SUMMARY: Finn, Matt and Lucy continue on their RV journey honoring Rachel's request and find challenges in their relationship and meet new friends; Sam and Mercedes attend Unique and Ryder's wedding.

RATING: Mature

WARNING: Sexual situations, cursing, bullying, mild violence, discussion of death and grieving

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a Finn centric chapter.

CHAPTER 29

A MILLION WAYS TO SAY GOOD-BYE

"Why are you throwing dirt in the ocean?" A chubby little blond girl asked Finn. She held an old man's hand, and her arms and legs were tomato red and peeling. Finn figured it was her grandfather. It was early morning, and the sun slowly rose on the horizon. The beach was empty, and Finn thought they would have privacy, and then this child and her grandfather appeared out of nowhere; he wore a blue sun visor and a colposcopy bag was attached to his waist, and white hair grew out of his ears.

"Maybelline, leave him alone," the old man said, trying to walk away, "Let's go."

Finn looked at the girl, who gazed up at him, her big blue eyes searching his for an answer. Silver glitter stars decorated her green bathing suit stretching across her fat belly.

"It's not dirt," Finn said.

"What is it?"

"My wife."

The grandfather raised his bushy eyebrows, but he didn't say anything. Maybelline laughed.

"Not uh," she said, revealing tiny pearl teeth as she smiled, thinking this was all a big joke, "That looked like my daddy's ashtray when it gets full."

"Come on," the grandfather said, pulling her along, "We have to go."

Lucy, who stood next Finn, her blue and purple streaked hair blowing in the wind, said:

"She's dead."

"Who's dead?" Maybelline said, "I – "

"My mother is dead, and we just threw her in the ocean. Is your mother dead?" Lucy said, staring at her.

"No, she's in bed."

"Mine is in here," Lucy said, tapping the gold urn Finn held, "And every day we throw her away."

Maybelline stared at the urn shining in the early morning sun.

"Can she hear us in there? Like a genie?"

"Maybelline, shut up," the grandfather said, he looked at Finn.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled and hurried away, holding Maybelline's hand, as she looked back at them in bewilderment.

"I hate this," Lucy said, kicking the sand with her foot.

"Lucy, she's just a kid," Matt said, "Calm down."

"I don't care. I just, I just… -"

"Just what?" Finn said.

"Nothing," Lucy said.

They walked away from Finn, who stood in the wet sand, at the ocean's edge, foamy white water, seeped between his toes. He stood there a long time until the sun became too hot to bear. The air smelled like saltwater and seaweed, and a flock of squawking seagulls flew overhead. He found Matt and Lucy under the boardwalk, heads down, staring at their phones, Lucy was crying and talking to someone. Finn figured it was Abby. Matt was texting.

"Hey," Finn said.

"Bye, Abby," Lucy said and ended the call.

"Let's go," Matt said.

Finn nodded.

"Ok."

Lucy wiped away her tears with her hand.

"I'm tired of losing her."

Finn said nothing. Rachel told him of all the places she wanted him to go. But since their trip began, it was harder and harder to spill the ashes. They visited six locations so far and though he told them this is what Rachel wanted; it fell on deaf ears.

But one thing he couldn't deny, the road trip was beautiful, the scenic American landscape was breathtaking. They saw peaked mountain ranges with early morning white mist hovering above them and sun-dappled lakes surrounded by trees with brilliant red and yellow leaves. When Lucy was little, she called autumn leaves, "fire leaves" because to her the bright colors burned like logs in a fireplace. Finn had forgotten this until they were in Vermont and he remembered; this trip unlocked his memories and he recalled every tiny thing.

As they traveled through Iowa and passed by numerous yellow cornfields, he thought of all the Children of the Corn jokes Rachel made when they lived in Iowa for a year. Her father Sean had been an extra in the movie, and she saw it a lot growing up; nobody knew Rachel could be funny, but Finn knew, and it was a part of herself she only shared with him. The cavernous red canyons they saw in sun-drenched Arizona made him remember how Rachel held her pregnant belly, she was eight months pregnant at the time, and Matt and Lucy were active in the womb, kicking and turning about, and as she looked out across the canyon, she told him about the kids:

"I can feel it, Finn," she said, "They're special." She wore a sleeveless white maternity dress, revealing her suntanned arms, golden brown and delicate, she grabbed his hand and put it on her belly. "Wait and see," she whispered.

Finn wasn't happy when she was pregnant; they were in dire financial straits at the time; he wasn't even sure they could feed them, but Rachel had faith it would all work out. She believed in him.

Rachel was in every natural wonder they saw on their trip. At night, while the children slept, and he drove along the lonesome dark highway, he replayed their lives in his mind.

"Come on, let's get something to eat," Finn said, guiding them toward the row of restaurants facing the beach. They were in California.

"I'm not hungry. Let's just go," Lucy said, folding her arms, "I've had enough of this place."

Finn didn't argue with her and Matt wanted to go too. They walked to their RV at the far end of the parking lot, got inside and began their journey once again. Matt and Lucy went back to sleep, cuddled up in their little beds. A few hours later the sky turned steel-gray, and it started to rain.

Finn listened to the raindrops falling on the roof and windows. By noon, he was starving, and he got off the next exit in search of a place to eat. They ended up going to a restaurant called the Chuck Wagon restaurant located at a rest stop. The outside resembled an old Wild West saloon and painted a dark red, and two big black wagon wheels framed the white wooden sign above the sloped awning, there was a boardwalk in front that was higher than the paved street, along with a long, oak hitching post.

"Can't we just go to McDonald's?" Matt asked.

"This could be fun," Finn said, as he pushed open the heavy wood door.

Matt wasn't convinced. Lucy said nothing as she flipped her long hair over her shoulder. She let it grow, and now it reached the middle of her back. Once inside the restaurant, a perky hostess in tight jeans, a plaid blouse and a bandana tied around her slender neck greeted them with a dazzling toothpaste ad smile, her brown hair was swept up into a ponytail. She looked no older than 18.

"Welcome to the Chuck Wagon," she said, how many in your party?"

"Three," Finn said.

"Right this way."

She seated them in a big brown leather booth and gave them their menus.

"Mandy will be your waitress. She'll be with you shortly," she said and bounced away.

The place was empty except for a few truckers at the bar. It was dark inside with the faint light coming through the windows. It smelled like beer and barbecue sauce, and stacked against the wall were bales of hay. A mechanical bull was in the next room, and Finn could see it from their table. The faint sound of the flat screen television over the bar and the truckers talking was the only noise in the restaurant. Finn opened the menu

"Get whatever you want," he said.

They were silent as they looked at the menus. Finn wanted the steak platter that included a porterhouse steak, a loaded baked potato with cheese, bacon, sour cream and chili, and steamed broccoli. Not that he needed it. All the weight lost during his crazy exercise phase had returned, with even more pounds on top of that. He was officially fat, with chunky thighs, huge ass, and a beer belly. But he couldn't stop eating. Food soothed him.

Their waitress Mandy came to their table. She had thin blonde hair pulled back in a bun, washed-out gray eyes with faint crow's feet surrounding them. Long, ugly, jagged scars ran down both sides of her face beginning at her temple and ending at her chin; she was scrawny with skinny arms and legs, her plaid shirt had a few buttons missing, and her jeans were wrinkled. Finn wondered how she got those scars and thought of how his father would've said she needed a good meal to get some meat on her bones. "Hi I'm Mandy, what can I get you?"

"I'll have the Lone Star steak platter medium rare and a sarsaparilla."

Mandy nodded.

"I saw you guys pull up in the RV. Where are you headed?"

"We're on a death trip," Lucy said, "I'll have the Campfire Chili and cornbread and a diet Coke."

Mandy raised her eyebrows.

"Death trip?"

"Don't mind her," Finn said.

"I'll have the Chuck Wagon Cheeseburger, well done, with no pickles," Matt said, "And I want a sarsaparilla too, but no ice."

"Two sarsaparillas in one day. I knew you folks were special."

"Our grandma likes it," Matt said, closing his menu, "We drink it at her house all the time."

Mandy gathered up the other menus.

"I'll be back with your drinks soon."

"Thanks," Finn said.

When she was gone, Lucy got out her phone and began texting.

"Lucy, could you knock it off?" Finn said.

She sighed and put away her phone. Matt stared at the table. Finn said:

"For a change of pace, we're staying in a hotel tonight. There's a Hyatt nearby."

"Does it have a pool?" Matt said, sprinkling salt onto the table and running his finger through it.

"I don't know."

"What do you think happened to her face?"

"Probably an accident," Finn said, then added, "Don't stare. You know better."

Matt rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't staring."

"This is our last stop isn't it?" Lucy said, leaning back in the booth with a heavy sigh, "I'm ready to go home. I miss Abby, and Aunt Mercedes and Uncle Sam and the twins."

"We have a few more places to go."

"Are you serious?"

"And we're getting a place when we go back; we can't live with Sam and Mercedes forever."

"How?" Matt said, "We're broke."

"We're not broke."

"But they're our family. I want to live with them," Lucy said, shaking her head, "I don't understand why we can't, they have room."

One of the hardest things that Finn had to do was sell their house; he did it after Rachel died because he couldn't bear to live there anymore, and also because he wanted to get something cheaper and live beneath his means as opposed to above them. Mandy came back with their drinks and set them on the table.

"Your food will be out in a bit. Is there anything else I can get you in the meantime?"

"Does that Hyatt up the street have a pool?" Finn said.

"Yes, it does. A nice outdoor one."

"Thank you."

Mandy nodded toward the window, the rain pattered against the glass.

"It doesn't look like a good day for swimming, though."

"You need to buy new trunks, your old ones don't fit," Matt said.

Finn turned red. He wanted to smack him.

"I know."

Matt sipped his sarsaparilla, staring at him.

"Humph," was all he said.

Finn knew his son was just difficult because he was ready to go home, but it hurt that he pointed out how fat he'd gotten since they've been on the road. They went swimming last week, and Finn could barely fit his big ass into his trunks, he looked ridiculous in the pool and only stayed in the water a short time before getting out.

When the food arrived, he was grateful for the distraction of his juicy, grill-marked steak and loaded baked potato, oozing with melted cheese, and sour cream. Matt and Lucy devoured their food; they were hungrier than he thought. After he finished his meal, he ordered the Chickabiddy Chocolate Cake with a big scoop of homemade Vamoose Vanilla ice cream. Lucy warned him about his lactose intolerance, sounding just like her mother.

"Maybe you shouldn't get the ice cream," she said, "Just get the cake."

"I'll be fine."

"You ran out of Lactaid."

"I won't eat all of the ice cream; I'll only have a few spoonfuls."

"You never have a few anything," Lucy said.

"Don't be disrespectful."

"I don't want you to get sick. I'm only trying to help."

"Regardless, watch your mouth."

"Fine, but don't blame me when you get sick."

The kids got Ace-High Apple Pie with Blazing Butterscotch sauce. The pies came out in little black skillets and were sizzling hot, and drizzled with sweet, amber butterscotch sauce, creating a zigzag pattern across the flaky, golden brown crust.

Finn couldn't help himself and ate the entire dessert. The thick slice of cake was moist and smooth as velvet and full of creamy chocolate goodness, sweet and sumptuous on his tongue, and the ice cream was the best he'd ever tasted, the vanilla flavor was stronger than the typical ice cream; it also had faint notes of honey. Mandy said they used Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla to make the ice cream and of course vanilla beans and just a touch of clover honey from the local beehives. One spoonful became two spoonfuls, and then it spun out of control, and he ate it all with relish. He was beyond stuffed, and his stomach churned. Sweat trickled down his forehead.

"You look awful," Lucy said, regarding him with concern.

"Are you going to throw up?" Matt said, his eyes wide.

"I'm going to the restroom," Finn said and left the booth.

The men's bathroom door was fire engine red, and a had silhouette of a cowboy leaning against a hitching post, his head faced down, and his hat was low on his brow. Finn was thankful the bathroom was clean and empty. He didn't need an audience for his gastrointestinal hell. The waxed red and white checker tiled floor and the white porcelain sinks gleamed, even the stainless steel faucets shined beneath the bright light overhead.

The air smelled like Lysol and bleach. He went into the stall and vomited into the toilet; it was like The Exorcist, and he wondered if a priest should be called in. This lactose intolerance attack was the worst he's ever had in his life. He threw up until he couldn't anymore and flushed the toilet multiple times. He sat on the toilet and clutched his stomach, it roiled and churned, then he had to relieve himself and it was the worst diarrhea he's ever had; it was foamy, and it burned like fire. He thought of the Old West term for the runs: backdoor trots, and now he felt like he was in backdoor hell. It seemed like he had been on that toilet for a lifetime, either sitting on it or bending over it. Closing his eyes, he leaned against the cold stall wall, praying the agony would pass.

Somebody banged on the bathroom door.

"Are you ok?" Mandy said.

"Dad, we're coming in," Matt said.

Finn opened his mouth to speak, but then he had to bend over the toilet and vomit again. His body heaved, and he was sweating.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Lucy asked.

Finn couldn't respond. He was embarrassed and ashamed. The bathroom door opened and they came in.

"We heard you puking from the hallway," Mandy said.

Finn flushed the toilet and finally managed to speak.

"I'm fine, just give me a second."

"You don't sound fine," Mandy said.

"Dad, I'm scared. You've been in here a long time," Lucy said, and he could tell she was crying.

Mandy murmured something to her. Finn couldn't hear them, and his head pounded. But Lucy's cracked voice broke his heart, and he had to reassure her.

"I can't believe you ate all that Chunky Monkey," Rachel said, rubbing his back as he puked into the toilet.

"I didn't mean to."

"Daddy is sick," Lucy said, with Matt standing beside her, "He ate all our ice cream." They were six years old, cherubic and innocent, with a father who wore a cape and could fly in their eyes.

"He'll be fine," Rachel said.

"Kryptonite," Matt said.

"What?" Rachel said, looking over her shoulder.

"It's like Superman's kryptonite. It makes him weak."

"Your father is strong, don't worry," Rachel said, "Go back to your room."

"He is strong," Lucy said, "He can do anything."

"Sweetie, I'm ok," he said, and silent tears ran down his cheeks, and he held back his sobs.

"Dad?"

There was more quiet murmuring between Mandy and the kids. He heard the bathroom door bang shut. Then someone knocked on his stall door.

"Finn? Mandy said.

He flushed the toilet, wiped his face, and unlocked the door. Mandy stood there holding a package of Cottonelle wipes.

"Here," she said, handing him the wipes, "You might need them. Matt and Lucy are waiting in the hallway."

"Oh… thank you so much."

He was grateful that she ignored the tears running down his cheeks. Instead, she squeezed his shoulder.

"Give yourself a chance to breathe," she said, and he could tell by the tone of her voice that she wasn't only speaking of his illness, her gray eyes reached inside him, finding places he thought were hidden, "I'll keep an eye on the kids. I'll tell them you're ok."

Finn nodded, and tears trickled down his cheeks. Mandy washed her hands and left him in the bathroom, the door banging shut behind her. His stomach roiled, and he rushed back to his stall and vomited again and then he used the toilet and afterward waited until the storm in his stomach and ass subsided. The lactose battle ceased, and Finn cleaned himself off with the wipes, flushed the toilet a few more times and stood. He stumbled out of the stall and went to the sink, washed his hands and face and rinsed out his mouth, wishing he had mouthwash with him.

He stared at his reflection: he was fat, pale, and needed a haircut and shave. Dark circles were under his hazel eyes. Chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream stained his oversized blue Nike t-shirt. What the hell happened to him? He rewashed his face again, to cool himself down; and longed for a shower and a long nap. After inspecting himself once more and running his hands through his thick brown hair that sat high on his head, he opened the heavy bathroom door, though he had little strength to do so. Matt, Lucy, and Mandy stood in the hallway waiting for him. They hugged him immediately.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Matt said.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry I scared you and Lucy."

Lucy pulled him down toward her and kissed his cheek.

"We can't lose you too," she whispered in his ear.

Finn blinked back his tears.

"I'm fine, and I should've listened to you."

Lucy gazed at him. Then she pinched his belly, taking a good chunk of his flesh between her skinny fingers and squeezing hard.

"Ouch, what was that for?" Finn said.

"For not listening."

Finn smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I'll listen from now on. I promise."

Mandy touched his arm, and he saw another scar, it was like the ones on her face, but this one was on her right hand.

"You should probably rest for a bit before you start driving again. I can fix you up a cup of peppermint tea, that's good for indigestion. Lucy said you couldn't eat dairy. My brother has that problem too, and it helps."

"Sounds good. We'll go sit down in the booth."

"Ok," she said and walked away, patting his arm once more.

With his arms wrapped around Matt and Lucy, Finn walked on wobbly legs to their booth. The table had fresh white linen napkins, and clean silverware was on it, along with a black leather check holder embossed with the Chuck Wagon logo, with their bill enclosed inside. The rain stopped and the sun shined. The truckers at the bar were gone. The place was ghost town empty. Finn sank down into the plush leather booth, thankful for the quiet, and the comfortable place to rest. He needed to regain his strength.

Matt and Lucy sat across from him and reached for his hands.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Lucy said.

"I'm good. Once the lactose is out of my body, I start to feel better. It was a bad attack, that's all."

"You sounded like someone was torturing you. The guys at the bar said demons possessed you," she said.

"Really? Well, it wasn't pleasant that's for sure."

Matt squeezed his hand.

"Are you ok?"

"Come sit with me," he said to them, and they got up and squeezed into the other side of the booth, despite his girth, and he put his massive arms around them.

"What happened today was a stupid mistake."

Matt and Lucy nodded and laid their heads on his shoulders. They were like babies again. He felt horrible for scaring them – all for some damn ice cream. Mandy came over with a hot cup of peppermint tea and a glass of water and sat it in front of him.

"You need to stay hydrated," she said.

"Thanks, Mandy, sorry for all the trouble I caused."

"No worries. It's dead this time of day anyway," she said and looked at the kids, "You two need anything?"

Matt and Lucy shook their heads.

"We're good," Lucy said.

"Alright, just holler if you need me."

After Mandy left, Matt said:

"Make sure you give her a big tip."

Finn sipped his tea and gazed out the window.

"I thought we could do a dine and dash."

Matt looked up at him and laughed, and for a brief moment, he became Rachel, with his slight, delicate features and big brown eyes. Finn's heart clenched.

"Dad, be serious," Matt said, poking his flabby waist.

"I am. You said we were broke."

Matt snuggled against him.

"I know, but we can afford a big tip."

They sat in a calm silence. Two customers drifted in: a heavy-set, white-haired man, with a walrus mustache and wearing a cowboy hat, pressed jeans and red shirt and sunglasses. A deformed, curly red-haired boy around twelve years old accompanied him; the left side of his face was stretched, and his nose and mouth were pulled upward, giving the appearance of a distorted funhouse mirror reflection. He was pale and freckled, and he wore a white Batman t-shirt and black shorts, and beat-up brown sandals were on his feet. Mandy walked over to them and hugged the boy.

"Hi Beau," she said.

"Mom, I'm hungry."

"Well, that's a fine hello," she looked at the man, "Why didn't you give him lunch?"

"He didn't want what we had. So we came here."

"You came to check on me," Mandy said.

"Maybe."

"Go sit down," she said and went to the kitchen.

The man and Beau sat down in a booth across from Finn and the kids. The man took off his hat and nodded at them. Beau looked at them and then quickly looked away. Finn smiled at them.

"Hello," he said.

Just then Mandy came over to them with two menus and put them on their table. She turned to Finn and said:

"Finn, Lucy, Matt, this is my father Harvey and my son Beau."

"Nice to meet you," Finn said.

Matt and Lucy greeted them too. Harvey smiled and returned their greeting, but Beau only whispered hello and opened his menu.

Harvey looked at his grandson.

"Don't know why you're looking at that thing. You know darn well what you want."

Beau shrugged and stared at the menu.

"So do you."

"Smartass," Harvey said, chuckling, and he turned to Finn and the kids and said to them, "How do you know Mandy?"

"Dad got sick in the bathroom," Matt said.

"We just got to chatting," Mandy said, "I'll go get you some water."

Harvey nodded, and when she was gone, he said:

"Where you folks from?"

"Tennessee," Finn said, "Are you from around here?"

"Nope. Maryland. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah."

Beau watched them talking. Finn smiled at him.

"So, Beau, I guess you're a Batman fan."

Beau nodded. His small blue eyes gazed at him a moment then went back to his menu. Finn tried to determine if he was shy or didn't like strangers.

"Did you see Batman vs. Superman?" Matt said, "It sucked didn't it?"

Beau gave a hint of a smile and nodded.

"Yeah," he said, "It did."

Mandy came back with two glasses of ice water and placed them on the table.

"Here you are. Adam's Ale."

"I want the Gitty-Up Grilled Cheese and Outlaw Onion Rings," Beau said.

"Big surprise," Mandy said, "How about you, Dad?"

"The usual but bring me a salad too with ranch dressing."

Finn finished his peppermint tea and drank his water. His watch said 4:00.

"Come on, kids, I'm beat, let's go."

"Ok, Dad," they said.

As they got out of the booth, Finn said to Harvey and Beau:

"It was nice meeting you."

"Same here," Harvey said.

Beau just looked at him and drank his water. Matt and Lucy waved good-bye. As they walked out, they ran into Mandy near the exit chatting with the young hostess, Finn handed her the black check holder.

"I don't need any change," he said, "And thanks again for your help today."

"You're welcome and good luck with your trip. Get plenty of rest and stay hydrated."

"The peppermint tea was good, and it helped."

"I'm glad; she said," placing a loose lock of her hair behind her ear, "Well… good-bye."

"Good-bye."

Finn and the kids walked outside into the bright sunshine. He still felt weak, but at least his stomach no longer felt like bombs were exploding inside his body. They went to the RV, got inside, and then as bad luck would have it, the damn thing wouldn't start.

"Shit," Finn said, hitting the steering wheel.

"Try again," Matt said.

He tried three more times again. Nothing happened. They were stuck.

"What are we going to do?" Lucy said.

Finn took his phone out of his pocket.

"Call RV Road Assistance. They can tow it to the nearest repair station."

As he made the call, he saw Mandy walking across the parking lot, waving at him and smiling. She held a small box. He quickly finished the call, giving the customer service representative the restaurant's address, and got out of the RV to see what she wanted.

"Hi, Mandy."

She hugged him.

"You gave me a two hundred dollar tip!"

"It's the least I could do."

"But I didn't do anything to deserve it."

"Yes, you did."

"If you say so… well, thank you so much. I mean it. That's the biggest tip I've ever gotten, and I needed it," she handed him the box. It was peppermint tea.

"Thought you could use this. Consider it a thank you gift."

Finn smiled at her.

"Thank you."

"Why are you still here?"

"She broke down."

"That sucks."

"Yeah."

"I guess you called road assistance."

"Yeah. The tow truck should be here in forty minutes."

"How are you getting to the Hyatt?"

Finn paused. He hadn't thought of that.

"Uber, I suppose."

"Don't waste your money. My shift ends at 5:00 and I can give you and the kids a lift. It's no problem."

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't be offering if I wasn't sure."

"Thanks, I accept. I'll get our stuff together."

"Ok, see you soon."

After she left, Finn went back inside the RV where Matt and Lucy were watching TV.

"What did she want?" Matt asked.

"To thank me for my tip."

"Oh."

Finn put the tea on the table.

"Listen, Mandy is giving us a ride to the Hyatt."

"Ok," Lucy said.

"So you guys get your stuff together. We're leaving at 5:00."

They pulled out their duffel bags from underneath their beds and began packing. Finn made a few more calls about the RV repair. Then he got his stuff together as well. By the time they were ready, the tow truck had come, and Mandy and Beau came out to the parking lot, and they walked to her car. She changed out of her waitress uniform and put on a yellow sundress. Jagged scars were all over her arms, some more prominent than others. Her father Harvey had to go to a Lions Club meeting, so he was already gone. Finn focused on their kindness, but he couldn't help but wonder what Mandy and Beau's story was and why he was deformed and she had severe scars.

Mandy's car was an old 2000 black Honda Civic with a dented door. Boxes of broken porcelain and glass knickknacks cluttered the seats.

"Sorry about the mess," she said as she removed the boxes from the back and front seats and put them in the trunk, "You kids can get in the back seat."

Beau got in first followed by Matt and Lucy, and Finn got in front. He felt like a giant in her compact car, his arms, and legs had nowhere to go.

"Buckle up, everyone," Mandy said as she started the car.

She turned on the radio, and Mel McDaniel's Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans came on, she turned up the volume.

"Country music ok?"

"It's fine," Finn said, looking over at her, "Thanks again for taking us."

"My pleasure," she said and sang along with the radio:

Down on the corner by the traffic light
Everybody's lookin' as she goes by
They turn their heads, and they watch her till she's gone
Lord have mercy, baby's got her blue jeans on

Her voice was off-key and tone-deaf, but she sang like she was giving a concert. Finn laughed. It was endearing in a way. Beau blushed in the back seat.

"Mom, stop," he said, sinking into his embarrassment.

"Sing with me, Beau."

Beau didn't join in. Matt and Lucy laughed.

"Your Mom is funny," Lucy said.

Beau shook his head and stared out the window. When the song was over, Mandy turned down the radio and rolled down her window, letting in some fresh air. She almost looked carefree, with her messy ponytail and sundress.

"I like how it smells after it rains. You can't smell the car exhaust anymore."

"Yeah," Finn said, "It's nice."

"Do you know what it's called?"

"What's called?"

"The smell after it rains."

"Uh, no."

She smiled at him as she switched lanes.

"It's called petrichor."

"I didn't know it had a name."

"Yeah, crazy huh?"

"A little," Finn said, "But that's interesting."

"I think so too."

Finn closed his eyes, feeling the summer breeze on his face; he listened to Beau and Matt talk about comic books and video games. Beau was a reserved child, but there was something sweet and pure underneath his guarded façade.

"You should come swimming with me," Matt said to him.

Beau looked at him.

"I don't know," he said.

"It could be fun, honey," Mandy said, "We need to get out more, and we have your swim gear in the trunk."

"I can swim at home."

"But this is something different. Come on; you might have a good time."

"Is this one of those things where you think it will help me but I don't want to do it, and I'm supposed to listen to you anyway?"

"Pretty much."

"Please come. I hate swimming alone. Besides, Lucy can't swim today," Matt said.

"Why can't you swim sweetie?" Finn said.

Lucy glared at him, her cheeks flaming red.

"Dad, you know why."

Finn felt like an idiot. He forgot she was on her period and hated to swim during her cycle.

"Sorry, I forgot."

Finally, Beau spoke.

"Sure, I'll come."

"Great," Matt said, smiling at him.

Beau smiled back, his eyes twinkled.

Mandy pulled in front of the Hyatt.

"Here we are."

"We have to check in and everything, so you can wait for us in the lobby," Finn said.

"Ok."

Every one unbuckled their seatbelt and exited the car. Mandy opened the trunk, and they got their bags out and then went into the hotel. The lobby had waxed gray marble tiled floors, plush purple velvet couches, and a purple rug with yellow circular designs on it. While Finn was at the front desk checking in, he noticed a few of the hotel patrons staring at Mandy and especially Beau. She smiled at everyone who looked at her and her son, and they looked away awkwardly since she caught them gawking at her. Beau avoided their eyes and stayed occupied with his phone. Finn didn't like the staring. It bothered him. Something about it was intrusive and rude. When he got the card key for their room, he went over to Mandy and Beau seated on a nearby couch.

"Do you want to come up so Beau can change in our room?" He asked Mandy.

"That would be great, thanks."

The room was on the third floor. Upon entering, Finn put their bags on the floor. He turned on the light and cracked the blinds. The room had two king-sized beds covered with white duvets, a red tapestry sofa bed, desk and chair, and a TV and chest of drawers – all dark wood with silver knobs. Heavy brown carpet covered the floor. An oil painting of a beach at sunset hung above each bed. Lucy and Matt sat one of the beds; Beau went to the bathroom to change. Finn turned on the TV out of habit, and Mandy sat down on the sofa bed. The AC was on full blast, and it was chilly.

"Nice room," Mandy said to no one in particular.

"Do you want anything to drink? "

"Sure, bottled water."

"Ok, I'll be right back."

Finn left and went down the hall to the vending machine; he got several bottles of water and a few bags of chips. When he returned, Beau and Matt were ready to go to the pool, perched on the edge of the bed in their swimming trunks; big, blue beach towels slung over their shoulders. Finn took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, and changed in the bathroom, donning a clean, green t-shirt and black basketball shorts. As they headed out, Lucy said she wanted to stay in the room and relax.

"You don't even want to work on your tan?" Finn said.

"Dad…"

"Call me if you need me," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"I will," she said and yawned, lying back on the bed, TV remote in her hand.

Several people were at the pool, a few loud kids, tanned and rambunctious, and an older silver-haired couple with bronze skin, who swam slowly, reminding Finn of the senior citizen swimming class at the YMCA. White lounge recliners and tables with bright, multicolored striped umbrellas surrounded the long, rectangular pool. The air smelled like chlorine and sunscreen.

Finn and Mandy sat at one of the tables, seeking shade beneath the umbrella. Matt and Beau took off their t-shirts and got in the pool. Finn noticed that Beau had a medium sized fatty mass on his stomach, resembling a growth and covered with a large port wine stain. As they horsed around and splashed each other, the other kids pointed at Beau and avoided contact with him. He never acknowledged them, or even looked in their direction, he and Matt swam and played and had a good time. Beau was an excellent swimmer even better than Matt.

"Beau loves the water," Mandy said watching the boys in the pool.

"He's a talented swimmer," Finn said, "Is he on a swim team or anything like that?"

"We tried but," she paused then said, "Things didn't work out… Hey, how long will it take for your RV to get fixed?"

"About three days. They had to order a part."

"We should get together and take the kids to the movies or something. I'm off for a few days."

"Matt and Lucy would like that."

"Give me your number."

Finn recited his cell number, and she put it on her phone.

Thank you for inviting us today," Mandy said, as she watched the boys, "Beau doesn't like going out much. But it's different if he has someone else with him. Matt is a good kid."

"You're welcome and Beau is a good kid too."

"Well, today he's good. He can get an attitude real quick," Mandy said smiling at him, and taking a drink of water, "He has Cloves Syndrome, in case you're wondering, everybody does at some point."

"What's Cloves Syndrome?"

"It's a rare genetic overgrowth syndrome that causes deformities, and one half of your body grows faster than the other. Only a few hundred diagnosed cases exist. And it affects everyone differently, and some cases are more severe than others."

Mandy opened a bag of chips and ate a few then said, "And now we'll discuss the other elephant in the room." She pointed to her scarred face and arms.

"It's ok, Mandy, you don't have to tell me," Finn said.

"No, it's fine. I'd rather tell people what's up."

"Ok."

"Long story short. My asshole ex-boyfriend and I were fighting in the car; he was screaming at me about God knows what. He always screamed. He ran into another car, and all I remember is seeing glass flying toward my face. Everyone told me I was lucky I survived. I was pregnant and didn't know it. I found out in the hospital. We stayed together for a while. After I had Beau, he couldn't handle it… he blamed me for how his son turned out, said I was a dumb bitch for not knowing I was pregnant. He said I should've been more careful, if I hadn't pissed him off, the accident wouldn't have happened, and Beau would be fine. Then he left. The End."

Finn wasn't sure what to say. She was so straightforward about everything, and there wasn't even a hint of self-pity or sadness in her voice, only acceptance.

"I can't imagine going through that."

"I'm leaving a lot of stuff out. I'll give you the juicy tidbits later," she said smiling at him as she took a sip of water.

Finn finished eating his chips and watched how well Matt and Beau got along in the pool. Then he said:

"I'm spreading my wife's ashes across America."

Mandy reached over and squeezed his hand. Finn kept talking; succumbing to his need to open up.

"That's why Lucy called this a death trip."

"I see." She said.

Finn was quiet for a moment, squeezing her hand in return.

"Honoring a dying wish can be hard."

"I'm sure it is."

"I can't figure it all out."

"What do you mean?"

"My wife Rachel wanted this. She wanted them to see the road. I just think I'm doing it wrong. Matt and Lucy are ready to go back to Kentucky."

"Maybe it's a question of when."

Finn didn't know what to say at first, so he remained silent.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

"No, you made me think."

"Oh… I hope that's a good thing."

"Don't worry. It is," Finn said finishing off his bottle of water, "I'm going to get more water. The boys will probably be thirsty pretty soon."

"I'll go with you. I need to use the restroom."

Before they left, Mandy and Finn went to the edge of the pool and called out to the boys to come over for a second. Matt and Beau swam over to them.

"What's up?" Beau said.

"We're going inside to get water and use the restroom. We'll only be gone a few minutes."

"Ok."

"Behave yourselves," Finn said.

"We will," Matt said and he and Beau swam away again.

They went inside the hotel. While Mandy used the restroom, Finn went to the hotel shop and got six bottles of water and some sunscreen. Mandy was just coming out of the bathroom when he met up with her again in the hallway leading to the pool.

"Perfect timing," he said.

"Yeah," she said, looking at him, then quickly averting her eyes and smoothing out her dress.

As they opened the door to the pool entrance, they heard kids shouting:

"Trap the monster!"

They ran outside and saw the kids who ignored Matt and Beau before now circling them like a pack of wolves.

"Shut the fuck up!" Matt said to the kids.

"Yeah, fuck off!" Beau said, "You're nothing but a bunch of assholes."

The old couple was climbing out of the pool, amid the chaos, their wet liver spotted limbs, moved slowly, but they tried to stop the bullying:

"Leave the child alone," the elderly woman shouted over her shoulder, her silver swim cap was askew, "He's done nothing to you."

"Somebody should tan your hides!" her husband said, his voice sounded like gravel, he held up his withered fist.

"Trap the monster," they continued chanting.

"Beau!" Mandy yelled as she and Finn ran to the pool and jumped in, swimming toward the boys.

A pale, brown-haired chubby boy wearing lime green trunks, said to Beau: "You're goddamn ugly. You need to get out of this pool and stop grossing everybody out. Did your Scarface Mom make you like this?"

Beau moved closer to the bully, splashing water on his doughy face.

"Fuck you!"

The boy pounced on Beau, hitting his face, but Matt and Beau overpowered him, each giving their tormentor many blows to his face and chest. The boy cried out in pain, and he got a few pitiful jabs as they fought back in an angry fury. Finn and Mandy pushed through the group of kids surrounding them and pulled Beau and Matt off the boy before the fight escalated further.

"Everyone out of the pool! Now!" Finn said, shouting above the raucous.

The children jumped upon hearing his loud, baritone voice, and scurried out of the pool, including the bully who started it all.

"I'm telling my stepdad," he said, holding his bloody nose once he was out of the pool, "he'll come kick all your asses."

Finn couldn't hold back.

"Yeah, well my room is 305, I'll be waiting for him. And you need to learn to stop being a dick."

The kid ran off, tears running down his fat, red cheeks. Finn felt ashamed and embarrassed at his behavior, but he couldn't help himself: that little bastard had it coming. They swam to the pool's edge and got out. Mandy's sundress was dripping wet, her hair drenched. She leaned down and hugged Beau:

"You need to work on your right hook, but you got a good shot."

"What an asshole," Beau said, his lip bled and he had a bruised chin.

"Yeah," she agreed, "Are you ok?"

"I want to go home."

"Ok."

Finn put his arm around Matt. His son had a bruise on his cheek but otherwise looked fine.

"How are you feeling?"

"Pissed."

"Does anything hurt?"

"Nah, I'm alright."

"You know I don't like violence but, well, I understand what you did."

"Thanks."

They walked over to their table. Finn's feet squished inside his wet sneakers and made a loud squeaking noise with each step. He sat down in a chair and took off his shoes, pouring the water out of each one. Matt and Beau wrapped their beach towels around themselves and slipped on their flip-flops. Mandy wrung the water out of the skirt of her dress, and it landed on the concrete in little streams; Finn offered her a towel that she used to dry herself off the best she could.

"Do you want to freshen up in my room?" he said.

"No, we're going home," she said as she slung her big denim purse over her shoulder. Thank you for your help with the fight," she said.

"Did you still want to get together?"

Mandy paused and looked at Beau who was talking to Matt near the pool exit a few feet away.

"We'll see."

Finn didn't press her, and he and Matt walked them to her car, and as Mandy drove away, giving a final wave, Finn looked at Beau and saw a single tear trickle down his cheek.

THE WEIGHT OF MEMORY

The next day Finn got up around 5:00 in the morning. He couldn't sleep and lay in bed staring at the ceiling and thinking about his life. Matt and Lucy were fast asleep, Lucy's purple and blue streaked hair spread across the pillow, she lay on her side facing Finn and Matt lay beside her on his back, with part of the covers thrown off of his slender body, his right leg draped over Lucy's legs. Though they had the other bed in the room, they fell asleep in Finn's bed instead. He got out of bed and went out onto their balcony.

He sat on the patio chair and looked out across the parking lot. The sun rose in the distant horizon, filling the sky with brilliant gold light. The breeze was warm, and yellowish-brown smog choked the air; he breathed in the scent of exhaust and tar and watched the cars on the primary road drive past the hotel. He thought of Mandy and Beau and the fight at the swimming pool. He was proud of Matt for how he stood up for a boy he knew for less than a day. Matt channeled his Uncle Sam at that moment, or maybe the Hummel spirit embodied him. Burt raised them to stop an injustice if they saw it.

When Sam told him about what happened to Mercedes last winter, he was angry, but thankful his sister-in-law, niece and nephew were unharmed. Finn knew for sure that if Sam had been there, that guy would either be dead or close to it; his brother never tolerated anyone hurting his family. He called Mercedes and let her know he was sorry for what happened to her and told her he loved her and the kids.

He thought of Rachel's ashes. He believed this trip would help them heal, and he was doing it for their well-being because this is what Rachel wanted, and she would never ask for something that harmed them, but Mandy's observation stayed in the back of his mind. The memories he shared gave them no peace, and he felt as if his voice became white noise in the background.

He heard Matt and Lucy waking up, and he went back into the room, where he found them sitting up in the bed, all bleary-eyed and yawning. He gave them each a good morning kiss on the forehead.

"You should go back to sleep," he said them, "It's still pretty early."

"I might," Lucy said.

"Why are you up?" Matt asked him.

Finn shrugged.

"I couldn't sleep. Anyway, I've got to step out for a while."

"Where?" Lucy said.

"To the store for a few things. Why don't you order room service?"

Matt picked up the black leather menu from off the nightstand and opened it.

"They've got pancakes. But I bet they won't be as good as Uncle Sam's."

"Yeah," Lucy said, looking at it with him, "Maybe we can get Belgian waffles."

"You can get whatever you want," Finn said, "I'm going to take a shower. Oh, and don't forget to finish your history lesson. It's due today."

The online school program they enrolled in was quite good, and Hiram had vetted it for them. Matt and Lucy were both excelling in their studies; Finn was never much of a student, and he was thankful they inherited their intelligence from their mother. He didn't consider himself to be dumb, far from it, but academics had never been his thing, and he was smart in other ways. Rachel, on the other hand, with her private schooling and tutors, and voracious appetite for learning was the epitome of academic excellence.

"We won't forget," Lucy said, "And we're calling Zaide today to go over some stuff."

"Great," Finn said, standing in the doorway of the bathroom. "I'll probably be gone for about an hour."

"Do you think we can meet up with Mandy and Beau again?" Matt said.

"We'll see," Finn said.

"I hope you don't get into any more fights," Lucy said, touching his bruised cheek.

"I'll try not to… we just wanted to swim in the pool. We weren't looking for trouble."

"Well, you found it," Lucy said, "I hate bullies. Does his disease hurt?"

"I don't know. Beau only said it was Clove something and then we started talking about something else."

"Oh, so what do you want to get?"

"I'm still deciding."

While they pored over the menu, Finn closed the bathroom door and took a quick shower. Then he shaved and changed into jeans and a black T-shirt. When he opened the bathroom door, Matt and Lucy were on the phone placing their order. Slipping on his sneakers, and grabbing his wallet and phone, Finn waved goodbye and left the room, to catch an Uber to the supermarket about five miles away.

Upon arriving in the store, he grabbed a cart and got the items they needed like soap, lotion, maxi pads, Advil, adhesive bandages, candles, and laundry detergent. He went to the bakery section and gazed at the decorated layer cakes and selected a round two-layer yellow cake with buttercream frosting.

Then he went to the produce section and got a bag of apples and oranges; and some carrots. After he checked out he saw a barbershop across the street, so he got his haircut. Every so often, he checked his phone to see if Mandy had texted him, he thought it would be nice if they took the kids to the movies as she suggested, but he understood her hesitance after the fight.

He returned to the hotel. And while he was in the hallway outside of their door, he set the bags on the floor, and took out the cake and lifted off the plastic lid. Then he got the package of taper candles, opened them, and stuck two in the cake and lit them with the hotel matches in his pocket. Carefully putting the card key in the lock, he opened the door, and sang:

"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, Matt and Lucy. Happy Birthday to you."

Matt and Lucy sat on the bed with their laptops. They looked up at Finn with solemn expressions. Despite the lack of enthusiasm, he smiled at them and set the cake on the coffee table in front of the sofa bed.

"Blow out the candles and make a wish."

Lucy closed her laptop.

"Why did you use taper candles?"

"The store didn't have birthday candles."

Matt and Lucy stared at the cake, looked at one another, then got off the bed and walked over to the coffee table. They closed their eyes and blew out the candles.

"Did you make a wish?"

Lucy sighed.

"You know we didn't want to celebrate."

Finn took their hands and pulled them down on the couch with him.

"I know. There's something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Lucy said, pulling the long candles out of the cake, and placing them on the table, curls of smoke floating from the wicks.

"What's your first memory of your Mom?"

"Dad, why are you asking that?

"I haven't been doing this right."

"Doing what right?" Matt said, leaning back against the sofa.

"This whole trip. I've been sharing all these memories with you two, thinking it would help you know your mother even better, and celebrate her as she wanted, but I should've been asking you for your memories too. This trip isn't about one story; it's all our stories. But there's more to it. We left too soon. I should've waited. I was afraid to wait because I thought I would lose the nerve and never carry out your Mom's wish, and I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do it. She wanted us to do this as a family. I'm so sorry for being blind and selfish. The journey was for all of us, and that means the right time had to be for everyone. I love you both so much, even when you hate me, I'll love you."

"I felt like I was on Mom's RV Tour Across America and you were our guide telling stories, but I couldn't connect," Lucy said, holding Finn's hand, "I understand Mom wanted this, but we needed time."

"I know, and I'm sorry for pushing this. I thought I was doing the right thing."

"Sharing our memories would've helped though."

"I think so too."

Finn now understood this trip provided no solace to Matt and Lucy, for them each day was another funeral, watching pieces of their mother float away into the air, a perpetual reminder she was no longer there to hold them and sing songs.

"So why do you want us to celebrate our birthday? Even though we don't want to?" Matt said, laying his head on Finn's broad shoulder.

"You didn't want to celebrate because it didn't feel right since your Mom is gone, but I think you're wrong."

"Why?"

"Your birth is worth celebrating. Your Mom always said you were special even before you were born. I guess what I'm trying to say is, you can't stop living, you know? I'm not saying we should have a big party, or let the world know, and I'm only saying it's ok to have this day - private just like this. I know I'm going against your wishes, but I never want you to think your birthday is something mournful, even though your Mom is gone."

Matt and Lucy hugged him.

"I understand," Matt said.

"I do too," Lucy said.

"After the RV gets fixed, we're going back to Kentucky. When the time is right, we'll finish the trip," Finn said, hugging them tightly, "Happy 13th Birthday, you're officially teenagers."

After their group hug, Lucy said:

"When you got sick at the Chuck Wagon yesterday that scared me so bad. I kept thinking you had to go to the hospital. Then I remembered seeing Mom lying on the floor of that cabin… it was too much."

"After she got cancer, Mom used to vomit all the time," Matt said, "And hearing you get sick in the bathroom, brought it all back."

Finn hugged them again.

"I'm sorry."

Matt and Lucy cried, and he held them to his chest, rubbing their backs. When they calmed down, Lucy said:

"Mom gave me honey and milk because I couldn't sleep. I was three years old and in my favorite pink pajamas. It was storming outside with thunder and lightning. I was scared, and so I ran to you and Mom's room and woke her up. I was crying. She told me not to be afraid because God was bowling. I thought that was funny, even though I was scared. And she got out of bed, put on her robe, and we went to the kitchen. On our way downstairs, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled, and she said God got a lot of strikes in Heaven and the angels cheered. Then she sang Angel By Your Side, and when we got to the kitchen I wasn't afraid, and she made me a little cup of warm milk and honey, and I remember how good and sweet it was, and how the stove light shined on her hair, and she looked like an angel. That's my first memory of her."

"She used to sing that to me too," Matt said, tears filling his eyes.

Lucy smiled at her brother, reached over and held his hand. Then together she and Matt sang the song with Finn joining in:

I'll be the angel by your side
I will get you through the night
I'll be the strength you can't provide on your own
'Cause when you're down and out of time
And you think you've lost the fight
Let me be the angel
The angel by your side

Finn kissed the tops of their heads. Then Matt said:

"My first memory is when I was four. "She was hanging up sheets on a clothesline in the backyard of a brick house, and Lucy and me were playing in the sheets as they blew in the wind. The sun was shining, and Mom was laughing, and then she picked us up and twirled us around. I felt like I was flying because the sky was so close and blue; I could touch it. I remember smelling laundry detergent and when she put us down I touched her belly and – "

Matt stopped talking. He squeezed Finn and Lucy's hands.

"Oh, God, I –"

"Matt," Finn said, "What is it?"

His son remained quiet and stared at the floor; until he finally looked up; his face pained.

" I just remembered something."

"What?"

"When I touched her belly, I said, 'HI Baby Three stay good in there for Mommy,' and me and Lucy felt the baby kick and, Dad, I – Dad I can't believe I forgot, how could we not remember?"

Finn and Rachel rarely spoke about their stillborn baby boy. They grieved and carried on, the loss crushed them but they survived.

"You kids were so young that we didn't expect you to remember. We just told you he went to be with the angels after he was stillborn. We called him Baby Three before he was born. We named him Jeremiah. Your Mom and I mourned and cried together behind closed doors. Our families supported us. We got through it. I'm shocked you remembered."

"I can't believe I forgot too," Lucy said.

"It's ok; we never tried to get you to remember. We thought it would be too much for you," Finn said.

"Mom was beautiful that day," Matt said.

"Keep that part with you," Finn said.

"I just realized a gingerbread heart is made for Jeremiah every year. I thought it was a distant relative that died," Lucy said, "I didn't know it was our brother."

"To you and Matt he was Baby Three for a long time."

They sat in silence. Finn wrapped his arms around them.

"He's not alone anymore. Mom is with him now," Matt said.

"Yeah," Lucy said

Finn nodded his chest heavy with grief. When Rachel accepted her death, she told Finn she would be with Jeremiah, it was one of the few times she mentioned their son since they lost him all those years ago.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Matt said.

"Why?"

"I didn't mean for my memory to hurt you."

"It's fine. You have nothing to be sorry about," Finn said, hugging him, "So how does it feel to be thirteen?"

"The same as twelve only a year older," Matt said, looking up at him, smiling.

"Very funny," Finn said.

"I don't feel any different either," Lucy, said, "Maybe I will tomorrow."

"I have something for both of you."

"What is it?"

"Give me a sec," Finn said, getting up from the couch. He went over to the bed and opened his duffel bag sitting on top of it. He took out two envelopes and returned to them, handing each of them an envelope.

"I wrote you two a letter."

"Can we read them now?" Lucy said.

"Sure."

Lucy opened the envelope and took out the letter. She began reading aloud:

Dear Lucy,

You're beautiful, challenging, stubborn, sweet, kind, intelligent and bold. You make fake blood out of corn syrup, turn your hair into a rainbow, and box like a champ (at least by adolescent standards). And when you were little, you never let Matt forget you're two minutes older than him (those two minutes meant the world to you), which I think is funny. You understand what people are feeling without them saying a single word; you look inside them and that's an excellent gift. You have your mother's courage and grace. Every day I see the woman you will become and it scares and excites me all at once because I'm not sure how the world will handle you, but maybe I got it all wrong, maybe it's you who will handle the world. I love you, Lucille Leona. I'm blessed to be your father. Always know I'm here, even in your silent anger, I'm with you. Happy Birthday!

Love,

Dad

Tears shined in Lucy's hazel eyes and she wrapped her arms around Finn, hugging him tightly, he smelled her lavender shampoo, and that indescribable powdery scent she's had since she was a baby, before life took over.

"I love you, Dad," she said, her tears falling on his neck and shoulders.

Finn kissed her cheek.

"I love you too."

Matt looked down at the envelope and opened it.

"Do you want me to read mine too?"

"Only if you want to," Finn said, ruffling his thick, brown hair.

So Matt read his letter aloud too.

Dear Matt,

When you were born, we were afraid we might lose you. A hole in your heart kept you in an incubator with tubes stuck in your tiny shriveled body, but you survived. And now we're here thirteen years later and you're thriving and I couldn't be more happy or blessed to be your father. You're kind-hearted, strong and smart. You get excited when you hear a song you've never heard before, and then you make me listen to it and I can't help but get excited too; you take small moments of happiness and make them larger, inviting everyone else into your joy. You waltz like a ballroom dancer, sing Love Will Tear Us Apart when you're feeding Speranza, tell stories about the stars, beat me at most video games, and fight for your family. I know you're not the same little boy who called rainy days soggy days or liked racing shopping carts in the parking lot, but I still see glimpses of him when you laugh or cry. But I also know the man you will become will be brilliant, and that makes me proud. You carry your mother's heart and her compassion. Whatever path you choose, I'm right there with you. I love you, Matthew Peter. Happy Birthday!

Matt hugged his father.

"Thank you… I love you," he whispered.

After wiping their eyes and blowing their noses, Finn said:

"Let's cut the cake."

While they cut the cake, Finn's phone vibrated. It was Mandy.

"Hi Mandy," he said, "How are you doing?"

"Fine, and you?"

"Hanging in there, so what's going on?"

"Instead of going out, how would you like to come over to my father's house for dinner? He's a great cook. Maybe all of us can watch a DVD or something. And we have a pool, we can swim too if you like."

"Sure, let me ask them. Hold on."

"Ok."

"Do you guys want to have dinner with Mandy, Beau, and her father?" Finn said to Matt and Lucy. They nodded.

"Yeah," they said.

Finn returned to Mandy.

"They said yes. What time?"

"How about 5:00? Beau has some doctor's appointments and I have errands to run. I can pick you up."

"Sounds like a plan. See you this afternoon."

"See you soon. Bye Finn."

"Bye."

Lucy handed him a piece of cake; a pale yellow sugar rose was stuck in the frosting.

"It's good," she said.

Finn took a bite and she was right. The cake was good with its whipped lemon frosting and fluffy vanilla layers. He and the kids continued talking about everything as they ate their cake.

Spending this time with Matt and Lucy warmed Finn's heart; he couldn't explain it, but he felt as if something had shifted in their relationship and for the better. Somehow he knew Rachel was smiling.

HEALING SCARS

Harvey's house was not what Finn was expecting. He wasn't sure what he was expecting but the rambling ranch-style home in the California hills was not what he envisioned. It reminded Finn of a ski lodge or log cabin with all of the wood. Harvey greeted them at the door, his stomach strained against the white t-shirt he wore with a big American flag on it; his feet were bare, and his bald head was smooth and red, shining in the sunlight from the window.

"Welcome, folks, take off your shoes please," he said, shaking Finn's hand, "Nice to see you again."

They quickly took off their shoes and Finn was grateful he remembered to use foot spray; stinky feet were the last thing he needed. The air smelled like steak and ginger.

"Something smells good," Finn said.

"I'm making Mongolian Beef," Harvey said.

Beau stood beside him, in another Batman outfit, his pale freckled skin was sunburned and peeling. His lip had a scab from the fight.

"Hey," he said to them.

Mandy patted his curly head.

"Go show our guests around the house while I help Grandpa in the kitchen?"

"Ok."

Beau gave them a tour. The house was gorgeous and even had a guesthouse and studio where Harvey created bronze and burlwood sculptures he sold in art galleries, a man who looked like a character from that old show Dukes of Hazzard town did not seem like an artist which intrigued Finn. Each room had reddish brown hardwood floors and stone tiles were in the kitchen and bathrooms. Redwood paneled walls were throughout the house, and an in-ground kidney shaped pool was in the backyard next to a beautiful gray stone patio and rock garden. In the center of the garden was a life-size bronze sculpture of a mother, father, and their children- a little boy and girl all hugging one another forming a circular bond of love. The mother and daughter wore long dresses of shimmering green and the son and father wore white shirts and blue pants. It mesmerized Finn.

Hand-woven Native American style rugs with diamond geometrical designs in brilliant colors of fiery red and calming turquoise covered the shiny floors. Installed in the living room ceiling were skylight windows providing lots of natural light. Above the exposed red brick fireplace, were a series of black and white family photos; and Finn saw a young Harvey standing on the beach in swim trunks with his arm around a woman who resembled Mandy, and he figured that was her mother. Then he saw pictures of a teenage Mandy and her brother, sitting on the front steps of a small, white house, Mandy is smirking, and her brother looks annoyed; they both had blond hair and wore t-shirts and shorts. And Finn saw who she used to be: flawless with bright eyes and smooth skin. When the house tour was over, Matt and Beau went swimming in the backyard and Lucy went to Beau's room to play video games. Finn hung out in the living room, sitting on the long, brown leather couch, and stared at the photos.

"Yeah, that was me," Mandy said from behind him.

He looked over his shoulder.

"These are good photos."

"My Mom took most of them."

"Oh."

"She passed before Beau was born."

"I'm sorry."

Mandy sat down beside him, her short-sleeved blue chambray shift dress rode up her skinny legs, exposing patches of light blonde hair on her thighs, reminding him of corn silk. She smelled fresh and clean, like unwrapping a bar of soap and getting the first whiff of its fragrance, sharp and mellow.

"So what do you think of the house?"

"It's beautiful."

"Yeah… it was nice growing up here. And now I'm back."

Her voice sounded hollow as if coming back was a failure of some sort.

"You never know where life can take you," Finn said.

"Don't I know it," she said, running her hands through her long hair, "I'm glad you came today. Beau is down, and having company cheers him up."

"Was he ok after the fight?" Finn said, remembering his face as Mandy drove away. The only way he could describe his expression was silent sorrow.

"He had his moments."

"Dinner's ready!" Harvey shouted.

"Come on, let's eat," Mandy said, rising from the couch and pulling Finn along with her.

OOO

They ate dinner on the patio. The decorative marble stone tiles in soft shades of brown and tan complemented the round red picnic table and matching chairs. Sitting near the rock garden and pool was serene. Finn almost felt like he was in another country surrounded by the greenery growing between the large, jagged gray and brown rocks, each situated in such a way that enclosed them inside this rustic stone hideaway, far from the traffic, pollution, and noise below the hills.

Harvey served the Mongolian Beef in glazed red-clay dishes. The tenderized sliced beef flank in a thick brown sauce with scallions and chili peppers served over steamed jasmine rice was better than anything at PF Chang's. A glass pitcher of iced tea with slices of lemon floating on top was in the center of the table. Everyone drank from glasses with American flags on each one. A warm wind blew over them as they ate the delicious dinner. They kept the bugs at bay with a few citronella candles burning at opposite ends of the table. The sun was setting, and the daylight turned orange and gold.

Finn looked at the Finn wasn't into art, but he found himself admiring the sculpture.

"I made that when Mandy was four and her brother Charles was five," Harvey said.

"It's beautiful," Finn said, looking at the statue shining in the fading light.

"I'm never selling it," Harvey said, taking a bite of beef, "Folks ask me all the time."

"It's your family," Finn said.

"Yep, and that's why it's staying right here."

"What do you call it?" Lucy asked, pouring a glass of iced tea.

Harvey laughed and scooped more rice on his plate.

"I call it Family. I keep things simple. No time for deep meaning titles."

"I like it," Lucy said, "It's pretty."

"I do too," Matt said.

"Thank you," Harvey said.

"I'm forever four years old in that sculpture," Mandy said, "It comforts me."

Harvey kissed his daughter's temple and smoothed a few stray hairs away from her face.

"Because bronze doesn't wither away, and neither will you."

"Thanks, Dad."

Harvey put his arm around Beau.

"Doing ok, champ?"

Beau laid his head on his shoulder.

"I'm ok, Grandpa," he said.

"That was quite a scrape you fellas got into yesterday," Harvey said.

"Yeah," was all Beau said. He looked down at his plate.

"Well, I reckon I got into quite a few scrapes when I was a kid."

Beau pushed his food around on his plate; his voice was soft as he spoke:

"But that was different," he said.

"Tell you what, after dinner, I want you and everyone else to come to my studio, I have a surprise you."

"Really?"

"You bet."

Beau brightened and began eating again.

After they finished dinner, Mandy brought out three pies: one blueberry, one cherry, and one apple with lattice crusts, golden brown and fresh from the oven, glossy with egg wash and glittering sugar granules; they were almost too pretty to eat.

"Those look fantastic," Finn said.

"Thank you, I used a family recipe, and in light of what happened yesterday, we're skipping the ice cream and sticking to the pies.

"No objection here," Finn said.

Harvey cut the pies and Finn helped Mandy clear away the dishes, following her into the kitchen.

"Where's your dishwasher?"

"Over there beside the sink."

Finn began loading it, and Mandy watched him for a moment before she said:

"Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome, and thank you for dinner."

"I can finish up in here; you better go get your pie. Beau gets greedy with sweets."

Finn chuckled as he put a dirty plate on the bottom rack.

"Ok, I'll go get my pie."

"Would you like some coffee?"

"I'd love some."

"I'll brew a pot."

"Thanks."

When he returned to the patio, the kids were laughing and joking with Harvey, and Finn realized that the older gentleman was like Burt with his easy-going, friendly demeanor.

"Which one would you like?" Harvey said to him, pointing to the pies.

"I'll have cherry."

Harvey put a big slice of cherry pie on a bright red paper plate along with a napkin and plastic fork and slid it over to Finn.

"Here you go."

"Thanks."

Finn took a bite of pie, and he was in heaven, the cherry filling most certainly was not from a can, with its sweet dark red cherries in a thick, glaze-like syrup; and the crust was buttery and flaky. He took his time eating it, savoring each bite, until it was gone and he scraped up the last bit of filling on his plate.

"That was wonderful," Finn said and belched.

Everyone laughed, even though his face burned with embarrassment. Then Mandy came out with three red ceramic mugs of coffee and a silver dish of sugar on a serving tray.

While the adults enjoyed coffee and chatted, the kids floated big, round white paper lanterns in the pool, with LED lights inside each one, making them glow as they drifted along the chlorinated water, resembling balls of moonlight in the twilight darkness. It was enchanting.

Mandy gave them the idea to do it because they wanted to go inside and play video games, and she coaxed them to stay outside and put the lanterns in the pool. They watched them float and took a few photos on their phone while sitting on the edge of the pool and wading their feet.

"Aunt Mercedes will like these pictures," Lucy said.

"You talk about your Aunt and Uncle a lot," Beau said.

"I miss them. And my sister Abby and the twins."

"You have a sister?"

"Yes but not like you think. It's complicated, but Abby feels like my sister that's all."

"She's my sister too," Matt said.

"That's not complicated," Beau said, kicking his feet in the water, "You just feel what you feel."

"Yeah," Lucy said.

"I get what it's like to miss people. I miss my uncle too."

"Let's take a picture with all of us together," Matt said.

Beau shook his head.

"No, thanks."

Then everyone heard a mournful cry echoing throughout the hills.

"What was that?" Matt said, his eyes fearful.

"Just a coyote," Beau said, "Don't worry."

"Come on, kids," Harvey called out to them, "Let's go to the studio."

They took their feet out of the pool and walked across the tiled patio, leaving wet footprints with each step, and followed Harvey to the studio, with Mandy and Finn trailing behind them.

OOO

Harvey's studio was a large airy room with wood paneled walls and a panoramic view of the California hills from his window. There were various unfinished burlwood sculptures on the big workstation in the center of the room. A band saw sat across from his station and tools hung from the walls. It smelled like sawdust and chemicals.

The kids sat on wooden crates, and Mandy and Finn sat on the extra stools.

"What's my surprise?" Beau said.

Harvey walked over to the corner of the room where a large object covered by a sheet stood.

"This was finished at the foundry a few days ago," Harvey said, removing the sheet, "I'm not one for big intros, so this is for you."

Underneath the sheet was a horizontal sculpture of a curly-haired young boy swimming through a wave. He was in mid-stroke, one arm raised in the air, and the other in the water, and his face appeared twisted as it was in real life. But it looked as though he was becoming one with the water, and it enhanced the sculpture's beauty with this unique facial feature and expression. The statue had a light and dark shaded blue patina with a glossy sheen; it reminded Finn of blue swirled marbles in the sun; a black metal pole held up the sculpture.

"That's you, Beau," Harvey said, "Every time you swim, every time you show people who you are, that's what I see. And that's what I want you to see."

Beau stood up, awestruck by the magnificent sculpture.

"Grandpa..." he whispered.

"I call it Beau. We're putting it in the rock garden. I'm never selling it. It's yours."

Beau hugged Harvey tight.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I know people are cruel. I also know that I don't understand everything you go through because what you have sets you apart, but that doesn't mean anyone has the right to treat you like you're less than a human being or be cruel. We've been teaching you to defend yourself. I know this isn't easy, but Beau, we love you so much. We're here for you."

"Dad, it's beautiful," Mandy said, a few tears ran down her cheeks, "I can't believe you kept this a secret for so long."

"It was challenging, but now it's done. I'm hiring a crew to install it in the rock garden."

Matt and Lucy took pictures of the sculpture. Beau was so happy and proud. Finn felt for the kid, and he was joyous he got this moment. It wasn't pity or sadness he felt for Beau, no, it was more like wondering why the world was the way it was.

They stayed a while longer until it was getting late and Finn said they had to go.

Beau hugged Matt, Lucy and Finn good-bye.

"Thanks for coming."

"You have our number, right?" Matt said.

"Yeah, I do."

"Maybe we can do something else," Lucy said.

"Ok," Beau said.

Harvey hugged them too, saying they were welcome in his home anytime.

Mandy drove them back to the hotel, country music playing softly on the radio, the windows cracked.

Matt and Lucy fell asleep in the back seat. Finn looked over at Mandy.

"Thanks again for tonight. It's been rough for us and spending time with your family was a good break."

"Same here," She said, stopping at a traffic light. "There's a lot more going on with my son aside from the pool fight yesterday, my brother was supposed to be back in California today, but it didn't work out. He's in Japan for his job, and he and Beau are close, so today was supposed to be a Welcome Home day, but whatever."

"That's too bad."

"He'll be ok."

"Will you be ok?"

"I don't know. I want to be. But I don't know. As you said, you never know where life takes you."

When she pulled up in front of the hotel, Finn squeezed her scarred arm. He wanted to convey something, yet he wasn't sure what it was until he said:

"I know I don't know you well. But for some reason I know you'll be ok."

Mandy turned and looked at him, the streetlight shined in her gray eyes.

"Well, Finn, I hope you're right."

He leaned over and hugged her.

"I believe I am."

OOO

Back in the hotel room, after they all showered and were in bed, Finn listened to Lucy snoring and the sounds of traffic outside their window. It was a strange day: happy, sad, tragic, and even funny. He wondered about their future if he could ever buy another house and they would have a yard and dog. But perhaps those things didn't matter. They had each other, family support, and their whole lives ahead of them. Maybe that would be enough.

AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT

Sam and Mercedes watched as Unique walked down the aisle wearing a shimmering blue wedding gown that was a replica of the dress worn by Lily James in Disney's Cinderella movie. The many shades of blue reminded Mercedes of a watercolor painting. Her hair was curled and hung down her back like a cascading waterfall and decorated with tiny sprinkles of blue hair glitter. A dark-haired woman with an olive complexion and statuesque figure, wearing a tight red gown that accentuated her bountiful curves, sang Ave Maria with a small band consisting of a pianist, harpist, and violinist accompanying her.

A soft breeze blew and the sun shined through the trees; they were outside at the Searles Castle grounds, and everyone sat in gold chairs with white rose garlands wrapped around each one. Mercedes held Jake on her lap, and Sam had Rosy. The twins were adorable: Jake wore a little black tuxedo with a blue bow tie, his hair freshly cut, and Rosy wore a sky blue gown with a full skirt and puffy sleeves; her hair was in a ballerina bun and decorated with baby's breath and tiny blue violets. Abby sat beside Sam, looking like a young princess, in her knee-length, sleeveless green dress with a big bow on the left-hand side.

Her hair was in a curly Afro adorned with a green satin headband, and her beloved emerald locket was around her neck. The summer days spent at the pool with Melanie and Travis tanned her skin, and now she had a lovely dark glow, mahogany-hued, and golden as honey. Mercedes couldn't help but think what a beautiful woman, Abby would be, and she knew Shane was looking down on them, thinking the same thing, and the thought brought her comfort.

When Ryder saw Unique walking toward him, his eyes lit up, and tears rolled down his cheeks. Sam squeezed Mercedes' hand and kissed it. They knew the feeling all too well. Finally becoming husband and wife was an indescribable joy. Unique said her vows first:

"Ryder Hunter Fabray, I don't know why God put you in my path, but I thank Him every day that he did. For everything we've been through together, from losing family to dealing with harassment to finding love time and again, you are my King. The love, compassion, caring, kindness, just every damn thing a woman like me needs, you gave it to me three-fold. So, baby, I promise to be phenomenal (not that I'm not already).

Everyone laughed, and then she smiled and continued:

"As I was saying, I promise to be your phenomenal, awesome, fabulous wife you deserve and stand beside you for every obstacle we face together; and we've been through many storms, and now I'm standing here in my happily ever after. I love you so much Ryder, and I'm blessed and honored to be your wife.

Unique was crying toward the end of her vows, her voice cracking on each word as tears streamed down her cheeks. Ryder held her and whispered in her ear. And then he said his vows.

"Unique Angelica Adams, you're right. You are already phenomenal. And I thank God, or whoever is in the universe every day for you too. I want to do better every day because of you. You held me as I cried just as I've held you. I'll never forget our early days when we struggled, and ramen noodles were a luxury, even then, you never lost hope, you pretended we were eating in a five-star restaurant and said the soy sauce was made of diamonds. That's when I knew I loved you. You make everything special, you opened your heart to me, and I love you with my entire being. I promise to be a phenomenal, wonderful, fabulous husband (not that I'm not those things already).

Everyone laughed again, and Unique said:

"I know that's right baby!"

Ryder chuckled and then his voice became overwhelmed by emotion:

"You're my heart, and I'll be beside you too. You're my Queen. Forever."

The officiant pronounced them husband and wife, Ryder cupped Unique's face in his hands as if she were the rarest jewel in the world that he had the great fortune of claiming as his own, and kissed her as everyone cheered. Rosy and Jake clapped their hands and yelled joyously; for them, it was like watching the Disney film come to life. Abby whistled with her fingers, a skill Sam taught her during their early morning hairstyling sessions.

Then a gold pumpkin carriage pulled by two white horses with white roses twisted into their manes rode up to where Ryder and Unique stood near a weeping willow tree. The horseman wore a white renaissance wig, black leather boots, and a maroon driver uniform complete with a black hat with a white plume sticking out from it. He hopped down from his seat, opened the carriage door, took Unique by the hand and helped her step up into the carriage, and this was not an easy task due to the fullness of her dress. But she and Ryder managed to get inside, and they waved to everyone as they whisked away to the other side of the castle where the reception would take place inside the grand manor ballroom. Then a trio of gold shuttle vans pulled up to take the guests to the other location. As they rode to the reception, Mercedes said:

"That was beautiful. Unique looked gorgeous."

"She finally got her fairytale," Sam said.

"I should say she did. She was a queen."

"With all due respect, I think the queen is sitting right here beside me," Sam said kissing her, "You look radiant."

"So you approve of my attire?"

"The dress fits you in all the right places," he said, his eyes roving over her curvy figure poured into a form-fitting azure blue gown, "But I'm not talking about the dress. It's you who shines."

"Sam…" she got a tingle in her stomach, "You still smooth talking me? I married you remember?"

"Smooth talking? No, it ain't smooth talking when it's the truth. And I thank God every day you did."

She kissed him.

"I love you, Mr. Hummel."

"And I love you, Mrs. Hummel."

When they arrived at the ballroom and went inside, they were amazed at how enchanting everything looked from the pink uplighting with a rose pattern shining on the walls and ceiling, to the ivory and gold column archways that transported you to a time of elegance, lace handkerchiefs, and Sir Walter Raleigh chivalry.

The golden marble floor gleamed beneath the Swarovski Crystal chandelier. White lace tablecloths covered each table, and gold pumpkin carriage centerpieces with burning white candles inside, and Summer Sparkle Baby's Breath wrapped around the base were on every table. The twins' eyes grew wide, and their mouths were agape as they looked around the ballroom, while tightly holding onto to their parents' hands.

"Mommy, look," Rosy said, tugging her hand, and pointing to the chandelier.

"Isn't it pretty? That's called a chandelier," Mercedes said."Chanchier," Rosy said with pride as if she pronounced the word right.

Mercedes laughed.

"You almost got it."

They found their table. Sam put the twins in the chairs with booster seats; then he pulled out Mercedes and Abby's chairs. The twins sat between their parents.

"Unique thought of everything," Mercedes said to Sam as she sat down.

"Yes she did," he said, leaning down and kissing her, before sitting next to Jake, "It's quite an affair."

Abby sat next to Mercedes, closed her eyes, and inhaled.

"Mmm, she said, "It even smells like a fairytale. What's that scent?"

"Probably the candles," Sam said, "You having fun, Sugarplum?"

"Yes, Papa, this is great. I want all of this for my wedding," she said.

"Well, that's a long way away," he said.

"I know. But this is all like a dream or something. Unique and Ryder love each other like you and Mommy."

"They do," he said reaching for her little hand and squeezing it, "That's the kind of love you want, but not until you're 40."

"Papa!" Abby said, laughing at his joke.

Mercedes shook her head and smiled at Sam's teasing; she could only imagine what he would be like when Abby and Rosy became teenagers. She inhaled the floral fragrance drifting in the air: it smelled like lavender, tulips, and hyacinths; she felt as if she were in a magical flower garden where fairy godmothers turned pumpkins into carriages and mice became footmen.

The wedding favors were shimmering gold bubble bath inside carriage shaped bottles, glass slipper key chains, rhinestone bracelets, and chocolate crowns wrapped in gold foil.

Rosy tried to open one of the chocolate crowns, but Mercedes took it from her pudgy little hands.

"No, we have to eat first, then you can have some."

Rosy pouted but put down the candy. Luckily, the wedding party was seated, and soon the food was served.

Dinner was a choice between herb roast chicken or filet mignon. The Hummels opted for the roast chicken that was delicious along with the rice pilaf and steamed vegetables. And for little kids like the twins, there were chicken fingers, curly fries, and steamed broccoli. Rosy and Jake did well eating without assistance, and Mercedes was glad the formal atmosphere did not make them clingy. She and Sam were able to enjoy their food.

After dinner, Ryder and Unique cut the cake. It was a five-tiered cake with sparkling gold sugar crystals covering the first three tiers, and the bottom layer was pale rose pink. On top of the cake was a glass castle illuminated by a tiny LED light inside of it. It was endearing how Ryder and Unique fed each other cake, kissing each other between bites. However, when the bride and groom danced to the Diana Ross classic I'm Coming Out for their first dance, this moved Mercedes even more and altogether surprised her, but the song captured Unique's flamboyance and Ryder's freedom to love whom he wished without approval from anyone. So in a sense, they were both coming out (not in the out of the closet sort of way) but being true to themselves. And it warmed her heart to see them dance together, in well-choreographed moves that had everyone clapping and tapping their feet, cheering them on, and as Aunt Josephine would say: "Child, they brought the house down." And bring it down they did. Unique shined brighter than the chandelier, and Mercedes felt joyful witnessing their love for one another in such a marvelous dance routine.

Once they ate their decadent pieces of wedding cake that were fluffy layers of white cake with lemon buttercream frosting, Sam, Mercedes, and the kids went out on the dance floor and had a ball. They danced until they were breathless and Sam had a slow dance with Abby and then she sat down for a break and then he danced with Rosy, while Mercedes danced with Jake.

Her son looked up at her, his big brown eyes so much like her own, and his creamy skin had a pink glow from the lights.

"Am I doing good, Mommy?"

"Yes, Jake, you're a good dancer. I am so proud of you."

Jake beamed at her praise. Rosy put her little patent leather shoed feet atop Sam's black dress shoes.

"I'm a princess. Just like Abby," she said, grinning at him.

"Yes, you're a princess, baby."

When the song was over, they sat down with Abby at the table. They cooled down and drank water, and Mercedes let Jake and Rosy have a chocolate crown, which they devoured, getting chocolate on their hands and cheeks. As Mercedes was wiping their faces, a woman walked up to their table, she was tall, and had long chestnut brown hair that reached the middle of her back and styled in tousled beach waves, her purple dress hugged her Coke bottle hips. Her pillowy lips were cherry red, and her face reminded you of old black and white movies when women wore garters, smoked cigarettes with slender black holders and frequented speakeasies; she was beautifully vintage with peaches and cream skin, large blue eyes, and perfectly arched eyebrows.

"Sam?" She said, hesitantly.

Sam was tying Jake's shoe, and he looked up.

"Marlene?"

Marlene smiled.

"Yes, it's been a long time, I haven't seen you since your-

Sam interrupted her.

"Quinn and I are divorced. This is my wife Mercedes and our children Abby, Jake, and Rosy."

"Hello, nice to meet you all. I'm Ryder's cousin, Marlene Denton."

"Nice to meet you," Mercedes said, grinning at her, though not sure how she felt about this woman.

Abby looked at Marlene with suspicious eyes and gave a polite smile.

"Nice to meet you," she said.

"Thank you. I didn't mean to interrupt. I only wanted to say hello," Marlene said.

"It's fine, so how have you been?" Sam said.

"I'm good. I'm modeling now."

"Great."

"How about you?"

"I'm still in the contractor business. No complaints."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about you and – "

Sam cut her off again, his voice tight.

"I'm not sorry, Sam said putting his arm around Mercedes, "I'm happy with my wife and family. Mercedes is the best thing that ever happened to me. Everything else is all in the past, and I'm keeping it that way, is that clear?"

Marlene turned red.

"Yes, of course, well it was nice meeting you all. Have a good evening."

"Good-bye, Marlene," Sam said with a tense smile, "Good luck with everything."

She nodded and walked away, her hips swinging like an old blues tune was playing in time to her movements.

When she was gone, Sam said.

"I'm sorry about that."

"Why are you sorry?"

"Marlene can be challenging."

"You knew how to handle her."

"Yeah."

"She never really looked at me."

Sam kissed her.

"She threw shade and missed."

"Is that so?"

Sam held her face in his hands.

"Mrs. Hummel, I'm looking at you, and nothing will make me stop, especially something as petty as that."

They kissed again, this time it was longer, it was one of those kisses where the world melted away. Mercedes had to catch her breath.

"Thank you, Mr. Hummel," she whispered, touching his cheek.

"My pleasure."

OOO

After the reception winded down, and the twins grew cranky, and Abby began yawning, and Mercedes' feet ached, and a dull pain settled in Sam's lower back, they made their way over to Ryder and Unique to bid them goodnight before going back to their hotel room for some much-needed rest. The newlyweds gave them all hugs and chaste kisses on the cheek, thanking them for coming.

"Isn't she a beautiful bride?" Ryder said, gazing at Unique, his voice full of love.

"She is," Mercedes said, "Congratulations to you both."

"Thank you," Unique said.

They lingered for a little while longer, said their final farewells and went to the hotel where they bathed the twins and put them to bed in the adjoining room while Abby showered in the second bathroom. It was a comfortable hotel room with king-sized beds covered with soft pale yellow down duvets and classic modern furniture with silver handles and sleek lines. After the kids were tucked in and asleep, Sam insisted on washing and rubbing Mercedes's sore feet and afterward they took a shower together and got ready for bed, but as he was about to put his pajamas on, Mercedes stopped him.

"Leave them off. I need to give you a massage."

"You're not tired?"

"A little, but I know you're in pain. You're walking funny."

"Do you feel up to it?"

"Trust me, I do, now lay on the bed face down."

"Bossy, aren't we?"

"Shut up, Sam and lay down," she said, laughing.

"Ok, but I have one request."

"What's that?"

"You can't be wearing anything either."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"It makes things more… I don't know sexy or something."

"You're kinky."

"But you love me anyway."

Mercedes laughed and took off her nightgown, standing there nude in the soft lamplight. Sam's pulled her into a hug, squeezing her generous ass.

"Now, that's more like it."

"Alright, on the bed, Loverboy."

Sam kissed her and lay face down on the luxurious bed. Mercedes didn't have the massage oil with her, but she made do with the cocoa butter lotion she brought with her. She started with his shoulder blades and worked her way down.

"Baby, you're so tense," she said, her voice concerned.

"I'm ok, really I am."

"Hmmm," Mercedes said and worked her way downward, her hands kneading deeper into his muscles, and Sam let out pleasurable moans.

"Feels, good, sweetie, oh, right there, yes…"

Mercedes smiled and concentrated on his lower back the most because that's where his muscles were the tightest, then she slid down to his chiseled, firm butt cheeks and squeezed them in her hands like she was molding clay for a sculpture; and Sam's breath came out in shallow gasps.

"Schatzchen."

"It's ok; you need this. Enjoy it. Especially since we'll be stuck on a plane tomorrow."

"Oh, I know it's just that it's so good, your hands are magical."

"Magical? No. Talented? Hell, yeah."

"That's what I'm talking about," Sam said.

When she finished, his entire body was like jelly, he pulled her into his arms, kissing her.

"Amazing."

"Thank you."

He pinched her nipples. She gasped at the sensation.

"You know I can't just go to sleep now," he said.

"Yeah, I can feel how happy you are to see me."

"You got all kinds of jokes, don't you? So are you up for some horizontal refreshment?"

"What?"

"Horizontal refreshment."

"What is that?"

"An old-fashioned term for sex."

"Like how old-fashioned?"

"I don't know - the 1800s maybe."

"I'm not even going to ask you how you know that. But the answer is yes. You're not the only one aroused."

"Ok, I read about a new position. It's called the cat. Lay back."

"You know the last time we tried a new position it was at a wedding."

"Yeah, it was."

"Is this like our thing now? Every wedding we go to we try a new position?"

"Maybe."

She chuckled, and lay back on the bed spreading her strong, pretty legs, soft and supple; her massive breasts swayed gently, and her nipples were hardened peaks. Sam got on top of her, positioning himself between her big warm thighs. He slipped his finger into her core, and it glided in like silk. She was ready for him; he was painfully hard hurt, and his erection glistened with pre-come.

He shifted his body upwards and slightly over to the side, and instead of doing the usual thrusting up and down, he rocked to and fro having better alignment with her clitoris; therefore giving her more intense pleasure. Mercedes noticed the difference immediately.

"Sam, oh… that's oh…"

He smiled down at her beautiful face, kissing her while rocking his hips.

"You like that, don't you?"

"Hell yeah," she moaned.

It wasn't long before they came, Mercedes clung to him, crying into his shoulder to muffle the sound and Sam's orgasm followed hers. He held her for a while until he left and got a warm, damp washcloth to wipe between her legs. Then he took the cloth back to the bathroom, and got back into bed, holding her once more.

"Thanks, baby," she said, her eyelids growing heavy.

"You're welcome, now let's get some sleep."

He turned off the lamp, kissed her again and soon they were both in dreamland.

OOO

The next morning the family had breakfast in the hotel restaurant downstairs at the all-you-can-eat buffet. Sam thought the food was adequate but not quite up to his standards. Mercedes' opinion was more generous compared to Sam's; she liked the thick, cracked pepper bacon and bourbon maple syrup. Their plane wasn't leaving until mid-afternoon, so they lingered over breakfast taking their time, drinking their coffee and chatting. Abby kept the twins amused with games on her phone. Then Rosy and Jake wanted more fruit salad, so she agreed to take them back to the buffet table to get more; before she left she said:

"Mommy, Papa, do you want anything?"

"No, Sugarplum, we're fine. Be careful. Don't talk to strangers," Sam said.

"Papa, I never talk to strangers," she said, laughing, "Besides I'm only going in the next room. And you can see me from here."

"Well, just the same," Sam said stirring his coffee.

"Ok, I won't talk to strangers. Come on Jake and Rosy," she said taking their hands and leading them to the buffet.

Mercedes finished her Belgian waffle and wiped her mouth.

"I'm stuffed," she said, "The waffle wasn't bad."

"I probably should've gotten that instead of the pancakes," Sam said. "We should probably leave an hour early to get to the airport on time."

"Ok," she said, pouring a cup of tea, "I had a nice time. I just wish Tina and Mike could've made it."

"Me too," Sam said, "And I think - but as he was about to say something else, he saw the last person he ever wanted to see walking toward their table: it was Quinn. Mercedes didn't see her because her back was facing the entrance.

"Sam, what's wrong?"

He nodded in Quinn's direction.

"Look."

Mercedes looked over her shoulder.

"What's she doing here?"

"Search me."

"Ryder wouldn't have invited her would he?"

"Maybe they made amends."

"But why didn't we see her?"

Before they could discuss it further, Quinn stood at their table smiling shyly at them. She wore an ivory applique midi dress. Her close-cropped blonde hair almost looked non-existent. Her cheeks had a pinkish hue, and her lips shimmered with rosy gold gloss. Diamond stud earrings sparkled in her doll-like ears. Sam smelled her loud, expensive perfume he could never recall the name of, but it reminded him of New York boutiques with exclusive clientele; the kind of places only wealthy people were made privy to. It was a sharp sweet scent, almost like lemon and something else he couldn't pinpoint, whatever it was, he used to wrap himself in it, now it only repulsed him.

"Hello Sam and Mercedes," she said.

"Quinn, what are you doing here?" Sam asked, dropping all pretense of formality.

"I went to the wedding."

"We didn't see you," Mercedes said.

"I sat in the very back, and I didn't go to the reception."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I would've had to sit with people I didn't know and … it's just awkward."

"Did you and Ryder make up?" Sam said.

"Somewhat. It's not the same as before."

"It may never be the same," he said, "So, what do you want?

Quinn looked at Mercedes, her voice quivered.

"I owe you an apology. I'm sorry for the way I behaved and for calling you horrible names, yelling at you in public and being an all-around Class-A bitch. You didn't deserve any of it, and I'm truly sorry for everything I said and did. There is no excuse for my behavior."

Mercedes was shocked by the apology; she wasn't expecting that at all. She stared into Quinn's blue eyes searching for insincerity and found none. Perhaps she did seek atonement for her ugly behavior.

"Thank you, Quinn, I accept your apology."

Quinn sighed as if she had been holding her breath for a long time.

"Thank you for accepting it," she said.

"Why are you doing this now?" Sam said.

"A lot has happened, and I won't go into it. But I'm changing who I am."

Sam wanted Quinn to leave. He'd had enough of the conversation; and though it was wrong, he hated how she treated Mercedes, and he couldn't trust her. He saw Abby and the twins walking toward the table.

"We have to be going," he said taking Mercedes' hand and rising from the table.

The twins ran over to their parents.

"Mommy, Papa, we got strawberries," they said.

Sam picked up Jake and Mercedes got Rosy. Abby put the small bowl of fruit salad on the table.

"Can we take this with us."

"I don't see why not," Mercedes said, "Let's go."

"Sam I – Quinn began to say, however, Sam had reached his limit.

"We're done here, Quinn. Good-bye."

Quinn nodded, and blinked back a few tears, with slumped shoulders she walked out of the restaurant.

"Come on, kids," he said, putting his free arm around Abby and giving her a side hug, "We have to go upstairs and pack."

"I had fun, but I'm ready to go home," Abby said.

Sam kissed her forehead.

"Me too, Sugarplum."

END NOTES: Thank you for reading and reviewing!