The next two months until graduation were very busy ones. At the foundation, word had spread about us and we were fielding inquiries from all over the country. We built a dozen new cabins and had plans for eight more. I also bought a bus for Hannah’s Home so that we could take the survivors on outings. The gun range was a favorite among the survivors and we helped those that wanted to purchase a gun with their paperwork and in choosing the best option for them. For those living in states with strict gun control laws, we offered training in using a taser or pepper spray. Combined with Sifu Zhang’s instructions, these could be formidable weapons.
Tyler had been a big help in choosing the bus. True to his word, he’d volunteered for working at Hannah’s Home and he was making himself useful in all sorts of areas. He played ‘Attacker’ for Sifu Zhang’s self-defense classes and helped Fred with the landscaping. Most days that he volunteered though, he could be found working at least part of the day in the kitchen with Gabriel and Shelley. Shelley had become an integral part of Hannah’s home and I’d upgraded her to the status of a full time employee after the Christmas break. I was almost certain that Tyler and Shelley were either dating already or they would be soon.
Eva was devastated that I’d been right about Tyler not being interested in me. She was even more upset when I told her that Tyler would not be at my house everyday working with dad. With mom being back home, dad wanted to spend more time with her and didn’t want the extra work and responsibility involved in taking on an apprentice. By the time Tyler finally asked him for the position, dad had already made arrangements with his old mentor, Ted Roberson, to take Tyler on. The only drawback for Tyler was that Ted lived a few hours away and so any relationship that Tyler developed with Shelley would have to involve quite a bit of traveling.
On the rescue side of the foundation, Kevin came by a few weeks after mom’s return and told us that they’d caught the mole. The trap they’d laid had worked out pretty much as they’d planned and now Kevin’s boss had a new boss. The old boss was up to his neck in trouble and was looking at a first-degree murder charge, as his crimes led to the killing of the fourteen year old captive, along with a bunch of other charges for leaking classified information. In exchange for avoiding the death penalty, the old boss was working with Kevin’s team to uncover more people involved in the human trafficking trade.
With the mole having been found, I authorized Shauna to resume working with the FBI and Kevin was back to arresting the bad guys. I did give Kevin a warning that it was likely they’d run into the same problem again and to be extra careful. The people that we were up against had very powerful backers. Kevin agreed with my assessment and explained all the extra security measures he was putting in, which had already been approved by his boss. From now on, he would be given a much freer hand in choosing his resources and he wouldn’t need to report up the chain of command until after the arrests had been made.
On the home front, mom’s reunion with her parents was epic. Given that my Bubby and Zaidi were in their seventies, we opted not to surprise them like we had Harry. We invited them over, along with Paul and Maggie, and told them that we had some news about mom. Bubby Brandy started tearing up right away, expecting the worst, but we reassured her immediately. Paul told them that mom had been found and that she was safe and sound and waiting in the kitchen for them to be told. Without a word, Zaidi Stevens took his wife’s hand and they made their way to the kitchen, not wanting to wait for their Hannah to come to them. After thirteen years, they had given up their daughter for dead and they wouldn’t wait to see her any longer than was necessary.
Everyone cried, even dad. Tears of joy and celebration as our family reunited. I’d never seen Bubby Brandy and Zaidi Stevens so happy and the day was filled with their stories about all the things that mom had missed while she’d been gone. Zaidi brought mom up to date on all the backstage intrigue at their local synagogue, where he was filling out his fourth term as president, and Bubby told mom about the trips they’d taken and about the one they had planned for next Spring. They were going to Poland to visit Zaidi’s father’s old village to try and find out about an old family mystery.
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For her part, mom told them all about her new job, working for her daughter’s foundation and reminded them about my upcoming graduation. I was fussed over and congratulated and asked about my future plans. Bubby even pinched my cheeks, lightly. She said that she didn’t see why Bubbies were always pinching cheeks, only that it was in the Bubby handbook and she had no choice in the matter.
There was no mention of the new baby yet. It was a Jewish tradition not to announce a new baby until three months had passed, as those were the months with the greatest chance of a miscarriage. However, mom would have disregarded the custom when it came to her own parents. In this case though, mom and dad decided to wait to make the announcement because it was too soon after mom’s rescue and they didn’t want there to be any questions of parentage. If mom was rescued three weeks ago, how could the baby be six or seven weeks old already.
At one point in the afternoon, I took Paul aside and handed him a small red velvety bag. “What’s this?”
“Open it and see.” I watched him release the drawstring and upturn the bag into his hand. The yellow diamond that I’d found, now all cut and polished, was sitting in a gorgeous white gold setting. The intertwined bands of white gold set off the yellow diamond perfectly and Paul caught his breath.
“It’s beautiful, Abby. Why are you showing me this?”
“I’m not showing it to you. I’m giving it to you. It’s an engagement ring for Maggie. You know, for you to give to her. When you finally ask her to marry you.”
“I can’t accept this, Abby.”
“Why not? Don’t you think she’ll like it?”
“She’d love it. Yellow is her favorite color and this ring is stunning. I can’t accept it because this is too much. A ring like this probably goes for tens of thousands of dollars.”
“First of all, I found that diamond, so it didn’t cost me anything. Second of all, I knew it! You are planning on asking her to marry you.”
“That’s none of your business, nosy.”
“Of course it’s my business. I’m going to be the best cousin ever to your kids. It’s bad enough that you’ve made me wait so long. Also, my little brother or sister will need some playmates. It’s time for you to get to work!”
“Fine. You’re right. I am considering it. As to the ring, it’s not what you paid for it, it’s what you can sell it for.”
“I don’t need the money. I’ve got plenty already. If I needed more, I’d just go out and find more gemstones. Although, I have a drawerful already so there’s not much point right now. Take the ring.”
“Nieces aren’t supposed to give expensive gifts to their uncles. It’s supposed to be the other way around.”
“I see. You can uproot your life and move to another city for my sake, but you’ll have me believe that giving you a rock is an expensive gift. Got it. I’ll be sure to pass on that bit of wisdom to your children one day. Sacrificing for your family is nothing. True value resides in shiny rocks.”
“I’m going to talk with Sifu Zhang tonight. We’ll be moving up your red belt testing date as soon as possible. All of a sudden, I really want to kick you. Hard.”
“I love you too, Uncle Magnum.” I gave him a hug and left him there, literally holding the bag.
Two weeks later, Paul and Maggie announced their engagement. My romantic uncle proposed to her on the second anniversary of their first date. He recreated their first ‘pizza and a movie’ date and asked her after the pizza part. Who says romance is dead? Despite his best efforts to ruin the moment, Maggie said yes and they set their wedding date for the labor day weekend. I offered them Hannah’s Home as their venue and they gladly accepted. Hannah’s Home had a large interior banquet hall if the weather turned bad and beautiful grounds if they caught a sunny day.
Now I just a little less than three months to find a dress and a date for the wedding.