2000
“You were the most beautiful bride in the world,” Tommy told her as he passed her the sweet potatoes. “Tell your mom how beautiful she was, Jason.”
“You were real pretty, mom. How come you don’t look that pretty every day?”
Tommy almost dropped the bowl he was passing, but Ginny just laughed. “Because it was a special day and I took extra care to look beautiful for your father,” she replied.
“I don’t know why you had to wear white,” Mimi chimed in. “You’re too old to be wearing white, Mom. It’s not like you and Dad haven’t done it.”
“Done what?” Jason asked innocently as he reached for a roll. “What did you do? I wanna do it, too!”
“Mimi, don’t try and hide behind the sarcasm. I saw you watching your parents say their vows and you had tears in your eyes,” Carter chimed in.
They were all sitting around the dinner table. Tommy and Ginny had just returned from a short but long-overdue honeymoon. They hadn’t been able to get their weeklong cruise reservations for the family on such short notice, so they decided to put that cruise on hold until Christmas. It was Tommy who’d determined he wanted a real wedding for Ginny, not just the courthouse formality they’d had all those years ago. He remembered vowing back then to walk her down that church aisle. And it was as long overdue as the honeymoon.
They were able to put something together very quickly, only inviting a few close friends. He was the one who insisted she wear a white gown. And just like the Ginny he’d known and fallen in love with, it was beautiful in its simplicity. They had a small and modest reception and asked that, instead of gifts, donations be made to a local charity that helped children to adapt better in foster homes. Mimi and Jason had stayed at Carter and Bill’s house.
Tommy and Ginny had just arrived home and were thrilled to find Carter and the kids there. Carter had Mimi and Jason help her prepare a surprise dinner.
“Don’t know if I can stand seafood for a fourth night in a row,” Mimi said under her breath.
“You know Carter doesn’t eat meat. You were at her house, so you lived by her rules,” Tommy told his daughter. “And as far as this meal is concerned, I’m sure she bought and made it, so again, you don’t have a say-so.”
“Still, a roast would’ve been nice,” Mimi said, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, Mimi,” Ginny said, in a false singsong. “I cannot wait until you have a teenager of your very own. You know what they say—something about paybacks being heck?”
“Hell, Mom,” Jason chimed in innocently. “I think it’s hell, not heck. Corbin said it about his older brother once.”
Just then the doorbell rang. Jason got up and ran to open it.
Ginny looked over at Carter then and quietly told her. “The kids are back in school next week. I’ll be over to clean out the garage.”
Carter nodded at her.
“Uncle Bill!” Jason shouted from the door. “Uncle Bill’s here. He made it and he brought a present!”
Seconds later, Carter’s husband, Bill, followed Jason into the dining room. “Sorry I’m late. More traffic than I expected.”
He planted a kiss on Carter’s head, then grinned at Tommy and Ginny. “How was the honeymoon?”
Before they could answer, Jason piped up, “What’s in the box? Is it a wedding present? You know they didn’t want presents, right? Why does the box have holes in it? You brought them a present with holes?”
Bill laughed and said, “No, not guilty. This was on your porch when I arrived.”
He walked towards Ginny and handed it to her as she stood up.
“What could this be?” she asked.
“Open it, Mom! Open it now. Wait, can I open it?” Jason peered over her shoulder, almost bouncing with excitement.
It was a fancy white box with a big silver ribbon tied around it. She handed it to Jason and moved some things out of the way.
“Here, honey. Set it on the table.”
Jason planted the box on the table and quickly untied the ribbon. When he pulled off the lid he gave a squeal of excitement.
“Look! Look what someone gave us!”
He carefully lifted something out of the box and held it to his chest. It was a tiny black kitten.
“Aww, you’re a cute little thing! And look, Dad, look what’s on its collar. I better get it off. It’s heavy.”
“What is it?” Mimi asked as she tried to peek around Carter.
“It’s the dark king. Just like the one that was missing from Dad’s new chess set.”
Tommy and Ginny’s eyes met. He knew she didn’t know what to think.
“I wonder if it’s a boy or a girl,” Jason said, ruffling its fur. Even Mimi was standing up now, fussing over the kitten.
Carter joined them and was untying the ribbon that fastened the chess piece to the kitten’s collar.
“We can keep it, right, Mom?” Jason asked as he looked at his mother. Without waiting for an answer, he looked at his father. “Right, Dad? We’re keeping it, aren’t we?”
“Yes, son,” Tommy answered him, smiling broadly. “We can keep it.”
This was the signal that Grizz had promised from the grave. Their home was theirs again. The NNG was gone, and whoever had been able to confirm this for Grizz must’ve sent the kitten, too.
Tommy would later explain to Ginny that he thought it was Grizz’s way of telling her it was okay for her to be happy. The nod hadn’t been enough. He needed to reassure her it was okay to move on and have a life. She agreed.
“What should we call it?” Jason asked.