LEFT BEHIND – THE SEQUEL

Rachel hesitated at the door of Vicky and Ryan’s cottage – if it could be called that any more. As their family had grown, so had the house, sprouting extensions on either side, like wings.

She tried peering through the glass panels beside the door, but they were frosted over; all she could see was a blur of colours.

Well, here goes nothing! she thought, and pressed the doorbell.

"Kirk! Answer the door!" she heard Steven yell. The door opened.

"Grandma!" Kirkland flung himself into her arms.

Steven couldn’t do the same, since he was holding the baby, but he gave her a one-armed hug. The three-year-olds, Michael and Franklin, looked up from their game with toy cars, on the rug, wondering who the strange lady was. How long had it been since Rachel’s last visit? Too long!

Carl came out of the kitchen. He wore jeans and a purple sweatshirt with the motto FOXY GRANDPA. Aside from that, he hadn’t changed since New York.

"Hello Rachel."

"Hello Carl."

Rachel unbuttoned her coat. "Allow me." said Carl, helping her out of it.

After considering, and rejecting, most of her wardrobe, Rachel had put on a blue lambswool sweater-dress, with a cowl neck. Was that a glint of admiration in Carl’s eyes?

It had been five years since their last meeting, and neither of them knew what to say. Before the silence could become awkward, however, Clara broke the tension by starting to cry.

"Uh-oh! Diaper alert!" said Steven, "It’s only been five minutes since last time!"

He deposited the baby on the changing table set up in a corner of the living room, and got to work – wet diaper off, baby wipe, powder, new diaper on.

"You do that like a pro." Rachel said.

"I learned how when Micky and Franky were babies." said Steven, "Kirk knows how too, only he never does it."

"I do so!" Kirkland protested.

"Oh yeah? When was the last time?"

"Just so somebody does it." said Carl diplomatically.

Rachel took a deep breath. "Carl, I – I’d have been here sooner, but I only heard about – the accident earlier today. I’ve been out of town on business. I’m so sorry!"

"Yes," said Carl, "We all are."

"Are you gonna stay for dinner, Grandma?" said Kirkland, "Grandpa’s making chop suey!"

"Cashew chicken and vegetables." said Carl, "You’re welcome to share it with us, though I must warn you, we eat early – around 6:30."

"Well, yes, - why not?" said Rachel, "6:30 is fine by me."

Carl returned to the kitchen and set about chopping vegetables, the blade moving so fast that it blurred. Rachel was impressed.

"Do you still have all your fingers?"

"I took lessons from the Iron Chef when I was in Japan." said Carl.

"Japan? Is that where you went after – after New York?"

"Grandpa’s been everywhere!" said Steven, "Show her the postcards!"

Kirkland took a thick bundle of postcards out of a drawer. Rachel riffled through them.

"My goodness, you have been everywhere!"

"Not quite." Said Carl, "I haven’t been to Antarctica, or to Ulan Bator. Now, of course, I wish I had spent the years I wasted, seeing the world, right here in Bay City, with my lad. If I had known – well, what’s done is done."

"Yes, it’s no use regretting the past." Said Rachel.

No use regretting what might have been! she told herself, sternly.

* * *

After dinner (which even Franklin and Michael ate with chopsticks – although their technique was unorthodox), Rachel helped Carl put the children to bed.

"I’ve been a wild rover for many a year/ And spent all my money on whisky and beer," Carl sang softly, "But now I’ve come home, with gold in great store/ and I’ll never be a wild rover, no more."

Clara fell asleep. "Works every time." Carl said, as they tiptoed out of the nursery (which was on the ground floor, to the left of the living room) and closed the door gently.

"Now for the real challenge!" said Carl, "The twins!"

Getting Michael and Franklin to go to sleep involved getting them a drink of water, reading GREEN EGGS AND HAM, getting them a snack, reading THE FOX IN SOX, giving them a goodnight kiss, reading a chapter of WINNIE THE POOH, giving them another goodnight kiss-

"Is it always like this?" said Rachel, when they finally fell asleep, "I’d forgotten what toddlers are like. It’s been so long since my own children were small."

When they got downstairs, Steven and Kirkland were waiting for them, in pajamas.

"Did you lads brush your teeth?"

"Yes, Grandpa."

Steven handed Carl a thick book: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.

"Grandpa’s reading Shakespeare to us," he explained.

"Where were we?" said Carl, opening the book. "Ah, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, Act Four, Scene One."

"Why don’t you read the girls’ parts, Grandma?" said Steven.

"Well, if you like." said Rachel.

That meant sitting next to Carl on the couch, so that she could see the text.

"Act Four, Scene One," Carl read, "The inside of a church, Enter Claudio, Hero, Benedict, Beatrice –"

The action of the play had the wedding of Hero and Claudio broken off when the bridegroom refused to go through with it, accusing his bride of being unchaste (on no evidence but the word of the villain).

"That Claudio is a dork!" said Kirkland.

"He’s a superdork!" said Steven.

"Moving right along," said Carl, "Everyone exits, except Benedict and Beatrice. Benedict says: Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while?"

"Yea, and I will weep a while longer." Rachel read.

"I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange?"

Rachel’s heart started to pound. I’m being silly, she told herself, He’s reading lines, that’s all! What was she supposed to answer?

"As strange as the thing I know not," she read, "It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing as well as you, but believe me not; and yet I lie not; I, uh, - I’m sorry, it’s hard to read such small print!"

"I think that’s enough Shakespeare for tonight." said Carl, closing the book. "It’s time you two were in bed. Off you go!"

"Goodnight, Darlings!" said Rachel.

Hugs and kisses all around, and the two boys headed to their rooms (also on the ground floor, to the right of the living room). Carl let out his breath: Whew!

"Much as I love them, I must admit it’s a relief when they’re finally in bed!" he said, "Would you care for a cognac, Rachel?"

"That would be lovely."

As Carl poured the drinks, he turned on the radio.

"We looked at each other in the same way then/ But I can’t remember where or when!" somebody sang, "Some things that happened for the first time/ Seem to be happening again -"

Carl turned it off, "I’m not in the mood for music."

Rachel decided it was time for a change of subject. "Steven is so grownup for his age."

"Yes, he’s my strong right arm!" said Carl, "He’s so good with the Little Ones; I don’t know how I’d get along without him."

He knows why I’m here, Rachel thought. Well of course he knew; Carl was not a stupid man; he would naturally realize that the Corys would be concerned about his fitness to have custody of the children.

"It’s fortunate that Vic realized in time that Ryan was Kirkland’s natural father," Carl continued, "Otherwise, Grant Harrison would have swooped down and carried the boy off before his mother was cold!"

"I don’t understand how Victoria could have forgotten making love with Ryan, nine months before her son was born." Rachel remarked.

"The trauma of being shot caused amnesia concerning the events immediately preceding it." Said Carl, "Then she had a dream about making love with Ryan in a cave, and when she told my lad about it, he said Yes, that really happened. That was when it occurred to Victoria that perhaps the boy hadn’t been premature after all. So she had a DNA test done, and once paternity was established, she was able to get a court order barring Grant from any further contact with Kirkland."

"I bet Grant wasn’t too happy about that!" said Rachel, "Well, I should be going." She stood up.

"Yes, I must try and get some sleep before it’s time for wee Clara’s next feeding." said Carl.

"Do feel free to stop by, any time, Rachel," he said, as he helped her on with her coat.

"I will. Goodnight, Carl."

"Goodnight Rachel."

They stood at the door for a moment, Rachel wondering if he was going to kiss her goodnight, and Carl wonder if he dared –

"Well, goodnight." said, Rachel, and exited.