Second Chances Chapter 23 La Vie en Rose
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A Second Chance - Chapter 25 free porn video
WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2016
In the morning Rachael spent a full hour packing boxes, and she had
several full. The family was uncertain as to when they would move. There
seemed to be no rush. Since the letter from the landlord had arrived in
mid month, technically they would be able to stay until July 31, based
on two months notice. But with Grandpa willing to have them move in as
soon as possible, Maria was hoping to move by the end of June, if not
the end of May. She had written back to the new landlord, telling him
that when she and her husband had rented the place almost 14 years ago,
they had paid a first and last, with a $100 cleaning deposit. She
confirmed that they would leave by July 31, and mentioned that they
might be able to vacate a month earlier. Of course that was back when
they were still hoping to move into an apartment. Things were different
now.
Maria had also gotten a financial shock on Monday when Geoff had handed
her a first paycheck. She had been expecting a gross pay of about $450
based on 40 hours at minimum wage. But the check Geoff handed her was
for 60 hours and had a gross pay of $787.50. The baker explained that
she was in before 8 every morning, and had stayed past 6. He gave her 10
hours for the day, since she often ate lunch while staffing the counter.
At six days a week, that was a total of 20 more hours at time-and-a-
half, resulting in the large gross pay.
Even without tips Maria's pay was higher than at the restaurant. She
loved working with Geoff and his mom, and the work was actually easier,
as in the afternoon when there were no customers, she could sit a bit if
the shop was tidy. She never sat down in the caf?.
The result is that she was able to give Rachael an extra $20 for
groceries, and another $20 just for her. Friday would be a pizza day at
the elementary school, and Bobby was ecstatic to learn that he would be
able to have the $5 needed to buy a pizza.
Maria made Bobby's breakfast, so Rachael could keep packing a bit
longer. She had done a lot of her packing when Rachael had been at the
hospital the night before. Rachael didn't come down until 7:30, when
Maria left for work after getting a hug from each of her kids.
Rachael got Bobby on his bus, and then waited for hers. Larissa and
Mikki got on at their stop. Larissa went to the back to sit with Carla
and Becca, and Mikki sat with Rachael. She was not happy.
"Our family is back together," she noted, "but things are still rough.
Dad has been sleeping on the sofa, and Danni still won't talk to him.
When he comes into the room, she will leave. Mom even took her to the
beauty salon yesterday, and got her a cute feminine hairstyle. She was
in a dress, so all the ladies assumed she was a natural girl, which she
loved. Mom even said that Dad paid for the trip, but Danni insists that
she still hates him. He drove back to Toronto this morning, and says he
is going to quit his job. He intends to live here all the time. His
family is more important than his job, he says. He thinks he can make a
living doing photography around here. Mom isn't so sure."
"Wow, I wish I could come over and talk to him," Rachael said. "But last
time I was there he was pretty angry with me."
"Oh that is all over with," Mikki said. "In fact, after he moved back
home he said that he wanted to apologize to you. He will be in Toronto
for at least a couple days. Why don't you come over after school? Danni
would love to see Bobby again. She absolutely idolizes him."
"Yeah, I guess we could do that. I can't stay too long, though. We are
packing up to move."
At school the school was on an A schedule, with French and PE in the
morning, and then the afternoon devoted to their project. PE was
different. Ms. Smith juggled the teams up, and Rachael was moved to
another group that had been struggling in basketball. Carly was moved to
her old team. Other changes were made to the other two teams as well.
Rachael's new team included Layla and Becca, who had been Carly's
friends when the teams were made. None of the girls were great at
basketball, although three of the other girls on the team were. As a
result, Layla, Becca, and Carly had gotten minimal playing time.
One of the other good players was the team captain, and Rachael accepted
this. She did take Layla and Becca aside to work on fundamentals with
them when suddenly Layla swore at her, and then stormed out of the gym.
"What's that all about," Rachael asked Becca.
"Dunno," Becca said. "She's been really weird the past few weeks, since
the sleepover. I really don't care. She doesn't seem to even want to be
friends with Carly and me, and we've been besties since kindergarten."
"Everybody needs friends," Rachael said as she watched the girl storm
out of the gym. She then concentrated on working with Becca, who slowly
started to gain some familiarity with the ball.
At the end of the class, Ms. Smith came over. "What happened to Layla?
She was working with you, and then she left."
"Uhh, I think she got ill," Rachael lied. "I think it was female
problems."
"Oh," Ms. Smith nodded. "I won't mark her absence then."
In lunch Rachael looked around for Layla, but couldn't see her in the
cafeteria. She sat down next to Robert, and unpacked her lunch.
"You have to come to the farm on Saturday," Robert told her. "Mom is
insistent. She said Bobby is welcome to come if you do. I'll show him
around the farm while you and Mom do whatever it is that she wants. But
she says it is super important."
"Well, if Bobby comes there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to go.
I will have to ask Mom, but I'm pretty sure that she will say it is
okay."
"Whew. I don't think I was going to get dinner tonight if I couldn't
agree to get you to come. Mom was so insistent."
"Do you know why?"
"No. She just said that it was super important."
"You look tired, has this been keeping you awake at night?" Rachael
asked.
"No I sleep like a rock. There just isn't enough of it," Robert said. "I
have been working at two farms. As soon as I get home from school I go
to help JJ with the milking at Archie's farm. And since JJ went over
there, I got more chores at our farm. But they did promise that I would
be allowed to come in to movie night."
Movie night?" Rachael slapped her head. "I forgot that I have to collect
for it."
"Here's my toonie," Robert slid a coin across the table. Rachael
pocketed it, and then went around the hall, gathering the others.
After school Mikki again went straight to Xcuts, while Larissa and
Rachael went to the primary school to pick up their brothers. Rachael
had shopping to do at both DaSilva's and the bakery, and popped into the
gallery to say 'hi' to Paul and John. Both had heard about how the
service had wound up after they left. Paul thought it was hilarious that
the Reverend was struck down after prodding the Lord to do so.
"It was just a heart attack," John told his partner, "and it is not
funny. I hope he is well."
"I think he is better now," Rachael said. "There is a new interim
pastor, a girl just out of seminary, who will be doing the service this
week. I hope you will come."
"Not on your life," Paul said. "We think we will try the United Church
downtown. That denomination is known to be more accepting."
"Well, we will miss you," Rachael said. "But I do wonder if you would
allow the pastor to apologize. He has had a revelation, I guess, and he
really wants to atone for the way he acted to you. He wants me to come
along, sort of a peacekeeper, he said. What about Saturday? Not this
weekend, but the next. He should be strong enough to get out by then,
and I hope to be free in the afternoon. I can leave Bobby at the bakery
for a few minutes, so no sticky fingers on the paintings."
"Old Fire and Brimstone, apologizing?" Paul said. "I wouldn't miss that
for anything. I bet it will be a 'sorry you were offended by my actions'
type of thing."
"Yes, we definitely will be pleased to speak with him," John said more
sedately.
They picked Mikki up at Xcuts. There wasn't any lineup today, and Ariel
said she was booked for the next two weeks solid. Any people who came in
for appointments were being handled while she was working on customers.
Then they went out to see Gary, who was in a much better mood now that
there were no longer crowds of girls hanging out in front of the salon,
interrupting his sweeping schedule. Rachael gave him another sandwich,
and learned that he had been getting bananas and rolls from the stores.
"On Friday I want to take you somewhere, at about this time," Rachael
said. "I hope you can get yourself cleaned up a bit. Maybe a shave and a
haircut? Do you think Ariel would give you a trim?"
The girls then headed home, with a brief stop at Miss Lajoie's for the
boys to play with the dogs, while Larissa and Rachael spoke with Grandpa
next door. Mostly they spoke about the video, and had to convince the
old man that it was not about him, but the men who had served with them.
They only stopped in for a minute at Rachael's where they put the
groceries away and then continued on towards the Stoner house.
"Oh no," Mikki said as they got to Larissa's house and said goodbye to
them. "That is Dad's car. He didn't go to Toronto today. Wait. No. He
was gone when I left for school. He must have had car trouble, or
something."
"Do you think I should postpone the visit?" Rachael said nervously.
"No. He said he wanted to apologize. I'm sure it will be okay," Mikki
said as they walked up the front sidewalk to the house.
"I'm home. I have company," Mikki shouted as she came in. "Rachael and
Bobby."
"Bobby," a high-pitched voice squealed from the upstairs, and there was
a thunder of little feet as Danni raced down the stairs and didn't stop
until she was wrapped around the embarrassed looking boy. Danni was
wearing red leotards and had a white mini-skirt on that looked adorable
with a pink sweater. Her hair had been professionally styled. It was
still very short, of course, but it had been done in a feminine pixie-
style.
"I love your hair, Danni," Rachael said. "Very feminine."
The little girl glowed. "Momma took me to a ladies-only hair place. It
was lovely, and the girls working there were so nice. They did my hair,
and even painted my fingernails." She waved her hand at Rachael. There
were only a few flecks of red still on the fingers. "Momma says I can't
get them painted again until I stop biting them. But it is so hard to
remember not to."
She then looked up and saw her parents standing in the doorway. She
visibly flinched at the sight of her father, and turned her back to him.
"Come on Bobby, let's go play on the Game Station."
As the children ran to the stairs, Bob Stoner said "At least someone
gets a hug from her." You could feel the pain in his voice.
"Come in, Rachael," he said. "I need to apologize to you for my behavior
last week. I wasn't thinking right: on so many levels. I'm better now,
and hope it will get better from here. You will always be welcome in our
house." He put emphasis on the word 'our'. "I think you are an excellent
and faithful friend to my daughter. My older daughter. And I am
completely in favor of you being our 'go-to' for babysitting Danni when
Kyle and Mikki aren't available."
He turned to Mikki. "Your mother and I were just talking over things,
and I see no reason why your friend shouldn't sit in on our family
meeting." He ushered us all into the living room where they sat on the
fine furniture.
"Your father resigned from the brokerage today," Mrs. Stoner said. "He
is going to work for them one day a week from here, and may go to
Toronto once every month or two. The money from that one day, and the
fact he isn't driving to the city, and renting his apartment there,
means that we will be okay financially, while he builds up his
photography business."
"That was quick," Mikki said.
"Yes," Mr. Stoner took over. "They thought at first I was resigning to
work for another brokerage. That would mean that I would take all, or
most, of my accounts with me when I changed. When they found out that I
wasn't switching out on them, they became very accommodating. I offered
most of my smaller accounts to them to reassign to junior brokers. I'm
going to handle the biggest accounts on my one day a week. It will be as
an independent agent, not a staffer, so I will be able to actually make
half what I made in Toronto in a single day. And there are income tax
benefits as well."
"Can you stay for dinner, dear?" Mrs. Stoner asked Rachael.
"No, and we will have to leave shortly," Rachael said. "I like to have
dinner ready for Mom when she gets home. It isn't as bad as when she
worked at the caf?, but she is still tired when she gets home from
work."
"Let me make a call," Mrs. Stoner said, getting up and leaving, while
Mr. Stoner sat and talked with the girls about photography.
Mikki had the first idea, suggesting that he take portraits of the girls
who got new hair styles at Xcuts. The girls were certain that Carly
would go for it, and thought that Ariel could get one of the high school
girls to sit as well. They would give the girls each an 8x10 to keep,
and make an 11x14 for the salon. There might even be some actual income
if the girls' parents ordered reprints for photos for grandparents and
aunts.
Then Rachael gave her idea. She noted that agricultural photography was
a big business that Bob probably never considered with his city roots.
One idea was to rent an airplane on a clear day, and take aerial photos
of the bigger farm operations in the county. These could be sold to the
farmers, who usually were quite proud of their operations.
But the other half of the idea was the real money-maker. Photos of
livestock are used in farm publications to publicize the farm, and to
spur sales of semen and breeding rights. She had seen a framed ad from
the Holstein Journal on the wall of the farm, and it was dated five
years ago. It was a younger Queenie. The Jacksons might be willing to
get another taken, and when the new little calf grew to breeding
stature, they would definitely want one of him.
"Rachael," Mrs. Stoner said with a smile. "I called the bakery, and
convinced your mother that I had kidnapped her children and if she
wanted to see them again, she would have to come over for dinner. You
three are eating with us tonight. Come on Kayla, you should help me in
the kitchen."
"I'll come too," Rachael said, standing.
"Sit down," Mrs. Stoner ordered. "You are company. Besides, I heard what
you were talking about. Your ideas for Bob are great. Keep them coming."
Rachael did give a few more ideas on rural photography to Mr. Stoner,
but quickly the conversation changed to what was really on his mind:
Danni.
"How do you do it?" he said. "She absolutely loves you. I've seen her
give you a hug, and it just makes my heart ache that I haven't felt that
from her ... for years. Even before all this happened. I guess she knew
I wanted her to be a boy, and she shut me out. I was such a fool. I can
see now that she is all girl, and ... and ... she hates me."
With that he started to cry, slowly at first, and then strongly.
Rachael's Ron memories told her how hard it was for a man to cry like
that in public, and her heart ached for the man. Finally she put her
arms out, and he fell into them, sobbing.
After a few minutes Bob tried to pull himself together, and broke out of
Rachael's embrace somewhat reluctantly.
A moment later Danni burst into the room, and then stopped abruptly when
she saw her father. She started to back away.
"Danni," Rachael said. "What did you want?"
"Momma said you were in here. She didn't say he was here. I'll talk to
you later. I hate him."
"Danni!" Rachael admonished. "He is your father. He loves you."
"Well, I hate him," she said.
"Danni, you are acting like a boy," Rachael said. The little girl froze.
"Boys get mad at people and can keep it going for years and years. But
girls forgive. They still feel the hurt, but they hide it and make it
get smaller and smaller until it is gone."
"Danni," Bob said morosely. "Danielle, my beautiful daughter."
Danni looked at Rachael, and then at her father. For a second her face
had that same stern look as he had been seeing for weeks. Then it
softened, and there was a smile. She ran towards him, and leapt up into
his arms. "Daddy, I love you. I really do love you. But you have to
promise. Never ever cut my hair. Or make me be a boy."
Bob was crying as hard as he ever had as he hugged his little girl. "I
promise, sweetheart. I was wrong. I was bad. And if you can forgive me I
will love you always. And you will always be my little girl."
Rachael backed out of the room and went to the kitchen. "I think you two
need to get into the living room with Danni and her father."
"What has he done?" Mrs. Stoner said, dropping her spoon into the pot
she was stirring, thinking the worst. Mikki followed quickly, and
Rachael picked up the spoon and started stirring. Bobby would be happy.
It looked as though there were going to be Sloppy Joe's for supper.
It was a full five minutes later when the family came back into the
kitchen. Danni was still in her father's arms, still hugging him
fiercely. Bob walked over to Rachael and put his arms around her.
"Welcome to the Stoner family, Rachael. You are now officially my third
daughter. You have done the impossible. My family is whole again."
Mikki hugged Rachael next. "You already were my sister," she said. "Now
it is official."
Then Mrs. Stoner gave her a hug. "Happiness just follows you around. But
I thought I told you that you were not to be cooking, and I find you in
here with a spoon. I'll take over." She reached out for the spoon but
Rachael pulled it back.
"Not quite yet," Rachael said. "All four of you need to go wash the
tears out of your eyes. Unless the raccoon look is something you were
aiming for."
"Oh my," Mrs. Stoner said, looking at her reflection in the toaster.
"Mikki, you and I go up to the vanity in the ensuite. Daddy and Danni:
go to the downstairs bath."
So when the doorbell rang several minutes later, it was Rachael who
opened the door to her mother.
"She said she kidnapped you," Maria laughed. "You are working as a maid
and cook for them, are you?"
"There was a family crisis," Rachael said. "It is over now, but they are
cleaning away some happy tears."
Andrea was at the door a minute later, with Mikki right behind. After
greeting Maria with a hug, Andrea took the spoon out of Rachael's hand
and told her to take her mother into the living room.
"As you say, Madam. This way, Madam," Rachael said in her maid's voice,
causing everyone to crack up.
In the living room Bob and Danni were still locked together. The little
girl just didn't want to let go of her new, accepting father. She
cuddled on his lap as he explained the situation to Maria.
"Your daughter is an angel," Bob said finally.
"She has been an angel to Bobby and I," Maria said, as Rachael felt
embarrassment redden her face. "By the way, where is my son?"
"Upstairs playing PlayStation," Rachael guessed. "Do you want to go up
and get him, Danni?"
Danni looked hesitantly. She would be quite happy to spend the rest of
her life in her father's arms, but Bobby was her protector and friend.
She finally hopped down and ran upstairs, just as Andrea started to call
everyone to dinner.
The two-family dinner went splendidly, with Maria and Rachael seeing the
future in watching Kyle eat five Sloppy Joe's. He had been in his
bedroom online since coming home from school, and had to be updated on
the changed family situation. Maria had brought dessert from the bakery
to cap off a simple, but wonderful meal.
As the Cartrights were leaving, Bob Stoner almost begged Rachael to come
over on Saturday for the day. He seemed sincere in wanting to make
Rachael another daughter. But Rachael had to beg off, noting they had a
prior invitation to the farm.
That was the first Bobby and Maria had heard of this, so it was the
topic of discussion on the short walk home. Bobby was ecstatic at the
idea of a farm, and Maria had no real objection, as long as Rachael was
looking after her brother. She worried a bit about her young daughter
spending another full day with the boy she clearly considered a
boyfriend, but when Rachael explained about Mrs. Jackson's insistence
that she come, she agreed to allow it.
That night Rachael prayed.
Dear Lord
Thank you for a wonderful day. I know I did some good today. Danni is in
love with her father again, which is at it should be. And he is truly
remorseful for what he did. But I am worried about Layla. Something is
not right there, and I need to find it and make it right.
Amen
Clover
- 12.06.2022
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