The Problem with Dreams

Chapter 18 - Jessie's Visit

The Friday morning before the celebration was an important day for the Abernathys. Everyone was up early; Susan to check in with the caterers and those who were helping her with the party, and the rest of the family to visit the cottage and the new house. Jessie was going with them this time, plus Greg and Susan had bought a garden cart the day before which would double as a wagon for carrying things to the cottage.

"What's all this stuff?" Zackary asked when he looked into the back of the SUV as they all climbed in the car.

"Things your mother wants for the cottage," Greg told him. "I promised her we'd bring them today so they will be ready for tomorrow. Remember, we are having quite a number of people coming tomorrow to help us celebrate."

"Okay," Zackary agreed as they closed the car door. "We're celebrating your new movie, right?"

"We are celebrating the sale of my script ... which contains the story of the plane crash and our adventures afterwards in trying to reach Australia, and eventually home," Greg shared. "We have finally identified a studio who is willing to buy it and an executive producer who is willing to serve as a liaison between myself and the studio while still allowing me to produce it."

"Mama said it's also an un-birthday party," Jessie commented. "Papa, what's an un-birthday party?"

Greg smiled a crooked smile. In reality Susan was celebrating Jalyn's birthday with this party, but that wasn't something they could tell most people. So she was calling it an 'un-birthday party', giving the excuse that she'd forgotten his birthday in April and was making up for it with the party.

"It's a party for someone on a day that's not their actual birthday," Greg explained. "Mama forgot mine this year, so she's trying to make it up to me I think."

"Oh," Jessie said looking sad. "When was it supposed to be?"

"At the end of April, about three weeks after yours," Greg said.

"We should have reminded her," Jessie said seriously.

"I don't mind Jessie. I think a party in August is just fine," Greg assure her as they pulled onto the gravel drive from the street.

"Greg, when are they going to pave the rest of the driveway?" Matt asked as they drove from the gravel part onto the asphalt closer to the house.

"In another few weeks I think," Greg said. "I see they've spread the gravel for the extended parking area."

"They've got more of the walls in too," Matt commented as they backed into the parking spot in front of the cottage and got out.

"Let's unload and take these things to the cottage first," Greg suggested. "We can use the new cart we just bought."

"Okay," Zackary agreed.

The boys helped Greg unload the cart and the boxes from the back into it, then Zackary volunteered to pull it down the path to the cottage with Jessie pushing merrily behind. Greg unlocked the door, and they unloaded the cart directly into the cottage.

"It looks better with the furniture," Matt remarked.

"It does, doesn't it?" Greg agreed. "Your mother's been busy," he remarked as he carried one of the boxes into the kitchen.

There he could already see Susan's touch in their surroundings. There was a trash can at the end of the counter, filled with the packaging of the things she'd brought the day before. A towel hung from one of the towel racks in front of the sink, and a kettle sat on top of the stove. Greg lifted it and discovered it was full of water. Nearby he discovered a box of teabags in a drawer and a set of mugs in one of the cabinets.