#priscillacaddel

That night at diner her grandmother suddenly asked about the letter. Deborah stared at her grandmother not knowing what to answer. Did she have to tell them about the lies her parents spread around? Her grandmother didn't asked more when Deborah answered that it was from a friend from church. She only said 'that's nice' and that was it. Her grandfather started talking about something that happend at his job. He always had stories about his colleagues and all the jokes they made. Deborah and her grandmother laughed about all of them. They were so funny.

After diner, when she was reading her book she couldn't really concentrate. She had to think about the letter again and again. The memories about her parents, siblings but also all the people in church went back and forward in her head. Again and again she tried to think about a way to tell people about the time here without letting them know she didn't do a study and that she was in fact pregnant.

She also had to think about another thing Helena had said in her letter. The part about staying for a year. That was something Deborah wasn't sure about. Her mother hadn't said anything about the time she would spend at her grandmother. Her grandmother hadn't said anything either. A year felt long but it made sense that she wouldn't return immediatly after giving birth. Maybe she could ask her grandmother if that part of the information that was given to Helena was true. Deborah didn't have to tell about the lies and could just ask this thing.

Deborah still didn't know what to do when her grandfather walked in the room. He was surprised she didn't already had her book to read. Deborah hesitated to explain why she didn't had a book in her hands. Her grandfather noticed her hesitation and asked what the matter was. Deborah explained she didn't had any books besides her studybooks. Her grandfather notted and pointed behind her. Deborah looked and saw the huge bookcase behind the couch. Her grandparents had a lot of books. He asked her what she liked. Deborah hesitated yet again. She never really had time to read. What did she like to read? He asked if she liked history? Deborah didn't liked her studybooks for history. Scared to say the actually answer she notted. Her grandfather gave her a book and said to read the back of the cover. Deborah listend to her grandfather and read the behind. It was defenitly not like her studybooks. She actually was intrigued by what she read.

It wasn't for long when she was deep in her book.

Deborah barely noticed when her grandmother came in the livingroom and took her own book to read. She noticed the book Deborah was reading and said she had that one too. Deborah and her grandfather both started laughing a bit. Her grandfather said it was her book and then her grandmother laughed with them. She could read any book her grandmother had. It was no problem at all. Deborah thanked her grandmother multiple times.

That night, Deborah and her grandmother, talked in the kitchen about the day with Evan. Her grandmother was just as excited about the boys getting along fine as Deborah was. After that her grandmother asked her how it was to see him again after so many years. Deborah talked about the nerves she had felt at first but that since it went so well it went away quickly. But then she had to fight tears over and over again. Especially when she recognised his father in Evan. Her grandmother looked very surprised at Deborah 'his father?'. Deborah blushed a bit. Her grandmother asked 'do you still know him?'. Deborah shook her head and looked down at her hands on her lab. 'do you miss him?' was the next question from her grandmother. Deborah tought a bit about that. Did she miss Thom? She didn't have so many memories about him. They never had a real relationship after all. She didn't really miss him but it was sad that she never saw him again. He always made her happy. Deborah didn't really know what to tell her grandmother. One second she tought about telling her grandmother everything but the next she was scared what she would think about Evans father being a supermarket boy. She kept her mouth shut and her grandmother started to talk about something else. Deborah went along as her grandmother never asked those questions about Thom.

That night they had to get extra chairs from other places to create enough seats at the table for everybody. It was nice to have such a full table filled with laughter and joy. The children were all nice and talking with eachother. One big happy family eating together.

When they were done eating and Phillip and Alicia mentioned going home Evan didn't really wanted to go home. Deborah smiled and was partly happy with it. It meant that he had enjoyed himself with her children. At the same time it felt uncomfertable as he was the son of Phillip and Alicia. She didn't want to end up in a situation that he preffered her family of theirs. But Evan went home with Phillip and Alicia in peace when they told him he could play with them again soon. Deborah hoped that she could enrol her children in the same school as Evan attended. Her boys would love going to the same school as he did. In the mean time her boys were just as sad that Evan was leaving as Evan was that he had to leave. They liked playing with him and were just as excited that they could play with Evan again soon. The future seemed a bit brighter now that her children all liked eachother.

Finaly was the moment that her grandmother and Evan walked through the door. Deborah walked with a calm tred to her son and welkomed him with the words 'hello Evan, nice to see you after al these years'. Inside her was she everything except calm. But Evan smiled back to her and said 'hi'. Deborah told Evan and her own children there was thee with cookies in the kitchen and soon after everybody went as fast as they could to the kitchen.

It wasn't for long until they all sat at the table to drink their tea and eat their cookie. Deborah started to relax when she saw her oldest son between her other children like they had been brothers living together all this time. Her grandmother started asking questions about Evans schoolday and he politely answered them. Andrew was the first to ask about school as he only knew the school she had taught him. Evan was first surprised but when she told him her children didn't go to school he started to tell them about it very enthoustic. Suddenly she saw Thom in him. Deborah saw Andrews face getting more and more happy. She knew that her son now had one desire and that was to also go to school.

Now was just one more thing, what would Deborah do in the time she had to wait until Aidans house was hers and she could sell it. Her grandparents were convinced she should stay with them. Deborah looked at them in disbelieve. She couldn't ask that from them. They were older and needed their rest, not eight little children in their house. But her grandparents laughed that away. They wanted to enjoy their greatgrandchildren while they still could. Deborah was touched by that. They made plans for her to look into starting her own baking and cooking company and into schools for the boys. What a relieve it was to have the help of her grandparents to figure out a live of her own, without the help of a husband. There were once again, no words to describe how thankful she was for all that they did for her.

Now that they had discussed the important things, her grandmother had some more questions for Deborah. If it was just a coincidance that her daughter was named Priscilla. Deborah laughed very hard. No it wasn't. She had done some good work to get Aidans blessing to use that name for their daughter. Then they talked about the names Caleb and Camilla for two of her other children. They were no coincidance either. Her grandfather said that he felt left out. Deborah petted him on the sholder and said the full name of her son, Judah. A big smile came on her grandfathers face. His name would live on too. She explained that Aidan didn't like the name Phillip as a first name. They all shoke their head about Aidans opinion about the name that was caried by several men in her grandfathers family, uncluding himself and his son.

When the children were down in their beds to sleep for the night, Deborah and her grandparents sat at the diner table to discus her future. Her grandfather had figured out that there were no worries at the moment about her financial situation. It wasn't critical. There would come some compensations so it wasn't like she needed money this instant. The house was of Aidan and that meant that it had to become hers official as his inheritor. It wouldn't cause problems but it would take some time. If that was taken care of the house would be hers and she wouldn't need to pay any loans off for it. So that was good. The problem was that her late husband didn't have any insurence for his death. So he left her without any form of income. That was probably why her dad had suggested to marry again. Somebody had to take care of an income to provide for food and maintance of the house. Her grandfather was sure that there was another option besides marriage. She could generate income herself, especially when her children would go to school. Deborah said that she didn't have any degree. But her grandfather and grandmother said that she was an wonderful cook and baker and could earn her money with that. She could do a lot from her own house. Deborah needed some time to think about that option. She doupted that she could earn a living with that from her home in the town she had lived in.

Her grandmother disrupted her thinking by aksing what was going on in her mind. Deborah smiled to her grandmother and sighted. She said she didn't want to go home. Her grandparents both laughed. They figured there would be a home for her in the city. Deborah looked at them in disbelieve. Her grandfather was convinced she could sell the house of Aidan for a good price and buy something for her and her children in the city.

At the dinertable that night, Deborah heared all the stories from her children about what they did with her grandmother. They all had started to call her grandma too, just as Deborah. And Deborahs grandmother proudly answered them with that name. No bigger smile on Deborahs face as she watched her grandmother be one. They baked cookies together and did games together. Her grandmother had been looking through all the old stuff to find some old toys she still had from when Phillip was small. The children were very happy with their new 'old toys'.

After diner they brought the children to their beds with the three of them. Just as the day before. The exciment of the children about their greatgrandparents helping them in their beds was precious to see. Deborah had to hold back tears of happnines a few times. She thanked God in her mind.