Collision Course, Chapter 41
 

" Ivy, what the hell is going on?"

" Good morning to you too, Julian."

" Ivy….what is happening with you?"

" Julian, I think a number of men would be happy to wake up with me in my bed. Tell me Julian, have I lost my 'touch' in bed?", Ivy said, pouting.

" Ivy, your sexual skills are not in question. I just want to know WHY they have been bestowed upon me. What did I do to deserve them?"

" Nobody said that you deserved them, Julian. I just wanted to give them."

" Ok, why give them? This isn't something that has happened routinely during our marriage. At least without me being punished dearly for it. So, what is the punishment this time, Ivy."

” Julian, I’m not trying to punish you. I told you that I wanted a new beginning for us. That I thought we should try. I meant it. We have Penny in the house, and it could be a new beginning for all of us. Won’t you give me a chance, Julian?”

Julian looked at his wife. He didn’t know what to say. This was too confusing to him. There were certain things in his life that were a constant. He depended on their consistency. Ivy’s spurning and contempt were two of those things. They had been married for HOW LONG? How could he go against all of that, and actually listen to what Ivy was saying to him?

Well, before he had a chance to reply the door to his bedroom burst open, with Penny in her wheelchair, with Ethan pushing her and Gwen in tow.

“ Surprise!….WHAT?….Mother? Daddy?”

“ Father? Mother?”, Ethan said.

” Julian? Ivy?”, Gwen questioned.

Julian and Ivy looked up from the bed to the visitors and sheepishly grinned.
 

" When did you become so cynical, Thornton?"

" About the day that I met you, Rebecca."

Rebecca looked at TC. “ I think you have students who would benefit from my donation, so, do I get the tour, or not?”

” Of course, ‘ Mrs. Hotchkiss.’” TC led Rebecca into the hallway into the rest of the athletic department. They toured the athletic facilities. Once the tour was finished, TC turned to Rebecca, “ this is the end, Mrs. Hotchkiss. Have I done enough to get the school your check?”

” Yes…I suppose.” With that, TC turned away from her and began walking back to the school. “ Coach Russell?”

TC stopped. “ What is it, Mrs. Hotchkiss?”

” You’ve done well here. I….I can tell that you put a lot of yourself into the department. But, why is that surprising….you’ve always loved kids.”

” I do my best. Thank you, Mrs. Hotchkiss.”

TC walked away without turning around.
 

“ You know, Julian, seeing your parents ‘in flagrante’ wasn’t exactly the welcome home present that I wanted.”, Gwen said, sipping on her tea.

” Gwen, nobody is more surprised than I am. I know it’s odd, but I was a teenager the last time I saw affection between Mother and Father. Penny was a big surprise to all of us in the family.”

“ So, Pilar, Mother and Daddy were NAKED in bed together!”, Penny said, as Pilar wheeled her into the living room. Pilar is skeptical and looks over to Ethan and Gwen, who nod in agreement.

” Well, Penny, I think your parents were expressing their feelings for one another.”

Gwen nearly choked on her tea with that one and even Ethan had to chuckle.

“ Penny, Mother and Father, well, sometimes, they get along better than others.”

“ I can’t ever remember them being in the same bed, Ethan.”

Ethan shrugged his shoulders, “ You’ve got me there.”

“ Well, it’s nice to know that my married son and young daughter have nothing better to talk about than the privacies between myself and my wife.”, Julian said, as he walked into the room and kissed Penny.

“ Daddy, we weren’t gossiping…we’re just curious.”

” And, what would YOU have to be curious about, my darling Princess. You’re too young to be interested in such matters, and Ethan, well, he just came back from a honeymoon, so I’m hoping he understands things. Welcome back, Son.”, Julian said as he hugged Ethan.

” Gwen.”, he added as he kissed her.

“ Father, humor us.”

” Things are going better with your mother.”

“ That’s obvious.”
“ I don’t know how to explain it, but your mother seems to be warming to me. And to think, it only took 25 years of marriage.”, Julian said wryly.

Ethan laughed and went over to Julian. “ Father, you and Mother are ‘complicated’. I understand. If you’re doing this for Penny, it’s a very good thing. “

“ How was your honeymoon?”

Ethan rolled his eyes, looking at Julian and his facial expressions. “ I had a good time, Father. The honeymoon was terrific. And, Gwen, of course, was the perfect partner – in every way.”

Gwen beams at Ethan who returns in kind.

“ You can’t be finished. Your schedule said you wouldn’t be back for a month.”

” I know. We have the southwest and west coast to do. We decided to check in at home. “

“ Well, I’m glad you’re back. I missed you, Son. I’m glad you’re happy.” Julian pulled Ethan into a hug. Ethan hugged his father into a longer hug. He didn’t realize how much he loved his father.

“ Well, let’s enjoy ourselves outside on the terrace. We can be served there.” Julian and Ethan went out onto the terrace, while Gwen stayed with Penny.

“ Why don’t we let the two of them talk. How are you, Penny?”

“ I’m getting better. “

“ What do you think is happening, between your parents?”

“ I don’t know. I…..I think Mother is warming up to Daddy. She and I have had talks lately, and she knows how much I want a family. That I want to stay here. I don’t want to go back to boarding school.”

Gwen nodded. “ I didn’t like boarding school this soon either. I worked on my father, and he let me come home.”

” Daddys are wonderful, aren’t they?”, Penny giggled.

” Absolutely. “

” You and Ethan are happy?”

” Yes, why would you ask?”

” Gwen, I don’t mean to make you mad, but I was definitely confused. Ethan had written me that he was going to marry Theresa. And, then, all of a sudden, he was marrying you. You have to know I didn’t understand.”

“ I know. Things are complicated, but the simple truth is that I love Ethan and he loves me. Theresa was well….a complication.”

” I just want him to be happy. I want both of you happy.”

” We will be.”

“ My parents….they….sort of looked happy today..right?”

” Penny, I think you might get your wish of a happy family.”

” I want nothing more, Gwen. Am I stupid?”

” For wanting a family? Nothing stupid about that. Let’s go out to the terrace.”
 

“ So, Ethan, how are you?”

” I’m fine, Father.”

“ You and Gwen?”

” Excellent.”

” What about Theresa?”

” What about her, Father?”

” Ethan, man to man, don’t try and bluff me. I don’t even know what happened between the two of you, but it must have been something serious. “

“ Father, I’m going forward with my life. I will have no involvement with Theresa.”

” Ethan, this is a small town. What will happen when you see her again?”

” Nothing will happen, Father. You are right. What happened between Theresa and myself was serious, but it was conclusive. I don’t want anything to do with her. She’s not the woman I thought her to be, and Gwen is more a woman than I remotely deserve. I know what I have.”

“ Ethan, you blame me for your mother and I?”

” Actually Father, I don’t blame you. I understand the difficulties in being married to Mother. But, your marital existence is not something that I intend on repeating. I love Gwen, and I am going to build my life with her.”

” Well, that’s something good to hear.”, Gwen said as she wheeled Penny onto the terrace.

” Let’s eat!”, Penny said, and they all laughed.
 

” Ivy?”, Pilar said, as she walked into Ivy’s room.

” Pilar? I have to talk to you.”

” Ivy, I know.”

” You know? About…”

” About you and Mr. Crane. What went on?”

” I was just taking your advice, Pilar.”

“ My advice?”

” You told me that Ethan would never waste all those years doing what I did. He made a commitment to Gwen, and he’s going to live up to it. I don’t need to live in hate. Julian doesn’t even hate me, you know?”

” I know.”

” He would really like to work on the marriage. He doesn’t trust me, Ivy.”

” Why should he?”

” Pilar, I know it. I’ve not given Julian any reason to love me. “

” Everytime he let his guard down, you turned it on him. You beat him up and he doesn’t even know the reason of your anger. He’s been fighting a war with an unknown enemy. “

”  I know…I know….Pilar, don’t drag me down. Julian and I connected last night. I know if I work on it, I can make it work.”

“ What about Sam?”

“ What about Sam?”

” Ivy, you’ve been obsessed with him for years.”

” Yes, but the truth is, I continue with this Sam obsession, and I’ll lose my family, Pilar. All of it. Julian’s not stupid. I know that I treat him like he is, but he’s not. I could lose Penny, my other daughters, my standing as Mrs. Crane, and Ethan.”

” Ethan…”

” Pilar. All of that for a man who would never leave his family for me.”

” I’ve been saying this all along. What changed your mind?”

” Ethan put it coldly to me before he was married. It was the first time that it was real.”

” Well, Hallelujah. I didn’t think anything would get to you, but if this is what it took, I’m all for it.”

” What do I do now, Pilar?”

” Just enjoy your family, Ivy. Enjoy being with Mr. Crane. You and he pair well together. Just work on it.”

” I will, Pilar. I won’t lose what I have.”

Pilar hugged Ivy. “ I’m so happy you finally woke up.”