Chapter 31
Joe and Mary had a wonderful marriage. They worked together at SaraCom, and they worked together with their charity work. With Mary’s expertise in business and Joe’s expertise in computers and investments, they set up the Rogers-Williams Foundation whose sole purpose was to help children in California and around the country as well as around the world.
Joe and Mary grew closer every day. They spent a lot of time with their family who were there to share all of their milestones. On their 2nd wedding anniversary, Mary gave Joe the most wonderful gift of all. She told him that she was pregnant with their first child. The baby was due on February 14th. When they told Betty and the rest of the family, they were just as excited as Joe and Mary.
Since they needed another room for the nursery and since Matt had moved out, and Mark was in college, Joe had more remodeling done and had a nursery added to the apartment, with a door leading to the upstairs hallway, so that Betty could have access to the baby when she babysat.
Betty’s family was growing up and she was ready to be a grandma. Matt was now twenty-three and had graduated from Columbia University the previous May. He was working as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He was engaged to be married to Hannah Alexander, the following year.
Mark was twenty and had just finished his sophomore year at UCLA, where he was on a full baseball scholarship. He was majoring in History with a minor in physical education. He was the star pitcher on the baseball team and many Major League scouts were watching him closely. He had led the team to 2nd place in the national college baseball championship.
Luke was eighteen and had just graduated from high school with top honors. In the fall, he would be attending the California Culinary Academy. His goal was to own his own restaurant by the time he was thirty.
John had just finished his sophomore year of high school. He was an honor student with straight A’s. He was a drummer in the high school band; played basketball, and was working on the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts. Luke and Mark were already Eagle Scouts. He was also a very good golfer.
Paul was fourteen and would be a freshman in the fall. He was also a straight ‘A’ student and wanted to be a teacher when he got out of college. He played the violin so well that he was accepted into the junior-senior orchestra.
Sarah and Becca were twelve and would start the sixth grade in the fall. They were best friends and were inseparable. Sarah excelled in math and science while Becca did extremely well in art and music. Becca was one of the best pianists under eighteen in San Francisco.
Betty was now fifty years old and was nowhere near retiring from nursing. She was looking forward to being a grandmother.
It had been two and a half years since Jim had returned home to his family. He was doing well at his job and had not gambled or taken a drink in over three years.
His children were now friendly towards him, though not as close as Jim would like them to be. He and Betty were becoming good friends, and now that they would have a grandchild together, they began to see more of each other.
Joe had forgiven his grandparents and they saw a lot of each other. They were looking forward to the birth of their first great grandchild.
To Love, Honor and Cherish Page 31