Gadget's Quest (Rescue Rangers)

[ksharbaugh]

Chapter Ten: Little Bright Eyes

Once more a festive atmosphere reigned at the Kummon Inn. People found seats where they could among the replacements that had been brought in from the guest rooms and nearby homes. Amanda, her daughters and Terry were the heroes of the hour for having helped lift the specter of fear from the community.

“Let me know if this is too hot,” Gadget advised as she applied a makeshift heating pad to her mother’s left shoulder.

“It’s fine,” Amanda replied. “Now sit down,” she gently commanded, “You’fe been doing enough today as it is, you’fe earned the right to relax and enjoy your fictory.”

Taking a seat at the table with her family, Gadget broached a subject that had nagged at her since learning of her mother’s condition, “Dee never told me you had problems with your shoulder.”

“I didn’t until fife years ago,” Amanda pointed out, “It’s the result of whateffer happened to me when I went missing.”

“What do you remember about what happened?” Dee inquired, “I mean, from the time you were helping rescue people from those apartments to winding up here.”

Amanda leaned back in her seat as she searched her memory. “I was standing near the edge of the wall,” she proceeded to recount, “I was directing the platform down and keeping an eye on it’s progress. There was this loud cracking sound oferhead, something large hit me on my left side... I remember tumbling down the wall and getting a brief view back up and seeing what looked like a tree laying where I’d been standing. I hit the water, but the next thing I’m aware of is being in a lot of pain and trying to walk home. I didn’t recognize anything and some people led me inside somewhere. There was a lot of talking but all I really know is that it seemed like they were concerned about me, talking about me but not to me. Then I was in bed and someone asked me what my name was... I answered, like a reflex, and someone told the others to let me rest until I was stronger, then we could find my family. I remember wanting to tell them who my family was but not being able to come up with any names or faces. It was a horrible feeling. I was more or less out of things for the next few days. Once I recovered enough to really comprehend where I was and what was happening I was here.”

“Witnesses said a dead branch broke loose from a tree nearby,” Dee explained, “The two guys on the wall with you were killed by the impact and when no one could find you pinned beneath it anywhere they concluded you must have been knocked over the edge. The two on the platform were also lost... only one of their bodies was found later.”

“And people just assumed I must’ve been killed, too” Amanda safely reasoned.

“Well, not everyone,” Gadget joined in, “From what Dee told me, she held out hope for a couple weeks before she could statistically prove that your survival was impossible.”

Amanda gently took hold of Dee’s paw. She wasn’t sure what to say, and eventually settled on, “I hope you’re not too upset that I proofed you wrong, I hope you can forgiff me.” Dee couldn’t help but laugh at the unexpected answer. Then, turning to Gadget, Amanda took hold of her other daughter’s paw and with heartfelt grief made the appeal she’d been holding in for twenty-eight years, “And I hope you can forgiff me for... abandoning you, and not coming back.”

“Oh you didn’t abandon me, well, not really,” Gadget corrected, “Your mother was sick and your in-laws were trying to take custody of your firstborn, and I can understand why you couldn’t let that happen, or let your sister-in-law know about me or Dad, I mean, I’ve met her. She was not a very nice person.”

“You met Carol?” Amanda asked in surprise, “Well, I am sorry you had to go through that.”

“When she heard that Gadget was a child you had while you were avoiding her,” Dee proceeded to recount, “Let’s see, she said something like... ‘While Doohickey’s mom was gone for a year she spent all that time drinkin’ and whorin’ with some lecherous foreigner and popped out some bastard half-breed... Like mother like daughter’.”

“Oh, I hope one of you hit her for that!” Amanda replied.

“I almost did,” Gadget pointed out, “But Dee held me back.”

“Don’t worry,” Dee assured their mother, “Gadget belted her one at the trial.”

“Trial?” was Amanda’s inevitable question, “Whose? Tell me it was Carol’s.”

“Oh, it was,” Gadget responded.

“Thanks to Gadget we were able to nail her for treason and attempted mass murder,” Dee elaborated.

“You’re kidding,” Amanda laughed, “I have to hear about this.”

“Gadget had constructed a miniature recording device,” Dee related, “She was wearing it on her person when she, the Rescue Rangers and myself all went to convince a disgusting French rat not to go through with a plan to impregnate the city water supply with a certain chemical. Turns out he’d set a trap to prevent people from interrupting him and we walked right into it, and as he was tying us up he accidentally activated Gadget’s recorder. When we woke up we warned him that the chemical would kill thousands, he thought it would make his great artistic endeavor even more magnificent. Later, Carol walked in on all this, she was on intimate terms with this frog...”

“Rat,” Gadget corrected.

“Rat-frog,” Dee sort of agreed, “Anyhow, we told her about what would happen. She was even happier than her boyfriend. She realized if the city water supply was poisoned, it would kill the Chief and all the other Clan Mothers, and once she warned her toadies to avoid the city water for awhile, Carol could just take over. She could rule the tribe, or what was left of it, like a queen.”

“And she said all this?!” Amanda asked in disbelief.

“Even about skinning Charity Rose and using her hide as a throw rug,” Dee verified. Then, smiling broadly, she pointed out, “We played that recording at her trial, her public trial.”

“It nearly caused a riot,”Gadget interjected.

“It was hilarious,” Dee commented before she continued, “Carol didn’t know anything about the recording. Gadget came out before the Clan Mothers to prep the playback, and once Carol realized what it was she jumped out of her seat and sprinted across the hall intent on stopping it.” Dee paused before she moved on to ‘the good part’, “Gadget saw her coming, reeled back and-” she emphasized the point by pantomiming the punch in slow motion, “WHAM!” Amanda chuckled at her sister-in-law’s misfortune. “Carol was running so fast,” Dee continued, “that she almost pin-wheeled in the air when she collided with Gadget’s fist,” Amanda began to laugh out loud at the image, “and no sooner had she hit the floor than she disappeared under a pile of bailiffs who then drug her back to her seat and held her there.” Amanda was practically in tears by the time Dee finished.

“And that’s not all,” Gadget picked up, “When the people in the gallery actually heard Carol detailing her treachery on the recording they began throwing whatever they could find at her.”

“The bailiffs didn’t know what to do,” Dee laughed, “Should they shield the defendant or let her have it?”

“Couldn’t have happened to a better bitch,” Amanda commented in a satisfied tone.

“Now if only we could get Fat Cat life in prison so easily,” Gadget added.

Dee jested, “But then what would you and the other Rangers do all day?”

“Actually, I’d like to know what it is you do all day,” Amanda broke in, addressing her eldest, “I’fe heard some stories, but I think you’re in the best position to fill me in... In fact, there are twenty-eight years of stories I’d like to catch up on.”

Amanda was utterly enthralled by Gadget’s narrative covering her childhood and recent life as a Rescue Ranger. Late afternoon passed into late evening and the joyous crowd at the inn slowly dissolved into the night. As talk drifted towards the days to come, Gadget suggested that her mother could return with her and Dee to Ranger Headquarters, if only for a short visit. Dee, pointing out their immediate proximity, then proposed stopping to pick up their brother. And so it was agreed to have an ad hoc family reunion at Ranger HQ. With a long trip ahead, and the day’s activities taking their toll, it was time to retire for the night.

[ksharbaugh]

-Chapter Ten continued...

Once Gadget and Dee were given a room to stay overnight, Terry finally approached Amanda concerning his earlier behavior. “You have to know I’m sorry for trying to submarine your chance to get your life back,” he opened, sitting down with her, “And I understand if you feel you should reevaluate our relationship, especially since you can remember your whole past, it’s possible there were matters you had known of that would have prevented us from getting together in the first place if you hadn’t lost your memory.”

“You are right,” Amanda conceded, “If we’d met otherwise I probably wouldn’t haff let myself get close to you. Outside of Gadget’s father I’fe had some lousy luck with males.”

“I hope you don’t think I would ever have intentionally tried to keep your past from you,” Terry clarified, “It was a gut reaction, I just panicked.”

Amanda managed a smile and sighed. “Whether you want to admit it or not, you did do it intentionally, you did put conscious thought into what you did,” she began, “When people are faced with a crisis they find out who they are, deep down. It’s not always the type of person we wish we were, or who we try to be, but we can’t escape it either. You can take a horse cart and give it an internal combustion engine, power steering and anti-lock brakes and call it a car, but if it hits a wall it’ll shatter like the horse cart it always was.” Seeing Terry’s expression fall, Amanda added hopefully, “But still, you’re nowhere near as bad as some of the guys I’fe known, and when faced with another crisis you did come through, there was no way for you to know you’d come out of a rescue mission alife but you went ahead anyway... That has to count for something.”

“So,” Terry sighed, “Where does that leave us?”

“Starting over,” Amanda smiled, “After all, you may decide that ‘Amanda’ doesn’t compare with ‘Samantha’.”

Terry nodded in acceptance. “Good night,” he bid.

“Good night,” Amanda answered. Rising from her seat, she went to prepare for bed. But as she neared the room where her girls were resting, she couldn’t resist the urge to check in on them. “Hey there. You two aren’t too old to haff your mother tuck you in, are you?” Amanda asked.

“Nah,” was Dee’s response.

“Of course not,” was Gadget’s.

Walking into the room, Amanda gently took a seat on the side of Gadget’s bed. “I still find it hard to beliefe the two of you were dressed exactly alike when you first met,” she mentioned, idly playing with Gadget’s bangs, “and had your hair the same.”

“And both had our own planes,” Dee added.

Amanda let out a little laugh as she commented to her youngest, “And had a connection to separate aircraft called the Screaming Eagle.” Finally leaving Gadget’s bangs be, she asked both girls, “You two going to be able to sleep ok tonight?”

“Yeah,” was Dee’s response.

“Why wouldn’t we?” Gadget asked.

“Well, the two of you were almost killed today,” Amanda explained.

“It’s not like it’s the first time this has happened,” Gadget reminded her mother.

“Nor even the first time with Rat Capone,” Dee pointed out, “At least for Gadget.”

“Well it’s a first for me knowing about it,” Amanda replied.

Gadget turned the subject back, “Are you going to be able to sleep tonight, Mom?”

“I’m not sure I want to,” laughed Amanda.

“Why?” Dee asked.

Amanda took a deep breath. Once more she began to play with Gadget’s hair, as if trying to be sure she was really there. “Out of fear this might all be a dream,” she answered, “It seems too good to be true... My girls found each other on their own and became friends, one’s reunited with her baby, and the one I hafen’t seen since she was an infant is right here next to me all grown up and beautiful. One’s a Clan Mother about to be married and the other’s a hero who has safed countless lifes just because it’s the right thing to do... My Niwo: ohgogah.”

“What’s that?” Gadget asked.

“Your name,” Amanda replied softly.

Gadget’s voice was as soft when she asked, “What’s it mean?”

“‘Little bright eyes’,” she answered, “My first child had deep brown eyes, but when your eyes opened there were these two big beautiful blue eyes. Your father was almost jealous because of all the time I’d spend looking into your eyes... and I could tell you’d be brilliant, you’d watch your father and me with those eyes whenever we were working on the Screaming Eagle, fascinated by what we were doing with our grown-up toys. You even tried to join in the fun. One time you got loose from your crib without us noticing, I placed a screw in place and all of a sudden a screwdriver began wiggling over towards me,” Amanda almost had tears in her eyes as she laughed, “you were trying to hand me a screwdriver!”

“I don’t remember that,” Gadget giggled.

“I’m not surprised,” her mother replied, “You were pretty young.” As memories from nearly three decades past filled her mind and tugged at her heart, Amanda couldn’t help but be drawn back to a bittersweet moment. She was holding her little baby and would be leaving, there was no way to know if she would see or hold her child again. The infant must have known something was wrong as she began to cry. Amanda’s heart brought her to song, just as it had all those years ago...

“Baby mine, don’t you cry,
Baby mine, dry your eyes.
Lay your head close to my heart,
Never to part, baby of mine.”

Unlike twenty-eight years before, she finished the first stanza without choking on her own tears...

“If they knew sweet little you,
They’d end up loving you too.
All those same people who scold you,
What they’d give just for the right to hold you.”

As she listened to the lullaby, one her father often sang to her, Gadget felt incredibly relaxed... much more than she usually did in a strange bed...

“Little one, when you play,
Don’t you mind what they say.
Let those eyes sparkle and shine,
Never a tear, baby of mine.”

Gadget felt a sense of warm security surround her like when her father would hold her, but she didn’t feel her father as she normally did... Could she actually be remembering when her mother cradled her so many years before? Her logical mind would have dismissed the possibility as highly improbable... but the highly improbable had become reality earlier in the day, and her logical mind was too sleepy to argue...

“From your head down to your toes,
You’re not much, goodness knows.
But you’re so precious to me,
Sweet as can be...”

‘Little bright eyes’ seemed very much asleep, so Amanda was careful to finish in a whisper...

“Baby of mine.”

Moving as slowly as possible, Amanda rose from the side of Gadget’s bed. One of these days I’ll haff to try to figure out why I can pronounce ‘v’s when I sing but not when I speak, she thought to herself as she made her way to the door. Turning about, she observed her sleeping children. If this does turn out to be a dream, she thought, somebody’s going to pay. “Gönoöhgwa’, Ye’shöni’,” Amanda whispered, “Gönoöhgwa’, Niwo: ohgogah.”

-to be concluded...

[ksharbaugh]

Chapter Eleven: Indeed a Special Day

“Mr Hawkfeather,” Della stated as she poked her head into Thingamabob’s office, “Your sister’s outside and says she has to speak with you, it’s urgent.”

Sister? Bob wondered. As far as he knew, both of his sisters by blood were out of town, one gone visiting the other and her friends. “Sister-in-law?” Bob asked, assuming that was a more likely, and more disturbing circumstance... any urgent message his sister-in-law might bring was likely news of tragedy.

“No-no,” Della replied quickly, “Doohickey.”

No longer fearing it was tragic news of his wife, Bob was left to wonder what Dee was doing back in town so early. Putting aside the security guard roster he’d been reviewing, he made his way quickly to the entrance. The first sight that greeted him was his youngest sister standing before the Ranger Wing looking quite happy about something, he completely missed the other two standing near the door. Wondering what Dee was doing with her sister’s plane, he asked as he enumerated on his fingers, “Ok, what’s so urgent? Why are you here? And what are you doing with Gadget’s plane?”

Dee responded by similarly enumerating her answers, “Found someone you’ll never believe. Brought her here so you would believe. And we’re going to take you with us so you can be there when Mom gets to meet her future son-in-law and her granddaughter.”

“What are you talking about?” Bob replied, not quite sure that he had heard the last answer correctly.

“Bob, turn around,” he heard someone say. The voice plucked at long disused heart strings and he wheeled about quickly.

For a while Bob merely stared at the ghost standing before him. He had heard the last answer correctly, which means the smiling older mouse before him could only be, “Mom?!”

Running over, Amanda flung her arms around her tall muscle-bound boy, “It’s nice to see you still remember me!”

“What?” Bob asked as he returned the embrace, “How?”

“She had amnesia,” Gadget pointed out, “She had wandered into a small community in the Allegheny National Forest a couple days after she disappeared.”

“What community?” he asked, wondering how he could have missed finding his own mother.

Dee fielded the most recent question, “It was actually quite a ways inland of the Reservoir, for a rodent at least, so it’s really not so surprising that you would have missed her.”

Finally accepting what had happened, that it wasn’t some daydream, Bob let the tears flow. “I missed you!” he nearly sobbed as he hugged his mother tighter.

“I know, I missed you too!” Amanda returned through her own tears.

With initial hugs and tears out of the way it was time to move on. It was quite easy for Bob to wrangle a leave from his employer given the circumstances... it’s not everyday someone’s mother comes back from the dead. Following a brief visit with his significant other, Bob was free to join the others on their return trip.

Foxglove had just landed at the main entrance to Rescue Ranger Headquarters when the passing breeze brought a familiar sound. Though familiar, she hadn’t heard it for nearly a week. If the sound was indeed what Foxglove believed it to be then she could put off visiting Dale for a minute or two in order to investigate. Taking wing, the bat departed to track down the source of the noise. Rising above the park, Foxglove’s eyes detected an airborne speck off in the distance exactly where her ears told her it would be. It was not long before she positively verified that it was indeed the Ranger Wing... Gadget and Dee must be returning from their little excursion. As she closed in, Foxglove realized there were more than two mice aboard the aircraft. Gadget and Dee were easy to spot up front and Bob was an unexpected surprise sitting in the back. She didn’t recognize the fourth, though.

“Hi, Foxglove!” Gadget waved as her chiropteran colleague approached.

“Hi, Gadget, Dee, Bob,” Foxglove returned. Not wanting to appear inconsiderate, she also addressed the other mouse politely, “I don’t believe I’ve met you before.”

“Foxglove, this our mother, Amanda,” Gadget proceeded with the introductions, “Mom, this is Foxglove.”

“Hae’,” Amanda nodded.

Foxglove had known that Gadget and her sister had left to visit someone who looked like their mother, but she never considered it possible that she actually would be their mother. “Oh, I’m so happy for you!” she addressed Amanda’s children, then to her new acquaintance, “And I’m very pleased to meet you!” Pulling ahead of the aircraft, Foxglove called back, “I’ll go let the others know you’re back!” Upon landing, the excited bat burst through the door. “Everybody!” she called out, “I have wonderful news!”

“What’s the good news, luv?” Monty asked as he emerged from the kitchen.

“Yeah, what’s got you so excited?” Dale asked, tearing himself away from the tv.

Chip, Zipper and Raven had all arrived from their various activities when Foxglove announced, “That woman Gadget and Dee went to see really was their mother and they’re on their way here!” Once the news sank in, everyone dropped what they were doing and prepared for their arrival. Dale ran off to raid his stockpile of noisemakers and confetti. Chip checked himself in the mirror, he wanted to make the best first impression he could with his future mother-in-law. Raven went off to wake Fangs, only to run into him as he was on his way down from the hanger where he’d been napping. Monty disappeared back into the kitchen to whip up a spur of the moment culinary concoction. Zipper and Foxglove departed for the landing strip to await the Ranger Wing’s arrival.

As Chip passed the kitchen on his way to the landing strip, Monty grabbed his arm. “Hey, Chippah, let the othah’s know I’ll be there in ‘alf a blink!”

Giving Monty his assurances, Chip continued on his way. He could already hear the distinctive buzzing of the Ranger Wing’s electric motors approaching. As the aircraft came within the sheltering arms of the massive oak he could spot his fiancé with her black hair billowing in the wind, however, the angle of approach denied him a view of any other passengers. The aircraft came to a picture perfect landing and power was cut to the propellers. Just as the buzzing of the engines had died down sufficiently... HONK! Dale practically exploded in a cloud of confetti and gleeful noise. “Was that really necessary?” Chip asked his comrade.

“C’mon, Chip, it’s a special occasion!” Dale retorted as he threw more confetti into the air.

Brushing confetti bits from his chest and jacket, Chip stepped up to the Ranger Wing. As he helped Dee from the aircraft, he finally got his first look at Amanda. If nothing else, he was reassured that his future wife stood to retain her beauty for years to come. Once Dee was down on the branch, she assisted her mother in debarking the vehicle. While leading her towards the crowd massed near the front of the Ranger Wing, Dee began the introductions, “Mom, this is Chip Maplewood, your future son-in-law... Chip, this is Amanda, your future mother-in-law.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you!” Chip opened happily.

“Hae’,” Amanda responded with a broad smile, “You’re just as handsome as Dee said you were.”

Gadget directed her mother towards the other chipmunk, “Mom, this is Dale Oakmont.”

Noticing Dale’s party favor, Amanda concluded, “You must be the one munk welcome wagon!”

“It’s not everyday somebody comes back from the dead!” Dale responded.

“And this is Zipper,” Gadget pointed out next. The fly excitedly shook Amanda’s paw.

Moving on, Gadget continued the introductions, “You already met Foxglove.” The next was a young lady Amanda was fairly certain she knew already, “And this is...”

“Rafen,” Amanda finished as she walked up to her granddaughter. “You look so much like your mother did at that age,” she stated taking hold of the girl. As she looked her over a second time she frowned. Turning her to the side, Amanda examined her profile. “Though your mother wasn’t quite so busty,” she concluded lightly, causing the young lady to blush profusely.

“This is Fangs,” Gadget continued, motioning to the vampire bat beside Raven.

Politely shaking his extended wing, Amanda offered, “I want to thank you for trying to keep my granddaughter out of trouble.”

“Well, until recently she was the only friend I had,” Fangs confessed self-consciously, “I didn’t want to lose her.”

“From what Gadget told me she didn’t want to lose you either,” Amanda remarked. Fangs simply smiled as he put a wing around Raven.

Noticing a late arrival, Gadget pointed out, “And this is Monty.”

Doffing his cap, the Aussie greeted Amanda, “You’re still as lovely as Gewgaw said you were.”

“And you’re still as...” Amanda started off, pausing to think of the right word, “imposing as Gewgaw said you were.”

Chuckling warmly, Monty continued, “Now why don’t we all head back inside and you and the girls can fill us in on what all we missed while we’re waitin’ on me no-bake chee-ese-acorn gob-daubs.”

“We found out why we hadn’t heard much from Rat Capone lately...,” Gadget started as she and the others ventured inside. Once inside and settled, mother and daughters regaled the others about their inadvertent adventure. There was a sufficient round of ‘ooh’s and ‘ah’s as Amanda showed off her new ‘bracelets’ upon explaining their origin. Monty, naturally, expressed his dismay at missing out on all the ‘fun’.

[ksharbaugh]

-Chapter Eleven continued...

When Monty departed to retrieve the snacks, Dee jumped up. “Mom, I gotta show you something!” she stated before bolting out of the room. In short order Dee returned. “Guess what Chip got me for Christmas?” she asked as sharp points of metal poked up behind her.

“Gee, I wonder,” Amanda replied.

Whipping out her present, Dee practically hopped as she explained, “It’s a mouse-sized bat’leth!”

Dale felt the need to further clarify for Amanda, “That’s one of them swords Klingon warriors use!”

Amanda looked over towards Chip. “You got her a weapon,” she commented with a smile, “You realize you’ll never be able to get rid of her now.”

“Well I can’t take all the credit,” Chip confessed, “I needed Gadget’s help to actually get it made.”

“It was achully a very simple process once I figured out what it was I was making,” Gadget explained, then as the topic rummaged through her mind, quickly asked, “Oh! Mom, do you want to see my workshop?”

“I’d love to,” Amanda agreed. As mother and daughter departed, the other daughter tagged along followed by her fiancé, then the others.

Seeing the gradual departure as he came in with the snacks, Monty surmised, “Takin’ the party elsewhere, eh?” before joining the rest on their way to Gadget’s workshop.

Gadget could barely contain herself as she showed her mother around. No invention or project was too trivial to go without mention. Gadget’s assortment of plunger harpoons, her sprocket collection, everything was brought out for her mother to inspect and, of course, Amanda was always right there to provide her accolades. The exuberance wasn’t monopolized by Gadget and her mother either. All who watched felt some of their excitement. But despite her own enthusiasm, Amanda’s age began to catch up with her and everyone retired to the livingroom to relax and just talk.

Unexpectedly, Monty opted out of the opportunity to tell some tales and departed, claiming he had to pick up some more groceries. Chip was more than game to fill the void as he did his best to impress his future mother-in-law by relating the varied adventures he and the others had engaged in. The chipmunk’s efforts met with much success as Amanda became convinced that her youngest had made an excellent choice, she was relieved that her daughter was heading into a marriage that held greater potential than the one that bore her.

It was not long before Monty returned. However, instead of groceries, he showed two new guests inside. He had been intentionally vague as to why Ann and Ben Southmont should come immediately to Ranger Headquarters, but he had assured them that there was no need for worry. The major concern they had was quickly dispelled as Raven raced over to greet her adopted parents. “You’re never going to guess what Dee and Gadget discovered a couple days ago.” Though the girl had grown accustomed to referring to her biological mother as ‘Mom’, when in the presence of the matron that raised her, her biological mother was ‘Dee’.

Amanda was not quite sure how to reintroduce herself to her oldest friends, after all, they were getting on in years and a shock might not be as welcome as it might have been years ago. But she considered that if they could handle having been there for Dee and Raven’s disastrous reunion, a friend returning from the dead shouldn’t be too dangerous. “I want to thank you for taking care of Rafen,” Amanda offered as she walked into the Southmont’s view, “You’fe done a wonderful job.” Both Southmonts just stared at Amanda. Their eyes and ears both told them an old friend was standing before them, but their minds weren’t quite convinced. “Who’d haff thought I’d haff surfifed being swallowed up by the riffer,” she added with a shrug.

“Amanda?” Ann eventually asked.

“It’s so good to see you again!” Amanda called out as she embraced her old friend.

“W-what happened?” Ben inquired, trying to figure everything out.

Dee stepped in to explain, “She had amnesia. From what we can piece together she must’ve gotten ashore somewhere and tried to walk home. She was so ‘out of it’ from her experience that she didn’t realize how far from home she was or where she was actually going. By the time she staggered into civilization she was far enough from the waterline that the search parties wouldn’t have had a chance to locate her.”

Motioning her friends over towards the couch, Amanda stated, “Why don’t you take a seat, this is one heck of a story.”

While the tale of Amanda’s reunion with her children was spun once more, Dale wandered off in search of one of his caches of chocolate. As he began his return trip, happily chomping his sweet treat, he spied a calender. Dale checked for any important dates, as if the festive chipmunk ever needed a reason to celebrate. That’s when it hit him. It was indeed a special day. Dale crammed the rest of the chocolate in his mouth and sped off to inform Gadget.

Gadget had to ask Dale to repeat himself as his speech was somewhat slurred with his cheek pouches packed with chocolate. “Golly! I didn’t know that!” she declared as she finally deciphered Dale’s message. Gadget then quietly passed the knowledge on to her sister, who then passed it on to their brother. All three got together and stood before their mother. Amanda soon directed her attention to her children, completely at a loss as to what they were planning.

“Ok,” Gadget directed her siblings, “On the count of three- but not actually saying three, waiting until the time when three should be stated but carrying out the action instead... One, two...

“Happy Mother’s Day!” Amanda’s children cheered.

Hopping up, the delighted mother embraced her children. It was a moment that before had only existed in her dreams. But here it was, a reality. There was no way she could hold back her tears, even if she wanted to.

As the hug slowly broke up, Raven walked up to her relations. “Happy Mother’s Day,” she offered as she embraced Dee.

Dee’s happiness was very nearly matched by her own mother’s. Amanda had, over the space of nearly three decades, watched as her family was scattered by the winds. Hours were consumed by worry for her oldest daughter, never knowing if she would forgive her for leaving, forever hiding the truth from her other children. Rivers of tears cried as she desired to hold her baby. More tears having flowed over the pain of her youngest when she had to lose her own babies. But here they were, all of them. All her children were with her and her daughter’s child was with her. For the first time her family was together. The sorrow of years past had been banished and happiness reigned.

The End

Author's note: When I first posted this online I spaced out posting the chapters so this one came out on Mother's Day... which was a close call as I still had the last couple chapters unfinished when I started posting.