A Real Home

Chapter 1 – 12 Months Later

Tianna pulled herself to her feet and patted the coffee table with her hand. Her little fingers finding her father's keys. She let go of the coffee table and fell on her bottom where she proceeded to feed the keys into her mouth. All the time making lots of little baby noises. It was a year later and Tia was turning one the following week. Tianna had her mother's blonde hair and delicate features but her father's bright blue eyes.

We were all devasted by the loss of Shay, none more so than Brian. She had died of an amniotic embellism, that was where some of the amniotic fluid got into the blood stream and traveled straight to the heart, similar to a blood clot. It was extremely rare and there were only 45 recorded deaths in the world. Now there were 46.

Brian got to his feet for the fifth time and rescued his keys from his daughter's mouth. She looked at him mystified before proceeding to cry. He picked up a rattly toy that she had left on the floor and gave that to her instead. She was quiet for a minute before discarding it and tottering off in search of something better.

"Oh come on Brian, I told Kate you'd take her sister. Please?" Evan was begging.

"No."

"Look man, it's been a whole year, you've got to get out and get back to living." Evan pleaded. He had scored a date with a girl he had been after for the past 3 months, only she wasn't going out with him unless he got a date for her twin sister, Kayla. Evan had tickets to the school basketball game that night and Crane was already busy doing something else. Evan was left with no choice in the matter but to try and get Brian to go.

"You think I'm not living?"

"Not like you used too."

"Evan, have you failed to notice things are not how they used to be. I've got a daughter to look after and personally I don't want to go out. Now quit bugging me." He turned back to his coffee and looked to see where Tia had gotten to this time. She was trying to climb the stairs for the hundredth time, when Hannah came down and picked her up.

"Good morning Tia," Hannah walked over and gave her to Brian. She started trying to grab everything on the table and Brian and Adam automatically moved things out of her reach. Eventually she got a spoon and Brian let her have it. She was happy.

"How you feeling this morning honey?" Adam asked.

"Awful, I'll be glad when this morning sickness passes." Hannah was eight weeks pregnant with their first child.

"Shay didn't like it much either," Brian commented. He leaned over and picked up the spoon and gave it back to Tia.

"Ohhh not again," Hannah ran for the nearest bathroom in Crane and Evan's room.

Crane was in the shower, "Morning Hannah," He called out to her.

The boys had gotten used to Hannah appearing out of nowhere to throw up. She rejoined the table five minutes later.

"When are Daniel and Allison getting back?" Evan asked.

"Oh you're not going to try and take Daniel on your date are you?" Brian groaned.

"No, although it's not a bad idea."

"Forget it; Allison will string you up to the nearest tree," Adam answered.

"I know, so when are they due back?"

"Later today, probably after lunch." Adam finished his breakfast off by feeding bits to Tia. "Daniel's playing at the senior prom tomorrow night and I know they both want to be here for the graduation ceremony."

Daniel and I were up at the cabin on our honeymoon having got married the previous weekend. I had worn a dress that was a replica of Cleo's civil war wedding dress and carried the parasol instead of a veil. Hannah was bridesmaid and Adam best man. Roy had given me away. We had the big white wedding in a church but the reception was held at the ranch in Shay's garden. It was a garden Hannah and I had put together in honor of Shay, full of roses and apple blossom trees. There was a small gazebo in the middle and although Brian wasn't wild about the idea at first, we find him there just about every day staring off into space.

Ford and Cleo were graduating from high school the next day. Cleo lived with the Carson's and rented out her Grandparent's house. The turnk with all the old photo's and dress had gone to a museum in Sacramento. Both Ford and Cleo were hoping to have scored well in their SAT's at they wanted to attend College.

Roy and Regan had bought the property across the road. They rented out the paddocks to neighboring farms which gave them a nice income. Regan had found she was unable to have children so they had decided to adopt. They had a lovely little boy called Rex who was five.

Guthrie had finished his sophomore year and would be starting his junior year in the fall. He had a lot of friends, both male and female but there was no great romance in his life. He was a lovely, friendly young man.

Crane and Evan were still the same and still chasing skirts as they liked to put it. It was extremely rare for Evan to be without a date any night of the week. Crane was just as popular as Evan but he tended not to tie himself up so much. He'd often be home during the week where as Evan was out nearly every night.

"Are we finishing off their room today?" Brian asked.

"Suppose we'd better or they might have to sleep with us." Adam commented and Hannah pulled a face. Tia threw her spoon on the floor for the third time then clapped her little hands. She smiled at Crane and held out her little arms.

"My turn is it kid?" Brian handed her over to him. She playfully swatted his face.

"What's left to do?" asked Guthrie.

"Basically move the furniture back in and set it up. You finished the curtains, honey?"

"Yes, finished them late last night." Hannah replied.

The boys had been hard at work all week building a bigger bedroom for us that encompassed Daniel's old room and Ford and Guthrie's room. Ford and Guthrie had been moved into the 2nd guest bedroom, that rarely got used, and the wall between the two was knocked out.

Cleo had an old brass bed stored in her basement from her grandparent's days and that was now in our new room. Hannah hung some curtains and added a couple of cushions. It looked nice and cozy. Ford and Guthrie were a lot happier with their new room as it was bigger than the old one.

"So Guthrie," Brian smiled. "How's the lovely Vicky doing?"

Guthrie looked up startled. "How'd you know about that?"

"Oh I have my ways of finding these things out."

"Who's Vicki?" Crane asked.

"A girl I heard Guthrie's been hanging out with. Sits with her at lunch and walks with her to classes," Brian answered.

"Ford! You told!" Guthrie looked balefully at his brother.

"No I didn't kid, I never said a word."

"How'd you know?" Guthrie looked at Brian who continued to smile over his little secret.

"You know how the gossip is around here, how long have you been seeing her?"

"Not telling." Guthrie got to his feet and made for the back door. "I got to get to school." He grabbed his books and jacket and slipped out the door.

"Fastest I've ever seen him go to school," Crane commented pulling Tia's fingers out of his mouth.

"He's learnt Evan's trick of not sticking around to cop his fair share of the flack," Adam stated. "So how'd you find all this out Brian?"

"Cleo told me."

Ford sighed. "I should have known. We should never have let her stay here so long Adam, she's learnt all our sneaky ways."

"Like that's real hard." Hannah said.