4 comments/ 18549 views/ 0 favorites Calendar Ch. 02 By: countrycal A stream of bright sunlight sliced through the partially-drawn shades over Cal's computer, painting alternate stripes of light across his rugged – and very solemn – face. He was staring at the computer screen, oblivious to the sunlight, the dog scratching at the door for his morning treat, or the birds singing outside – he was numb. The numbness came as a result of the brief email that lay like a bomb in the middle of the screen. The last line had seared itself into his brain and kept repeating itself over and over like an old phonograph record with a terrible scratch in it: "Cal, I can't write to you anymore. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. Jenny." He finally rose from the chair, absently picked up a dog treat from the basket by the door and walked out of the house, catching a familiar trail up the ridge where he could sit and think as he looked out over the Ozark Mountains which were his home. *************************** Cal had received the call from Jenny one sunning June afternoon, just a little more than a year after she had last left his office, headed for Louisiana and a life she deserved but had never had. Her voice was friendly and warm, but he thought he detected somehow that there were things she wanted to say that she could not express properly over the phone. He wasn't sure; he had not talked to her that much. She asked if she could stop by and spend the weekend. She was revisiting the area to try and establish some good memories from her past. He was glad to oblige and gave her instructions on how to reach his farm, then headed for town to get a few things for the weekend, which was just two days away. When she arrived she was more beautiful than he had remembered, light brown hair flowing down her shoulders stylishly, eyes sparkling, her neat sleeveless blouse and slacks modestly displaying her womanly figure with every graceful step. What a woman! Did he dare hope that she was coming back to him? Her hug and kiss were warm and loving, and she allowed herself to be held for several minutes as he reveled in her closeness and the fresh smell of her hair. There was something there, though, -- he had been right at first. He had better put her in the spare bedroom. As he took her luggage into the extra bedroom he saw her take in the layout of the house in one sweep and look at him questioningly when she realized she would not be sleeping with him. Maybe he was wrong; if so, they would iron that out later. If there was a permanent relationship developing here this weekend, it should be with no strings attached. She showered and freshened up from her long drive as he fixed dinner: seafood over pasta, garlic bread and Sangria wine. They caught up on the last year as they ate, laughing and flirting like old friends. His love for the young beauty was still there, and he let it show as openly as he dared. He believed she loved him as well, catching a look of warm affection from time to time as she smiled at him. After dinner they went to the front porch and swung gently on the porch swing as they watched a magnificent sunset light up the sky over the mountains that surrounded his little valley. When the sunset faded, and the mountains became shrouded with the blue haze of dusk, they moved inside to the couch, where Jenny cuddled up next to him under his arm as they watched the evening news together. She sat up and looked him in the eyes as he turned off the television, sensing that it was time for important talk. She moved slightly away from him, turning to face him, taking both his hands in hers. "I need to look in your eyes," she said gently, explaining the move. Cal just nodded -- this was not going to be what he wanted to hear. "I told you when I left that if I ever needed more than a friend that you would be the first on my list," she began, watching him closely, and breathing a slight sigh of relief when she saw love and acceptance of what was to come in his eyes. "After I got my GED, the spring semester in community college was very difficult," she said, frowning slightly at the remembrance. "I had to take several remedial courses just to get accepted into a degree program next fall, and I just didn't have a very good background in English or math." She stopped to look down at her hands, not sure how to go on, and Cal gave both hands a gentle squeeze to reassure her. "They assigned me a tutor, a guy about my age . . . who ended up being very much like you, Cal. He was gentle and kind, thoughtful and patient and . . ." "You fell in love with him," Cal finished, with a lump in his throat. Jenny had looked down as he spoke, and when she raised her eyes to him again they were filled with tears that, one at a time, slipped over the edge and ran down her cheeks. Cal reached out and caught each one with his fingers, gently wiping away the last with his thumb. "I wanted to call you when I first understood what was happening to me, but I have never truly been in love before, Cal, not like this, and I wasn't sure it was real or would last." She was quiet then, for a minute or so, collecting her thoughts as her friend stroked the hair out back off her face and smiled into her eyes. "I'm carrying his child," she finally said, so quiet he could hardly hear the words . . . which filled him with joy despite the fact the child would not be his. She saw the joy in his eyes before he spoke and loved him for it. "That is wonderful, Jenny," he said, reaching over to pull her back to him, wrapping her in his arms. "I only ask one thing . . . that you let your children call me 'Cal' and not 'Uncle' or 'Grandpa.'" She nodded her head in assent against his chest. "Rick doesn't know about you and that I came back to see you," the young woman said, sitting up again to look into her friend's face. "I came back for you . . . to give this weekend to you, because I love you, too." He understood what she was suggesting, but knew it would not, could not, work. Nevertheless he said, "Thank you," and then took her hand, leading her out into the night. They walked along the one-lane gravel road that led past his home, listening to the whippoorwills and other night noises as they walked . . . followed faithfully by Rascal, the ancient beagle that Cal had raised from a puppy. When they returned to the house, Cal held her closely, lowering his face to hers and kissing her longingly and enjoying the thrill as she kissed him back with equal passion. Finally he held her at arms length and loved her with his eyes, from head to toe. "We can't sleep together, Jenny, I want it now as much as anything in the world, but we would both regret it in the future." She just nodded, and smiled through her tears. "I will ask one favor of you, though . . .' "Anything," was her reply. "Would you run around the house naked, and let me take pictures of you to remember you by?" The smile she turned on his was almost girlish in its excitement at the thought of pleasing him in this way . . . which would be no different that what she had already done once before. "Do you want to start right now?" she asked reaching for the bottom of her blouse. "No, Lady, let's start in the morning." The two kissed again and then Cal led her to her room, closing the door behind her as he turned to go to his own bedroom. The next morning she was cooking breakfast when he arose. She looked like a Greek statue standing there behind the stove aglow in her nudity. The next two days would be the most glorious Cal had experienced in years. They took pictures in the ancient barn behind his house, at the spring, with the horses, swimming in his pond, swinging on the tire swing that hung from the old white oak tree . . . everywhere he could imagine; and Jenny clearly enjoyed the posing as much as he enjoyed photographing her. When it came time for her to go they shared one last passionate kiss . . . which neither wanted to interrupt. As he held the door for her to get into the car, Cal made a final request. "Would you email me from time to time, just to let me know how things are going?" he asked. "I will email you every day," she said, looking into his eyes with loving sincerity. "I will never forget you, Cal, never!" And then she was gone – back to the father of her child, back to her parents and the state of Louisiana, back to her schooling and the new life that Cal had helped her discover. Gone. The emails came as promised, and he looked forward to them each morning as he rose. "Good morning, Cal, I hope you slept well last night." Then she would tell him all about her classes, her children, her husband, her life. He would write in return, sharing as best he could the small things that made up his lonely existence . . . but never letting her know the extent of that loneliness. Then, after five years of joyful correspondence, the final email came. "Dear Cal . . ." Her husband, now a college professor, had discovered her cache of emails and challenged her. He had not understood how she could have kept such a thing from him for so many years, and no amount of tears and confession would make up for the mistake of keeping their friendship secret. Finally, at the end of the long correspondence, she wrote the words that left him numb. **************************** Cal sat for several hours atop the ridge, listening to Rascal snore, the squirrels moving from tree to tree to check these intruders out, the snort of a deer that almost walked up on them, the shrill cry of the pair of nesting hawks as they brought food back to the little ones. He gloried in the beautiful hills that surrounded his home, in the wonderfully soft clouds that lazily moved across the sky, and the graceful sweep of a turkey buzzard overhead as it road the shafts of heat rising from the earth, ever circling, ever looking for food. It sailed above his head for a moment, but then moved on when it determined he was still alive. "I am too young for the buzzards," Cal mused aloud, prompting a raised eyebrow from the sad-faced beagle at his feet. "And was too old for Jenny. I guess I just can't win, Pard," he finished, rising to his feet to return to the house and his routine of life. The man and dog wandered slowly down the hill together – two old friends with nothing to look forward to but their memories. Rascal would lie that night asleep on the porch, his eyebrows raising and lowering and a disgruntled growl coming from his throat as the memories of rabbit chases and in-heat females raced across his brain. Cal would sit at his computer, watching a slideshow of the most wonderful woman he had known flash across the screen, smiling occasionally as the picture of a mother and her two children would interrupt the various march of her beautiful body around his farm. He felt lucky for such vivid reminders . . . some only had memories that fade with time. He finally heaved a sigh and rose to go to bed. He paused for a second, looking into the spare room. Maybe he would sleep there tonight, just to remember what might have been. Calendar Ch. 03 Cal was busy working on his stamp collection, sorting through several old stamps he had recently purchased at an auction, when he heard the chime of his computer signalling an incoming email. He glanced at his watch and was surprised, since most of his emails were news or sports updates, and came at the top of the hour. It was 8:21, which meant it was spam which had slipped by his filter, or a personal email – and he had received very few of those the last year or so. Running his hand through his thinning gray hair, the 55-year-old widower rose from the desk heading toward his computer cubicle. His regular work on the farm and daily two-mile walks had helped keep his figure fairly slim and athletic, but the graying hair, receding hairline and weathered face testified to his age. The email was from someone named JeanetteM, a name unfamiliar to him, but he was going to open it anyway just out of curiosity. It addressed him personally: "Dear Cal, We have never met, but you know my mother. My name is Jeanette Marsden and my mother's name is Jenny Marsden, you may remember her as Jenny Atkinson. I think my twin brother, John Calvin Marsden is named for you. Last week the three of us were going through our keepsake boxes and I found a folder of emails from you to Mama. I didn't read them, because I think they were private, but I memorized your email address and, when Mama saw what I had found, asked who you were. She said you were a very dear friend from before I was born. Mama and Daddy were divorced seven months ago and she is very lonely. If you still have this email address and are interested in meeting me and my brother, and getting reacquainted with Mama, you could write me back – I think I know how we could all get together, and even surprise Mama. Please write back if you get this email. Jeanette" Cal read the email through twice before going to the picture window in the living room and staring out at the surrounding mountains through the lightly drifting snow that had been falling all day. Then he sat down at his computer and began to type. "Dear Jeanette, I remember your mother well, though it has been nearly 13 years since I last saw her. I hope you are all well. I would like to meet you and John Calvin, and would very much like to renew acquaintances with your mother. Cal" Two hours later he heard the chime again, and walked quickly to the computer. "Dear Cal, We are going to take a week's vacation at the beach during spring break. We are going to be staying in the Fort Walton Beach area on the Gulf Coast in an old campground named Pirate's Cove. The dates we will be there are March 8-12. Could you make it to stay a night or two and see us? Jeanette" Cal checked his calendar and made a couple of calls, re-arranging a few appointments. He then went online and found the website for Pirate's Cove, reserving a campsite for his small 12-foot camping trailer. "Dear Jeanette, I will be there, and am looking forward to visiting with the three of you. I will be staying at campsite #12. Thank you for writing to me and helping me set up this surprise for your mother. I hope it is a pleasant surprise. Cal" Five minutes later the chime sounded again as he sat there waiting for a reply. "Dear Cal, That sounds great. We will see you then. Mama will definitely be pleasantly surprised, her eyes sparkled when she told us how good friends you two once were. See you then, Jeanette" The three weeks went by swiftly, and Cal was soon pulling his old pickup and even older camping trailer into the Pirate's Cove Campground, a quaint little campground with direct access to the white sand beaches of the upper Gulf Coast of Florida. Sites #12, 13 and 14 were the most remote in the campground, all the way out at the end with direct access to a sandy trail crossing over the dunes to a nearly deserted beach. He had arrived two days early and had time to check out the campground, the beach and places to eat in the area. He was calmly sitting at the small swimming pool when he saw a mini-van pulling a rented 14-foot camping trailer pull into the parking lot. A woman – who he immediately recognized – and two teen-agers exited the van and went into the office area. The teen-aged girl paused just before entering the office to look his way, and Cal raised his right hand slightly in a welcoming wave. He saw a smile quickly spread across the girl's face before she followed her mother and brother into the building. As the three came out a few minutes later the mother looked toward the pool and turned to her children, gesturing in that direction. Her daughter grabbed her hand and pulled her to the van, flashing a grin toward Cal. When he finally rose and wandered through the campground he saw that the family had rented Site #14, just 20 yards from his own modest trailer. They were still busy setting up their site so he slipped into his trailer unnoticed and watched them from his window. Jenny was more lovely than ever, her long hair tied up in a loose ponytail, her well-shaped body modestly covered with a tank top and white shorts. The daughter was a spitting image of her mother, while the twin brother looked nothing like his sister. Cal guessed he looked like the father, whose picture he had never seen. As soon as the trailer was set, the daughter peeled off her top and shorts revealing a shapely, petite body in a bright red bikini. Her brother was out of his clothes almost as quickly, revealing a body that had little muscle tone, but was neither too thin nor too heavy. Jenny took her time taking off her outer clothes and laying them on the picnic table beside her. Cal saw Jeanette glance toward his trailer a couple of times, but knew she could not tell whether or not he was there. Jenny wore a pale yellow bikini that revealed tan lines from a much more modest one-piece suit. The three then grabbed their beach towels, joined hands and headed for the beach. Cal gave then 15 minutes before following. After crossing the dunes he saw the three towels stretched out close to the water line. He added his next to the striped towel he had noticed Jenny carrying. Then he followed their footsteps to the east, finally spotting them on the skyline a quarter of a mile away. As he walked he soon saw the family coming closer, and stooped to look at some shells on the sand as he watched them approach. When they were within about 50 yards he rose, looked their way, and started walking toward them. Jenny saw him rise and said something to her children. They nodded and the three detoured toward the water. Cal detoured as well. The woman finally, to avoid meeting him face to face, walked into the surf, followed by her now-protective son and a smiling daughter. Cal sat down on the sand, his knees up and his arms draped around his knees, waiting for the three to emerge from the water, which they did after swimming for a few minutes and discussing what to do about the situation. The mother led the way out of the water, watching the waiting man carefully for any overt sign of aggressiveness. Cal just sat and watched his beautiful friend walking resolutely toward him. When she was about 15 feet away she froze, a slight frown on her face. Recognition slowly crept across her face, followed by a faint smile as Cal stood and walked toward her. Jenny turned and looked at her smiling daughter and confused son before stepping forward to meet Cal, slipping comfortably into his embrace. The kiss was light and quick, but also warm and promising. They stood together, their bodies touching for the first time since they had met 14 years earlier. The two turned to face the teenagers, who had been whispering and grinning throughout the embrace. John looked at his beaming sister in awe and then at the pleased expression on his mother's face as she stood next to this stranger, her arm hugging his waist as he held her close with his own. "Well, John," Jenny said, smiling, "I think we are in the presence of a couple of conspirators." The boy just kept grinning, enjoying the contented look on his mother's face which he had not seen for a long time. The four walked together back to the towels and sunned and swam for an hour or so. "I am getting itchy from this sand," Jeanette said, smiling slyly at the two adults. "Can John and I go check out the pool and game room?" "If you promise to be careful in the pool and behave yourselves," her mother said, her eyes sparkling as playfully as her daughter's. Cal retrieved his wallet from the fanny pack lying under his towel, pulling a $10 bill from it. "How long will this keep you busy?" he asked, trying to be as serious as possible. "Until you come to get us," Jeanette said, smiling shyly. "Thank you two for the best surprise you could have given me," Jenny said, kissing each of her children. John started to protest that he was unaware of the surprise but was caught up by his sister. "Come on, Part-of-Me, we have money to spend," she said, gleefully pulling him toward the dunes crossover. The two gave one last wave and were out of sight. Cal and Jenny just stood looking at each other until he could stand it no longer and took her into his arms for a warm, passionate embrace, which finished with a series of short, warm kisses with open lips as they breathed words of love into each other's mouth. Finally, he picked up their towels, took her by the hand and led her to his trailer. Inside the camper he lay the towels on a chair and turned just in time to see her drop her top to the floor, revealing two lovely breasts that were just like he remembered, though possibly sagging a little. As she dropped her bottoms he stepped back and took in the wonderful beauty of her nude body. She stood unashamed, letting him look to his heart's content, growing wet and excited as she saw the look in his eyes. Cal was next, slipping out of his swimming trunks and standing naked before her, his erection nestling the head of his penis softly in the pubic hair on his lower abdomen. "This is the first time I have seen you," Jenny said softly, and Cal nodded, surprised that he had never considered the fact she might have wanted to see him. They stood admiring each other for a couple of minutes before she stepped into his embrace, and they stood kissing longingly for several minutes. Cal finally broke the reverie, stooping to pick her up with ease before carrying her to the bed which ran across the back of the little trailer. He placed her gently on the bed and began to cover her face and then her body with soft, warm kisses as she stretched out with her arms behind her head watching his every move with glowing eyes. When he reached her hips she spread her legs slowly, allowing him access to her inner thighs. He kissed up the insides of her thighs until he reached her warm, wet lips which he parted with his tongue, tasting her and running his tongue into her warmth as deeply as possible. He moved upward to the sheath covering her passion button, gently prodding it with his tongue until she began to respond to his touches, rocking her hips with each drawn-out lick, thrusting her hips up so her body could meet his lips and tongue. When she came it was quietly, every muscle quivering as her body shuddered to a pent-up orgasm, her thighs clamping together around his head as he just held his tongue on her clit, not moving but giving more pleasure nevertheless with her every little movement. She pulled back and surged into his oral embrace several times, each time giving out a slight moan and another shudder. Finally she relaxed, her legs falling open, her eyes still gleaming into his own as he looked up. Cal raised himself on two arms above her and slid into her effortlessly, pushing deliberately until he was entirely in her, and then slowly withdrawing. He moved in her deliberately, wanting the moment to last forever, and the look in her eyes said she was in agreement. The anticipation of three weeks would not allow him to continue in such a way much longer so he began to thrust more and more determinedly into her sweetness as she raised her body to meet each thrust. He came after just a few minutes, bucking into her several more times after the initial ejaculation, depositing every drop of semen as deeply in her as possible. He pulled out after a minute of laying on top her, listening to her heart beat and the whispered words of love which she was depositing sweetly in his ear. They lay side by side, caressing each other, and coming together to kiss softly from time to time. After a few minutes she pushed him onto his back and began to kiss his body as he had hers. When she reached his penis she made love to it with her lips, her tongue, her mouth, sucking it to a throbbing erection before climbing above him and lowering herself onto his love pole. She then lovingly rocked on him, her small breasts swaying deliciously above his face as she took all of him, pulled completely off him, and then settled back down taking all of him again. She continued to move in that fashion until he could take it no longer and pulled her down to him. He put his feet flat on the bed and began to initiate the intercourse, driving hungrily into her with increasingly powerful thrusts. She almost sobbed with each thrust until he came and she enveloped his mouth with her own, tasting him, trying to swallow his tongue and lips. At last they collapsed together on the bed, never taking their eyes from each other, and began talking about the past nine years that they had not been in touch. Jenny and Mark had enjoyed a fairly average marriage, mostly wrapped around the children and passionate sex at least three times a week up until a year ago when he got a new secretary at the university and came home one night to announce the two of them would be moving to another institution after his contract was up that spring. "She is young, she is sexy, and she has more tits than you or your daughter put together," he had hurtfully told Jenny one night, before leaving to move in with the other woman. The divorce became final two months later. "You ought to go find that dude you used to write to all the time," Mark had told her at the final court appearance for the divorce. "He's probably still living with his dog . . . I bet you got better tits than the dog." Jenny had just walked away, but had thought about Cal ever since. "Maybe Jeanette was reading my mind," she said thoughtfully. "We are very much alike, she and I. Poor John, he is sometimes as obtuse as his father, and has a hard time keeping up with us women." Cal had established several relationships over the nine years, some of which had moved to the sexual stage, but none had become permanent. It was as if he was always waiting for something. He hoped he had found what he was waiting for, he said, and Jenny just kissed him and hugged him closely, as he felt a few tears trickle down the side of her face to fall on his chest. They found the teenagers lounging around the pool talking to a couple of other kids and took them all out to eat Chinese food. The remaining three days they settled into a simple routine of sightseeing in the morning and playing on the beach in the early afternoon, after which the teens would go to the pool and game room to be with their new friends while Cal and Jenny made up for lost time in each other's embrace. The visit was over too soon, but Jenny and the kids agreed to spend Memorial Day weekend at Cal's farm in Missouri. Separating was difficult for them all, but especially for Cal, who did want to ever be without this wonderful woman again. When the minivan pulled into Cal's yard the Friday before Memorial Day, Jeanette was the first person out of the vehicle, running and jumping into Cal's arms for a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. "We've got a surprise for you," she whispered in his ear, "but I can't tell you just yet." He smiled at her youthful enthusiasm and hugged John as he came up, before releasing the two and taking their mother into his arms for a warm kiss. "Can we go see the horses," Jeanette asked excitedly, and Cal found them a couple of apples to take with them. "Give them these and they'll be your friends for life," he said smiling as the two sped off across the road to the pasture beyond. The two adults sat on the porch swing, softly swinging and touching each other as intimately as they dared. Cal knew he might be premature, but decided he must speak his mind as quickly as possible so he would know the tone of this time together. "Jenny, I want you to marry me and bring the kids out here to grow up on the farm and among these gentle country people," he said, watching her for a reaction. "I thought you might ask that," she said, reaching out to hold his hand in hers. "And the answer I have prepared for you is, "Yes" . . . a thousand times, 'Yes!'" They smiled into each other's eyes before kissing their pledge to each other. "I think that is going to make little Junior very happy," Jenny said with a twinkle in her eye as she moved his hand to her abdomen. "You can't feel him move yet on the outside, but I think I definitely felt him move on the inside." Cal looked at her, startled, and then began to smile, pleased with their surprise. "I can't say for sure, but I would guess it was that first orgasm that filled me almost full," Jenny teased, before kissing him again. He smiled back. "If that's the case, then we might have two or three little Juniors in there." Jenny laughed joyfully. "It would be my pleasure to bear you as many children as God allows," the 45-year-old said softly. "If they are a part of you they are welcome in my body, which is also a part of you from now on." She then pulled her legs up under her and nestled up under his arm, laying her head on his chest. A few minutes later the children raced back across the pasture and up to the porch. Jeanette reached the porch first and came to dead halt as she looked from one adult to the other, before continuing on to them slowly, hesitantly. "Can we ride the horses later?" she asked Cal, almost shyly. Cal nodded. The girl sat down beside him nestling up under his other arm in the same manner her mother had, reaching out and stroking her mother on the cheek with one hand. When she saw her mother smile softly and nod, she spoke again, just as shyly. "You asked Mama once if she would promise to let us call you 'Cal,' and not 'Uncle' or 'Grandpa.' Is it alright now if we call you 'Daddy?'" Cal gave her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. "I wouldn't want it any other way," he said, receiving the most beautiful smile from the lovely young lady. John had followed his sister across the porch and was leaning against the railing, facing the three people on the swing. "Would you teach me how to play football?" he asked hopefully, and received a smile and nod. "How about basketball?" Another nod. "And baseball?" Another nod. "Thanks . . . Dad," the young man said, smiling as shyly as his sister, before settling in next to his mother on the swing. The woman lovingly stroked the boy's unruly hair out of his eyes and smiled up at the father of her next child. She was more beautiful to Cal than ever before. . . and he was glad he could now enjoy her beauty, her sweet personality and her wonderful sense of humor without fear of losing it again. After dinner Jeanette made an unusual request. "Daddy, would you show us the pictures of Mama that you made when she was pregnant with us?" Cal looked at Jenny questioningly. "I told the kids everything about us on the way up here," she explained. "I wanted them to know everything regardless the outcome of the visit." Cal still hesitated to answer, looking at her again. "It's okay, Cal, we have all seen each other naked . . . Mark took us to nudist camps every holiday and vacation the last three years before the divorce. We have no secrets in this family." Cal nodded then and went to his computer while the other three gathered around. He went to the most-used file folder on the computer and put it in slideshow mode. Soon, pictures of a younger – but no happier – Jenny began appearing on the screen, ten seconds at a time. Calendar Ch. 03 The teens oohed and aahed at some of the more beautiful shots, appreciating the natural beauty of their wonderful mother, before Jeanette asked him to pause the slideshow. The picture that filled the screen was one of Jenny leaning back against a doorpost, looking into the camera with a warm friendly smile, her small, perky breasts sitting delicately on her chest, and bearing very visible scars around the nipples and along the sides of the breasts – scars that now were just barely visible after years of fading and exposure to the sun. The two youth stared transfixed at the contradictions of the picture – the obvious pain that had been endured, juxtaposed with the warm, gracious smile. "How could you smile like that after all that hurt?" Jenny almost whispered. "Because I saw real love in the eyes of the man taking the picture," Jenny replied softly, hugging her new husband from behind. The two young people instinctively moved closer to the man sitting in front of the computer with tears in his eyes, wrapping their arms around him and hugging him closely. Jenny reached her arms around her two older children, and pressed her youngest child firmly against the back of its father's head. They stood there, then, the five of them, watching the slide show quietly. She wouldn't have planned it this way, Jenny thought, but did not see how she could ever have been any happier in her entire life than right now. Three other hearts were thinking the same thing as they savored the closeness that their new family was becoming!