What May Come Part 6

Life settled into a new normal. Long walks in the fresh 
snow became a habit. Walking and talking, planning 
and dreaming. They spent time with family, fostering relationships. 

As it turned out, Thad was great with kids and animals. 
Her family did the best imitation of crazy glue she had ever seen.....instantly bonding with him, never to let go. 

He went to ball games and played squash with her brothers. He and Scott had impromptu jam sessions with Thad on the harmonica and Scott on piano, trumpet, or sax. Her mother treated Thad exactly like one of her sons, expecting him to take out the trash and she made all his favorite foods....equal treatment. As for Jenny's dad, he and Thad spent hours in conversation, never seeming to run out of things to say, to debate, or to laugh about. 

Jenny began to form a bond with Thad's Uncle, for whom he was named. A man of great wealth and professional success. 
A man that had struggled his whole life with interpersonal relationships, with the exception of his late wife. 

The family watched, as Jenny blew life into the embers of his heart. He laughed and told stories of his childhood, became more tactile in general, and displayed a peace, never before evident. It was for this reason, in addition to her multiplied qualities, that the Hollingsworth family, as a whole, opened their hearts to Jenny without reservation.

Jenny and Thad worked together to create the vision of Jenny's dreams, satisfy the publisher, and highlight the essence of Thad's artistry.

The day for the launch party had come at long last; there would be no turning back now. In living color, their work could be held in their hands. It was a moment to be savored. Surreal. Wonderful. Once a dream, now a reality.

For the occasion, Jenny chose a sky blue dress with a playful flared skirt. Her pumps were suede in perfectly matching sky blue. She wore the teardrop sapphire earrings Thad had given her for her birthday this year and the silver chain necklace her father had given her for her eighteenth. 

Wrapping paper, torn and tossed, lay on her bed. Thad had sent her a box of tissue and a tube of waterproof mascara. The card he sent with it said, "I wouldn't change a thing."

Jenny came sailing out the door as Thad came around the front of the car. "What are you doin', my brown eyed girl? I thought I was coming up to get you."  "I know, I couldn't wait, I'm so excited."

She leapt into his arms and he twirled her in a circle. They both laughed with abandon. Putting her down, Thad spun her around with one hand, taking in her beauty. He thought she looked adorably professional. In his charcoal grey suit and his royal blue satin tie, with matching pocket square, he looked positively irresistible. "Let the evening begin." Thad said, as he brushed his lips against hers, then taking her delicate hand, he helped her into the car. 

The turnout was much larger than expected and the response from critics and presales were overwhelming in positive, enthused affirmation. Their plan to become a permanent team appeared more than possible. 

Standing back in a corner, watching Thad work the crowd, leaving smiles in his wake, Jenny thought how glad she was they had done this together. As the whirlwind of the evening calmed and Thad and Jenny said their goodbyes, they each took a deep breath.

Jenny was thinking, "I am so glad this night happened and I'm so glad it is over."  Thad took a deep breath as he thought, "I hope this goes well, I've never been so nervous in my life."

They drove along in comfortable silence until Jenny 
noticed they had missed their turn. "Thad, you missed it." 
"Missed what?" "Our turn, you missed it."

"Oh, I'm sorry,  didn't I tell you?  Uncle Richard asked me to swing by to check on the house. He has to be out of town another week and the painters came today. He wants me to see that it was done right." Jenny felt a little perturbed, "Thad, it's nearly midnight. How are you going to properly see how it looks at night? Why don't you wait until tomorrow? I'll come with you; it would make a lot more sense, don't you think?"  "I do, but Uncle Richard insisted. I guess they are having some kind of inspection tomorrow."   "Does the paint affect that somehow?"  "I don't know Jenny, I'm not building the house, he is." Jenny was getting more aggravated by the minute. "Are you sure about that? I have never met your Uncle Richard. Every time I've come out to the house with you, he's been out of town. But, I do remember giving you an opinion on almost everything to do with this house. We've  decided on the flooring, the tiles, the window coverings, countertops, fixtures and the paint colors, if you will remember!"

Taking a deep breath, in her frustration, she continued, "Jenny, you said, 'Your opinion is invaluable; stainless or what about this black? Should it be side by side? And this washing machine.... notice these features, what do you think would work best?'  We decided on all the plantings in the yard, even the design. When you think about it, this entire house is our taste, yours and mine. The furniture we picked out for Uncle Richard is arriving next week. We could move in and be perfectly comfortable.........I mean." She embarrassed herself. "I mean...ummm.."  

Thad turned off the engine and pulled the brake, they had arrived. 

"Jenny, do you think we would be happy living here?" Thad didn't have that usual playfulness about him. She answered, "Yes, it's beautiful. The layout is perfect. It's an ideal house to grow in...you know, kids and all..."  She trailed off, feeling awkward. Somehow, the more uncomfortable she felt, the more Thad seemed at ease.

Her mind was so full of their conversation that Jenny jumped a little
when Thad opened her car door and offered her his hand. As they walked to the front door, Jenny thought how nice her bed would feel right now. Tempted to feel grumpy, she resisted. Thad's Uncle must mean a great deal to him, and if it was important to Thad, that should be enough.      

Forty five minutes later, after painstakingly going through each room in the house, discussing each color, giving her opinion on how she thought it had turned out, they made it, finally, to the kitchen.

She noticed a lantern on the floor in the great room, just beyond the kitchen.Walking over for a closer look, because she couldn't make it out in the dim light, she saw Twister all laid out. The spin board sat to one side and a tray complete with popcorn, cherry coke, and M&M's. Even the glasses were the ones they had used that first night.

From behind her, she heard, "Left hand, blue." Jenny looked at the mat and setting on one blue dot was a tiny blue box. Thad, picked up the box, opened it, and asked, "May I have your left hand for the rest of our lives?" Jenny, as expected, was crying a river. Thad had, indeed, learned to tell the difference and he confidently knew these tears to be happy tears. On a second blue dot was another box, a bigger box.... of tissue. He handed her a few. She dabbed at her tears with her right hand, while Thad slid the ring onto her left.  "Oh, Jenny, I just couldn't imagine life without you."

"You can't? I'm so glad, me either."  Thad kissed her as he had never kissed her before.

A small light dawned for Jenny. She pulled away and asked, 
"Thad, am I ever going to meet your Uncle Richard?"  "Me, I don't have an Uncle Richard."  "Thaddeus, whose house is this that we are standing in?"  He pointed to yet another box....this one on a yellow dot. Jenny opened it to find a carved wooden sign...it read "The Hollingsworth Family" Jenny looked up to see Thad sprouting wings. "That's your wedding present, my brown eyed girl."  "My what?!!"  Jenny gasped.  "Our parents have helped a lot. Your brother, Scott, designed it and, of course, your dad and mom have been making it a reality with their talents." 

"My parents have added to the inheritance my grandfather left me and I have been saving for years. It means we won't have a mortgage. It's ours!! Welcome to your new home!" Jenny stood, stunned, utterly speechless.

She slowly turned, looking at the room, taking it in with completely fresh eyes. Her new ring glinted in the lantern light as she traced the name carved into the wood with her fingers. She then realized that there was something else in the box. She lifted them out to find several smaller versions of the sign and held them in her hand, but they were blank. 

She looked up at Thad, now standing just in front of her. 
He answered the question he saw in her eyes."This sign says family. I wanted to be ready for what may come. You see, these tiny holes? Thad held out his hand revealing a small bag; they will hang just under the main sign. These little hooks connect them together." Jenny steadied her heart and racing thoughts; it was quite a bit to take in, all at once.

She looked at him, again, "You orchestrated all of this, gesturing with a sweeping hand...you must have been planning this for months..working like a dog to finish our book, building a house for us, having it ready to this point, on the night of our book launch ..all, right under my nose!!"

"You remembered everything about that first night, the Twister game and popcorn, every detail. Lying to me, all this time, fabricating an uncle, all this time!!" Feeling a bit nervous, Thad said, "I am guilty of all that, yes."  

Jenny set the box in her hands down carefully. He watched, presently unsure of how she was feeling. She thrust her arms out and twirled around in circles; her dress flaring out. 

Giving Thad the surprise of his life, with a running start, she flew into his arms, squealing,"Thad, I think you are absolutely the most wonderful, thoughtful man I have ever known!" She kissed him in a manner that made him weak in the knees. "Jenny, I am so relieved that you are pleased. I thought you might be mad. I did lead you down the garden path. My dad mentioned that most women would not be okay with what I've done." "Thaddeus James Hollingsworth, I am not most women, I am your woman!" Thad reached down and picked her up, spinning her about, neither one of them could imagine being any happier.