Page 18 of Stone

She stared at him, not really understanding what he was telling her. As things began to settle around in her brain, she realized something else. That Earl knew that he was going to die soon and that he didn’t care to be around without his wife. It saddened her in so many ways. Then she looked at Stone.

“I would do the same should anything happen to you. I couldn’t go on living without you, and I’d die of a broken heart. Like…it’s like you’re my heart and soul, my life and my everything. I’m so very happy that you can’t die. I just don’t know what I’d do without you in my heart.” He kissed her, and she realized that they were the only two in the room. She asked him where the others had gone.

“Mr. Crank had some other things to do now that he’s told you about the will that the Danielsons had. He has some money for you too, he said. It’s quite a bit so he’s making sure that the bank that we bank at is aware of it. I didn’t think that you wanted to cash it out, but that’ll be up to you.” She asked him what amount, and he told her. “It’s to pay off any of their outstanding bills. It’s doubtful to me that you’ll need all that to pay things off. Mr. Crank said that they rarely left bills unpaid when they had the money.”

“There was a mention of the son, correct?” He told her what he got in the will and why. “So they weren’t very close then. That’s sad, but then I’m not very close to my own mother. She’s trying to make amends, but I’m not sure what her motives are. She’s never been someone that I could depend on.”

“That’s really sad. I’ve been able to depend on my family for everything.” When his cell phone rang, she got up to go to the window in the room they were in. There were children playing in the yards out from them, and she smiled when they seemed to be having a great time. The weather had turned warm and the kids were enjoying it as much as they could, it seemed.

“That was my dad. He wanted to make sure you were all right. He said that he’d heard about what was going on here, and he was worried about you.”

“I’m fine. Really, I am.” She turned and looked at him. “I want children with you. I don’t care if we have to adopt or not, but I’d like to have a houseful of little ones running around. I’ll tell them daily that I love them and make sure they know that they count. For us and everyone around them.”

“I’d like that too. We can get started as soon as you’re ovulating again.” Nodding, she told him that she’d stop taking the pill then. “It wouldn’t matter if you’re on the pill or not. I’m that powerful.” They both laughed, and he pulled her into his arms. “I love you so much, Sage. I can’t think of this world without you in it with me.”

They made their way back to the house. They were still going through boxes and decided to leave things in the garage until they could sort through things. It was so much fun. There were a couple of times that he got as many as six flats of junk for a buck. And he loved finding things that he’d not thought about in years. Setting aside the pipes that he’d found, he wondered if his dad had already gotten a start on cleaning up the ones that he’d purchased.

It was nearly noon when they decided that they’d take a break. He’d been able to unearth a lot of odds and ends that he thought that he could resell. It was fun sorting through things with Sage.Whenever she found something, she’d make a little squeal noise, and he’d have to go and see what she’d discovered. It was like a treasure hunt they were having in their own garage.

“Are you going to sell the paperweights?” He told her that he’d keep a couple of them because they weren’t any that he had already. “They’re so beautiful. I looked up how they’re made, and it’s amazing how much time it takes to make just one of them.”

They’d been doing that all morning. Once he would tell her what something that she’d found was, she’d look it up on her phone and see not only if it was worth anything but how it was made as well as the year that it was made in. Some of the things that she’d managed to get were very old and worth some money. But since neither of them needed the cash, she decided that she’d keep them around just because they went with the décor of the house.

After lunch, they decided to stop with the boxes and start to make a bigger list of the things that they needed. Hailey had been with them all morning, and she seemed to be having as much fun as they were. He could see her at an auction, having the time of her life and picking up a few items that she could turn over. It was wonderful to watch her face light up when she found something that she hadn’t found before.

“My dolls are cleaned up now. And Ms. Fitz ironed all the pretty little dresses that I have now.” They asked her if she wanted to put them in a room, the one next to hers, so that she could have a playroom. “No thanks. I think it’s wonderful that I can see everything that’s mine while in my room. I love all the doll furniture, too.”

“If you change your mind, let me know. We can have one of the rooms set up just for you to play with your things in.” She said that was fine with her. “I’m assuming that next weekend you’d like to go to another auction with us.”

He couldn’t have turned her down if his very life depended on it. Her eyes brightened up and her smile was enough that he could go on for years from the energy from it. Smiling to himself, Stone was going to make it a point to look up auctions for every weekend so he’d be able to see that bright smile of hers.

They were working in the house, making sure that there were things that Odell might want of his mother’s when his brothers came up the drive. He was excited and surprised that they had a large box in their truck that they came to ‘break in.’ The big screen television was not only put up, but they were having a good time watching a few games on the large sucker. The women showed up with bags of food, and they were all set for the afternoon. He was glad that the kids came over, too. It gave Hailey a chance to show off her new dolls. Even Jeffery’s daughters had a good time playing with them.

It was the best afternoon he’d spent in a while. Not only did they have good company but good food as well. When their parents showed up with pies and other desserts, they went at them like they’d not had a single thing to eat all day. Dad and Mom sat with them, watching television on the large ninety-five-inch television as well.

“We also came to help you move the desk in. I know that you got it delivered, but we thought that if you’re finished with it, we’d get it situated in the room for you guys.” He thanked Harman and the others for their help, and in no time at all, not only was the desk set up in the room, but the bookshelves were loaded after being put in place, as well as the new computer that they’d gotten just yesterday. It was great having family around.

Trying not to be upset with them, his parents brought up that they were ready to fade. They told them that they’d been around a great many decades and there was little to make them want to stick around anymore.

“The grandchildren are a great addition, but we’re both so tired.” It was the first time that he noticed that his parents were looking like they needed to rest. “We’ll be around, but not like we are now. It’s been a long time in coming but when you’ve been around as long as we have, it’s time to settle up our affairs and fade away.”

“I guess I can understand that, but I don’t have to like it.” Mom hugged him, telling him that she loved him. “What will we do without you around to give us the advice that we need? Tell us whenwe screw up.”

Mom laughed. But he could see the sadness in her face. It hurt him deep in his heart when she looked at him. As soon as she put her hand on his cheek, he turned into it so that he’d be able to kiss her.

“You all have mates now that can do that for us. And it’s time, honey. It’s been so long that I don’t remember the world like it was anymore. And I miss that. The bits and pieces of our life before will come to me hard, and I just want to find myself a place to cry with my memories. That feels like all I have now. Just memories that are of a world less complicated along with being a nicer place.” He told her that he loved her. “And I love you, too, my baby boy. What did I do before all of you came around? I’ll never know. My life has been wonderful as a mother to the six of you but I’m tired too. So tired that all I want to do is go to bed and now wake up again.”

That hurt him in his own heart. To think that he’d not be able to go and talk with his mom. To not be able to share a day with either of them. They’d been there his whole life, and to not have them around would leave such a void in his life. He just wasn’t sure that he could survive it.

“You’re going to be just fine, Stone. Better than the others, I think. You have a fresh life now, a mate and a daughter to keep you on your toes.” She kissed him on the cheek before looking at him. “I don’t want you to feel like we’re abandoning you. We’ll be around watching over you from time to time.”

“I want to understand but it’s difficult to. I will miss you more than I think I can put into words right now. I won’t be able to…Mom, Sage and I want to have a houseful of children. How will I know if I’m doing a good job with them if you’re not around? How will I know that I’ve taught them right? I’ll miss you both so much in just having you around to hug and to hold sometimes.”

“You have a wife, son. One that will keep you on your toes and will love you forever. We all knew that this day was coming, a day when we had enough. We’ve been talking about it for years about how much we needed rest.” He felt the tears burning down his cheeks. His own heart breaking for the day that was coming soon. But he also knew that he couldn’t be selfish. They’d been there for him all his life, and he was going to be there for them, as much as he could for them in this decision that they were making.

It couldn’t have been easy for them to decide that they’d had enough. Before Sage and Hailey came along, he was having the same feelings. He’d been bored with his life. The same kind of days that he’d had the weeks before. But now it was different, like he had a new outlook on life. Then, there was something that his dad had said to him before.

“There are no more changes in the world that we can be excited for. We’ve seen it all. From the new country to all the electronics that are now around. The world was taking small steps, it seemed, where there was something every day that was coming along. Something new was being discovered or improved. There is so little of that now going on that we’ve decided that we can’t take another change. It’s become just too much for us.”