The Summer Home

18. The New Family

     It was, however, difficult to ignore how popular this new sequel was. Peter's new novel had written made so much money, he honestly really didn't need to write another novel if he didn't want to. Peter's refusal to speak with the press continued and he never gave a single interview ever again, even when the big networks were asking for him to come out and take questions. To be honest, there were other issues to resolve and tests that Peter was nervous about hearing back from.

     Nathan was there in the living room when the day came. The day Peter and Sonya had finally decided to let everyone in on Peter's secret illness. The test results had come in, and they were ready to move on with life regardless of the results. Peter was just happy to have everyone there the day he made the announcement. Sonya and Peter had asked everyone to be there in the room and even Ray had even taken time to fly up there to be there for Peter and Sonya. It had been several weeks since Nathan had confronted his Dad about his battle with cancer, and as promised he had kept it a secret until the test results came back. When Sonya and Peter first told the family that he was diagnosed with cancer, the family took it about as well as expected. The girls were crying, even Jacob was angry and on the verge of tears. Many of them wanted to know how bad it was and how much time they had left with their father, which was the part Nathan was eager to get an update on as well.

     Even though Peter and Sonya had kept Nathan in the loop about what was going on, they had made sure he was forced to wait until this moment to learn the results of the test and hear them at the same time the other kids did. They took a deep breath and broke the news: The cancer had shrunk and was receding. The treatments had worked, and Peter's tumor was now small enough to safely operate on. Peter was going to have surgery, and if all went well it would only be a matter of time before the old man made a full recovery. There was hope, and that was all they could ask for. What were faces of sadness and endless tears slowly turned into smiles and people who were in a mood to celebrate. Ray was the only person who knew the results before they were announced, but even Nathan didn't realize he had snuck a bottle of champagne in the room. Ray broke the bottle open and sprayed the whole room with it. The news was good, and Retro Sheriff as Cheryl referred to him as wanted to make sure the news was given the attention and celebration that it deserved. The news of Peter's ailment wasn't as bad for the family to take as it was softened by the better news that the treatment had gone well, and things were getting batter rather than worse.

     This was the result what Peter and Sonya had been hoping and praying for and Nathan was more relieved than anyone in the house. The young man had already lost a parent due that year and wasn't ready to bury another. This new opportunity gave Nathan and the rest of the kids more time to spend with the ones they loved.

     Weeks after making the announcement, Peter Anderlini went under the knife to remove the cancer from his person. It took several hours, but the surgery was a success, much to the excitement of everyone who was sitting and praying in the waiting rooms downstairs. Nathan wasn't a very religious person, but even he was hedging his bets as he loved his father enough to try anything once. After several months of testing, Peter was eventually declared cancer free for the time being, much to everyone's delight. He was finally out of the woods after years of treatments. Peter was eager to get back to work, only to realize that he had new competition.

     Nathan had started to write short stories that year, and enrolled into college and took English literature and creative writing to see if this was something he also wanted to do for a living. Peter was shocked to see Nathan follow in his father's footsteps but never complained about it as the kid had talent. While Nathan's works differed greatly from his fathers, Nathan Anderlini slowly made a name for himself and built a fan base without mentioning who his father was until he had found success on his own. Once it was discovered that this young and budding writer was the son of Peter Anderlini, money was no longer an issue for the rest of his life. Nathan had owed it all to the men that had shown him that way that one fateful summer. The young man had gained more than just a father that summer as he regained a godfather as well. Ray was just as much a part of Nathan's life just as much as he was a part of Peter's going forward, and there was no other way Nathan would have preferred it. They started taking trips together to go fishing every summer when the Anderlini family returned to the summer home. Nathan was always the first to pack up, eager to go back to the house where everything changed for him. It was that house that gave Nathan his second family and a second chance at life. Ten years after Nathan first visited the Summer Home, he made a gesture that took everyone by surprise, even his own father. They were sitting on the porch, sipping tea while their wives were in the house working on supper when Nathan let him in on the surprise.