Chapter 10

THANKSGIVING, 2038

Thursday evening


"Oh my goodness!" Helene said; "I think I might explode! Jaime, you were NOT kidding about the amount of food! Just what your mom gave us to take back to school will feed us for a month!"

Jaime looked at Helene, and at Rina who had fallen asleep leaning up against the bed. That, Jaime thought, looks like a good idea.

"Too bad about the snow," Jaime said. "It was wise of Uncle Nik to tell us not to attempt to drive back to campus tonight. At least there's plenty of room for us here at  the house, and that Zach offered his room to Alexei. I don't think I've ever heard my brother be so thoughtful."

"Just as long as we're all where we need to be by Monday," Helene said; "Then again, if the snow's going to be as bad as they let on, maybe there will be a snow day."

"We can only hope," Jaime said; "If the weather's not too, too bad tomorrow, we'll go out and see the horses and the rest of the animals."

"Rina will like that," Helene said; "She likes horses."

"Rina, what?" Rina said awaking from her unintended nap.

"If it's not too bad out tomorrow, we'll go see Jaime's horses," Helene said.

"Oh," said Rina. "Mio Dio, I'm tired! I wonder if there is any of that pie left."

"The pumpkin pie you were scarfing down?" Jaime said; "We can go find out. You really liked that, didn't you?"

"Oh, yes, I did," Rina said, smiling; "Was that one of the ones we brought?"

"No, Aunt Jas made that," Jaime said; "She makes it so much that she can do it in her sleep!"

"It was so good! Save me a slice, I'm going back to sleep."

Helene and Jaime looked at Rina as she dosed off where she sat leaning against Jaime's bed.

"Tryptophan?" asked Helene, yawning.

"Yep," replied Jaime, trying to stifle a yawn of her own.

===

"Damn this snow!" Ben Walters said as he and two of his grandsons tended to the Summerses animals; "I've lived here my entire life, and I'm still not used to it!"

"I like it, Grandpa," Jeremy Schuylkill said; "Sure is a lot different that Florida, that's for sure!"

"I only dream of Florida," Jared Walters said. "Is it really warm there when it's cold everywhere else?"

"All the people from the Northern states come down to get away from the cold," Jeremy said; "Mom and Dad always said it was the winters that made our grocery store's year."

"Who's running the grocery now that you and your sisters are here?" Ben asked Jeremy.

"My Uncle Mark and Aunt Tara," Jeremy said; "They're my Dad's brother and his wife," he said to Jared.

"It's been in your family a long time, hasn't it, Jeremy?" asked Ben.

"Yes, sir, nearly 60 years," Jeremy replied. "Mom being a tax lawyer helped a lot. She and Aunt Tara kept the books balanced."

Once the chores in the barns were finished, the three headed back inside to get ready for their Thanksgiving meal. Ben's wife Sarah was an excellent cook, and she took pride in it. She often sold her preserves and baked goods at the local farmer's market. She was teaching Jeremy's sisters how to make some of the dinner fixings.

"Jared, I hear that Jaime's home from school with some friends," Sarah Walters said. "She called earlier to ask if she could bring her friends to the barns tomorrow to see the animals."

"I knew she was coming home, Gramma," Jared said; "I'll have to go up to the house and meet her friends."

"Well, she's brought the two girls that she lives with, and the boyfriend of one of them," Sarah said; "I'm sure that Julia will make sure that no hanky panky goes on there."

Jared turned toward Jeremy and rolled his eyes. Then the boys left the kitchen and went into the den to watch football.

"Jaime's the girl you like, isn't it?" Jeremy asked his cousin.

"Yes," Jared said; "She likes me back, you know."

"I got that," Jeremy said. "So Zach is her brother, right?"

"Yep, he is."

"Where does she go to school?"

"She's in college," Jared said; "and she only 16! She goes to Northwestern. I don't know too much about her roommates. Just that Helene is a ballet performance major- she's the one with the boyfriend; and Rina is a computer science major."

Jeremy's ears caught the "computer science major" part of that sentence. It what he wanted to study as well.

"You might like Rina, since you have the same interests," Jared said. "I think Jaime said she was from Italy."

"Computer science has always been an interest of mine, Jared," Jeremy said; "My mom was always telling us that to have computer knowledge beyond what the casual user does will be important in industry for years. The technology just gets better. That's why I want to major in it at college next year."

"Maybe Rina has connections," said Jared. "Ask her tomorrow when Jaime brings her down here."

I think I will, Jeremy thought.


===

"Mom..." Rachel whined as she helped her mother, brother and aunts put food away from their Thanksgiving feast, "Why doesn't Jaime or Miri have to help us?"

"Jaime has company, and Miri has to finalize plans for her wedding while Sandy and Danica are in town," Julia said.

"Know who she sounds like, Jules?" Kate San Marco asked.

"Sandy?"

"No, me when I was about Rachel's age," Kate said. "I complained longly and loudly about having to do all this work while my older siblings got to relax."

"I was the youngest," Jasmine contributed, "and I know I did my share of complaining. Same with Aaliyah when I ask her to help me. Am I right, Rachel?"

Julia noticed that Rachel looked horrified. It was like Aunt Jas read my mind! Rachel thought; Aaliyah does complain about that a lot! We both do!

"Well that shut her up!" Zach chimed in, laughing.

"Now wait a sec, young man," Julia said; "You aren't so innocent either! You complain about chopping wood, feeding Tripod, cleaning your room... shall I go on? What did Jack used to call you? The President of the Bitch-n-Moan Club? So, don't be getting on your sister's case about complaining when you do plenty of it yourself. Ya got me, Zachary?"

"Yes, ma'am," Zach mumbled.

"Now that you're slightly embarrassed," Julia said; "You could go find some bedding to put on the spare bed in your room so Alexei doesn't have to sleep on the floor tonight."

Zach scurried off in search off spare bedding, not wanting to say something else to piss his mother off. After all she was right. He DID complain a lot.

Shit, the Bitch-n-Moan Club? he thought; I haven't thought about that since Jack died.

It was their private joke, and Zach felt bad that he had forgotten about it. Jack taught him a lot of things in the brief time he was in Zach's life. One of those things was to obey his mother without question. She was the boss.

"Boy, don't you ever let me hear you sass your mother again, you understand me?" Jack had said; "I know she puts you in your place when you do; but it's not nice. Your mother is the boss and you should obey her without question. Do I make myself perfectly clear, Zachary?"

"Y-y-yes, sir," Zach said, remembering being a little intimidated by the older man who reminded him of his Uncle Nik.

"You remember that, and we'll get along fine," Jack said; "I don't mean to be gruff with you, not knowing each other well and all, but one of the things I've always hated was when a man talked back to his mother or his wife. Men should treat their mothers, sisters and wives with the utmost respect. It's what I taught my sons from the time they were little boys. They were to obey their mother and watch out for their sister. It what I expect from you as well. Obey your mother and watch out for your sisters. And when you're old enough to date and get married, you treat that special girl with respect, courtesy, and compassion. That makes you a man, son. Not all that macho bullshit."

Zach was in the linen closet when he remembered that conversation, and his emotions caught him off guard.

He closed the door, sat down on the floor and cried.

He missed Jack. He missed his dad. And he vowed to apologize to his mother and Rachel after everyone went home.

===

Friday Morning


Rina was the first of the girls to wake up. Something smelling particularly delicious stirred her from her slumber.

"Pancakes?" she whispered so she wouldn't wake Jaime or Helene.

Quickly, she dressed and went downstairs to investigate. What she found was Jaime's grandmother, Nonna Jordan, making pancakes. It was just Signora Draiman and her husband in the kitchen.

"Buon giorno, Signora Draiman, Signore Draiman," Rina said pleasantly. "I didn't mean to intrude."

"No intrusion, my dear," Jordan said to the dark haired girl she'd only met the day before; "Just trying to get breakfast for me and my husband out of the way before the crowds swarm down here. And we can't cook anything where we're staying out in town, anyway."

"I see," Rina said; "I smelled the pancakes, and was fully expecting Jaime's mother down here."

"Julia's pretty tired out," David said; "She did a lot of work over the last few days, so Jordan let her sleep."

"Would you like some pancakes and turkey sausage, Rina?" Jordan asked.

"Yes, please."

Within a few moments, Jordan placed a plate in front of Rina: pancakes, turkey sausage, hash browns and a huge glass of orange juice.

Rina said a brief prayer over the meal, then started eating. By that time, Miri came into the kitchen and said, "Nonna Jordan, why don't you let me take over and you and Granpa eat in peace?"

"Miri, my girl," her grandfather said, "don't take all of your grandmother's fun away! We came over just to get a good hot meal, and not what passes for food at the B-n-B. If I see one more crossaint or one more pastry, I think I will unleash a monkey call on them!"

Rina looked up at David and asked, "What's a 'monkey call'?"

David smiled. "I see that I will have to educate you on how I came to be, um, famous. You've never heard of Disturbed?"

"I have, Signore," Rina said; "but we weren't allowed to listen to popular music at home."

"Ah," David said; "Then we'll have to change that. Jaime hasn't mentioned it?"

"She has. She's how I know Disturbed is a musical group. She said their music was banned during the Occupation. But that's all I know."

"You've never heard a Disturbed song?"

"No," Rina said; "I don't listen to the radio much and I don't download music on my computers. Music interests me, but just the stuff that is popular now and classical music. Maybe a little opera."

David thought about that, then said, "Let me play you the song that got Disturbed on the map, then."

He then got out his secure phone, chose the music app, and played "Down With the Sickness" for a very sheltered 16 year old girl.

===

Later that morning, after everyone had breakfast and got dressed, Jaime took Helene and Rina to the barns. Alexei was engaged in guy talk with Zach, their male cousins, uncles and grandfather, so he did not accompany the girls to the barns.

"I have four horses," Jaime said; "and yes, they're mine. I take care of them when I'm home. There are two females, Wyoming Rose and Misty; we don't breed Rosie anymore because she had a difficult pregnancy that produced twins, who both died. Rosie almost died as well. Misty had a colt with Coltrane last winter. The colt's name is Illini."

Wyoming Rose was the first one of the horses they saw, and Jaime went up to her and gave her a hug around the neck, patting it gently. "Hey there, Rosie, how's my girl?"

"She's gorgeous!" Helene said. "Does she talke riders? I rode a little when I was a little girl."

"She has, but she doesn't always," Jaime said; "This is the most calm I've seen her in months. She's usually very headstrong. That probably is because she had to survive in a herd of wild horses that roamed central Wyoming. She had a difficult time with having Coltrane because it was so cold that winter. She wandered over to where we lived and was prepared to give birth out in something like fifteen below weather, at night. Neither of them would have survived if I hadn't defied my mom and Jack, and talked Miri into helping me get Rosie to the barn."

"Wow," Helene said; "so you rescued both of them! How cool!"

"They were technically property of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, so in order for me to keep them, Jack bought Rosie from them, and Coltrane was mine to keep because he was born on private property," Jaime said. "They were my early 13th birthday presents."

The girls walked over to where Coltrane was in his stall and he whinnied a greeting upon seeing Jaime.

Rina just stared. "Wow!" she exclaimed, "Che un cavallo bellissimo! May I pet him, Jaime?"

"He loves attention, so go on ahead," Jaime said.

Rina patted the side of Coltrane's neck and murmurred something to him in Italian, though neither Jaime nor Helene could make out what it was. Coltrane shook his head slightly hearing the soft voice of the girl patting him.

Rina turned away from the horse and expected to see Jaime and Helene behind her. Instead, a young man slightly older that she was stood there instead.

"Oh!" she gasped; "You startled me! Where are Jaime and Helene?"

"They went over to see the colt," Jeremy Schuylkill said; "Jaime wanted me to tell you where they had gone. You must be Rina."

"I am."

Jeremy offered his hand to her, saying, "I'm Jeremy. I work in the barns for my grandfather."

Rina looked at Jeremy for a moment. He was tall, dark haired and blue eyed. He spent a lot of time in the sun. She liked his looks.

"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Jeremy," she said politely.

"Do you like horses, Rina?"

"I rode competively for five years in Italy," Rina said. "I often spent more time with my horse Giuliano than I did with my family. Coltrane reminded me of my horse. My mother gor rid of him one day after a competition and I haven't ridden since then."

"Why did your mother get rid of the horse?"

"My mother told me because I had not done well in the competition, I could no longer compete," Rina said sadly. She remembered pleading with her father to talk her mother out of selling Giuliano, but he didn't have much luck. He died just weeks later.

"That's cruel!" Jeremy said; "Everyone has a bad day."

"Mother said something about sullying the family name, that all d'Alessandros were excellent riders," Rina said, practically spitting it out; "She blamed my failure to get first place on my 'American DNA'."

"How did you place?" asked Jeremy.

"Second."

Jeremy just shook his head. "What kind of witch does that to her child?"

"My mother. She didn't come to the competitions," Rina said; "Her manservant told her everything."

Jeremy could see that it was a painful memory for her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up a sore spot."

"It's okay," Rina said. "That was the last straw. My mother never was a real mother, like your mother probably is. I've hated her from that day on. I know it sounds terrible to say."

"My mother was incredible, as was my father," Jeremy said; "Sadly, they died in a car accident last spring. My grandparents are my and my sisters legal guardians now."

Rina looked at him. "I'm so sorry," she said; "Here I go on and on about a horse, and you don't have your parents anymore."

It was then that Rina felt like crying. The tears fell before she even had a chance to think about it.

"Hey, now there won't be any of that," Jeremy said as he wiped them away gently. "My parents are in a better place, and they're together. I miss them, but they would want me to live my life, too. So I go on and hope that they approve."

"I feel so selfish," Rina said.

"Please don't," said Jeremy. "You couldn't have known."

That made Rina feel a little better. She and Jeremy talked there in the barn for quite a while. Neither of them realized that they had just met their soulmate.

===


"Reen? Are you coming..." Jaime said before stopping short, seeing Rina and Jeremy sitting on hay bales talking.

"Jaime did you find..." Helene said coming up from behind. She saw Rina and Jeremy talking, too.

"Well what do you know?" Helene said in a whisper only Jaime could hear.

"I think that's the most she spoken to anyone other than us since we met her," Jaime whispered back; "I see sparks there."

Helene looked at Jaime and whispered, "I hope you're right. Rina deserves to be happy."

"So does Jeremy," Jaime replied and briefly explained to Helene what she knew about Jeremy Schuylkill's family situation.

"I had no idea! I thought they were visiting their grandparents for Thanksgiving!" Helene said.

"Maybe they'll be good for each other," Jaime said. "Let's go back to the house, and on the way, we'll tell Ben Walters where Jeremy is and to tell Rina where we've gone."

"Okay."

===