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- As Things Change
- Part XXXIX
One year later…
Bo and Nora approach the entrance to the brand new Buchanan Center
for Children. Bo pulls open the door, allowing Nora in first.
She walks over to the other end of the lobby and stops in front
of a plaque dedicating the Center to the memory of Asa. She runs
her hand over the inscription with a smile. Bo walks up behind
her, putting his arms around her waist, leaning down to her ear.
“Asa would love this, you know.”
-
- She nods. “I know. Andrew
told me how much money he gave to the Community Center and he
always insisted it be anonymous. Heaven forbid anyone think he
had a heart.”
-
- Bo smiles. “It would
have ruined his business reputation. He said in his note that
you would know what to do with the money he left you. This is
a perfect use for it. The entire community will benefit and it
will keep you busy for years to come.”
-
- “Yeah, retirement is
overrated.” She walks through the lobby toward the offices.
“I can’t believe it’s finally finished.”
-
- “Believe it, Nora.”
She turns when she hears his slow, Southerner drawl as Nathan
walks toward her.
-
- She smiles. “You did
such a great job, Nathan.”
-
- He takes her hand and kisses
it. “I had the right inspiration. You ever get tired of
the law business, you’ve got a place at my firm.”
-
- Nora laughs, pulling her
hand away. “You’re such a flatterer. You were the one
with the great ideas. It’s a wonderful building.”
-
- Andrew walks up to them.
“I think you both deserve the credit. Excuse me, Nora, Bo.
I need to borrow Nathan to make sure the speaker system is set
up for your big speech.”
-
- Nora kisses Andrew’s
cheek. “We’ll see you in a bit.”
-
- Bo leans close to Nora as
Andrew and Nathan walk away, whispering, “I hate that guy.”
-
- Nora laughs as she turns
and wraps her arms around his neck. “I love that he still
makes you jealous.” She kisses him. “I think it’s
sweet.”
-
- Bo rolls his eyes. “He’s
just so smarmy…”
-
- Viki and Clint walk through
the door, accompanied by Renee. Nora walks over to them, hugging
Viki and Renee. “Thank you for coming.”
-
- “I wouldn’t miss
this. Asa would be so proud, Nora.”
-
- “I hope so. I want to
honor his memory with his gift to me and this seemed like the
best way.”
-
- Viki smiles. “It’s
perfect. Count on us for a big donation to help.”
-
- Nora takes Bo’s hand.
“We appreciate it. Bo has set up an endowment for the operating
costs so it can operate without city funds. But we can use all
the help we can get.”
-
- “Let’s have lunch
next week and we’ll talk fundraisers.”
-
- “That would be great.
Let me give you a tour before things get crazy.”
-
- Nora leads Viki and Renee
down the hallway as Clint turns to Bo. “Where can a guy
get a drink around here?”
-
- Bo rolls his eyes. “It’s
a family center. I wouldn’t expect anything harder than
soda.”
-
- Clint pats his pocket. “I
can supplement.”
-
- Bo motions toward the hallway.
“Let’s try the cafeteria. That’s where the reception
is set up.”
-
- Nora shows Viki and Renee
the offices and then takes them to the new daycare room, which
is the centerpiece of the new addition. It’s a large, open,
brightly painted room decked out with toys and tiny chairs surrounding
activity centers scattered around the room. Renee looks around
with a smile. “It’s beautiful, Nora.”
-
- “Thank you. It’s
certainly a step up from the daycare room in the old Center.
Andrew is looking to convert that space for other uses.”
-
- Viki smiles. “It’s
a child’s paradise. This is going to be the most popular
daycare in town. You’re going to be very busy.”
-
- “Yes, I will. That’s
why I’ve hired Lauren and Marcie full time to help me run
things. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
-
- People begin arriving and
the room is filled with voices as they get their first look at
the new Center. Nora excuses herself to find Andrew and make
sure everything is ready for her presentation. Viki and Renee
head to the cafeteria to find the men.
-
- Matt pulls open the door,
holding it as Kallie walks through. He’s dressed in a suit,
minus the tie. They walk through the lobby and stop in front
of Asa’s plaque. Matt reads the inscription and smiles.
Kallie takes his hand. “You still miss him, don’t you?”
-
- He nods. “I always will.
He was an amazing businessman but for me, he was just my grandpa.”
-
- “And he spoiled you
rotten.” Matt nods with a smile. “Your dad’s not
such a bad guy either.”
-
- “Dad’s the best.
I know that. But Grandpa was awesome without having to worry
about the details of being a role model.”
-
- “Will it be hard going
down to the ranch without him?”
-
- Matt shrugs. “Not really.
I never spent any time with him there. But he’s everywhere
on the ranch. I’m looking forward to riding Spunky again
and seeing Blake. Dad even promised we could explore on our own,
just the two of us. Mom claims to be too busy with the Center
to go down this year.”
-
- “I’m going to miss
you.”
-
- He smiles down at her. “We’ll
have plenty of time to spend together when I get back. It’ll
be cool to just hang out with my dad. You know, guys stuff.”
-
- Kallie puts her arms around
him. “You can brag about your dad and Grandpa all you want,
but I know the truth. You, Matthew Buchanan are a momma’s
boy.”
-
- “What? No way.”
-
- “Big time, buddy. You
don’t fool me.”
-
- He leans down and gives her
a quick kiss. “You got me. But I have a good excuse. When
I was little, it was just me and Mom for a long time. She had
a lot of hard times and all we had was each other. I always felt
like I had to take care of her.”
-
- She smiles. “Be the
man of the house?”
-
- “Until my dad came back
into the picture. It wasn’t easy at first. They had a very
complicated relationship and I didn’t want him to hurt her
again.”
-
- “Come on. Your dad is
crazy about your mom. Anyone can see that.”
-
- Matt nods. “Now it’s
easy to see. Back then, not so much. It’s a long story and
I’m not sure even I know all the details. Let’s just
say… he had to prove himself to me and to mom before we
let him back in.”
-
- “I think you both made
a wise move. Your dad is a sweetheart.”
-
- Matt smiles. “Like father,
like son, right?”
-
- She groans. “Whatever
you say, Buchanan. Let’s go find your parents.”
-
- She takes his hand and leads
him down the hallway. They wander into the daycare, looking around
for familiar faces. Nora makes her way over to them. “Hi,
Matt. Kallie. Thank you so much for coming.”
-
- Matt leans down and gives
her a hug, kissing her cheek. “Wouldn’t have missed
it, Mom. The place looks great.”
-
- Kallie gives her a hug. “It
really does, Mrs. Buchanan. I’m sure it’s going to
be very popular.”
-
- “Thank you. I expect
both of you to volunteer and spend some time with the kids.”
-
- Matt grins. “You just
want me around.”
-
- “Of course, I do. I
have to spend as much time with you as I can before you head
off to Duke next year.”
-
- Matt rolls his eyes. “I
haven’t even gotten in for sure…”
-
- “You will.”
-
- “Where’s Dad?”
-
- Nora shrugs. “Last I
saw, he was off with your uncle Clint.”
-
- Matt looks through the crowd
and smiles as he sees Miki come running through the door. She
stops inside the doorway and looks around. She spots Nora and
makes a beeline toward them. “Nana, Nana, Nana!” She
runs up and grabs Nora around the legs. Nora leans down and cups
her cheeks. “Hello, Miki. Don’t you look pretty.”
-
- She pulls back, doing a slight
bow. “Mommy got me a new dress.”
-
- Nora crouches in front of
her. “It’s beautiful. Where’s your mommy?”
-
- Miki shrugs. “I don’t
know…”
-
- Matt looks over and sees
Marcie come chugging into the room. He signals her and points
down to Miki. Marcie sighs and makes her way over to them. “Miki!
What have I told you about running off?”
-
- Miki looks down. “Stay
with you. But I saw Nana and Matty…”
-
- Matt leans down and scoops
her up. “She was just excited about showing us her pretty
dress, isn’t that right?”
-
- Miki nods. “Sorry, Mommy.”
-
- Marcie turns to Nora, patting
her obviously swollen tummy. “I can’t chase her these
days.”
-
- Nora smiles. “Not much
longer to wait…”
-
- Miki turns to Matt. “I’m
getting a baby.”
-
- He laughs. “You sure
are.”
-
- Marcie shakes her head. “Not
for a few weeks, Miki. Remember?”
-
- She nods and turns to Matt
again. “I’m getting a baby… soon…” They
all laugh. Miki looks at Nora. “Can I have candy, Nana?”
-
- Nora shakes her head. “I
don’t have any candy, little one.”
-
- Matt takes Kallie's hand.
“We’ll find her some. I’ll keep an eye on her
for a bit, Marcie.”
-
- “Thank you, Matthew.”
She turns to Nora as they walk away. “He’s such a nice
guy.”
-
- “Yes, he is. How are
you feeling?”
-
- “I’m okay. Just
fat. And hot.”
-
- Michael comes up behind her.
“And how!”
-
- She swats him. “Michael!”
-
- He chuckles as he puts his
arms around her from behind. “Oh, you mean the weather…”
-
- Bo walks up to them. Michael
shakes his hand. “Hey, Bo. This is some place.”
-
- Bo nods. "Yes, it is.
I hear you're going to be running a clinic for low income kids
once a month?"
-
- Michael nods. "I put
together a group of volunteers from the hospital. It's the least
we can do after what you've done with this incredible Center."
-
- Bo puts his arm around Nora.
“My wife gets all the credit on this one.”
-
- Marcie smiles. “Bo’s
right, Nora. You did an amazing job.”
-
- “We all put in a lot
of work. I can’t wait to work with you and Lauren. Are you
sure you don’t want to wait until after the baby arrives
before you start?”
-
- Marcie shakes her head. “I
want to stay busy as long as I can. Being home on maternity leave
will be hard enough.”
-
- “You’re going to
have your hands full with Miki and the baby. I’ll be happy
to bring her to the daycare when you need a break.”
-
- “That would be terrific.”
She looks around. “I better go find them or Matt will let
her fill up on candy.”
-
- Nora smiles. “He can’t
say no to her.”
-
- “I remember. We’ll
talk later. Good luck with your speech.”
-
- Marcie rushes off with Michael
behind her. Nora turns to Bo. “Where have you been?”
-
- “Just around.”
-
- She nods. “Uh huh…
Clint spike the punch?”
-
- Bo laughs. “Just his
own private glass…” He looks at the crowd. “Oh,
there’s Balsom.”
-
- Rex walks up carrying his
daughter. The baby puts her arms out to Nora and she eagerly
snatches her from Rex. “Come here, Bella. Come see Nana.”
-
- Bo leans into her ear, whispering,
“I thought you didn’t like that name, Red.”
-
- She glares at him. “You
hush, Bo.” She turns back to Bella. “You just want
to see Nana, don’t you? How’s my angel?” The baby
giggles as Nora kisses her cheeks. “You’re such a little
cutie. Yes, you are.”
-
- Bo turns his attention to
Rex. “Where’s that beautiful wife of yours?”
-
- “She ran into Marcie
and went to see Miki’s new dress. Marcie told me you were
in here, so I figured I could pass Bella off to Grandma Nora.”
-
- She frowns at him. “That
name, I don’t like, Rex.”
-
- Marcie and Lauren approach
with Miki in tow. Bella smiles when she sees Miki, squirming
to be put down. Nora crouches so the baby is at her level. Miki
frowns. “Baby Bella’s spitting up, Nana.”
-
- Lauren hurriedly hands Nora
a burp rag. “Sorry, Nora. You don’t want to get drool
all over you before your speech.”
-
- Nora absently wipes the baby’s
mouth. “It’s no big deal. We’re going to be working
with babies, drool comes with the territory.”
-
- Miki takes Bella’s hand
as the baby smiles at her. “She drools a lot, Nana. When
is Bella going to be a big girl like me?”
-
- Nora chuckles. “Not
for a while, sweetie. Bella’s just a baby.”
-
- Lauren crouches down beside
Miki. “But she’s crawling now, so next time you come
to our house, she can play with you.”
-
- Nora smiles. “She’s
crawling? When did this happen?”
-
- “Just the other day.
She’s been trying it out, but she’s finally perfected
it and now she’s all over the place. Rex has been baby-proofing
like a mad man.”
-
- Rex frowns. “The loft
is like a minefield of baby no-nos.”
-
- Nora hugs Bella close. “Oh!
My angel is mobile. How exciting.” Bella laughs as Nora
tickles her, kissing her chubby cheeks. “There’s too
many people here for a demonstration but I can’t wait to
see this!”
-
- Miki turns to Lauren. “When
can she walk so we can climb the slide at the park?”
-
- Nora laughs as she stands
with Bella. “That’s going to take a little more time,
Miki.”
-
- She looks at Lauren seriously.
“Babies are no fun.”
-
- The adults all laugh as Andrew
walks up to the podium. “May I have everyone’s attention,
please?”
-
- The room gets quiet as people
turn their attention to him. “This is an exciting day for
our community. Today, we officially open and dedicate the Buchanan
Center for Children. This day would not be possible without the
tireless efforts of Nora Buchanan, who conceived and spearheaded
this project to completion. Nora, come on up here.”
- Nora hands Bella to Rex and
walks up to the podium. Andrew hugs her and stands back, allowing
her to step up to the microphone as the crowd applauds. She motions
for them to stop. “Thank you. First, I’d like to thank
you all for being here today. I’m excited that the citizens
of Llanview are finally getting a look at the new Center, which
we hope will be a resource for the entire community. This project
came about from a desire to create a place where citizens can
find low-cost, safe daycare for their children and also provide
legal advice and support for those of you who want to open your
hearts and homes to the most vulnerable among us – the children.
My partners and I look forward to working with the community.
I’d like to have Marcie and Lauren join me up here.”
-
- They make their way to the
front as the crowd applauds.
-
- “I have chosen Marcie
McBain to be our first director of community outreach. She will
provide counseling and information to those of you interested
in adoption or foster care. Marcie knows first hand the joys
and rewards of adoption as she found her adorable little daughter
at the Center and adopted her with her husband Michael.”
-
- Matt hoists Miki up so she
can see. She waves. “Hi, Mommy! Hi, Nana!”
-
- “And there she is now.”
-
- The crowd laughs as Nora
gives her a small wave and Marcie puts her finger to her lips,
imploring her daughter to be quiet. Michael walks up behind Matt
and takes her from him, whispering in her ear that she needs
to be quiet so Nora can talk.
-
- Nora turns to Lauren and
continues. “Lauren Balsom will be running our daycare center
and providing an exciting learning environment for the little
ones. She will coordinate staff and volunteers to provide a student
to teacher ratio that will ensure plenty of individual attention.
So, please find her after the ceremony and sign up to help her
out.”
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