Country in the City; Book One

Chapter 4 ~ The Meet

I open the door to let Michael in but turn to see a face I wasn't expecting. I stand there shocked for a few minutes. Is this real? Can this really be happening? I think to myself. Ella walks up and freezes as well; only for a few moments though. Then she runs into his arms. It's Jayden. He's here. For the last year he has been in Afghanistan. We weren't expecting him back for another four months.
Michael arrived and I'm still frozen. I can't move. I can hardly think.
Michael rushes over to me. Worry is evident in his eyes. Once in front of me, he immediately starts asking me questions. I'm then finally able to come out of my shock induced daze. Now that I'm back I fly into Jayden's arms.
Once Jayden and I separate he gives me this look saying who is this kid and why is he here. Time for introductions.
"Jayden, Ella, Connor, this is my boyfriend Michael. Michael, this is my brother Jayden, he's in the army, my sister Ella, the beautician, and her husband Connor, he's in the Navy." I told Michael, gesturing to each person as I went along.
After everyone said their 'nice to meet you' s and shook hands I decided it would be better if I went and found my twins and brought them out verses just letting them come try and figure it out themselves. "I'm gonna go find the twins." I tell everyone. And before I leave, I give Jayden a look saying touch him and you die.
I found Kyle and Kayleigh both is Jakson's room upstairs. I pulled them aside to talk to them. "Do you remember uncle Jayden? The tall guy who wears a green and brown uniform all the time."
"Yeah!" They both say at the same time.
"Good. He came home today. He's downstairs."
"Yay!" they both said getting ready to run down the stairs. I grabbed both of them before they could leave.
"There's more guys," I tell them
"Booo." Kyle says putting his thumbs down.
"What is it mommy?" Kayleigh asks with her super innocent eyes.
"There is someone here I want you to meet. His name is Michael Ulepp. You guys think you can both say hello to him?" I ask the twins.
Kyle nods but Kayleigh buries her face into my shoulder as I am knelt down to talk to them. I pick up Kayleigh with her keeping her head buried, and hold Kyle's hand as we walk down the stairs into the family room of Ella's house. Kyle runs to Jayden the instant he see him. And Kayleigh just stays buried. I then take my seat in the rocking chair.
After about five minutes of chatting and Kyle sitting on Jayden's lap I call him over.
"Can you go use your manners and say hello to the new guy over there in the blue shirt." I whisper in his ear with Kayleigh still clung to me.
Obediently, Kyle walks across the room to Michael. "Hello mister. Mommy says I have to say hi and use my man-ers. My mommy told me your name is Mi-tch-l Ul-lelepp. I like that name." This makes me blush, but that's Kyle for ya.
"Kyle is it?" Kyle nods "My name Michael Ulepp but you were pretty close. Do you like sports?"
"I like superheroes!" Kyle informs him.
Just them Ella walks in and announces that lunch is ready. We all walk into the dining room and sit at the table. Kayleigh still hiding her face in my blue sweatshirt, I sit down in the chair Michael pulls out for me. I have Kyle sit next to me on my right and Michael on my left. After Connor prays for the food, we dig in. Nothing special since it's only lunch but still good. Mostly store bought though. Ella isn't much of a cook. We have Lays potato chips, bread, both gluten free and regular, salad, and all the sandwich condiments. I first dish up Kyle's lunch, and then Kayleigh's. I couldn't get Kayleigh to eat. I couldn't even get her to turn around.
Jayden says to me "Man Abigail, Kayleigh's definitely got your shyness quality."
This makes me blush a little but I fire back a joke just as fast "Better my shyness than you loud mouth." This just makes him chuckle.
Then everyone takes turns telling Michael stories of when I was little. And high school stories. Things that should never get mentioned. Through the stories someone suggests that we go back to the living room.
At my seat in the rocking chair I listen to the stories being told, blushing harder and harder as each story comes. As I hear Ella getting ready to tell About the time at Go Camp I quickly decide enough is enough.
With my face bright red now, very noticeable, I try to change the subject, multiple times. Not being successful in training to change the subject I decide its time to change scenario.
I walk across the room and put Kayleigh in Michael's lap. She adjusts to him pretty well; better than I thought she would. She just sits in his lap and plays with the strings on his jacket. After a minute or two I went back to my seat. All eyes were on Kayleigh and Michael.
"Kayleigh, how old are you?" Michael asks her even though he already knows, just trying to get her to look at him and to talk.
She stops twirling the strings around her little finger and looks up at him, "I three." She tells him this very shyly.
"Wow! And I heard your birthday is coming up too?"
"Yeah! I get to be four!" She tells him holding her hand with four fingers up.
"That's so big! What do you want for your birthday?"
"I want a Rapunzel dress, and tiara, and..." Kayleigh hesitates before she leans forward to whisper in his ear, something I couldn't hear.
I could see in his eyes that it was something sort of sad; but what could my little girl ask for that's sad. Although, it did make him smile so maybe I am just seeing things.
After that she snuggled up against him and started twirling the strings on his jacket again. The group went back to talking about Jayden's surprise homecoming, and interrogating Michael. I wasn't paying much attention due to my thoughts drifting away thinking about how good Michael is with my kids. He is definitely the perfect match for me I thought to myself.
Something tugging on my blue sweatshirt caught my attention. Across the room I see Kayleigh asleep in Michael's arms. Smiling, I look down to see Kyle. "Mommy, Jakson won't let me play with his Legos!" He told me with his pouty face on.
"Did you ask nicely?"
"Um-hm."
"Okay well maybe next time, but right now I think it's time for you to take a nap. Let's go see if Auntie Ella has a bed for you to rest in."
"I don't wanna take a nap!" Kyle says starting to kick and roll in the ground.
"You know, I bet Jakson will let you play with his Legos when you wake up. But you have to take the nap first. Or NO Legos." I emphasize that last sentence.
"NO HE WON'T!"
Great. This is embarrassing. Just what I need to add to the list. I think sarcastically. First time Michael meets my kids and Kyle throws a temper tantrum.
Standing over Kyle I tell him, "If you don't get up right now, and go to the bed Auntie Ella has so kindly made for you, then next time you won't get to play with Jakson's Legos, and you will have to sit with me the whole time we are here, listening to Auntie Ella and I have our boring conversations." I tell him sternly.
Thinking about this for less than a second he jumps up and follows me. I take him to the bed Ella has made for him and tuck him in. I leave a night light on and close the curtains. Then I have him say his nap time prayer, I kiss him on the head before I leave him to take his nap closing the door behind me.
Once I'm back down stairs everyone is gone from the living room except Michael with Kayleigh still in his arms. As I start walking into the living room I hear he is on the phone so I back up not wanting to interrupt. I sneak back into the kitchen to get a glass of iced tea. As I'm pouring the iced tea I can't help but overhearing his conversation.
"Mom I don't want to overwhelm her with all of our families craziness."
His families craziness? How much more crazy than my family can they be? I mean my family has interrogated him, left a shotgun sitting on the couch durning the conversation, I have twins but am still a virgin. I think to myself but keep accidentally listening.
"Okay fine. I'll ask her. But if she doesn't want to than I'm not forcing her too."
Doesn't want to? What's he thinking? I would love to meet his family. A little nervous though.
"I understand you want to meet her, but mom, I've finally found the girl of my dreams, the one I love, and I want her to grow to love me, just as much as I love her, with real love, for who I am. NOT for who my family is."
Awe, he said it again, he loves me. But what is the 'NOT for who my family is' part about. Is his family famous or something? Ulepp doesn't sound familiar to me. Am I missing something?
I decide to ignore it and now walk in with my glass of tea. As he sees me, he tells his mom he has to go and hangs up the phone.
"Do you want me to take Kayleigh back now?" I ask him.
Michael just looks down at her and smiles. Then he says, "No, she's sweet..." he pauses for a moment "Abigail, you have an amazing family".
I nod and then ask him "Want to see some pictures?"
"I would love to."
Good thing I thought about this before hand. "The scrapbook is in my moms car. Want to come with me?"
"Sure," he says as he stands up to follow me.
Back inside with the scrapbook we sit next to each other on the couch. "Are you sure your good with her on your lap?" I ask him again.
"Yeah, you can take her if you'd like, but I don't mind having her on my lap." He tells me.
So we flip through the scrapbook. I tell him about each picture and what happened on that day and where we were. Michael looks at each picture with intent. Almost as with sadness in his eyes but his smile gets bigger and bigger as we go through the pages.

**********************
Note: There is a collage of pictures attached to this chapter that are in the scrapbook they are looking at if you'd like to see them. They aren't in order in the college though. Hope you are enjoying the story so far. I love to hear your comments. I read each one!

**********************

Michael's P.O.V.

I can't help but think that I should've been here for Abigail as she went through her surgeries and pregnancy. Also for Kayleigh and Kyle. I feel like I should've been here for them, even though I didn't even know about them until two weeks ago. Looking at all these pictures makes me realize how much I've missed. Three whole years. But I'm here now. I know God has a huge plan ready for us. So, I just have to follow Him to get where He wants me to be.
Having Kayleigh sleeping in my arms and Abigail leaning against my shoulder feels so right. Like this what's meant to be.
Kayleigh's little voice keeps echoing in my head of what she told me before she fell asleep. 'I want mommy to be home for my birthday, but not just mommy, I want you to be here with her... because you make her happy like no one else can.' Is what she whispered in my ear.
This little girl met me five minutes before she told me this and already thinks I make her mom 'happy like no one else can'.
Now that we are done with looking at the scrapbook, it's time for the big question. One of them anyways.
"Abigail, how would you like to meet my family tomorrow, and then we go meet your friends on Monday?"
"I would love to!" She exclaimed.
"Are you sure? My family is rather crazy."
"How much more crazy than mine can they get?" She asks. "I mean, my mom flooded you with questions the instant you walked through the door, my dad hardly said anything the first night, and then I know my dad had his shotgun sitting next to him while he interviewed you. Well actually more like interrogated. Not to mention how the rest of my family are. I know Jayden threatened you sometime before he had to go." She finishes.
"Anyone I haven't met yet that I should worry about?" I question.
"Yeah, Miryah, and her family, but mostly just Miryah. She's only going to interrogate you like the rest of my family though. She's very similar to my mom."
"Oh."
"Trust me, if you've made it through my family this far you should be good."
"Okay," I reply, not exactly very confidently.
"Speaking of which how did your conversation with my parents go?" She asks me.
I started, "Well, there were a lot of ques-" but then was cut off by a sweet little Kayleigh waking up. Thank goodness.
Kayleigh looks up at me, frowns, and says, "You're still here!" And I laugh.

**********************

Abigail's P.O.V.

Really, of all the time she could wake up, it had to be now. Michael was just about to tell me what happened in the interrogation with my parents.
Well at least she's happy.

**********************

"You are all together beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you."
~ Song of Solomon 4:7