“That’s beautiful,” his mother said softly.

“So your sight,” his grandmother reminded her of the conversation that seemed to have skewed.

Tyler took one more step toward the table, but his grandmother looked up at him as though he was intruding and he stepped back.

“Well, my sight was lost after an accident with a horse. See, my father was very fond of horses and raised us around them. I have a grand appreciation of them,” she said and he thought of her nuzzling her cheek against the horses in his grandmother’s barn.

“Anyway, my brother happened to frighten one we were grooming. I was unlucky enough to be in the wrong place. The horse kicked me in the head. I was knocked to the ground and was unconscious.”

“That’s terrible,” Avery covered her mouth as she stood at the edge of the table near the women.

“It caused severe nerve damage and I’ve never seen again.” Courtney smiled as she spoke. “Oh, I can see dark and light. I know day and night. And in my mind everything is more vivid in color than I know it is in actuality. I get to make it all beautiful.”

There were smiles on the women who surrounded her. He could imagine that not one of them would ever look at something and think it plain again.

Chapter Twenty

The small house, which had once been Tyler’s grandparent’s house and now was home to Ed and Darcy, was full of family. There were two card tables added to the extended dining room table. Folding chairs had been added alongside of the formal dining room chairs.

Laughter and noise carried through the house like a song, Tyler thought. How could he have forgotten that this was paradise?

Breadbaskets were passed and pasta was lopped onto plates.

Tyler filled Courtney’s plate with everything she’d given a nod to and then explained where it was situated on the plate.

She leaned in close to him until her lips pressed to his ear. “I’m in love with each and every one of these people.”

He took her hand, smiling. “I think the feeling is mutual.”

As conversations started back up, Ed, Christian, and Clara all stood up. Ed tapped his glass, Christian tried to clear his throat and Clara stood just staring at the other two.

The three of them exchanged glances with one another.

“What are you doing?” Clara asked looking at her brothers.

“I have something to say,” Ed countered.

They both looked at Christian who grabbed Tori by the arm and pulled her to her feet. “We have something to say.”

Sam, Tori’s nephew pulled on her shirt. “Are you going to tell them all about the baby now?” he asked innocently, but the room bust into a thunderous roar of commotion and words.

Courtney grabbed for Tyler’s hand and gave it a squeeze. He could see the tears ready to spill down her cheeks.

“I didn’t see that coming,” he whispered to her.

“I did. I could hear it in her voice. That’s wonderful news after they lost their other baby.”

Deflated, Tyler sat back in his chair. He didn’t know about the other baby. What else had he missed during his solitude from his family?

Once everyone managed around the cramped table and hugged Tori and Christian, Clara tapped her knife to her water glass and tugged her husband up next to her.

“Are you all done smothering my brother and his wife?” She tried to make her tone harsh, but Tyler knew better. It might have been the enormous grin on Warner’s face that gave it away. “Now, if you don’t mind making your way to this side of the table I’d like all of that love and congratulations you just showered on them.”

Tyler’s Aunt Madeline looked across the table at his cousin. “Clara?”

“Well, heck. I’d wanted to be the life of the party, but we don’t do things like that here do we? Yes, Warner and I are also having a baby.”

The chaos kicked back up and the room now shifted with people.

Courtney lifted her napkin to her eyes and dabbed away the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

“I knew that one too.”

“How did you know that?” Tyler asked amused.

“I could hear it in their voices when he came up the walk and escorted me inside.”

“You could make a living reading people.”

“Well then,” she kissed his cheek. “Get ready for the next.”

“Okay, okay!” Ed said quieting down the group that now gathered around his sister and her husband. “I have spent my life being upstaged by both of you. I couldn’t hit a damn baseball to save my life. I couldn’t catch one either. But Chris could. And I’ll be damned if I can sing a note! But my sister gets a recording contract and runs off to Vegas to marry a musician.”

Clara kissed Warner and pulled him close.

Ed shook his head. “Well, I’m done being out done by you both.” Darcy stood up next to him, their fingers intertwined. “Darcy and I have put in applications for adoption.” The room began to celebrate again, but Ed held his hands up in protest. “Now, we know this takes a long time to process. However, sometimes if you have the right channels…”

“Oh, God, you’re killing me!” Darcy shouted. “I don’t know where to begin.” Tears poured down her cheeks and she bounced as though she were going to burst with a secret. “Simone put us in touch with a group that facilitates adoptions. As of twenty minutes ago we just got word that there is a baby due in two weeks and the mother wants us to be his parents.”

She let out a squeal as the room erupted for the third time.

Tyler looked at his mother who sat still in her chair, her eyes wide, and her shoulders raising in what looked like great effort to breathe.

“I’ll be right back.” He pushed back from the table and moved to his mother. “Are you okay?”

“I’m going to be a grandmother.”

Tyler smiled. “Yes.”

She looked up at him. “Grandmother.”

“Yes,” he laughed. “You’re going to be a wonderful grandmother. You and Madeline are going to spoil that baby rotten.”

Regan Benson got to her feet and held her son tightly. “I have you back. You’re in love. And now I’m going to be a grandmother. Dear, Lord, could I be more blessed?”

~*~

Courtney rested her head against Tyler’s shoulder as he stroked her bare back in his bed. Making love to him was only a slight perk she decided, when she thought about this new love.