The Problem with Dreams

Chapter 16 - A Private Celebration

"So what time are we going tomorrow?" Susan asked when they all got home.

"After services," Greg told him. "I thought we'd go directly after lunch."

"I can't wait," she told him looking so excited, Greg wondered if she might burst.

c

The next afternoon, Susan was ready and had lunch waiting for Greg immediately after services. She tried not to hover as he finished eating, but it was hard and he smiled at her eagerness. Her expression reminded him strongly of the time during their first life when he'd built their first house and took her to see it just before they were ready to move in. That felt appropriate somehow and it surprised him how much the thought made his spirits soar.

"I'm ready," he told her at last. "Matt, I expect we'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Okay," Matt said.

"Papa, can I come too?" Jessie asked.

"Tomorrow we can all go to see what I'm showing Mama today, then next week Jessie, you can come with me and the boys to see the rest of it," Greg told her. "We'll take you to see everything, the week before we show it all to Mama."

"You already know when that will be?" Susan asked.

"We plan to show you everything the last Saturday before Matt goes home," Greg said.

Susan's smile grew even brighter. "August 17th, I can't wait," she told him honestly as she consulted the calendar.

Susan picked up her purse and headed towards the door with Greg at her side. Matt watched them leave, enjoying his mother's excitement and sort of wishing he and Zackary could have been there. But they knew this private visit was somehow important to Greg, so they'd gone along with it when Greg told them his plan.

c

Susan sat in the passenger seat in the front as Greg drove. It was clear he'd made this trip dozens of times before and traversed the route comfortably while talking to her. Meanwhile Susan looked around, sitting forward anxiously when Greg pulled off the paved street onto a gravel drive, which turned into an asphalt parking area with a curb. A second asphalt drive split off from it, curving around to the right, but Greg chose to go strait, parking perpendicular to the curb.

They both got out and Greg looked curiously at the black surface they were standing on.

"They just laid this yesterday," he told her as she watched him curiously. "There is still a lot of hardscape work to be done up here."

Susan looked around at the cement work she could see just from here and saw that a good deal looked finished, but there were also forms in place here and there showing where more work was planned.

"It looks like they're coordinating it with the landscaping," Susan observed.

"Yes. The section in front of us is complete. This is the part I wanted to show you," Greg told her. "Come this way,"  he said taking her hand.

They walked together down the serpentine path into the forest their landscaper created.

"Why the forest, Greg?" Susan asked as they walked.

"You'll see," he promised vaguely.    

"It completely blocks the ocean view," she told him with a slight frown.

"It does," Greg agreed mildly, just as they came to the clearing which revealed the cottage.

"Oh!" Susan stopped in her tracks when she saw the structure. "Oh my!" she gasped.