FIVE AND ONE HALF - CHAPTER 23

Josh was enjoying finding subjects to sketch

 

Thankfully things had settled down and Lesley was busy working on her project and was garnering some interest beyond our local area.

The fact she had Ester to lean on was comforting when ever she thought about her mother.

I was enlisted to help her on an, “As needed basis,” which I didn’t mind doing.

Besides that I was out looking for subjects to sketch. An old man or woman, a dog, a street sweeper or anything which struck my fancy would cause my pencil to swing into action.

 

A few I kept but most went to the galley in New York City for there they were selling very well. It seems I was building up a following there.

Lottie had started pre-school and was now an expert on the school system. She was always coming up with ideas on how to improve her class.

In a few weeks Lesley would be giving birth to our second child and she was looking over some of Lottie’s old baby things.

She asked me if she should give everything away and get all new stuff for the new baby or just use a lot of what we had.

I told her, “Get rid of the stuff Lottie didn’t insist we keep and go shopping for things for a boy.”

“For a boy?”

“Yep, for a boy.”

“Are you that sure it will be a man child?”

“Well kinda do, any way if it is a girl she can just wear a boy’s outfit.”

Ester said, “Yes it will be a boy I hope, for I know how to handle little boys.”

Lottie heard what we were talking about and said, “Maybe it will be twins, one of each.”

I replied, “There are sets of twins in our family but it was two generations ago.  Lesley says this is going to be her last pregnancy so twins would be nice.”

A week before the delivery date I got a call from Lesley’s mother and she wanted to come over and talk to me.

I said, “Go ahead and talk.”

She said, “No she wanted to talk to me personally.”

I didn’t want to do it but finally relented and said, “Okay, come over.”

I saw her pull up and when she got out I could see my dad in the car.

She came in and I told her to come into the living room for Lesley was in her studio with Ester.

She started off as if we were still on speaking terms and before I could answer, in came Lottie bursting in and when she saw her grandmother she ran to her and began to cry.

They were carrying on so I had to leave the room.

A few minutes later I returned and they were having a love fest.

Lottie was sitting on her lap and hugging her neck.

I broke in and said, “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

She said, “Lesley is going to have the new baby in about a week isn’t she?”

I said, ‘Something like that but why do you want to know?”

She said, “I want to be involved for there are times a woman needs her mother to be around and this is one of those times.”

With Lottie hanging on her neck I said, “I will think about it.”

She said, “No you don’t need to think about you need to do is to get by what happened and become a family again. It is killing us not to be here with Charlotte.”

Hardly anyone ever calls her by her full name Charlotte anymore and I could see that Lottie had been missing her grandma and perhaps she needed my mother also.

She said, “Would it be alright for your dad to come in?”

I quickly said, ‘No, I’m not ready for that.”

She said, “I understand and I will go, but first I need to explain some things to you but perhaps Lottie needs to go out and play.”

I told Lottie to go to her room and play with some of her toys and that grandma will come and say goodbye when she leaves.

Lottie said, “Okay and jumped down for her grandma’s lap and went to her room.”

“Before I say anything more you can see how it is with Lottie and that she has been missing me. She feels the same about the other grandparents and this is something that needs to be corrected.

Let me tell you the whole story and then maybe you can understand things better.

"From the time you and Lesley were married I took interest in your father. My husband and I weren’t fighting but had become bored with each other.

We kept our feelings to ourselves until we all went to France and while there things changed.

When we realized your mother and Lesley’s father felt the same we began to open up to each other.

On the last night in France we finally gave in to our feelings. The men switched keys to the room where we women had already retired. Once we crossed the line there is no turning back for we had expressed our feeling for each other in a physical way.

The reason we were upset the next day was we argued about how to explain the whole fiasco to you and Lesley and especially Lottie.

Actually all the divorcees were happy

Our divorces are final and we are happily remarried to our new mates. If staying away would solve the problem then we would be willing to pay that price, but the issue isn’t going away.

If you can accept what has happened, then we will come together as a family again.

At first Lottie will wonder why we have switched mates but she will get used to it right away. We could alternate at first just coming one at a time and that way there would be no connection of different mates or just bite the bullet and all come over and let nature take its course.

The larger problem is with you and Lesley. If you can’t get over what has happened and forgive us the do this, just accept it as a done deal and start over.

Not forgetting or forgiving just accepting and moving on with new characters. Let this part of our lives come to an end and let new lives start here.

All of us are the same caring and loving people but we need a new beginning with all of us involved.

I want so very badly to be with my daughter as she gives birth and so does your mother. I could say more but I think you have a clear picture of the situation."

Talk to Lesley without upsetting her and then make your decision.

Your dad is probably getting restless so I will go say goodbye to Lottie and leave.

 

To Be Continued