WE GATHER TOGETHER by Edward L. Woodyard

We Gather Together Chapter Sixty-Three

Jack Drexler put the portable leaf blower back on a hook in the garage of his home and grabbed a bamboo rake. He picked maple and oak leaves from his canvas jacket and blue jeans as he walked past his Corvette parked in front of the garage to the end of the driveway where he'd collected the leaves off his lawn into the curb for the town to vacuum. He cleared the end of the driveway as Annie made the turn in her Suburban from the street, avoiding the rise in the road so the hitch wouldn't scrape. Jack raked the leaves she had stirred up as she made the turn from the street then walked up the driveway to the Suburban now parked next to his Corvette.

Annie pulled her canvas boat bag with the phone receivers across the front bench seat, then opened the back door to let Jason out and unbuckle Kelly. Jason jumped from the back door and ran toward his father who put down his rake to hug his son.

"Daddy! You're home!" announced Jason.

"Not really, Jason."

"Are you staying for dinner?" Jason asked.

"Well, I want to talk to your mother about that," said Jack as he picked up the bamboo rake and took Jason's hand.

Annie put Kelly down on the driveway and closed the back door of the Suburban. "You two go on inside. Daddy obviously wants to talk to me about something."

Jack stood in front of his wife as they watched their children rush through the front door. Annie picked up the canvas boat bag and stared at Jack holding the bamboo rake. "At least you finally did something around here."

"Stop it, Annie."

"You going back to your motel now?"

"I want to take you out to dinner."

"We're celebrating that you finally raked the leaves?"

"Don't get started, Annie."

They peered over at the open front door where both of their kids were watching their parents. Annie motioned for them to close the door. Once the door closed, Annie turned to Jack. She waited for him to say something.

"I may have gotten a new job today."

"Doing what?"

"As the new assistant director of corporate communications for Worldwide. I'd be Louis Stanton's boss until Worldwide switches to Anderson and Smathers. Then I'd oversee the agency for them. I'll know on Monday."

"Who else is up for it?"

"There's two more to be interviewed. Pamela Milstead said she has to go through the motions. But she's worked with me for five years and said the job's as good as mine."

"Wait until your first paycheck clears before opening any champagne."

"It's more money too. You can get off my back about the bills."

Annie walked to the front stoop and through the front door to put the canvas boat bag inside the foyer. "Jason! Kelly! Back in the car. We're going to Burger Tower."

She could hear the excited "Hooray!" from her children as she returned to Jack.

"I thought we'd go someplace more intimate," Jack said.

"I know what you thought, Jack, but you didn't think far enough. You never do. Try and get a babysitter on a school night, or especially before a holiday."

Jason and Kelly ran out the front door and jumped off the stoop toward the Suburban, leaving the door ajar. Jack propped the bamboo rake against the back of the car and went to lock the front door as Annie got the two kids buckled in the back. Jack came up behind Annie to help put Kelly in her car seat.

"Long day at your parents?" he asked his wife.

"Actually, it was nice. I had forgotten how wonderful the family stories are."

Jack indicated their two kids getting settled in their seats. "I wonder what stories they're going to tell about us."

Jack closed the back door of the Suburban as Annie started to get behind the wheel. She paused to stare at Jack. She then handed Jack the key fob and slid across the front bench seat of the car to the passenger side. Jack sat behind the steering wheel, stared in the rearview mirror at his two smiling children, started the car, put it in reverse and then backed the Suburban over the bamboo rake.

Annie burst out laughing. Jack continued backing over the rake and down the driveway, trying himself not to laugh. When the hitch on the back of the Suburban scraped against the rise in the road, Annie lost it. She and Jack laughed half way to Burger Tower.

That was another thing Annie loved about Jack; he could always laugh at himself.