Chapter 42

Early June came and went as everyone looked forward to the end of the school year. Caitlin was excited about moving to White Plains District High in the fall, close to her new home and she was looking forward to making new friends and enjoying life in the suburbs. She was towing the line at home although she needed constant reminding of curfews and house rules but Sara and Neal were cutting her some slack; she'd never had to take on much in the way of responsibilities and being part of a family was new to her.

Hope's bedroom was temporarily relocated to the basement and, on the Saturday before the end of school, Neal took a very excited Caitlin out shopping for her very first new bed since the age of five. He watched with delight as she chose a white dresser and a matching headboard and as a bonus, Neal took her out for burgers and shakes after their shopping spree in an effort to solidify his fragile bond with the rebellious teen. She settled into Hope's old room right down the hall from her foster parents and proceeded to make the room her own, decorating with some of her art and the few odds and ends she'd had since she was a little girl. She hadn't felt at home anywhere in a very long time and Sara and Neal dared hope that this sense of belonging would be enough motivation to keep her on the straight and narrow.

Cody Miller returned to school and was treated to a hero's welcome as the Gay Straight Alliance worked to redefine itself as the voice of equality for all at White Plains District High. Cody seemed to be thriving on the newfound energy of the group and he proceeded to set up a number of committees to work on various projects for the upcoming school year. Liam watched in awe as his feelings continued to deepen for this extraordinary young man who was fast becoming his mentor.

Hope spent her days between the June Ellington School of Art and the Raphael Gallery, working alongside her dad and Cameron Armstrong as the two lovebirds continued to grow closer.

On the evening of June 14th, Sara and Neal left the kids at home in White Plains and headed out to Manhattan to celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary. Hope had convinced them that she would keep an eye on things on the home front and she and her brother had pooled their resources to get their parents a suite at the luxurious Peninsula in Manhattan – with a little help from Peter and Elizabeth, Neal suspected. Their previous anniversary had been spent at home as Neal recovered from surgery following a shooting at the gallery and they were looking forward to doing things up in style this time around.

The couple sat in the hotel restaurant looking out at the New York skyline, Neal's eyes moving to gaze at Sara, looking a vision across the table from him.

'You look amazing' he said with deference as he took in the sight of his wife in a beautiful royal blue dress.

'Well, these incredible aquamarine earrings help complete the look. Thank you honey, they're beautiful!' she said with a gentle smile as her hand lingered on her latest anniversary gift.

'Tradition...' Neal said as he gazed fondly at her.

Sara's eyes seemed to wander slightly and Neal's attention moved to the wine list which had been left for them on the table. He reached into his pocket for his reading glasses and put them on the tip of his nose, scrutinizing what was on offer.

'Are you in the mood for a Malbec or a Syrah tonight?' he asked as his eyes lingered on the page.

'You decide…' she murmured, absent mindedly as she began perusing the menu.

He looked up, sensing her unease and removing his glasses, he reached across the table to touch her hand, urging her to bring her eyes up to meet his.

'Hey, look at me' he urged as she let out a long suffering sigh.

'What's the matter?' he added in response to her reaction.

'Nothing, nothing… sorry… it's just with the trip coming up next week and Caitlin on her own tonight…'

'Honey, she's not on her own. Hope and Cameron are there… and she's under strict orders not to leave the house' Neal said, hoping to reassure his wife.

As much as Sara wanted to let it go, she was still on edge following the incident from the previous week; getting a phone call telling them that Caitlin was at the police station following a car accident had been more than a little nerve-racking. Although Neal had managed to keep his cool, he'd been angry as all hell at the teen for her lack of judgement; getting into the back seat of a car with someone who was obviously drunk was not a winning move in anyone's book and Caitlin needed to learn to use her judgement when accepting rides, especially when Neal had been more than willing to go pick her up. She was damn lucky she hadn't suffered any serious injuries when the car had left the road and hit that tree. With every passing day as a foster mom, Sara could feel more gray hairs sprouting out through her red locks; having Caitlin to worry about had only added more stress to her already high strung nature.

'Look, we can pack it in right now and head on home if you want' Neal began with a patient tone. '...or you can decide you're going to let things go and spend a romantic evening with your old man.'

Sara laughed at his reference; no matter his age, she could never imagine Neal referred to as an old man.

'So, what's it gonna be, Repo?' he asked with a dazzling smile, his hand lingering on hers.

She smiled back reluctantly, appreciating his valiant effort at getting her to relax.

'You're right... you're right' she said, brightening up and taking Neal's hand in hers. 'This is our night.'

Neal smiled, pleased to have managed to placate her; he'd been looking forward to some alone time with Sara. Now that Caitlin was in the house, he was more careful about those stolen moments of intimacy with his wife and he was feeling slightly self-conscious at having the teen a few feet away from their bedroom.

'So, how are you feeling about next week?' Sara asked, snapping out of her previous state.

'Good' he said, looking unusually relaxed. 'I'm looking forward to my mom finally meeting the kids.'

'She's going to love them!' Sara said fondly as Neal nodded knowingly.

'How did she sound when you talked to her today?' he asked. Sara had been the one to call Linda and make the final arrangements for their upcoming visit.

'A little lethargic, actually' she admitted. 'Now that the cancer has spread to her lungs, I notice she seems to be really struggling with her breathing.'

Neal nodded; he'd noticed the same thing. 'Do you think we should try to fly her out to visit with us later this summer? We can always cancel the cottage...' he said, contemplative.

'Oh, honey, I don't know if she'll be well enough for that. Let's see how she looks when we see her next week, okay?' Sara said, noting the sadness appearing in Neal's eyes.

As angry as he'd been when he'd met with his mom back in May, all that rage had dissolved into genuine concern for the woman who was trying so hard to atone for her past sins. He'd been on the phone to her every few days since their return, talking things out, sharing his thoughts and fears and listening to her as she confessed her regrets for her shortcomings. Just as he had, she'd paid her dues and he could no longer bear her ill will for her actions all those years ago; she couldn't change things anymore that he could and ruminating about the past would do neither of them any good.

'You know I don't think I ever really thanked you' Neal said as he gazed into Sara's eyes.

He watched, fine lines appearing on her forehead as she tried to figure out what, in particular, he was being grateful for.

'You knew it would do me good to see her again and you were right' he admitted although being 'right' had never been Sara's motivation for doing what she'd done. She shrugged, grateful that he'd forgiven her for her indiscretion.

'I love you Neal. I just want you to be happy' she stated simply.

'I know that… and I love you' he answered as he kissed her hand.

Nineteen years of togetherness was nothing to scoff at and Neal thought ahead to the next few years as he imagined year after year of married life with this wonderful woman he loved so much, hoping that every June 14th, they would be sitting across from one another, looking back on the past year and planning ahead to another wonderful year together.

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'So, what does she look like?' Caitlin asked as she sat between Neal and Liam on the plane.

'Didn't Mom show you her picture?' Liam answered as Caitlin shook her head.

'She has a picture on her phone. Mom, can I see your phone for a minute?' he called out across the aisle to Sara who sat next to Hope and Cameron.

Despite the expense of flying everyone out, Neal and Sara had decided to make a family outing out of their visit to St. Louis. Neal's main purpose was to spend some quality time with his mom but there were plenty of touristy things to do there and he was looking forward to taking his family around the city to see the sights. He'd already secured tickets on line to take Cameron and Liam to a Cardinals game and taking a ride to the top of the Gateway Arch was a must for any visitor to the city.

Caitlin continued to fidget in her seat, having never been on a plane before and Neal watched the excitement dancing in her eyes, enjoying the fact that she was discovering new things.

'Oh, she's old' Caitlin commented as she glanced at the photograph on Sara's phone.

'What did you expect? Lady Gaga?' Liam said as he continued to tease her mercilessly.

Caitlin reached over Neal to gently punch Liam in the arm and Neal laughed softly at the exchange, a sure sign that Liam and Caitlin were bonding. As a family, they had their ups and downs but there was plenty of love and laughter – all he could ever want for.

The first order of business, after picking up their rental car and settling into the hotel rooms they'd booked, was to head over to the Amica Retirement Home to catch up with Linda Bennett. Sara insisted that all the kids change into what she deemed were 'appropriate' clothes for the reunion and finally, the motley crew headed out in their rented van to meet with Neal's mom.

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'Ah, Mrs. Bennett, you look very nice. That dress is the perfect color for you!' the nurse said as she adjusted Linda's oxygen.

The elderly woman scoffed; how could you look nice when you had an oxygen cannula hanging from your nose. She wanted to look good for her visitors and she didn't want Neal worrying when he finally laid eyes on her; she'd been downplaying her health problems and the last thing she wanted was to look like she was on death's door. She'd known for several months that her cancer was spreading and her breathing had become an issue since her last hospital visit, requiring the use of oxygen 24/7.

'Are you sure we can't take the oxygen off just while they're visiting?' she asked for the second time.

'I told you Mrs. Bennett, you'll really struggle without it' answered the kind nurse.

'Fine' Linda said reluctantly.

She had her pride and she didn't want to grovel, especially when she knew the nurse was right. She ran her hands down the skirt of her dress, smoothing away any wayward folds and she sat up straight as she continued waiting in the retirement home's garden for her family to arrive.

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'What do I call her?' Caitlin asked as the extended Caffrey family stepped out of the van.

'Why do you always have so many questions?' Liam complained as Sara swooped in, fussing with a wayward strand of hair on Caitlin's blond head.

'Just call her Mrs. Bennett' she instructed as she rolled her eyes at her son.

'Why is her name 'Bennett' and Mr. C's name is Caffrey?' Caitlin asked, not giving up.

Sara glanced at her foster daughter and shook her head. 'I'll explain later... now, I want all of you on your best behavior.'

Neal was only half-listening, his mind already thinking ahead to his reunion with his mom – this time with anticipation instead of dread. She'd said she'd be waiting for them in the retirement home's garden and his eyes were already roaming as he searched her out. He finally spotted her, sitting on a bench, the very same bench where they'd had their showdown weeks before. She looked even more frail than the last time he'd laid eyes on her and Neal immediately spotted the oxygen tank at her side as she sat there, waiting patiently for them to arrive.

He gave Sara a head nod in that direction and she responded with a sad smile at the sight of Linda Bennett, obviously looking a lot more sickly than the last time they'd been there. Sara reached out to take Neal's hand in hers and they led the way as the foursome followed behind, Liam and Caitlin still bickering under their breaths.

'Mom!' Neal called out as they got nearer. He watched as her face came alive, her smile warm and sincere.

'Neal!' she said in response, attempting to stand as he hurried over and put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from straining.

'Sit, sit' he said as Linda's eyes went to the large group that was following him.

'Sara!' she said as Sara peeked out from behind Neal and bent down to kiss the elderly woman's cheek.

'Linda, it's wonderful to see you again' Sara said as Neal witnessed the warm interaction with interest.

'Who are all these lovely young people?' Linda asked, her voice halting. The excitement was obviously taking its toll on her breathing.

Neal pulled all three of the kids forward, arms around their backs.

'Hope!' Linda said as Hope leaned in to hug her grandmother. 'You're even more beautiful than your pictures. And Liam, you are so tall!' she said, sounding like any other proud grandparent.

Liam placed a soft kiss on her cheek. 'Hi Grandma' he said softly as Linda let out a small whimper.

She'd never been called 'grandma' before and the sound was music to her ears. She quickly regained her composure, unwilling to become emotional and she turned to face Caitlin.

'This must be Caitlin' she said as the teen stood awkwardly, unsure how to behave.

'Hello, Mrs... Bennett' she said in a polite, reserved voice, so contrary to her outspoken nature.

'Neal tells me what a wonderful artist you are' said the old lady, her voice trembling. The teen smiled politely as Hope returned, tugging on Cameron's arm.

'Grandma, this is Cameron' she said with a proud smile as the young man took Linda's hand in both of his.

'It's nice to meet you' he said as Linda smiled – she couldn't stop smiling even if she tried.

'Ah, yes. Hope's young man and... Neal's right hand man' she said with a laugh, putting everyone at ease.

Sara's eyes met Neal's, sensing that he needed a bit of time alone with his mom; he had things to tell her and he was looking forward to creating happy memories on this bench where up until now there were only echoes of accusations and reproaches.

'Why don't we all go for a little walk and leave you two to talk for awhile' she said as she ran her hand up Neal's back.

Neal turned to face his wife, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. 'See you in a bit' he said as Linda Bennett watched the loving exchange between her son and daughter in law.

Neal and Linda watched as Sara and the kids wandered away and Neal took a seat on the bench next to his mom, his hand reaching out to gently take hers.

'Hi Mom!' he said tenderly. 'How are you doing?'

La fin