Legacy of the Dreams

Chapter 53 - A Lot of Rain

Greg, Susan, Jessie and Melody flew to Oakland during a rain storm the day after Christmas. They arrived early enough in the day to spend the afternoon with Alan, who was off work for the holiday; however he was also the only one home when they arrived.

"Where are Cindy and the baby?" Greg wondered as they talked inside the house.

"She's taken Olivia to the doctor," Alan told him. "Just for her nine-month checkup. They should be back soon."

"Already?" Greg said. "It seems like she was born just yesterday."

"I know, it does seem like it," Alan agreed. "But did you know ... she's started cruising? She walks around the furniture on her own two feet. I remember Melody did that forever. But then a year ago she started walking. Now it's like she's not even a baby anymore."

"Melody is almost three," Susan reminded him. "It took her a long time to walk."

"Which means, Olivia should be doing it even sooner," Alan predicted. "Six months ago it was hard to believe she might be doing that now. Cindy thinks she'll be walking before her birthday."

"She might be," Susan told him. "Matt did."

"How is Matt?" Alan asked.

"He got engaged," Jessie told him.

Alan stared at her, then at Greg then at Susan. "He did?" he asked Susan.

"He did," Susan told him. "He proposed to Ashley on Christmas Eve ..."

"Like you did, Dad," Alan observed.

"Yes, however he did so much more privately. Also, I suspect Matt and Ashley's period of engagement will be significantly longer," Greg said.

"Yeah, I should hope so. Isn't he like nineteen?" Alan asked.

"Yes, he is," Susan said. "We're encouraging them to consider a long engagement, and I think that is what they have in mind," she said.

"How long of an engagement?" Alan asked.

"Something over a year," Susan started to explain, just as Cindy and Olivia came in through the front door.

"Hi," Cindy said, interrupting the conversation between Alan and his family. She held Olivia in one arm and her baby bag in the other, struggling with the door on her way in.

"Hello," Greg said, as Alan hurried to help.

"I was hoping we'd be home before you arrived, but the traffic was horrible," Cindy explained to Greg and his family.

"We just got here a little while ago," Greg assured her.

"How did Olivia do at her appointment?" Alan asked, as Cindy began to set things down.

"Good. She's fussy because of her vaccination, but she did fairly well, considering," Cindy said. She took her daughter's sweater off and set her on the floor next to the sofa while they talked.

"Poor baby, did you get a shot today?" Alan said, picking her up again for a hug.

Olivia leaned into him, wrapping her arms momentarily around his neck before pushing away, wriggling to get down.

"Olive," Melody said looking up at her.

Olivia grunted, leaning away from Alan reaching towards Melody.

"Okay, you can play," Alan said and he set her down on the floor beside Melody.

Immediately, Olivia crawled to the sofa beside Melody and pulled herself to a standing position.