by Nancy Adams
“Rebecca, I have told you for years that you are your own worst enemy, because you always second guess everything you do. We're doing the thing that life has led us to do, Honey, and there's a whole new life full of adventure and excitement and grandkids waiting for us. Let's go for it, and let God lead us where He wills, okay?”
I smiled and kissed him again. “Do you know how blessed I am to have you?” I asked.
Everything was done, and it was time to make our new life. Jim's car was loaded onto one truck, and mine on the other; we had already sold Katelynn's car to a friend of Jim's, and I had the money tucked away in my purse for her. She'd been driving an old car of Nate's, but he'd promised to take her out car shopping that coming weekend, so she could get one that she wanted. She was too independent to ride in a chauffeured limousine all the time, so she needed a car of her own.
We called a taxi to take us to the airport. The company's new jet, a much bigger one than the one that had crashed, was waiting for us there already, so all we took with us were a couple of suitcases with personal effects in them. Everything else would arrive in about a week, and would be stored in the garage at our guest house until our house was ready, but at least it would be in reach if we needed it.
The flight was smooth, and seemed to be shorter in this new airplane; Jim said it was because this one had bigger engines, and was designed to fly higher and faster than the little one they'd had before. All I knew was that it was awfully nice, not having to squeeze into coach seating! I had always hated that, but we'd never felt we could afford first class, even when Jim was in the Senate. He felt that he owed it to his constituents not to spend money that didn’t need to be spent, and it's one of the reasons people wanted him back. The current machine in Washington is the reason he refused to run again.
We landed, and I was surprised to see Norman and Katherine there to pick us up, rather than just their chauffeur. Emerson was a dear man, and always ready and willing to drive any of us, but they'd let him have the day off, they said, because they wanted to pick us up personally.
“Wow,” Jim said. “It's not often a guy gets driven around by a big shot like you, Norm! What did I do to deserve this?”
Norman smiled, and put a finger to his lips. “Don't let anyone else know, but I do this for people who are gonna make me ever richer than I am. The presentation you wrote for the county planning department did the trick, Jim; Grizzly, California is going to be a reality! We got the approval this morning, by special courier, no less!”
We all were delighted! The idea had originally been Nate's, but Jim had gotten his heart into it in no time flat, and it was a dream come true for him. We'd be building a whole little community for people who wanted a decent place to live and raise a family, and I was proud of my husband for being the one to take on the leadership role in the project.
“The next step is already on your desk,” Norman went on. “We've let the community design out for bids, and there are about a dozen proposals waiting for you to look at just since this morning. One of the architects is the guy who designed the new business center down at San Diego, and I think he might be worth looking at closely, but that's your call. I just had them all delivered to your place, so they can give you headaches instead of me.”
“Good,” my husband said, rolling his eyes. “Wouldn't do for me to think I might get to rest a day or two. Gotta keep me busy, chief!”
We got to their car, a beautiful Bentley sedan. Jim and I slid into the spacious back seats, and I was surprised when Katherine got behind the wheel.
“Norman doesn't like to drive in the city,” she explained, “so I get to be the chauffeur today. I don't mind, though, it takes me back a few years to when we had to drive ourselves everywhere.”
I chuckled. “Seems to me you'd love being spoiled, with a chauffeur and all. I know I'm looking forward to it.”
“Oh, I do, don't get me wrong. It's just that sometimes I like to fend for myself and prove I still can!”
She could, all right. She handled that big car like it was a little bitty one, whipping through traffic as if it were standing still. I was impressed; North Platte traffic was enough to make me nervous, and I knew I'd never get the hang of driving in San Francisco. Thank goodness Grizzly was going to have stores and doctors and such of its own, or I'd be in a pickle!
We got to the estate, but they didn't take us to the guest house we were using; instead, they drove to the area the men had chosen for the community, and Norman showed us a couple of places that were marked off with stakes and ribbon.
“That area there,” he said, pointing out a large square spot, “is where we're going to put the park. Nate wanted it big enough for the community, so we gave it eighty acres of its own. There will be a playground, several pavilions, a few hundred picnic areas with tables, a pond that we'll stock with fish and keep ready for ducks and geese, a band shell and other things that most parks don't seem to have anymore. Nate got the SF Fire Department to donate two old fire engines, and we'll have them mounted for kids to play on. They'll be stripped of anything dangerous, of course, but he wants them have working water hoses in the summer. He also got two old military fighter jets, which will also be stripped, and a tank! Grizzly's kids will get to play with a lot of history!”
He pointed to another smaller area, a short distance away in a different direction. “Saint Francis Memorial wants to put a full service medical clinic out here, at their own expense, because it can serve this entire end of the county. That means an actual small hospital, complete with radiology, lab, surgery, everything! They say it will have two hundred beds, and they need fifteen acres total. I'm suggesting right there, but it's your decision, of course. I picked this spot because it will be closest to the main entrance to the community from the highway. And by the way, the state says they'll build us an exit from the I 580 Highway!”
Jim was smiling from ear to ear. “Wow, sounds like you guys have been busy while I was gone!”
“Not me,” Norman said. “Nate! He did most of this himself, and wanted to get these basics done before you got back. I told him I was going to show you, and he was all for it.”
Jim nodded his head enthusiastically. “Man, I'm so stoked! I need to get on those proposals tonight!”
Sometimes I'm just so proud of that man.
Katelynn
Chapter Six
Oh, Wait, I've Changed My Mind
* * * * *
Sore boobs, peeing all the time, diarrhea and mood swings! Oh, dear Lord, what was I thinking when I wanted to be pregnant! Everything is setting me off, from the alarm clock to Nate's cuddling! I can't get through an hour without either crying or getting angry, and there's just no real reason for either one!
It was Saturday, so Nate was off for the day, and after I got through hugging the toilet, he asked me if I wanted to go out for breakfast. I said, “Sure, Babe, great idea,” and then he gave me a hug and I got a strong whiff of his cologne—the same one I loved up until then—and puked all over him! I was so embarrassed, but all he did was whip off his shirt and hold me while I cried!
“It's okay, honey,” he said. “I love you, and I understand completely, but this isn't your fault. Baby, just relax and let your body adjust to being pregnant.”
I clung to him and cried like a baby myself. I had never been like this, never been so moody, never been one to get so upset so easily. This was all new to me, and I didn't know how to deal with it.
“Baby, just relax,” Nate said. “Come on, Baby, you've got to get a grip. It's like you're just falling apart on me, and I don't know how to help you. What can I do?”
I sniffled, and tried to get my crying under control, but it took a few minutes. He was being so wonderful, and here I was being such a big crybaby. I wiped my eyes, and actually blew my nose on my shirt sleeve because I didn't have anything else to use.
“I'm trying, Baby, I'm trying so hard.” I sniffled again. “I don't know how to be pregnant, and that's what it
all about, isn't it? It's about me just not knowing how to handle this. I mean, what did women do back in the dark ages? They didn't have doctors and hospitals to run to, and yet, somehow they managed to have healthy babies all the time. How'd they do that?”
I could tell that Nate tried hard not to laugh, but he couldn't help himself. “Baby, it's really okay. I'm pretty sure that your body knows what to do, even if you don't. You've just got to relax and let it go. Let your body do what comes naturally, and I'm pretty sure everything will be okay.”
The hardest part of it all was knowing that he was trying so hard to be good to me, to be nice. The trouble was that, just like me, he didn't know what to do either. We were two amateurs, trying to become parents the hard way.
I made what I considered a valiant effort, and pulled myself together. “Okay, I'm pulling it together now! I'm not going to be a big wimp about this. This is our baby, and I know she's going to be the best baby she could possibly be. And that means we're going to be the best parents we can possibly be, right?”
Nate smiled. “Okay, so when did you find out it's going to be a girl? Somehow, I didn't get the memo on that. Do you know something I don't?”
I managed a smile. “No, I'm just determined its going to be a girl. I've heard horror stories about raising boys, and I want a girl first. Then we'll take a few years in between children, so that our daughter can help take care of her baby brother. That's my plan, and I like it!”
That made us both laugh, and laughing made it a little easier to keep myself under control, so we both went up to the bathroom to clean up. Of course, that led to taking a shower together, which led to...
Okay, it's none of your business what it led to.
After we, ahem, got cleaned up, and after Nate washed off all that cologne, we made it out the front door and into one of his cars. This was a beautiful old Cadillac convertible. He had the top down, even though it was a little cool out, but I had been smart enough to grab a sweater and put it on before we left the house. He started up the big car, and we eased our way down the drive to the main road that led out to the highway.
The town of Grizzly was coming together nicely. My dad was running the project, and he had made a fantastic choice of architects. The small firm that he chose had designed a little town that was going to be absolutely beautiful when it was finished. I had seen the design sketches, and they were in the process of building an actual scale model of the entire community. I couldn't wait to get a look at that!
Nate loved to talk about it. Somehow, I think that building the town at the same time we were building a baby was helping him to accomplish some sort of dream of his own. Just like my dad, he seemed to be excited about the very idea of being a builder. It made me wonder if that would have been the path he would have chosen, had he not been born into a wealthy family.
The main road, of course passed right through where the town would be. Construction had already begun on several buildings, including the Town Hall, where my dad would have his office as Interim Mayor and Project Manager, and the big clinic that Saint Francis Memorial was putting in near where the business district would be. Crews were also working on a few of the first houses, one of which would belong to my parents.
We drove past it all, and out onto the frontage road that led to the highway. Traffic was light, so we made pretty good time getting into the city. Nate took me to a place called the Blue Rose, a very nice little restaurant that wasn't terribly busy that early in the morning. By the time we got there, I was feeling a lot better. In fact, I felt so much better that I ate three eggs and six slices of bacon.
Here comes another two pounds this week, I thought, I can feel it piling on now.
I still didn't really have anything to show as far as a baby bump, but I knew it would be coming along soon. My body was packing on extra meat and fat in preparation for it, and to be honest, I was looking forward to posting those baby bump selfies on Facebook. I actually couldn't wait to see what kind of comments my friends would be making on them. Some of them would be downright jealous, I knew, and others would probably tease me about it. Either way, I was looking forward to it!
When breakfast was over, Nate asked me if there was anything else I would like to do, since we had the day to ourselves. I thought for a moment, and then gave him a mischievous grin.
“Would you be willing to go shopping for maternity clothes with me?” I asked. “I need some, and I don't know when I'll get another chance.”
I think he choked for just a second, but then he smiled and said he would be delighted to. Isn't that just what a girl needs? A man who can swallow his pride on the spur of the moment, and follow his wife through the mall carrying packages of stretch pants and nursing bras. What a man I married!
Westfield San Francisco Centre. If you have never seen a shopping mall, this is not the one you want to start with. Nine stories tall, with over a hundred and seventy stores and more restaurants than you can shake a stick at, this is no place to go if you're tired or not ready to walk all day long. I dragged my poor husband from store to store for almost six hours straight, absolutely refusing to give in to my feet, who were throwing hissy fits at me about walking so much.
Nate didn't complain a bit. I would imagine he walked a lot further, back when he was in the Marine Corps, but then again, I doubt he had to carry packages like these. By the time I gave it up, he was hauling six bags and four large boxes. I think anyone else would have thrown them at me and run for cover, but he didn't bat an eye. I started to feel bad for him.
“Baby,” I said, “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you come here with me, you must be bored to tears.”
“Oh, no, I'm not, Babe,” he said. “I enjoy going shopping with you. Every time, it's like watching a kid in a candy store, or a kid at Christmas, maybe? What's the point having all this money, if I can't spoil you rotten, now and then? Trust me, I love it!”
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “I'm just so sure you're getting a big kick out of this. Can you honestly tell me you wouldn't rather be back at Grizzly, working with my Dad?”
“Babe, I'll get plenty of chances to work on Grizzly. How many times will I be able to go with you the first time you shop for maternity clothes? This is one of those days I wouldn't miss it for the world.”
It was all I could do not to start crying again, damn these emotions! What is it about being pregnant that makes it so hard to keep yourself together? Yeah, yeah, I know, hormones, right? Well, let me tell you something. My hormones can all go jump in the lake and stay there until after this baby is born! They can hold onto each other there, and come back home after our baby is safely tucked into her new crib.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, God must have decided that mood swings were part of the punishment he gave to Eve for biting that doggone apple. If I could invent a time machine, the first thing I would do is go back and slap her silly. No, I would say, do not trust the snake! He's a liar! All it will lead to is pain and mood swings! Don't eat the apple!
She probably wouldn't listen, anyway.
Jim
Chapter Seven
Our Town
* * * * *
If there's one thing I love about the construction business, its watching ideas take shape in reality, moving from the mind that conceives them onto paper, and then onto the earth, as they're built skyward. I was having the time of my life, watching my home and my new office taking shape.
Kendall Williams, the architect, was my kind of guy. Rather than sitting back in his office at his computer, he was right out here on the job site with us, hard hat on his head and work gloves tucked into his back pocket. I'd already watched him grab a shovel more than once, slinging gravel into place to help make sure that everything we did was completely level.
“Welcome to our new town hall,” I said. “I'll tell you, this is one of the most exciting days of my life. There's absolutely nothing like watching a building grow up out of the ground and become something that people will look
at and admire for years to come.”
Kendall nodded and smiled. “Yes, sir,” he said, “and I cannot thank you enough for giving me this chance. I know that with your budget, and all the press you're getting about this little town, it would have been easy for you to pick one of the big guys to do this job. I can't tell you what it means that I got this chance. I want Grizzly to be a town I'm proud to have my name on.”
I slapped him on the back. “Kendall,” I said, “I couldn't agree with you more. This is going to be one incredible community, and it just amazes me that we've got so much happening so quickly. A town that isn't even built yet, and we've already got our own hospital going up? That's a miracle of some sort, don't you think?”
“I'd have to say you're right, sir. I can't imagine another town getting such a break. With the homes that you're building, you're going to attract an awful lot of young executive types. There are going to be some very lucky people, to live in a little town like this that is so well put together, so well designed—and no, I'm not patting myself on the back—I'm referring to the design that you guys put into the original idea. That's why I included a home for myself and my family in my bid. I knew it was the only way I'd be able to afford to live here.”
“Yeah?” I said. “Well, just for the record, that's also what got you the job. The fact that you wanted to live here enough to make that part of the deal was what sold me on you. You wouldn't have wanted to live here if you weren't going to give us your best work. I caught that, and that's why I chose you.”
He laughed, and so did I. We were paying him well for this job, and all he really had to do was design the streets and buildings on his computer. One of the things that I liked about him was that that wasn't enough, that he wanted to be out here and actually watches designs take shape. A dozen times already, I'd seen him grab a pencil and make changes to a blueprint that was already approved, simply because he suddenly thought of a better way to do something, or a safer way, perhaps, or just something more efficient that would end up costing us less money.