After David left him in order to take the cups to his wife, Lance started breaking up glass for the next project he had in mind.He’d been thinking about it for the last week and thought that he had all the processes down in the way that he needed them to be made.Just as he was cleaning up his mess, Adonna, the queen of the fae, appeared in his building.
“I waited to see what you’d be doing next when I wanted to come here.I have some news for you.The little birdbaths that you made for my people have become a good hit.I’ve been using them for special awards when they do something extraordinary.They really love them.”He said he was glad, and like he did for his brother, he went over to his shelf and pulled down the box of them he had.“Oh, how beautiful.These will be perfect for the next round of giveaways.You’re so talented, can’t you tell me something that you want so that I can repay you for it?You’ve made so many of them now, I’m sure that everyone will have one by the end of the next sowing season.”
“Just pay it forward like you’re forever telling me to do.”She flushed brightly, and he had to smile.He’d made an ancient woman blush, and he felt good about that.“You could do me a favor, though.Not that you’d have to do it, but the next time you’re playing around with the roses at my grannie’s house, could you please make it so that all of us can have a bush started from them?You don’t have to do it if it puts you behind.I know you’re on a tight schedule as it is.”
“I would love to do that for the family.I’ll have them finished up in a week.That way, I canmake sure that the seedlings are going to be strong enough to hold their shape.Your grannie had the most beautiful flowers of all the gardens around her.She loved them so, and I can understand why you want a cutting for yourself.”He said that he wasn’t going to tell his family until he had them, so they’d be surprised.“What a wonderful thought.Yes, I’ll be very careful about not telling them about them, too.You have a brilliant mind, and I so love you.”
“I love you too, my lady.You and I have gotten along so well over the seasons that I feel like we’re related on some level.”She flushed again, and he had to laugh.“When you get them, let me know.I’ve already got the little containers made up for them.It’s pieces of the glasses that we used when we would all go over there.”
“They’ll treasure it all from you.”When she left him, telling him that she might need more of them sometime soon, he decided to make a list of things that he was going to need to get her an order done.
They were so tiny that he could produce them in about a week, but it was getting them to set up that took him the longest.He loved playing around with the sets of them just because they were so small.And he loved the colors that he used too.When he had a bit left over from a project, he would make a couple of the bowls or stands, and that was what got them done so quickly.
Working on his project again, he heard from the house.Dinner would be soon, and he needed to get to a point where he could stop.He would do that because if he got caught up in something, he’d never make it out of here, and dinner would be ruined.His kids would later come out and get him, and he was worried that they’d get hurt.It was a place that was too hot for kids to be running around.While he was between projects, he made his way into the house.
“I have some things that I need to run by you, too.It has to do with the foundation.Did you know that Denver hired ten new people to answer the phones?”He said that he’d helped interview them.“Good.I was hoping that was the case.I have to work with one of them tomorrow.Is there anything I need to know about the lot of them?I mean, are they going to be a bunch of teeny boppers or something?”
“No, they’re from the assisted living home where William used to stay.They just want to work about ten hours a week, and since we can have them come in a day at a time and work the phones, it’s no hardship for us to accommodate them.”She asked why he’d hired so many.“I think he was thinking that they all might not work out, and he wanted to get them trained before we all took our cruise again.”
“That’s right.The first and second week of October.I’m looking forward to that a lot.Are you?”He said that he’d not given it much thought as he’d been really busy out in the barn.“I know you have.And I saw the cups you gave David.They’ll be perfect for what they have in mind for them.Also, did you notice that he shaved off his beard again?That usually means that they’re going to have another baby.I’m happy with the four that we have right now.Maybe later we can talk about having another one, but for now, four is just enough.”
“I agree.But if you want another, all you have to say is you’re ready, and I’ll be there for you.”She laughed, telling him that he just wanted to make the baby.“Of course I do.That’s most of my fun.You do all the hard work while I just sit back and bask in the fact that I’ve created a child with the only woman that I’ll ever love.”
“You’re so sappy.”She kissed him then, and he took the plates from her to set the table.He’d made them, he knew and loved the way that his family used them for everyday uses.He wondered if his family used theirs as much as he did.“Don’t forget we have Toby staying the night with us.He’s here until Saturday.Then his mom is going to pick him up, and we’re headed to the auction.”
Georgie had a successful décor business.She would go into a home and make it shine again.The stuff that she picked up at auctions would be put to good use, and he couldn’t believe some of the prices that she paid for things.He had to let her go through his glass that he could buy at nearly every one of the auctions, so that if she found a piece that she thought she could use, he’d not break it up for projects.It was fun for him to do that for her, and she seemed to have a good time going to auctions,too.
Dinner was tacos, and he loved them.Georgie thought that the kids would be messy when they ate them, and they were.But clean up was easy, as he’d been getting used to having to sweep up cheese and tacos from the floor.When she cooked, he cleaned up the mess.They didn’t leave that for the staff to clean up; it wasn’t right that they had to do that.
After getting the kids to bed, Toby sleeping in the boys’ room with them, he read to his daughters and put them to bed.He knew they’d be up in a few minutes; there was someone new in the house, but he couldn’t begrudge them a little time playing around when he knew that’s what he’d done as a child, too.He thought about his parents then and wondered where that thought had come from.It’s not like they had much to do with his childhood, and even that had been horrific, but think about them, he did.he wondered what they’d think about all of them having kids.
Probably run screaming from the room.They had hated them that much; he didn’t think they’d treat their grandkids any differently.He remembered a time when he’d asked for someone to spend the night with them and was told that he’d have to give them his portion of food.That’s why he encouraged his own kids to have someone over because he’d missed that growing up.Grannie would have allowed it, but there had been so much going on around the house back then that he’d been afraid that someone would get lost in the shuffle.He also knew that she’d put an extra plate on the table even if they didn’t have that much and feed them as well as she had them.Grannie and Grandda had been gone for nearly twelve years now, and he missed them all the time.
“Did you hear about the immortality things that are going on?”Lance asked Georgie what she meant.“We’re not the only ones who have decided not to have it anymore.I guess your entire family is all for just dying when it’s their time.”
“I’d heard that Denver and Colby had decided that, but I’d had no idea that the rest of them had too.Good for them.I wouldn’t want to be the last man standing when we all get to that age.I think that it would break my heart to have to bury one of my family members and know that I’m going to be around forever, especially with our kids.I would hate for something to happen to them, and I’d have to bury one of them.No thanks.”
They continued to talk about it as they made their way up to bed.They’d made their decision right after Grannie and Grandda had died.He didn’t feel bad about it either.And when Parker had taken it away, she hugged them, telling them that they were going to have a long and happy life together.He hoped so.He loved his family a great deal and didn’t want to lose them anytime soon.
Once Georgie was asleep, he got out of bed and went down to his barn.He would do that a couple of nights a week, just so he could get lost in the art of what he was doing.As soon as he had things set up the way that he wanted, he worked on the large bowl that Jack wanted.It wanted to be able to mix coleslaw in it and not have to dirty three bowls to have enough.He thought that the bowl was going to be too heavy for a mixing bowl, but he’d do just about anything for his family.Even if he had to work all night.
Chapter 9
Taking notes as he usually did, Ethan wondered how the other people in the room remembered in detail anything that was being said.None of them took notes.One of them was even playing on his phone under the table.If he could see him, he was sure that the director of the hospital could as well.Maybe they didn’t care what happened in their departments?
After the meeting, he waited around to talk to Mr.Humphrey.He’d been new to the role of hospital president and wanted to get his take on the things that he’d seen so far.But he rushed out of the meeting so quickly that he barely got in a hello before he was gone.He did end up talking to the director, Mrs.Challenger.He had a couple of questions for her.
“Who was that man playing on his phone?”He said his name before he could think that he should have kept his mouth shut.“I don’t know why they don’t allow me to take phones from people when I have a meeting.They’re a distraction, and I don’t care for them.I suppose they have their functions, but for the life of me, I don’t know what it would be in a departmental meeting.What can I do for you, Ethan?”
“You mentioned that there were going to be cutbacks in certain departments.I’d like a heads up if it’s going to be in mine.I have everyone working now, and it would be a shame to have to redo the schedule again.”He smiled at her when she smiled at him.It was a creepy smile she gave him, and he took a step back.“Is everything all right?”
“I only said that to see who was paying attention.”He didn’t like that but kept his mouth shut.I suppose I should have figured that you’d be the only one.You’re the only one that pays attention in my meetings, and I couldn’t love you more for that.”
“Yes, well…” He felt uncomfortable with her words of love and took another step back from her.“I do the best that I can with what I have before me.Also, before I forget, remember that I take the first two weeks off in October again.We get together as a family yearly to celebrate life.”
“I have it on my calendar.Don’t you have like, a really large family that you get together with?That must be difficult for you.All those people that you’re related to at one time.If you really don’t want to go I can fix it so that you don’t have to.I could accidentally schedule you to work and get you out of it all.”He said no, that he loved it.“I can’t imagine getting with my family on purpose every year.The things that I could tell you would make your hair turn white.We can barely stand each other when there’s a funeral going on, I can’t think that getting together would be all that fun that I’d plan.”
“It’s the only time we can get together without work involved.We all work hard throughout the year so that we can get together for these two weeks.We even take all the kids with us when we go.”She pretended to faint, and he didn’t know what he was supposed to do.“If you could just make sure that I have the time off, I’d appreciate it.I put it in about a month ago, and it’s been approved by my department.”
