Loose Ends
Part 2
Friday August 24, 1984
They ambushed him in the driveway, cornering him and forcing him into the empty clubhouse. All four of them, armed and dangerous. Dan looked from one to another, warily assessing their intent, and his danger level.
“Oh for crying out loud, Dan,” Trixie exclaimed impatiently. “Stop looking at us like that. We have something for you.”
“For me?” he asked slowly, his look shifting from wary to curious.
“Yes, for you.” Tessa smirked at him and gently punched his shoulder. “What? Did you think we were going to mug you?”
Humor sparked in the dark eyes. “I wouldn’t put it past you.”
Honey giggled, and handed a package to Diana. “Consider this a reverse mugging. We give something to you, instead of taking.”
“It’s a re-birthday gift,” Diana said firmly, pushing the cheerily wrapped box into his hands.
“Di, my birthday was in February,” Dan protested.
“That was your birthday,” Honey corrected. “This is for your re-birth-day.”
At Dan’s confused look, Trixie took over the explaining. “Because of the adoption tomorrow. You know.”
Dan shook his head. “Sorry. I don’t”
Tessa came to his rescue. “When you were born, it was your birthday. You got parents. Tomorrow you get adopted, and you get a new parent. It’s like a redo. Your re-birthday.”
“Oh. Okay.” Dan looked at the box, still a little confused.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Dan,” Diana cried. “Just open it!”
He did as ordered, pulling off the paper and rolling it into a tight ball, which he tossed lightly at Trixie. She caught it and rolled her baby blues at him. Dan opened the box, and pulled out a shirt.
“Wow, a shirt,” he said. “Thanks, girls.”
“It’s for you to wear tomorrow,” Tessa told him. “A new shirt, for your new start.”
“And it’s blue, which is a really good color for you,” Diana piped up. “It brings out your eyes.”
“It’s practical, too,” Trixie agreed. “Short sleeves for the heat.”
“Chambray is a good fabric, too.” This from Honey, the seamstress. “It’s soft, and cooler than other shirtings. It wears well, too.”
Dan stared at them. Three young women he considered sisters, and the one who held his heart. They looked at him with love and anticipation, and he realized that despite the dubious veracity of his re-birthday, the four of them had spent a lot of time and energy choosing their gift for him.
“I love it.” Setting the shirt and its box on the trestle table, Dan opened his arms. “Thank you.”
“Group hug,” Diana squealed, and Dan found himself in the middle of a Girl Power embrace. Squeezing back, he dropped a quick kiss atop each head, basking in a love that still surprised and humbled him.
Saturday, August 25, 1984
Dan straightened the collar on his denim-blue chambray shirt as he looked in the bathroom mirror, stalling for time by wondering again how the soft, short-sleeved shirt looked over his dark tan khakis. He looked at himself again. He was nervous, knew he was stalling, and was feeling out of sorts with himself because of it.
Don’t be stupid, he told himself. You’re ready for this. The last of the papers were signed last night. The only thing left is the judge’s signature. Nothing can go wrong. The dark blue eyes looking back at him were not reassured.
“Are you ready, Daniel?” Maypenny’s voice sounded through the door.
Jumping slightly, Dan mumbled, “Uh. Yeah. Just a sec,” as he quickly tucked his shirt into his tan slacks. Opening the door, he forced a smile. “Let’s go.” He stopped and stared at the man who had been his guardian, and would soon be his father.
Thomas Maypenny cared little for fashion. He dressed in comfortable, serviceable clothing. His wool knickers and fisherman sweaters were legendary, although he preferred cotton work shirts and denim for the summer. Either way, nothing the man had worn in the past year and a half could have prepared Dan for the sight before him.
“Whoa. You look...” Dan was at a loss for words.
Maypenny squirmed a little under Dan’s scrutiny, adjusting the lapels on his charcoal suit jacket. “Foolish?” he asked.
“Amazing.” Dan looked again. “You look like you should be in a boardroom or something. Why...I mean ...where...?”
“The why would be that I figured with a teenage son, I might need to go to things dressed better than a backwoods hick.” Maypenny grinned. “You know, respectable things like parent-teacher conferences, graduations, awards ceremonies...”
“Court.” Dan felt his stomach sink as he finished Maypenny’s sentence. “You want to look respectable when we go to court.”
“There is that,” Maypenny agreed, his tone growing serious. “But that was the least of it. I’ve been hiding in the woods for years, Daniel. Now I have a reason to be seen. I wouldn’t want my son to be ashamed of his father.”
Dan swallowed hard. “He wouldn’t be. Not even if his father showed up at graduation in striped boxers and a holey undershirt.” He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the older man.
“That’s good to know, son. That’s good to know.” Maypenny returned the hug, patting Dan’s shoulder a little awkwardly. “As to where this came from, you can thank Madeleine Wheeler. I mentioned that I was a little scant on the duds; next thing I know, she sent some little city fellow over here with a measuring tape, and the next day he was here with a trunk full of fancy duds. I picked a couple, and sent him on his way. So, what do you think?”
“I think you look great.” Dan looked down at his own attire. “Am I under-dressed?”
“You look just fine, Daniel. The girls have good taste in shirts.”
“They do, don’t they?” Dan fingered the sleeve of his shirt, remembering the love with which the shirt had been given. “They called it a re-birthday gift, because today is kind of like a rebirth for me.”
Thomas looked closely at Dan, seeing clearly his nerves and vulnerability. “It’s going to be okay, Daniel. I promise, son.”
“I know.” And suddenly, he did know. Taking a deep breath, Dan said, “I figured that if I can call today my re-birthday, you should be able to call this re-father’s day. I have something for you.” He disappeared into his bedroom, and returned with an envelope. “I mean, if it’s something you still want.”
Maypenny opened the envelope and skimmed the papers. With misty eyes, he looked at Dan. “You’re sure this is what you want?”
“I am.” Dan smiled broadly. “I wasn’t sure. I thought about it long and hard. I even talked it over with Uncle Bill and Tessa. But it comes down to this: I want to be your son in every way. I do want to carry your name, if you still want me to.”
“I would like nothing better.” Maypenny folded the paper and put it back in the envelope. “We should take this with us, so it can go in with the rest of the papers.” He tucked the envelope inside his breast pocket. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, sir. I am.” This time, he truly was.
Manor House was unusually quiet. Dan couldn’t help but wonder where the girls were hiding the surprise party guests. Celia answered the door with a big smile on her face, and quickly ushered Dan and Maypenny into Matthew Wheeler’s den. A man of medium build, clad in a dark suit, stood by the window. When he turned, Dan stifled a gasp. He was not as successful at keeping the surprise off his face, as Judge Harvey Armen stroked his neatly trimmed beard, and smiled. “Surprised to see me, Daniel?”
“Yes, sir.” Dan recovered his poise quickly, stepping forward with an outstretched hand. “When Mr. Wheeler said he’d arranged for a judge to come here to finish the adoption, I never thought it would be you.”
The judge shook Dan’s hand, and then did the same with Thomas Maypenny. “When Matthew told me what he had planned, I couldn’t refuse.” He stepped back, looking at the two men. “I suppose this means that our little experiment was a success?”
“Yes, sir.” Dan replied, at the same time Maypenny said, “Definitely a success.”
Judge Armen tented his hands, fingertips barely tapping together. “Well then, let’s get on with it. I have a feeling there are a few more surprises in store for you today.” He walked toward Matthew Wheeler’s desk, and picked up a pen. “Where do I sign?”
Dan Mangan, orphan, walked into the Wheeler den. Daniel Maypenny and his father walked out of the same den less than ten minutes later.
It took seven minutes to make it official. Six minutes and fifty seconds of conversation and handshakes, and ten seconds for Judge Armen to affix his signature to the papers. At ten minutes after noon, in somewhat of a daze, Dan stepped into the hallway, only to be met with a full body attack from a whirlwind in a bright yellow sundress, as Tessa flung herself into his arms.
“Is it done?” she asked, her eyes glowing up at him.
With a smile he knew was spreading across his whole face, Dan nodded. “You’re looking at Dan Maypenny,” he whispered, his lips close to her ear, “and his father, Thomas.” His arms tightened around her as she congratulated him with a huge hug.
“I’m so happy for you,” Tessa whispered.
“Me too.” Dan stepped back, releasing his girlfriend. “Tess,” he said, “I’d like to officially introduce you to my father, and to Judge Armen--the man responsible for sending me here in the first place.”
Tessa stepped forward, hand outstretched. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said. Releasing his hand she asked Dan, “Are you ready for your surprise?”
“I don’t know. It sounds ominous.”
Tessa giggled, and smacked Dan’s arm. “Chicken.”
“When you girls get together, it’s dangerous,” Dan defended, his voice teasing. He reached for Tessa’s hand, and she moved close to him, brushing against him as she began to lead the men outside.
“Danger is relative,” she said with a grin. Pausing with one hand on the doorknob, she lowered her voice so that only Dan could hear. “It’s okay. They’re just people who love you.”
The door opened onto the back yard of the Manor House.
Balloons and streamers hung from every possible perch, and a six-foot long banner proclaimed, “CONGRATULATIONS!” in bold, red letters. Standing on the grass, patiently waiting, were the guests. As Dan and Tessa stepped off the porch, she moved aside and reached for Maypenny, pulling him to stand next to Dan. The guest began to applaud. Mart and Jim joined Trixie, Honey and Di in yelling, “Surprise!”
Dan looked around at the faces. Sergeant Molinson; Spider and Tad Webster; Ruthie Kettner and her little brother Garrett. Mrs. Vanderpoel and Brom. Regan was standing next to Allegra Pasquale, and behind them a large blond man. Nikodim Maxim? It was, and standing next to him was the tiny figure of Yelena Maxim--Yaya, herself. Dan stared in disbelief, as his eyes found Tessa. She smiled and nodded at him. “Not all of them,” she mouthed. “But a lot.” Nudging him, she whispered, “Say something!”
Dan blinked back a surge of tears. Clearing his throat, he addressed the crowd. “Wow! I don’t usually like surprises, but...wow.” He mock-scowled at Tess. “Thank you, all of you, for coming to celebrate with me today.”
It wasn’t a receiving line, exactly; it was more like an enormous hug. Dan circulated throughout the crowd, accepting the handshakes and congratulations of more people than he had realized he knew. It was humbling, and fun at the same time. He took special pride in introducing Thomas to Yelena and the Maxim family.
“Daniel!” Yaya reached up and patted Dan’s cheek. “You have grown so tall and so handsome. The country agrees with you.”
Dan swept her up in a gentle but enthusiastic hug. “I’m so happy to see you, Yaya. Tess told me you were fully recovered, but I...I wanted to write, but it was one of the conditions...”
“I know, my boy. I know. The circumstances were not good.” Yaya stroked his cheek again. “But it is better now, is it not?”
“Yes. It’s a lot better now,” Dan grinned wide, and gestured for Thomas to join him. “Yelena Maxim, this is my father, Thomas Maypenny. Dad, this is Yaya.”
Thomas took her hand in his. “It is a great pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Maxim. Daniel has told me wonderful things about you. His uncle and I owe you and your family a great deal.”
“Not true,” Yelena corrected. “Daniel was a gift to my family. He saved my life, and, although I do not believe he is aware of it, he has reunited my family. The pleasure is ours.”
“Reunited your family?” Dan interrupted, confused by this turn in the conversation.
A familiar voice sounded from behind him, “I guess you’ve met my grandma, huh Cowboy?”
“Mark?” Dan turned to see a familiar pair of grey-green eyes smirking up at him. Automatically, he looked around for Denis, knowing from their weeks spent together at camp that the younger boy would not stray too far from his brother.
“Surprise!” Mark grinned, moving to stand next to Yelena.
“Mark’s your grandson?” Dan was trying to assimilate the information. “But, his name is Maxwell, not Maxim. And he doesn’t speak Russian.” He looked at Mark. “Do you?”
“His father, my son Pavel, changed his name to Paul Maxwell when he moved to California,” Yaya explained. “He cut off communication with the family after Denis was born. We never even knew about Julia, and Pavel was gone over a year before we found out about his death.” She looked sad for a moment, but found her smile as Mark squeezed her hand. “But, the children have been found, and you, Daniel, kept the boys safe for us until Marina could come for them. Thank you, Daniel.”
Dan stared, his brain still struggling with this latest revelation. Mark grinned again, and playfully slugged Dan’s arm. “Snap out of it, Cowboy. If you stand there all day, you’re gonna miss the food. It looked pretty good.”
“Uh...um...” Dan shifted gears. “I’m sure it is. Why don’t you go get something to eat, and we’ll catch up later.” He thumped Mark on the shoulder. “You can tell me all about Oregon.” Mark rolled his eyes, kissed his grandmother’s cheek, and disappeared into the crowd of guests.
“I had no idea,” Dan said honestly. “It’s weird, that big of a coincidence.”
“Perhaps.” Yaya reached for his hand. “Both boys talked about you, about how kind you were to them, and how you brought them safely through that horrible ordeal. Mark tells me that it was you who convinced him to give Marina a chance, and when Tessa sent us this invitation, Denis was particularly excited to learn that I consider you my grandson. You are his hero, and he is thrilled to be related to you.” She smiled and squeezed his hand. “I think that God knows what he’s doing when he puts certain people in our paths. I never underestimate the connections the Lord makes between those in my life. We were in yours for one reason, and you were in the boys’ for another.”
“I would agree wholeheartedly, Mrs. Maxim,” Thomas told her.
“Please, I am Yelena, although my children and grandchildren call me Yaya. And shall I call you Thomas?”
“By all means. But I also answer to Maypenny.” Thomas offered the older woman his arm. “May I escort you to the buffet table? You can tell me more about my son’s younger years.”
“I will, if you tell me what my grandson has been up to out here in the woods.”
They left Dan standing in stunned silence, still trying to take it all in.
