Patches 2

Chapter 19

** Sign Language is in ITALICS **

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Time to start the long journey back home to New York came sooner than they really wanted it to. The beach was like a drug that had gotten into their veins, no one wanted to leave. They vowed to come back as soon as possible.

The girls carried the van back to the car rentals and had just returned home to help pack and load the camper.

Patch and Adam had returned during the night. Patch was helping Kirstie pack their's and Em's belongings. 

"Did you have a good time?" Kirstie asks as she pack their clothes in the suit case.

Patch nods sadly.

"What's wrong, Sweetheart?" Kirstie asks when she saw the unhappy look on his face.

"I just wish we could stay." Patch signs. "It's so beautiful here."

"I know. So do I." She says as she slips her arms around his waist. "But we'll come back. I promise. We may even check out a different beach, the choices are endless. We have friends now that love to travel. So who knows where we'll end up next." She smiles giving him a soft kiss.

"I like seeing new things. It's exciting." Patch smiles.

"I can only imagine how exciting it is for you and Patches. The rest of us tends to forget that this is a new world to you guys." She smiles, rubbing him on the cheek. "I plan on showing you as much as I can."

"I can't wait." Patch smiles with excitement.

"Well, I think we have everything packed so we need to go get Patches packed up." She says as she kisses him and gives him a tight hug.

Patch sets their luggage in the hallway before making their way to Patches and Adam's room.

They walk in to see Tim sitting on the bed with his arm around a crying Adam.

"Hey." Kirstie says, stooping down in front of Adam while placing her hand on his knee. "What's wrong, Munchkin?"

"I...I..I don't...I don't ... want to... to weeb." (leave) Adam says between sobs.

"I know, Honey. Patch doesn't want to leave either." She smiles at Patch, sitting on Patches's bed. "But we'll come back, ain't that right Tim?"

"Sure, we may even go to a bigger beach. Maybe the Florida Keys." Tim smiles.

"Da Porida Keys? I don't know whad dat is." Adam sniffs as he rubs his eyes.

"It's, uhhh, it's small pieces of land surrounded by the ocean, with a lot of beaches." Tim smiles.

"That would be cool to see." Patch signs.

"I've never been." Tim says. "But I've seen pictures and it's absolutely gorgeous."

"Can we go today?" Adam asks as he looks around at Tim.

"We can't go today, Pee Wee." Tim smiles as he pushes a strand of hair behind Adam's ear.

"We have to make plans. Just like we did when we came here." Kirstie says with a smile.

"You pwomise, Tim, dat we'll go to da Porida Keys?" Adam asks with a pout.

Tim sighs and looks at Kirstie. "I promise."

Kirstie giggles and hangs her head. She realizes that her and Tim had one thing in common, they could not tell Patches and Adam no, when they start their pouting.

"But right now, we need to get you packed." Tim says, patting Adam on the leg.

After getting everything packed and loaded into the RV, they decide to take one final stroll on the beach.

Jenika was going crazy taking pictures. Pictures of sea gulls, the ocean, Satchmo and Mack playing on the beach, even a jellyfish that was unfortunate enough to get washed up on the beach. She takes pictures of each individual posing on the beach. Pictures of Patch, Kirstie and Emily and then some with Kevin joining them. Kirstie takes pictures of Tim and Jenika and then some with Adam joining them. 

A passing jogger was asked to take a group picture of the friends, along with their dogs.

Soon they were all loaded back on the RV and were heading back out on the highway, with Kevin driving.

The atmosphere was quiet. Jenika was sending all the pictures she had taken to Kirstie's phone. Patch sits beside Kirstie staring out at the scenery as it flew pass the window.

Adam cuddles up beside Tim and is soon dozing off with his head laying on Tim's shoulder. Tim rests his head over on Adam's and closes his eyes, he too was soon fast asleep. Jenika manages to take a couple of pictures of them and secretly sends them to Chris.

"What are you looking at?" Kirstie says softly in Patch's ear, rubbing him on the leg.

He looks around at her and smiles. "Just thinking is all."

"About what?" She asks kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"How I never knew this world even existed. All these years, I thought that all there was to life was a dirty sidewalk, run down buildings and a street, bumper to bumper with cars. I don't even know what most of this stuff is that I'm seeing." Patch says. "Like, what is that?" He asks, pointing out the window.

"That's a corn field." Kirstie answers.

"Like the corn that we eat?" Patch asks.

"Mhmm." Kirstie says, laying her head on his shoulder as she too stares out the window.

"I've seen those on 'Bonanza' but I don't know what they're called." He smiles pointing out the window. (Bonanza is an old American television show)

"Those are horses." Kirstie giggles. "Maybe we can go horseback riding sometime."

"Could we? That would be so cool." He smiles.

"Of course we can." She smiles.

"Is that an ocean?" He asks, again pointing out the window.

"No Honey. That's a lake." She smiles at his innocence.

Kirstie looks around at the others. Jenika was now lying down on the couch with her head in Tim's lap, asleep. Both Tim and Adam were still asleep. She yawns and looks at Patch who was wide awake, his eyes darting around trying to see everything out the window. She could hear Kevin softly singing to the radio. Emily was sleeping soundly in her basinet. Even Satchmo and Mack were curled up on the floor asleep.

She smiles and closes her eyes. This was now her family and she loved everyone of them.

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