Chapter 25: Impressions Left

A week before graduation Floramaria cornered her mom in her bedroom.
"I want to move out after graduation," Flora blurted out.  She was nervous about the reaction and just decided to come out with it; like ripping a band aid off in one yank.  She hoped that they would be okay with the idea.  Afterall, Jada and Alexandra moved out immediately but they rented a house together.  Floramaria wanted to be on her own and in solitude.  She had found the cutest little rental cottage with ponds she could stock with her catches.
"Mom, it is getting busy and there is hardly any room here."
"Nobody is pushing you out baby girl.  You can stay as long as you would like."
"I know mom, really I do.  I love everyone here and I definitely do not feel like I have to leave; I want to.  I even found a place if you want to take a look at it with me."
"It sounds like you've been thinking about this for some time," Bella pondered her daughter's request.  She knew it was inevitable that she would want to start her adult life in her own place she just didn't expect it so soon. "Let's have a look and you can think about it more.  I'll talk to your father and see what we can do to help."
"Thanks mom!  You're the best."

Floramaria graduated with honors.  Mortimer and Bella were proud of the accomplishments of their youngest daughter.  In a gesture of goodwill they had reached out to Floramaria's birth family to invite them to the graduation ceremony.  Floramaria hadn't asked for them to be there but Bella thought she may have wanted to see them and to show them how well she was doing.  There was no response.  Bella never mentioned the invitation to Floramaria so instead of disappointment they had a day of celebration.  After the graduation ceremony Bella surprised Floramaria with the best graduation present ever; a down payment on the little cottage Floramaria was hoping to rent.

After the family's celebratory dinner at the Bistro, Mortimer and Bella took Floramaria to her new home.  It was a rustic one-bedroom tucked in the trees away from the main road.  They had Floramaria's belongings brought to the cottage earlier in the day and they also furnished her new place so it would be homey.  Floramaria had even found an old chest freezer at a garage sale to keep on the porch for any catches she brought home from her fishing trips.  Bella stayed as long as she could, worried that Floramaria would be lonely once left by herself.  She didn't want to leave her baby girl alone in the woods.  She didn't want another child gone from the house.

A couple of months after Floramaria's graduation the Goths had reason to celebrate again.  At times in their lives it seemed like endless parties and special events.  Mortimer had decided that he would retire from the science lab.  Earlier in the morning Cassandra and Betsy helped get the manor ready for the guest who would be dropping by throughout the afternoon.  They sat down for a quick spaghetti lunch when Betsy started in about the pool.
"Mommy, we need a fence around the pool," she whimpered, her lip quivering.
"Why do you think we need a fence around the pool Sweetheart?" Cassandra asked, wondering why this question came out of the blue.
"I'm going to fall in.  I don't want to fall in.  Taylor at school said that you drown if you don't know how to swim.  I don't know how to swim.  Sheldon said he is going to push me in.  I'm going to drown."  Cassandra's daughter looked at her with a pleading stare.  "Please don't let him push me in."
"Sheldon will not push you in the pool and Don or Daddy can teach you how to swim," Cassandra reassured her daughter.  Betsy sighed and looked back at her plate.  She pushed her spaghetti around before declaring herself full and asked if she could get down from the table.

Co-workers, friends, and family started arriving for the party.  Bella and the children held an open house to be able to have space and food for all the people dropping in.  Damen had joked that they should get strippers to stop by during the party, but he was was threatened under no uncertain terms that he would be grounded if he pulled that one.
Mortimer explained some of his jobs over the years to friends from outside of the lab.  He bragged about some of the greatest accomplishments.  He would have loved to talk about the Cow Plant, but she was still classified at a high security clearance.  The everyday resident could not know.  Instead, Mortimer talked about crazy mad scientist experiments.

The manor bustled with party goers when the din of "speech... speech... speech" spread among the guests.  Mortimer grabbed a glass of champagne and thanked his guests for coming to the retirement party.  He thanked his children and he especially thanked his beautiful wife.  Mortimer was pleased to announce the most recent grant procured by his daughter Jada for continued research on the Climatron Control Unit.  He was honored that she would follow in his footsteps and praised his children for following their own dreams; something he was unsure he could do decades ago when he joined the workforce.  He had made many advances in the name of science but it was time to pass the reins to new scientist with new, groundbreaking discoveries.

Cassandra pulled Don aside.
"Honey, you had a call from the office.  They left a message for you to meet them at the art musuem in a half hour."
"I don't have any meetings scheduled today.  I don't know what this is about.  They didn't leave a name?" Don asked.
"Not that I know of.  Your secretary just said that the meeting was important but didn't say what it was about."
"I guess I'll go and see what is so urgent to require a meeting on the weekend."
"I can go with you..."
"No, stay and celebrate with your father.  I'm sure it is nothing."

Don arrived at the museum and saw a familiar face and reached out to shake hands.
"Miraj, my good man, what is all this mystery about?  You could have just stopped by the manor," Don chided.
"Sorry Don, but this is better left outside of hearing range of all the people over there today."
"Well, now you have me interested."  Don laughed at the secrecy of it all.
"Doo Peas is sending you to Bridgeport several times over the next two years," Miraj explained.  "Our subsidiary news station there is facing a hostile takeover because CEO Katrina Pala and Editor-in-chief Caroline Custard are too busy handling public relations for their star news anchor to pay attention to the bottom-line.  Hueber Associates is looking to cash in on the chaos and has been holding secret talks with shareholders about demanding new management.  That is where you come in."
"Let me get this straight," Don interrupted.  "I'm to take over management temporarily and in two years the company won't be ripe for a takeover.  I suppose Alto put my name in for the job?"
"He did," Miraj verified.  "Mr. Alto was putting you in for a transfer but changed his mind.  You will just have several extended business trips."
"That bastard," Don muttered.  "Okay, thanks for letting me know Miraj.  Why all the secrecy?"
"If word gets out about the takeover other companies might get interested.  Ms. Landgraab also wants to keep this out of the public eye."

Don stopped by a flower shop and headed home.  If he was going to tell his wife that he was going to be absent for a good portion of the next two years then he was at least going to soften the blow with some roses.  The retirement party seemed to be coming to a close.  Don nodded at some of the guests as he passed by heading for the stairs.  He found Cassandra in their bedroom putting away some laundry.
"There is a party going on downstairs and you are doing housework," he teased.
"Someone has to do it," she replied whirling around.  Cassandra's eyes lit up as Don presented her with the bouquet.  He gave his wife a kiss and relayed the details of the meeting.

Cassandra set the roses down on the table and took Don's hands in hers.
"When is the first trip?" Cassandra wondered.
"I'll get the official memo tomorrow but Miraj said to expect leaving this weekend."
"How long will you be gone?"
"Unfortunately, this first trip will be the longest.  I have to get set up and work through the initial mess."
"Don, don't give me vague answers."
"Three months, four tops."
"What!?" Cassandra railed.  "Are you kidding me?  What were they thinking?  They might as well have transferred you for this.  Business trips like this cost a lot of money."
"Cassandra, Monte tried and then changed his mind."

"I should have known," Cassandra seethed.  "Well, they can transfer someone else.  I'll take care of it."
"No, Cassandra, I'll go.  I'll be back on long weekends and you can come visit with the kids.  Hell, if I can get this done then it is a sure fire way to get my foot back in the door on the business side.  Alto will never go for it but the Landgraabs won't be able to deny a promotion."  Don pulled Cassandra close.  "Don't worry so much," he whispered as he placed a kiss on her lips.
"I can't help it."
"You know, there is so much going on downstairs that if we lock the door I don't think we'll be missed for another half hour."
"Mmhmm," Cassandra moaned against his mouth in agreement.

~~~~~~~~~~

The evening weather was perfect for watching stars and especially perfect for watching the meteor shower.  Damen would be having his birthday in a while but for the moment he sat in the still night, under the open sky, his girlfriend tucked under his arm.  She had just come from her riding lesson.  Damen breathed in the mix of her perfume and hay.  Oddly, it fit her perfectly.  Damen knew how to be the romantic boyfriend.  If he wanted to get something the best way to do that was through a happy girlfriend.  If that meant that he needed to pretend to be interested in stars for a half hour and whisper sweet-nothings likening Heather to the stars they watched, then she would be all the sweeter for his machinations once he got her alone in his bedroom.

It was a fairly easy task.  She looked up at the sky and he would lean in a brush his lips against the soft part of her earlobe.  She would giggle, he would kiss her neck.  She would push him back and he would tickle her innocently until his hand accidentally brushed against her perky tits.  She was putty in his hands.  Damen yanked her off the ground and rushed her upstairs to his room.  The benefit to being the youngest of five, with older parents, was that no one paid too much attention to what he was doing.  If he got past everyone without being noticed, then no one would know what he was doing behind his locked bedroom door.  After he flipped the lock Damen knocked Heather with a pillow before she could question his motives and protest to being in his room.  Innocent playfulness was a charm that worked every time.  He would play, she would play back, and then he would work her out of her clothes and onto her back.  Since it was his birthday he would sweet talk her into doing something extra special for him.

After Heather gave him his birthday present he hurried her to get dressed to get downstairs.  Damen certainly didn't care if anyone saw the two of them leaving his room at the same time.  Later that evening he would be an adult and he could have however many women up to his room as he wanted.  Damen was sure that Heather expected that nothing would change, Damen admittedly was at fault for that, but he just didn't know if he wanted to be tied down.  They joined everyone in the kitchen where his mom was putting the last of the candles in the cake.  After a boisterous rendition of 'happy birthday' Damen winked at Heather and blew out his candles.

~~~~~~~~~~

Bella helped out in any way that she could while Cassandra coped with being a temporary single mom.    She could see that Don being away for such an extended time was taking a toll on her daughter.  After a long day at the office Bella suggested to Cassandra to lock herself in the bathroom and take a nice relaxing bubble bath.  She was going to take care of bedtime for her grandchildren.  Bella got a shower ready for Sheldon and hurried Betsy into bed for a bedtime story.  She enjoyed snuggling and ready books with her grandbabies.

Don's first homecoming was less than enthusiastic.  He had been working 70 hour weeks and was utterly exhausted. He had slept in the limo on the way home and had to be roused when the driver pulled up the the gate.  Damen grabbed his bags while Cassandra pulled him toward the dining room for dinner.  Everyone had so much to catch up on but Don's eyelids were heavy during conversation.  He excused himself and kissed the kids before heading upstairs.  Cassandra readied them for bed by herself again and then headed up to get some alone time with her husband.  The room was dark as she climbed the stairs.  When she turned the corner she saw that he was already passed out under the blankets.  Cassandra slipped into tank top and curled up on the bed with a book to wait for Don to seem like he wasn't sleeping like the dead.

The long weekend was much too short and Don was on his way back to the city.  The demands of their children and work were starting to catch up with her.  Between her own 50 hour weeks, Sheldon's scout events, and Betsy's ballet lessons Cassandra just wanted to drop.  She found herself dozing off in the middle of meetings and felt like she needed a nap every evening. She wanted to cry but she was too tired even to do that.  Darrel and Zephyr not only stepped up to help with Betsy but they picked up Sheldon on the days that Cassandra wasn't going to make it to get him at the end of his activities.

Don was home for another weekend.  It was the end of the third month and he would have to go back for four more weeks.  Don pulled out the company laptop to check business while he waited for the kids to get home from school.  Aside from Cassandra, he was most excited to see them.  Don had expected Cassandra to be home but she didn't seem to be there.  He vowed not to work while he was home but since noone was around it seemed like the best thing to do.  Don heard the front door and shut down the computer.
"Don!  I need to tell you something!" he heard her shout through the manor.

Cassandra rushed into the kitchen and threw herself into Don's arms; kissing his face.
"Guess what!" she squealed with delight.
"You have another woman waiting upstairs for us?" Don guessed.  He threw her an impish smile as she glared at him as she backed away.
"No!  And what make you think it would be another woman.  It would be a man.  Anyway, get your head out of the gutter.  You are ruining this."
"Okay fine, but I'll be back in the gutter later."
"Yeah, sure. I went to the doctor today..."
"Is everything alright?  Are you sick?" Don interrupted.
"Don shut up for a minute!  Yes, I'm fine. I'm better than fine.  I'm pregnant!"

"Pregnant?!"  Don pulled Cassandra close.  "When?"
"The doctor says twelve weeks, so right before you left.  I didn't even know until I too tired to stay awake during meetings.  I got to hear the heartbeat today.  If I would have known you would be in early I would have had you meet me there."
"You're just now telling me?"
"This isn't news for over the phone and I figured if I was still pregnant when you came home then I could tell you.  Are you happy?"
"Hell yeah I'm happy, Beautiful.  What time do the kids get home from school?"
"Four o'clock. Why?"
"I don't think my mind is going to wait for later to be in the gutter."
"You're such a romantic Don," Cassandra retorted as he pulled her into a kiss.

Don and Cassandra spent the weekend telling the family the exciting news.  They sat down with Sheldon and Betsy first and presented them each with a shirt that said 'Big Brother' and 'Big Sister'.  Cassandra threw together a last minute bar-b-que and got her siblings back to the house.  Sheldon and Betsy were wearing their shirts and it only took a matter of minutes for the news to sink in.
By Sunday night Don had decided that he would send someone to finish the last month and stay home with Cassandra.  She understood where he was coming from and after hours of debating her health with him she convinced him to finish the job in Bridgeport.  Early Monday morning Cassandra devoured a slice of cake for breakfast before the kids woke up and argued they should be able to have cake for breakfast too.

The kids didn't catch her, but her father did.
"Why are you feeding my grandchild junk for breakfast?" Mortimer teased.
Cassandra snickered, "Lay off Dad.  I'm pregnant.  I can eat whatever I want."
"Let me make you breakfast.  Your kids can have some too when they come down."
"I don't know Dad.  Mom usually cooks breakfast."
"Have faith in your old man here.  It is just pancakes."
How hard can pancakes possibly be, Mortimer thought to himself.  I'm a scientist for pete's sake.

The smoke alarm in the kitchen broke his concentration.
"Dammit," Mortimer grumbled, waving smoke away from the pan.  Sheldon ran into the kitchen to see what the noise was about.
"Grab that dish towel and wave it in front of the alarm!" commanded Mortimer.  "And don't they teach you at scouts to run outside if you hear the smoke alarm?"
"Mommy said that you were cooking pancakes and I should check on you."  Sheldon pinched his nose and waved a hand in the air in front of him.  "I don't havta eat that, do I?"
"No, you can have cake for breakfast.  Your mom's treat."

Once the family knew about the pregnancy the news could be public knowledge.  HR at Doo Peas sent Cassandra paperwork for her mandatory maternity leave; a law from her grandpapa's time in office.  At least she was being paid.  Cassandra pulled rank with her HR rep and demanded the ability to work from home.  She was pregnant, not broken.  She was not going to tolerate being treated like she was fragile glass that would break under pressure.  The office couldn't let her work there but there was nothing written about telecommuting.  Cassandra needed something to do during the day while the kids were at school and she wasn't going to allow Monte or Nichole to bump her out of the board room while she was gone.

Common knowledge would have Cassandra believe that no two pregnancies were the same.  Women, it didn't matter who, loved to talk about how their symptoms and craving were never the same.  Cassandra wanted to punch them in the throat.  Her sciatica flared up the moment her baby was big enough to bulge her belly.  She was back to her semi-weekly visits to the spa, practically throwing her money at the massage therapist to try to get some relief.  After several visits with seemingly no effects Cassandra broke down and begged for anything that would help.  As luck would have it the owner had since been to China to learn the art of acupuncture.

In addition to the spa visits, Cassandra also visited her obstetrician more than usual.  There was nothing wrong nor a need for worry, but Don insisted that they take every precaution.  Cassandra wanted to keep him happy so she went.  She didn't want him to blow the deal at the end of it all just because he was worried over a perfectly healthy pregnancy.  If it made him feel better to know that she met with the obstetrician a couple of extra times, then it was something she could fit into her not-so-busy days.  Cassandra at least got bonus ultrasounds out of the deal and when Don was finally home she could tell him that they were going to have a boy.