A Dollar For Anastasia

Children Everywhere

Grace
I can't believe how big our family has gotten and my great grandchildren are now teenagers. Carrick and I moved in with Anastasia and Christian along with Ray and Carla. They expanded the main floor of the house for handicap ramps and bedrooms for all of us. Nurses live in the staff quarters, they were hired for us as we have some medical concerns. It was Anastasia that had this done because she got a call from Gretchen that we needed help. Ray and Carla were already living with her and Christian. The main floor was renovated after they had taken in a foster child who was in a wheelchair. The boy was ten at the time and they adopted him after he turned thirteen. So everything was already adapted for him. That was a long time ago. He found a beautiful wife and she had two children who he adopted. It was great to see them again. He works for GEH in the special needs HR department.

Carrick
I am happy watching all our children grandchildren and great grandchildren and apparently a great great grandchild is on its way. It amazes me how big this family has grown and grown over time. The Grey, Kavanagh, Steele and Millers have really taken over Seattle. Ray and Carla live in this house along with Gail and Taylor. It's far better than a nursing home and we are among people who love and care for us. The view is great and the happy sounds of family is amazing. Anastasia is taking photos and she has paintings of all the families in the family room where everyone can see them. She added Thomas Sawyer in the middle to remind us that we were lucky to have him save us all.

Ray
I watch everyone for might be my last day alive and I love that I get to see all this and they will all be here to see us. I am very proud of Mia and Anastasia and of course Thomas. I look at Carla and reach for her hand. She knows I don't have long and she's very attentive to my needs but I don't ask her for much.

Carla
I just smile and hold his hand, we watch all the children play together and I couldn't be happier. We are very well cared for and never feel lonely or a burden at any time. We get a lot of visits and have a nice room that we can enjoy conversations, cards and games with the family members and an entertainment room. Elliott did good work on this house.

Enid
I can't believe that Kate was the one who asked Anastasia if she had room for me when I needed home care and they wanted put me in a nursing home. Mia went to bat for me as well. So here I am being very well taken care of by the Grey family. At first I wasn't fond of either if my children marrying into the Grey family but now I feel lucky they did. The nurses take great care of us all. We get visits from family members daily and have a lot of activities. Even Gail and Jason Taylor are living here and being cared for as well. I never remarried and Kate is running Kavanagh Mecia Entertainment group by herself and has family working their way up to the top as well.

Anastasia
I had Theodore and Christian Elliott take videos and more photos of everyone because time is limited for us to enjoy being altogether like this. I looked at my dad's medical charts and it's not looking good at all. At his age there is nothing they can do for him. He doesn't know that we know his time is short with us. So I am making sure we all enjoy each other's company until we lose him. I also know we will be losing others soon as well, but I am keeping that to myself.

Christian
I hug Anastasia and thank her for everything that she has done for our family and especially our older family members. They have been with us for six going on seven years, not all at once though. I was shocked to see Enid Kavanagh had been moved in one day, but I welcomed her and I think she cried when she realized I wasn't the ogre the public makes me out to be. It's mostly owners of companies failing that make me look bad, if they looked into it they would find out that I created better companies and better jobs for those employees who were nearly fired from their jobs and would not get their retirement benefits or anything else. I think things through and make sure they don't leave these poor employees out on the street.

Gail
We aren't as old as Carrick, Grace, Ray, Carla and Enid are, but we still need help with things and that's when we were asked to move in to the Grey house. We sold our house to one of the other staff members. We don't have any relatives to leave anything to. Our wills leave all our estate to various military charities and orphans. We set up a scholarship fund in the name of Thomas Sawyer and it welcomes all applicants.

Jason
I can barely see or hear at this point and Gail knows why. She can't be with me at all times so Christian insisted we move into the house on the first floor and I am very well cared for by everyone. Today has been a good day for me and I hope that I survive another day.

The fireworks were set off and Gail is describing them to me with a special hearing aid that Barney created just for me. It sometimes gives me a blinding headache though. Gail finally has me wheeled to our room and she has help getting me into bed. I finally fall asleep.

Gail
I am awakened by the nurse who has told me that Jason has left his body for heaven. She has alerted Christian and Anastasia but they are busy with Carla because Ray was found dead thirty minutes ago. Grace pronounced both of them dead. The nurses sign as a witness.

Carla
He was in a lot of pain and asked me not to cry, but I can't help it. Jason was found dead as well. Both fought hard but the brain cancer took them both.

Christian
Both Ray and Jason were given a military funeral and we had no idea how many people they touched even Dexter and Drew Cross attended the funerals. Apparently Jason and Ray helped them get Cross Industries and they were very appreciative and they run it honestly and they have a far better reputation than Gideon. Ireland finally found a wealthy husband who insisted she quit working at Cross Industries because he wanted her home with their children. Plus he put an end to the allowance she was given. Jason and Ray had a hand in setting the billionaire up with Ireland. She is pretty happy with her life now. So are the boys. They have met and married another set of twin sisters.

Anastasia
I hold both Gail and mom as they say goodbye to their husbands for the last time. Christian comes over and holds all of us with tears in his eyes. We are watching the procession for both men and seeing the missing man formation and the twenty one gun salute. Flags were given to Gail and mom. This was a sad day, but we were aware of how sick both men were. We finally make it home and Gail and mom head to their bedrooms and I asked the nurses to let them choose what they want removed from the rooms. I know the nurses need to remove hazardous material from the rooms and they have done that.

Sometimes the pain is too much and it finally takes away our loved ones and it did that.

I see all that they have left behind them and they did a great job while they were here and their kindness and love live on in their absences.

My last paintings were of dad and Jason while they were enjoying a rare moment of watching all of the families enjoying their lives. Smiling as they could see their loved ones everywhere, I paint Thomas Sawyer as an Angel waiting for them. I hung it in the family room just before Christmas time.

The End

Love lives on even after death.