Building on Dreams

Chapter 26 - Rain, Fame, Fish, and Other Slippery Things

Dinner at the Coopers' house that night was very, very good. The fresh salmon was delicious and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. Unfortunately, before they were properly finished with their meal, a car horn sounded outside the house and there was a knock on the front door interrupting their meal.

"Hello Walter." Rachelle was the one who got up to answer the door.

"Hello. Am I disturbing your dinner?" he asked as he looked past her to see people sitting in the dinning room.

"You are, but the children are finished. They're just washing up," Rachelle told her ex-husband. "Do you want to come in?"

"It looks like you have company," he observed from the door.

"It's just Michael's ex-wife and her husband," Rachelle assured him. "Come on in. Say 'hello' while you're waiting."

"Well, if you insist," Walter said.

"I do," Rachelle told him.

Walter sighed, but he dutifully followed her in.

Rachelle returned to the dinning room accompanied by her ex-husband, a man in his mid-forties wearing worker's coveralls from a local utility company with a patch that said 'Walter' on his chest above the pocket on one side. Together they stepped into the dinning room and everyone who was still gathered around the table looked up as they did.

"Hello everyone," Walter said politely.

"Hello Walter," Michael said with a tolerant smile. "Aren't Josh and Brianna ready?" he asked Rachelle.

"They are. They're just washing. I'll go hurry them along," Rachelle said and she left Michael to make the introductions.

Michael nodded. "Walter, this is my ex-wife Susan and her husband, Greg. Susan is of course, Matthew and Zackary's mother."

"Nice to meet you, Susan," Walter said with a pleasant smile as he looked across the table. "You too ... Greg is it?" he said with a hint of recognition.

"Yes, it is," Greg said rising to meet the other man.

"Don't get up! Please. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"That is quite alright," Greg assured him. "It's nice to make your acquaintance, Walter. I didn't catch your last name ..."

"Harris ... and isn't yours Gaffney?" he asked.

"It's Abernathy privately," Greg explained. "Gaffney is my stage name."

"Oh, I see. Well, I am pleased to meet you," Walter told him grinning slightly.

"Likewise," Greg said politely while Zackary was fervently whispering to Matt,

"That's what I said."

"I know," Matthew whispered back without saying hello.

"Boys," Susan scolded them for their whispering, which she considered rude, as she too rose to shake the newcomer's hand. "I'm pleased to meet you too, Walter."

"Thank you, Susan," Walter said as Josh and Brianna appeared from the back of the house, being urged forward by their mother.

"I won't be staying. Please go back to your supper. Kids, are you ready to go?" he asked turning to Josh and Brianna where they were waiting beside the door.

"Yes Dad."

"Yup," they assured him.

Walter nodded, picked up Brianna's bag and a moment later, he and the two children were out of the door.

"That's going to make for a smaller group tomorrow," Michael commented as Rachelle closed the door behind them and rejoined those at the table, ready to go on with the rest of their supper.