WE GATHER TOGETHER by Edward L. Woodyard

We Gather Together Chapter Fifty-Nine

Julia McCulloch heard Jason's footsteps tromp up the front porch stairs as he again ran into his grandparents' house from the front yard. She could see that he was eager to show his grandmother a baby tooth. "We found it, Grammy."

Julia opened an empty envelope in front of him, "Put it in here for safe keeping. And it will be all ready for the tooth fairy tonight."

Jason slipped the tooth into the envelope as Annie entered through the front door, followed by her father who glanced at the creaky storm door hinge. "And we will let Mom hold onto it. Okay?" Julia said about the baby tooth in the envelope.

Jason nodded his head as Julia folded the envelope in quarters and handed it to Annie, putting it in her pants pocket. "Crisis averted," whispered Julia to her daughter.

"Are we going to make hand turkeys now, Grammy?" asked Kelly.

"Yes, we are. And it will be Grampy helping everyone," she said. "In the den."

The coffee table in the den had been transformed into a children's activity bench, with newspaper unfolded and spread out on it. Julia's place cards were stacked for later decorating at one end, next to sequins, tiny feathers, colored pens and scotch tape. In the middle of the table, Annie had placed colored construction paper from her canvas boat bag, along with rounded safety scissors, a box of assorted crayons and a glue stick.

Sam moved his digital camera and tripod to a corner of the room. He decided he'd test the camera's timer later while the kids made cut-out hand turkeys.

Julia entered with three of her grandchildren, showing them the handprint turkeys that their parents had made.

"Mom, I still can't believe you saved these?" Annie said.

"Your mother saves everything," Sam interjected.

"It's memories that get you through old age," Julia answered.

"You're not old," Jason insisted.

"Yet," Julia said, continuing the thought. She then hugged Jason, "Because you keep me and Grampy so young."

Annie placed her handprint turkey from kindergarten over her adult hand. She was no longer a little girl. She put Kelly's hand over it to compare. It fit.

"I want to make my own, Mommy," said Kelly.

"You will, Kelly."

"Mom, you were a little girl once?" asked Jason.

"You should have seen her play hockey," said Sam. "And she can change a car tire."

"Lug nuts and all," interjected Annie. "It explains why I married a guy named Jack."

Cara and Annie shared a laugh as Sam continued talking to Jason, "I made sure she knew how to do that. You never know, Jason."

"You'll teach me, Grampy?"

"In a few years, sure."

"I didn't allow myself to play with dolls," Annie said to Cara. "Scott and Drew were merciless about it. I still have a Malibu Barbie hidden in my room upstairs. I didn't dare show anyone."

"Show me. I'd love to see it," said Cara.

Sam sat on the couch and placed his left hand on a sheet of brown construction paper. He used a crayon to trace his hand on it. Jason and Kelly circled to the other side of the coffee table and began to make their own handprint turkeys.

Courtney stood next to her grandmother, "I already made one in school, Grammy."

"You can make another one or you can help me in the dining room."