Legacy of the Dreams

Chapter 59 - A Favor for Friends

"What's everybody talking about?" Susan asked.

She and Greg sat down on one of the sofas near the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room late in the afternoon following Melody's birthday party. Jessie and Bert were in the family room with Jake, Kelly, and Zack. Reuben, Shelly and Kevin were talking in the library. Everyone else was in the living room visiting, while Melody went from group to group, up and down the stairs, trying to find out what everyone was doing.

"Did I hear you talking about birthday parties just now?" Alan asked at nearly the same time Susan asked her question.

"We were. Jessie is already anticipating her bat mitzvah," Greg shared. "Her friend is having hers next week, and Jessie has started talking about hers."

"Is she going to have one?" Julie asked curiously.

"That's what we were discussing," Greg told her. "If she does, it won't be until next year. I believe the next important birthday in the family is Olivia's."

"It is, and we're having a party for her," Alan told him.

"Of course we are. We have to have a birthday party for our special little girl's first birthday," Cindy said.

"Certainly you do. Do you know when it will be yet?" Greg asked.

"Her birthday is on a Sunday this year, so her party will probably be on the actual day," Alan said.

"Susan and I and the girls will be there," Greg assured him.

"Matt, I know you can't come ... what about Zack?" Alan wondered. "Is he working?"

"He may be," Greg said. "He has a job working after school and on weekends part time for the car stereo store that employed him last summer."

"That's what he was telling me," Alan said.

"Yeah, I think he's hoping to work more hours during Spring Break this year," Matt agreed, watching as Melody went downstairs and Susan got up to follow her. "He's been talking about saving for a car."

"Is their Spring Break the same time as ours?" Ashley asked.

"I don't know," Matt said. "It wasn't last year."

"Your mother would know," Greg suggested.

"Yeah, we should probably ask her when she comes back," Matt said.

"Mom's tend to know those things," Alan agreed. "I know ours always did."

Julie shot Alan a look at the mention of their mother. Although neither of them showed it, Greg knew his children were missing their mother acutely during this particular weekend, a time when in the past she would have been with them.

"I'm sorry our mom is going to miss Olivia's party," Julie told her brother sincerely. "She always loved little kid's birthday parties, and I know she was really looking forward to shopping for a granddaughter this year."

Alan smiled a wry smile. "Mom bought Olivia enough dresses over Chanukah to last her for several years," Alan acknowledged.

"Maybe she knew," Cindy suggested.

"Yeah ... maybe she did," Alan said sadly. "I am sorry she's going to miss her birthday, but maybe it wasn't meant to be, Jules."

"What wasn't meant to be?" Julie asked.

"For Mom to be around to watch Olivia grow up," Alan said.

"No, I know. I can't tell you how fortunate I feel that my boys had the opportunity to know her as well as they do," Julie said, "Dad too."