The Final Chapter

The month started off as any other month would, but it didn't end that way.

Adelaide looked at all the pictures in the house and smiled at the captured memories. She thought that her family was the best thing that ever happened to her. She was so glad she moved here. Now, her adopted son Logan was grown, with his own children, as was her adopted daughter. Her own baby boy was approaching on coming into his own life too. Time was such a slippery substance.

Brian and Adelaide spent quite a lot of their time in the basement these days, concocting potions or just  honing their skills. Brian did well in all of his potion making and chemistry, but Adelaide didn't do so perfectly. Frequently, her experiments blew up in her face. She always showered and went right back to it though - determined not to be out done. Brian was the first to make something that actually worked anyway.

Nearly every day, Adelaide made sure to spend quality time with David. She didn't want him to grow up thinking that she was too old for fun, or not someone that he could talk to. So far he shared everything with her though, and she was happy about that. Video games were a great way for them to bond, but his reflexes were a little quicker than her own.

One morning, Adelaide and Brian were sitting at the dining table eating Brian's famous pancakes when Addy mentioned having a family reunion.

"I think it'd be fun to get everyone together. It's been quite a long time since we've all seen each other." She had said.

Brian finished his last few before replying, "That is a pretty good idea. Why haven't we done that before?"

His wife smiled. "Well, I'm not sure, but maybe we could make it a frequent occurrence? I was thinking of booking the park for a day. Exclusive access of course, we could bring some hot dogs and hamburgers or something to eat."

Right after breakfast Brian made all the arrangements to have the reunion at Central Park in two weeks. He then called all the family to inform them of the date and place they were planning on. Everyone seemed excited to come.

While David was at school this day, Brian and Adelaide were in the basement as usual. This time Adelaide was toning her muscles as Brian played Foosball. No matter what they did during the day, and no matter how long, they were always together. Every day was spent with each of them in sight of the other. The couple seemed inseparable.

Adelaide heard the phone ring upstairs just as she pulled herself off of the bench. She answered it to hear the principle on the other end.

"Mrs. Fuller, I'd like you or your husband to come to the school and pick up your son please. He's been suspended temporarily."

She promised he'd be right there, and told Brian about the call before she left. A little worried, she drove a little too fast to get there.

After a meeting with the principle, which David also attended. Adelaide stepped outside the school and laid into her son.

"What is the matter with you! Where did you even get the idea to toilet paper the principles office? What were you thinking? Boy, not only are you suspended from school but you are restricted to your house. You won't even be coming to the reunion! I am so mad at you, but more than that - I'm disappointed. So very disappointed in you David."

At first David carried a defiant look and demeanor while she ranted at him. When she said she was mad, he just rolled his eyes. He knew she never got mad at him, at least not for more than a minute. Nothing he ever did actually made her angry. Though when she told him that she was disappointed, and he saw the look on her face, that really made his attitude falter. He could tell that she meant every word. He realised then that it hadn't been that she didn't want to see his faults and his misbehavior. It was that she really didn't see it. He was her angel, and could do no wrong. It came to him that he just ruined her trust, her perfect vision of him was now tainted. He was truly sorry for that. He tried to apologise and put that smile that he knew so well back on her face, but she wouldn't accept it. She just shook her head and pointed toward the car. David hung his head and obeyed her silent signal.

The morning of the family reunion dawned and everyone met at the park. They spent the entire day mingling with each other and just having a great time. Logan and Velina had come, but the twin girls couldn't make it. Velina explained that she and Logan had put the girls into preschool. They had just started that week and didn't want to mess up the schedule they were just coming to get used to. Adelaide was slightly put out that the grand babies couldn't come, but it wasn't the end of the world. It also wouldn't be the last reunion. She made a mental not though to make sure and hold these in late afternoon from now on - after school.

The food that was brought was all cooked by Brian, he even brought dessert but everyone was too full after his hamburgers to eat any more. After eating, Logan and Adelaide carried on a simple game of catch while Carla played chess and the rest of the family conversed at the picnic tables.

While they sat, Jennifer had some news to share.

"Ron and I are going to be getting married!" She enthused. Everyone smiled and gave her congratulations. "Oh that's not the end of it." Jennifer glanced around the table. "We'll be moving too, too. We're going to settle down in a town called Lunar Lakes. It's a really awesome place. Ron got an offer for a job there that he just can't turn down. Personally I welcome that change, I'm so sick of Sunset Valley."

Brian was shocked. All this news at once wasn't good on an old mans heart and brain. They talked about it for a bit sitting there together. Eventually he came to terms with it, knowing that she was going to do it no matter what and it was better to separate on a good note, as opposed to arguing about it.

When that conversation was starting to drift off, Velina brought up her own family news. Much similar to Jennifer's, Velina disclosed that she and Logan would be moving with the girls as well. "It's a town about 90 miles north of here, 'Hidden Springs'. Really, really nice place. We just love it. We were planning on coming over tomorrow to break the news, but now is as good of a time as any."

Brian felt his heart flutter all over again. There was no way he was going to let his son take his grand babies that far away without following them. No way. He wondered if Adelaide would feel the same way. It didn't matter, if Logan, his wife and his babies were moving, so was Brian. That was final. He got all the information he could from Velina while sitting there, though tried not to let on what he was thinking at first. He didn't want to make Jennifer upset, or jealous, that he would move with Velina and Logan, but not her. It wasn't really like that. If it wasn't for the twins, he'd stay right here in Sunset Valley. He had to see his grand babies though - had to watch them grow.

Only a few short weeks later, Brian, Adelaide and David were settling into their new home in Hidden Springs. Velina hadn't been exaggerating when she told them how beautiful the place was. It was near perfect. A great place to live and raise a family. They had hired contractors to build a house for them, and that was just as perfect as the town in which it was placed.

Pretty soon after they moved in, David celebrated his birthday, becoming a very handsome young adult. He told his parents about his dreams to become a magician. Something he had wanted since before he had even become a teen. He loved magic, real and fake, and would love to make a living doing it. Brian gave him a hard time about doing something more 'real' than that, but of course he would let last son live his own life and learn his own lessons. David moved out and got his own place. He lived only about 5 blocks away though, and came frequently to visit.

One morning, early, Adelaide woke and got out of bed to shower, just like she always did. When she came out though, Brian was still in the bed. That was unusual, he normally got up while she was bathing. Gently she tried to wake him, but he never awoke. Brian had passed away in his sleep. When she realised this, Adelaide froze in terror unable to speak or move. Finally she begged him to come back to her, not to leave her alone in this new place. When he didn't comply she hit her knees and pulled out her phone to call 911. Maybe it wasn't too late. The ambulance got there but declared him deceased, and offered their condolences to the grieving widow.

Only one day later, Adelaide was sitting on the porch when she had her heart attack. There was no one nearby to help early enough and she passed on while thinking of her late husband. She had felt the pain, but there was no fear as she faded into her next life. She would be with him again at least.

David and Logan were devastated by the loss of both parents so close together. They phoned Jennifer and had her come for the services. The funeral was to be held the same day for each of them, and they were going to be sent back to be buried in the Sunset Valley family cemetery.

Life slowly went back to normal for the remaining family members, the new town made it a little easier than it would have been if they were still at home. Hidden springs didn't carry the memories that Sunset Valley did, and life was easier to bear. Even for David. He threw himself into his work and spent his days doing nothing but practicing.

Emma, Logan's dog, had two adorable girl puppies. The family kept one, and David actually showed up to adopt the second. Logan and Emma both seemed happy to give the pup to someone they knew and trusted.

Life continued in Hidden Springs, though the memories would never fade.