WE GATHER TOGETHER by Edward L. Woodyard

We Gather Together Chapter Nine

Drew McCulloch pulled into the driveway of a red-brick, center hall colonial. He parked his car next to Cara's minivan, inhaled deeply and instinctively walked into the house through a back door. As he ambled down a back hallway toward the kitchen, he saw Cara feeding Lindsay something dark blue out of a jar while Lindsay squirmed in her high chair.

"Lindsay," said Cara to her younger daughter, "Daddy's home very early. Isn't this a surprise?" She put down the jar of blueberry buckle as Drew came toward her. "Not having lunch at the office?"

Drew unintentionally ignored Cara when she went to kiss him. "Drew, it's better when two people do it."

He continued toward the stairs past the living room, navigating a pathway through stuffed animals, educational toys and a baby walker. Cara realized something.

"The Worldwide meeting. They got another printing company. . ."

Drew draped his suit jacket over a newel post. He pulled off his necktie and placed it with the suit jacket. He then rubbed his shirtsleeves down to his wrists. He still wasn't saying anything to his wife, making her rather uneasy. What was Drew keeping from her?

"McCulloch Printing is going out of business after almost ninety years?" she guessed.

Drew meandered back through the adolescent steeplechase on the living room carpet and smiled to himself as he unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt. He kissed Cara.

"Actually, Cara, McCulloch Printing is going to expand. Worldwide is consolidating its operations and wants us to do all of its packaging and product labels too."

Cara was thrilled – and relieved. "Your father will be so proud of you," she said.

Drew then kissed Lindsay, getting blueberry buckle on his cheek when she went to touch her father's face. Cara wiped Drew's cheek with a dish towel and then cleaned Lindsay's hands.

"We have to build an addition and be up and running in ten months," Drew said, as he finished rolling up his shirtsleeves. "I'm going to need help."

Cara lifted Lindsay out of her high chair. "You know your father would do anything to come out of retirement."

Cara handed Lindsay to Drew. "That's not a bad idea," he said, watching as Cara sponged off the high chair and the kitchen counter by the sink. "I'm starving."

Cara took Lindsay from Drew. "Courtney's only got a half day today and tomorrow. Then she's done for the week."

"I'll pick her up at school."

"But she does have a dance lesson this afternoon."

Drew took a blue Patagonia ski parka off a hook in the back hallway and put on a New York Rangers baseball cap. He then started for the back door, hearing "You're forgetting something." Drew turned to see Cara holding a car fob in front of her. "Unless you want to put a car seat in your Mustang, you'll need this."

Cara tossed the fob for the minivan to Drew. "I'll have lunch ready for everyone when you get back."

"That's a deal."

"No, that's soup and sandwiches. A deal is the one you just closed. Maybe the best deal of your life."

Drew stopped to kiss Cara again. "The best deal of my life was when I married you."

Cara grimaced at Drew's saccharine comment. "Go pick up Courtney before you make someone. . ."

At that point, Lindsay burped up blueberry buckle onto Cara's sweater. Drew smiled at his wife as he went out the back door while Cara cleaned herself off with the dish towel and then wiped Lindsay's face with it.

Through a kitchen window over the sink, she watched Drew back her minivan down the driveway. Cara McCulloch loved her life.