Year One

Gerald Murphy was screwed and he knew it. He preferred to be called Gerald but for some reason, most people including his now ex-wife and former boss called him Jerry. He went with the flow but it still rankled him sometimes. But what people called him was the least of his worries. His primary concern was what a 35 year old man was going to do after he had been stripped of his dignity, reputation, livelihood, family, and 75% of his assets by his divorce.

The biggest problem was that he honestly didn't know or understand what had happened to him. A few other people could have told him but he was unlikely to understand. They would have told him that he was Mr. Loyalty, the eternal Boy Scout, the guy who everyone relied on because he never let them down. They also would have told him that he was so focused on what he was doing that he seldom let people get close to him. He didn't hang out with co-workers or go to many social events. The results were that he had made several relatively incompetent supervisors look very good but he had been passed over for promotion because he never earned his membership in the good-old-boy club.

These qualities came together and culminated in his divorce from his wife of ten years who then took up with one of his arrogant former bosses who was notorious for taking credit for other people's work and treating them like peasants. Their ensuing marriage and move for another job opportunity caused Gerald's two young children to move to a high energy city 600 miles away. Gerald was left alone in a smaller city with a job, a small house, his pickup truck, and no idea how his life had gone from satisfactory to the dumpster in less than a year. Then the economy took one of its frequent trips into the toilet and Gerald became an unemployed 35 year old with a small house and pickup truck and very little likelihood of finding another decent job in the foreseeable future.

The plant closing had been sudden but he did receive a year's salary as severance and a good recommendation. A month later, he realized that he was just slowly slipping towards bankruptcy and that he had to do something. He managed to sell his house and got some money from that deal but had escaped from a mortgage payment. He found a 5 acre plot of land 80 miles away that he could pay cash for and bought a repossessed one bedroom cabin and had it installed. At this point he had a place to live that cost him little and had some money left to survive on. But that was it; his life had been reduced to a trailer house on five acres and no tomorrow.

The finale came one night as he was watching television. The news commentator, who made more a lot more money in a year than most people made in a lifetime, had spent the better part of an hour justifying that people should quit complaining about the economy and just go get a job and work hard so that they could be successful like he was. He had brought out three or four well dressed, well-heeled "experts" to support his arguments. Just before the program ended, Gerald took out his .22 pistol and shot the television screen three times.

For a brief minute, Gerald considered turning the gun around and firing off one more round, but that thought disappeared and he put the pistol back in the drawer. The next morning, he drove into town and bought a used garden tiller, some compost, and a variety of vegetable seeds. For the next week, he worked from sun up until dark tilling an area not far from the cabin and planted a garden. He was going to make sure that he had some food available to him.

On his next trip to town, he saw a sign for an estate sale. Without much thought, he decided to stop and see if there was anything useful at the sale. Unfortunately, the sale was all but over and only a few odds and ends were left. He talked with the person who handled the sale and discovered that the man who had died had left the place to his son who didn't really want the place and was going to put it up for sale. The person in charge asked Gerald if he knew anyone locally who might be willing to come over and clear out the barn of a lot of junk and haul it off and also tear down a small shed that had seen better days. Without thinking, Gerald said that he would do it for $200. The man handed him $200 and asked if he could have it cleaned up within a week.

For the next week Gerald carefully tore down the shed and put the lumber in his truck and stacked it behind the cabin. When he started on the barn, he was surprised at what he found among the "junk." It was obvious that the seller had not take the time or interest to sort through the dirty pile of stuff in the barn. He had only told Gerald to clear it all out and get rid of it. By the time he had hauled the scrap to the dump and had made three trips to the metal recycling center where loads of broken and bent metal had earned him another $150, Gerald finally surveyed the other "stuff" that he had salvaged. Besides the lumber from the shed, he had saved thirty metal fence poles, a 200 foot roll of fencing, several worn but useful garden and hand tools, and his prized find, a 5' by 8' trailer buried under everything else. The tires were shot but he had been able to get it home in one piece. Everything he had accumulated would need cleaning and some repair but he now had some material to work with.

Since his television was now also filling space at the dump, he relied on listening to the radio while he worked around the garden and restored the equipment he had accumulated. In the evenings, he listened to music and read. Over the next two months, the estate sale person had called him twice more to do the same at two other places. He readily accepted the jobs and happily took $200 for each of them. He also picked up some additional money from metal recycling from these efforts but also added additional lumber and some siding and metal roofing to his collection of building materials. He also picked up a lawn mower that he was told was dead. I proved to be very much alive after an oil change and a new spark plug.

It was at this time that his garden began producing results. He discovered quickly that he needed to learn how to preserve some of his crops for later use. The local library supplied him with two books on canning and preserving vegetables and soon he was blanching and preparing his harvest for storage. His only problem became a lack of storage space. He solved that by using some of the lumber and materials that he had collected and built a strong storage building partially underground to act as a combination storm shelter, root cellar, and storage room. He built it into the side of a north facing hill and it kept the interior surprisingly cool during the summer and dry during the rainy spring and fall.

He had evolved a schedule so that he worked six days then took the seventh day off to clean house, do laundry and take care of any other chores. From another library book, he learned to bake his own bread so he baked a week's supply on his day off. The other thing that he did religiously was to write a letter to each of his children each week. He mailed them and they did not come back but he never knew if they received them or not as he never got a reply. Two years later, they started to come back marked "Moved, no forwarding address." He continued to write the letters but no longer wasted the money for postage. He put them into two boxes, one for each child.

While in town one day, he discovered that there was a small farmer's market open on Saturdays only. Saturday became his shopping day with the market his first stop. He was able to buy vegetables and other things that he hadn't or couldn't grow. He also discovered that several women baked a variety of breads and baked items and sold them at the market. After finding out the details about how to do this, he began baking ten loaves each week and taking them to the market to sell. The women baked lighter things while he preferred the darker, heavier multi-grain and rye breads. The first weekend he tried, he sold six loaves at $5 each. After that first weekend, he sold everyone of his loaves and was often asked to bring more. As a result, he used Thursday and Friday as bread making days. He mixed the dough and set it out to rise on Thursday evening and baked all day on Friday. This method allowed him to increase his offerings to between 15 and 20 loaves a week. While the amount of money he made wasn't huge by any means, it was enough to allow him to buy meat and other staples.

The other thing it allowed for him to do, which ultimately turned into a greater blessing, was to meet many local people and become recognized as a member of the community. Since this wasn't a high pressure situation, people quickly discovered his positive traits and found that while he was quiet, he did indeed have a charming personality even if it was subdued. The ladies at the market became particularly fond of the quiet man who made such good rye bread.

When they also discovered that he was a gardener and a handy man, several of them asked him if he would build them raised bed gardens and get them started with a garden. They tended to be older women who found gardening difficult in the ground. Most were retired widows or women with husbands who were unwilling or incapable of building even the most simple thing. Gerald agreed to all requests and began building raised bed boxes from his stock of lumber and taking them to their homes and putting them where they were wanted. He also invested in new tires for the trailer and had a welder repair part of the frame. With that, he found a source for bulk compost that was much less expensive than the individual bags from the garden center. Over the next two months, he built and installed twelve of these beds at $75 each ready to plant.

While doing this, many of the women asked him to do other repair and maintenance projects around their houses. As a result, he usually left their house with between $100-150 in his pocket. This continued until the holiday season when things began to slow down. This gave him time to take care of some chores that he had been postponing. It was during this time that he was able to sit down and take stock of where he was. He was surprised to discover the results when he finished. After he had bought the land and mobile home, he had about $10,000 left to live off of. When he added up everything, he now had $12,000 in his savings account. He had survived the first nine months of his new, simple life without a regular job and still added money to his account. This also didn't take into account the supply of tools and materials he had amassed to work with.

As he finished his assessment, he began to cry. His tears washed away his initial feelings of sorry and became tears of thanks and joy that he had survived and that gave him confidence that he could continue to survive. As a Christmas present, he had an internet line installed so he could access all of the information on the net. For the first time in years, he went into town and joined a community Christmas event and brought five loaves of bread to the festivities. People expressed pleasure that he showed up and introduced him to even more people. One of these people was his next door neighbor. He had been aware that someone lived next door but had never made the effort to actually meet them.

"Them" turned out to be a single mother about his age and her eight year old daughter. The woman was introduced as Gwen Lambert and her daughter Cherilyn. As they talked, he discovered that she was a school teacher in town and that explained why he did not see them around during the day. Cherilyn proved to be quiet and shy, much like he was. Before they parted, they exchanged phone numbers and offers to call if they needed help.

Two days later, he got a call from her. She explained that her brother and his wife were supposed to come for Christmas dinner but had to cancel because of an emergency. She said that she had far too much food prepared for the two of them and would he like to join them for dinner on Christmas Day. He fought back his initial inclination to decline the offer but accepted and asked if he could at least bring a loaf of bread or something. She accepted his offer and said that she was planning on dinner at 1:00 and that he was welcome at anytime he arrived.

He took a shower and put on a clean pair of jeans and shirt and started towards her house shortly after noon with the loaf of bread under his arm. As he walked, he noticed what he thought was steam coming out of a window. When he realized that it was smoke, he began to run and burst through the door nearest the smoking window. He found Gwen sitting on the kitchen floor with tears pouring down her face. The stove was black and soaked with water and fire extinguisher residue.

"Are you and Cherilyn alright?"

Between sobs, Gwen nodded her head.

"Come on; let's get you out of here." He helped her up and led her to the back porch and sat her in a lawn chair. He then went and found Cherilyn cowering in fear in the living room. He led her out to the backyard and sat her next to her mother. Then he went back inside to look things over. The gas oven had obviously caught fire and spread to the stove top. Everything was a mess. The wall behind the stove had suffered some smoke and water damage but for the most part, the rest of the kitchen was intact. He went outside and found the gas shut off valve and closed it. He went back inside and pulled the electrical plug to the stove and pulled it away from the wall. Overall, the mess could be cleaned up and the wall board behind the stove could be easily replaced. The major item was the loss of the stove unit. He went back outside and sat down next to Gwen who had brought her sobbing under control.

"I'm sorry, Gerald, The turkey is in the grill over there staying warm but everything else is ruined."

"Hey, both of you are OK and that is the important thing. The damage isn't too bad but the stove is a loss. We can just take the turkey to my place and finish the meal there, if you are up to it."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"I don't recall you asking for anything; I am offering it. My place is small but I think that the three of us can fit and still have a nice dinner."

"Alright, if you don't mind. I'm not sure I am ready to face cleaning up that mess on Christmas Day."

"We will clean it up tomorrow. I can replace some of the wall board and then we can see about replacing the stove."

She smiled a thin smile that left something unsaid but nodded. They put the turkey on a large platter and the three of them got in Gwen's car and drove the short distance to Gerald's cabin. As he led them inside, Gerald said to the young girl, "I'm sorry Cherilyn, I don't have a television to watch. I listen to music most of the time. But you can go on the computer and perhaps find something interesting.

She nodded nervously and said, "Thank you."

Gwen surveyed the cabin and decided that it was neat and clean and livable. With Gerald's help, they opened several of the canned foods that he had put up and heated up a variety of vegetables for dinner. By the time they sat down to dinner, the kitchen smelled of fresh vegetables and turkey and everybody sat down in a refreshed state of mind. Both Gwen and her daughter commented on how good the vegetables tasted while Gerald praised the turkey.

After dinner, Gerald showed her around his garden and storage room. Cherilyn had found things on the computer and was lost in a child's world of different things. Gwen and Gerald ended up sitting on his small deck and they each began to reveal some of their history while drinking a glass of tea.

Gwen told him that she and her husband had bought the house next door three years ago with big plans to fix and update it. The economy had cost him his job and the remodeling plans had come to a halt. He finally found a job 200 miles away and he went to work at a lesser paying job while she stayed in the house with Cherilyn because of her job. Things were looking up until her husband failed to call as usual. When she was able to finally find out what happened, her life went into turmoil again. He had lost that job too and went out and got drunk. Then he went and tried to rob a convenience store and wounded the owner but the owner had also shot him. He survived but had been under arrest for four months. The court appointed lawyer had told her that he would probably have to go to prison for a couple of years for his crime. As a result, Gwen had had to cut back on many things to make ends meet. One of those had been that she had to drop the homeowners insurance on the house. She didn't know how or when she would be able to replace the stove.

Gerald listened to her tale and nodded. He then said that he understood her situation completely and that he would look around a couple of places that he had found and see what he could do about a stove. She thanked him for helping her. She then asked about him and he told her his story or at least as much of it as he could as his understanding

When they left, Gerald had made them agree to come over for breakfast in the morning before he and Gwen went back and began the cleanup. Gwen agreed on the condition that she would bring the sausage and eggs. Gerald agreed and things were settled.

They arrived just before 8:00 and Gerald made fresh biscuits and sausage gravy while Gwen cooked the sausage and scrambled eggs. They worked together surprisingly well in the small kitchen but breakfast was a hit for everyone. Gerald provided her with some bell pepper and onion to mix in with the eggs. Both Gwen and Cherilyn liked the biscuits and gravy, something that they had never had before.

They went to Gwen's house shortly after 9:00 and began the clean up. The first thing he did was wrestle the stove outside and load it into the bed of his truck. He would take it to the metal recycler the next day. He expected that he would get about $20 for the scrap as it was an old and heavy gas range. He and Gwen then cleaned and scrubbed the floor and cabinets. After she made sandwiches for lunch, Gerald began cutting and removing the old wall board. He found several of the studs inside the wall had deteriorated and needed replacing along with some insulation.

The next morning after a stop at the metal recycler, he went to the building supply store and bought what he needed. By the time he stopped that evening, he had the studs repaired and the insulation installed. The wall board would go back in the following morning. Gwen and Cherilyn came to his house for breakfast and dinner each day and they had lunch at Gwen's house while they worked.

After the wall board had been installed, he told Gwen that he needed to run an errand and would be back in time for dinner. She smiled and told him to take care of what he needed to. She would get the things for dinner and to not worry about it. Gerald drove 50 miles to a recycle store he had come across and found a gas stove that was only three years old. The previous owner had decided to remodel the kitchen and the white stove didn't fit with their new color scheme, so they had donated it to the resale store which supported a local charity. Gerald bought it for $100 and drove it home with a tarp covering it from a light rain that had sprung up.

When he arrived home, Gwen was already busy in his kitchen preparing a roast and potatoes and other vegetables. The three of them shared another excellent meal made even better when Gerald put a loaf of bread into the oven. The warm bread and the lingering aroma made everything almost perfect.

The next morning, he backed his truck up to their door before they had come down for breakfast. After knocking and being greeted by Gwen still in her robe, he unloaded the stove into the kitchen and had it installed in less than an hour. Gwen couldn't believe that he had found one and put it in so easily. That morning, they cooked breakfast on the new stove and Gwen couldn't have been happier with the new features that the stove had. She faltered and almost cried when Gerald turned it on for the first time and it lit right up. She finally asked him how much she owed him for the stove. She couldn't believe that he had bought it for only $100. She had expected to have to pay closer to $300 for one in worse condition. He told her to just pay him back at $20 a month which was an offer she really appreciated and accepted.
After breakfast, Gwen casually mentioned that she had been invited to a New Year's party at another teacher's house but that she hadn't been able to find a sitter for Cherilyn. Gerald suggested that he would be pleased to stay with Cherilyn at either house while she went to the party. After getting reassurances that he was really OK with that, she accepted his offer. After checking with Cherilyn, they decided that they would stay at Gerald's cabin so she could use the computer. Gwen had a computer but had to give up the internet during her cutback.

Gwen dropped Cherilyn off at 7:00 and went to her party. Cherilyn was thrilled when Gerald told her that they were going to make homemade pizzas for dinner. They worked together and she doctored her pizza just the way she wanted it. While they ate, Gerald talked to her about school and things going on in her life. The major thing she said was that she missed her dad but knew that he wouldn't be coming home for a long time. Gerald got a little misty thinking about his own children who he knew he wouldn't see for a long time. After dinner, they played some games and then he showed her where some games were on the computer. She began trying some of them out while he settled down to read.

Shortly before 11:00 he heard a car drive up which was highly unusual. As he opened the door, he saw Gwen get out carrying a bottle of wine. She smiled and said that she had enjoyed the party but had decided that she would bring in the New Year with them instead of waiting for another hour with her co-workers. She entered and they opened the wine and toasted each other. Cherilyn got a glass of grape juice and joined them in their toast. Midnight arrived and hugs were shared around. Gwen and Cherilyn left shortly afterwards as Cherilyn was beginning to droop.

Year Two

Gerald spent New Year's Day building an outdoor brick oven from a design that he had discovered on the internet. He felt that the wood heat would add to the flavor to his breads. Saturday, he spent at the farmer's market and sold out his twenty loaves. The market was only open on the first Saturday of each month during the winter and would open aback up every weekend starting in April. Saturday night, Gwen called and invited him over for Sunday dinner. She was going to make enchiladas and tacos for dinner. School was going to start back up on Monday and she felt like this would be a good start to close out the holidays. Gerald accepted and they had a grand fiesta on Sunday night.

On Monday a cold front came through dropping the temperature to around freezing. He had been telling people that he had quite a bit of seasoned firewood available if they needed it. His phone started ringing Monday morning and he spent most of the week delivering trailer loads of wood. In all, he made close to $1000 that week which made him feel good since his bread sales had dropped with the limited schedule of the farmer's market. He also hadn't been called for raised bed garden for over a month. In expectation of more business, he went ahead and built a dozen frames that were now ready for spring. With the cold weather, he couldn't finish his oven but he spent his time looking for new recipes for breads. And with school starting up again on Monday, he didn't see much of Gwen and Cherilyn during the week. But they talked on the phone. He invited them over on Friday for dinner which she accepted if he would accept an invitation for dinner on Sunday. That became their usual pattern unless either of them had a conflict which didn't happen very often.

As January turned into February, he started receiving calls for raised beds. Having them already made meant that he could spend half the time setting up someone else's garden and still have time to plant his lettuce, potatoes, and onions. When he was done with this, he had an idea. Gwen and Cherilyn came home from school one afternoon and found a neatly tilled garden running along the fence that separated their properties. A phone call confirmed that he had in fact tilled the garden and put in compost so that it was ready to plant. Cherilyn did not have school the next day but it was a teacher work day so they decided that Cherilyn would help him plant their garden. Gwen had told him that she had wanted a garden but didn't have the time nor the tools to build it but she thought that she could maintain it if she had one. Now she had her garden.

A month later when Spring Break came upon them, Gwen told him that they were going to be gone for several days. Her husband's trial was scheduled and she felt that they should be there for him. Gerald understood and wished them a safe drive and that he would watch over their place. When they left, Gerald felt a shiver of loneliness set in until his phone starting ringing again. Then he was busy with calls until after they returned the following weekend.

Gwen called on Thursday night and he could tell that she was fighting herself to seem cheerful. She said that they would be home Friday night but it might be late. He told her to just come to his place and he would have dinner ready when they arrived. She thanked him for his generosity and promised him a meal on Sunday.

They arrived at Gerald's place at 7:00. Gerald had prepared the makings of pizza again so the only thing they needed to do was put their favorite toppings on and pop them in the oven. He could see the strain lines on Gwen's face and Cherilyn, who was usually quiet, seemed more so than usual. He assumed that the trip had been taxing and the results not very satisfying. He chose to not ask but to just focus on the needs of the moment. As a result, dinner was subdued but by the time they left for home, he could see that some of the tension had abated. As she left, Gwen whispered to him that she would tell him more on Sunday. Gerald just nodded and wished them a good night.

Saturday was busy at the farmer's market. He offered half of his as oven baked and the other half as brick oven baked. Both sold out but he asked each of those who ought the brick oven loaves to let him know what they thought of the new baking technique. Many of his regulars smiled and said that they expected it to be good but would let him know. He didn't see Gwen or Cherilyn when he got home but decided to leave them alone as he suspected that they just needed some downtime alone.

On Sunday, he spent the day tending his garden and was deep into weeding his onions and potatoes when he heard Gwen's voice.

"I hope that we didn't upset you Friday night; it has been a tough week and the drive back was hard."

"I figured that out. I hope that you two are alright."

"We will be OK. It was just that everything was such a shock. He looked sullen and like he had lost ten pounds. He was glad to see Cheri but acted insecure and embarrassed for her to see him. The trial was very short. They trial was over before noon and the jury found him guilty before 2:00. The next day the judge sentenced him to five years in prison. His lawyer says that he will be out in three years if he keeps his nose clean in jail. We had sort of prepared ourselves for that but it still came as a shock to hear it. We talked that night and decided that the best thing was to just go on doing our best like we have been doing. But it is still very hard on Cheri. She knows what happened but she still can't understand it all."

"I think that she and I share that trait. It takes me a long time to understand things that have happened to me. I would probably be better off if I could just decide right away who I could point a finger at and get rid of my confusion."

Gwen gave him a wry smile. "I can't see you being one of those angry judgmental people. Your kindness and acceptance of people and events is really one of your strengths even if you feel like it is a weakness."

All Gerald could muster was a weak, "Thanks."

"Anyway, I have to go to the store and get some things. Can I get you anything while I'm in town?"

"No thanks; I picked up most of what I need yesterday after the market."

"OK, we will have dinner ready around 6:30. Hopefully, Cheri will be a little brighter tonight."

"I'll be there and if she isn't, that's alright. It is tough on you but it must be much tougher on her."

"See! I'm not sure that I could look at a situation like this and say that."

Gerald didn't know how to respond. He just gave her a small hug and she went back to her house and he went back to work culling the weeds. His mind, however, remained focus on her words. He realized that he seldom rushed to judgment but he didn't know why. His parents had been tolerant people but could be could also be judgmental in some situations. He had always tried to understand a situation before he decided what he felt about things. At times, he did feel like it was a flaw in his personality. Some people including his ex-wife often considered him weak. Was he weak? He didn't know.

They had a good dinner that night. Cherilyn was brighter than she had been on Friday but was still subdued. He talked to her and she responded but there wasn't a lot of life in her responses. He hoped that getting back to school and around her friends would be a spark for her. Gwen asked if Cheri could stay with him for awhile on Thursday as she had a training class to go to for several hours. Gerald agreed without thought. He liked the quiet young girl and he felt that she liked him as well.

The first part of the week, he was busy clearing out a barn before the property went on sale. From this project he collected some more tools but the one item that caught his eye most was an old tractor. It didn't look like it had been started in a long time but it also wasn't weathered and beat up like many older tractors were. He asked the owner about it and discovered that it had been there since he had bought the place. He had intended to try to restore it but had never found the time. When they finished talking about it, the seller offered him the tractor in lieu of payment for his work. Gerald accepted that offer but had to go rent a trailer big enough to carry it. While loading it, he also discovered a box of parts for it that had never been installed. When all was said and done, he had a tractor and more wood and building materials to add to his store.

As he was unloading the lumber, he realized that continuing to stack it outside was just causing the wood to further deteriorate and that the tractor really needed to be kept indoors. He looked on the internet and found a variety of designs for build-it-yourself barns. One in particular struck his eye and he printed out the scale drawing. He spent most of Wednesday night adjusting the scale of the drawing to fit his needs and then laid out a floor plan that would work for him. On Thursday, he laid out the dimensions on the plot of ground that he wanted to use. By the afternoon, he had dug the hole for the first corner post.

He stopped when he heard the school bus stop to drop off Cherilyn. She came down his drive with her book pack in tow. When she walked up to him looking at the barn that was so real in his mind, she started asking questions. What was he doing? How big was it going to be? Why was he doing this?

He walked her through the area and explained what he intended for each area. His explanations drew nods of understanding but often provoked additional questions. They talked for about thirty minutes before he suggested that they go inside and she could help him prepare the dough for his Saturday batch of bread. Instead of just helping him prepare the dough, she peppered him with questions about different ingredients. He became aware that often these interrogations ended with a question beginning with "Why?" Why did he need to use yeast? Why did you add sugar to the yeast? Why did he need baking powder and soda? Why did he add seeds? For many of these questions, he had a ready answer but for some, he struggled to find an acceptable answer.

He made hamburgers for dinner as they waited for Gwen to arrive. Cherilyn opened her homework and began working on it. But with this activity, she also asked questions and again many of them began with "Why." When Gwen arrived, Gerald was explaining to her that multiplication was a form of addition. He had dried beans spread out on the table to demonstrate counting beans individually and how much faster it was to count them if they were in equal rows. She seemed accepting of his explanation if not totally in agreement.

With Gwen's arrival, he stopped and put the burgers on the grill which was already hot and ready. Cherilyn continued with her homework while Gwen helped him chop lettuce, tomatoes and onions. When they had finished eating and the two girls were about to leave, Gerald called Cherilyn over to his shelf and showed her how the bread dough had risen to twice its original size. He had the answer for her "why" question ready when she asked it. She smiled for the first time since she had gotten home and said a simple, "Thanks, Gerald" and gave him a hug.

After they left as he was cleaning up, it dawned on him that this change in Cherilyn was perhaps her initial step in trying to figure out why things were happening to her father, mother, and herself. She hadn't gotten to the point of comprehending the "whys" of abstract concepts yet, but she was starting on the journey of trying to understand the world around her. For some strange reason that he didn't fully understand, he was pleased that he had been the one she chose to begin her journey with.

The next afternoon as he was taking the last loaves of bread out of the brick oven, he saw Cherilyn walking toward him again.

"Gerald, momma wants to know if you will come to dinner. She is making spaghetti and it will be ready in just a little while."

"Let me put these loaves on the cooling rack and we walk up there together."

"Gerald, I made a 100 on my math test today."

"Congratulations. I'm glad to hear it."

"Every time I looked at a problem, I saw the beans on the table like we did last night and it all made sense."

"Well that is really good news to me too. I would have felt bad if you saw the beans and got all of the problems wrong."

"Oh Gerald, I don't think you can do anything wrong."

He thought for a minute and then said, "Most of us don't do many things wrong; but sometimes, even if we do something right, it doesn't turn out like we wanted it to. Come in and I'll show you. He led her into the cabin and over to his cooling rack. "See this loaf of bread? We made the dough last night just like all of the others but this loaf didn't rise right and is kind of flat. We didn't do anything wrong, but for some reason, the results just didn't happen like the others."

"Why? I mean we made the dough the same, they should turn out the same."

"They should; but sometimes things happen that we don't expect. I don't know for sure what happened to this loaf but I suspect that maybe this loaf got too warm last night and the yeast died before it was ready to go in the oven. On my rack, one loaf is always going to be on this end. On the other side of the wall is the heater and the wall gets hot sometimes. That might have been enough to make this loaf be different. The taste will be the same; it just looks different."

"Oh."

"So let's go see your mom about dinner. I'm hungry and she will be mad at us if we are late."

He picked up a bottle of wine he had been saving and a loaf of warm Italian bread that he had tried out in the brick oven. They walked to Gwen's house together and were met with a smile.

The next week, Gerald had two calls for raised bed gardens which he handily took care of. As he was leaving the second house, the woman asked if he would remove a shrub which had gotten too big for her yard. It took him twenty minutes to dig it out and put it back of his truck. Instead of hauling it to the dump, he went home and planted it along his driveway. This started his development of non-food gardens which eventually were admired by many people driving by.

He spent the rest of the week working on the tractor and looking up many details on the internet along with more work on his barn. The barn was a timber frame design which basically meant that the corner posts, other vertical posts, and headers were thick heavy beams that when attached created a strong skeleton from which the siding and other components could be directly attached. He had sufficient beams to make the framework but lacked the triangular shaped rafters to support the roof. He also had about half of the siding he needed to complete the job. When he priced new rafters for the roof, he was disappointed at the price and went back to the Internet and read up about how to make them himself. Once again he was disappointed because the cost of materials alone was as much as the fabricated ones. He felt that there had to be a better way.

That way reared its head when he was leaving the metal recycler one day. One of the trucks in line was carrying a load of metal siding and a number of straight roof trusses frequently seen in flat roof warehouses. He stopped and asked the driver what job this came from. The driver told him that they were tearing down an old warehouse on the east side of town. Gerald drove over there and talked to the project foreman. He learned that the entire building was going to scrap because there was little demand for used building materials like this. Gerald offered him twice the salvage price for 15 of the trusses. A phone call later and Gerald had bought fifteen 25 foot trusses for $500. He had to rent a longer trailer to carry them and it took three trips, but he now had the trusses he needed for the roof. He just had to figure out how to use them as they were five feet longer than he needed. It didn't take long for him to decide to make the roof slanted. All he had to do was add several more feet of height on one side of the barn.

Then he had to figure out how to raise them fifteen feet in the air. A crane could have lifted them easily into place in a day but a crane cost almost $2000 per day. After thinking about it he mounted a boat winch on the tallest side and used a wide board as a ramp and pulled them up individually. It took two days but all fifteen were properly place and bolted securely onto his frame. A week later, the metal roof was securely fastened to the rafters and stringers and he stood back and looked at his work. He was both surprised and pleased that he had done the roof for only $500. When he showed Gwen and Cherilyn his work, they both praised his work and Gwen pointed out that the slope of the roof almost exactly matched the slope of the surrounding terrain and looked perfect in its setting. Gerald had not noticed this until she mentioned it.

During this time, a couple of things began to evolve. The most important one was that Cherilyn made it a practice to come over and have him explain a number of the things she had been shown in school. More often than not, she reported on Friday night that she had made a 100 on her test in that class that day. On the whole, her grades were good but she seemed to be especially proud of making 100s on her tests. The other was that Gerald seemed to fret less about what might happen and accepted the fact that he was able to work out almost every issue that confronted him.

In April, Gwen came to him and they had a talk.

"Gerald, they are moving Jim to a prison about 50 miles from here. I can see him once a month but I'm not sure how Cheri will take it going to see him every month. I was wondering if she could stay with you every other month. That way I could take her on the alternate months."

"Gwen, you know I don't have a problem with taking care of Cherilyn. All you need to do is let me know when and I will adjust my schedule."
"Thanks. You don't know how much I appreciate it and she does seem to like spending time with you."

"I guess you have noticed that she has turned into Ms. Curiosity. She asks me endless questions about everything."

"No, I haven't noticed that. She and I have been talking just like we always have. She used to ask her daddy questions sometime, but not often."

"Well for whatever reason, she had questioned me about the barn, making bread, and almost everything else. Frankly, I kind of like it as long as I have the answers." He grinned a slightly embarrassed grin."

"Thank you for helping her. I know that this has been hard on her. I have been concerned but her teachers say that she is doing just fine. Actually, they say she has been doing a little better recently."

"Good. Then I will just do what I can do with her when she asks."

Gwen eyed him closely for a moment and then said, "You are so special. I don't think you realize it."

Gerald had no response. He actually turned a little pink.

That Saturday, Cherilyn went with Gerald to the farmer's market while Gwen went to the prison. She wandered around looking at things for awhile and then came back to Gerald's table. He had sold about half of his bread. When a friend of hers from school stopped by with her parents, Cherilyn proudly told her friend that she had helped Gerald make the bread. Her friend commented that that was cool. She told her friend about the yeast and what it did and how the bread rises and almost everything else they had talked about. Her friend and her parents were listening carefully and then they asked Gerald some questions about his recipe. They bought two loaves of his bread.

When they sold out and put things in his truck, he took Cherilyn to a local franchise restaurant where she ordered a hot dog and he ordered a hamburger. When they were served, Cherilyn took the bun off of her dog and ate it and all of the condiments with a fork.

"Why aren't you eating the bun, Cheri?"

"Since I started eating your bread, this just doesn't taste good anymore. Why don't you make hot dog and hamburger buns. They are just bread aren't they?"

Gerald just stared at her, his mind swirling in a maze of images. Then he smiled at her and said, "Thank you."

"For what? I didn't say anything."

"You would be surprised at what you said."

"Gerald, we are starting to study division at school and everyone says that it is hard. Can you help me?"

"Let's go home and get out the beans. division can be confusing but once you understand it like you did with multiplication, it is easy too."

They drove home and when Gwen arrived, she found them with a table full of beans again and she laughed at the sight. She had stopped and bought the fixings for a chicken Caesar salad and invited him for dinner with them. By that time, Cherilyn was comfortable with dividing bunches of beans into various sized piles. Gerald accepted the invitation for dinner but before he left to join them at their home, he took out some frozen bread dough to thaw out.

After he arrived home, he spent a late evening trying out different dough in different forms and set them out to rise. On Sunday morning, he stoked his brick oven and when it was ready, he put twelve buns in to bake. Since these were smaller than a loaf of bread, he had to stay close to make sure that he didn't over bake them. When he took them out of the oven, he was pleased. Several of the buns looked usable. Several of the others just looked like a small loaf of bread. At noon, he called Gwen and invited them over for burgers and hot dogs for dinner. Gwen agreed but said that she would bring some potato salad.

When they arrived, they found Gerald standing at his grill deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about, Gerald?" Cherilyn asked.

"I am thinking that I am going to change the hamburgers a little before I put them on the grill."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you told me a lot of things yesterday."

"No, I didn't. You told me a lot of things."

He smiled, "You would be surprised, little one." Gwen just looked on mystified at what they were talking about. Gwen went inside and put the potato salad in the refrigerator after Gerald removed the platter with the burgers and hot dogs on it. He took them outside and carefully changed their shape slightly and soon they were sizzling on the grill. Gwen set the table and poured tea for them. Cherilyn helped her mother.

When Gerald brought in the hot platter, both girls looked at it with a funny look. That disappeared when he placed the plate of buns on the table. The buns were oval shaped; a little longer than a regular hamburger bun but wider than a hot dog bun. The burgers were also oval in shape. Cherilyn squealed in delight as she loaded up a bun with a hot dog, lots of relish, and other things. Gwen took a bun and put one of the oval burger on it and put lettuce, tomatoes, onions and ketchup on it. She was surprised that the bun held everything without it falling out on the sides. She also found that it was easy to hold and didn't fall apart like many commercial buns did. Otherwise, the burger tasted just like it was supposed to taste although the bun was a little sweeter and had a slightly different texture.

They ate heartily while laughing a lot at the funny shape of the burgers and buns.

"Alright, Mr. Chef. Do you want to explain this? They are really good." Gwen asked.

Gerald replied, "It is all Cherilyn's fault."

"Me? I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did. You said yesterday that a hot dog bun didn't taste good anymore and that I should make buns like my bread. Well, that is what you just ate. Last night I tried several different ways to make buns and let them rise. This morning I baked them. I liked these buns the best but a round hamburger wouldn't sit in it very well, so I made them the same shape as the bun. See, it is all you fault. I'm going to call them Cheri Buns."

Cherilyn squealed in delight. Gwen just looked between her daughter and Gerald with a big smile on her face.

"By the way Cheri, what did I do after I baked the buns?" Gerald continued.

She thought for a moment before she tentatively replied, "Well you let them cool and then you cut them in half. I don't know what you mean."

"Yes, you do. You just said it."

She looked confused. "What did I say?"

"I cut the bun in half. What is another way to say that?"

She thought and then replied, "You divided the bun into two parts."

"Exactly. You do division every day and never think about it."

Her eyes brightened and said, "I guess I do, don't I. Hey, that's pretty cool. So division isn't really as hard as they said."

"Nope. I told you that it was pretty easy when you understood it. I think you understand it now."

Cherilyn beamed with pride.

Gwen responded, "So was this a cooking lesson or a math lesson?"

Gerald replied, "Both, I guess."

She continued, "I was just thinking, these could be buns like you made them, but they could also be dinner rolls or sandwich rolls or a bunch of other things. You need to try to sell some at the market and see how people like them. They really do taste better than a regular old roll or bun."

"Thanks, I was kind of thinking that but now that you have put them to the taste test, I'll work on them some more and see what I can come up with."

On Monday morning, he tested out several ways to make the buns and put them up to rise while he went and working in his garden. He also went over to Gwen's and checked her garden and pulled weeds for an hour. Then he went home and fired up the brick oven. An hour later a dozen buns made with varying techniques were on the cooling rack. Just by looking, he could see that one clearly stood out. For that one, he had floured the dough and rolled it out like a pie crust. He had then cut it into a five inch circle and rolled it like a tortilla wrap and pinched the ends. It proved to be light, yet the crust was firm enough to hold it together. He decided to make a couple of dozen and try them out at the market on Saturday.

Then he sat down and tried to figure out his tax return. He quickly got lost in the myriad of details but it seemed to him that he would owe over $5000 and that brought back fears about remaining solvent. He called one of his bread customers and arranged an appointment to go over his returns.

When he walked out of his meeting he felt a tremendous sense of relief as he owed nothing. He had failed to properly acknowledge his expenses. The accountant had also recommended that he build a separate building to house his baking operation and to set up a sales tax exemption so that he could buy materials at wholesale prices. He also gave him a spreadsheet program for him to keep track of his baking, recycling/demolition work, and his farming efforts. He had never realized that he was in fact an independent businessman operating three different businesses. By keeping better track of his records, the accountant felt that he would not actually have to pay taxes for several more years and even then, there were ways to minimize this bite. He went home and installed the spreadsheet and entered all of his expenses since the first of the year. He was surprised because he had already made the same amount of money as he had during the previous year before expenses. After expenses, he showed less income but he had more cash in the bank and knew that he was much more comfortable than he had been previously.

The idea for a separate kitchen dwelt in his mind for several weeks but became a firm idea two weeks later. He had taken 30 of his buns to the market on Saturday and had sold about half of them and given away the rest as samples. The next week, he had orders for almost 200 buns. It was outdoor grilling season and people wanted his buns for their cookouts.

The next week, he had to start making dough on Wednesday because he would need both Thursday and Friday to bake it all in his kitchen oven and his brick one. While he waited for a brick oven load to finish, he looked at the area around the house but instead of seeing a kitchen, he saw a whole new wing including a new kitchen and a new bedroom. The existing building would turn in a dining room and living room. He felt that he had enough materials for most of it and knew that he would have to add some additional baking equipment to the kitchen. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. He sat down with his spreadsheet later and worked through the numbers and decided that he should charge $4 for six buns. He wondered if people would pay that much. So he came up with a scaled price where people could buy one or two and three or four and then larger quantities. He felt that this was a better solution since many of his customers were single or just a couple.

Wednesday night, Cherliyn came over and helped him roll the dough for Thursday's baking and returned to help him on Thursday also. Gwen had a PTA meeting one night and a school open house the next. Gerald had a light dinner waiting for her each night, a gift that she really appreciated after two long and tiring days. She promised to make dinner for them on Friday night.

Saturday he went to the farmer's market and sold everything he brought. On the way home, he stopped at Gwen's house and gave Cherilyn $40 for helping him. Gwen tried to object but Gerald refused to listen to her. He said that Cherilyn had worked for two hours each night as he prepared his dough and that she had saved him a lot of hours of work. She earned it and he insisted that she take it. Gwen finally relented.

Just before noon on Sunday, Gwen and Cherilyn walked over to find him sitting on his small porch drinking tea.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure you're your delightful company this beautiful morning? Would you like a glass of tea?"

They agreed and when they were all seated on the porch, Gwen said, "Go on Cheri; ask him."

"Gerald, momma said that I could keep the money if I saved half of it. The other half I could spend on things that I want."

"I think that is a great idea and you will be glad you did that, Cheri. So what are you going to buy with your spending money?"

"I am going to buy dinner tonight for you and momma at the Mexican food place." She announced proudly.

Gerald looked at Gwen who looked right back at him with a smile on her face and a slight nod.

"I accept your generous offer. We will do this tonight to celebrate but let's make this special. In the future you use it for yourself. You earned it. OK?"

Cherilyn smiled and said, "OK." Then she went inside. Gwen sat there and looked at Gerald.

"You can't imagine how good she feels that she earned some money and that she can spend part of it on herself. I try to get her everything she needs but I can't always get what she wants. But she insisted that she wanted to take us out to dinner tonight. I'm not sure she has enough to pay for three dinners but I will pick up the difference."

"Only if I don't take care of it first." He smiled at her and she grinned back. Cherilyn came back outside and announced that she needed to go home and get ready for her dates tonight. Both Gwen and Gerald laughed out loud at this pronouncement. They agreed that he would meet them at their house at 6:00.

Gwen drove them to Cherilyn's favorite Mexican restaurant which was a chain but had decent full course meals. It didn't take Gerald or Gwen to figure out that the bill would be closer to $30 than to $20. Gwen looked at Gerald and he gave her a knowing nod and after they ordered he said that he was going to the restroom. Gwen saw him stop at the hostess' station and talk to her for a moment. He pointed to their table and he handed her something. She smiled and nodded.

Cherilyn had tacos, which she dearly loved, while Gwen and Gerald had enchilada dinners. When they were through, Gwen offered to take everyone for ice cream, an idea that was met with great approval. When the waitress brought the check, Gerald nodded toward Cherilyn. The waitress smiled and put it in front of her. She looked at it and smiled proudly and then marched to the counter and paid $15 for their dinner. Both Gwen and Gerald thanked her for their dinner with a hug. She beamed as they went to the car.

For the next several weeks, Gerald did little but bake bread. He managed to take care of his garden requests but had to turn down two lucrative barn clean ups. One day two of the local hamburger restaurants approached him at the market about making batches of buns for them. He told them that he would look into it and get back to them.

It didn't take long that night to figure out that he could make buns for the restaurants or he could make buns for the market. He would make about the same money for either but he would lose the contact with people at the market. He decided that he would pass on the restaurant business and decided to call them after this week's market and tell them.

He never had the chance to make the call because he was approached by a man at the next market who introduced himself as the sales manager for a regional bakery. When Gerald packed up, they met at a local coffee shop.

The man opened the conversation with, "I'm Bill Medwick and as I said I am the sales manager of Sun States Baking. I was visiting with the two hamburger restaurants in town who are our customers. They tell me that you have been baking a new type bun and selling it to local people. Apparently, the locals have started coming in and asking for a burger on a Sherry bun but they don't have it. They brought me a couple and I'll tell you, you have come up with something special. They are really good and can be used for a lot of different things, not just burgers."

"Thanks you and for the record, I call it the C H E R I buns after a young friend of mine who gave me the idea to make a tasty bun."

"That's nice. In any event, we would like to talk to you about buying the rights to your bun so we can make and distribute it throughout the region. Are you interested?"

Gerald would have spurted out an immediate yes but he had just swallowed a sip of coffee and he couldn't talk. When he finally found his voice, he said, "I might be. What are you thinking?"

"I am prepared to offer you $25,000 for the recipe and the rights to use the name Cheri Buns."

Gerald's inclination was to say yes but he thought for a minute then replied, "That sounds very generous. I'll tell you what, let me talk to my accountant and business advisor Monday morning and I will call you in the afternoon. Taxes and stuff, you know."

"I understand. Here is my card and I will be waiting for your call. It has been good to talk to you." They shook hands and each left.

Gerald felt like he was walking on cloud nine. He wanted to run home and tell Gwen and Cherilyn but then he remembered that this was the weekend they went to visit at the prison. He doubted that they would be in the mood to hear his news tonight so he decided to hold off telling them until the next day. Instead, he called the accountant and left a message asking for a brief meeting on Monday morning. Before he got home, the accountant had returned his call and asked if he could come in on Sunday after lunch. He was going to be in the office anyway but was going to be tied up in meetings all day Monday and Tuesday. Gerald said he would be there.

He left the accountant's office with several things to think about. As he drove home, he decided on his course of action. First, he would offer the baking company the rights to make the bun for ten years at a royalty of one cent per bun. They would be happy to not have to put a large chunk of money up front and if it didn't sell well, they wouldn't be out much. On the other hand, if it did sell well, Gerald would make more than the $25,000 they offered. They each shared the risk. The second thing was that Gerald wanted to have Cherilyn participate in the payout as his inspiration and the use of her name. The accountant suggested that he decide on the percentage for her and then set it up to be deposited in a college fund. Neither he nor Gwen would have to pay taxes on it due to her age and it would be there for her when she graduated high school. She would have to pay taxes then but it would be a small amount if any.

Gerald saw the value in both suggestions but he decided to ask for one more thing in addition. He didn't think that it would be a deal killer. He wanted to keep the right to sell up to 200 on the buns a week at the market only. He had too many people particularly older people who probably wouldn't buy a package of six or eight. They wanted two or three and he wanted to continue to supply them. He felt good when he got home and felt even better when he saw the note on his door telling him to come to dinner at 6:00. It was going to be spaghetti night. Fortunately, he had the dough in the refrigerator for a fresh loaf of bread and a new bottle of wine in the pantry.

They had a wonderful dinner but Gerald remained fairly quiet and just listened to the banter between mother and daughter. Finally, Gwen turned to him and said, "You are being awfully quiet. Either something wonderful or terrible happened while we were gone. Care to share it?"

He smiled, "I think that it is pretty wonderful; I hope you do too. I think that I am going to sell the rights for the bun. A bakery has offered to buy it and sell it throughout the region."

"That's wonderful, Gerald, really great. I'm proud of you."

"Gerald, does that mean we won't be making buns anymore?" Cherilyn sounded down about this turn of events.

"No, Cheri, it doesn't mean that at all. I am going to retain the rights to make buns for the people at the market."

"So I can still help you make them?"

"Of course, you are my bread making buddy. But that isn't the best of it. Gwen do you think that the buns are going to be successful?"
"I can't see how they won't be. Why?"

"They offered me a lump sum. I talked to the accountant today and he suggested that I ask for a small royalty for everyone sold for ten years. If it sells well, then I could make more than they offered. If it doesn't sell well, then I don't get so much."

"Then I think you will make more than they offered. Are you pleased?"

"I am; I just hope that you will be too."

"Me! Why me?"

"Because I have decided to give a third of the royalties to Cherilyn. She inspired me and they will be using her name, that's why. The money will be put in a college fund for her and will be hers when she graduates from high school. That way neither you nor I will have to pay taxes on it and when she gets through with school, the tax bite should be very small." He looked at Gwen only to find that tears were rolling down her face. He looked at Cherilyn and she looked like she was in shock although he felt sure she hadn't understood what he had said. He sat silently until Gwen recovered herself.

"Gerald, you don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do. It is the right thing to do."

Gwen looked at Cherilyn and then back to Gerald. "We started a college fund for her but I am embarrassed to say how little is in it and I don't expect that it will grow very much. I have been encouraging her to do well in school so maybe she can get a scholarship."

"Gerald, what is a scholarship?"

"It is what a student gets when they prove that they are good students. Then they pay for you to go to college."

"Oh. Don't worry, mom; I will get a scholarship."

"I know you will honey. Just do your best." The tears were still falling from Gwen's eyes as she turned to Gerald and said, "Thank you, Gerald. You can't imagine how I feel right now."

"I can make a guess and I feel the same way."

On Monday, he called Bill Medwick at 9:00 in the morning. Medwick was surprised that he called so early and was even more pleased when Gerald told him that he had a counter offer. The sales manager was even more pleased when he heard what the offer was. When Gerald was finished, Medwick told him that he would call him back within the hour. As Gerald expected, the return call accepted his offer readily and told him that he would have the papers drawn up before the end of the week. They could meet and sign them and Gerald could provide his recipe at that time. Gerald invited him to come on Thursday when he would be mixing dough and making buns for the Saturday market. Medwick said that he would try and would let him know when he would be coming.

When he hung up, Gerald left to install four gardens and was gone until late but he came home satisfied with the way things turned out.

Gwen had agreed to teach summer school to earn extra money. Gerald insisted that Cherilyn would stay with him while she worked. Gwen didn't have an argument to deny this especially when Cherilyn looked at her and said "Please."

Cherilyn came over in the morning after breakfast. Gerald adjust his schedule to do certain things like gardens and dough making in the mornings. Gwen got home at 2:00. If he had a clean-up job, he tried to work it in the afternoon. As they worked and spent time together, Gerald talked her about a variety of subjects. She asked many questions. In the end, she had had an unofficial education covering plants, chemistry, biology, math, reading, and writing. Every day, he would have her write a description of what they had done that day. By the time Gwen's school was through, Cherilyn was writing accurate and vivid descriptions of her day. Gerald had also paid her for all of the time she helped in planting gardens and making bread.

When summer school ended, Gwen and Cherilyn went to spend a week with Gwen's parents. That week was one of the longest Gerald had ever felt although he was busy most of the time. He had a celebration feast ready for them when they returned and he felt like life had returned to normal.

As the work slowed during the fall, Gerald began building the addition onto the house. He got it framed and the outside and roof done before the fall rains began. He was surprised at how quickly he was able to finish off the inside. Part of that was because the new kitchen was next to the old one and he was able to use the existing plumbing only turned the other way.

They held Thanksgiving at Gwen's house but Gerald insisted that Christmas dinner would be in his remodeled dining room. He bought Gwen and Cherilyn a nice Christmas present and they in turn each bought him a present. At the Christmas dinner, he handed Cherilyn her first royalty check with a smile. The bakery had introduced the buns in October and sales had begun. The first quarterly check had been for $750 and he gave Cheri a one third share. Both Cherilyn and Gwen were excited about it and couldn't wait for the bank to open the next day to deposit it in her college account.

During the week between Christmas and new Years, Gerald put the finishing touches on the new addition and they had a formal housewarming on New Year's Eve including the first fire in his rock fireplace.

Year Two and Three

The second year went by in a blur. Gerald planted seeds early for both of their gardens. To avoid wasting anything, he planted all of the seeds in a packet and discovered that he had twice as many of plants as he needed for both gardens. He continued to care for them and took them to the market on the first of March. Every one of them sold quickly. The next week he planted several packets of tomatoes and peppers. In all, he had over 500 plants of different varieties. He sold half of them in April for fifty cents each and the rest in May when they were bigger for $1 each. He then began looking up plans for a green house. He decided to plant seeds during the winter and sell them in the spring. He noted which varieties the garden centers sold and he included some of those on his list but also added some other varieties that were adapted to his area and were reported to be great tasting. As spring turned into summer, he amassed used windows until he had enough to make the size greenhouse he wanted.

Cherilyn continued coming over and helping him with his bread. By now they had a system worked out that allowed them to make more loaves in the same length of time. He limited his buns to about 200 but increased the number of regular loaves. On the first of April, he got their second royalty check. This time, he put $3000 in his account and $1500 in Cherilyn's account. Gwen marveled at the success of the buns.

During the summer, Gerald and Cherilyn worked on building the greenhouse while Gwen taught summer school again. She, of course, asked a myriad of questions and Gerald often sat down with paper and pencil to show her the answer and the various optional choices that he could have made. She found his practical approach to teaching easier to understand than the more theoretical methods used at school. Her grades had improved significantly during the past year and she had been commended by her reading and writing teachers as well as her math and science teachers.

The fall was busy and they once again shared Thanksgiving and the Christmas and New Year's holidays as they had the previous years. Christmas was once again joyful because the royalty check was the largest one yet. The two previous ones had been similar to the first one but the last one put $6000 in his account and $3000 in her account.

The third year started off well but in February, he got a call from Gwen during the middle of the day.

"Gerald, I just got a call from the prison. Something has happened and I need to go find out what. They wouldn't tell me over the phone. Can you take care of Cherilyn for a couple of days? I .....I don't know how long I will be gone."

"Of course, you go take care of things there; I will take care of things here."

He could hear her sigh of relief. "I knew that I could count on you but I always hate to take things for granted. You already do so much for us."

"Hey, you do a lot more than I can say for me. Now go, things will be fine here."

That afternoon he drove to the school and picked Cherilyn up rather than waiting for the school us to deliver her. She was happy to see him and climbed into his truck. Before they left the school, he told her what was happening. Her face got cloudy but she didn't cry. She just nodded her head and stayed silent until they got home.

Once there, they stopped and she picked up a change of clothes and they went to Gerald's house. She changed while he made tea for them. Then they went and sat of the porch.

"Gerald, I know that my daddy loves me and that he loves momma, but he does things that hurt us. Why does that happen?"

"Cheri, I don't know that anyone can give you a simple answer to that question. As we have talked about, sometimes you do things that you think are right but they don't turn out the way you want. That can hurt people. Sometimes, you get angry and do things that hurt many people. Sometimes, you just get frustrated and lash out at those who are nearest to you. I don't know your daddy so I can't say what is in his mind but I would guess that he gets frustrated because he can't be with you and your mom and may do things that hurt himself but also hurt the two of you too."

"You don't do things like that. I can't imagine you ever doing something that would hurt someone."

"Sometimes you hurt someone without doing anything special. Is there a girl or boy at school that you just don't feel comfortable being around?'

"Yes, there is this one girl that really makes me feel uncomfortable."

"Has she ever done anything to hurt you?"

"No. I don't know what it is about her but there is something."

"Well you could say that she is hurting you but has never done anything to cause you to hurt."

She thought about that for a minute before she replied, "I guess I see; I think."

"Well there could be another side to that too."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever done anything to hurt her?"

"No, never. I don't think we have ever even talked to each other."

"Have you ever thought that she is afraid of you too and is afraid to talk to you?"

"But....Oh, I don't know how.........."

"That is one of the strange things about people. Sometimes you are afraid of things for no reason and react differently for no good reason. Maybe you should just try to talk to her some day. You might find that she is very different than you think."

Cherilyn didn't reply but Gerald could see that she was thinking about it. He suggested that they go into town for Mexican food. Her attitude brightened and she agreed. They made a batch of bread dough and put it on the shelf to rise. Then they washed up and drove into town for dinner.

When they had finished with dinner and were waiting for their check, a woman came up and introduced herself to Gerald. She had been buying some of his buns at the market and her family really liked them. She wanted to know how he made burgers to fit into them. He told her to sit down and he would explain. Cherilyn looked around and saw a girl sitting alone looking at the woman talking to Gerald.

"Gerald, excuse me for a minute. I'll be right back."

Gerald nodded and started telling the woman about making his oval burgers. That led to other things and pretty soon twenty minutes had passed. When the talk slowed down, he looked up to find Cherilyn standing next to the table with another shy looking girl next to her.

When Gerlad looked at her, Cherilyn said, "Gerald this is the girl we were talking about before. Her name is Jennifer but everyone calls her Jenny. She has been having trouble understanding fractions. Can she come home with me tomorrow and have you help us both?"

Gerald smiled and said, "It is alright with me but you better check with her mother first."

Jennifer looked at the woman sitting next t Gerald and asked, "Mom, can I go with Cheri tomorrow and get some math help?"

The woman looked at her daughter and then at Gerald, "I guess it is alright as long as you don't have a problem with it. I'm afraid I'm not much help to her on math things and her dad is so busy running for sheriff, he hasn't had time either."

"Well, it will be my pleasure to help out as I can. Would you like for me to bring her home when we are finished?"

"Actually, I have a meeting too. I can pick her up about 7:00, if you give me your address."

"Why don't I go ahead and give her dinner too; that way you don't have to rush."

She looked surprised and replied, "I would appreciate it very much. Is that OK with you Jenny?"

"Yes ma'am. I would like that very much."

Gerald replied, "I will pick you both up after school." They both smiled and then went back to the other table.

Jennifer's mother continued, "You have a very nice daughter, Gerald. Jenny has always been a little shy and doesn't have many friends at school. I'm glad to see she and Cherilyn get along so well."

"Thanks, but she isn't my daughter. I live next door to her mother and her. Her mother is Gwen Lambert."

"The teacher? I met her at the PTA. I like her a lot. I heard that she had an emergency come up; something about her husband or something?"

Gerald felt that she was fishing for gossip details so he replied non-commitally, "Yes, she had a family emergency; I'm not sure about the details. I just offered to take care of Cherilyn while she is gone."

"She must trust you a lot to leave her daughter with you." Once again, Gerald's antennas caught the familiar tone of a probing tongue.

"Well, we are neighbors and have shared meals together and I have helped Cherilyn with her homework some. So I guess she trusts me enough." He hoped that that would put a cork in any rumors but had the fear that it wasn't enough.

"Well, it is good to have a neighbor like that. Well, we better get going. I'll make sure that Jenny is picked up before 7:00."

"It was nice to talk to you and I will take good care of Jennifer while she is there."

The woman rose and went back to her table and gathered her things. Cherilyn came back to Gerald with a smile on her face.

Once in the truck, he asked her, "Want to tell me about it?"

Cherilyn almost couldn't stop talking once she started. "I thought about what you said and I decided to go talk to her. We haven't been in the same class together so we never really met. She seemed surprised when I came over but was pleased that I did. She is kind of shy like me. She does really well in all her classes except math. When she told me that she was having trouble with fractions, I told her how much you had helped me; she asked if you might help her also. I told her that I was sure that you would. She was also pleased when I told her that you were the one who made the Cheri Buns. Can we have those for dinner tomorrow night? Her mom hasn't figured out how to make the burgers like you do. We can do math after school and then grill the burgers. Does that sound OK?"

Gerald laughed at the sound of excitement in her voice. "So you aren't afraid of her anymore?"

"Oh no, she is just quiet like I am. She said that she was scared of me because I made such good grades in math and she was having trouble. She usually gets her daddy to help her but he has been out almost every night because he is running for sheriff. Gerald, what is a sheriff?"

Gerald explained that a sheriff was an elected official who was kind of like the chief of police except for the county, not the city. That made sense to her and they drove home quietly. She finished her homework and then got ready for bed but Gerald could tell that she was excited about her new friend and was looking forward to the next day.

Gerald spent the next day baking a fresh batch of Cheri Buns and picked the girls up at school on time. They sat together in the truck and talked continuously from the time they left school until Gerald parked in front of his house. Cherilyn took Jennifer's hand and led her around showing her the brick oven and the garden. Then they came inside where Gerald had fresh tea and the beans spread all over the table. For the next two hours, they divided stacks of beans into equal parts and slowly he could see the light of understanding in Jennifer's eyes. Then they began talking about adding and subtracting fractions. With their new understanding of fractions, the rules of adding and fractions came easily. They each started their homework assignment while he went outside to start the grill.

The grill was just about ready for the burgers when Gerald heard a car enter his driveway. He was hoping that it was Gwen but saw a strange car pull up behind his truck and a well dressed man got out. Jennifer recognized the sound of the car and ran out to greet her father. She took his hand and led him to Gerald and introduced them.

"Gerald, this is my daddy. He's running for sheriff." There was pride in her voice as she said this. "Daddy, this is Gerald. He showed me about fractions today. I understand them. And this is Cherilyn from next door. She is my new friend." The excitement in her voice was obvious.

Gerald shook hands with the man who said, "Hi, I think that she forgot to tell you that my name is Jim, Jim Sanders."

"Welcome Jim; I am Gerald, Gerald Murphy."

"Oh, you are the guy I have been hearing about. You do gardens and bread, don't you?"

"Yes, that is me. I hope what you heard was good."

"Well, if it was any better, someone would put you up for sainthood."

"I was about to put some burgers on the grill; do you want to join us?"

"I don't mind if I do, if it isn't a problem. I haven't eaten since breakfast and I don't feel like eating at the diner again. If I get elected, I'm going to have to find more places that serve better food and less fattening food at that. I don't want to end up like a fat cartoon sheriff."

"I can understand that and it is no problem. Cherilyn, will you go get a couple more burgers from the refrigerator? And if the two of you are finished with your homework, you can set the table."

"Yes, Gerald. We are done." They ran into the house to do as he asked.

"So Jim, I take it that the missus was concerned about a single guy taking care of your daughter and sent you to check up on things?"

Sanders smiled and replied, "You read the cards right. She liked that Jenny found a friend but when she heard that Cherilyn was staying with you while her mother was out of town, she got a little paranoid. Pam watches all of the crime shows on television and I think that she feels that all men are rapists or pedophiles. You had no problems, I hope?"

"None at all. I guess that there are enough bad guys out there that a little caution is not a bad thing. No problems at all; we went through fractions and they did their homework. They both are great kids."

"Jenny is a good girl but a little shy. I haven't seen her so excited like she is about you and Cherilyn very often. To be honest, I didn't think that running for office would take so much of my time. I miss being able to sit down with Jenny and help her with her homework. She struggles a little with math. I appreciate you helping her out."

"It is no problem at all for me."

They talked for a few more minutes while the burgers were finishing. Gerald invited Jim inside and they found the table set and the girls talking at the table. Gerald put the platter on the table and then spooned up a large bowl of beans that he had made as well as baked potato wedges. There was plenty for everyone. They sat down and started filling their plates when Gerald heard another car enter his driveway. This time he recognized the sound of Gwen's car.

"Cheri, I think your mom just got home. Why don't you go meet her and bring her in? We have plenty for her too."

Cherilyn jumped up and ran outside to meet her mom with a big hug and then she tugged at her to come inside. When she entered, Gerald could see the lines of strain in her face, but she smiled the best that she could as Cherilyn introduced her to Jennifer and her father. Jim stood and shook hands with her.
Everyone was surprised when Jennifer said, "Hello, Ms. Lambert. I miss you this year. You are the best teacher I have ever had."

"Hello, Jennifer and thank you for that compliment. You were one of the best students I have ever had. Is school going good for you this year?"

"Yes ma'am, especially after Gerald helped me with math today.'

She smiled a tired smile at Gerald and said, "So your student load has doubled, has it?"

Gerald blushed.

Cherilyn looked at Jennifer and said, "They won't let me be in mom's class. I think that they think I will cheat or something." The adults laughed and Gerald pulled up a chair for her between the two girls.

"Thanks Gerald, I am famished. I didn't feel like eating at all today."

Jim replied, "Try these beans they are tremendous. And the potato wedges are really good too. Where did you find these beans, Gerald? I want to get some for home."

"Actually, I made them. I grew these beans and have been experimenting with different spices to find one I like."

"Well I like this recipe just fine. If you decide to sell them, I will buy them for us."

Everyone settled down to eat and Gerald could see that some of the weariness left Gwen's face. The girls talked continuously. For the most part, he stayed out of the conversation and listened to the two conversations as something caught his interest.

It was almost 8:00 when Jim's cell phone rang. "Oops, my better half is wondering where we are. Excuse me. Hello. Yes, everything is fine. No, we are just finishing dinner and we will be home in thirty minutes. Gwen Lambert just got back and we were getting to know each other. Yes, Jenny seems to be very proud that she understands fractions now." There was a long pause and then he answered, "I'll think about it but I don't think that it is a good idea. We will be home shortly and we will talk about it." He hung up.

He then announced, "We have been married for ten years and she still needs to check up on me."

There was a silence around the table except for the girls who ignored the comment.

Jim finally pulled himself up and told Jennifer that they need to go. He shook hands with both Gwen and Gerald and said their good nights. Jennifer told Cherilyn that she looked forward to seeing her in school the next day. Cherilyn replied the same and they gave each other a hug before Jennifer went outside with her father and they drove off. Cherilyn held her mother's hand as they watched the car drive off.

When they were gone, Gwen turned to Cherilyn and said, "Cheri, I need to talk to Gerald for awhile. Will you go inside and look on the computer while I talk to him?"

"Sure mom." Then her face clouded and she added, "Is daddy, alright?"

"Yes, honey; he got hurt but he will be alright."

"OK. Jennifer talked a lot about her daddy but I was embarrassed to tell her about daddy." She went inside and Gerald pulled one rocking chair near to the other and sat down. Gwen joined him.

"I'm not ready to talk just yet, Gerald. Tell me about Cheri and her new friend."

Gerald related their talk and dinner the previous night and how Cherilyn went over and talked to Jennifer and set up today. Gwen just nodded but had a smile on her face.

"Gwen I wanted to talk to you too. While talking with Jennifer's mother last night, I got the feeling that she was probing to find out about your emergency trip. I tried to put it to rest but I'm not sure that I did a very good job. And then when I told her that Cheri was your daughter and not mine, I think that she felt like there was something going on between us. I tried to put a cork in that too but, ...well you might hear some rumors."

Gwen looked at him and nodded. "It's alright; I hear the same things. I met Jenny's mother at the PTA and I got the same feelings that you did. But I like Jim; he seems like a good guy like you."

"Yes, I got the same feeling."

"OK, it is my turn now." She took a deep breath and then continued. "When I got to the prison, I found out that he was in the hospital with a stab wound. It turns out that he got affiliated with one of those white supremacist groups and a fight broke out between them and the black and Hispanic groups. He got stabbed but the worst thing was that he hit a guy over the head with a broomstick and the guy died. He will be facing manslaughter charges on top of his existing sentence. That will probably mean another ten or fifteen years on top of what he still has left. When I talked to him in the hospital, he apologized and asked that I not tell Cheri about his wound. Gerald, he told me that I ought to get a divorce and move on with my life without him. He knows that he screwed up again and that it will be a long time before he gets out again. I went to the motel and cried all night and all morning before I got myself together enough to drive home. What should I do, Gerald? I didn't marry him to walk away when there were troubles but this is almost too much. He had white power tattoos all over his body now and even if he got out soon, I'm not sure that I want Cheri around him if he stays involved with thei kind of people. I'm scared and confused. Help me understand, please?" The tears were back in her eyes as she finished.

Gerald thought for several minutes before he said, "Gwen, I have never had to face something like this and I don't know exactly what to say to comfort you. I guess the best thing I can offer is to tell you that you have the right to be scared, confused and worried about Cherilyn's future. I don't think that there is an easy answer at all. Therefore, I would suggest that you don't need to make a decision right now. You have your house and job and are doing fairly well as you are. I think you need to give yourself time to think all of this through and try to make some sense of it. At some point you will have to talk to Cherilyn about it at a level that she can understand. When you are ready, I think you will be able to make the right decision for both of you."

"I wanted for you to tell me what I should do and make it easy but I think that what you just said is the right thing for me for now. I am so confused right now that I would probably make a rash decision that might not be right. And your words are very comforting and understanding. Thank you Gerald; you are the best friend a confused woman can have."

"That is what I hope I can be for both you and Cherilyn. Anytime you want to talk, I will be ready to listen."

She reached out and stroked his cheek. "I knew that too but it makes me feel better to hear it directly from you." Her tears had stopped and she made a feeble smile.

"Why don't you and Cherilyn go on home when you are ready and have a good night together. Tomorrow, plan on coming over here for dinner and we will just have simple and quiet evening."

"I think that is a good idea too. Give me a few more minutes to get myself together and I'll come in and get her together."

Gerald nodded and went inside and left her to her thoughts. Cherilyn looked up at Gerald and smiled. She looked like she wanted to ask or say something but she chose not to. Twenty minutes later, Gwen came in and went directly into the bathroom. Gerald heard the running water in the sink and assumed that she was washing her face.

When she came out, she seemed much calmer and more relaxed. "Cheri, my love; are you ready to go? We still have school tomorrow and we are fixing dinner for Gerald tomorrow night."

"OK, momma. Can we make enchiladas and tacos again?"

"We could or we could make homemade pizzas if you want." Gwen replied.

"Let me think about it and we will decide in the morning. Then we can surprise Gerald."

"I like that idea too." Cherilyn gathered her things and Gerald walked them out to their car and said good night.

He went back inside and for the first time he wished that he had a television. His mind was busy with a wide variety of thoughts and some mindless Pablum would be welcome. Instead, he picked up a new novel that he had bought and started reading it. He finally went to bed after midnight and slept until 8:00 the next morning.

Instead of fixing his own breakfast as usual, he decided to go into town and eat and pick of some supplies from the hardware store. He stopped at one of the local café's and ordered a light breakfast similar to what he usually had at home. While he was waiting for his order, a voice came from behind him.

"Gerald, is that you?" Gerald turned and saw Jim Sanders sitting at the table behind him.

Jim stood and came over to his table and said, "I want to thank you again for dinner last night and what you did for Jenny. She talked all of the way home about how you taught her about fractions with the beans."

"You are very welcome." Gerald paused and then said, "Do you have a minute?"

Jim checked his watched and replied, "Sure. Let me get another cup of coffee." He flagged the waitress down to refill both of their cups. When they were alone, he asked, "What's up?"

Gerald took a breath and the replied, "There are a couple of things that I would like to clarify with you and it is a little uncomfortable. First, I suspect that there are or will be rumors about Gwen and I. I want you to know that we are neighbors and friends, nothing more. I like Cherilyn and she likes me, I think, but there isn't anything going on that the gossip mills need to be talking about. For myself, I don't care; but for Gwen and Cherilyn, I don't think that either of them deserves to be the target of a rumor like that. Gwen is married and Cherilyn has a father that she misses. I am only a friend."

Jim looked at him with respect. "I get the picture and I will try to put a lid on anything if I hear about it."

"There is one more thing that isn't my business and I probably shouldn't be saying this but you seem like an intelligent man. Gwen's husband is in prison. I won't go into the details but there may be rumors about that too. I would hope that people will judge Gwen and Cherilyn by their own qualities and not those of someone that they don't even know."

Jim paused and locked eyes with Gerald. "I think you are being polite; you are referring to Pam and frankly she and I had a similar talk last night after Jenny went to bed. She feels that something is funny going on but doesn't know what it is. I had to remind her that I am a preacher's kid; hell we both are and that we both suffered stings when growing up because people expected us to be a certain way because of what our fathers did. She acknowledged that. But then I asked her if she had thought about the future if I am elected sheriff. I am sure that at some time I am going to have to deal with the mother or father or brother of one of the kids in Jenny's school. I asked her if she wanted Jenny to be shunned because I had to arrest someone's relative. She hadn't thought of that and our conversation went on for quite awhile discussing the old sins-of-the-father thing. I can't guarantee what will happen, but I think that her eyes were opened. I certainly won't stop Jenny from seeing Cherilyn and I felt nothing but respect for Gwen after meeting and talking with her last night. I doubt that will change your concerns but I think that we are on the same page of the hymnal."

"Thank you, Jim. I think that you have a perfect understanding of my concerns. You also just earned my vote. We need good people like you in office."

"Thanks. Now I better go. Another meeting awaits me." He stood as did Gerald and they shook hands.

Gerald picked up the things he needed and went home with a sense that some of the gloom had lifted a little. That night he went to Gwen's house feeling better than he had in a week. They had elected to have taco pizzas and so they had an Italian/Mexican fiesta and enjoyed themselves. When Cherilyn went to her room for awhile, Gwen looked at Gerald and timidly asked, "Gerlad, Jenny's mother stopped by school today and invited the three of us to their house for dinner tomorrow night. I told her that I would check with you and get back to her tonight."

Gerald looked at her and said, "I think I will pass. It is more important that you and Cheri build on this relationship than me. You need to get to know them better and they need to get to know you. Tell them that I had an important project to do."

"Gerald, did you say anything to one of them?"

"I had a brief chat with Jim this morning. He said that he and his wife had a talk after he got home last night."

Gwen looked at him and could read his mind. "Thank you and I see what you are saying. I just don't want you to feel left out or ignored."

"I don't and I won't. It is just important right now that Jennifer and Cheri cement their new relationship and that Pam and Jim get to know you. The next time I will promise to attend."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"Deal."

Gwen picked up her phone and placed the call. He heard her tell Pam that they would be pleased to come but that Gerald had some work he had to get done. They agreed on a time and said their goodbyes.

Gerald smiled at her as she hung up. She smiled back but a little more timidly. Although he would have enjoyed getting to know Jennifer's parents better, especially Jim, he went to sleep that night knowing that this was the right thing to do.

A week later, Gwen invited the Sanders family to her house for dinner and Gerald kept his word and happily attended and provided two loaves of fresh Italian bread and the beans that were specifically requested by Jim. As soon as he entered the house and he said his hellos, Jennifer and Cherilyn grabbed him by the hand and dragged him into the living room and there were the beans already spread out on the coffee table. He felt a hand put a glass of tea down next to him while Cherilyn simple said, "Multiply fractions."

"Alright, here is a whole, one of you make two one half piles." Jennifer easily split the pile into two piles. "Alright Cheri, you make these into one quarter piles." Cherilyn took a moment and split the half pile into four equal piles. "What you have done is to make one pile into two and then made one of the piles into four piles. Do you see?" They both nodded. "In other words, you made one quarter of one half, right?" They nodded. "And when you hear the word 'of,' what are you thinking?"

They both responded at the same time, "Multiply."

"Correct. So how much does each of these small piles represent of the original pile?"

The girls thought and Cherilyn replied first, "One fourth."

Jennifer followed with "No, Cheri; that is what one fourth of one half is. I think it is one eighth?" She asked timidly looking at Gerald's face for approval. He remained non-responsive.

Then Cherilyn lit up and repsonded, "I see. These are each one fourth of the half, but if we split the other half into pieces we have eight piles. So one pile is one eighth of the whole pile." Jennifer beamed along with Cherilyn.

"You two just won the lottery and get to keep all of the beans." Gerald said to their giggles. "So on your homework and for the rest of your lives, every time you need to multiply fractions, you write down the fractions and you multiply the top times the top and the bottom times the bottom, like this."

Jennifer asked, "Do we need to change the bottoms to be the same like we do in addition and subtraction?"

"No ma'am, you do that only for addition and subtraction. That is to make sure that you are adding and subtracting the same things. With multiplying and division, you don't care about them being the same because you are multiplying a row of the same thing by the number of rows. So here are a couple of problems for each of you." He quickly wrote down three simple fraction problems for each of them. Each one had one problem where the top number wasn't "1."

Each girl quickly did each problem without trouble although they stopped for a moment and repeated his words before they finished the last problem.

Gerald said, "I don't know why you girls think you can't do these problems; you both got them all perfect. Now get away from me, you bother me." He used his best W. C. Fields imitation which brought another round of giggles.

From behind him, he heard Pam say, "I just learned something that I never got straight before. I always just use a calculator."

Gwen replied, "Me too. I think that the reason is that Gerald thinks just like a ten year old does."

Gerald hung his head in embarrassment partly at not realizing that he had an audience and partly in feigned resignation that he had been found out. He finally rose and faced the audience of three standing in the doorway watching him.

"Come one everyone," Gwen said, "It is time to cut our dinner into sixths." Everyone including the girls smiled and went into the dining room while Gwen and Pam went into the kitchen and brought out a platter of roast and vegetables along with a big bowl of Gerald's beans which was placed directly in front of Jim.

"OK, I've got my sixth." He said.

Pam replied, "Not if you are sleeping in my bed tonight." The four adults smiled but the two girls looked confused.

The rest of dinner was a success and everyone ate their fill. Pam commented on the potatoes and vegetables. Gwen said that they were from her garden that Gerald had built and that Gerald and Cherilyn had planted. Pam exclaimed that she wanted a garden like hers. Before he knew it, Gerald had another garden to build and plant. He said that he could probably do it on Tuesday but probably couldn't plant it until Wednesday. The girls demanded that they be part of the planting too; so they agreed to planting the garden after school on Wednesday.

By the end of school, Jennifer and Cherilyn were almost inseparable. Jim had been elected sheriff and had taken office in mid-May. Gerald with Gwen's help had supplied four kinds of bread and ten gallons of his beans for the victory celebration. Although he couldn't grow enough beans in his own garden yet, Gerald began making batches of his beans and sold them at the market. Like his bread, sales started slowly but once people tried them, he sold out every weekend. On a whim, he labeled them "Lawman" beans with the subtitle "Good enough to keep the lawman happy."

Gwen was teaching summer school again and Pam had a busy social schedule, so more often than not, Jenifer and Cherilyn spent the days with Gerald as he pursued his various occupations. Both girls got hands on lessons in weighing and measuring everything from lumber to water to flour and spices. One or both of them usually went to market with him on Saturday's and he paid them both for their time working in preparing things and for selling things. Like Gwen, Jim and Pam had allowed her to make the money as long as she saved half of it. On their own time, the two friends became good shoppers while comparing quantities against price and qualities against other brands. They talked things over with each other and often came to Gerald when they were confused or uncertain on how to evaluate things. Gerald showed them how to use the internet to find information on products and ingredients. One of the results of that was both girls developed an aversion to a lot of makeup because of what they learned about the ingredients in them.

Gerald also introduced the girls to the subject of percent and its relationship to fractions. This also led to an introduction into decimals. Once again, the beans were spread over the table as he demonstrated the concepts. The girls were now able to pick up many of the new concepts quickly as he continued showing an issue and having them tell him what was happening. They often discussed what they saw between themselves before they gave him an answer. He also continued his previous summer's practice of having the girls write about things they did and often had them read and explain a set of instructions or a recipe to him. Cherilyn was used to doing this from the previous summer but it only took Jennifer a couple of weeks to get the hang of what they were doing.
Jim and Pam held a big Fourth of July party and they all attended. This led to discussions about the history of the country. As usual, the girls had many questions many of them beginning with "why." Gerald would often tell them a story and let them decide what they would have done if they had been there at the time.

In late July, Jim, Pam, and Jennifer went on a two week vacation and invited Cherilyn to go along. Jim was going to drive them through the east including Washington D.C. and other places. Gerald asked them to each keep a journal of where they went and what they did and saw. He gave them colorful notebooks and pens for this.

While they were gone, Gwen visited the prison and then spent a week with her parents. Gerald was very busy but he still missed his companions but knew that they would be back soon.

When Gwen returned, he had her over for dinner and they had a chance to talk without the girls around for the first time in a long time. Gwen broached the subject of her marriage again.

"Gerald, when I was at the prison, he brought up about getting a divorce again. It looks like they will add at least another ten years to his sentence. I spent a lot of time talking to mother and dad about the situation. Both of them understood my conflict but they also stressed that I deserved a happy life and that Cherilyn also needed some closure to things. I am going to think about it some more and maybe make a decision later this year. Do you think that is a good idea?"

"Gwen, I would only add that I think you will know when you are ready to make that decision. It might be later this year or next year, but you will feel it. I don't know if you and Cheri have talked about it but she might have a more difficult time understanding the decision. Getting her perspective on things will be important before you make your decision."

"We have talked a little about it. She still defends her dad but she also shows signs of not remembering much about life when he was around. I know that she admires the relationship Jenny has with Jim but she also talks about her relationship with you in much the same way. I guess that it will be hard to determine how she would react to making a final decision."

"Every time, I talk to Cherilyn about things, I am more and more surprised at how she is growing up. Her maturity is a constant surprise to me. I have a feeling that when you are ready, you too will be surprised at her response. So I guess I would offer that you just trust her. She is not ignorant of what is happening even if she doesn't understand all of the details."

"Thanks, I guess I need to hear that from someone else. I see that too but as her mother, I was afraid that I was reading too much into it."

Gerald smiled, "I guess, I ought to ask if you have thought about what you are going to do afterwards if you do get the divorce."

"Are you reading my mind? That is one of the questions I keep asking myself and honestly, I probably think more about that than anything. The truth is, I would love to travel to some other places. I really haven't been to many other places before. I envy Cherilyn's trip to the east coast but I also would like to see the west coast particularly the northwest. I know that I could move to a big city and make more money teaching. But it would cost a lot more to live and I keep hearing horror stories about some of the things that go on in schools there. I really like the students here and I love being in the classroom but the state keeps adding more and more things that I feel are taking away from teaching and just focusing on other things. I don't have time to spend one-on-one with students anymore. I thank my lucky stars that Cherilyn has you to talk to about things she doesn't understand. You are a natural born teacher and she has just blossomed since you began working with her on math and other things."

"Thanks, I guess I never considered myself to be a teacher."

"But you are. Your patience and the way you can find a way to demonstrate a lesson and not just talk about it is what teaching used to be. Now it isn't. But in any event, I have decided one thing."

"What is that, if I can ask?"

"Of course you can ask. I am going to stay here until Cheri graduates from high school. I might stay longer but I am not going to uproot her before then. Maybe my personal dreams will happen after that, but I can wait. Right now, it is more important that she has some stability in her life and I guess I do too."

Gerald hadn't been aware that he had almost been holding his breath until he let out a long exhale and began breathing normally again. He finally said quietly, "I think that is a good decision."

"Me too."

Gwen changed the subject. "I am thinking about putting the internet back in. It will cost a lot but I think that Cheri will be needing it more and more in school. Do you have any thoughts?"

"Actually, I have been thinking about that for awhile and I agree that Cherilyn needs it now and will need it more as she goes on in school. I have checked and I would like to try something first before you spend the money to put it in."

"Oh, what do you want to try?"

"Our houses are less than 100 yards apart. My internet connection is supposed to be able to support up to five or six devices but Wi-Fi won't go that far. I think that I can run a wire from my house to yours and with a signal booster or a server, you can have access to the internet without having to pay extra for it. I'm already paying a lot more for the service and the amount I use. I don't have a problem sharing it with you and Cherilyn. You will just be added users on my account."

"Will you get in trouble for doing that?"

"Oh, if they ever checked they might squawk but I doubt that they will ever check. It is no different than each of you having a laptop and using it here really. All I would be doing is to run a wire along the fence and into your house so that you don't have to walk over here."

"You make it sound so simple but I like the idea of having access here too. I could spend more time at home rather than at school when it comes times for grades and reading e-mails." She took a breath and nodded, "Let's give it a try. If it doesn't work, I can still get my own service."

"I'll get the materials tomorrow and we can find out if it works before Cheri gets back."

"Can I go with you?"

"Of course you can. Let's go after breakfast."

"Only if I make breakfast for you."

"Deal."

After breakfast the next morning, they drove thirty miles to a discount computer warehouse store that carried a little bit of everything. They found a salesman who seemed to be knowledgeable about networks. After he explained that he wanted to put a computer outlet in his barn about 100 yards away from his house, the salesman suggested a small server rather than a signal amplifier. He said that it would be more reliable and send a stronger signal. Gerald nodded and then loaded the basket with the other things he would need. As they turned toward the checkout counter, he saw a red laptop sitting on a clearance shelf.

"What is the story on that laptop?" He asked the salesman.

"Depending on what you want to do, that could be a really good deal. One of our good customers bought it for his son. It turns out that the kid was a big gamer and that this guy just doesn't have the power or the memory for some of the games he plays. Two months after he bought it, he brought it back. Normally we wouldn't take a two month old computer back and it has a couple of scratches on it, but this customer buys thousands of dollars of stuff every year. So we gave him a trade in credit and he bought a lot more expensive one."

"But this one is still a good one isn't it?"

"Oh, yes. Our service guys went over it and cleaned off all of the stuff that they kid had put on it and checked it over. It runs good. It will run videos and the internet just fine and it has word processing and spread sheet software on it. It just won't run the big complex action video games that kids like to play."

"For that price, I think I will take it. I have been thinking about upgrading my home computer and that deal is too good to pass up." They put it in the cart and went through the checkout.

Once in the car, Gwen looked at him with a smile on her face and said, "So my house is now a barn, huh?"

'Well, I might want to put a connection in the barn some day." Gerald grinned in reply.

"But your barn is fifty feet from your house."

"Isn't that what I said? I said I needed about 100 feet of cable just to be safe."

"So that was why you got 100 yards of cable."

"A little extra just keeps you from having to go back."

They laughed at their inside joke.

When they got home, Gerald began figuring out how to run the cable. The wiring for their previous cable was still in place and he began splicing the new cable onto the existing one. While he was doing that, Gwen got a phone call and said that she had to go over to the school for awhile. They had her fall schedule and some other materials she needed to look over. Gerald waved her on and continued with his work. An hour later, he ran the cable along the fence and over to his house. He easily set up the server and got it going and then plugged his computer in. It worked like it always had. He then went back to Gwen's house and plugged her computer into it. It fired up right away and Gerald sighed with relief. Finally, he went into Cherilyn's room and put the laptop on her desk and plugged it in. Five minutes later, he typed "Welcome Home!" of her screen and left. He also left a note for Gwen to come over for dinner later.

He fired up the grill and marinated two steaks while the baked potatoes were in the oven. She arrived with a salad under her arms and a smile on her face.

"Thank you so much Gerald. As soon as I got home, I tried out the computer and it works so nicely." She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Gerald blushed and said nothing.

"By the way, Pam called while I was at school and they will be home the day after tomorrow probably in mid-afternoon. I told her that we would have dinner when they got back."

"Then I need to go to the store and get a couple of pounds of beans." Gerald said. Gwen laughed and handed him two bags.

"I figured that you would need these."

He smiled and put them into a pot to soak and then went to put the steaks on the table while Gwen set the table and checked the potatoes.

On Friday, he carried a pot of beans and two loaves of bread up to Gwen's and was met with a smile.

"They called and will be here in about an hour. Have a seat. I bought some beer and a bottle of wine. I think Jim and Pam will need it after herding two eleven year olds for two weeks." She handed Gerald a beer. Beer and wine was something that Gerald enjoyed but seldom allowed himself the luxury of buying.

An hour later, they heard a car drive up and went outside to greet the travelers. Both girls were the first out of the car and talking at the same high rate of speed. Both Gwen and Gerald got hugs from Cherilyn and Jennifer. Jim and Pam got out of the car and stretched with the look of two worn out travelers. Gerald handed Jim a beer which he accepted gratefully. Gwen had a glass of wine for Pam which she also took with a smile. Cherilyn got her bag out of the car and the two girls ran into her room. Before the adults could even get inside, they heard Cherilyn scream. Gwen got a concerned look on her face until Cherilyn came running out and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, thank you momma. I love it and its red too. It's my favorite color. And it has internet too." She released her mother and ran back to her room.

Understanding slowly overcame the confusion and Gwen turned to Jim and asked, "How much jail time would I have to serve for killing a man who deserved it?"

Jim looked confused but replied, "Probably five years; three is you have a good lawyer."

Pam responded, "If it was a man who really deserved it and the jury was all women, they would probably find you innocent and offer to buy you lunch. So who is this man who deserves his fate?"

"That smiling idiot over there bought Cheri a computer with me standing right next to him and never even gave me a hint that he was up to something."

Both Jim and Pam burst out laughing. Pam added, "Just like man. He does something good but really deserves a good spanking."

Gerald started to blush and then added, "Just tell her that you got it out of this quarter's royalty check."

Gwen eyed him and responded, "And I better see evidence of that when the check comes." Gerald handed her their second quarter check." She looked and smiled and said nothing else.

An hour later they pried the girls away from Cherilyn's computer where they had set up all of the social networks important to girls at the time. As they started to sit down, Jim said "I figured that I was in good enough shape to chase down a bad guy running away but let me tell, I am not in good enough shape to keep up with these two girls." Everyone smiled as Pam nodded in agreement.

Gerald went to the market alone on Saturday because Cherilyn had stayed up late and slept until almost noon. Two weeks later, school started and things returned to their normal pattern.

It was the Sunday after the last weekly market in October. Gerald was over for dinner which was running a little late. He had worked with Cherilyn on her homework and Gwen suggested that he watch the evening news as she finished dinner. He watched the news and went still as he watched the story about a new plant opening 100 miles away. They were interviewing the plant manager. When the story finished, Gerald stood up unsteadily and walked into the kitchen with tears in his eyes and apologized to Gwen and said that he had to leave. Then he walked out the door and went home.

An hour later, a worried Gwen knocked on his door with a plate of dinner for him. His tears had stopped but the sadness was written all over his face.

"Gerald, you have always been there for me. Talk to me. What happened?"

"I'm sorry, Gwen. I just saw something that hit me wrong on the news."

"Tell me, please."

Gerald looked very sad. "They did that story they did about the new plant?" She nodded. "The plant manager was the guy who was messing around with my ex-wife. That was her standing next to him."

"I'm sorry, Gerald. I know that this is still a sore spot for you."

"Actually, that didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. It was that standing next to her were my two children." The tears started rolling down his face gain. Gwen just looked at him in shock. He had never said much about his ex-wife but he had never even mentioned that he had children before. She felt like a whole new dimension into Gerald had just opened up in front of her and she was totally unprepared to witness it.

Finally, she stuttered, "You never mentioned them and I never thought......." He got up and went into his bedroom and brought back two boxes and sat them next to her. Then he went into the kitchen and got a drink of water. She looked through the box and saw a few school pictures of kids in their early school grades. She saw the envelopes marked "Moved, address unknown." Then she saw the letters written every week with the last one written that very morning. The most recent letters were short but showed no signs of being folded or made ready to mail. He had just kept the letters in case something happened.

He came back and sat on the sofa again. Gwen struggled with herself before she could say anything.

"Gerald, I can't think of a thing to say except....except that I am sorry that you have been put through this. I feel like I am intruding into a place that I don't belong."

"No Gwen, don't feel that. I haven't said anything because I really didn't have anything to say. I couldn't explain things to you very well because I didn't understand what was going on either. Then I never felt like the opportunity was right to tell you. I guess, today was the day fate decided I should tell you. I just didn't do it very well."

"You did fine from my side. I expect that you haven't had time to decide what you are going to do yet."

"No, I am still in shock myself. But I will talk to you about it before I do anything. I am probably going to need some help deciding what to do."

"I will be there for you anytime you want to talk."

"Thanks, Gwen. I really appreciate you and your support."

"You probably don't have a clue how much I appreciate the support you have given me. Now, I am going to put your dinner in the microwave and heat it up. Then you need to eat. I have to get back to Cheri."

"Don't say anything to her about this, please. I can barely talk to you about this and I know that I couldn't talk to her about it for sure."

"I understand. I won't mention it to her." She heated up his dinner and after he sat down to eat, she gave him a hug and walked back home.

A week and a half later, he called Gwen and asked her to stop by after school. She dropped Cherilyn off at home and walked down to meet him. She found him sitting at the kitchen table with two envelopes and two letters. She sat down and waited for him to speak.

"Gwen, I have been thinking. I don't know what they might have told Rick and Denise about me or why I haven't contacted them. So I don't think just walking up to them is a good idea. So I decided to write them each another letter and mail it to their attention at the plant site. It might break the ice more easily for them. What do you think?"

She thought a moment and decided that this was also the easiest way for Gerald to protect himself if things weren't good.

"I think that this is a good idea, Gerald. It breaks the ice without too much pressure on you or the kids."

"That was what I was thinking too. I'll mail these in the morning."

Two weeks later, she and Cherilyn came over for dinner and she saw the two envelopes sitting on the table. They were both marked "Return to sender. No Person at this address." Gwen looked at Gerald and saw only a sign of resignation.

"Gerald, I have an idea. Would it be alright if I tried something to see what is going on?"

Gerald replied with a lackluster voice. "Sure; I don't mind. I don't have any better idea."

After dinner Gerald sat down with Cherilyn to work on her homework; Gwen stepped out on the porch with her phone and called Jim.

"Jim, this is Gwen. I'm not going to go into a lot of details but a couple of weeks ago, there was a news announcement about a plant opening two counties over. Do you know anyone over there who can find out a little about the plant manager?"

"Yes, I know the sheriff over there. We have worked on a couple of cases together. What are you trying to find out? Is this official or personal?"

It is personal and I only have limited information. The news program interviewed a guy who Gerald thought he might have known earlier but wasn't sure. He tried to track him down with a letter and didn't get a response. He is just wondering if it was the same guy and if he is in the area."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I'll give the sheriff a call in the morning and let you know what he says."

"Thanks, Jim. I would appreciate it."

"Gwen, there is a little more to the story than this, isn't there?"

"Yes, but let's let that sit until you find something out."

"Will do."

The next afternoon, Jim pulled into Gwen's driveway while Gerald was inside helping Cherilyn and Jennifer with their homework.

"Gerald, can you come outside for a minute?" Gwen asked him.

"Sure. I'll be right there. You guys keep working on this and I'll be right back."

He went outside and found Gwen talking to Jim. He shook hands with Jim and looked at Gwen with a questioning look.

"I asked Jim to talk to the sheriff over there and see if he could find anything out."

They both looked at Jim. "Well, it turned out to be an interesting story. He came to town with his family and got a realtor to show him around town telling them that he was looking for a site for a plant that would hire a lot of people. That got people's attention including the television station who did the interview. When he finally went to the city council to discuss the idea, it turns out that he is just a promoter representing a group of investors looking for a place to build a plant to process toxic waste. At most they would hire twenty people and they wanted city to supply the land and abate taxes for twenty years. The council declined and he left and only left an 800 number for a contact number. They did some follow-up and found out that he had made the same pitch in three or four towns in different states."

Both Gerald and Gwen looked disappointed.

"Gwen said that you might know this guy, Gerald?"

"Yeah, he used to be my boss. He has something of mine."

"Valuable?"

"A lot of sentimental value. Thanks for checking, Jim. I think I knew that it was going to be a long shot."

Gerald went back into the house and the girls.

Jim looked at Gwen with a raised eyebrow.

"The woman was Gerald's ex-wife."

"Oh. The kids?"

She turned to him and looked him in the eye and said, "Thank you, Jim. Both of us appreciate it. I'll have Jenny home after dinner."

Jim understood and gave her a hug without asking anymore.

The rest of the fall went by smoothly. Gerald regained his energy and enthusiasm. The bright spots were that their third quarter royalty check was the largest one yet. They celebrated at a new Mexican food restaurant in town with Jim and Jenny. Pam had a meeting that night.

They spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years as they had in recent years except that Jim, Pam, and Jenny became more part of it.

Year Four and Five

The New Year began quietly with no problems. It had been a cold winter so far and Gerald was almost sold out of firewood. He was cutting more wood when Cherilyn and Gwen came down his way bundled up against the cold. He stopped working and led them inside. He had hot coffee but quickly made a hot chocolate for Cherilyn. They all sat down and Gerald noticed that Cheirlyn was very quiet and shy, something she hadn't been around him in several years.

Gerald said, "Let me guess. Someone wants something but is embarrassed to ask."

Gwen smiled and said, "Go on, Cheri."

"Mom, this is so hard."

"Honey, there will be a lot of hard things that you will have to do in this life. Just take a deep breath and get it out. Gerald isn't going to yell at you."

Without looking at him, Cherilyn began. "Um, Gerald, um, in a couple of weeks the school is having a, um, a party and, um, I was wondering if you would go with me?" Her face was red and she was almost in tears.

Gerald looked at Gwen who was looking at Cherilyn. "That was the hard part, Cheri; now tell him the rest."

Cherilyn's eyes shot up and looked at her mother and then at Gerald. Her spurted out "It is a father daughter Valentine's Day dinner party as if it was one word and then her eyes dropped to her lap again.

Gerald lifted her face so that she looked at him and said, "Of course, I would be very pleased to go to the Valentine's dinner party with you." All of the strain left her face and threw her arms around his neck in a big hug.

"Thank you, thank you." Gwen just sat there smiling at them both. Then Cherilyn ran to his computer and began sending a message to Jenny.

Gerald and Gwen went out on the porch with refilled coffee cups and sat in his rockers.

"What was all that about?' Gerald asked.

"When this came up, she felt that she couldn't go because her father wasn't here. Jenny apparently said to her that you might as well be her daddy and to ask you to take her. She came to me asked what I thought about that. I told her that I thought it was a perfect idea. But then she started blushing because it was a Valentine's Day dinner and party."

"Oh, I think I see."

"She asked me if I would ask you for her. I told her that I thought that you would like it better is she asked you. As you saw, it was kind of like a boy asking a girl on a first date. She's starting to notice boys a little and she and Jenny talk a lot about boys now but she is embarrassed about talking about it even to me."

Gerald smiled, "I guess that she is growing up perfectly normal, huh?"

"I hope so."

"You have done a great job raising her, Gwen."

"Thanks."

Cherilyn came out to the porch and looked at him. Without saying a word, she went to Gerald and sat in his lap.

"Daddy, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." He made sure that his arms surrounded her to keep her warm.

"Jenny and I have been talking and we think that you must have a daughter. Do you?"

Gerald shot a look at Gwen who shook her head slightly.

"Why do you two think that?"

"Because you do all of the daddy things so well; we think that you must have had practice."

"OK, then yes I do have a daughter and a son. Their names are Denise and Rick."

"You don't talk about them. Do you see them or talk to them?"

Gerald replied in a very soft voice, "No, Cheri. I don't. I don't know where they are and, as far as I know, they don't know where I am." There was a lump in his throat as he said this.

Cherilyn was quiet for a few minutes as she was thinking. Gwen and Gerald just looked at each other.

Cherilyn took a deep breath as if she made a decision. "Gerald, my mom told me that my real daddy won't be coming home for a long, long time. I don't like not having a daddy so will you be my substitute daddy? I would like to be your substitute daughter."

Gerald looked at her and answered, "Don't you think you ought to discuss this with your mom first. She might have something to say about this."

Cherilyn looked at her mother with an innocent look.

Gwen took a moment and then said, "Cheri, most of us never have a choice about who their daddy is. I think you made an excellent choice for a substitute daddy and I think that you will be very lucky if Gerald accepts."

Cherilyn smiled and looked back at Gerald. He smiled and replied, "I will proud to be your daddy and even prouder to have you as my daughter."

They sealed their newly defined relationship with a hug. To celebrate, Gerald got out pizza crusts and they made homemade pizzas and toasted their new relationship with wine for the adults and grape juice for Cherilyn.

After dinner, Cherilyn asked, "Daddy, I don't know when your birthday is. A daughter ought to know when her daddy's birthday is."

"Alright but then you need to tell me yours. My birthday is July 15."

Cherilyn began to giggle while Gerald looked confused. She finally said, "That's funny because mine is July 15 too. I guess I won't forget yours and mom won't have to remind me." They shared another hug. Gwen just beamed.

The next two weeks went smoothly but as the day came closer, Gerald got more and more nervous. He hadn't dressed up in a coat and tie in almost five years. He wasn't sure how he would be received by the other parents. Finally, he wasn't sure what he ought to do. He sought out Gwen for advice.

After explaining his concerns, Gwen responded. "I can't help you with your wardrobe, but I can assure you that some fathers will dress up while others will be in shirt and no tie. Be comfortable. Second, I wouldn't worry about the other parents. I think that you will be surprised at how well known you are in the community and school. Your name comes up often at the PTA meetings. Finally, the tradition at the school is for the father to buy a simple Valentine corsage for their daughter and the daughter will buy you a gift too. Other than that, just be yourself."

Gerald went to several florists and flower shops looking at their selection of corsages. He found most of them too overdone in his mind. He finally bought four rose buds and some ribbon and took them home to make his own. He spent far too much time on it before he was satisfied, but he didn't care; he had what he wanted and put it in the refrigerator for the dinner the next night.

The next evening, he put on his slacks and sport coat with a tie and took his corsage and went to pick up Cherilyn. He had washed and cleaned up his truck that afternoon. In spite of Gwen's words, he still felt a little nervousness about what was coming but as he walked up to the door, he changed his focus from himself to Cherilyn and vowed to make this the best Valentine's Day he could. Gwen met him at the door and gushed at how nice he looked dressed up. Then she had him stand in the living room while she went to usher Cherilyn out.

As soon as she stepped into the room, all of his fears left. She was wearing a pink dress with maroon trim that he had not seen before. Her hair was done nicely and she had just a hint of makeup on. Her smile radiated and lit up the room.

"Cheri, you look so beautiful tonight."

"Thank you, daddy. Mom said that you look very good tonight but she was wrong; you look extremely handsome."

"I brought you a corsage but I think I will need to have your mom help in pinning it on. I'm kind of clumsy doing things like that." Cherilyn giggled. Gwen smiled and just shook her head. When he presented her corsage, she fingered it lightly and said how beautiful it was. At the center was a large pink rose bud that was just beginning to open. On the top was a red rose bud and on either side were two white buds. He explained that the center rose was her and that the red bud was her mom while the two white ones were her real and substitute daddies. They were tied together with maroon ribbon and embellished with short pink, maroon, and white ribbon streamers.

Cherilyn was quiet but the smile on her face told her how proud she was of it. Gwen had a tear in her eye as she pinned in on her daughter's dress. Then she took pictures of the two of them alone and together. When Cherilyn went to her room and to get her coat, Gwen asked, "That is a beautiful and thoughtful corsage. Where did you get it?"

"I made it." Gwen didn't have time to respond before Cherilyn came back with her hands behind her back.

"Daddy, Jenny and I made our daddy's a gift for tonight. Would you bend over?"

He did as she asked and then she slipped a ribbon over his neck with a medallion of some sort tied on the end. When he stood up, he looked closely at the medallion. It was a round disc about two inches in diameter. On one side it had a picture of him and the words "He is my Daddy" and on the other side was a picture of her with the words "I am his Daughter." This time it was Gerald's turn to have a tear in his eye. Gwen took more pictures as she had tears in both of her eyes. They all shared a group hug. It was broken by Gwen's phone ringing.

She answered and said that they were just about to leave. She listened for a moment and then said that she would take care of it.

"Gerald, will you stop and pick up Jenny? Jim got tied up on a case but he won't be there for another 45 minutes. He will meet you at the dinner."

Gerald smiled and said, "Of course I will. We better go, princess, so we can pick up Jenny and arrive on time." He took Cherilyn's hand and led her out to the truck and they drove off. Gwen finally let all of her tears out. She could not imagine a better father/daughter scene than she had just witnessed.

They stopped and picked Jenny up. She was disappointed that her daddy would be late but had learned to accept that his job had strange hours. She was happy to go with Gerald and Cherilyn. She clutched her medallion in her hands as they drove to the school. Once there, Gerald discovered that each father daughter were to make an entrance and were announced in a very formal way. He suggested that they wait in the lobby area for Jim to arrive. For the next several minutes, the stood and said "hi" to their classmates as they entered. Jenny lit up when she saw Jim enter the school and ran to him. He bent over and when he stood up he was wearing his medallion and looking at both sides with obvious pride. They came over to join Gerald and Cherilyn.

As the men shook hands, Jim said, "Thanks for picking up Jenny and waiting. I owe you."

"No, I think that I owe you." Gerald noticed several blood spots on Jim's sleeve and a stain across the side of his uniform. He nodded at them.

Jim nodded and replied, "Pam is bringing me a clean shirt. We had an incident with a drunk."

Then the door announcer said in a loud and clear voice. "Miss Cherilyn Lambert and her daddy Mr. Gerald Murphy." Gerald took Cherilyn's arm and they entered the cafeteria to a round of applause. A few moments later, they heard, "Miss Jennifer Sanders and her father Mr. James Sanders." The crowd applauded them with the same enthusiasm. They found their places next to each other and sat down. A few minutes later a man came and whispered to Jim who excused himself for a few minutes. When he returned, he was wearing his uniform pants with a clean white shirt and tie which showed off his medallion proudly.

Gerald noticed immediately that while many of the introductions said "father," an equal number of introductions were for "dad" or "daddy." He realized that someone had realized the potential confusion with the introductions and probably gave each girl the option to designate how her date for the night was introduced. He felt proud that Cherilyn had chosen to call him "daddy."

They had a decent dinner of chicken and rice with steamed vegetables. Both girls whispered loudly that Gerald made better chicken, rice, and vegetables. The other girls at the table giggled. Gerald just smiled. After dinner they mingled at the other end of the cafeteria which was decorated with handmade hearts and decorations. He was introduced to several of the other fathers and daddies by Jim who was obviously well known among the parents. They had some music, punch, and cake. Several of the fathers and daughters danced clumsily together for the first few dances including Cherilyn and Gerald. Then the girls started dancing with each other singly and in groups. The fathers for the most part stood on the sidelines and watched with pride.

Shortly before the end of the evening a man younger than Gerald approached him and introduced himself as the principal of the school.

"I have heard about you for some time, Mr. Murphy. Both Jennifer and Cherilyn have told everyone about how much you have helped them with math and other subjects. I was wondering if I could interest you in perhaps working with a few of our third and fourth graders who are having problems with math. We are coming into testing season and these kids are really struggling."

Gerald looked surprised and then responded, "I haven't done that before except with Jenny and Cheri. I guess I'm not sure that my methods would be proper in a school setting."

"The kids we are talking about have been getting "proper school" teaching and they are just not getting it or responding to it. I am willing to give this a try. If half of them respond, I would be very pleased. I would be happy to pay you for your time. It isn't a lot but it is something."

"I could do it on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. I get kind of busy later in the week."

"I understand. My wife buys your bread and beans from the market almost every week. If you could work with them on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings for a couple of hours, that would be more than satisfactory."

"OK, I'll give it a try."

"Thank you very much. Come to my office on Monday and I will show you the room you can use and introduce you to the children we are concerned about. I also have an aide who can help you if you need."

"I'll be there at about 9:00."

"Excellent. I'll be looking forward." The principal left with a smile on his face.

Jim, who had been standing nearby, looked at Gerald with a grin, "Boy, I think you just stuck your foot in a fresh cow patty and don't realize it yet."

"Jim, it can't be that bad, can it?"

"Come for dinner Monday night and I'll have fresh six pack for you. Bring Cheri and Gwen. Gwen will probably need to drive you home."

Gerald grinned at his friend and replied, "You're on but I don't think I will need the beer before bed."

"We'll see."

The girls came up and asked if they could stop and get ice cream before going home. The two softies agreed and they had ice cream on a cold night before they went home. Gerald went in with Cherilyn and they told her about the night. When Cherilyn went to get ready for bed, Gerald told Gwen about his agreement with the principal and Jim's response.

She smiled and said, "You are going to do fine. But Jim is also right. These kids won't be anything like Cheri and Jenny and some of them will take all of your patience to crack. But I think you can do it. There is a quality about you that just gets people's attention. We will see how you feel Monday night."

Gerald went home after a good night hug from Cherilyn and the first thing he did was take off his medallion and hang it on the wall right next to his recliner and computer. He then sat down and wrote a letter to each of his children telling them about his night and how he wished they could have been there with him. These went into their boxes and he went to bed.

The next day, he was busy with baking and preparing for Saturday's market. When the girls came home from school, they helped him bake and rolled more buns for Friday's baking. They liked rolling the buns because they could talk and listen to music while they worked. Their choice of music wasn't high on Gerald's favorite list but he accepted it as being a lot better than some of the music that was out there. Gwen came by picked the girls up to go to Jim and Pam's house where they were going to sleep over. She also invited Gerald over for a late dinner as she had to stop by the store. They agreed on a 7:30 dinner.

Over dinner, Gwen gave him a list of the students he would be working with and told him about each one. She would only do this when Cherilyn was not around and asked him to not talk about these kids when she was. Gerald nodded. She focused on three in particular. The first was Roberto. He was bright enough but seemed fixated on following his older brother who led a gang of sorts in the area. So far the brother had only gotten in minor trouble but everyone felt like it was just a matter of time before he got involved in something bigger. The second was Suzanna who went by Suzy. She did well in class and class work but by the next day, she seemed to have forgotten everything she had learned the day before or at least it had become muddled. No one would figure out what her problem was. The third one was a bright and cheerful kid, named Duane, who had already made up his mind that he was going to become a professional football or basketball player and didn't see the need to study or be successful in class. He had a charming personality but evaded everyone's attempts to motivate him.

Gerald nodded as she spoke of each one and then asked a couple of questions. After he went home, he spent an hour on the internet reading about children's development and learning. While it didn't provide a prescription for working with these students, it did give him some things to think about over the weekend.

On Monday, he arrived promptly at 9:00 and met the principal who once again greeted him warmly. He led him to a room off of the library. There was a table and seven chairs set up. The principal told him to make himself comfortable and he would go get the third graders for him. There were six of them including the girl Suzy. He had brought his packet of beans and a few other things but decided that he would try to get to know them a little better first. So they introduced themselves and asked each one to tell him his or her name and a little about who they were and what they wanted to be when they grew up.
He spent the rest of the hour listening to their names and their dreams for the future. He made notes on each one in a notebook he brought. When the bell rang, he stretched and waited until the fourth graders became.

He was surprised at the difference between a third and fourth grader. The younger students talked opening about themselves and had the usual assortment of practical and impractical dreams for their lives. The older students had already begun to pull inside and offer less and less about themselves and their dreams. They finished talking there was still half of the class to go.

Gerald looked at the clock and took the information he had written down and told four of the students to follow him. He told the other two that he would be right back. He and the students went up to the librarian.

Gerald asked, "Can you help these four find a book on these occupations? Something more real and less fantasy." The librarian smiled and nodded. Gerald continued to the students, "I want you to each read a book on the careers you told me about and bring me a report about what you have to do to become one. Can you do that?"

He got four "yes sirs." He smiled and nodded to the librarian who led them to the section on careers. Gerald went back to the room and sat down and looked at the two remaining ones as he composed his thoughts.

He was met by Duane saying, "Hey dude, I thought you were going to make us math geniuses." Roberto snickered.

Gerald started, "First off, I am not dude. I am Gerald. Second, I can't make you a math genius; only you can do that. All I can do is help you along right now." Roberto snickered again. Duane stopped smiling and looked at him. "What I am thinking is that the two of you are very similar both in personality and career choices."

Duane popped up and said, "No way. I want to be a famous football or basketball player. He just wants to be a crook. We ain't nothing alike!" Roberto's face broke into a smile.

"Actually, you are. Both of you are smart enough to do or be anything you want to be. For some reason, you have decided now on what your career is going to be. Both choices are very short careers. For you Duane, if you do make it to the pro level, you will be very lucky to last ten years. Most athletes have a career of three years or less. But then you will have the rest of your life with nothing to do. You might make some big money, but even if you don't spend it all, you won't have enough left to live off of. So about all you can do is go home and live off of your parents." Duane looked at him with no smile on his face.

"As for you Roberto, you want to follow your brother in his gang. There is no guarantee that they will listen to you much less follow you. And if Duane's career choice is a short one, yours is even shorter. Most gang bangers are in jail or prison or dead before they are twenty one. Once you have been to prison, you probably won't be able to get a job except labor jobs. That is no life to live if you want a family and kids of your own. You don't have to believe what I tell you but both of you are smart enough to look up information about the careers you say you want. Don't read the glamour stuff; read about how it really is. Now class is about over. Duane, I suggest you ask the librarian for a book called "Brian's Song." It is a true story about two football teammates and what happened to them. It is real and yes, one of them is in the Hall of Fame."

"What happened to the other one?"

"Read the book and you tell me."

Roberto sneered, "What do you want me to read?"

"Roberto, I don't have a suggestion for you. I have no experience at all in what you want to do. I would just suggest that you look up the facts about what happens to gang members and think about it. Tomorrow, we will start on math."

Then the bell rang and the two students left.

Gerald picked up his bag and went toward the office. He was met in the hallway by Gwen.

"Hi, how did it go today?"

"Mostly fine. I basically had them tell me about themselves and what they wanted to be when they grew up. I had the fourth graders find a book on their career choice to read and write a report on it for me."

"Having them read; that's interesting."

"Well you can't do math if you can't read; or maybe I should say, you can do math better if you look at it as telling you a story. To me the two just go together."

"What about the three I told you about?"

"Suzy was quiet so I couldn't tell much. I'll see more tomorrow and Wednesday but I have an idea I am going to try. If I can get a hook in Duane, I think I can reach him. He just needs a reality check. I don't know about Roberto; he's got some strong defensive walls built up along with the attitude to hide his fears. I've never had to deal with someone quite like him. I am just going to have to play him by ear and hope something sinks in."

"If you need any help, let me know. My planning period is in the morning, so I can help if needed."

Gerald smiled and replied, "Thanks, and I will call for help if I need it. I'll go check out with the principal and see you tonight. Do you think you and Cheri are up for tacos tonight?"

"Cheri is always up for tacos and my arm can be twisted if you make some chicken ones."

"I already planned that. Come on over when you get home."

"We'll be there."

Gerald went and checked out with the office and went home after a stop at the store.

When he arrived home, he cut more wood as he had two orders to fill after school on Tuesday. Then he stared preparing the meat for tacos and baking the shells. Chopping the lettuce, tomatoes, and grating the cheese waited until they arrived. Cherilyn and Gwen arrived at 7:00 and soon they were noshing down on his tacos. Cherilyn was till excited about the Valentines party and was pleased to see his medallion hanging on his wall next to his chair.

After they went home, Gerald sat in his chair and wrote up a variety of problems for the students to work on the next day. He wrote up special problems for Duane and Roberto to work on.

The next morning, before the third graders started he called Suzy aside and gave her a tablet. He told her to write down all of the steps in every problem they worked on today. She smiled and said that she would. He took out the beans and before long the students were talking about the answers to problems and helping each other solving their problems. When they finished, Gerald took a quick look at their work and everyone had done a good job with only a few missed answers.

The fourth graders came and they went through the same routine. Roberto looked on with a bored expression while Duane watched but didn't participate in the discussion. When Gerald handed out the work sheets, he told Roberto and Duane to work together on theirs. They each looked at the paper they held and then back at him in shock. The other children started working and talking with each other. Duane started to say something but Gerald motioned them both to the small table on the side. When they sat down, Duane said, "This isn't the same problems the others have. What's the deal?"

"The deal is that both of you have big dreams and don't want to be bothered with what the other kids are working on. These problems require exactly the same math as the others but these problems involve things that both of you need to concerned with. Both of you are capable of doing the work and need to be doing this kind of problem or you won't be very successful. Give it a try."

They had two problems. The first involved a contract for $150,000. If they got the contract, they would have to pay a percentage to an agent, a percentage to a manager, and a percentage for taxes. The question was how much money would they have left after paying these fees. The second problem was about a shipment of 100 computers at a certain cost that they ordered. When it arrived, they found that some of the computers had been damaged and some were missing. The question was what percentage of the original shipment was still good enough to sell and how much money had they lost during the shipment. The other kids had similar problems but with smaller numbers and simpler details.

When the bell rang, the other kids turned in their papers and he saw that they had done well. Duane and Roberto were still working on theirs but they were not helping each other. They handed their paper to Gerald who told them to take it home and work on it and bring it back the next day. Gerald put the papers in his bag and checked out.

On Wednesday, when the third graders arrived, he gave them a similar paper to do before they started again. The main reason he did this was to see how Suzy did. When he saw her paper, he noticed that almost all of the problems were wrong. He explained a different lesson and started them on their work sheet. He then asked the librarian to ask the principal and Gwen to come to the library. When they arrived, he showed them two papers.

"This is the paper that Suzy did when we finished yesterday. She got all of the problems right. I had her do the same problems this morning. As you said, overnight everything we did yesterday got muddled." They nodded in agreement. Gerald called Suzy out and to bring her notebook. He handed her the same set of problems and said, "Suzy, I want you to read the steps you wrote down yesterday and then do these problems again, please."

She read over what she had written the day before and then did the problems again. This time she got all but one right. Gerald smiled and sent her back with the rest of the kids.

Gwen asked, "What are you suggesting, Gerald?"

"When I was in high school, there was a girl who did something similar. They had tested her for learning disabilities and couldn't find anything. But one teacher noticed that if she took notes on what they did and used those notes for a couple of weeks, things cleared up and settled into place. I think I heard something about how our brains transfer knowledge from short term memory to long term memory. In Suzy's case, I suspect that that transfer is delayed for some reason but in a couple of weeks things will settle into place if she can use notes for reinforcement."

Gwen looked at him with a surprised look on her face. The principal was deep in thought.

He finally said, "We've got the tests coming up and she can't use notes during the tests. But we can arrange for her to use them up till then. Do you think that this will be enough?"

"I don't know; I'm not even sure that this will work. I just remember that girl from high school. Did you do a practice test around the holidays?"

"Yes, we did a trial test just before the Christmas break. She didn't do well; that's why she is here working with you."

"If you still have a copy of that test, have her take it over again now. I am guessing, but I'll bet she will show some level of improvement. It's worth a try anyway."

"I'll arrange for her to take it tomorrow morning. I'll also arrange for the district psychologist to come over and talk with her teachers. You might have hit on something that has fallen through the cracks."

"While we are talking, what is the story about Jimmy Thompson?"

Gwen replied, "He has always been a quiet kid but did pretty well, but after Christmas, his grades started dropping. He never said anything but I think there might be problems at home. A lot of kids don't talk about things at home and their work suffers."

"Can your nurse do an eye check?" The principal nodded. "Have her check his eyes. He seems to understand what we are doing and can read things far away but then he either puts the paper close to his face or bends over close. I think he is having trouble seeing what is on the paper."

Gwen responded, "And he is in Ms Graves' class and she expects the students to sit upright when they do their work."

The principal called Jimmy out of the room and led his down the hall to the nurse's station.

Gwen looked at Gerald and said, "If you are right, you will make a lot of us look kind of silly." She smiled.

"No, not at all. You all work with a lot of kids each day and probably don't have time to look at individuals closely unless there is an obvious problem. I am only looking at six individuals and I have fresh eyes. It is easier for me to notice things."

"Well, whatever the results are, you certainly have made an impact. Dinner at our house tonight? I think Cherilyn wants to make dinner for you. It will be surprise night at the Lambert house."

"Then I wouldn't want to miss that for any reason. I'll be there."

He did the fourth grade the same way but Duane called him over to their table.

"Hey man, I got this I think, but why did you give us one that is so hard?"

"Like I told you, it is the same problem as the other kids got; you just worked with bigger numbers. But the bigger lesson is this. You hear about athletes getting big contracts, bigger than this. But for every contract, there is an agent, a manager, and the tax man standing in line to get their piece of the pie. So, in this problem, you would only actually get about half of what the contract amount is for. Think about that the next time you start counting your money when you turn pro."

Roberto popped off, "Hey, I won't be paying any taxes in my line of work."

"Then if you don't get arrested for what you do, you will get arrested for tax evasion. The biggest criminal in American history was Al Capone. He had one of the biggest and bloodiest gangs in the country. He spent the last twenty years of his life in prison for tax evasion. They could never convict him of anything else."

Gerald was quiet for a minute, letting this sink in before he continued, "He was smart but there were people smarter than he was. That was another part of this lesson that neither one of you picked up on. Duane, if you are going to be a successful athlete you will be part of a team. By yourself, you are just another guy who can run fast or throw a ball. The team is the framework that will let you shine. Roberto, everything about you says that you will be part of a team too, although you don't see it that way. Alone you are just another street punk; as part of a group, maybe you can be successful at what you do. Either way, both of you need to learn how to get along with others and work together or you aren't going to be successful. I put you two together to see if you would work together; you chose not to. Alone you both struggled; together you might have gotten through with these problems much easier and faster. Go back to the table and let's finish the day."

That night he found Cherilyn in an apron scurrying around. Gwen was hovering around the edges, keeping an eye on everything. Cherilyn came and gave him a hug. Gwen smiled and came over to him.

"You are a hero today. The nurse checked Jimmy's eyes and found that he had a scratch on one eye and it was infected a little. His other eye was weak for short viewing anyway. They sent him to an optometrist who works with the schools and he has medicated the infection and arranged for glasses for Jimmy. His mother admitted that they had a car wreck over the holidays and that the air bag had hit Jimmy in the face. She didn't have a car or the money to take Jimmy to the doctor. Ms. Graves was mortified when she found out. Jimmy hadn't said a word about the wreck or not being able to see."

"I'm sorry for Jimmy but I'm glad it got caught before something permanent set in."

"That and Suzy's teacher was OK with trying the notebook with her and see how she does. She will monitor her work more closely and try to find out when things get sorted out."

"That's even better news. She's a nice girl and probably had no way to realize what was happening to her."

Cherilyn proudly announced, "Dinner is ready." She fixed their plates with a grilled Cheri Bun filled with cheese and deli meat and vegetables. Along with that was a scoop of flavored rice with Lawman beans on top. She also had a small dinner salad set at each place.

Gerald was pleased with the grilled sandwich as he had never tried that before with his buns. And the beans and rice made a nice change from plain beans. The flavoring of the rice mixed well with the beans and tasted really good. He had two helpings of the rice and beans.

Cherilyn also said that they were starting on Geometry and that both she and Jenny had some questions. She asked if they could come over on Thursday and get some help. Gerald smiled and said, "Of course. Bring your books." Gwen had a PTA meeting to attend so Gerald agreed to feed the girls dinner.

Cherilyn's reply was "Homemade pizza!"

Gerald smiled because he was expecting that response.

When the girls arrived after school, they spent a half hour unwinding before Gerald subtly talking about Geometry. He started by taking them out to the garden to pick some lettuce.

"How far do you suppose this row is?" He asked.

Jenny replied, "I guess it is about 20 feet long."

Gerald nodded, "That's not a bad guess; but how could you be sure?"

Cherilyn said, "Well if you had a tape measure, you could measure it."

"Good. Is there another way?"

Jenny answered, "We planted the lettuce seeds one foot apart. We could count the lettuce plants and that would tell us how long the row is."

"That's a really good answer too. Anything else?"

Neither girl had another answer. Gerald said, "There are lots of different ways to measure things and that is what Geometry is all about. '-metry' means to measure and 'Geo-" means the earth. So geometry means to measure the earth. Sometimes things like this row are easy because you can take a tape measure and check it but sometimes it is much harder to measure. Look at that tree over there; how tall is it?"

The girls really looked confused.

"With Geometry, you can find the height of the tree without a tape measure. You can also figure out a lot of things. I always liked Geometry because you can do so many things with it. Let's go inside and see where you are starting."

With that introduction and thirty minutes of drawing and talking, both girls understood the lesson and finished their homework quickly. Then they pestered Gerald into letting them fix the pizzas. It didn't actually take much pestering for Gerald to relent.

As he watched them, he had an idea. "Jenny, how many table spoons of sauce do you think you will need for each pizza?" She looked at him. He continued, "Cheri, how many slices of cheese will it take to cover the pizza?" She too looked at him also. It was obvious that neither girl had an inkling of the answer. They stopped to wait for him to answer. Instead he got up and picked him a knife and drew three lines on each crust crossing about in the middle.

"Jenny, get a spoon and put sauce in one of these sections. Cheri, you do the same with cheese." They did as he asked. "Jenny, how many spoons of sauce did it take to do one section?"

"Three."

"Cheri, how many slices of cheese?"

"About four and a half. I had to break one to make the curve."

"So how many spoons of sauce and pieces of cheese will it take to make one pizza?"

The girls looked at each other and grinned. Jenny said, "Eighteen." Cherilyn said, "Twenty Seven."

"If you had a pizza parlor and you knew that you would make 50 pizzas tonight, you would know exactly how much sauce you needed and how many slices of cheese you needed to slice every night. Right?"

"Yes."

"This is a very practical use of Geometry. You probably won't get to this until high school but it is called surface area. If you know the area you need to cover with sauce, cheese, paint, fabric, or anything else and you know how much the item covers, you can easily figure out how much paint or fabric to buy. Every business uses this every day and most people don't even realize that they are using Geometry."
From that day onward, Gerald used every opportunity to ask them about some aspect of Geometry. The girls got to the point where they tried to catch Gerald by asking him about different shapes and different uses of things. When they finally got to their high school Geometry class, he was surprised at how easily the two inseparable girls were able to breeze through Geometry while the others struggled trying to understand the concepts.

Friday night he was at Gwen's house for dinner, Cherilyn asked a simple question that turned into a major discussion. Cherilyn asked, "Gerald, how did you get to be so smart?" Gerald lowered his head.

Gwen responded quickly, "Honey, that isn't a good question to ask someone. It might embarrass them."

"It's alright Gwen; I'm not embarrasses to answer her if she wants to know. I don't know if she is old enough to understand yet but let me try."

Gwen smiled at him and nodded.

"Cheri, I guess I was pretty bright in school when I was your age and in high school. I wasn't the best in any class. There were always people who were better than I was but I did OK. It was in college when things changed. I started off majoring in one thing but after a couple of years, I began to lose interest in it and so I changes majors to another subject that I liked. By the time I graduated, I had gone through four majors. I discovered that I liked a lot of different subjects but wasn't interested in any one subject enough to devote myself to just one subject. I discovered that I was what they call a generalist. I like a lot of subjects and like to learn about a lot of different things."

Cherilyn asked, "What is a major?"

Gwen replied, "In college they want you to pick a subject to take more classes in. This is your major subject. You also usually have a minor which is a secondary subject that you are interested in."

"Oh."

Gerald continued, "These subjects usually lead to your career. A doctor often majors in Biology and minors in Chemistry. Your mom probably majored in Education and then minored in a subject or two that she teaches."

"Actually, I majored in Elementary Education. I started out to be a science teacher but in college, I found that I really liked teaching reading. So I specialized in reading and now I am a reading specialist."

Gerald continued, "She didn't change majors exactly but she changed her area of specialization. I changed my major entirely. I went from engineering to history to political science and finally I graduated with a major in English and a minor in history."

"Wow, no wonder you are so smart."

"Actually, I learned things just like you are now. I took the classes; some I like better than others. As I got older and learned more, I found that I like parts of everything but not enough to spend all of my time on one subject."

"I'll bet that it is easy for you to find a job, isn't it?" Cheri asked.

"Not really. At one time people wanted to hire people like me with a broad education who could learn about all of the parts of their business. Now, they want people who specialize in one or two subjects. People like me aren't that important in business anymore."

"But you are so good at so many things."

"Thanks, sweetie. There are probably people somewhere who are like that, but..... Anyway, I am happy where I am, doing what I do. And that is the important thing for me and should be for you. When you go to college, you might want to major in one thing. Maybe that will stay with you and maybe you will take another class that really excites you. When you find that subject, that is what you should probably pursue. There are a lot of subjects and careers out there that you have never heard of. One of them may be the one that you were meant to be. So start out pursuing whatever you like but keep your eyes and ears open, something might just creep in and grab your mind and attention and you will go 'WOW.' When that happens, you have found what makes you happy."

Gwen just sat there listening as Gerald told Cherilyn in a couple of dozen words what she had been telling her for months. It also told her volumes about Gerald and the way he thought and worked. He became much clearer to her now.

When dinner was over, Cherilyn went to finish her homework and Gwen and Gerald took coffee to the porch and sat.

"Thank you, Gerald. I have been talking to her about a lot of those things but have never felt like it made any sense to her."

Gerald smiled, "I had the advantage. I think teachers call tonight a teaching moment. A subject comes up that is important to a child and you take that moment and fill it with as much as you can. Three days from now, the subject won't be as important and the moment is gone."

"You are that smart, aren't you?"

"Actually, I have been told I was smart all my life but it didn't mean much because I was always surrounded by people who were smarter or faster to learn that I was. That plus the fact that I have an insatiable curiosity about things has kind of made me into what I am. I still don't know how smart I am; I know that I know a lot of things. Everything is important to someone but not everything is important to everyone. I quit trying to compare myself to others. I just do what I do and accept the results."

"Well in my mind, you are plenty smart and I admire you for it." She took a moment and then said, "I decided that I am going to visit the prison again and talk to him once more. If he hasn't changed his mind, I will probably file for divorce this summer. I don't want to deal with it during school."

"Gwen, you have been patient and I know that you have thought this through. If this is the time, you will know. You should know that you have my support."

"I know. I wasn't asking for your approval, I just wanted you to know what I decided. After I visit the prison, I will tell Cheri. I'm not sure how she will take it."

"I expect that she will be confused. We can find a way to work through it."

"Thanks. That is what I needed to hear."

Two weeks later, Gwen went to the prison and Cherilyn stayed with Gerald for the day. They worked the market in the morning and went shopping after lunch. When they got home, Cherilyn sat next to him on the porch and began to talk.

"Gerald, I think mom is going to talk to daddy about a divorce. I know that she has been thinking about it. I've seen some of the websites she has read."

"And what do you think about that possibility?"

"I'm not sure. I know daddy won't be getting out for a long time and I know that mom is lonely a lot of time when you aren't there. Jenny and I talked about it and she says that by the time daddy gets out, she will be old and maybe even then they wouldn't be happy. I think that maybe she should so she can be happy. When he gets out, he and I can still see each other if he wants to see me. He asked mom to not bring me to see him anymore. He doesn't want me to see the prison and how he lives. What do you think?"

"I agree with what you have said but I also would add that your mom is probably trying to figure out what is best for the both of you. Her decision won't be just about her. If I were you, I would try to have a talk with her and tell her how you feel. Just realize that it will be a change for both of you and you both will have to make adjustments."

"I know; you will still be there for us, won't you?"

"Of course, I will."

"I knew that but I wanted to hear you say it."

They cleaned up a few things and then started dinner. They decided on roast chicken with rice and vegetables and sesame rolls Gerald had dough in the freezer for. They timed dinner for 7:00 because Gwen had said that she expected to be back around 6:00. At 5:00 Gerald started the grill and as the fire just got going, Gwen drove up. Gerald had a suspicion that things hadn't gone well. As she got out of the car, he went to her and asked quietly, "Do you need to talk?"

She replied quietly, "Not now; maybe later." They went inside and Cherilyn gave her a hug and a glass of tea. She had one for her and for Gerald and they sat in the living room. After a few minutes of small talk, Cherilyn took the floor.

"So mom, are you and daddy going to get a divorce?" Gwen looked stricken and looked a Gerald. "Gerald didn't tell me anything. I talked to him and he told me that I should talk to you. I know that you have been thinking about it, so what did daddy say?"

An almost sigh of relief passed over Gwen as if a weight had been lifted. "He was pretty blunt. He said for me to get it done and to not come see him anymore. He said that he would decide about seeing you after he gets out of if he gets out. He has been in more trouble and has lost most of his good behavior time."

There was a tear in Cherilyn's eye but her voice didn't betray her sadness. "I kind of expected that. I told Gerald and I'll tell you now, I think that this is best for you. I have you and Gerald and I am happy. When he gets out will be after I am grown and I will decide then what I will do. I think that we should at least meet and talk but until then, I have too much to do. So I think that you should just do what he wants. I know that you will feel happier and that will make me happier."

Gwen replied, "When did you grow up so much?"

"Gerald says that you are always growing up and learning new things. Sometimes they aren't what you want but you still grow and get what you need." She paused and then said, "Gerald, isn't it time to put on the chicken?"

Gerald smiled and went outside to put the chicken on the grill. When he came back inside, Cherilyn was sitting in her mother's lap and they were hugging each other. Gerald went to the kitchen and began setting the table and checking the rolls and vegetables. Then he went back outside to turn the chicken. When he re-entered the house, he was met by Cherilyn who wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a big hug. She whispered in his ear, "I love you, daddy." When he stood up there was a tear in his eye and he was caught by surprise when Gwen put her arms around his neck and whispered, "I don't know what happened but this couldn't have been better. Thank you for being you."

This happy moment almost caused the rolls and the chicken to burn but they broke it up before any serious damage was done to the meal. Gerald broke out a bottle of white wine and poured them each a glass. Cherilyn asked if she could try some. After a nod from Gwen, he poured her a half of a glass. She sipped it and smiled. "It tastes like apples." She said.

After dinner, Gwen spoke again. "On the drive back, I made another decision. I am going to do this after school is out. But I don't want to teach summer school while I am wrestling it. So Gerald can I help you and Cheri with the gardening, baking, and market this summer?"

"Why are you asking; of course, you can. I'm sure Cheri is getting tired of working with me."

"I am not you old bag. I love working with you. Mom, why don't you come to market with us tomorrow? It will be fun."

"I don't know what to do."

"You just stand there and talk to people. If they ask you questions you don't know, you ask Gerald."

"Well as long as it is alright with you, Gerald?"

"We leave at eight and don't be late or the train will leave you at the gate." He replied smiling.

Cherilyn giggled and then said, "Mom, this summer you can make your pralines and sell them. No one there is selling them."

Gerald put on his indignant face and said, "Gwen Lambert! We have known each other for four years and this is the first time I have even heard that you make pralines! I'm mortified. If I had known this, I would have you make them so I could have them for breakfast." Then he smiled. Cherilyn giggled. Gwen looked embarrassed.

"I've made them for special occasions but I never thought about making them to sell. I use a recipe that my grandmother gave me and they are good. But pecans are so expensive right now. I don't know."

"Cheri, this is what they mean when they say adults are waffling around. They want to do something but they are afraid to try and they make all kinds of excuses to not do it. Waffling."

"OK, smart man!" she said indignantly. "I will make a batch after we get home tomorrow and you can be the judge if I should make them." Gwen was embarrassed but strangely she was also pleased that they were teasing her into doing something. She actually thought that hers were better than the ones at the store.

"Besides, I just happen to know a man with three big pecan trees. They are native pecans and are smaller than the ones that the wholesalers want. He can't sell them and would be more than happy to have someone take them off his hands. But I warn you, I think they taste better than the ones from the store." He went to his cabinet and brought out a sack full of nuts and handed it to her.

Cherilyn laughed and said, "Now you have no excuse. Yea, mom."

Gwen looked at her with a smile, "Alright smart girl, then you get to crack and shell them." Then she laughed along with the other two.

Cherilyn asked, "Gerald, do you have a nut cracker?"

Gerald got up and handed one to her. She got busy cracking pecans. Gerald and Gwen went out to the porch with their coffee.

"Gerald, I don't know about selling pralines. I mean how much should I charge and how many should I make? I just don't know."

"Gwen, when I took my first batch of bread to the market, I was desperate and I had never done anything like that before. It turned out alright. If you don't try, you will never know if it might work. If you do try, you will either find that people will like them or they won't. Either way, you will know what to do; make more or stop trying. As for the rest, you make a batch tomorrow and keep track of how long it takes from start to finish and how much you spend on ingredients. I'll sit down with you and show you what it costs and we can come up with a price. Try it once or twice; you have nothing to lose."

"OK, if you will help me."

"You are a teacher and I know that you are constantly telling students to just try to do the work and that they will learn. You promise them that. I am promising you that if you try, something will happen and it might be good, very good. Tomorrow at the market, just walk around and look at what people are trying to sell. Look at their prices. Look at how much they sell. Some people do very well; others don't. Just keep an open mind and see what is happening and what is not happening. You will learn something, I guarantee it."

"Gerald, you are the most positive person I have ever met. I will give it a try. Thank you for your support."

"I'm finished!" Came Cherilyn's voice from the door.

"Thirty minutes for the sack. Did you throw the shells away?"

"No Gerald, I didn't. I know that you want to put them in the compost bin."

"Good girl." He turned to Gwen, "I like to recycle things whenever I can."

The next morning, they set up the table for the morning and began the day. Gwen wandered off as Gerald had suggested and looked at different booths. She saw people selling everything from fruits and vegetables to soap to cookies and cakes. Some booths had lots of people while others had few people. As the morning went on, she saw people carrying bags of all sorts of things. She was surprised that the lady selling soap did a very good business. One lady was selling fudge and seemed to be selling quite a bit. The people selling jewelry and handmade items seemed to have a lot of lookers but few buyers. She saw all of this but wasn't sure exactly what it all meant.

She finally returned to Gerald table. He was selling his last loaf of bread and only had two jars of beans left. Then she heard Cherilyn tell him, "Here she comes."

She saw a little old woman with a cane and a shopping cart walk slowly up to his table.

"Hi, Maxine. How are you today?"

The woman replied, "Pretty good, Gerald, thanks for asking. Do you have anything left for me?"

"I do. I have two jars of beans and several buns. Nobody seemed to want them today. I can let you have them for three dollars."

"That would be good. Thank you Gerald, we sure do like your food. It helps us a lot that we can have your leftovers."

"Maxine, you know that I will always take care of you."

"I know, Gerald. It is so hard to make ends meet but people like you make it easier on us."

"Go down and see George. I think he has some lettuce and carrots today that no one wants."

The old woman handed him three crumpled dollars and said thanks again and walked down the way to a produce booth at the end of the aisle.

Gerald and Cherilyn were breaking down the table and putting it in Gerald's truck as Gwen walked up.

Gerald asked, "Are you ready for lunch? Cheri wants Mexican; how about you?"

"That girl is going to overdose on tacos. Mexican is fine. How did you do today?"

"Sold everything. I could probably have sold five more loaves of bread, if I had them. I promised several people that I would save some special for them next week."

"But I heard you tell that last woman, Maxine, that those buns you sold her nobody wanted."

Cherilyn answered, "Mom, Gerald makes bread specially for her and sets it aside until she comes by. He always tells her that no one wanted it today. He does the same with the jars of beans. He would give it to her but she insists on paying for it. George has some carrots and lettuce set aside for her too. Several people here do that."

Before Gwen could say anything, Gerald responded with a shrug, "That is one of the things that makes this feel good. I make and sell about twenty loaves of bread each week but I bring twenty five. There are a number of elderly and poor people that can't afford anything here. Some of us just make sure that they get something to help them out. Maxine is one of them."

"I saw some people who didn't sell a lot of stuff."

"Those people try to sell everything at full price. Most of the regular buyers here know who is working with people and who isn't. They will buy from those people first. The others depend on newcomers or visitors. They do alright or they wouldn't come back. It is kind of like the regulars take care of us and we take care of those who need help. Nobody talks about it, but everyone seems to know about it. Everyone makes their own choice on how to operate."

"So if I were to sell pralines, I could give some away or discount some for special people?"

"That is your choice, Gwen."

"Mom, when Maxine first started coming by, Gerald would give me a pen and tell me to scribble over the label. That way he could tell her that some kid ruined a jar of beans or a loaf of bread. Now he just tells her that he didn't sell everything. I think she knows but she lets Gerald go through his act and she goes through hers. It's kind of cute really."

"So you sell for real but also provide some things to others to help out."

"I guess you could put it that way. I don't think about it at all. I just do it because it is the right thing to do."

"You are so Gerald."

Cherilyn laughed at that as they pulled into the parking lot of the Mexican restaurant.

The last thing Gwen said before they ordered was, "I'm glad you told me to look around and see what was going on. I liked that. I still have a lot of questions, but now I want to see how the pralines will be received."

"Good choice" was Gerald's simple response.

After lunch, they went to the store and Gwen bought what she needed to make the pralines. Gerald dropped the two girls off at their house and went home to take a nap. He was roused awake by Cherilyn using his bed as a trampoline.

"Wake up old man, wake up. Momma has a present for you."

"If you jump one more time, I'm going to give your momma present of your head not attached to your body."

From the front room they heard, "Cheri, leave him alone. He will get up when he is ready."
"He's ready, mom. He just hasn't figured it out yet."

"I'll figure you out you little rascal." He grabbed for her but she eluded him as she ran into the front room laughing all the way.

Gerald crawled out of bed and grumbled all of the way to the front room. He looked at Gwen and said, "Have you ever thought about giving her back to the Indians?"

"Yes, I've thought about it but they wanted too much to take her. Wake up slowly and I'll keep her at bay."

"What time is it?"

"Almost 5:00."

"Jeez, I slept too long." Gerald went to the sink and got a drink of water. "OK, I think I am reasonably awake. What's going on?"

Cherilyn burst out, "Mom has a praline for you to try."

"OK, that is a good reason to wake me up."

"Cheri, don't put him on the spot like that." Gwen chided her daughter.

Gerald broke in, "No, she is right. I begged for a praline; it is time to taste the product. Where is it?"

Gwen gingerly held out a platter with quite a few on it. He took one and bit off a third of it and let his taste buds savor the taste. Then he ate the rest.

Cheri couldn't stand the wait, "Well?"

Gerald replied without opening his eyes, "No we won't sell them. I want all of them for myself." He opened his eyes and looked at Gwen. "Those are fabulous. We need to take them to market next week."

"Are you sure? I mean I just made these and...."

"I am sure. Let's make fifty and if we bring any home, I will buy them and eat them myself."

"Gerald, are you just teasing me?"

"No Gwen, they really are that good. Please? Let's give it a try."

She smiled shyly. "Alright, if you say so. I'll make them Thursday night."

"You won't be sorry."

"I've got dinner on and it will be ready in thirty minutes. Will you be there?"

"I never miss a chance to eat your cooking. But take your little Indian with you. I need some time alone first."

"Come on, little Indian; let's leave the man alone for a little while."

Cherilyn followed her mother with a huge grin on her face.

On Sunday, They sat down with her recipe and estimated the cost of each ingredient. Gerald added in the estimated labor per batch. When they finished, Gwen was surprised that for a batch of fifty, the cost was just over a dollar each. Gerald suggested that she sell them for $3 each or two for $5. At first, she thought that was a little steep but Gerald suggested that she start there and if it was too high, she could adjust it as the day went on. She finally deferred to his judgment.

On Thursday, she and Cherilyn made the candy and on Friday, they put them in plastic bags with a label Gerald made and added a ribbon just for looks. She had several broken one which she offered to Gerald. He told her to break them into smaller pieces and bring them to the market for people to taste.

On Saturday, she stood nervously behind the table with Gerald and Cherilyn waiting for the first customer to arrive at their table. It turned out to be one of the teachers from her school.

"Hi Gwen, Cherilyn. I haven't seen you here before."

"Hi, Linda. That is because this is my first day."

"So what do you have? Oh, pralines. I love pralines."

"Here, try a bit and see if you like it. It is my grandmother's recipe."

"Oh honey, this is to die for. How much are they?"

She let out a breath and said, "$3 each or two for $5."

Without batting an eye, her fellow teacher said, "I want four" and handed her a $10 bill.

"You are going to have a hit on your hands, girl. Take care and I'll see you Monday."

Gwen's hand shook slightly as she put the bill in the large envelope that Gerald had given her for the money. Then she looked up to find Gerald and Cherilyn grinning at her. Cherilyn gave her mom a hug and Gerald shook her hand, congratulating her on her first sale.

It wasn't her last sale either. By the time Gerald sold his last loaf of bread, she had already sold her last bag of candy and she astounded at the reception her pralines had received. Then she heard Cherilyn say, "Here she comes." Gerald pulled a loaf of bread and a large jar of beans from under the counter and set them on the table.

"Good day to you Maxine."

"Hello Gerald. Hello Cherilyn. How did the market go today?"

"Very well, we almost sold everything but I've got a couple of things left over for you."

"Thank you Gerald, you don't know how much I appreciate everything you do for us."

"Well today I have a special treat for you today. This is Cherilyn's mom. Her name is Gwen and she made some pralines and brought some today to give away to see if people liked them. I think she has one left." Gwen looked embarrassed until she saw one sitting on the table next to Cherilyn's hand.

Gwen smiled and handed the bag to Maxine. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Maxine. Cherilyn has mentioned you often. Please try my praline and tell me if you like it." She held it out towards her.

Maxine was hesitant. "I would love to try it but I don't know if I should. I'm supposed to watch my sugar."

Gerald took the candy and broke it in half and then broke each half in half. "There, now you can split each piece in half and each of you can have a little piece. There isn't much sugar in a little piece. Then the two of you can have a piece every other day."

Maxine smiled and said, "That makes sense. Now, if I can just keep my husband from stealing the other pieces." She took the candy from Gwen's hand and put it in her basket.

Gwen responded, "Put it in a bowl on a shelf with your dishes, not in the pantry. That's where I hide them from Cherilyn. They never look in the dish cabinet."

Maxine got a sneaky grin on her face. "That's a good idea. He knows all of my hiding places in the pantry but never looks in the dish cabinet."

"Good and please let me know how you like it."

"I will."

"Oh and Maxine, I think Donna said she had a lot of potatoes and green beans today. I don't think she expected to sell everything." Gerald added.

"Thank you all. I better get on with my shopping. It is nice to meet you Gwen." The she walked slowly in her dignified manner down the way toward Donna's stand.

When she was far enough away, Gwen said, "I intended to keep a couple of bags back like you said but I forgot. Where did that one come from?"

Gerald said with a straight face, "Your daughter has become a slight of hand master." Cherilyn grinned up at her mother. Gwen gave her a big hug and kiss.

After they finished packing up, Gerald announced "Chinese buffet for lunch." Cherilyn made a face but said nothing. Gwen was thrilled because she hadn't had Chinese food in a long time.

She looked Gerald square in the eye and said, "Only if it is my treat."

"Deal."

In the truck, Cherilyn remained quiet. Gwen said, "Why are you quiet, honey? Don't you like Chinese food?"

"It's too hot and spicy." Gwen looked at Gerald for an explanation.

"We have only been a couple of times, so she hasn't found anything that she likes yet. She puts the mustard on the egg rolls and it usually brings tears to her eyes. Today, little one, I want you to try the orange or sesame chicken and don't put any mustard or sauce on it. I think you will like it better."

"I'll try Gerald, but if I don't like it, I don't want to come again, please."

"OK, you try the chicken today and if you don't like it, we won't come back."

When they arrived, Gerald led her to the trays with the two chicken dishes. "They are like chicken nuggets with sauce on them. Try some of each and see what you think."

She put a spoonful of each on her plate along with rice and some vegetables. Gerald put several spoonfuls of the sesame chicken on his plate along with some spicy shrimp and some vegetables. Gwen was happy and put four different entrees on her plate of rice. Once the sat down, Cherilyn nervously stabbed a piece of chicken and bit into it. Her eyes brightened immediately and she said, "Hey, this is good and it isn't hot."

Both Gwen and Gerald nodded and smiled. Their mouths were too full to say anything. Cherilyn eventually went back two more times for more chicken.

When they arrived at home, Gwen and Gerald sat down and counted their day's earnings. Gerald had made a little over $200 with his bread and beans. Gwen was tickled to see that she had made $130 from her pralines.

"Gerald, I was thinking about what Maxine said. Next week I think I will make the big ones but also some small ones and put six or eight small ones in a bag. A lot of parents might like small pieces for their kids and older people probably don't need a big dose of sugar like that. What do you think?" She looked up at him and saw nothing but smile. She grinned.

"Gwen, I think you just caught the spirit of going to the market. I would suggest fifty big ones and start out with twenty five bags of small pieces. I think you just added to your market."

"I was also thinking about putting a name on them like you do. What do you think about 'Gerald's Favorite Treat'?"

Gerald grimaced, "How about 'Grandma's Best'?"

Gwen grinned at his shyness. "I'll think about it."

The next Saturday, Gwen introduced "Grandma's Best Pralines" and "Grandma's Praline Bits." She sold out her entire lot. This time she made an extra ten bags of bits to use as samples and set asides for special people. When they counted money later, she was surprised that to find that she made $25 more than the previous week even allowing for the added small packages.

When she asked Gerald about it, he replied, "The first week what did most people buy?"

"Most people bought two pralines."

"Right. So you didn't really sell them for $3 each; you sold them for $2.50 each. This week you sold one large one at $3 and one small one at $2.50. So you actually sold most of your bags for $2.75 each. It will vary from week to week but that will probably be the pattern. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Make the candy that you think you can sell that week and be happy with the results."

"I am thrilled at the results; I am just trying to figure out how things turn out like they do."

"The start a sheet and each week write down to number of big ones you sold and the number of small bags and the total amount of money you made. Follow the average price per bag and that will show you where you should be. I would guess that your average price should be around $2.75. But try it and see where it goes."

"Should I make more for next week?"

"You sold fifty big ones; could you have sold more?"

"No, I don't think so. I probably could have sold more of the small bags."

"Then stay with fifty big ones and add ten or fifteen small bags. Ideally, I think that you want to sell your last bag during the last hour and have nothing to bring home. That doesn't happen very often but that would be your goal. If you think you can sell more, add a few more but not a lot. If you don't sell as many or if the weather looks bad, cut back some. You kind of develop a feel for things as time goes on."

"That makes sense. I'll add ten of the bits next week."

Gwen was really thrilled especially as the spring wore on. She was regularly making around $150 per week and after expenses, she was adding about $400 per month to her monthly income. She decided to put half of her earnings in savings and for the first time in a long time, she felt the monthly bill paying stress go down.

Late in May, Gwen called Gerald from school and asked him to come over for dinner that night but wouldn't say why. He didn't think a lot about it but went. Gwen and Cherilyn had prepared steaks and baked potatoes and they enjoyed the dinner. When dinner was over, Jim picked up Cherilyn and took she and Jenny to the movies, something that had been a rare treat for Cherilyn.

When they left, Gwen poured Gerald a glass of wine and said, "Tonight is actually a celebration but I couldn't talk to you about it until after Cheri left."

"Oh, what are we celebrating?"

"We got the test scores back from the tests. All but one of the students you tutored passed and Duane and Roberto got really good math scores."

Gerald smiled, and then said."I'm surprised that Roberto passed. I never had the feeling that he was getting what we were talking about."

"We will probably never know. His brother got arrested in a drug bust and his family moved away a week later. Rumor says that they went back across the border but I don't know for sure."

"Well, I hope that he learned something from that. Who didn't pass?"

"Suzy missed passing by one point. The good news is that your method was working in class but she was so far behind, she couldn't make it all up. But this is the best score that she has ever made on the state tests. The psychologist had her reevaluated and she now has a learning disability code and will be able to take the tests with accommodations. She is going to re-take the test next week and her teacher thinks she will pass it this time."

"Now that is really good news. I am proud of her."

"Gerald, we are celebrating what you did for these kids. Every one of them was underperforming. It was your efforts and patience that made the difference. He principal wants to know if you will come in two mornings a week next year and start working with the kids earlier."

"Tell the principal that I would be pleased to come in. I kind of enjoyed working with the kids."

"I told you that you should be a teacher."

"From all of the things you tell me that you have to do, I would probably be decent teacher in the class room but they would fire me because I wouldn't be good with all of the other stuff."

'If that were the case, they would fire us all."

For the rest of the summer, the three of them and frequently joined by Jennifer worked the gardens, made bread and pralines, and went to market on Saturdays. Gwen met with the lawyer the day after school let out and because of the nature of the situation, he felt said that the divorce would be simple, inexpensive, and quick. He expected that it would be final early in August well before school started. All of this made Gwen breathe easier.

Jim and Pam were going to be busy most of the summer and a vacation didn't appear likely for the Sander's family. In late June, Gerald mentioned to Gwen that he knew a guy who had an RV to rent and he wondered if she would be interested in taking the girls to the coast for a week. The RV had two bedrooms and the sofa made into a bed. It had a nice kitchen and they could make the trip very inexpensively. It didn't take her long to agree and they planned to go the week before school started. The girls were excited and Jim and Pam agreed to the plan. The week didn't last long enough for the girls but they came home exhausted while Gerald and Gwen came home very refreshed. It had been the first get away for either of them in over five years.

The next year passed quickly and relatively uneventfully compared to previous years. Gerald helped the girls as they began studying Algebra. As usual, he took the mystery out of it for them and they flourished throughout the year. The biggest event came in early summer, when Gerald was approached by a company about buying the recipe and rights to his Lawman beans. Gerald offered the same kind of arrangement as the bread deal. When things were finalized, he would receive royalties for seven years but took a one-time payment for the use of the name. He could still sell beans at the market but they wanted him to change the name he used. He agreed and his Lawman beans became Gerald's beans.

He rented the RV again and this time they drove west where the girls got to see mountains and deserts and the old west. All told, they traveled for eight days through seven states and the girls added more chapters to their travel journal which they had kept up since their trip to the east coast with Jim and Pam.

For Christmas, Cherilyn and Gwen had bought Gerald a television although a small one. He thanked them profusely but found that he seldom turned it on except for occasional weather and news reports and baseball games in the summer. He had bought them a new washer and dryer as their washer was dying and Gwen had not had a dryer before. She was ecstatic at not having to hang their clothes on the outdoor line, especially in the winter.

They celebrated New Years with smiles and with Jim, Pam and Jennifer. Everyone felt blessed that their lives were going so well.

Years Six, Seven, and Eight

The next three years were almost like a blur for Gwen and Gerald with little trauma or special events. It was totally different for the girls as they began the transition from elementary/middle school into junior high and high school. In the eighth grade they could participate in school sports and both girls joined the volleyball and softball teams. Jennifer had had a growth spurt and stood almost 5'7"while Cherilyn stayed at 5'4" for another year. After learning to adjust to her new height, Jennifer became a leader on the volleyball team. Cherilyn became the digger and would hit the floor frequently saving a shot or an errant pass. Later in the year, Cherilyn's compact size made her a tough out at bat in softball. Jennifer's taller and lankier body was better suited to defense and she starred as the first baseman who seldom missed a throw or a hit. Although he had to miss some games for work, Jim along with Pam and Gwen and Gerald attended almost all of their games in both sports. After the games, they often went together for pizza or burgers. For almost the entire school year, Cherilyn sported bruised or battered legs from her aggressive volleyball and softball style. Jennifer stayed tall and a little awkward for the year. But both girls always had time to spend with Gerald as he continued to guide them in the academic world.

Gerald had his first major awakening when he went to pick Cherilyn up for the Valentine's Day Father/Daughter dinner. When Gwen walked her out, he really saw for the first time that she was no longer a young girl but a beautiful young woman. She had a figure and makeup and looked so much like her mother. Gerald just gawked at the change he had just experienced.

"Earth to Gerald, aren't you going to say something?" Cherilyn finally asked with a grin.

"I...I don't know what to say. What happened to Cherilyn? She grew up into a beautiful young woman overnight." Cherilyn giggled her usual giggle and Gwen just beamed. She then took pictures of them alone and together. Gerald had once again made her corsage and she had made him another medallion in her art class. This one was more polished than the first and was made out of clay and glazed. He liked it very much but nothing ever took the place of the first one she had given him. He now had three medallions for his wall.

His second shock was when they met Jim and this tall, beautiful woman at the school. All he could say was "Jennifer?"

"Hi Gerald, what do you think? Will we pass inspection?"

"That only way you won't pass inspection is if someone is blind. You two are just....just beautiful. I don't know any other way to put it."

Jim replied, "Gerald, I know where you can get a good shotgun for cheap." It took a moment before Gerald caught on and then he replied, "I might just take you up on that."

The dinner was the best one they had tasted in three years and once again they danced a couple of dances before the girls took the floor as their own. Gerald and Jim talked small talk while the girls danced.

"Gerald, it has been three years since we took that vacation up the east coast. Pam and I have been talking about taking a week this summer and going on a cruise or to Cancun. Do you think Cherilyn would like to go and would Gwen let her go?"

"Boy that is a big one. I imagine Cheri would die to go. I expect that Gwen will be concerned about the cost."

"I figured. Don't say anything to her yet. Pam is getting information together but it looks like the difference between three and four is pretty small. We would have two cabins either way. We would drive to the coast and board the ship there so there isn't an airplane ride. I expect that we can make it affordable for her."
"If it works out like that, I'll help her and I bet Cheri and I can talk her into it."

"Great. I'll give you a heads up before we talk to her about it."

"Thanks."

When he took Cherilyn home, he and Gwen sat on the porch with coffee.

"Gwen, I'm not sure that I am ready for Cheri to grow up. She looks so much like you."

Gwen smiled, "Thanks. She is a beautiful young girl and is really pretty too. But I hate to tell you this, you can't stop her growing up. That's part of the deal."

"Jim told me tonight that he knows where I can get a good shotgun cheap."

Gwen laughed. "I'll bet he already has one. What did you think of Jenny all dressed up?"

"Honestly, I almost didn't recognize her. I knew that she had grown a lot but she looked like an adult standing next to Jim."

"I expect that Cheri is going to grow a few more inches this year too. I would expect that she will top out about my height. There aren't any really tall people in either of our families."

"Regardless, I'm still not sure how to deal with Cheri or Jenny now."

"Well, try this. They are both going to go back and forth between being a girl and a woman. When they are acting girlish, treat them like you always have. When they want to act like a woman, treat her like you treat women. They will be going back and forth for several years although they slowly will be acting like a woman more frequently as time goes on. That's kind of what happened to me."

"It seems like all I did was go from goofy to adulthood in one step when I was 18."

"Yes, that's the way I remember boys too. The good thing is that the boys will still be goofy while all this is going on with the girls. So maybe you won't need the shotgun. By the time the boys grow up, the girls will be 18 too."

"I'm not worried about the boys their age; I'm worried about the boys who are 18 when they are 16."

"OK, then get the shotgun when she turns 16."

"I might just do that."

"Spoken like a true father."

They laughed and finished their coffee.

Gerald followed Gwen's advice and tried to notice what attitude the girls were wearing at any given time. When they were alone together, they usually acted like girls. But when they were at market or around older people they tended to try to be young women. He missed the clues sometimes, but not very often. He quickly learned to adjust the way he talked to them based on what they were trying to be. He was also watchful as they learned to talk and work around adults. He was pleased and thankful that neither of them developed the cocky and snarly attitude that so many young people used around adults.

Neither girl seemed to go through the popular "who cares" and "you don't understand" phases. They were always involved in their classes and after school events as well as while working with him and at the market and at home. In his private moments he prayed that his own two children were this successful.

The second surprise of the year came during their last softball game of the year. Cherilyn had hit a double and was standing on second base. Jennifer was at bat and hit a sharp grounder up the middle. Surprisingly, the opposing shortstop caught up to it, turned and threw the ball to the plate just as Cherilyn slid into home. There was a cloud of dust and bodies and then the scream that obviously came from Cherilyn's throat. Both he and Gwen froze. The umpire helped the catcher up and held everyone back until the coach got there. He immediately waved for the trainer. By then both Gwen and Gerald were standing by the dugout entrance and Jim had gone to get his van.

The trainer slipped a compression splint around it and they began lifting her carefully. Gerald ran out and lifted her while the trainer held her leg. He carried her to Jim's waiting van and the four of them drove swiftly to the hospital five minutes away. It was only when they took Cherilyn into the x-ray room that Gwen broke down in tears. Gerald held her closely while she sobbed. Gerald gave Jim the keys to his truck as he went back to the school to pickup Pam and Jenny. He would bring Gerald's truck back to the hospital.

They waited for quite some time before the doctor came out to talk to them.

"Mrs. Lambert, I'm sorry for the delay in getting out to talk to you but Cherilyn has a rather complicated injury. Fortunately, it will heal and should present no long term problems. She broke her leg bone just above her ankle. But she also tore a tendon in her leg. It must have been a hard collision. We are going to put a cast on her leg to stabilize it. She will need to be still for a couple of days but then she can walk on the cast and go to school. It will be on for about six to eight weeks, but then she will need to wear a brace for another couple of months to allow the bone to finish healing and the tendon to repair itself. If she is reasonably careful, she should be back to full activity by October."

"Thank you, doctor. Can we see her now?"

"Yes, she is down the hall in treatment room two. They are putting her cast on now. I gave her a pain killer although she doesn't appear to be in much pain. Here is a prescription for pain if she needs it. For the next week or so, aspirin or ibuprofen will help with any swelling that happens. I only have one question."

"What's that doctor?"

"Did she score?"

Gwen looked at Gerald and they both shrugged their shoulders. They had never heard the call and at the moment, it didn't seem important. Gerald was going to stay in the waiting room but Gwen grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hall with her telling him that Cheri would probably rather see him than her.

They found the room and even though she was obviously drowsy from the pain killer, she was telling the technician about her slide into home and that she didn't know how they had gotten the ball to the catcher. She thought that the ball went into the outfield. The technician was obviously a baseball fan and told her that someone must have made a great play. Gwen and Gerald stood at the entrance until she noticed them.

"Momma, daddy, did I score? Did we win?"

"Honey, we don't know. We were only worried about you at that moment. Maybe Jim will know when he brings Gerald's car."

"Gerald, did I do good?"

"No, honey, you did great. You got three hits and scored once. Their shortstop made a great play to stop Jenny's hit and then threw it to the catcher. But we don't know what the call was."

"Oh, OK. I'll find out at school tomorrow."

Gwen replied, "You won't be going to school until Monday; Doctor's orders."

"Oh no; television during the day is so boring. Gerald, can I stay with you?

"Of course, but I'm pretty boring during the day too."

"Oh, don't make me laugh, please. It hurts to laugh."

The technician finished his first coat of plaster and stood up. "I'm going to let that sit for a few minutes and then put another coat on it. I'll be right back." As he neared Gwen and Gerald, he said quietly, "That is one tough little girl you have. She hasn't cried or screamed in pain since she has been here."

Gwen went to her and took her hand.

Cherilyn asked, "When we get through here, are we going for pizza?"

"I think we are going home and putting you to bed. Maybe Gerald will make you a pizza if you feel like it."

"OK, Gerald; lots of pepperoni and olives and tomatoes and onions and..............Oh I don't know what I want." Her head rolled to the side and her eyes closed. Then she said, "And lots of cheese."

Gerald went and took her other hand and felt her squeeze his. The technician came back and added another layer of fabric and plaster and then smoothed it. As a last gesture, he signed his name in the wet plaster. "I always like to sign my work." He smiled and added, "The doctor will be back shortly to talk to you again.

Before the doctor returned, Jim and Jennifer arrived. Jenny, still in her uniform, ran up to her friend and said, "Cher, we won. Your score was the winning run."

Cherilyn in her groggy state could only say, "Good. I'm glad we won."

Gwen told Jim about what the doctor had said. He nodded and asked a couple of questions. They stayed a few more minutes. They left when it became obvious that Cherilyn was out for awhile. They were to meet the team at the pizza parlor and tell them about Cherilyn.

The doctor came in and reaffirmed what he had told them earlier. He felt that the cast was firm enough for her to go home. Gerald brought his truck to the discharge entrance while the wheeled Cherilyn to the door. He had Gwen get in and then set Cherilyn next to her mother and he got in and put her leg across his lap. They thanked the attendants and he drove them home.

Once there, he carefully carried her inside and into her bedroom. Gwen followed him and began to undress her.

"Do you want me to go get some pizza crusts?" He asked.

"Yes; get three but let's only make two right now. She probably won't wake up but we will have it if she does."

Gerald drove to his house and took the crusts from the freezer and took several fresh ingredients and went back to Gwen's house. He had just put two pizzas in the oven when he heard Gwen call out from the bedroom "Put the third one in too. She's awake and hungry."

He smiled and put the third one together the way she liked it. Twenty minutes later, he sliced the three pizzas and carried the plates to the bedroom. Cherilyn was sitting up in bed and Gwen was sitting next to her. He handed Cherilyn her plate and she said, "Thank you, Gerald. Mom, eat your pizza. I'll be fine."

Gerald sat next to Gwen and the three of them ate dinner together. When she had finished, Cherilyn said, "I'm probably going to drift off now. Gerald, will you come get me in the morning?"

"Yes, I will. I'll be here when your mom leaves in the morning. You just sleep until you are ready to get up."

"OK, Gerald. Good night, mom. I love you both." She settled into her bed and Gwen and Gerald each gave her a kiss good night before they shut off the light and went into the kitchen with the plates.

"Gerald, I was so scared today. Thank you for being there for me and Cheri."

"I didn't want to be any place else."

"You are so special." She caressed his cheek and then kissed it.

Gerald said good night and went home.

For the next two days, Gerald went to Gwen's house and literally picked Cherilyn up and carried her to his truck and drove her to his house. She set up shop on his sofa in a robe with her leg propped out on a stool. She had the television in front of her and her lap top next to her. She wasn't demanding at all but Gerald felt like he had to be there for her. By noon, she looked at him and said, "Gerald, I am fine. Bring me some bun dough to roll and go do what you need to do. I am not a baby anymore!"

Gerald's only response was, "Yes, ma'am." She giggled at his awkwardness.

Pam dropped Jenny off in the afternoon with her assignments. They giggled and worked their homework together. Gerald came in at 5:00 and asked what they wanted for dinner. The joint answer was "tacos."

As soon as Gwen walked in the door after her meeting, she smiled. She could smell the taco meat and knew that Cherilyn was on the mend. By then, the two girls were deep in giggles and teasing Gerald unmercilessly.

When Gerald noticed Gwen's arrival, he said, "I'm glad you are here. Pick one; you bury her and I'll bury the other one."

Gwen smiled and the two girls giggled.

"Sorry Gerald; in case you forgot, Jenny's dad is the sheriff. He will expect to pick her up later not dig her up."

"Oh, I forgot. Tacos are ready. Gwen you get the chicken; the girls get mystery meat."

Cherilyn responded, "Mmmm, my favorite, mystery meat." That began another round of giggles.

The girls ate on the sofa while Gwen and Gerald ate at the table. Jim came by at 8:00 and checked on Cherilyn and then took Jenny home.

With only three weeks left of school, Cherilyn adjusted to the cast and finished the year well. Jenny had written on her cast in big letters "The Price of the Winning Run." Most of the kids in school added their signature to her cast as well. It was a little awkward, but Cherilyn insisted on still going to the market with Gwen and Gerald. He adapted a stool for her to sit on and rest her leg when she got tired.

In mid-June, Pam and Jim invited the three of them to dinner. Jim had alerted Gerald that afternoon about what they were going to talk about. Gerald was prepared. Dinner was fun and joyful. Pam, as usual, was full of gossip and stories about local goings on. Jim played the role of master of the grill and provided excellent baby back ribs. After dinner they sat on their back porch and ate homemade ice cream and Jim began.

"Pam, what does the doctor say about Cheri's progress?"

"He is pleased. The X-rays he took the other day show that the bone is healing nicely."

"So he is still saying that the cast will come off next month?"

"Probably, unless something changes. Then she will have to wear that boot for a couple of months but at least she should be able to take it off. They don't want her to put any more stress on it, but she will be mobile. Why?" Gwen felt that something was afoot.

Pam continued the plot. "Well, Gwen we were planning a little vacation in early August and want Cheri to join us again."

"I smell a rat. How little is this 'little vacation'?"

"Actually, it really isn't very big or stressful."

"Pam, for you little means larger than life. Spit it out." The girls giggled and the guys grinned.

"OK, if you are going to be that way, we are going to take a cruise down to Cancun for a week. That's not that big. It's not like we are going to sail the Atlantic and the Mediterranean."

Gwen just stared at Pam and then at Jim. Then Cherilyn started.

"Please mom, please. This will be so cool and I can't get in any trouble just sitting on the deck of a boat and..."

"And just how long have you been plotting this little adventure?" Gwen asked.

Jim replied, "About a month. Now listen, Gwen, it really makes sense. The cruise ship is a good one and Cheri is right; there are activities but not very stressful ones. She and Jenny will probably spend a lot of time in the pool. Once we get to Cancun, we take a cab into town and walk around to shop or go to the beach."

"Jim Sanders, you are a lawyer and know damn well what I am asking? How much will it cost?"

"That's the great thing; we will be paying for two cabins anyway so the difference for another ticket isn't that great. We will drive to the coast and catch the ship there. So it really isn't that much."

She turned to Gerald, "Since Jim has turned deaf and dumb, use your guy magic and get him to talk in dollars and cents."

Gerald grinned, "OK, Sheriff, what is the sentence for doing this crime?"

Jim grinned, "Oh, you want to know what the fine for speeding is. Why didn't you say so?"

Pam muttered, "Men!" The girls giggled and Pam patted Gwen on the shoulder in agreement.

Jim continued, "The trip including meals would be $1000. Then all she would need would be spending money."

Gerald saw the gears grinding in her head and knew that she wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. He decided to jump in.

"Jim that is really an attractive deal and would be hard to pass up. I think that between us, we could cover the trip and Cheri has saved quite a bit from helping me. "

"And just how long have you been part of this conspiracy, Mr. Murphy?" Her voice sounded stern but her eyes were bright as she looked at him.

"I....I...I..."

"Un huh, just as I thought. OK Jim, since Mr. Murphy here has this all planned out and, knowing him, I am sure it is in detail; Cheri can go on the condition that there are no changes in her recovery before then. I'm not willing to risk something going wrong."

"I think that is understood, Gwen. The only thing is that she needs to get a passport. Here is the application. We had her picture made and all you need to do is sign it and mail it."

"I have been conned."

Gerald replied, "Only a little."

"You and I are going to have a talk when we get home, Mister."

"Sheriff, can I spend the night in the jail?"

"Nope, it's full. Go home and take your medicine like a man."

"That's what I am afraid of."

When they heard Gwen say "yes," the girls whooped and went into Jenny's room to plan their adventure.

Cherilyn was still higher than a kite when they got home. She immediately went to her room, leaving Gerald to face Gwen. She made them coffee before she spoke.

"OK, how long have you known?"

"Really just tonight with the details. Around the time of Cheri's accident, he mentioned that they were looking into the possibilities but didn't have any firm plans and he asked me to not say anything until they were sure. I thought that if it became real, it would be a good thing. And if we both split the cost, Cheri would have a great vacation."

Gwen's stern demeanor finally broke. "Me too. Sorry, I couldn't help but tease you a little. I think it will be great for her too. I will miss her while she is gone and wish I could have an adventure like that too."

"Well, I have been meaning to talk to you about that."

She looked at him with a suspicious grin. "Not another surprise, I hope?"

"No, another opportunity."

"With you, that is the same thing."

"Come here and look." Gerald pulled up a website that showed mountains and streams and trees and rustic buildings.

"That is gorgeous. Where is it?"

"Central Washington."

"OK, now the rest of it. I feel another conspiracy at work."

Gerald grinned, "This is a church related village. You can go there and stay and enjoy the things they offer. But it is also run by volunteers. I was thinking that while they were gone, you might like to go there for a couple of weeks and volunteer and enjoy a change of pace."

In spite of herself, Gwen felt her heart beat faster. "What kinds of volunteer work and how much will it cost?"

"Here is the list of volunteer opportunities. It covers everything from gardening, to repair and maintenance, to laundry and house cleaning. Everyone works in the kitchen on rotation although some people work there regularly."

"OK, the cost. You know very well that that is important."

"I know. That is the special thing, to stay there for a week costs about $500 but if you volunteer, you pay nothing. Your work is your payment. So the only cost is getting there."

"And that is?"

"Well, that is an adventure. From here, we would fly to Seattle, take a train over the mountains and then take a boat to get there. It is very remote. There is no phone, radio, or television reception there."

"The price, please. You've got me interested but I need to hear it all."

"Well, Jim has a lot of travel miles that would cover one ticket and if we split the other one, it would probably take about $500 each to make the trip."

"So you are saying that we and Cheri could each have a great vacation and it would cost each of us $1000? I don't know how you fall into these things. I'll tell you what, you let me pay for Cheri's trip and you can pick up the trip to this place. What other little details are you not mentioning?"

"That sounds good to me. The only thing I know of is that their trip will run from Friday until Sunday a week later. We would need to leave the Friday before that. We volunteer for two weeks. We would be back on the Sunday that they get back."

Gwen thought for a minute and then said, "I can get mom and dad to come down and stay with Cheri until they leave. They would love the chance to spend time with her."

"That would solve that problem. So do you want to do it?"

She only took a moment and said, "Yes. I need a break and this sounds like a chance of a lifetime."

"Good." He opened his e-mail and had her read the one that basically accepted them as volunteers for the first two weeks in August. He had been accepted for the building and maintenance crew and asked for Gwen to select her choice of assignments. She had her choice of gardening, housekeeping, or child care."
"I knew you were conspiring against me. You knew I would want to go." She grinned at him. He grinned back. "I want gardening. I clean house here all year round and work with kids during the school year."

Gerald hit the reply button and replied to the e-mail. When he hit the send button, she leaned over and kissed his cheek and whispered, "You are a rat, but a really, really good rat."

By the Fourth of July, all of the details were set. Everyone was eager for the month to pass and it did pass quickly. Gwen had new questions almost daily for Gerald as she thought of something. Gerald had to admit that since he had never been there before, he didn't have many concrete answers. They agreed to just take things as they came up and follow the recommendations that the retreat offered.

Finally, the Thursday before Gwen and Gerald were to leave, Gwen's parents came down. Gerald was invited to dinner and met her parents for the first time. They liked each other instantly and the evening was lively and enjoyable.

On Friday morning, Gerald picked Gwen up at 9:00 so they could make the drive to the airport to catch their flight. Gwen didn't begin to calm down until the plane was in the air. She leaned over and whispered to him, "Now I believe that this is really happening."

Gerald whispered back, "I know what you mean. I kept expecting something to happen; but it is too late now."

Two weeks later on their flight home, they both reflected on their adventure. Gwen had been in total awe of the scenery and the environment of the state and the retreat. She had quickly adapted to the life of the village. She particularly enjoyed the evening meals and the vespers. She also enjoyed spending time in the craft shops during her off hours. She and Gerald had made pottery and learned to use a loom to weave fabric. She had a table runner in her suitcase that she had made. Gerald had similar thoughts. He loved working on the old buildings and the various projects that he was assigned to. He also found peace during the evening vespers. In short, they both felt tired but rejuvenated after their adventure.

As they neared home, Gwen asked him to turn into a roadside park for a minute. When he stopped, she took his hand and held it while she spoke.

"Gerald, these past two weeks have been about the most special time in my life. Thank you for thinking of it and making it available for us. I want to go back but this time, I want to take Cheri and maybe Jenny too. Could we do that? We could start saving now and...."

"I was thinking the same thing, Gwen. Next summer, Jim will be running for re-election again and I doubt that they will be able to get away. Let's talk to them and if they agree, we will start planning it now."

"Gerald, you are so special." Without thinking, she leaned over and kissed his lips. It took a moment for both of them to realize what had just happened. It made them nervous but neither of them regretted what happened. They finished the drive home silently. They were met with by two brown girls and two tired adults. Instead of trying to fix dinner, they all agreed to going to the Mexican food restaurant for dinner.

Cherilyn summed it up perfectly, "I like our tacos better than the ones in Mexico."

Over dinner, the girls regaled Gwen and Gerald about their time on the cruise. Gerald realized that about half of their talk was about the boys on the cruise ship. He turned to Jim and said, "About that shotgun.........." Jim just smiled. This time, Gwen nodded when she overheard what he said.

After dinner, the girls went to talk with one of their friends. Gwen brought up their trip and told about all of their activities and then brought up about taking the girls there, maybe the next summer. Jim looked at Gerald and asked for details.

"Jim, we went as volunteers this year and it don't cost us anything but transportation. If we went with the girls, I think we would want to go as guests and not have to work. So I was thinking about renting that RV again and driving up there and back. We could go through the Grand Canyon and other places. A week at the retreat will cost around $800 total for the four of us."

"If you don't want to rent the RV, you could take our van instead." Jim replied and Pam agreed.

Gerald and Gwen shared looks and smiled at each other. They had a plan for the next year and had plenty of time to save money and plan their trip. They decided to wait to tell the girls until things were firmed up.

When school started, both girls were now officially in high school as 9th graders. They easily made the transition and found themselves in several classes together. Cherilyn chose to take art while Jenny took music. The one negative was that the doctor advised Cherilyn to not play volleyball so that her leg would be sure to heal properly. She was disappointed but made a mature decision and went to the coach and asked if she could act as the trainer and assistant. The coach was surprised but was pleased to have a girl she was looking forward to coaching offering to help even if she couldn't play. Cherilyn proved to be a very effective assistant who took care of many details for the coach and was one of the best cheerleaders the team had.

Cherilyn had also grown the couple of inches that Gwen had predicted. Jenny had topped out at 5'8" and Cherilyn had come up to 5'6". Both girls continued to fill out and become more womanly.

Gwen returned to school refreshed and Gerald continued tutoring two days each week. They continued going to the Saturday market and were recognized by all of the regulars as one of their own.

As the holiday season approached, Gwen and Cherilyn were very secretive and spent several afternoons shopping. Gerald had already decided what he was getting them and just continued doing his things as usual. On Christmas morning, he woke and went outside and found a brand new grill complete with smoker and rotisserie. He couldn't understand how it got there until he saw the tire tracks from Jim's van and the note that said "from Santa Claus." When he went to their house for breakfast with them and her parents, he brought in two large boxes and set them in front of the surprised girls.

Cherilyn squealed loudly when she dug through a pile of paper and found a new tablet computer. She could take this to school and use it during class and still use the laptop at home to do her work. Gwen was hesitant to open her box until her mother prodded her to open it. Hers wasn't filled with paper, it contained a new computer and printer. Her old one had been having problems to the point that she frequently had to come over to use Gerald's computer. His thoughtfulness earned him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

After breakfast, Gwen's parents left to return home and work the next day. Cherilyn was busily downloading apps and talking to Jenny. Gerald and Gwen sat on the porch with their coffee and talked.

"I can't believe how you got that grill to the house without me hearing you."

"While Pam and I were picking up Cheri and Jenny, Jim unloaded it and walked it down. It was dark and we figured that you wouldn't go outside until this morning. I hope that you like it."

"Like it! I have been thinking about getting another one. The old one has too many holes in it to be safe."

"We noticed."

They sat silent for a few minutes. Then Gwen began again but very nervously, "Um Gerald, I have something I would like to talk to you about. It's personal."

"You know I will talk to you about anything. What's up?"

"Gerald, we have been friends for six years and I couldn't ask for a better friend, neighbor, and supporter than you. But, um...this is harder than I thought it would be." She took a deep breath." Gerald, it has been three years since my divorce was final and frankly, I'd like to go out sometimes like on a date or something. I get asked often by guys at work but none of them appeal to me. Do you....I mean, would you...Oh crap, I'm ruining this; would you like to go out with me on a date sometimes?" She hid her eyes.

When he didn't answer, she started to fear that he was going to say "no." When she peeked, she saw him with a very red face and struggling for words. "Gerald, just tell me what you want to say. I don't want this to be something that comes between us."

He kept looking down as he began to speak. "Gwen from the day I met you, I have thought that you were one of the most beautiful and intelligent women I have ever met. But you were still married and I felt that it was wrong to think of you as anything but a friend. I was worried about what you thought when Cheri started calling me 'daddy.' After your divorce, I was afraid to say anything because I valued our friendship so much that I didn't want to say or do anything to hurt that. I have wanted to ask you out socially for a long, long time but haven't felt that the time was right. And now, you bring it up and I feel like I am a blithering idiot for not asking you out before now. I guess I am not much of a lady's man or a social animal."

"Gerald, if you were any way other than the way you are, I might not be interested. I can't say that for sure because I can't imagine you any other way than you are. Honestly, I have thought about you as a date since before the divorce. I'm not sure how much of a relationship I am ready for but I am ready to start finding out if you are ready."

"I'm not sure of what you will find but I'm willing if you are." He took a breath and then asked, "Gwen, would you like to go out on New Year's Eve?"

"I would love to Gerald. There is a party I'd like to stop in for but other than that, I would love to go anywhere with you."

From the living room they heard, "Gerald, now is time to kiss her."

Gerald responded, "Of course, we can go to the party but I think we need to find a babysitter first." He grinned.

"I don't need a babysitter, doofus. Besides, I am spending the night with Jenny."

Gerald continued, "We could take her with us and drop her off at the pound."

"Gerald, you love me and you know it; so quit messing around. Everyone in town thinks that you two are all but engaged anyway. Just kiss her and get it over with."

Both Gwen and Gerald were various shades of pink but he leaned over and was met by Gwen and their lips touched.

"That is too cool. I can't wait to tell Jenny that both of you finally woke up." They heard the patter of feet running away from the window.

"Gerald, I think that we are in trouble."

"I agree but for our sake, let's just take things slowly."

Gwen grinned and said, "I agree."

That night and on into the future, most people noticed very little change between Gwen and Gerald. Those who noticed, saw that they often held hands or had their arms around each other. They seldom took two cars anywhere except when Gwen met him directly after school. They each honored their commitment to each other and took things slowly. They limited their intimacy to good night kisses and occasionally longer ones at tender moments. When they took the girls to the retreat that summer, they shared a room although they each had a twin bed while the girls stayed in the adjacent room.

At the retreat, the two girls took advantage of every class that was offered and tried every adventure they could. They attracted other kids, which ate as a group and did things as a group, something that the leaders and counselors noticed and appreciated. This left Gwen and Gerald to concentrate on the skills they had learned the year before and Gerald stayed busy in the pottery barn while Gwen happily wove place mats and runners for them and her parents. Both of them also made time to work on village projects with some of the people from the year before. The one constant was the evening vespers. All four went and sat together except when Jenny joined the choir that reformed every week. She even sang a solo at one evening service.

All of them wanted to extend their stay but they had to get home before Election Day to vote. Jim's job was not in danger as he only had one opponent and he only ran because he believed that every elected official ought to have an opponent. Both girls were excited because they were told that when they got to college, they would be eligible to volunteer or to stay the summer as a counselor. They both swore that they would be back.

Back at home, Gwen and Gerald continued the pattern they had been following which was frequent exchanges of meals and also at least one date each week. These were not extravagant dates by many standards. They went to an occasional movie, or one of the many festivals at one of the neighboring towns, and a concert or two. For these, they usually took the girls who quickly disappeared leaving them to themselves. Neither of them felt slighted and thoroughly enjoyed each and every event and moment together.

For Thanksgiving, Gwen's parents invited them along with Jim, Pam, and Jenny for dinner. So they all piled into Jim's van and drove the two hours to one of the suburban communities where they lived. Gerald brought two loaves of bread, a bag full of buns, and a special batch of dinner rolls he had made for the dinner. They watched the football game while dinner was being finished and everyone sat down to a prayer of thanks and a hearty meal. The drive home was quiet as everyone was stuffed from the meal and there were two platters of leftovers going with them. Gwen parents were regular buyers of Cheri Buns from the store but were especially complimentary of the freshness and taste of the originals.

Christmas morning found Gerald entering the house for breakfast with one large box with Gwen's name prominently displayed on it. Cherilyn eyed him suspiciously and tried to tease him into telling her what he had brought. After breakfast, Gerald casually told her to go out to his truck and get something. She went outside quickly but was silent until she came back inside with a strange look on her face.

"Gerald, your truck isn't out there. There is a Jeep or something there. Whose is it?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you; that's your Christmas present."

Her eyes popped open and she looked stunned. When what he said sunk in, she ran back outside and was gone for awhile. Gwen and Gerald grinned at each other. He and Jim had found two Jeeps in very good condition but needing tires and some engine work. The price was very attractive for the pair so they decided to get them for the girls now, even though they wouldn't have their licenses until summer.

She came back into the kitchen and said, "Where are the keys?"

Gerald put on his most innocent look and said, "What keys? It didn't come with any."

"Liar. Give." She held out her hand.

"Nope; the keys are your mom's Christmas present. You don't get them until you are 16 and have your driver's license."

"But I have my learner's permit. You know I am a good driver; you taught me."

"I know, but how would it look if Jim stopped you and arrested you for driving without a license."

"He wouldn't do that."

"Yes, he would and he should. I don't want to meet up with some crazy 15 year old driving around these roads without a license. That is an accident waiting to happen."

"Mom, talk to him. He is being stubborn again."

"He will take you out to drive it after you get dressed and we have another cup of coffee."

Cherilyn realized that she was still in her night shirt and ran to her bedroom to get dressed. Gwen and Gerald smiled to each other.

When she came out, they were still drinking their coffee so she went outside and looked at her new car. Just then, another Jeep pulled into their driveway and stopped. Jenny jumped out and shouted, "Look what I got!"

Cherilyn replied, "Look what I got!' The two girls squealed and danced around together.

Jim got out slowly and went into the kitchen. "Do you have anything stronger than coffee? This old man is too old to teach a teenager to drive. I think I'd rather arrest them."

"I'll go and let them have a drive. Sit down and enjoy the coffee." Gerald said.

Gerald went outside to see the two girls comparing their cars. He went up to them and said, "Rule 1: if you hurt or damage someone else's property, you lose the car. Rule 2: if you wreck it, you buy your next one. Any questions?"

Both girls settled down as the impact of what he said sunk in. They both said, "Yes, Gerald." And "We understand, Gerald."

"OK, let's go for a drive. Cherilyn, you drive first since Jenny has already driven hers." They got in Cherilyn's Jeep and after giving her some basic instructions, she drove smoothly and carefully out onto the street. They drove for thirty minutes and then they switched drivers and Jenny drove them back home.

When they got back home, Gerald said, "Rule 3: you only drive it with a parent until you get your licenses. Got it?"

"Yes, Gerald. We are just so excited but we do understand. Thank you, daddy." Cherilyn said and gave him a big hug and kiss. They went inside and found Jim ready to leave. He and Jenny drove back home. This time, Jenny drove more carefully and Jim felt much more at ease.

Gerald finally prompted Gwen to open her box. She squealed and giggled loudly just like Cherilyn did as Gerald lifted the contraption out of the box and set it on the kitchen table. It was a table loom just like the ones she had used at the retreat. There were also a number of rolls of yarn for warping and the tools to get started. Gerald smiled as she caressed it and moved the arm back and forth. Then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

At Gwen's prompting, Cherilyn went into the next room and brought out their gift to Gerald. It was a brand new chain saw. Gerald caressed it in the same way Gwen had touched the loom. He also gave them each a big hug and kiss. The smile on his face didn't leave.

Gwen finished Christmas dinner with Gerald's help and they had a nice, relaxed dinner. When dinner was over, both Gwen and Cherilyn noticed that Gerald had gotten quieter which was a sure sign that he had something else on his mind. They left him alone to prepare for whatever he wanted to do. After dinner, Gwen made coffee, Cherilyn went to her room, and Gerald went out on the porch.

When the coffee was ready, Gwen joined him and handed him a cup. He set it on the table next to him. Then he began.

"Gwen, the first six years with you were wonderful. This past year had exceeded that by I don't know how much. The truth is I think I have always loved you but after this past year, all I know is that I don't want to live without you. Will you marry me?" By some miracle, a ring appeared in his hand and he held it in front of her.

Gwen burst into tears and covered her mouth with her hands.

The omni-present voice from the living room came through the window. "Mom, you say yes, kiss him, and then cry. Don't you know how to do anything?"

"Go to your room and suck your thumb. I will do this my way. You aren't my script writer." She caught her breath and said, "Gerald, I think I have loved you for a lot longer time than you know. And this past year has just increased that to a level I don't even understand. Yes, I will marry you. I want to be with you more than anything else in the world."

Gerald turned to the window and said, "Does that work for you too?"

"It could have been better but it wasn't bad."

"Go to your room and do something creative."

"Fine. You two just sit there and slobber all over each other. I'm going to send a message to Jenny that the two of you finally wised up." They heard her footsteps recede to her bedroom.

"Did we wise up?" Gerald asked.

"I think we finally got over a lot of baggage and fears." She held out her hand and Gerald slipped the simple diamond ring on her left hand. She stood and came and sat in his lap and they kissed for a long time.
A week later, they went to Gwen's New Year's party and stayed late. Cherilyn was staying over at jenny's house as usual. When they got home late, Gerald took Gwen in his arms and kissed her good night as he usually did.

When he finished, Gwen said, "Gerald, come inside."

"Gwen, it's late and...."

"Gerald, that wasn't a request." She took his hand and led him through the house to her bedroom. Gerald didn't go home until noon the next day. Then he took a long nap while Gwen went to pick up Cherilyn.

That night at dinner, Cherilyn finally asked the question that had been bugging her all day. "So, when is the wedding?"

Gwen answered, "We haven't talked about it yet."

"Then what have you been doing? Oops, forget I asked that." She turned beet red.

Gerald said, "Did anyone ever tell you that you are growing up far too fast?"

"Yes, you have. Get used to it, daddy. Oh, that feels so different to say that now."

Gerald replied, "I know. It sounds so different when I hear it now." They all smiled at each other.

The spring went quickly. Gerald and Gwen did talk about a wedding date but decided to take their time. Cherilyn continued to do well in school. After the mid-term report cards came out, it was announced that Jenny and Cherilyn were number three and four in their class of 200. Both girls were proud but wondered what they needed to do to overtake the number 1 and 2 spots.

The big shock for the year for Gerald came in April when Cherilyn had a date to the Junior/Senior prom. He decided that he was totally unprepared for her to go out on a date with a boy. He talked to Gwen and she assured him that the boy was a good kid who she had taught in elementary school and she knew his parents. Gerald was still nervous and on the night of the prom, he was on pins and needles until she was home safely in her bed. Then he took a shot of scotch and went home to bed.

During the spring Gerald also began adding another wing onto his house. He didn't talk about it to anyone; he just started building. As before, he finished the walls and roof quickly and began working on the interior during the heat of the summer. Even Cherilyn was surprised when she noticed the addition going up. The new addition created a U-shape house with the patio and deck in-between and included the grill and the brick oven. It created a second bedroom and bathroom.

He and Gwen had discussed their future and decided to move into his house and then fix her house up and sell it with the two acres near the road. They would retain the three acres behind her house and put in an orchard. The way their properties were shaped, this created an L-shaped property that gave easy access to the garden on the right and the orchard straight ahead. When he wasn't working on the house, Gerald was moving the fence and planting the orchard. He planted a variety of trees including native pecans, plums, and pears and also put in several rows of blackberries.

That summer, Jim and Pam were going to take the girls on another road trip to the east coast but into other areas that they had not been to before. This was planned to be a two weeks trip. As a result, Gwen and Gerald signed up for another two weeks at the village. Because of the success of their previous visits, they were eagerly welcomed and were specifically asked to be on the maintenance and gardening teams again. They received no arguments from Gwen or Gerald.

For this trip, they prepared with some fore knowledge. After a flurry of e-mails with the village, Gerald collected an array of tools and supplies that were needed. Gwen sought out a variety of garden tools and supplies also. Due to the volume of their finds, Gerald bought a pickup truck bed that had been converted into a trailer. They carefully packed all of their materials into the bed and tightly tied a tarp down over the bed. Gerald was going to leave several days before Gwen and drive the trailer to the boat dock here it would make the trip on the weekly supply barge. He then drove to Seattle and picked up Gwen after she had seen Cherilyn off on their trip. They spent a day in Seattle and then drove over the mountains to catch the passenger boat to the village.

They were warmly greeted on their arrival and they launched another glorious working vacation in the mountains. This time, they pulled their twin beds together and slept comfortably each night. After the Friday night vesper service which was always an inspirational event, Gwen said as they walked back to their room, "Except that it would be hard to get people here, I would love to get married right here. It would be a wonderful place to start our married life together." Gerald nodded and agreed wholeheartedly. But a seed was planted in Gerald's mind and it wouldn't leave until it germinated.

All too soon, their two week adventure ended and they made the long drive home to rejoin the real world. With school starting in a matter of weeks, they quickly re-adjusted their lives to fit the coming school year. Cherilyn and Jenny were now juniors in high school and leaders both academically and socially. The each began taking advanced placement classes in math and science and a class to help prepare them for college.

Gwen started school as usual and was quickly caught up in the school year activities. Gerald continued tutoring two mornings each week. Apparently, his efforts were paying off because the school's scores for math and science had improved to exceed all of the surrounding schools. The principal had received a number of calls from other schools about their improvement. He proudly talked about the efforts of the teachers and the support of the parents. He mentioned their tutoring program but did not overly taut it because he was afraid that some of the schools might try to tempt Gerald away from him. As usual, Gerald was oblivious of the issues surrounding him. He just did what he had always done and that was to focus on each child and make the lessons personal and interesting.

Early in October, he came home after tutoring to find a large group of vehicles parked in front of his gate. He parked and got out to see what was going on. It quickly became apparent that the crowd was local and regional news people and that the center of attention was an older man who appeared to be some politician or another. He joined the group and worked his way close enough to hear what was being said.

The man was speaking to a horde of microphones. "I tell you for sure that just ten years ago, this property was empty pasture. Look at it now? It is a garden spot. I can tell you that this could not have taken place without support from the farm aid that I have always supported and that is being held hostage in Congress right now. It helps small farmers and property owners like it did here. It is time for the people fighting this bill to stop and let the farm bill help more people just like it did here. Thank you."

The man quickly got in his limousine and drove off. Gerald turned to the man next to him and asked, "Who the hell was that?"

The man turned to him and said, "You don't know? He is the representative from this district and a powerful member of the agriculture committee."

"Well, he doesn't know crap about what he is talking about."

"What do you mean? Do you know the owner of this property?"

"I ought to; it is my place and there has never been a dime of government money or anyone else's money in this place."

"Listen, my name is Mike Powell, with TXT News. Would you give me a tour of your place and tell me about it. And I would also like to take some video if I can."

"Sure, I don't mind although no one has ever paid much attention to what I do here."

The crowd of reporters had disappeared leaving just the small news crew standing there. Gerald opened the gate while the newsman talked to his film crew. Instead of driving, Gerald started walking with Mike Powell next to him recording his story. Gerald showed him the trees and shrubs that he had planted and told him where they had come from. He showed them his garden and the small plot that he had started the first year and added to each year thereafter. He led him to the orchard he had planted that year and finally down to the house, barn, and buildings. He pointed out the original building and his two expansions. He pointed out the barn and how he had built it using recycled materials gathered from other places. He pointed out that the equipment was bought used and restored to working order. He talked about the early days of struggling to just grow enough to eat and then his efforts to sell at the market. As he walked Powell back to the gate, he said "If any government money was used on this property, I don't know where it went. I don't know the politics of the farm bill but I can guarantee that this property was never a beneficiary of it in any form."

The newsman thanked him for the tour and told him that he should watch the news that night to see the results. Gerald gave it little thought for the rest of the afternoon as he was painting the new bedroom in the addition. When he cleaned up, he walked up to Gwen's house for dinner. She met him at the door with, "Gerald, what happened today? Jim called and said to be sure to watch the news at 6:00 tonight and that you would be on television."

Gerald explained what had happened and shrugged. The thought of being on television had little impact and less importance to him than having dinner with Gwen and Cherilyn. But at 6:00, Gwen turned on the television and they watched the news.

150 miles away in a hotel room in the state capitol, Gerald's ex-wife was finishing her makeup when she heard her husband yell, "That stupid son of a bitch still hasn't figured out how the game is played."

She walked out as the television camera was panning across a beautiful driveway, garden and orchard and then on a house and barn. The news reporter was talking about how the owner had planted and built all of this by hand without any help from the government.

"What stupid son of a bitch are you referring to?"

Her husband chose to not mention Gerald by name, but said, "Some ignorant farmer just made Tommy Fielder look bad on the news."

"Well, Tommy Fielder is about as ignorant as they come. What is the big deal?"

"Tommy Fielder is an idiot but a powerful one. If I am going to be governor here next year, I need his help."

"Like I told you before, I don't mind you being governor but I'm not moving back to this God-awful state unless you buy me a place to escape to. You buy me that farm they just had on the news and I'll move back. No farm and you can come down here alone." She went back to the bathroom and her husband muttered "cunt." The news changed to an interview with the local sheriff who vouched for the honesty and integrity of Gerald Murphy. He had known him personally for close to ten years and knew for a fact that he had never received a dime of government money to build his place. Then the sheriff made the soundbite that would be heard many times over the next year. "Come to think of it, I can't name one small farmer in this county who has received a single dime from the Agriculture Department." The reporters then asked the sheriff about rumors that he was going to run for representative in the next election. The sheriff declined to say anything conclusive but he certainly didn't say no.

His wife returned to the room and put on her jacket. "Where the hell are you going?"

"I've got a date. I probably won't be back tonight."

"What do you see in that shit?"

"Frankly, I don't look at him that much; his looks aren't what appeal to me."

"Well make sure that you don't get caught. I don't need the fact that my wife is fucking around with a young stud making the headlines."

"You wanted a trophy wife and that is what you got. I've been there with you every time you went out in public; don't start messing with my life now."

"Where are those two brats of yours? I hope they aren't coming back tonight."

"They are probably out scoring some grass or booze. And don't worry, they like being around you just about as much as you like being around them. They'll stay gone."

"You just keep them in line for the next couple of years. Once in the governor's mansion for two terms; then we will go to Washington. I'll get them into Yale or some place and they can go fuck themselves for all I care if they can stay in school."

"Just remember; buy me that place and everything will be fine. No farm and you are on your own." She turned and left the room.

"Bitch." He muttered but a plan began to develop in his mind. "Yes, that's the idea. Fuck Gerald Murphy again and then get a couple of million from Tommy's Ag Committee to develop new farming techniques. That has a nice ring to it." He spent the next hour on the phone talking to one of his lieutenants and then he called a number and arranged to meet a special woman for a night of fun.

Gerald was mercifully unaware of any of the plot that developed as a result of the television interview. Gwen and Cherilyn were proud of his interview and the other one by Jim. The truth was that Tommy Fielder was a name that most people knew but a man that few people would recognize. He seldom visited his district except to make a political announcement like the one he had made that day. Unfortunately, Gerald's interview had also made the national news and spawned a lot of debate about the merits of the Farm Bill and the activities of the Agriculture Committee. As usual, Gerald took care of his business and ignored almost everything else.

Early in December, two things took place within days of each other. The first occurred on Sunday after breakfast. Gerald looked at Gwen and then at Cherilyn and then began to speak.

"I want to talk to you about Christmas." They looked at him with curiosity. "Something Gwen said this summer got me to thinking and I have a proposition for us all. I would like for the three of us to go to the village for Christmas and New Years. They have only a few rooms available for the holidays and the only people there are the permanent staff. There will probably be a lot of snow and it will be cold. What do you think?" Both Gwen and Cherilyn were smiling at the thought and quickly agreed to the plan. "There is one thing more. Gwen, would you like to get married at the village with just the three of us there. We can have another ceremony with everyone and a reception in the spring."

Cherilyn whooped in pleasure at the idea. Gwen sat there with tears in her eyes. Then she said, "Gerald, you know how to make things just perfect. Yes, let's do that." By dark, Gerald had confirmed all of the plans. They would go to Seattle and get a marriage license and then go to the village. The waiting period would be over on Christmas Day and they would hold the ceremony in the little chapel. They would return home on January 2nd.

The other event came two days later when there was a knock on Gwen's door just after dinner was finished. They weren't expecting anyone and were surprised. Few people came out their way. She answered it and ushered a well dressed man into the living room. Then she went to get Gerald.

"Gerald, there is a man here who wants to talk to both of us. Come on. I'm not sure I like this."

Gerald frowned and went into the front room with her. The man rose and introduced himself and they sat as he began.

"I won't beat around the bush; I am a real estate broker from the capitol and represent a buyer who is looking for ten to fifteen acres of rural land to buy. He has become aware of your two places and would like to offer each you $150,000 for your property. He is offering cash and would like to close the deal early next year. How does that sound?"

Gwen looked at Gerald whose frown had only grown deeper. He finally spoke, "We have discussed selling Ms. Lambert's house and two acres but the remaining three and my property are definitely not for sale. That is and will be our home until we die. If your client is interested in this house and two acres, I am sure Ms. Lambert would listen to an offer."

"Unfortunately, my client is only interested in the full ten acres. He has some experimental growing techniques he wants to develop. Would you consider $200,000 for each property? With the economy in this condition, that is a very fair offer."

"That is indeed a very attractive offer since the economy around here hasn't rebounded from the last trip to the toilet. But I gave you our answer and I think our business is done. Thank you for considering us. I can suggest several other local places that might be of interest."

"Thank you. We have a list of the other available properties. My client will be disappointed that you declined his offer. He is particularly interested in these two properties because of their location."

"I'm sorry to disappoint your client, but no thanks." Gerald got up and went to the dining room. Gwen showed the man out the front door.

When she returned to the dining room, Gerald was on the phone. "No Jim, he was from the capitol. I have no idea; he gave no indication of who his client was. That's what I was thinking too. If you hear of anything, let me know. Thanks."

He turned to Gwen and said, "Jim hasn't heard about anyone sniffing around for property either. And he also seems to think that something is going on that no one has heard about. He will let us know if he hears anything."

"That gave me the creeps. Our properties are worth about half what he was offering. Yours would be worth more because of the other buildings but $200,000 for five acres and houses like these is way out of line."

"That's why I called Jim. He hears a lot of things through the county and his other local contacts. I guess we will just wait and see what happens." Gerald didn't realize it then but the next move in this quiet game would take place next summer. Until then, he continued as usual and Gwen focused on the wonderful Christmas to come.

They flew to Seattle and spent a day wandering the Pike Place market and getting their marriage license arranged. They were surprised at how warm Seattle really was in December. They could see snow just twenty miles inland on the mountains. They took the train over the mountains, which was a big thrill for Cherilyn. It was her first train ride and she went from window to window watching the snowy hills and villages pass by. They caught the boat the next morning and were in the village three days before Christmas. There was a boy about Cherilyn's age living with his parents. He and Cherilyn hit it off and he taught her to ski and snowshoe on the trails and hills around the village. The pottery shop was closed for the winter but Gwen had plenty of time to work on the big loom and made a large blanket as a wedding present for Gerald. Gerald spent the days helping work on one of the now empty summer dormitories.

Their big surprise came the day before Christmas when a new set of arrivals came. They turned out to be Jim, Pam, and Jenny. They had decided that they could not miss the wedding and since neither Jim nor Pam had been here before, they decided to come spend Christmas with their friends. Jim and Pam were going to go back to Seattle after the wedding to spend a couple of days with Pam's sister who had moved to Seattle two years before. Jenny was going to stay with Cherilyn and learn to ski and snow board with her.

On Christmas Day, Gerald arose slowly. He was in a twin bed and Cherilyn was sleeping in the other bed. He got up and dressed and went to get coffee for Gwen and himself. On the way, he remembered the argument the night before which Cherilyn had won. She and Jenny had beaten on Gwen and he that Gerald could not spend the night with Gwen the night before. Pam was no help for Gwen and Gerald and sided with the girls. Jim rolled his eyes and stayed neutral. The result was that Jenny stayed in her parent's room and Gerald stayed in Cherilyn's room for the night.
When he returned with two hot cups of coffee, he was met at Gwen's door by a smiling Cherilyn.

"No daddy, you don't get to see her until the ceremony." She took one of the cups from him and continued, "Go eat breakfast and then play with one of your tools until 11:00. Then you can come back here and clean up and get dressed. Be at the chapel by noon. Got it?"

"You know, you are not so old that I can't spank you."

"You have never been angry at me much less tried to spank me and you aren't going to start on your wedding day. Now scoot."

The words "Wedding Day" resonated through his mind as he went down and had a quick breakfast. Instead of going to the shop as Cherilyn had suggested, he went for a walk through the woods reminiscing about the past nine years. He felt really calm and happy compared to how he felt at his first oversized, overly expensive wedding. But then, he knew in his soul that Gwen was the right woman for him. He returned to the now empty room at 11:00 and cleaned up and dressed. Dressing for the wedding was simple because he was going to wear a new pair of jeans and a flannel shirt with a warm under garment beneath it. Gwen was going to be wearing something similar although Cherilyn and Jenny had a surprise for her to wear. There would be no flowers since they were out of season in the cold mountain area. Simplicity is what they wanted and simplicity was what they got.

He stood inside the chapel talking with the minister who was over-wintering while writing a book. When Jim arrived, he knew that it was about time. Jim stood next to him while the recorded music began to play. The other over-wintering villagers rose and the door opened. Jenny came first followed by Pam. They were wearing matching flannel shirts and jeans. Then Cherilyn came in carrying a bouquet of artificial flowers. She was wearing a light green silk blouse over her jeans. Finally, Gwen stepped into the doorway with a huge smile on her face and Gerald fell in love with her all over again. She had on a bridal veil with little white flowers on it. She too was carrying a bouquet of artificial flowers. Her blouse was a lighter shade of green than Cherilyn's but was a silk lace fabric that looked like a traditional wedding gown. The fact that she wore jeans below it only made the contrast more enchanting.

The ceremony was short and the newlyweds were met with fluffy snowballs when they left the chapel. The entourage of twenty people crossed to the cafeteria and everyone had grilled salmon and vegetables for the wedding reception. The cake was a simple two tier one with light green icing and a little bride and groom on top. The entire cake disappeared in short order. Then the couple left on their honeymoon which was probably the shortest one on record. They went for a walk along the creek holding bare hands while their other one was safely in a mitten. The honeymoon lasted about 30 minutes when their bare hands got too cold and they came inside to sit by the fire with a cup of coffee. Gwen still looked radiant and Gerald had the look of a man whose future was now in front of him and no longer behind him.

Pam and Jim left the following day on the boat. The happy couple and the two girls spent the rest of the week skiing and staying warm. They even got Gwen to try skiing, something that she had never tried before. She found that she liked it and she and Gerald went out for an hour every day. She finished her blanket on New Year's Eve and shared it that night.

Year Nine

The four of them left on the boat on January 2nd and were met at the train station in Seattle by Jim and Pam who drove them to Pam's sister's house. Gerald was pleased to find her sister to be as low key and down home as Pam was high key. They spent the night in the guest house and took the morning flight back home. Everyone was exhausted and spent the next day just recuperating. When school started again, Cherilyn and Gwen returned to their routine and Gerald began moving things from Gwen's house to his. The first things that went were Cherilyn's and Gwen's beds. Both Gwen and Gerald decided that hers was far superior to his old one. By the end of the week, virtually everything had been moved and he began selling and getting rid of the things that the girls decided that they no longer wanted.

When mid-term report cards came out, Jenny and Cherilyn were number 2 and 3 in their class. The former number 1 had moved away. Both girls rededicated them to catching and passing the new number one. It turned out that they didn't need to do much as the girl who was the new number 1 stumbled in the spring after she got a boy friend whose academic career was reported to be spotty at best. At the end of the school year, Jenny and Cherilyn were firmly implanted in the number 1 and 2 spots. They teased each other about who was 1 and 2 but neither girl really cared as long as they finished on top together.

One day in March, there was a big event in town where it was announced that a long awaited and needed highway was finally approved and was going to be built. Once Gerald saw that the highway would by-pass his property by over a mile, he put the idea in the back recesses of his mind. A month later, he saw two men surveying the road in front of his property. He came out and asked what was going on. They replied that they were surveying the property next door in relation to the new highway. It seemed that none of the property around them had been sold or surveyed in over 40 years. They had to trace back another mile to find a reliable marker and were working their way toward the adjacent property. Gerald showed them the survey spikes on the corners of his property and they thanked him as this would make their job much easier.

Time passed and the end of school came. The girls wanted to go back to the village that summer until Jim and Pam offered them a trip to Italy for a month. Pam had come into another trust fund and needed to spend some of the money "to expand her mind." Italy was a place that she felt comfortable expanding herself in. They were going in late July and stay until the week before school started in August. Jim was staying home. As a result, Gerald and Gwen planned another two week stay at the village with a long drive back through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.

Two weeks before they were scheduled to leave, both Gwen and Gerald received registered letters advising them that the state was going to take control of their property by means of eminent domain for the proposed new highway. A hearing would be held in early September if they wished to contest this notice.

Gerald was sitting in Jim's office thirty minutes later and Jim was explaining the law and his options. As he finished he said, "Gerald, I don't for the life of me know how or why yours and Gwen's properties ended up on the list for two reasons. First, you are more than a mile away from the proposed freeway. Second, they would not put you on the list without trying to make you an offer first."

"He didn't say anything about a freeway or anything else but a guy from the capitol came by last fall and offered us both a big price for our properties. He wasn't interested in Gwen's or part of it; he only wanted both or nothing. We turned him down and that was the end of it."

"Well, that is a little unusual to be sure but that may have been the offer. These kinds of deals have so many fingers in them, it would be impossible to find out who or why this is happening. I'll ask some questions and see what I can find but I'm not optimistic. My recommendation would be for you and Gwen to talk it over and decide what you want to do. You can appeal it but there is a lot of big money and lots of powerful people behind this project. I doubt that you would win an appeal. I'm sorry but that is the way things go sometimes."

"So I just lose everything and there isn't much I can do about it."

"Basically that is almost true. This offer says the land only. After the hearing, they will send you a final official document on what they are claiming, the price they are going to pay you for it, and the date they will assume ownership. That will be final as far as the state is concerned. If they claim only the land, which is usual in highway projects, everything on the property is yours and you can take it with you. That includes equipment and improvements. People have been known to move their houses and a couple have even burned it down so no one else can live in it."

"Is that legal?"

"In this case it is. Technically you are doing the state a favor by clearing the land for them. It is your property and you are free to do anything you want up until the date they take it over. If you do burn it and it catches your neighbor's house on fire, I will have to arrest you for arson. So make sure the fire won't spread." Jim laughed. Gerald smiled and shook his head.

"Jim, why don't you run for governor or something? I know that you are a deal maker but I think that you would at least see that things are up front."

"Gerald, I trust you to keep this a secret, even from Gwen but Fielder is retiring; a lot of it is because of the flack that was stirred up from that television interview. I have been asked to run for his seat in Congress. So don't be surprised if you hear that I am running."

Gerald looked at his friend, "You have our votes."

Jim rose and shook hands. Jim said, "Thanks."

That night, Cherilyn and Jenny were shopping for things for their trip. Gerald sat down with Gwen and explained everything that Jim had told him. When he finished, Gwen looked at him and asked, "What do you want to do, my love? I am going where you go and we will do what we must do."

"Gwen, I'm not sure. I guess we can discuss options and make up our mind after the final hearing and we get the formal notice. But we ought to start thinking about where we want to go."

"I have already been thinking about that and I have an idea but I don't want to talk about it around Cherilyn. Let's wait until we get to the village and talk about it there. In fact, I would rather we didn't say much of anything about this until spring. This is her last year of high school and it will be filled with special memories. I don't want this to ruin anything for her."

Gerald looked at her and said, "You always said that I was the one with the answers but you were wrong; you have things thought this through better than I have."

"No, I have learned to think a little like you and I draw from your strength. We will survive and prosper. I know that."

"Well then, Mrs. Murphy, shall we go out for dinner, eat in, or take a trip into the bedroom?"

"You know darn well which choice I would make before you asked that question, you naughty boy. Come on, we probably have an hour."

When Cherilyn got home with an armful of bags for the trip, she found them making soup and grilled cheese sandwiches at 8:30 at night.

"What have you two been doing since 6:00 tonight? Oh hell, forget I asked that. I don't want to know. Actually, I do know; I just don't want you to tell me. Parents don't do that kind of thing."

Gerald grinned a mischievous grin at her and said, "You don't want to know that we went to see the submarine races at the lake and saw all of your friends?" Gwen swatted his arm.

"No, I don't want to hear that! La la la la." And she disappeared into her room.

They put the girls and Pam on the plane and went home to finish packing for their trip. Rather than wait, they left at 6:00 that night and drove until they were tired. They arrived and caught the boat in the early morning and had lunch in the cafeteria the day before their scheduled arrival. That afternoon, Gwen explained her idea to him. She expected that he might ask a dozen questions but instead, he simply said, "I love it. Let's do it regardless of what happens."

She smiled and hugged him. At that moment, all but one answer became clear to him. The one answer wasn't terribly important compared to the other, but it still bothered him a little. The question was "Why?"

The next day, they began their third volunteer stint and quickly put their future plans on the back burner and focused on the job at hand.

Two weeks later, as they got off the boat and reclaimed his truck, they spoke about the future for the first time since they had arrived. Gwen said, "As much as I love the village, this town reminds me so much of our town; just big enough to be small and small enough to be big. I could live here I think."

"Let's drive around and look at the area. We haven't done that before." They drove around and admired the surrounding area. As a result they spent three more days in the town and had talked to several people. One in particular promised to get in touch with them soon.

As a result of their stay, they had to drive straight home to be there when the Italian contingent arrived. When they walked off the airplane, neither of them could believe what they saw. Cherilyn and Jenny had both had their hair cut into a very Italianate short style. They wore Italian peasant blouses and skirts and spoke Italian to each other.

" Buon Giorno, madre e padre."

"Bon Jouney, yourself. I want a hug, goofball." Gerald said.

Cherilyn ran into her mother's arms and then into Gerald's. Jenny did the same to her dad. As usual, they then began talking a mile a minute all of the way to the car. Once there, she continued talking about all of the places she had been and seen. Gerald lost track of the details but he always was excited when Cherilyn was excited.

When they arrived home, she went into her room and unpacked while Gwen prepared dinner. Gerald was deep in thought. After dinner, Cherilyn said, I think the most interesting thing I found in Italy is the realization of how old it really is. They have things for sale in shops that we would put in museums here. Mom, I bought you this necklace. I wish we had had it for the wedding but it will look beautiful on you." She clasped the necklace around her mother's neck. "I have a certificate that this was made in the 1600s and was worn by one of the nobility."

"Thank you honey; it is gorgeous and I can't believe that it is so old."

"And for you, daddy, I have two things. This is a Roman bronze coin dating from the reign of Augustus and is about 2000 years old. I couldn't afford one of the gold or silver ones."

"Cheri, this is perfect; just perfect. Thank you."

"That's only one thing. I got it because it is old like you." She giggled.

"Oh a special thanks for that."

"This is the special thing. It is a measuring instrument I got in Florence. It was made at the time of Leonardo di Vinci. Builders and craftsmen used it when they made things. They guy said that it was used by Leonardo himself, but I doubt that. But it is probably similar to what he used."

"Kitten, this is marvelous; I'm speechless."

"That's not likely. You always have something to say."

"Honey, I think you just gave him something that will keep him quiet every time he holds it in his hand." Gwen said. Gerald got up and encircled Cherilyn with his arms and hugged her tightly.

When he released her, she said, "Wow, for a hug like that, I should have brought him three old tools." Gerald just smiled.

They were silent for a moment and the Cherilyn began again. "Um, mom and dad, something else happened on the trip."

Both Gwen and Gerald were alert in a moment.

"No, it's nothing like that. Do you think Pam would let us out of her sight for a minute?"

They both relaxed and waited for her to begin. "Um, Jenny and I decided where we want to go to college next year. Now before you start in on me, please hear what I have to say. Pam's sister works in the admissions office at Seattle University. After hearing Pam brag about us, she talked to the head of admissions who then called the school for a copy of our transcripts. They also looked up out SAT scores. We haven't even received them yet and they could get them. They have offered us half scholarships for the first year with the possibility of a full scholarship after that. Shecame over to Italy and brought us their catalog and applications and information about the school. It is a private Jesuit college almost in downtown Seattle. It is expensive but with a half scholarship, the price would be about what we would pay here in state. She offered to let us live in her guest house which would save a lot of money. We talked and this is where we want to go. I know that it is a long way from home but you will be going to the village probably every year and I can see you there. It is ranked in the top ten universities in the west. I know that you have questions and if I can't answer them, call Pam or her sister." She fell silent and waited for the barrage of questions that she hoped she was prepared for.

The first thing she heard was Gerald. "Gwen, what do you think?

"I don't know about you honey, but I think that it is a great idea."

"I agree. It is a perfect choice. Have you filled out the application yet, Cheri?"

"Wait a minute; something is wrong. You both agreed without even a question or an argument. What's going on?'

"Gerald, you tell her."

"Honey, your mom and I had already decided that we would support you in whatever choice you made about college with no exception. Frankly, the only surprise to me is that you want to go to a small private school rather than a big school. But I don't have a problem with the school at all. I know that it has a great reputation."

"You do?"

"Yes, in spite of my hermit like ways, I am not totally ignorant about the world."

"I didn't mean that. I mean....."

"Don't worry about it. But things have been going on here too and there is something we have to tell you too." Gerald told her about the highway and the eminent domain.

"You mean they are going to take our land and build a highway on it? They are going to tear down the houses? Where are you going to live? Have you talked to Uncle Jim? Of course, you've talked to him. What are you going to do?"

Gerald replied, "Honey, we have talked to Jim and he said that we can fight it but we would lose and we would make a lot of important people mad. So we decided to not fight it."

"Mom, where are you going to go?"

"That is what we want to talk to you about." As Gwen explained their plans, a smile grew across Cherilyn's face.

"That couldn't be more perfect. You guys are the best. Does Jim know yet?"

"Only in general. We just made these plans a couple of weeks ago. We will tell him and Pam after the big meeting next month when we know for sure about all of the details."

"Oh wow, this is exciting. I can't wait for school to start."

"Just make sure that you don't do anything to mess up the scholarship." Gwen said.

"I won't. Jenny and I want to go out as number 1 and 2 in the class and give speeches at graduation.

Gerald said, "Oh Lord, that means two hour long speeches. I hope the Jesuits can teach them that only Baptist preachers talk for hours."

"Gerald Murphy!" Gwen said with a grin and swatted his arm. Cherilyn just grinned.

School started with the usual amount of confusion and adjustment. Gerald decided that he shouldn't tutor this year because of the things that he would have to be doing. The principal was disappointed but understood that he had some important things to take care of.

Two weeks later, the big meeting was held at the city hall. Surprisingly, no one at the meeting stepped forward to dispute the eminent domain letters. A few people asked questions. One was what amount were they going to pay for the land. The speaker replied that they were going to pay $25,000 per acre which was above the average for land sales in the area. Another question was when the transaction would take place. The speaker said that officially the transfer of ownership would take place at mid-night on May 31 of the following year. The money would be electronically transferred at midnight and the transfer would occur at that moment. One person asked for clarification on what they could take with them and what they should leave. The speaker said, for most all of the property in question, all they wanted was the land. They were free to take anything else that they desired. If they chose to leave anything, they should assume that it will be removed or destroyed as part of the construction process.
That answered all of Gerald's questions but one. He would have to wait for the formal document to see if theirs was land only or something else. In fact, it didn't really matter because he had no intention of taking any of the buildings. He just wanted to know all of the details.

Two weeks later, two things happened on the same day. The first was the receipt of the registered letter that confirmed the purchase of their land only for $25,000 per acre at mid-night on May 31. Now Gerald knew that it was a land only deal in case he changed his mind about the buildings. The other was a letter from the attorneys for the gentleman in Washington confirming their impending arrangement. The deal was exactly as they had agreed upon. When Gwen got home, she was just as excited as he was at the news. Gerald e-mailed the attorney that he would be in their office in one week to finalize and sign the papers. They acknowledged his message the next morning.

By then, Gerald was already busy loading his trailer with tools and things that he wouldn't need for awhile. Two days later, he kissed Gwen goodbye and began the drive to Washington. He arrived on the morning of the appointment and checked into a motel for the night and to clean up. He arrived at the appointment on time and greeted the elderly gentleman, who thanked him for working with him on this arrangement. The papers were quickly signed and the cashier's check for $10,000 was signed over to the man. The agreement included a clause that Gerald would make another $50,000 payment after the closing of the eminent domain process. They set a tentative date for that transaction during the first part of June the following year. At that time, they would also set the final sales price and final closing date. Gerald made arrangements with the man to drop his things off in the morning. Then he went to eat an early dinner and fell asleep before the 10:00 news.

The next day he drove to the elderly gentleman's place and unloaded his material in the area that the man had cleared for him. Then he turned back onto the highway and started the long drive home. He drove steadily and arrived in the area around noon on Thursday. Twenty miles from home, he decided to stop for lunch. He needed something to eat and he was tired. He sat at a table in the corner and had coffee while he waited for the waitress to bring his order.

There were two men sitting in the booth next to him talking. As tired as he was Gerald ignored them until he heard something that perked up his ears.

"Why does the boss want us to keep track of this guy?"

"Because he doesn't want the bastard to do something stupid like burn the place down."

"Why would he want to do that? That would be stupid."

"People have done stupid things before and if this dude finds out that the boss is the one who wants his property, he might just burn it down."

"That don't make sense."

"Listen, here is the way it is and if word leaks out about this, we will both be fired if we are lucky or dead in we aren't. So don't breathe a word of this to anyone. Understand?"

"Yeah, I got the message."

"The boss used to be the boss of this dude. The boss took his old lady and kids away from him. Don't ask me about that, I don't know or care. Anyway now the boss wants to run for governor of this screwed up state; but his old lady won't come unless he buys her this farm. I think it so she can have a place to hide out and screw her boy friend or something."

"She's a looker and I wouldn't mind doing her myself."

"Fat chance. She only fucks guys with money or power, preferably both. So anyway, the boss tried to buy this farm and the dude said no. So he pulled some strings and got the property put on the list for the highway they are going to build. So the deal is this, the state takes control of this farm at midnight and thirty minutes later it is declared surplus and the boss buys it twenty minutes later. He gets the farm for his wife; she moves here with her boy friend; and bang he is the next governor of the state."

"What about her kids? I know she has a couple."

"The boss doesn't give a shit about those two brats. The younger one stays stoned most of the time and the girl goes out every night and finds someone to fuck her. As long as they don't make any headlines, he doesn't care what they do."

"So we come down here every week and make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid with the property?"

"Yup, that's the gig. In the spring, we will probably stay down here and keep an eye on him right up until mid-night of that day. That's why no one can find out what's going on."

"Gottcha. Let's get out of here. I'm getting tired already."

"Me too. But a job is a job and money is money. He is paying us well, so let's go earn it."

The two men left a big bill on the table and left. Gerald was left with a plate of food in front of him getting cold. Nothing mattered anymore except to get home to Gwen and to get on the road in June. He had to get to June. He thought for a few minutes and made several decisions. He would work out the details later.

He also left a bill on the table and went to his truck and drove home. He spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on his sofa thinking. Gwen found him that way when she got home.

"Gerald, what happened? Did something go wrong in Washington? Tell me."

"Sit down Gwen. Nothing went wrong in Washington but everything went wrong this afternoon down here."

He told her about the conversation he had overheard. He left out no detail. When he finished, she took him in her arms and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry honey. That must have really hit you hard. What are you going to do?"

"Gwen, I have been called Mr. Boy Scout all of my life. Mostly it was said to make fun of me. Honestly, that was the way I was raised. That is the way I am and I hope I will always be that way especially for you and Cheri. But this is more than I can take; I just can't turn the other cheek this time. All I can think of is that smirk on his face as he walked out of the courtroom with my ex-wife and kids after literally ruining me. Gwen, for the first time in my life I want revenge. I want to hurt that bastard so bad I can taste it. I will do nothing that hurts you or Cheri or myself, but he is not going to get another ten years of my life this way. I will not let that happen. I will burn it to the ground if I have to; but I promise you one thing, when we leave here for the last time, it will all be behind me and all I will think about is our future together."

"Honey, you do what you feel you have to. I will support you and so will Cheri. All I ask is don't do anything that will get you arrested. I can't go through that again. Anything else is fine with me."

"Thank you, honey. You are the first person in my life since my parents were alive that supported me this way. "

"I will always support you in what you want or need to do."

They were still hugging each other when Cheri came rolling in with her latest news. She had received her SAT scores and she had made an average of 750 on each test. Gerald put his thoughts away and celebrated with his wife and daughter. Then he took them to dinner at the Mexican restaurant. He teased Cherilyn that Seattle probably didn't have any good Mexican food. She just smiled.

Gerald made one more trip to Washington with a fully loaded trailer in early November. After that the snow would make the trip prohibitive. He and Gwen had taken a real hard look at their things and decided what should go and what should stay. During the winter, he sold what he could and gave away a lot of things to local charities. He also shipped several boxes to the Washington address. The elderly man agreed to accept them and put them with their things. He never took big loads to the charities or to the shipping office that might attract attention but dropped off things frequently over the winter.

Year Ten

In late March, he made one more trip north and delivered a partial load to join their other things and the rest went to Pam's sister's house for safe keeping until the girls got there in June. Cherilyn and Jennifer decided to go up in June and start classes during the summer. They were talking about trying to graduate in three years. Gerald neither encouraged them nor discouraged them. Rather he reminded them that thing might change once they were in college and they should take the time to do it right.

As April turned into May, Gwen and Gerald were down to the bare basics left in the house. So far, he had made sure that his movements and actions happened when the two shadows weren't around but now they were in the area every day. He had been aware of their presence for some time and assumed that they were the two men he had overheard. Through Jim, he arranged for the men to be stopped away from the farm one morning long enough for a 20 foot shipping container to be dropped off in his barn. He and Gwen loaded the last of their big things in the container and all that remained was their clothes and things they would take in his truck. They had quietly sold her car. A week later, he had the container was picked up early in the morning and it was on the road before the black car appeared for the day. He wasn't concerned that they would see a container leaving; but he was suspicious enough to not want them to be able to trace anything leaving the property.

Jim and Pam knew of their plans and Gerald had confided a little more about some of the things he had learned to Jim. He didn't tell Jim everything, however. If Jim had asked, he would have said, "It is better you don't know." Jim never asked and supported him with whatever he asked. He had announced that spring that he was running for Congress for the vacant seat and there was little doubt that he would be elected. Pam was already planning their move to Washington, the east coast Washington. They would keep the house locally to retain their permanent residence. Gerald and Gwen had given them some furniture to use in their local home.

Graduation was during the last week if May and the girls still didn't know who was going to be number one and number two but it really didn't matter, they had their speeches prepared and were ready. They each packed their Jeep and were going to leave two days after graduation. They expected to party all night after graduation and have a day to sleep before they left.

Graduation night found Gerald, Gwen, Pam, and Jim sitting together as the graduates marched in to the familiar sounds of "Pomp and Circumstance." They settled in as the program began with the required statements by the school board and principal. Then the superintendent of schools stepped forward and began.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, Parents, and Friends. I am honored to present this year's graduating class." The graduates cheered and parents applauded. When the din died down, he continued, "One of the pleasures of my job is to introduce each year's valedictorian and salutatorian; the two students who stand out as the top ranked students in the class. This year I have a special treat because we have a tie. After reviewing their records back to elementary school, our top students are exactly the same. We have no tie breaker. Therefore, I present to you our co-valedictorians Ms. Cherilyn Lambert and Jennifer Sanders." He stepped back and clapped as the audience stood when Jenny and Cherilyn came forward and took their bow and received their recognition.

Jenny stepped forward to the mike and started, "As most of you know Cheri and I have been friends since elementary school. We are more like sisters than friends. So instead of making two speeches today, we are going to make a joint one." She stepped back and Cherilyn stepped forward.

"We understand that there is at least one person in the audience who expects each of us to make an hour long speech. We decided to disappoint him and make this short." Three sets of eyes turned to see a very red Gerald sitting very still.

Jenny stepped forward again, "To my fellow graduates but especially to future graduates, we want to say to you that you will not get to this stage alone. It takes teachers, administrators, friends and most of all parents to make you successful. I want to say to my parents, Jim "the Lawman" and Pam Sanders, thank you for your support and help from the day I was born until today. I love you and appreciate you more than I can say." She stepped back.

Cherilyn stepped forward, "I want to say a special thanks to my mother who nurtured me and supported me from day one until today. We have disagreed on things but we have never had a fight. I love you Mom." The Jenny stepped forward and joined Cherilyn at the mike. "There is one more person that we must make a special joint thank you to." Then they began alternating phrases as they spoke. "He has been our friend, our mentor, our tutor, our supporter, our knight in shining armor, our ray of sunshine when the clouds are thick, our go-to guy when we have questions, and the man who always had our backs."

Jennifer said, "He is my uncle." Cheirlyn said, "He is my daddy." Jointly, they said, "He is our Gerald." The applause erupted spontaneously and lasted for several minutes. All Gerald could do was sit in stunned silence. Gwen hand found his and held it tightly.

That was the end of their speech and the rest of the program continued. Gerald had never experienced such recognition before. He didn't know how to feel or respond. So he did the safe thing and never let go of Gwen's hand. Before they knew it, the graduates were turning their tassels and then tossing their hats high in the air. Then they marched out of the auditorium as the choir sang "You Will Never Walk Alone." Gerald was still shaking as he stood and Gwen walked him out into the lobby to wait for the girls to join them.

As he stood there and gathered his wits, he felt a tug on his shirt, he turned and looked at beautiful young woman. "Mr. Murphy, you probably don't remember me, but I am Suzy, Suzy Mendleton. You helped me in the third grade."

"Of course I remember you Suzy. I just didn't recognize you. You are all grown up."

She smiled the same smile she had as a young girl. "I want to thank you for helping me then. Because of your help, I have gotten a lot of help and my mind keeps things straighter now. They saw that sometimes soon, things will all straighten out for me. But I want you to know that I will graduate next year. I won't be like Cherilyn or Jennifer but I will graduate."

"Suzy, I am just as proud of you as I am of Cherilyn. She did her best and you are doing your best. That is all anyone can ask of someone else. Do you remember Ms Lambert, she is now my wife. Gwen, this is Suzy."

"I heard. And Gerald is right. You are achieving at your best level and we are all proud of you for that."

"Thank you Miss. I always liked reading the best because when I read a story, I got an image in my mind. It never got mixed up like other things did. I am making A's in reading and writing in high school. I still struggle with math and science but I still use your notebook, Mr. Murphy." Gerald beamed.

He became aware that Cherilyn was standing next to them. He held out his hand and took hers.

"Hi, Suzy. I am glad you came. By the way, that was a great story you wrote for the newspaper. I laughed and I cried over it. Keep up the good work." Cherilyn said.

"Thank you ,Cherilyn. You and Jenny have been very supportive of me. I hope that you do well in college next year."

"If we can, we will come to graduation next year and watch you get your diploma too."

"I would like that but will understand if you can't come. Have fun tonight."

"We will."

Suzy walked away toward her parents. Both Gwen and Gerald felt a lump in their throat as they watched her go. There was a success regardless of grades or anything else.

"Hey, you two; we are going to go to the party. Don't wait up."

Gerald said, "Hey, I want to meet you and Jenny outside so I can paddle your little asses for putting me on the spot like that."

"Daddy, you have never paddled either of our asses before and you aren't going to start tonight. Besides, if you tried with Jenny's cute ass, mom would probably get jealous. Go home and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That's what I am afraid of." Both Gwen and Gerald spoke in unison.

"OK, old man, take me home. There are only two things we can do at home and one of them is sleep. Which one do you want to do?"

"What do you think?"

"I think that we are on the same page of the hymnal."

"Let's go." They headed for the exit. As they walked, Gerald asked, "By the way, when are you going to start your book?"

"What book?'

"The one all people who love to read are going to write one of these days."

Gwen turned a light red and replied, "Gerald Murphy, I can't keep anything secret from you. But for your information, I think I will start when we get settled again."

"I am going to hold you to it."

"All I care about is that you hold me, period."

"That will happen anyway."

They walked out of the auditorium into a nice late spring night hand-in-hand and were one step closer to their future.

For the rest of the week, Gerald was up before dawn and busy. He was usually back in the house before the minders showed up. He hated to do some of the things he was doing, but he had to do them. Shortly after 8:00, he and Gwen would get in his truck and drive into town for breakfast and run whatever errands they needed to run. They were usually back at home by 2:00. One day, Gwen took the truck and drove to talk to her parents. She left them an envelope with an address and phone number for emergencies but otherwise, if any one at all asked, they did not know where she was for sure. She was traveling and if the person wanted to leave a number, they would have her call when she called in.

They saw Cherilyn off after the graduation party. She and Jenny were going to drive in convoy to Seattle and promised to call each night along the way. At last, they began to pack up the few things that remained. Gerald went through every cubby hole in the house and barn and Gwen's house. They were totally bare. They went to breakfast on the 31st and made several stops to say good bye and then went to the house for the last time. Two hours later, they got in the truck and drove out of the gate and left it open. The minders followed them until they were fifty miles out of town. There they turned back and Gwen and Gerald were off on the next phase of their life together.

They finally stopped at 10:00 that night. They were almost 500 miles toward their new home. The motel was small and cheap but neither of them cared. It had a bed and a shower. That was all they needed. At 11:00, Gerald told Gwen that he was going for a walk. He was only gone for fifteen minutes. As soon as he left, he took a cheap cell phone from his pocket and looked at it for a moment. Then he opened it and punched a phone number into it. He had no way of knowing what happened but he had done all he could do. He walked to the dumpster of the next door café and threw the cheap phone into it and went back to their room. Gwen was waiting for him as he undressed and crawled in bed. Their lovemaking that night was a tender and loving experience with lots of promise and lots of love.

They got up early and put their things in the truck. Then they had a quick breakfast at the diner and were on the road before 7:00. There was no talk about the past only about where they were going.

At the hotel in town, the boss woke his wife. "It's time to get up so you can see your new farm."

"Are you for real? It is 8:00 in the morning. Can't this wait until later?"

"No, you wanted this; I got it for you. We go now or not at all."

She struggled out of bed and slipped on her clothes. Then she woke her daughter and told her to get dressed. The young girl was barely able to move as she rose and dressed. There were a couple of fresh bruises on her neck and one on her breast. On the way to the limo, they each picked up a cup of coffee. The two minders were in the front seat.
The boss asked, "Did everything go smoothly?"

"Yes, they left about 3:00. We followed them until they hit the Interstate and we lost them in the rush hour traffic. We stopped on the way back and watched, they didn't come back at least not down the highway. We went back by the place just before dark and nothing had changed. I think they just packed up and left."

"Good. Let's get out there and see what we got."

As they drove by Gwen's former house, all they saw was a pile of smoldering ashes. Inside the gate to Gerald's house, they saw that all of the trees and shrubs that lined the drive had been cut down. When they turned toward the house, another pile of smoldering ruins met them. The house was gone, the barn was gone, everything was in ruins. All of the trees in the orchard were cut down and the garden appeared to be dying. They parked the car and got out.

"So this is what you got me? You stupid pig." His wife spit at him.

The boss pulled his phone out and dialed 911. "Get the sheriff out here now. How do I know the address? Just out the back road to the lake is all I know."

He walked toward the barn and saw nothing but junk.

"Boss, you better come over here."

He turned and went toward the front of the house. There on the side of what was the brick oven was an envelope addressed to him. He tore it open and read the hand written words. "You fucked me out of my life once; that was my fault. You tried to fuck me again; that is your fault. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on." There was no signature; there was no need for one.

Suddenly, he heard a voice shout, "Mother, get your fat ass over here now."

His wife walked slowly towards her daughter.

"Mother, you told us daddy was dead. Look! Here is a box addressed to me and one to Rick. In it are letters he wrote us every week since the divorce including some that were sent back to him in the mail. The last one was written yesterday. All it says is, 'I wish things had turned out differently. Have a good life.' How could you lie to your own children, you fucking pig? I'm going home and I don't give shit if I ever see you or that fucking bastard ever again. And if he ever tries to lay a hand on me again, I swear I will kill him." She picked up the two boxes and stormed to the limo and climbed in the back.

The wife turned and went back to the boss and walked right up to face him. "How long have you known?"

"What do you mean?"

"How long have you known that this was Gerald's place?" She said it slowly and with venom in her voice.

"I...I..I.."

"That's what I thought. You have known since you saw that interview on television. You are the lowest bastard I have ever known. I'm going home and try to salvage something with my daughter. Then I'm going to file for divorce and take every stinking dime I can from you. You, drive us back to the hotel to get our things."

The minion looked at the boss who nodded. He jumped into the car and sped back down the driveway almost hitting the sheriff's car coming in.

Jim got out and looked around in wonder. When he got the call, he was afraid something had happened to Gerald. All he found was a man he didn't know standing there with a defeated look on his face.

"So what's the problem, mister?"

"Look around you idiot. This place is totally destroyed."

"So what is the problem? The state bought the land-only at midnight last night. It looks like someone saved the state some demolition money."

"I want the bastard arrested."

"On what grounds and by the way, who the fuck are you? The state owns this land today."

"I bought it from the state this morning."

"Well good luck. The land was transferred to the state per the agreement. What your deal with the state was is you business. I suggest you talk to them. In the meantime, I suggest you calm down. The previous owner has moved and there is nothing that I can tell that he did wrong. As a matter of fact, I was the one who told him could burn it down if he wanted to as long as it was before midnight. From the state of things, it looks to me like the fire was started about 10:00 or 11 last night. He committed no crime."

"But he burned it to the ground."

"Mister whoever you are, I have known Gerald for almost ten years. If anyone ever had the right to burn something to the ground, he did. He built virtually all of this with his own hands. I watched him do it. If I were you, I would figure out how you are going to rebuild it and forget he ever existed. Now, I'm going back to town. I'll send the fire department out to douse the embers and I'll send a cab to pick you up since your ride seems to have disappeared. By the way, since you are the owner now, make sure you register to vote. I'm running for Congress from this district and I sure would appreciate your vote."

"Fuck you."

"Have a good day......prick."

Jim got back in his car and couldn't stop laughing until he got back into town. He would have along story to send to Gerald in his next e-mail.

The boss yelled at his minion, "Call that shit to come back and pick us up after he dumps that bitch off at the hotel. I've got a couple of phone calls to make."

He walked towards the barn and called a number. "Yes, it went through but the stupid shit burned the place to the ground. That idiot sheriff said he was the one who told him he could do it. No, can that. There is nothing you can do here. Call the bank or someone and see if you can recall the payment. I don't give a shit what you have to do. I'm screwed and I want him to get screwed too. I don't care what it takes. Get it done." He hung up and dialed another number. "I want your best investigator and I want him today. I want a man found and I want it done fast. Shit, I don't have the information with me. Have the son of a bitch come to the hotel down here today and I'll give him what he needs to know." Then he placed a third call. It was short but both parties knew what they wanted.

"How much for one?"

"Twenty for a clean job; twenty five for a messy one."

"I want a messy one. I'll call when I find his location."

"Done."

The call was over.

Fifteen minutes later, the limo returned and they got in. "What did you do with the bitch and her kid?"

I dropped them at the hotel until you called. They called a cab and were gone ten minutes after I dropped them off."

"Take me back to the hotel and then find me a fifth of scotch. We have work to do."

They drove back to the hotel and he had his flunkies write down everything they could remember about Gerald's truck and where they went and what they did. The list turned out to be a short one. They knew the make, model and license number of the truck. The places they went were few and mainly consisted of local places for very short periods of time. Nothing had left the place that could be traced. In short, the only way to follow them was Gerald's truck.

Once Jim had quit laughing, he decided that he should pass the word around that some out-of-towners might be looking for Gerald or Gwen. The word was that they were going to travel for a year or two and then look for a place to settle. He trusted that the small town would protect its own.

The investigator showed up at 4:00 and left with very little to go on but a truck and a license plate number. But the man had paid big bucks and he wanted results. He was the best because he could think like a fugitive and had a string of contacts he could call on for information.

That night he sat down and looked at a map. They had basically three choices of direction; west, north or east. He discounted east even though it would be easy to lose themselves in the traffic and mess of the towns. But these were small town people and probably wouldn't want to get lost in a big crowd. He discounted southern California for the same reason. That still left a big part of the country still to cover. He made a few calls and turned a couple of people into look outs. His first lead came the next morning when one of his contacts called and said that the truck had been sold to a dealer in Sante Fe. He had not bought another vehicle but had taken a cab to a hotel.

That told him that they were heading west but now he didn't know what form of transportation they would take. The train didn't go through Sante Fe; so that left the bus or plane. He guessed that a plane was his best bet. They had some money and that would take them to where they were going faster than any other way. He called a contact at a travel agent and gave her the information on the two people. The contact called back and said that there were three couples that fit the description who had booked flights out of Sante Fe. One couple might have been too old but they were going to Las Vegas. Another couple went to Denver. And the last couple went to Lincoln, Nebraska. He discounted the Las Vegas and Nebraska couples and took a look at Denver. Once again he was faced with the bus or another flight.

A check with another travel agent showed over a hundred couples fitting their description leaving Denver. There had been a religious convention in town and many of the attendees had been couples. Denver was a dead end. He went back to Santa Fe and started again. This time he focused on final destinations. He circled Idaho and western Montana and part of Wyoming. He circled Northern California through coastal Oregon and Washington. Finally he circled Colorado and Northern New Mexico. He felt that the guy was a long time gardener which ruled out Colorado and New Mexico. His bias also leaned against Idaho and Montana because of their frigid winters although many folks went there to disappear. These were people from the south and were probably not up to the cold.

He ruled out Northern California because California was too expensive to live. So he turned his focus to coastal Oregon and Washington up to just below Seattle. He liked that choice because they had flown to Seattle several times in recent years. They would probably be outside of the major cities because of the gardening issue. He also realized that in the areas of interest, they would need a vehicle and soon. He entered data into a search engine he had access to that would scan all new vehicle registrations in a defined area. It was used mainly by insurance companies to mail out solicitations to new vehicle owners. He also set the search for pickup trucks only. These people didn't seem like car people.

Knowing that this search might take a week or more, he turned his attention back to the local area to see if there were any clues to be found there. He ran their names through the social media sites and news sites. His search came up with little information. There were official notices of their divorces. His was over ten years previously; hers was five years old. There was a small bulletin about their wedding and reception. He felt something was odd about this because the article mentioned a re-affirmation of vows. On a whim, he ran their names through the Washington and Oregon public records and quickly found that they had obtained their marriage license in Seattle and that it had also been filed in Seattle. When he saw the announcement that her daughter had accepted a scholarship to Seattle University, he felt sure that they were in the coastal area of Washington. They had to be in the Seattle area probably within a 100 mile radius. He drew a smaller circle on his map and saw that the area included a variety of land, mountains, and islands.

He summarized his findings and felt that everything pointed in that direction. Now the hard part would be to pin them down. His first hope was the vehicle registration search and then he needed to find away to go after the money. People needed money to survive and to live. Money moving around created records. The difficulty was that access to those records was very hard to get without an inside source. He decided to pay the boss another visit and see what he could tell him about that. He called and was told to come the next day after 2:00 and he should have some concrete information on Gerald's money trail.

The next day, the boss had lunch sent up as one of his lawyers from a well connected law firm would arrive with information about the money transfer to Gerald. The lawyer arrived promptly with a grim look on his face.

"Come in and sit down and tell me the good news."

"Actually, I have bad news and worse news." That brought a frown to the boss's face.

"Spit it out." He ate a bite of his sandwich.

"The transfer went off without a hitch. The money went into his account at mid-night. And your transaction went through thirty minutes later. I checked with his bank yesterday morning and discovered a surprise. It seems that a month ago, he went to the bank with the final papers and took out a loan for the $250,000 and signed the papers that when the money was transferred the other night, it immediately went to pay off that loan. The bank had it checked out with the state and their lawyers said it was as good as gold. Murphy had $150,000 transferred into his investment account. He took $100,000 in cash."

"Nobody runs around with $100,000 cash in their suitcase except in the movies or in a drug deal."

"Yes, I know. But the bank gave him a letter verifying that the funds were the proceeds from a land sale and had it signed by the bank and the local Fed office. No one is going to question it if he deposits the money anywhere. I tried to see about cancelling the transfer but the state said that without proof of irregularity, they weren't going to consider it. So he has had the money for over a month."

"That bastard. What about his investment account? Can we track anything from that?"

"We could if we could access it. It is in their private banking section, you know the big money accounts."

"Yes, I know. I have one myself."

"So you know that no one can access the details of the account. My contact could come up with some information on the transactions going in and out locally and in the past and this was another surprise. For the past ten years, money has been going into his account be he has never taken anything out. He has never had a loan or a credit card or anything. Money just gets deposited into his account; nothing comes out. The account got big enough five years ago that they moved it into the private banking group. So as best as I can tell, he has lived on a cash basis for the past ten years. He makes whatever cash he makes and uses it and doesn't dig into his savings. Frankly, he leaves no paper trail on anything. His wife has been a school teacher and her accounts have been get her paycheck and pay bills. It was about four years ago that she began putting money in a regular savings account. The only money that came out was around Christmas. These guys are the most invisible people I have ever come across."

"Shit. That makes things really difficult. So let that go and get on with preparing for the divorce or whatever my dear wife is up to."

"That is the worse news. I can't. Your wife has hired my firm to handle her divorce. She retained the old man himself. He sent word down that we can work with you on business things but no personal things until after the divorce is final."

"How did that fucking bitch ever get involved with the old man?"

"Rumor has it that they have been fucking for almost a year. Now that she is getting a divorce, he wants to marry her, retire and move to Vegas."

The boss laughed. "That fits. Hey, while this is going on, maybe you can fuck her too."

"I already have about a year ago. I was the one who introduced her to the old man."

"Get the fuck out of here. Don't call me, I'll call you."

The lawyer left with a lighter heart. He hoped that he had heard the last from the man. The rumors also said that the divorce was going to get ugly in a hurry and that being on his side was going to be a rough ride.

Twenty minutes later, the investigator arrived and sat in front of his client. He briefly told him about the sale of the truck in Santa Fe and summarized his searches. He then told him the reasons why he felt that they would end up in the Seattle area. The man seemed distracted but nodded at his conclusion. He then told him that there wasn't much of a paper trail on the money to find. Gerald was wandering around the country with $100,000 in cash and there was no telling where it would be spent. This actually told the investigator something. People who flash $100 bills were memorable in most places. That could help his search. In conclusion, the client told him to go to the Seattle area and find them and that he wanted a report in two months. The client handed him a wad of cash and gave him a phone number and an address to contact him at. The investigator left to plan his trip to Seattle while the boss checked out and went to his home to plan how to cover things up and minimize the damage from the divorce.

Two months later in late July as the investigator wrote his final report; he realized that the people he was tracking were either really brilliant or amazingly lucky. He had discovered no trace of them anywhere. They had bought no vehicle of any kind, at least in their own name. There was no sign of a trail of $100 bills anywhere to be found. He had followed the daughter and her roommate and discovered that they went to class every day and met friends on the weekends. There had been no contact with anyone suspicious or any trips out of the immediate area. He finally wrote that he still suspected that the pair were in the area but may have gone to Canada or to one of the islands and just disappeared into the woodwork. He didn't like to write a report like that but the man said he wanted a report in two months and he delivered it.

What he didn't know was that the client was so involved in the divorce that he never read the report. By the end of July reports were hitting the newspapers and television. A Grand Jury was starting an investigation into his political affairs. His big money supporters disappeared and he was close to losing everything he owned just to pay his team of lawyers who proved to be inept at keeping things out of the public eye. Two years later, he entered a Federal prison on multiple charges of corruption, influence peddling, and misuse of government money. For ten years he spent time idling his time away behind bars and seldom thought about Gerald or anything that precipitated his fall. His hatred was directed at his ex-wife who had married the old man and was living the high social life she loved in Vegas.

The objects of this attention were neither brilliant nor lucky. They were just following their plan and living as they always had. They did drive to Santa Fe and sold his truck. The truck was five years old and wouldn't be needed for several years. The choice of Santa Fe was for two reasons. The first was that the dealer was Gwen's cousin. After honestly telling him about the truck, they agreed on a price and the date they would arrive. From there, they took a cab to pick up a heavy duty truck that the village had bought from a military surplus company. It would be of benefit during the cold winters and to move the heavy material in summer. They picked up the truck with no problem and drove it from New Mexico to the boat dock for the village. On the way, they basically prepared their own meals on a small camp stove they had bought along with a combination cd player and radio to listen to on the road.

On their previous exploration of the area, they discovered a couple who were looking to retire in a couple of years and wanted to sell their 20 acre property. Half of the property was an apple orchard and the other half was open for gardening. The house was an older but solid house with three bedrooms and a large farm kitchen and pantry. Both Gerald and Gwen had fallen in love with it. So they sat down and talked to the owner about his plans and theirs. When everything was on the table, they came to an agreement whereby Gerald would pay the man $10,000 up front for the right to store some personal things in his barn. The next year, he would make a $50,000 down payment on the house with the final payment due at closing two years after that. The man and his wife couldn't have been happier and neither could Gwen or Gerald.
They stayed in the town for several days and met again with the elderly man and his attorney. Gerald handed them $50,000 in cash along with a copy of the letter from the bank. They agreed that the final closing on the property would be during the summer two years hence and that Gerald would provide $200,000 at closing. The elderly man was so appreciative that he gave Gerald a key to the gate and barn in case they needed anything and they were gone.

Gerald and Gwen gave him their thanks and caught the boat up to the village the next day while the truck would go on the next barge the following week. They were six weeks early, but they were welcomed and put to work even though their two year term as permanent staff wouldn't start until September. Their experience and extra hands proved to be beneficial as the summer was exceedingly busy with visitors. On one trip down lake, they called Cherilyn and told them to not try to come until August as there wasn't any room until then. The girls agreed saying that they were really adapting to the college life and enjoyed meeting new friends.

In August, they drove both Jeeps over the mountain and parked Cherilyn's in the protected long term lot near the boat dock. They were warmly greeted by Gwen and Gerald and were quickly and enthusiastically involved in activities during their two week stay. As they left, Cherilyn handed Gerald the keys to her Jeep and told him where it was parked. It turned out that parking at school was difficult and they took the bus to school and parking was also tight around the aunt's house. Therefore, they decided to leave one Jeep for Gerald and Gwen to use if they came down lake for a weekend. They expressed their thanks at their thoughtfulness and shared the boat ride with the girls as they left. The Jeep gave them the opportunity to check up on their things in storage.

On the boat, Cherilyn confided to them finally that the week before graduation, she and Jenny had driven to the prison and had one last visit with her father. At first he refused to see her but she said she wouldn't leave until she saw him. He relented and their meeting was brief. He told her that he had really messed up his life and that he was of no use to her and for her to forget him. She told him that she couldn't forget him because he was her father, but that she was going on with her life but in Seattle. Then they said their last goodbyes. Gwen looked worried for her daughter. Gerald simply said, "Cheri, you did what you needed to do. Do you have any regrets?" She answered, "No. I was prepared for it but I still needed to make the effort. I have you as my parents and I feel like the luckiest girl alive." She shed no tears but was thankful that they were all now close again.

The Aftermath

Gerald and Gwen had agreed to a two year term on the permanent staff. Gerald would be the head of maintenance and buildings. Gwen was head of guest activities and events. Their early arrival allowed them to work with the leaving staff for two months before they took over their responsibilities. In late August, the former staff left and Gwen and Gerald were assigned a chalet, one of several permanent houses on the property for the staff. This allowed them to bring some of their small appliances up from storage.

The girls didn't come often during the school semester because the round trip would take too long for a weekend. But they came and spent the winter break and stayed in the house with Gerald and Gwen. Jim and Pam were staying in Washington D.C. for the winter because of some big pending legislation. The girls planned to come the next summer in August to volunteer. Gwen went to visit for several long weekends during the winter and spring although Gerald only went once. They were deeply involved in upgrading the utilities to two of the dorms.

That summer, Jenny decided to stay in Seattle as she got an internship at a law firm and felt that it was too important to miss. As a result, in late July, Cherilyn arrived for her volunteer program with a young man in tow. They quickly arranged for him to replace Jenny. Cherilyn stayed with Gwen and Gerald. As they got to know Robert Gerard, Gwen couldn't help but notice the similarities between him and Gerald. Both were quiet and diligent. It was also obvious to her that he really liked Cherilyn and she liked him too. It turned out that he grew up in a small town nearby and knew of the village but had never been there. He had spent his childhood working in his family's orchard and knew the area very well. He worked with Cherilyn with activities during the day but if Gerald needed an extra hand, he was always willing to lend a hand. After they left to return to school, both Gwen and Gerald confessed that they really liked Robert and hoped that they would see him again.

They saw him again during the Christmas break. The two had spent several days with his parents and then made the trip to the village and spent the rest of the holiday with Gwen and Gerald. It was obvious now that they were a couple and Gwen and Gerald treated them as such. He was a two years ahead of Cherilyn and would graduate with a degree in economics this coming spring. He was then going to the University of Washington in Seattle to enter their doctoral program. Cherilyn had found her passion in economics also and had changed her major to that. The holiday season was short but enjoyable. The couple returned during spring break where after asking Gerald for Cherilyn's hand in marriage, he asked Cherilyn and she accepted. Gwen cried as he slipped a small diamond ting on her baby's finger. They said that they were going to wait to have the wedding after Cherilyn graduated in two years but that they were going to share his apartment in the city. Neither Gwen nor Gerald could find fault with their planning.

As their two year adventure began to draw to a close, Gwen and Gerald began planning for their life after the village. They had been in frequent contact with the elderly man and his wife and they said that they planned on vacating the house during July and they agreed to close on August 1st. Gwen went into Seattle in April and took the test to gain her certification in Washington. She received her certificate in June and was hired for the fall semester in the town by the lake. They went into town almost every weekend in August and moved their things into the house. Cherilyn and Robert came and stayed in the house to take care of things and help unpack. Robert also spent time in the orchard and prepared things for the fall harvest.

They spent their last week in the village saying goodbyes and training their replacements and finally made the long boat trip back to civilization. Gerald's new truck was waiting at the dock for them. He had ordered it and Robert had picked it up for them. As they drove up to their house together, Gwen held Gerald's hand and thanked him for a wonderful three years of marriage and their adventure and their new life. Gerald just thanked her for being her. He loved her more now than he had and was looking forward to the rest of their lives together. They were met at the house by Cherilyn and Robert and Robert's parents. They had a big dinner waiting and the big kitchen once again came alive with people and laughter and friendship.

Two weeks after their permanent arrival in town, they made their first appearance at the local farmer's market. Gerald brought twenty loaves of bread and a number of funny shaped oval buns and Gwen brought fifty pecan pralines. Gerald sold all twenty of his loaves and most of the buns. Gwen sold thirty five of her pralines but two weeks later, they were all sold as the local people discovered a new treat. Robert's parents lived only twenty miles away and they became frequent visitors to the market and also to their house after the market. The future in-laws quickly became fast friends as Robert's father quickly brought Gerald up to speed on tending an apple orchard. Gwen started teaching again in September and quickly became a well respected and accepted member of the faculty. Gerald got started on his garden for the next year but he also found time to build a deck for his grill and a brick oven for his bread.

September passed into October and Gerald came in one day in mid-October to find Gwen flitting around the kitchen. He knew from experience that Gwen had something on her mind and wanted to talk to him about something. He poured them each a glass of wine and led her to their couch. A fire was already burning in the fireplace. Once he had her seated, he said, "Alright Gwen, what do you want to talk about?"

She looked at him with a smile. "Gerald, on the first day of school, I noticed this quiet little girl. Her name is Jillian. She has been a good student but very quiet. Last month I heard that there was a lot of problems in her home. This week we heard that family services had taken her away from her home because some violence going on. I was wondering........"

"Who do we talk to Gwen?"

"Her name is Ms. Trimble and she is stopping by tonight."

"I better go take a shower and clean up."

"Gerald, we don't have to do this."

"Gwen, I know that look in your eye. This is something that needs to be done. If we can do it, we will."

"I love you, Gerald."

"I love you, Gwen." He rose and went and took a shower and cleaned up. The woman arrived at 7:30 and they talked for almost two hours. The next week, there was a home visit and inspection. The following week, they attended a class on foster parenting and were certified as foster parents. One week before Thanksgiving, Jillian Michaels came to live with them. On Thanksgiving Day, Cherilyn met her new foster sister and immediately bonded with the shy little girl. By mid-January, they were named permanent guardians of Jillian and a year and a half later, she was adopted into the family and renamed Jillian Murphy. On that day, she looked at Gwen for the first time and called her momma and then she called Gerald daddy. She also began to show the smile that soon became a permanent feature on her face.

And so the story of a recycled family began anew. Gerald felt secure and vindicated in his place in the scheme of things. Gwen felt thrilled at having the opportunity to be a wife and mother again and soon became a grandmother for the first, but not last time as Cherilyn Gerard presented them with Gerald Gerard a year later. Jillian was happy to have a mother, a father, a sister, and a nephew; a true family that she had never had before. For the rest of their lives nothing newsworthy happened but every little event was celebrated and appreciated to its fullest.