SONRISE

By Jo

Part 5:

"It's hard to believe we didn't make it back up to the inn this whole year," Marshall remarked as Eden headed east out of Pittsburgh on 22.

"A lot happened during the year, darling...Lake District, Yucatan, Tuscany...Morgan."

"I guess that pretty much explains it, doesn't it," he sighed. 

She gripped the wheel a bit more tightly.  Just running through the list rather got to her. Yes,

the Lake District had been a dream come true and Morgan was beyond words to describe. The

other two, also beyond words, but in an entirely different way.  Glancing to her right, she looked at his profile.  She had made it through an entire year with him.  He was still there, still with her, still alive. 

"I hear you thinking," he said softly, and moved his left palm to rest on her leg.  "You think

quite loudly at times."

Blinking a quick tear, she tried a bit of levity.  "I need oiling.  Did we bring oil?"

"I do believe we did," he smiled. 

"Warm oil."

"Indeed."

"Lots of it."

"Better still."

"I love you, Marshall Sinclair."

"I know."  His smile widened. 

"No sleighs."

"Eden, are you sure we should be going to the inn?"

"I can handle it."

"I don't want you to have to 'handle it', darling.  I want you to enjoy it."

"I will...I promise."  She licked her lips.  "Starting over.  Martha will just adore Morgan.

You know what a fuss she'll make over him."

"She'll act just like she's his grandmother."

"I think of her kind of like that, Marshall.  I know she looked at you as a son."

"I'm looking forward to having all of us together again.  I just wish I'd been able to be with

Luke when..."

"You were in the hospital then.  Then Morgan came."

"I know, but still..."  he sighed.

She moved her right hand off the wheel, curving her fingers around his still on her leg.  "You'll be there for him now, darling.  He really wanted you to come for Christmas and you are."

Luke's sight had failed completely in the autumn.  Eden recalled the thick glasses the small boy

with the straight dark brown hair had worn over his large brown eyes.  He and Marshall had

developed a special camaraderie, an understanding between them about 'broken eyes'.  Luke's mother, Elizabeth, had written to them about how his vision had steadily worsened over the summer, just after he'd turned seven.  Eden remembered how he'd looked, standing just to Marshall's left as his best man when they'd gotten married on New Year's Eve in the parlor of the Morning Glory Inn. 

"He was a good best man," she said softly.

"The best," he nodded.

They were silent for a while, each thinking quietly, then he decided it was a little heavy in the car.  "Are we there yet?"

She chuckled and he smiled at the sound of it.  "Are you going to teach Morgan to ask that?"

"I won't need to teach him.  It comes naturally to all children."

"Between the two of you, I expect I'm in for it."

"Definitely.  Where are we anyway?  I mean, really?"

"Just passed through Murrysville.  Long way yet.  You'd better sing."

He laughed.  "Singing does shorten the miles, doesn't it.  Any requests?"

"It's Christmas.  Be Christmassy."

"You need to sing, too."

"I can't sing like you."

"You're a girl.  You're not supposed to be a baritone."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Are we there yet?'

"Sing!"

So he began The Christmas Song..."Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..." then stopped.

"Why did you stop, darling?"

"I've never eaten a roasted chestnut.  I hadn't really thought about it before.  How do you eat

a roasted chestnut?  Do they have shells, skins, what? Do you peel them?"

"I haven't the faintest idea, but Jack Frost has definitely nipped at my nose and we have a

tiny tot asleep in his carrier in the back seat.  We're not a total loss."

"And a dog...probably drooling on said tiny tot."

"He'd better not be!"

"He's not," Marshall laughed.  "Wadsworth is not much of a drooler."

"Morgan will be, and soon.  Teething, you know."

"I thought I felt something on his gum yesterday."

She smiled, remembering that.  Every day Marshall checked over his son and the only way he

could do it was with his hands.  "I love your hands."

"Where did that come from?"

"I believe they came from the ends of your arms."

He dipped his head down with a little grin.  "Oh...these," and he let his hand slide further up

her leg. 

"You stop right there, Mister, unless you want me to run us into a tree."

"Oh, Christmas tree," he began to sing.

When they reached Altoona, they stopped to eat and so she could nurse Morgan.  Ryan had

driven Connie and Edith up the day before.  No need for surprise this year.  A lot had changed.

A lot would still be the same.  Tomorrow was Christmas Eve and Martha would have a huge

dinner at the inn, which she closed to guests.  This year Edith would have a room to herself as Connie would be with Ryan.  Eden had asked for the same room she and Marshall had shared last year.  Elizabeth, her husband Dale, and Luke would also be staying at the inn.  Elizabeth wanted Luke to have as much opportunity as possible to be near Marshall. The rest of the big clan would be staying over at Harold Malone's brother Stuart's big house, four miles around

the lake.

"Mike's bringing Marie to dinner tomorrow," Marshall commented.

"It'll be really good to see him, to see them both.  He was such a friend to us last year.  I'll

never forget how we went through that snowy forest...ah...never mind," she added.

"You don't have to forget that, darling.  It's over, done, but Mike's help is a lasting thing."

She blinked a tear again.  Sometimes the fact that he couldn't see her worked to let her get

away with such things.

"I know," he almost whispered.

She swallowed hard.  "What do you think you know?"

"What you're doing."

"You can't know that."

"I know you.  I know."

"Sometimes I think I...but then I'm always glad you know."

"I can't not know, Eden."

She drove some more, then said, "We're almost there."

"But not yet...not yet."  He made his voice especially deep and got the laugh from her he wanted.

"You left your sword in your office, you know."

"I did, didn't I?  I really must bring that home."

She slowed and turned off the road up the drive to the inn, parking in the lot behind it.  The inn

faced the lake so the lot was in back.  She sat still a moment, looking at the flight of wooden steps

that led up to the rear door to the kitchen, remembering Marshall, fresh out of the hospital,

almost toppling backwards when he was near the top. 

"Stop staring at the steps," he said, touching her cheek, startling her.  "I'm fi...perfectly all right."

"You...," but Martha had heard their car and opened the door.

"Ryan, Dale, they're here!" she called back into the house. "Luggage!"

Marshall opened his car door and stepped out.  "There's no snow."

"I'm glad," she murmured as he turned to let Wadsworth out.

The big dog knew just where he was, grabbed a pine cone and flipped it up in the air. Ryan,

shrugging into his coat, walked up, laughing. 

"Hiya, guys!" he greeted.  "Can I take the urchin in for you?"

"Help yourself," Eden smiled and went around the car so Marshall could take her elbow.

Only family used the back door.  They were family now.  He was barely in the doorway, almost

overcome by all the delicious cooking smells, and found himself being hugged really hard by

Martha.  "I'm so glad you're here!" she whispered.  "Oh, Marshall...I'm so glad."

"I'm glad, too, Martha.  "I've missed you, missed this place."

He greeted Elizabeth with a hug, too.  "Where is he?"

"In the parlor, sitting on the floor close to Mom's Christmas tree."

"Martha, I need a glass of 7-Up."

"Now?"

"This very moment."

She got one for him, touching it to his hand.  "Thank you."  He headed toward the parlor,

knowing his way without guidance.  The tree would be in the corner.  He crossed the room,

slowly, silently, then crouched approximately where he figured Luke had to be sitting and

held the glass out.

"It's sparkling, Luke," he said.  "Remember how I described the sparkles?"  He found Luke's

hand and pressed the glass into it.  "Lift it up close to your face."

The little boy did that, holding it there a while as the bubbles tickled his skin.  Then he moved

his other hand until he found Marshall, curling his little fingers through the cloth of his jacket.

"Marshy," he sighed, letting out a long breath.

"I'm here, Luke."  He sat completely down, sliding an arm around Luke's back as they both

faced the nine-foot tree neither of them could see.  Leaning close, he shifted the glass just

enough so that its bubbles brushed his cheek as well.  "Let's enjoy the sparkles together."

TO BE CONTINUED...

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