It was raining when they awoke the next day and their plans for the garden would have to be postponed. They went down to breakfast and sat at the dining room table, had their coffee, and thought about the plans for the day.
“What do you say if we take the day to do some things inside, like trying to figure out what we will need to change here? What you would like to add or work with to make it ours? We can make a list of the things we’ll have to pick up or change.”
“All right, we can look around after we finish breakfast. It may clear off during the day and we can go outside after all to look at the vineyard some more.”
“That is true we can think about that as a possibility. It will be great if it does.”
They finished eating and he took her into the living room. They began to look around. He gave her a pad and a pen so she began to write some things as they came to mind.
“We can look at these again later and make final decisions. I would rather not make immediate changes in most things. It is a little early for me to have a feel of the place but I can list some things to consider.”
From there they went to the other areas of the house and she wrote more notes on her pad.
“We will go over them later after we have been together a while. I do not want to change your arrangements except as we go along and agree on new things as they appeal to us. Right now, we will just enjoy our present time here and take stock.”
“Yes, I understand,” he told her. “Maybe I am rushing things a little, but I want you to feel totally at home and I know I will enjoy any changes you make. I love the things you did at your house, though we have a different situation here.”
As they went through each room he told her of things that had a meaning to him for some reason and she noted them. The things here, after all, had been part of him for a long time and could not be changed too suddenly or drastically without arousing some emotions.
By the time they finished looking around it was nearly noon. They saw the sun beginning to come out and were overjoyed. They could go out to the vineyard after all. They decided to wait until after lunch because everything was still quite wet and the vines were drippy. They were already dressed for outside work and didn’t have to change. They told Marjolaine they would like a light lunch; they’d been eating too lavishly and must be careful of their health. She was conscious of every pound she gained over a certain limit. She wanted to stay neat, trim and that helped keep their metabolism active.
After lunch they went outside and looked at the grapevines. There were quite a few of them and they should make quite a few bottles of wine once they got into it. The gardener saw them and came out to talk to them about it. He told them of the special care they needed and what he had have to do to get things going well so they would produce next year. He needed to keep an eye on them to prevent the return of the previous problem. They were fascinated and listened to him. She had her pad with her and recorded some of the things she wished to remember so she could check them further. She wanted to get involved as much as she could in the process.
When they were finished there they walked around the grounds and he asked her if there were any changes she would like to think about here. She told him she would look at it and see what she thought might make a difference. After all, it was set up with a specific purpose in mind and all those things had to be considered before she made any plans. They would have to look at everything and talk about it after the honeymoon was over. It was too early to get into it now.
They went inside and decided to call his family to invite them over and see when they would be able to come. He called his mother first and they were glad to hear from him. He told her they just got back and planned to stay a few days, then go back to her place for a while to make some plans for the rest of their life, their work, and travel.
“Have you been well, Mother, since your bout before the wedding?
“I had a recurrence after we got back home, but after a brief period of rest, I am back to my old self again.”
“I am so glad to hear that. But you need to check to make sure nothing serious is occurring. We’ve been very concerned during our whole trip.”
His folks could come for dinner tomorrow evening and they’d call Dirje and Cord to see if they could come as well and let them know. They sat in the living room a while and talked about giving them the gifts they brought for them. It would be a good time and they could fill them in on where they had been. Later when they were settled they could show them the videos and snapshots.
His mother called back and told him Dirje and Cord could come tomorrow evening also. They would bring the children so they could get better acquainted. At the wedding they did not really have time to get to know them. Triessa was pleased for she liked children and looked forward to seeing them.
“Well, that is settled,” said Todd. “Let’s go tell Marjolaine so she can prepare the things they will need and get everything set up. Maybe we can go into town for her if she needs anything. It will be a good outing. We could go somewhere special for lunch if you would like.”
“That sounds nice. I am sure you are familiar with the area and will find a really nice place. It will be a pleasant change. I am glad to be able to get to know more about the area here since you have lived here all your life and have your home here.”
They ate dinner, went into the living room for a while and talked about how long they would stay here. They would leave at the end of the week; that would be three more days. This way they would be back at her place on the weekend and have a glorious time in the Rose Garden. If they left on Friday, they could be there to go out and spend time in their beloved Rose Garden on Saturday. It was on a Saturday, five weeks ago, they got married. They would enter it again on the same day of the week. They could spend some time there deciding what they would do for the future, how and when to begin work again.
“Let’s go up to my workroom and let me show you some of the things I will be getting into when I get back to work. I had started with some ideas and left them there until I had more time to do them, they still need some added details. You may be able to see some that can liven it up.”
They went up to the room and he opened the case where he kept his gemstones. They were certainly beautiful. He had them arranged according to types, and in each group he had a certain color arrangement. He knew how he would be looking for the stones and could go right to them.
He showed her his tools explaining briefly what each one was for. It would take far more time to explain them fully, even a demonstration to help her understand it better. She looked at his designs and had a little understanding about them for designing had some resemblances, no matter what the field. She made a few suggestions and he was really pleased with them.
“That is great,” he replied. “A fresh eye on something can add details one working on it may not see. I will consider them seriously. Once I look at them for a long time, it is hard to see anything beyond my original plan and design. Thank you.”
They decided to go to bed, so he closed the door to the jewel case and they left the room. They went into the bedroom to get ready for bed and lay there a while just resting in each other’s arms and talked about tomorrow. They would go in to town about ten o’clock and be ready to have lunch so they could look around a while to see if there was anything she might be interested in. Tomorrow was Wednesday and he’d better call the airlines if they were to leave on Friday. He should have done it today. They really would like to get back to her place no later than late afternoon. Then they could settle down to get ready for the next day when they would go out and see the Rose Garden again, the first time for over a month. She was getting a little excited about it. She hadn’t been away from it this long before. Traveling was fun but there came a time when you wanted to get back home to familiar territory for a while and some sort of routine.
They soon fell asleep and awoke the next day to get ready to go into town. They told Marjolaine they would n
ot be there for lunch. He showed her some places along the way which were really pretty and gave her a little history on each place some of which he visited often while growing up. They would have to look at them more closely sometime in the future.
They soon arrived in town and went to a shopping area where he wanted to show her some shops that carried a lot of the local wares. Many people make and supply them to the markets. She was definitely impressed with them. She looked in one shop as they walked along, saw a real special purse and wanted to go in and look at it. She examined it and decided she would get it. He took it, paid for it and gave it to her. She kissed and thanked him. This was something she would have to get used to. It still seemed a little strange to her since she had always done these things herself.
Just a few doors down was the quaint little restaurant he had in mind, and when they went in she was impressed with the small but charming interior. It was pleasant and clean and had some old-fashioned tables and chairs. He felt she would like this.
“Oh, this is magnificent,” she exclaimed. “How lovely, we will definitely have to come here more often in the future.”
They sat down to order and she was amazed at the menu. It was filled with names she did not understand, but he helped her with it. They ordered a nice meal and sat to enjoy the atmosphere while they waited for it to arrive. She ordered some hot tea for a change, and when it arrived, she sipped it, finding it very enjoyable. It really hit the spot. He had ordered coffee and they talked about the places where they had just been and the lovely little shops.
Lunch arrived and they began to eat right away; they were hungry and it tasted very good. It was not elaborate food but very satisfying and tasty. Some of it was new to her and she was really pleased with the new flavors. They planned to linger so they could enjoy this lovely setting and take some more time afterward to go to some more shops on the other side of the street.
“I am so glad we came here,” she exclaimed as he helped her into the car. “This will definitely become one of my favorite places when we’re here.”
They went to pick up the items Marjolaine would need for dinner tonight and started back so she could have them in time to begin the preparation.
They got back and took the items to Marjolaine. Triessa looked around and smelled the air.
“How wonderful everything looks and smells. I definitely would like to have some cooking lessons in the future, if you are willing to do that.”
She nodded and assured her that she’d be only too pleased to do so. She would be proud to pass on her skills, especially to Todd’s lovely wife. She’d like for her tradition to continue here in this wonderful family. They all liked her very much.
She went out to tell Todd how wonderful all the things were in there.
“It is going to be fun to learn to do all these things one day. I am eager to do it and make some lovely meals for you myself occasionally.”
“That will be very nice. I am sure you could do so now. I think I will go up and change before my folks come; how about you?”
“Yes,” she replied, “I would like to shower and change my clothes. I want to look really nice when I meet my in-laws. Before they were your family now they are mine also. Isn’t it wonderful? We each have two sets of parents. That is a blessing plus.”
“Yes, it truly is, my precious princess,” he replied. “I know they feel the same way and like you very much.”
They showered, dressed and went downstairs to wait for them to arrive. They soon heard them driving up out front and went to meet them at the door. They all exchanged hugs and greetings and went back into the living room. It was great to be all together again.
“You are looking well, Mother. We are so relieved to see that,” Todd told her as he hugged her.
The children rushed up to her and called her “Auntie Triessa.” She was pleased and gave them special hugs and talked to them. She had Todd get the box with everyone’s presents in it. They passed them out and everyone was overjoyed with their gifts. Most of them came from Paris and were special items that fit the personality of the recipient. The children had toys and some clothes and were very happy with all this. It was something to occupy them and keep them interested and busy.
Everyone thanked them profusely and they settled down. They began to ask questions.
“Where did you go? What special things did you see? Do you have pictures to show us?”
Todd said, “Wait a minute, please, I know you are excited and we will cover it all one day.” He recounted some experiences for them. “We took lots of snapshots, video shots and have a wonderful collection of memories to show you when we’re all done and have them developed and ready. We will all get together and see them so we will not have to go over it too many times. We spent some time in Paris and saw a lot of sights there. From our hotel we could see the Eiffel Tower. It was just awesome. We went to Vienna and saw many wonderful sights there and enjoyed the countryside and the Lipizzaner Stallions. They are elegant animals. I may even consider getting a couple horses one of these days. We went back to Monaco and spent some time there in the most beautiful setting you could imagine. You will have to see it to believe it, I can assure you. We have been here a couple days and went to the restaurant where we got engaged on the first month anniversary and had a marvelous evening.”
Marjolaine called them in to dinner. They talked as they ate and discussed some of the marvelous things they’d seen and done. The meal was a huge success and the family retired to the living room after it was over to wait a while before having dessert and coffee.
“What a splendid evening,” exclaimed Todd’s mother and the whole family agreed with emphasis that it had truly been splendid. They talked longer and looked at the clock; the time had really whizzed by. It was ten-thirty.
“We really must be going,” his parents exclaimed.
“We did not mean to keep you up so late but it has been so exciting. There are so many things to talk about and we are so happy to see you. Will you be going back home soon?” Esther asked Triessa. “I am sure you are eager to get back after being gone so long. This is a total change from your usual schedule.”
“Yes, we are planning to return there on Friday if we can get travel arrangements scheduled to do so. I am anticipating getting back to see my Rose Garden. I am sure it is just exquisite now. After our visit back there we will need to come and spend more time here. Todd will be homesick, too.”
They all hugged and kissed each other as they parted and Dirje said to her, “I am glad to have a sister now. We must get a chance to spend some time together in the future.”
“We certainly will,” said Triessa. “I feel the same way.”
After they left, Todd and Triessa went up to bed. It was a welcome sight. It had been a busy day and they were ready to get to bed. It would really feel good to them. They got ready and got into bed, and as they lay there, they began to talk about the trip back to her place day after tomorrow. It was hard to believe. They both fell asleep talking about it.
Thursday was a nice day, just right in temperature and clear and bright. They had to call about the tickets. They left them open ended and it should not be a problem, but they were a little concerned until they found out for sure. They had some coffee and then he called to talk to them about their arrangements. He told them that they had been on their honeymoon and it had been hard to nail anything down too closely until now. Things happen that are not planned and time gets taken up in great chunks. They talked a while and he learned that there was one flight out, but it did not leave until about twelve o’clock They would arrive at her home town very late evening.
“That is all right,” he told her.
They set it up and made all the arrangements. He told her he had pick up the tickets there when they arrived. He hung up and went to tell Triessa. She was a little disappointed that the flight was later in the day but it was understandable. They would be back home and she could easily wait until the next day to see
the Rose Garden. The temptation would not be as great after dark and it would be best to do it the next day.
She smiled and he knew she was getting a little homesick. Most of the area they had covered was more familiar to him than it was to her. It was natural to be homesick, after all, this was a whole new life for her. They both were going to have to make some changes and had not talked about it that much. It was hard to just decide such things. It could not be done all at once. This would become part of living as they went on. They could not foresee events ahead of time and relate to them.
“Well, that is settled. Do you want to drive over to my folks place for a while? Then we can hang around here a while tomorrow and go in early so we can have some time before the flight. Can you believe it? It is all over. We are heading back to the special Rose Garden and closing a gap. We have been gone five weeks on Sunday. It does not seem possible but we really have done a lot.”
“You are so right. It has been full and wonderful and gone by too fast. Yes, I would like to go see your parents for a while. Maybe you should call to be sure they will be at home.”
He called. They would be home and delighted for their visit. They would leave as soon as they could get ready and spend some time there with them. Cord was working but maybe Dirje could come over. They arrived and drove up front. His parents met them at the door. They were so happy to have them here.
“Please come on in and we will sit and talk some more.”
They went into the living room and talked a while, going over some ideas on how to handle their future. They respected the advice of older folk who’d had lots of experience and knew how to think and plan many things. They could listen to all the advice. It may guide them, though the decision would have to be theirs and it would not happen overnight. They had plenty of time to deal with it. They could possibly get it all settled before they started a family. There was plenty of time for that.
They heard a doorbell. Dirje arrived and they were happy to welcome her into the discussion.
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