making plans

It was a surprise. Practically the best news ever, and Randi wanted to celebrate.

"We have to have a party! We have too!" Randi had wanted a garage party all summer. And it was perfect timing, in spite of the humidity.

"It won't happen until next summer." Sami looked at her as if she didn't want to count her eggs before they hatched.

"But you've been accepted. They want you." Randi looked at her as if this was good news. Sami smiled weekly. Of course, she felt like a guinea pig from the get go ..going into education. She'd been in hands on classes since she was a Sophomore or so, helping with the special school. Later she got on as a paraprofessional.

What did any of this have to do with law school?

"Oh, don't look so grim." Randi rubbed Sami's shoulders before she went to check on ice cream cake, to see if it was thawed enough to cut.

Randi was in her trusty haulter dress. It was as if she could have her own little party, anytime she wanted and you were welcomed to join. She went to put the baby in the high chair and served her first.

Sami turned to watch, there in the kitchen doorway of Randi and Zeke's little home. These were the things she really wanted. But she knew this was an opportunity with the University, and she couldn't possibly give that up.

its in the air

"You, sly dog, you always surprise me." Gavin said with a smile. Maybe Timo used an ingenuity he didn't even know he had. "So you're a movie star and a radio DJ." He gave his brother's thin shoulders a slap on the back.

"Not quite." Timo shook his head. "Its not like the paparazzi is knocking on my door, or anything."

They headed for the pickup truck. They were headed for the grocery store.

"I'd hate for you to get a big head, or anything." Gavin teased as he started the truck, and they went on their way.

"Sometimes, I feel like everything takes forever." Timo shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Gavin kept his eyes on the road. "Can't you enjoy a good thing?"

"OK, yeah..yeah..I can." Timo sighed. "Its just, you know, waiting to see if this movie would even get off the ground. I stopped thinking about it after awhile. Like, I know Mom and Dad want me to find something better, and its not like I haven't looked or tried. I have. And..and I get nothing." He shook his head. "And..and now..waiting for the baby to be born."

"Hey, that'll come soon enough, and you'll regret you didn't savor the time when you had it, with Hattie. There will be a lot to do. You two, will really need each other then." Gavin nodded.

"Right." Timo looked Gavin in the eye as they pulled into the grocery store parking lot. "Look, if..if you and Caitlin are going to go through ..with this..courthouse thing..about getting married..then Hattie and I want to do it too."

"What, together?" Gavin winced with almost a laugh, thinking they might confuse the judge..wondering if the four were a couple. He nodded then, he supposed he should help his brother as much as he could. Especially, right now. "Sure. Why not."

on a roll

A part of Timo didn't want to give his real mother the time of day. He knew if Hattie wasn't here to walk him through this he would have just tossed that letter from the get go. He guessed.

Still the more he thought about it, he didn't really know his mother's face. He didn't even know her hair color.

In his head, all he could think of was the nuns and how they'd treated him. It was awful. Or so he thought. He wasn't exactly cooperating, either..as he recalled.

"Why didn't she send me a picture?" His throat ached just with the idea that he might not ever know what she looked like.

"She will." Hattie wiped his bangs away from his eyes, as if she needed to know what he was thinking.

"I dunno. Its just...confusing.." He winced. Still not sure what to believe. He didn't like his Dad. He didn't want to be his Dad. "What if.." He didn't want to finish the sentence, but he couldn't fight Hattie, either. Besides, they were where they wanted to be..in their room.

This was the past. Letters from a mother he didn't know. Hattie was the future. He couldn't really ruin that. He didn't want to.

His iPhone went off. He reached for it.

"Guess what!" An excited voice said. "Our film made it to the local film festival."

"Really?" Timo couldn't help but smile. He'd practically forgotten about the silly film he'd helped with a few months ago in the dead of winter. It wasn't exactly a dark film, but it was mainly made in the dark. He couldn't possibly see it trending anywhere. He'd helped two college guys who wrote scripts at the nearby radio station.

"They want us there on a panel."

"You, gotta be kidding me." It was rush. He couldn't stop grinning.

"Its gonna be awesome. I think you might be the STAR of the film festival." His film pal Steve told him.

Timo didn't know what to say. Yet, a part of him felt he'd always be typed cast.

"What are you going to do?" Hattie was excited for him when he got off the phone and told her the news.

"Nothing." He shrugged. What was there to do?

"Don't say that. Where's your ambition?" She was all smiles as she embraced him.

"Its not a big deal." He sighed. He thought of the one time some old lady down at General Dollar recognized him in the short lived soap opera he was once in. He figured she was his only fan. She'd even said he made the most complex character.

"But, I'm going to be on Steve's radio show." He shrugged.

"As a guest?" Hattie grinned more.

"No. He needs somebody to talk politics when. You know, stuff that matters." Timo wasn't sure he was up for the challenge. Thank God, there would be a script to follow, but he would be put on the spot to make it sound natural. "But, it'll be a little money on the side."

"You know, you like the attention." Hattie tugged at his belt loops as if she might be ready to dance around their room.

Really, this was the only stage Timo wanted. Still the outside world was there for the picking. Even still, so many pitfalls.

"Look, we'll get a real picture taken together. And..and maybe we can figure out the German stuff online." He was back to thinking about his real mother again. She needed to know him if he was ever going to know her.

Just a little closer now

Hattie thought at first it was going to be a lesson in German with Caitlin's mother on the computer. She chatted away as if she'd known them forever. Caitlin did favor her a good bit, but Hattie was sure Caitlin didn't want to know that. As it was, Caitlin hurried the live chat along as best she could.

Finally, she got to the letter from Timo's biological mother. It was a letter of apology. How she wished she could have taken care of him.

Hattie squeezed Timo's hand tight. She didn't believe his mom was a monster. She sounded as if she'd been on her own back then. She was young. No family.

He had a sister. Twelve years younger than him.

She almost laughed when she told him that a lot of people thought his little sister was her grandchild.

"She just wants you, to meet your little sister." Hattie smiled.

"There is no way in hell, I'm going to Germany." Timo said later as he got ready for work. He looked just as frustrated as before. Angry, she guessed.

"Don't be so hard on her, OK?" She looked him in the eye. She touched his slinder face as if he needed to stay calm if they were going to get through this. Just then the baby kicked. She smiled more. Timo did too.

She knew what they really needed to focus on was the baby. They now had the crib set up in the corner. The room was getting smaller, but she didn't care. This was home.

Just a thought

"I just don't want to get his hopes up." Gavin couldn't help but say when Caitlin brought of the idea of her mother getting involved in all this with Timo.

"He just needs the truth." Caitlin shrugged as if why should that be kept from Timo.

Gavin sighed. After all, his folks only left 4 hours ago. It felt as if they'd been there FOREVER. He needed a vacation from them, but he couldn't admit it because he knew they wanted the best for him and Cait. Especially, Hattie.

They just couldn't wait to have grandchildren.

As he studied Caitlin serious face, he knew they should just do it. Get married. But it seemed, his folks and her folks too wanted them to have a big wedding.

"Lets just focus on us." He didn't mean to sound selfish. Possibly, it was the physical aspect of it. But time was ticking and he wasn't sure he wanted to be just the boyfriend anymore.

"What are you talking about?" She'd let the suds down the drain and he'd dried the last dish.

"What if we got married and didn't tell anyone. I mean..we..we could still have a big wedding. Some day." He shrugged, hoping he wasn't too insensitive.

"I don't want anything big. Really." When she fell into him and wrapped her arms around his middle, he felt as if he'd met the right girl. He couldn't stop grinning.

"Yeah, but I want them to be happy too." He hated to let the parents down. "They'll want something they can take a lot of pictures of."

She looked up at him as if they could just deal.

"OK, lets see if we can get this thing done at the court house." He bit his bottom lip. It would be their first wedding. The one that counted. The other one would be of celebration.

a tale of two cities

Caitlin forgot a lot of German. The letter was frustrating. It didn't make sense. Really. She winced hard as she looked it over, again, in her room. The only thing she knew to do was call her Mom and hope she could read it accurate enough for her mother to comprehend.

Of course, her mother was so glad she called. She'd been moving stuff around so her brother could feel more at home in his new surroundings with his new leg. He had a friend coming to visit for the 4th. Her mother was excited. A girl he knew who was still a Marine would be at their house so she made sure the guest room was a five star hotel room.

"I am so tired." Her mother started. "And your father will never get it through his head that I can't do the things I used to do when we were younger. I can't believe he thought we could have gone sledding last February. Can you imagine? We might both need hip replacements by now." Naturally, she went on and on about her friends and all their aliments and surgery for a good fifteen minutes before Caitlin could get a word in edge-wise.

"Mom, I need your help." She finally said.

"Oh my God, are you pregnant?" Her mother gasped as if she might have a heart attack on the spot.

"It doesn't have a thing to do with me. And I'm not pregnant." Caitlin festered a frown as she set on her bed. She hated the idea of her mother reacting that way. As if she were barely 13 instead of almost in her mid twenties. "Its about Gavin's brother." Caitlin drew a breath since it might be a long winded tale that she tried her best to simplify. "Its a letter from Timo's German mother."

"Really?" Naturally, her mom said they needed to have a live chat about that.

Just what Caitlin needed. Timo meeting her mother on SKYPE.

a little bit softer now

"This is just crazy, so crazy." After Hattie said it, she wished she hadn't. But she didn't know what to think when Timo told her about the letter when he got back to their room. "Why would your Dad keep it from you?"

Timo couldn't talk. He fell back against the pillow as he plopped on the bed. She watched from the computer chair by the old laptop.

Hattie looked at him, wondering what to do. What could she do?

"Caitlin says she'll translate it." He finally managed to say.

"Good." She of course had to be next to him, pushing his stringy hair out of his eyes as if he was after all, her baby. "Are you going to wait, until..after your parents leave?"

"No. I want to know now." He told her.

"Try not to be so bitter, about it. It won't do any good." She told him as she did her best to comfort him. That is if he'd actually let her.

"But..but what if I can't help it?" He looked as if he might be sick. She smelled cigarettes on his breath. It was faint. She didn't call it to his attention.

Hattie continued to play with the long bangs across his thin face. Honestly, she did feel sad for him. All she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him. Finally he let her.

"Its all going to be OK." She said softly. She wanted to believe it. She hoped everything was OK.