Building on Dreams

Chapter 28 - A First Anniversary and the Ride Home

Everyone slept later than usual at the hotel where the Abernathys were staying on the morning of January 1, 2002. When they did awake, they all decided to stay in their pajamas to watch the reruns of the New Years Rose Parade on TV together while atop one of the beds. Eventually though Matt drifted back to the other room and Susan over heard him talking to someone on his cell phone. She guessed it was his girlfriend, and she heard him making plans to meet later that afternoon.

After the parade, the five of them breakfasted together at the hotel, after which Matt called his dad before they left, just to make sure they were up and were ready for them to come home. They were, and so Abernathys went to the Coopers house for the rest of the day.

While Susan, Jessie and Zackary worked to pack Zack's things in his bedroom, Greg was working to get the new rack system mounted to the top of their SUV. Once Michael discovered what he was doing, he got involved too, producing tools and a ladder to help them reach the roof more easily.

It was early in the afternoon when Susan decided to take a break from working in Zackary's room, and she went out onto the driveway to see what the men were doing.

"Where's Matt?" Susan wondered when she discovered Greg and Michael working to mount the rack on the car, but her eldest son was no where in sight. She hadn't seen him in a while and she'd just assumed he was working on it too.

"I think he went over to Katie's house, Mom," Zackary told her.

"It would have been nice if he'd told us when he left," Susan said.

"He was afraid you'd change your mind," Zackary said.

"Do I do that?" Susan asked.

Zackary shrugged. "Rachelle does, so he just goes. Matt says it works out better that way."

Susan arched a brow at her son. "Perhaps. I think when Matt comes to live with us this summer, we're going to have to set up some rules about that."

"Matt's coming to live with us?" Zackary asked in surprise.

"After school is out," Susan said. "And just for the summer, so he'll only be there a few months."

"Yeah, but that'll be good," Zackary said looking pleased. "Is that what you and Dad were talking about last Friday?"

"Yes," Susan said. "Now how much more are we going to try to fit in?"

"Susan?" Greg called before they could go back inside.

"Yes?"

"Come help us with the bicycles. You too, Zack," Greg said.

"Okay," Zackary agreed.

Michael was busy in his garage, moving things out of the way to access the seldom used bicycles. As soon as he got to Zack's, he pushed it out into the middle of the floor and handed it off to his son, who pushed it outside to the car. Susan helped him hand it up to Greg who was on the roof of the car, then she climbed the ladder to help him hold it in place while he fastened it to the new bike rack. Hers was next, and they repeated the process a second time. Next Susan helped Greg fasten the soft cover he'd bought between the bars of the rack system on top of the car.

"Is anything ready to put in here?" he wondered.

"Some things are ready, but I'm not sure what you want on top and what you want inside," Susan told him.

"Let's see what you have," Greg said and he climbed down to take a look.

Meanwhile Zackary was helping his dad in the garage to put things back where they belonged.