​The Ties That Bind

 

 

 

 

She looked up at the porch from her lawn chair in the yard.  Her sons had left their shoes alongside hers.  Her daughter had dropped her sandals there also.  Yet her husband of just over sixteen years and his eldest son always put their shoes on the rack just inside the door.  As she walked in to put the rest of the shoes away, the mother thought back to her first time seeing her two men together.

 

 

 

          “He’s adorable.”  The curly blonde young woman was surprised how much the baby’s dark hair and strong features

           resembled his father, even at just six months of age.

 

           “He is, isn’t he?” The young father cradled the infant in his arms.  “I’ll have a hard time letting him go now…even

            for only a year.”

 

           “So, you’ve decided?”

 

          “Ma said she’ll do it.  We’ll have to get her some help though.  And,” he looked at this beautiful woman who had

           become so special to him in such a short time, “I’ll have to go home as often as I can so I can help out and get to

           know my son.”  This young woman had stuck by him through the tumultuous past months.  He had hoped they

           could have had more time, become more, but his son now had to come first.

 

          Her blond hair bounced as she shook her head.  “No.  You need to be with him more than that.  I want to propose

          another option.  I know there's still paperwork to wrap up first, but I have an apartment and we’re missing a

          roommate.  You can finish school and bond with your son.  I’ll help with babysitting….my sister said she would too.

          I, I mean, we…., you know, Lish and I want you and your son to move in and when everything’s wrapped up…” She

          gulped but continued quickly.  “I know it will look strange to some people but I love you.” She knelt down. “Will

          you marry me?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It turned out his lawyer felt that being married would help them during the upcoming procedures.  So, after several

meetings with his parents, his family rallied around them and helped plan a very small quick wedding.  The

day turned out to be a beautiful spring day in New York.  The yard of their apartment had several crab apple trees surrounding it that added a romantic look to the outside ceremony.  The beautiful bride-to-be took that as the final

sign that her little family was going to be blessed. 

 

“Come on.  The minister is here already.  Do you have everything you need?”  Her older sister was trying to make

the day perfect.  She did not understand that as soon as the vows were said and the license signed, the bride and

groom would finally be perfectly happy.

 

“Lish, calm down.  I’m ready, he’s ready.  Are you?”  Her sister had been their biggest supporter.  She would be doing

so much for them this year, including receiving her own share of disapproval from their parents for her support

of the marriage.  Her brother also supported them but being two states away and in the Navy kept him out of their

parental sight.  She was thrilled that he had managed to get leave and was out in the yard with her handsome groom

and his brothers. 

 

“Anytime you’re ready, dear.” The mother of the groom came in, carrying her young grandson who reached

immediately for the bride.  The older woman’s eyes smiled as she handed her grandson over to the woman

who was now his mother.  The wedding was small, just family and several very special friends who could be

counted on to not gossip.  The scandal would not be allowed to touch her sweet grandson.  This was a secret

that would be very closely guarded.

 

 Outside, the bride walked toward the minister, holding the seven-month-old baby in her arms.  His father,

darkly handsome, stood smiling as they approached and reached down to gather the little boy from her. 

Less than twenty guests were there to witness the beginning of this family.

 

 The following year had been rough.  The boy’s mother attempted to put up some final roadblocks but the courts

had decided for the dedicated young family.  The final paperwork was completed the week before the young father

graduated. In the meantime, the bond between the couple grew stronger.  With late night feedings, juggling of

babysitting details among the three adults in the apartment, and her sister graciously providing them with some

precious alone time to cement their feelings for each other, the time finally passed.

 

 

Her husband accepted a job offer in his hometown. The story circulating around the small community was

that they had eloped and didn’t tell his parents until after the baby was born.  It seemed that the secret was

still well-guarded.

 

 

 

While that story had been okay for outsiders, the young parents kept meaning to tell their son the truth in simple practical terms from the very beginning.  But then the babies were born, nearly right after each other, and soon he was in elementary school.  Later, when they thought things were settled enough to talk about it, she was pregnant again.   

 

Now, she mused as she finished straightening the shoes, it would be hard to explain why they waited so long.  Things were going fine; he was doing great in school.  Most of the time, the woman did not even think about the fact she hadn’t even carried their oldest in her own body.  She had instilled her sense of humor in her quiet son; dry and quick.  His love of learning equaled his aunt’s.  His Uncle Mart even commented that he stood like his “favorite” uncle.  So, by unspoken agreement, it had been decided that the eldest child was never told that he wasn’t related by blood to the woman he called “Moms”.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Notes: 

 

 

 

This is written for the CWE #3.  It consists of 967 words.  Jenny, Bonnie H and Pam are owed many thanks for the help as my Betas on this.  I put out the call and they answered!

 

 

 

If I owned the Trixie Belden series there would be a lot more books and quite a few of the members of Jixemitri writing the new books.  As it is, Random House owns all rights to the Trixie Belden world and I am just stretching my imagination and reap no tangible profit from its use.

 

 

 

Yes, there is a lot more to this story.  You should realize everyone’s identities and I will try to get out more to this universe as I can.