Seth felt like a traitor, or a false friend, or something. He believed every word that Ellie had said - knew it couldn't be any other way - yet here he was, going to Dr. Bins for... What? He wasn't sure. He guessed he just wanted somebody else - somebody with knowledge - to tell him the same thing.
The doctor had known him pretty much all his life, and cared for all his childhood ills. Now, he greeted him like the old friend he was, and asked what was on Seth's mind.
"Doc, I have what I think is probably a pretty simple question. Is there any way to begin making a baby except the usual way that everybody knows?"
That got an odd look. "Speaking of 'the way that everybody knows,' you mean the age-old tradition of a man and a woman getting very close together, at which time the man's male part gets inserted into the woman's female part, and then Nature takes its course?"
"Yes, I guess that's what I mean."
"Well, there's that Bible story about the mother of Jesus - what did they call it? Immaculate conception? Other than that, I can't think of any other ways. What's on your mind?"
"Okay, say that a man and a woman were laying close beside each other, with their bare skin touching, but with no attempt made to... what, join their parts? Could it begin that way?"
"Seth, this story has a very familiar ring to it. Is this about you, or are you just seeking information for some other reason?"
Seth smiled. "Well, if it's about me, it would be something that happened a long time ago."
"Which ties in with the other story I know. A young man was sharing a little romance with a girl he'd known most of their lives. He had no idea anything they did would leave the girl pregnant, and he went away from here, not knowing that he was about to become a father. Sound familiar?"
"Very. How do you know it?"
"When Mary Ellen Schuler's mother began to suspect that her daughter was pregnant, they came to see me. It was secretive, because they were afraid of Andrew's - Mary Ellen's father - reaction. Apparently, he didn't like you a lot."
"No, he didn't, but (before the pregnancy, anyway) it didn't have anything to do with Ellie and me. A baby certainly wouldn't have improved his feelings about me."
"Probably not. Anyway, Mary Ellen - Ellie - couldn't believe she was going to have a baby because, like you, she didn't think you had done anything to cause it. The question she asked me was almost identical to what you just asked."
"So, what did you tell her?"
"I told her that starting a baby can be tricky. Couples can 'do it the way everybody does it' over and over again, and not start anything happening. On the other hand, sometimes it seems like a lustful look is all it takes. Well, obviously that's not true. What is possible if you're wrapped up together, excited, with bare skin close to the right areas, is that a little male fluid makes its way to the female target, and combines with a little of the female fluid. Nine months later... Well, that's what I told Ellie, and what I'm telling you."
"Is such a happening common?"
"I wouldn't say it was common, but it is regular. Congratulations, Seth. You're a father!"
"Thanks. It would be wonderful if we had a baby to go with the title."
"You don't? I wasn't there for the delivery, and Ellie and her mother left town shortly after. I just assumed the baby went with them. He didn't?"
"He didn't. The baby boy was only a day old when Ellie's father took him away, and put him up for adoption. I guess he had the legal right to do that - Ellie was only fifteen, and completely dependent on him - but the loss was so hard on her that for a long time she was in real mental difficulty. That's why her mother took her away. They never knew anything more about the baby."
"Good Lord, that's quite a tale! Did they ever try to find him?"
"I don't think there was much they could do. Ellie was seriously sick for a year or more, and they were living in New York. They weren't even sure where Ellie's father had taken the boy."
"Yes, that would have made it tough. But look, Andrew probably took the baby to the O'Briens. That was the closest place, they knew Andrew, and would have been well aware of how forceful he could be if he wanted something done. Surely, they have records of who adopted the baby. Those records are usually private, but they know you, and you're going to tell them that you're the baby's father, something they haven't known. Enough time has passed that they might bend the rules a little bit for you. It can't hurt to try."
"No, it can't. I hadn't thought of that possibility. I think I'll go find Henry or Hettie right now."
***
Seth found Henry at work in the orphanage office. "Henry, I wanted to ask you about an old adoption. Do you remember when Andrew Schuler brought his daughter's baby in for adoption?"
Henry made a face. "Do I ever! I wish I didn't. He came in here snorting like a mad bull, carrying a baby so young it shouldn't have been out of its mother's arms, and proclaiming that he was not going to have any bastards living in his house. It was pretty awful."
"It sounds like it."
"Well, it was. I tried to get him to change his mind, and take the baby back to its mother, but he wasn't having any of it. As I recall, she was pretty young, so he had the right to do it, but it all seemed so - I don't know, kind of brutal. When he wouldn't tell me the father's name, we wondered if maybe his anger was because it was one of those situations... Well, sometimes some pretty bad things are done to young girls. You know, things we don't like to talk about. We wondered if that might have been the case."
"Henry, I can assure you that this wasn't one of those cases. I'm the father of Mary Ellen's baby."
Henry just stared at him for a moment. "You're telling me that you and Mary Ellen... "
"That's right. It's a complicated story. You may remember that I left town just about that time and, with the War and all, I didn't come back here until just recent. When I left, I had no idea we'd started a baby, and still didn't know when I came back home after my parents died. In fact, I didn't know until Ellie told me a few days ago."
Henry slapped his knee, and half-shouted "whoop-de-doo." "So, after all this, things couldn't have worked out better. I can't wait to tell Hettie."
"Well, we hope everything is going to work out, and that's why I wanted to ask a big favor. I know you're not supposed to tell the names of people who adopt, but Ellie and I don't know how to go any farther."
Henry didn't say anything, and Seth wondered if the question had offended him. "I'm sorry, Henry, if that was too far out of line."
"I just don't understand what you're asking for, Seth. You know who Andy's parents were."
Now, Seth was confused. "Andy? What does Andy have to do with it?"
The confusion shifted back to Henry. "Isn't that what this is all about? You found out that Andy is your son, and you wanted our records to show that?"
"Andy is my son?"
"Yours, and Mary Ellen's. Didn't you know that?"
"Not until you just said it."
"Well, I'll be damned! You didn't know?"
They sat and stared at one another for quite some time. Well, you can imagine the thoughts that were whirling around in both of their minds about that time. It was Seth who finally broke the silence. "I'm having trouble taking this in, Henry. I don't know whether to laugh, or cry."
Henry surprised him. "Well, no question, you'll be crying before too long."
"Why in the world would you say that?"
"Children, Seth. Raising children is the hardest, saddest thing that a man ever does. It rips the soul right out of you. Children are always wanting something from you. Children are always doing just what you don't want them to do. You're lucky you're not getting a five-year-old; they're the worst, but boys Andy's age are almost as bad."
Seth was amused at Henry's way of lightening the situation, and played along. "Henry, I never thought of all that. You've got me thinking. Will it help that Andy and I have been living together for so long, and we're used to each other?"
"Not on your life! That makes it worse. He knows all the ways to get to you, to use all that nice understanding to his own advantage. He'll always be one step ahead of you. I gotta say it, Seth. Your life is about to become hell!."
Seth joined in the lament. "Wow. I just never imagined. I'm thinking maybe it would be a good idea not to tell him that I'm his father. We're doing fine together, and if I just disregard that little bit of information, we can continue on the way we've been going, happy as clams at high tide."
"Well, I don't know what makes clams happy, but I think you're on the right track here. One thing to consider is that you are probably going to want to confess when he's twenty or so, and fixing to move out on his own. You want to be sure the family connection is well established, so he will feel obligated to take care of you in your old age. He might not feel he needed to do that if you're just friends, or partners."
"Good thinking. But Henry, I'm seeing what might be a major flaw in what we've been considering. Andy doesn't have just a father; he also has a mother."
"Women! Isn't that always the way? Every time a man gets ready to do something great, a woman comes along, and gums up the works."
Seth chuckled. "Well, this is a case where I think the woman has earned a right to be fully involved in the proceedings. Ellie has been longing for our baby since the day he was born - deprived of the right to hold him in her arms, to teach him, to watch him grow, to be his best friend until he was old enough to find another... No, I just want to make sure that I can prepare her for the event."
At some point, Hettie had come into the room, and been standing quietly, listening to them. Now, she spoke up. "I been listening to this lip-flapping confab for some time. I didn't hear the start, but it sounds to me that you've found out that Andy is Seth's - Seth's and Ellie's - natural born son. I don't see how anybody could wish for a better outcome than that. Congratulations.
"Now, Seth, I know you're just letting off steam about not revealing yourself to your boy. I'll bet you're as excited about that as Ellie will be. I'm betting everything is going to be just fine - better than you can imagine - but there are some things you need to consider when you break the news to him. For instance, Josh and Maggie may never have told him that he was adopted. I mean, they had him for all but a day or two of his entire life. When he got old enough to understand, they may not have seen the need. Finding out that you and Ellie are his birth parents will be a big surprise, but the bigger surprise for him may be that he ever had any other set of parents.
"Another thing: Andy had a great upbringing. He had wonderful parents - maybe better than you and Ellie would have been, just because of the turmoil in your family at the time. Don't take me wrong, Seth. I'm only saying that he just lost the parents he's known all his life, and he might be reluctant to replace them with another set of parents he knows nothing about.
"I'll just say one more thing. When children learn they've been adopted, they sometimes wonder why. Didn't their original parents want them? You've got the story that will quickly erase any of those kinds of doubts, but I'm just saying that it might come up."
Seth gave her a big, sincere smile. "Thanks, Hettie. Those are the kinds of things we don't know much about. I agree with you that everything is going to be all right, but I want this to be the best reunion possible. They both deserve it."
***
When Seth left the orphanage, he rode directly to the Schuler ranch. He hadn't yet decided how to present the news to Ellie, but he knew he couldn't wait. He had a brief visit with Ellie's mother and Rissa, then he and Ellie took a walk alone.
"I'm very glad to see you, Seth, but I didn't expect you back so soon. Are you having a little trouble staying away from your best friend, who is a very good kisser?"
They stopped for a moment to consider that. "Well, my darling Ellie, that would have been a pretty strong incentive, but actually I've had a busy morning already, and I have some interesting news to report."
She looked at his broadly smiling face. "Interesting news? It must be. You look a lot like that cat that just swallowed a canary. You're obviously pretty satisfied about something. Are you going to share?"
"Very definitely, since it involves you rather strongly. What would you think if I told you that I know who our son is?"
She tried to not let her enthusiasm get out of control. "You're not teasing me, are you, Seth?"
He put his arm around her shoulders, and pulled her a little closer to him. "I have been known to joke about inappropriate things at inappropriate times. This, my darling, is something I would never joke about."
"Oh, thank you, God! Seth, who is it?"
"Would you believe that you've met him, already?"
"Seth, please!"
"So has your mother. So has Rissa."
"Seth, there's nobody..."
"I've heard that you once told him that he looked a lot like a boy you once knew."
She stared at him. "Seth, you're describing Andy!"
"Yes, I am."
She couldn't take it in. "But Seth... Are you saying that Andy, who lives with you, is our grown-up son? But how could that happen?"
Seth laughed. "I think it was you who told me how it happened. I didn't know I was a father, remember?"
"Seth!" She started to cry, and buried her head against his chest. "It's really true, then?" she whispered.
"It's really true. Andy Tremont is the grown-up version of the baby your father left at the orphanage. He was adopted within hours of when he was delivered to the O'Briens."
She finally raised her head, and looked directly at him. "This is crazy!"
"It is a little bit crazy, all right."
"How long have you known?"
"About two hours. I came here direct from talking to Henry and Hettie. Talk about strange, that conversation with Henry qualifies. When I told him that I was the father of your child, he got really excited, and was talking about how great an ending that was. I guess I really didn't take in how excited he was, and I went ahead with what I had planned to ask him. I said that I knew he wasn't supposed to reveal who adopted babies, but it was really important to us that we know. He looked at me as if he had no idea what I wanted from him."
"Why was he so confused?"
"He said that I knew who Andy's parents were. I said, what does Andy have to do with this? He said that he thought I knew that Andy was our son! Wow, talk about a way to find out!"
Ellie had to laugh at that. "So, Andy doesn't know?"
"Nope."
"So, we have to tell him?"
"Yes, we do, but that may not be quick and easy. Hettie gave me some advice on things we should know before we tell him. Why don't we go inside and tell your mother the news, then enlist her help to figure out our next move?"
"That sounds good."
Mother Schuler was - of course - elated both to know her grandson had been found, and who he was. Then, she settled down to help them with how to officially introduce him to the family.
"If he knows he's been adopted, then you probably have several ways to move the conversation in the right direction. If he has no idea that the parents who raised him were not the parents who conceived him, it may be difficult to bring up the subject in a logical way. I don't know what to tell you about that.
"Daughter, I know how anxious you are to be with him, and claim your rightful place, but I think Seth should probably approach this one, alone. He and Andy talk all the time, and it's going to be a lot easier if the subject comes up as simply as it can. Once you get through the basics, it'll be a lot easier to fill in the details."
Ellie was disappointed, but she had to agree that what her mother was suggesting made sense. She walked with Seth to the door. "Tell me just as quick as you can, Seth. I've waited much too long."
He held her for a moment. "You know I will. I'll talk to him just as soon as I can, maybe even this evening. I'll - we'll! - be here before you know it."
***
Seth wouldn't say he was ready to talk to Andy, but the opportunity came shortly after he returned home. Jack and Mel were off somewhere, and the place was quiet. Andy had just settled down to do some reading, or napping.
"I expect to find you working hard, and instead I find you resting."
"You find me resting because I've been working hard all day. Where have you been?"
Seth slumped down in the other chair. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be gone so long. I only had an errand or two, but things just seemed to snowball on me."
"Well, take off your boots, and rest your feet. Was all your snowballing worth it?"
Seth pulled off his boots, and settled back in the chair, again. "Yeah, I found out some interesting stuff. One of my unplanned stops was to visit with the sheriff. I think he still feels bad that he couldn't find out anything about your family, when he was clearing up your parents' records. Does that bother you?"
"I don't think so. I don't remember ever talking about family with Ma and Pa. They told me they came from somewhere back East, and I seem to remember them saying they didn't have any close family. I don't think they ever said more than that."
"Didn't you find that kind of strange? Maybe Tremont wasn't their real name. Maybe they changed it because they were bank robbers, on the lam."
Andy laughed. "Maybe so. I never thought of that. Maybe someday I'll write a book, and title it 'I was raised by the notorious Tremont gang.' Well, I guess I'd have to know their real name.
"Seriously, I wasn't surprised or unhappy about what the sheriff didn't find because it wouldn't have meant much to me. I was adopted, so anybody he'd found wouldn't really be my kin, anyway."
Andy knew he was adopted! Seth felt like his task had become a lot easier. "I didn't know you were adopted. Do you know anything about your birth parents?"
"No. Ma and Pa never knew their names. I guess it's the law that, when you adopt, you're not supposed to know where the baby came from. They said I was only a couple of days old when I was adopted, so I wouldn't have known anything about mine, anyway."
"I guess that's right. Did you ever wonder about them, or about why they let you be adopted?"
"I was still pretty young when they told me, and I don't think I really knew what it meant. Now that they're gone, and I'm pretty much alone except for you as my jailor, I guess I have thought about it a little."
"Your jailor, huh? Well, I guess I'll overlook that, for now, although I could point out that you have a pretty easy life with me."
"Maybe. Mel and Jack make it bearable, anyway."
Both were quiet with their own thoughts for a few minutes. Then, Seth released his potential blockbuster. "Andy, what would you think if I told you I know who your original parents are, and I know why they let you be adopted?"
Andy didn't know what he would think about it. "You really know that?"
"I really do. I didn't know a lot of it until a few days ago. Would you like me to tell you about it? I don't think you'll be unhappy with anything I have to say."
Andy put down his book, and stretched. "Well, you've got me mildly interested, and I hadn't planned to get out of this chair for a while. Tell me your story, and I'll try not to fall asleep."
"Well, with that encouragement - but what could I expect from a dumb kid? - how could I fail to tell all? Okay, here goes. Your father didn't know you existed until very recently. He and your mother had been together just one afternoon, in what I guess you could call a romantic situation. He left the area shortly after, not knowing that they had done enough to start a baby..."
"Wait a minute. Even I - a dumb kid - know how to make a baby - well, not really, but I think I have a general idea. How could he not know it?"
"It's kind of complicated. Maybe he'll tell you some time, if you really want to know. For now, just take my word that he didn't know.
"Now, he only intended to be gone about a year, and then he was going to come back and marry his sweetheart. If that had happened, he would have known all about you. What did happen is that the War started, and he didn't get home for a long, long time..."
"Hold on for another minute, Seth."
"How am I going to tell this if you keep interrupting me?"
"You don't need to tell it. I know the story already, and I'm getting scared."
"Why are you getting scared?"
"Well, when you told me that you knew my father, I started getting pictures in my head, about what he would be like. Producing somebody as good as me, he would have had to be a big, strong guy, who was good at everything - a true leader of men (and women, I guess). He'd have to be handsome. of course - to produce me - and maybe best of all - he'd be a great fisherman."
"Andy..."
"Now, you're about to tell me that you - Seth McPherson - are my father. Don't you see what a let-down that will be for a young kid like me? That would spoil everything!"
Seth didn't know what he should be feeling. Certainly, he was happy. He was relieved that at least part of this had gone so easily. He also found he was very proud of this son of his, who could joke at such a time. He thought it was time to fight back.
"Yes, I was about to tell you that I'm your father. I assume the things you listed are things that, in your dreaming, I fall short of. I have no desire to embarrass you, so maybe we should just leave our situation as it is - you just being a friend who lives and works with me. This would be good for me because, if you're not my son, I can just send you back to the orphanage whenever I get tired of you."
"That's very cruel. Besides, my mother wouldn't let you get away with that. She would assure me of my rightful place in the family."
"Your mother? What if I don't tell you who your mother is?"
"Seth - Dad - I know that in your whole life you've only been able to attract the attention of one girl. I don't you if she liked you, or maybe felt sorry for you, but I know she's the only one you could have possibly produced a baby - me - with. My Mom - Mary Ellen - wouldn't let you ignore your responsibility toward me, your natural-born son."
"So, you're absolutely sure that Ellie is your mother?"
"Absolutely. There's no other possibility."
"Then, what would you think about riding over to the Schuler house now, and introducing yourself properly?"
"I'd like it a lot."
While Andy was saddling their horses, Seth left a note on the Davidson's door, saying that they might not be back until morning.
As they rode along, Seth brought up one subject he didn't think should be put off. "Andy, we'll have a lot of time to catch up on family stuff, and I don't want to burden you with a lot, now. There is one thing you should know, and that's why Ellie didn't keep you, when you were born. She wanted to, really badly. She didn't because of her father's feelings about me. I really think he was starting to go crazy, believing I was part of some 'Yankee' conspiracy to ruin the South. He pointed his loaded shotgun at me, and told me never to see his daughter, again. Well, he scared me enough that I did leave but, as I said, I planned to come back to get Ellie - and would have, if the War hadn't started.
"Well, that's the start of what eventually happened with you. When he found out that Ellie was pregnant, he knew I was the only possible father. He was still so upset about my imagined role in his 'conspiracy,' he took you away from her, and left you at the orphanage. It was such a crazy, evil thing to do that Ellie - already weak and stressed from your birth, and by my disappearance - suffered a mental breakdown. She was in such bad shape that your grandmother took her to New York to try to get medical help. She was sick for over a year, and she had no way to know where you were.
"So, I just wanted you to know that no mother could love a child more than she loved you, and that loving and longing has never gone away." Seth thought it was time to lighten the message. "Of course, she doesn't know you like I do. She could change her mind."
"Thanks, Dad."
***
As they rode up to the house, Ellie came out on the front porch by herself. As he and Andy dismounted, Seth decided to let Ellie and Andy have the scene to themselves. With a flourish, he pointed to Ellie and said "Mother," then pointed to Andy and said "son." After that, he stepped aside.
For several minutes, they stood about ten feet apart, neither one speaking. One was a 13-year old boy with a lot on his mind, and no clear course of action. The other was a pretty woman with tears streaming down her face - a sure sign that she was wrestling with a lot of emotions. Ellie was the one to break the silence.
"Andy, you didn't know until today that you had any connection to me, except that both of us were friends to Seth. I can't expect you to be thinking of me as the woman who gave birth to you. But I hope I can convey to you that I loved the idea of you from the first moment I knew that Seth and I had created you. I loved you much, much more when I held you in my arms - a brand-new baby only hours old. When my father took you from me, my grief was unbearable, and I almost lost my sanity. I feel just as much love for you now, as I did then. Maybe I can put some of that feeling into actions that will bring us closer together."
Andy couldn't think of anything to say, so he walked over to Ellie, and held her tightly. "You're right. I can't see you as my mother right now, but I know that Seth has loved you - and only you - for almost your whole life. And I believe all you said about your feelings for me. I think we have a pretty good start."
They hugged a little longer, then stepped apart. Seth wasn't trying to hide the tears he was shedding. 'I'm feeling like my family is definitely coming together, and I'm very happy right now."
Mother Schuler and Rissa had come out on the porch, and had heard most of what was said. Seth directed Andy's attention that direction. "In case you haven't thought of it, you inherited more than just Ellie and me. You also have a grandmother and a little sister, now."
"I was just thinking about that," Andy replied. He climbed onto the porch, gave his grandmother a warm hug, and lifted Rissa into his arms. "It's a pretty nice bonus."
***
Everyone was happy, but too keyed up and exhausted for more family business. Early to bed seemed to be the best policy. A bedroom had been prepared for Seth and Andy, and Andy was soon in it. Rissa got tucked in by her mother and grandmother, after which the older woman retired to her bed. That left Ellie and Seth sitting together on the couch in a quiet, darkened house. They maintained the silence for some time, just enjoying the peace and being together.
"We have a little problem, Seth," Ellie finally volunteered.
"I wasn't aware. What's the problem?"
"It's kind of simple. Since we're back together, I can't bear to think of going to sleep without you holding me all night."
"That sounds nice. What's the problem?"
"The problem is that my heart is telling me I should take you to my bedroom right now. My head is telling me that we shouldn't scandalize my mother."
"I have a feeling that your mother would not be scandalized."
"Well, then, what about Andy?"
"What about Andy? He probably wouldn't even notice. But, if he did, his 13-year old mind must know that we have been rather close in the past. Not in bed, but..."
"Well, maybe it's just me who would be scandalized."
"Ellie, my darling, you are an adult woman who has been married, and has children by two different men. Surely, that removes a little of the scandalous appearance."
'I don't think so. You and I didn't know that... well, we didn't know. And David and I were legally married when we had Rissa."
"So, the marriage license is your main concern?"
"Well, you've heard that old saying that you have to eat your supper before you can have dessert."
Seth laughed. "No, I don't think I have heard that old saying. You're suggesting the wedding is supper, and dessert is... Well, everything that comes after. I think this may take a little time to resolve, and I'm getting a little chilly. So we don't get frostbite, let me get us a nice warm blanket to curl up in while we discuss."
Ellie agreed. He got a blanket, and they soon both felt very toasty. The blanket had forced them to sit very close together, and they found that their lips were at a perfect height and angle for kissing. They tried a little of that.
The next thing they knew was that the sun was shining into the room, and a little girl was standing in front of them. "Rissa," said her mother. "You look a little cold. Why don't you crawl up here under our blanket, and get warmed up?"
She did. "Andy is my brother," she said.
"Yes, he is," her mother replied. "A very nice one, too."
"I like him a lot."
"Well, I know he likes you a lot. That's a good way for brothers and sisters to be."
"He picked me up, and held me."
That was the limit of that conversation. Seth started another. "We seem to have solved your problem from last night."
"For the moment, anyway. How do you feel?"
"Rather stiff, but quite content. How about you?"
"I'd say about the same."
"I need to get up, now."
"So do I. Rissa, do you want to stay under the covers, or get up?"
"Get up."
"Okay, but hurry and get some warmer clothes. It's still pretty chilly."
***
They got through breakfast without anyone commenting on sleeping arrangements. Afterwards, Seth made a suggestion. "The Davidsons still haven't heard our news. You ladies haven't been introduced to them yet, and they don't know Andy in his new role. Why don't we all go over together this morning, and surprise them?"
Ellie liked the idea. "But how do we get everybody there? You and Andy came on horseback, so we don't even have the farm wagon."
"You forget, daughter, that we live on a ranch, too," her mother reminded her. "We have a wagon, but we have something much more suited to the occasion. You remember our old coach? It's out in the barn, and probably doesn't need anything but a little dusting off."
"You're right, I had forgotten. That's just the ticket!"
Seth and Andy checked out the coach, and found it was as advertised - not elegant, but a vehicle made to haul people, not sacks of grain. They cleaned it up a little, attached their horses, and soon had the whole family on their way.
Mel and Jack came out of their house when they heard the coach approaching. "Wow-ee," exclaimed Jack, as he watched all the people tumbling out. "Is the circus coming to town? I don't see elephants or balloons, but with this gang of people, something big must be in the works. What's going on?"
Seth introduced Ellie, her mom, and Rissa. "We have a little news to share, and we thought it would be fun to share it at one time with everybody involved. So, here's the story.
"You've heard me talk about Ellie - Mary Ellen. We were best friends when we were younger, but then we lost touch when I went away. She moved away, too, and just recently came back. Well, Andy told us when he brought her and Rissa home.
"What I found out for the first time this week is that I am a father. While I was gone, Ellie had our baby."
"How did that happen?" asked Jack.
"Jack, you're a grown man. If you don't remember how it happens, ask Mel. She knows. Anyway, I wasn't aware when we parted that we had started the process. Then, we had no contact for over ten years. The first I knew of it was when Ellie told me a few days ago."
Mel had been silent to that point. "Where is your child, now?"
"That's what we didn't know. I was gone, Ellie was only fifteen, and she was pretty sick at the time. The baby was taken from her, and put up for adoption. By the time she was well again, there was no trace of our son. Neither of us had any idea where he might be... Well, until yesterday, when it all became clear."
"Yesterday? You mean that you've found him?"
"We have, dear Mel, and it turns out that he was hiding in plain sight. Mel and Jack, let me introduce to you the son of Seth and Ellie - Andy Tremont!"
The next hour was full of consternation, amazement, pleasure, happiness, and contentment. It took days to tell the whole story, but the main point was clear: Ellie and Seth had their son back.
But there was still some excitement to come, that day. Ellie was thinking of the night just past, and was determined not to have another like it. As she put it, "I've been waiting over 13 years. I'm not even waiting another day. Let's go to the courthouse." With Mother Schuler, the two children, and the Davidsons in tow, they drove the coach to town, and just as quickly as it was possible to do the paperwork, they became (finally!) Mr. and Mrs. Seth and Mary Ellen McPherson.
When Ellie's mother suggested the two children stay overnight with her, the offer was graciously accepted. Neither Andy nor Rissa minded. Home at the ranch, Seth strongly suggested to Mel and Jack that they not come near the big house for at least 18 hours. They agreed.
Only Ellie and Seth need to know what occurred during the next eighteen hours, alone in the big quiet house. One thing that became evident fairly soon is that the newlyweds quickly decided that they would like to try making a baby "the usual way." (It worked, and some months later, a little girl, Josie (Josephine, after her grandmother), joined the family. A similar exercise a year or so later resulted in Daniel, namesake of Seth's father.)
***
After that first night, the big ranch house reverted to a happy "normal," with two children living and growing there, two more added in later years, and their "next door neighbors" in and out at all times of the day and night.
Andy adapted well to his new "family," and before long it would have been difficult to believe that they hadn't always been together. As the years passed, he spent more and more time at his own ranch, preparing it for some future occasion of his own. One day, he introduced his parents to a pretty girl named Alice Jane. Before long, they were married and beginning a new branch of the family tree in their own home.
Seth legally adopted Rissa. Finding out that Andy was her brother had ruined Rissa's initial idea to grow up and marry him. He still caused her courtships to go rather slowly, as she judged every boy and man she met by the extremely high bar of being almost as desirable as Andy. She finally found him (another Daniel), married him, and moved to town.
Jack and Melody continued to live in the little house, although they spent more and more time with Josephine, Ellie's mother, helping her manage the Schuler ranch. They became the best of friends, and lived with her in her final years. They stayed on to caretake the ranch when she had passed, making sure it was ready for the next generation to take over.
Through the years, with the addition of new branches and new twigs, Seth's and Ellie's family grew but remained tight-knit and caring.
To modify Henry O'Brien's way of describing life at the orphanage, theirs was not an "almost-family." This was the real thing, complete in every way.
It was a damn good family, too.
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