Legacy of the Dreams

Chapter 18 - A Party and Some Ducks

Much more rapidly than seemed possible, January came to an end, February was well underway, and Greg and Susan were preparing to celebrate their daughter's second birthday. The party would be over the President's Day weekend. It would be a relatively small gathering compared to some they had held in the past, even though all their friends and family were invited. A number of them, it turned out, already had other plans.

"Who is coming, Susan?" Greg asked when they discussed it over dinner a few days before the party.

"Mom is coming, although Stephen and his family are busy. So she plans to drive up from Escondido alone on Friday afternoon," Susan said.

"How long is she staying?" Zack asked.

"She said until Monday," Susan told him.

"What about my family?" Greg asked.

"Ruth and Reuben have a prior engagement, so they've decided not to come. Alan and Cindy are coming though. They're flying from the Bay Area on Saturday morning and kindly agreed to bring Bobby with them. They're staying through the weekend. Bobby is staying until we can take him home ... sometime in early March," Susan explained.

"And Julie?" Greg questioned.

"She originally hoped to be here all weekend too, but Elliot and one of the boys have plans on Sunday and Monday. So they are coming, but just for the day on Saturday. I think that's everyone," Susan said.

"Everyone except for Matt," Zack said.

"He will be here," Susan told him. "He's been coming home nearly every weekend."

"Yeah, I know but you didn't say," Zack pointed out.

"Okay, so he's coming," Susan said.

"What about Neil and Rosemary?" Greg asked.

"I invited them, but Neil has a spelunking trip planned somewhere in northern California with some friends this weekend, and Rosemary has a fitting for her wedding dress the same day as the party. She said she'll try to come by after if she has time, but I expect the party to be very short, Greg," Susan said.

"That's fine, Susan. I feel certain Melody's second birthday is significant mainly to us," Greg said.

"Probably," Susan said.

As Susan predicted, Matt did come home for the weekend. He arrived before Mrs. Abernathy did, and wanted to know immediately who else was coming.

"Who did you invite, Mom?" Matt asked after he arrived on the Friday afternoon leading into the President's Day weekend.

And so Susan gave him the run down on who from the family had been invited and who decided they could come.

"What about friends?" Matt asked. "Did you only invite the family?"

"No. Ashley's mother, Barbara, and her little brother Cody are invited. Ashley is welcome to come with them. Richard, Marion, and the twins were invited and are coming, and so are the Wilsons, who are bringing Peter," Susan said. "The Goodmans were invited but they're busy."

"Yeah, okay. At least there will be some kids here her age," Matt said. "Where are we having it? Out on the deck with the play stuff?"

"In the cottage," Susan said. "We're just doing deli sandwiches and birthday cake, nothing too elaborate."

"Yeah I know ... but still. She almost didn't get to have this one," Matt reminded his mother.

"Yes, I know. She's done so well since her surgery, I really do feel like we should be celebrating," Susan said.