You've remarried then." "Yes, I'm Mrs. David Fulton. We live in Midland. David works for a chemical company there. He's an engineer and runs his own department." "Congratulations ... both on the marriage and your new son. You must be very happy." "Yes ... I am. But ... I have a confession to make. It's been bothering me for some time." "Go ahead," I said, curious what this would be. "When I told you there was no other man ... when I asked for the divorce ... that's wasn't completely true." She paused to see my reaction. At this point, I was curious, but not angry. "I had met David at my office. He was a friend of one of my co-workers. We got to talking and I found he was single and he made it clear he was interested in me. At first, I resisted, but as we got to know each other better, I found I was interested in him as well. We were never ... intimate. Not then. I knew I couldn't do that to you. "As I thought about what it would mean to be with a man who could give me a child, I began to wonder if David was the man. I liked him as a person. He was a nice guy and successful in business. The more I thought about it, the more I felt I had to take a chance. I didn't want to hurt you, but I knew the time was growing short for me. My biological clock was winding down. "I'm glad I spotted you here, Will. I don't know why I thought I had to tell you all this today, but it's been bothering me since we parted and I'm glad now that you know the truth. I didn't want to betray you, but ... emotionally at least ... I did. I hope I haven't put you off marriage, Will. I'm ashamed of what I did, holding out hope that our marriage would work, even when, deep down, I knew it wouldn't. I hope you will find someone." I sat quietly as she poured out her confession. I suppose I should have been angry with her, but for whatever reason, I wasn't. In fact, I really didn't care. I could see she was happy with her new son and I wouldn't begrudge her that for a moment. I was about to say something to her when someone else joined us. "Hey, Jimbo, did you use up all your quarters?" I kidded. "Yeah," he admitted, looking back and forth at the strange lady sitting at my table. "Jimmy, this is Mrs. Fulton. She's an old friend of mine. Leona, this is my son, Jimmy." "Hello, Jimmy," Leona managed, her eye widening in surprise. "Nice to meet you." "Hi," Jimmy said, still wondering who this was. "What's your baby's name?" "Ryan," she smiled as she gazed lovingly at the infant. On the Other Hand Ch. 11-12 "We're going to have a new baby too," Jimmy said proudly. "You are?" my ex-wife said, again in surprise. "But ... I thought ..." She wasn't able to finish the question. I shrugged. "I guess little miracles can happen." I chose not to elaborate, but the look of confusion on Leona's face was evident. Jimmy had wandered off once more, bored with the adult conversation. At that moment, who should appear but Nicky, waddling along as best she could in the Saturday afternoon crowd. This time, I did manage to stand. "Hi, Sweetheart," I said, greeting her with a kiss. "This is Leona Fulton, my ex-wife. Leona, this is my wife Nicole." Leona still hadn't gotten over her surprise and stammered out a further question. "And ... this is yours, Will?" She was looking directly at Nicky's swollen abdomen. "Yes, Ma'am. Both of them," I grinned. "Both ... you mean ..." "That's right," Nicky beamed. "We're having twins. Quite a surprise, eh?" "Amazing," Leona agreed. "It looks like both of us solved our problems." "I guess you could say that," I nodded. "I certainly feel I came out of this a winner," I said, giving Nicky my most loving smile. "I'd better be going," Leona said, sensing our encounter was over. "David will be wondering what's become of me. I am glad I saw you today, Will. I'm glad I had a chance to talk to you. I wish you the best, both of you, with your new additions. I hope you'll be as happy as I am." And with that, she rose and left, not looking back. "Was that uncomfortable for you?" Nicky asked me. I was shaking my head. "No, not at all. She may not realize it, but she did me a much bigger favor that I did for her. I won you, and Jimmy, and our twins, Fric and Frac." "Will you please quit calling them that. You'll have Jimmy doing it soon." "Okay then, it's Hamish and Sheena," I snickered. "Over my dead body. Since it's going to be one of each, they will be given sensible modern names. They have to live with them." "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Besides, Hamish is Scottish for James and we already have one of those. Say, there's an idea. How about we change Jimmy's name to Hamish. It will make your Dad even happier than he already is." "I refuse to take you seriously, Will Travers. It's a good thing I love you or I'd be bonking you on the head for your ridiculous suggestions." "Okay, then, just what do you propose, seeing as how we know you're going to have one of each?" "Well, I have been thinking about that. What about Marietta and William, Junior?" "You want to name your second son after me? No way. The poor boy will have a complex for the rest of his life. Nope, that won't work. I do like Marietta, though. That is a lovely name." "Well, there's a small victory for me. I'll keep working on it and maybe in a month or so we'll reach agreement," she said with a smirk. "Yeah, well, I know how you plan to get your way, woman. You're going to work your feminine wiles on me. You know I'm unable to resist. I guess I'll just have to surrender and let you have your way with me." "Now you're talking. I guess that's why I love you, despite your faults." "I guess that's so. Well, look on the bright side. I love you too, Mrs. Travers." "When you guys are finished your mushy talk, can we go home? I'm tired of the mall," Jimmy announced as he wandered back to the table. "Yeah ... okay," I agreed, gazing at my beautiful wife. "Come on, Lefty, let's go home." I helped my very pregnant wife to her feet and wrapped my arm around her as we walked slowly toward the exit. It's been another fine day in the Travers family, and they seemed to just keep coming, one after another. What else would you expect when two lefthanders get together? END ***** The original story did not include the Postscript. At the suggestion of PostScriptor, I added this segment to wrap up any loose details. I hope you enjoy the addition. Coaster2