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Introduction: We know the ending of this story. At least we know a bit of it as it addresses two of the secondary characters in The Heart of the Beholder: George Essegian and Mindy Alexander (nee Rudolph). George was brought up in an Armenian-American household where his mother, the matriarch, refuses to give up the old ways. You don't cross Katia Essegian! Mindy was brought up in a fundamentalist Christian environment that became only more intolerant when her mother married Richard O'Donnell. If you've read the other stories in the series, you know all about him. If you haven't, you're about to find out.

Some may wonder about the intersex label on this story as no characters are obviously intersexed; however, this is the driving force behind Richard O'Donnell's obsession with Jo Beebe who probably wasn't truly intersexed in the first place. She just had a birth defect that didn't fit most of the medical definitions of intersex.

This story roughly parallels The Heart of the Beholder as far as the time frame is concerned, and there is some duplication of dialog - important dialog, especially in the last third of the story. The important thing is the journey that our protagonists take, a journey that we have had only hints of in previous stories. Above all, this is a love story.

George and Mindy both know it. They are in love. Now it's just a matter of seeing how things are going to end up. But we know that, don't we.

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Once again I must thank Holly H. Hart for her invaluable help in proofing and straightening out my poor English.

This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.

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St. George and the Dragon
 

Part 9

Chapter 33: Khoskov geragoor chepveer. You can't cook dinner just by talking. (Armenian Proverb)

George gently held Mindy as her sobs subsided. 'God, I've really messed up now. How am I going to face Mike after this?'

"Mindy, I'm so sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you."

Mindy was still wrapped in the sheet she had insisted cover them. She had also asked that he keeps the lights off. Her sobs quieted, and she turned slightly. George's eyes were accustomed to the darkness, and he could see that her tears had made what little makeup she wore run a bit. He could also see that there was a bit of a smile on her lovely face.

George thought back to earlier that evening when they left the restaurant after one of the most enjoyable dinners he had in a long time. Mindy had excused herself after dessert, and George had paid the bill while she was gone. She seemed almost bubbly when she returned. Maybe it had something to do with the two glasses of wine she had. They walked slowly in the chill to his car. When he opened the door, he expected her to sit, but instead she turned and planted a kiss on his lips. It was a pretty passionate kiss. But what really caught him off guard was when she placed the small package in his hand. He didn't have to look at it to know what it was. He could feel the round ridge through the wrapper.

They drove quietly west to the house while listening to the local classical music station. It was dark in the bedroom as he gently undressed her. She was shaking a bit, and he wasn't sure if it was because of the cool room or her anxiety. She quickly got under the sheet. For a while he just held her, and gradually her shaking stopped. He gently caressed her, trailing his finger tips over her skin. She continued to relax under his ministrations. He kissed her breasts, and she let out a quiet sigh. For the first time she responded by gently holding him to her. He kissed her lips, and her hunger was obvious. He felt her tongue with his. He realized that he was going where she had never gone before. That was confirmed when she wouldn't let him kiss her vulva. So instead he just stroked her. After a while he could feel her hips rising to his caress. He knew she was close to being ready, and that was confirmed by her increasing moistness.

When he entered her, she seemed to relax a bit, but he could tell once again that she wasn't sure how to participate. He held on as long as he could, but he finally came, and he was pretty sure she hadn't.

So now she was crying, and he was going to catch hell. He probably deserved it, but he thought that was what she wanted.

"It's alright, George. I think I'm crying because you didn't hurt me. I'm crying because you made love to me. No one ever did that before. I'm fine. I really am. Just hold me for a while."

He did just that. She snuggled up to him, and his hand found its way between her breasts. He lightly pulled at a nipple. Mindy was well endowed, and George had realized that early on in their relationship. Her figure wasn't slender in the least, but she certainly wasn't overweight, either. He had started to doze off, but was awakened by Mindy exploring his body. She was gently holding his penis, which by now was starting to get erect.

This time was quite different than the first. She still wouldn't let him kiss her there, but he could sense that she was very ready when he entered her. He reached back and had her wrap her legs around his thighs. Soon she was meeting him thrust for thrust. Then it happened. Her pelvis lifted off the mattress, and she started to quiver a bit. Suddenly she started gasping, and then yelling almost at the top of her lungs. She was perspiring profusely from her forehead to her toes. Her yelling gradually subsided into gasping sobs. It had scared George at first, but then he realized what had happened.

"I never, never ...," she said quietly after a few minutes. George was gently holding her to him.

"Never what, dear one?"

"I never knew it could be like that."

"If I have anything to say about it, it will always be like that."

"What are we going to do? I've sinned. I'm so confused."

"There's no sin in what we've done."

"But we are not married."

"We can fix that soon enough. We better get cleaned up. I've got to get the kids. I would ask you to stay here tonight, but that might complicate things right now."

Mindy wrapped the sheet around her, and disappeared into the bathroom with her clothes. George went to the half bath, and cleaned up. He hoped any aroma of their passion wouldn't be noticed by her mother.

He hadn't thought about it before, but Mindy's mother's name was Donna. He thought back about his relationship with Donna Bell more than ten years before. He would always think of her in the best light. Their relationship had been a good one. It was hard to believe, but Donna had actually retired from the Air Force earlier that year. She and her husband had three children in addition to his two from the previous marriage. Donna had her degree, and was teaching school. Her husband was a Chief Master Sergeant. George hadn't heard anything from Nellie; however, Emeril told him that she was still in the Air Force, and still with the woman she had met in Florida. Like Emeril and Hunter, she and her partner had a family.

Mindy had touched up her makeup, and appeared ready to face her mother. The twenty minute drive back to Mindy's place was made mostly in silence. She had slid as close to George as her seat belt would allow, and she leaned against him. George loved her warmth.

Donna was waiting up for them. Mindy went to check on the children, and to get John and Lucy.

"She loves you. You know that, don't you?" Donna stated quietly as soon as Mindy was out of hearing range. "I'm pretty sure you love her. The changes in her since she came up here have been miraculous, and it only got better when she met you.

"She and the girls need you. Becca and Susie hardly knew their father. He was never around for them, and they're at the point where they need to have a father around. I know it's too soon to be talking about his sort of thing, but I think you have been very good for each other. I hope things continue to work out between the two of you.

George felt obligated to tell Mike about what happened. He had mixed emotions about it. As far as Mindy was concerned, he knew things were okay. She had told him that the next day with her eyes and smile. There was no hesitation from her when he asked her out later in the week. He knew then that she was only looking forward.

He was a bit surprised when Mike asked him if he would be an additional groomsman. They wanted him to pair with Mindy who had been added to the wedding party a couple of weeks before. He gladly accepted.

Mindy had also discussed her relationship with George with several people. She didn't have to tell her mother. She knew when George brought her home that night that something very important had happened. She mentally kicked herself many times thinking about Dennis Alexander's cruelty to her daughter. The constant rhetoric she had been force fed over the years had almost convinced her that that was the way things should be. If a woman didn't submit to her husband's will, he had the right to 'educate' her. Fortunately for her, Richard was basically asexual. They had 'consummated' their marriage, but little had happened since. She began to realize how fortunate she'd been.

Mindy had discussed with Jo what had happened, and Jo's reaction had been very favorable. More surprisingly, she talked to her counselor about it. It had been her third meeting with the psychologist, and Mindy had thought she'd never talk to a complete stranger about something so intimate. The psychologist noted after the session that she thought that Mindy was making excellent progress. She saw nothing but positive things about her burgeoning relationship with George.

The upcoming wedding was creating many situations. Jo Beebe, for one had more on her plate than she felt she could comfortably handle. The fact that Mindy did not have to rely on Jo for advice and counsel was a great relief, and it let Jo focus on other things, such as getting ready for a large number of guests, friends, and relatives who would be showing up over the next few days. The wedding was two days after Thanksgiving, and that created all sorts of problems; however, there wasn't a better time available for it.

George admitted he didn't know either Mike or Jo that well, but that he could feel a friendship developing that he hadn't expected. It was a friendship that would get stronger and stronger over the years. The officer/NCO thing that might have created a bit of animosity earlier that year had quickly vanished.

There was another thing that helped cement their relationship. Mike hadn't completed his move into his office when he had been shot the previous summer, and when he got back on his feet, he brought some more things into his office to put on display. Mike had found that his feats in the military were very import among the right leaning members of the force. Mike was a centrist in many things; however, his feelings about the military, especially in the post 9-11 era helped increase his popularity. George, in one of his now more frequent visits to Mike's office, noticed some new pictures. Among them were several pictures of Mike with a Chief Master Sergeant whom George recognized as the man who had visited the police headquarters before Mike was hired to be the new Director of Operations.

"Mike, I just realized something, I've seen his picture before."

"Yeah, that's Ed Stephens. He's my best man. He was my 'first shirt' back then. He was also my recruiter. It's a long story, but you'll hear most of it."

"Was he ever in the OSI?"

"He was, and he was a cop, too. He did a lot of things he can't or won't talk about. It's a shame his career was cut short like it was. The Air Force made a big mistake letting him retire like they did. Why do you ask?"

"I just realized that I'd seen his picture before. One of my instructors at school, 'Brat', er Captain Kolchuk, had several pictures of him on his office wall at school. I think they were getting some medals. A general said that Chief Stephens was one of the few men who ever bested 'Brat' in hand to hand combat."

"Well, time flies; your Captain 'Brat' is getting ready to pin on a star. I heard there was someone else who took 'Brat' down."

"Yes sir, but he whipped my ass, anyway. That was quite a lesson. I probably outweighed him by 80 pounds, but I didn't stand a chance."

"George, I need to change the subject for a second. We're going to have a big get together at the house on Sunday, and we want you and Mindy to meet everyone."

"That would be nice. Donna was going to take care of the kids that night. Mindy and I were going to have a quiet dinner at the house - just us.'

"Well, you need to bring the kids over, too. John's a baseball fan, if I remember correctly."

"Eats, sleeps, watches: he's a Padres fan, and that gets him in a lot of trouble."

"His favorite player is ...?"

"Tony Salcedo: John knows everything about him. Just ask him."

"How's his heart?"

"Fine, as far as I know. He's a pretty healthy kid. Why?"

"Tony's one of my best friends. We've been buddies since high school. He's in the wedding party and will be here this weekend. Do you think John would like to meet him?"

"John, you don't have to stay very long. We just wanted you to meet some of Dr. Beebe's and Captain O'Donnell's friends. As soon as you do that then you can leave with Aunt Donna and the rest. You have to realize this is an important occasion, and there will be many important people there. Mindy and I won't be staying very long, either."

"Hot date, huh?"

"Watch it buster."

"Dad, Lucy and I really like Mindy. She's kinda quiet, but she's real nice. Becca and Susie are okay, I guess."

'How am I going to be able to explain to them about the yelling,' he thought. He was pretty sure that Mindy wanted to make love again, and that was why he wanted a more private evening with her. The table was already set, and the game hens were in the oven with the timer set.

The usually quiet street behind the gate was quite crowded when they drove up. George had picked Mindy up, and the kids were riding with her mother. They kids were going back to Mindy's mother's place after meeting everyone. Margaritas were thrust into George and Mindy's hands as they entered, and George caught a glimpse of Tony Salcedo talking to a group of men in the kitchen area. There were a couple of children playing video games on the wide screen TV. Jo corralled Mindy and Donna for a moment.

As George led John to the kitchen he caught sight of a very attractive blonde who was probably Tony's wife. She was pregnant. George was a big man, and he had maintained his athletic trimness. Still, Tony was a good inch taller, and probably fifteen pounds heavier. His shoulders and arms were massive.

John wasn't paying much attention, when suddenly he looked up at the giant who was looking down at him.

"You must be John. I'm Tony. It's good to meet my number one fan at last." He stuck out a bear paw of a hand. If John's jaw hadn't been connected, it would have dropped to the floor. "Let's go talk some baseball." Tony led him into the room where his two children were playing the game on the TV. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out an autographed baseball. It had the entire Padres team on it. "The guys signed this during the World Series."

John's jaw finally closed. They were still talking baseball when George and Mindy left later on.

Chapter 34: Meg dzagheegov qaroon chee qar. Spring does not come by one flower. (Armenian Proverb)

Once again, their lovemaking had been exactly that. It was love, of that George had no doubt. Mindy had tears afterward, but it was because George held her and caressed her. He learned that her husband had never held her afterwards. In fact he didn't even kiss her. Mindy once again had been very vocal, and she was a bit embarrassed by it.

"It's alright, Mindy. It's your right to enjoy what we've done. It's supposed to be enjoyable."

Mindy was quiet for a while. George had checked the clock at the bedside table, and knew that they would have to be returning to her home before long. "What's going to happen to us?" she finally asked. "I mean, six months ago I would never have believed we would have been here doing what we've just done. I wouldn't have believed I would have been doing what we just did with anyone."

"As far as what's going to happen to us, I guess we'll just have to take it one step, one day at a time," George quietly answered while kissing her on the neck. He delighted at how she would shiver and goose bumps would rise all over body every time he did it.

"I haven't made love since Ingrid died. There was a time when I thought there never would be anyone again. If you're wondering, I think we're right for each other: maybe better than right. It's like I've known you for years, not a couple of weeks. What do you think?"

"I'm happier than I've ever been, but this is just so fast."

"Are Becca and Suzie okay about me?"

"They're fine. I think the fact that they get along well with Lucy and John helps a lot. Well, it's mostly Lucy, but they like John, too. How do John and Lucy feel?"

"Frankly, John likes you a lot. He's been pretty open about it. I know Lucy likes you, too."

"So, what are we going to do?" Mindy asked with a very serious tone.

"I know exactly what we're going to do. Let's not worry about it right now. We have a big wedding next weekend, and a whole lot of things to do before then.

"I love you Mindy, and I don't want you to doubt it one bit. Things are going to be just fine."

Much later that night, George found sleep a bit difficult. Maybe he had assumed too much about Mindy. He didn't think he was going to lose her, but there was still some uneasiness about the speed their relationship was developing.

'Don't worry about it. She's the one and you know it. I knew she was a long time ago. She's going to be fine. I may have to talk to her.'

'Are you really okay with this, Ingrid? I miss you so much.'

'George, you're an idiot. I'm dead and gone. You are young and alive. Your love for Mindy doesn't diminish your love for me one bit. You need to stop mourning my death, and get on with your life.'

'But what will people think? We've known each other only a couple of weeks.'

'Fuck 'em, as you Americans would say. Your happiness, her happiness, and all of our children's happiness are far more important. I think most will say it's about time. Just get on with it.'

Mindy was going through similar turmoil. Then she realized that there were only two people worried about her and George's relationship: she and George. There wasn't one person she had met since she started dating George that raised their eyebrows one bit about their relationship. The people at George's church welcomed her with open arms. Jo and Mike's friends and family were so gracious and forgiving. They could have been so hateful, but they weren't. They were such a happy bunch. The past with Mike's father was never mentioned. Ed Stephens, the man she had previously despised and hated, was a kindly and warm person, and any misgivings she had about him had quickly evaporated.

What was she worrying about? George wasn't taking advantage of her. She had rather boldly asked him to take her to bed because for the first time in her life she was sexually attracted to a man. Then she realized that the sex thing was there because she was attracted to George as a person. She enjoyed being with him and his children, and he apparently enjoyed being with her. No, it was more than that. He said it more than once, and it wasn't just with words. He loved her. She and the children came first. They were fast becoming a family. Everything fell into place so well.

There was more to it than that. He needed her. That was something she had never experienced before. Dennis hadn't needed her except for occasional sex and fixing meals. He and Richard O'Donnell's organization needed her for appearances sake. There were all those posed photos and the fake smiles. Then there was all that dogma. She had learned that word, or at least the meaning of it in a sermon the previous week.

'You love him, too, Mindy. You know it's right.'

'Is that you, Ingrid?'

'If that would make you feel better, you might say I was Ingrid.

'George needs you, and the children need you; however, if he didn't love you, I wouldn't be here.

'This may be difficult for you to understand; however, there was no predestination involved in this. Things might have worked out very differently, but they didn't. You and George have always been right for each other; however, there are so many variables. Your attempt at breaking up Mike and Jo might have failed. So many little things might have changed how they might have reacted. Mike might have been killed in Afghanistan. For that matter, Mike might have been killed in Redding. George might not ever have met Ingrid, but for timing. George might have been selected for officer training, you don't know about that; however, an incompetent clerk misfiled his application, and George's selection, a sure thing, never happened.

'None of that matters because it didn't happen that way. Now, you have a chance for a life. There's a great future in store for both of you. I think you're on your own from now on.'

'Are you going to leave us, Ingrid?'

'I'll never leave you or your family. They're your family now. Just know that I love you.

'One other thing; George is a great big cuddly bear. I expect you to cuddle with him often. He loves to cuddle.'

Mindy settled into a dreamless and deep sleep.

The next week was chaotic to say the least. There were so many friends and relatives, and Mindy was certain that she would never be able to remember who was who. Surprisingly, at least to her, she remembered all of them. The entire wedding party including parents and step parents (with one unmentionable exception) had Thanksgiving dinner at a local steakhouse. There was just too much going on to have major Thanksgiving dinner at Jo and Mike's home. Besides, there just wasn't enough room there.

Friday was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and Donna was doing the sitting. The children would be staying at her house overnight. Mindy was so proud of her little girls. Becca had always been the more adventuresome of the two; however, the changes in both of them over the last couple of weeks had been amazing. Becca became more and more outgoing, and Susie, who would hardly talk at all before was beginning to carry on like her sister. She was still considerably shyer, but her interaction with Lucy and John seemed to have led to her opening up a lot more.

After the rehearsal dinner, the ladies in the wedding party retreated to Jo's house, and the men retreated to the Essegian manor. The weather had turned cold, and there was the talk of the possibility of some snow, if not in the valley, very close to it. It wasn't that unusual to snow in Redding; however, George's house was several hundred feet higher, and they could rely on seeing a few flakes several times during the winter. And several inches weren't that out of the ordinary.

George had assured everyone that there were plenty of libations for the remainder of the evening, and they were wondering why Tony Salcedo was bringing in several boxes of something along with his. When he showed them what he had, there were a number of chuckles and smiles. Everyone pitched in to help him finish his project.

As weddings go, they are mostly for the bride and the mother of the bride. For Mike it was finally realizing something that he had wanted since high school. For Jo, it was the same thing. For Pat and MK, it was the conclusion of an off and on romance that Pat had finally realized was too important to let get away from him. For Mindy, the secular nature of the ceremony was a bit of a conundrum. She felt that it was important to ask for God's blessing. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the ceremony; just that in her mind there 'incompleteness' to it. It was a wonderful ceremony, though, even if there was a pagan overtone to it. Her daughters had done so well as flower girls even with the little hiccup that Susie threw in. Susie decided at the last moment she wouldn't strew flower petals down the aisle unless her sister went with her. The only problem was that her sister was supposed to be strewing petals on the other aisle.

Mindy thought the reception was very nice, and considering she had never been to a reception, other than hers and her mother's, she didn't have a lot to go on. Fortunately, someone was recording the entire ceremony and reception, as Mindy may never have remembered all the details of what happened. She'd had a couple of glasses of champagne, and was feeling very happy about things. She was very certain that what happened was going to happen. She just didn't expect it so soon; nor did she expect it when it did happen.

Mike had just finished singing a song for Jo. He was very good, and Mindy hadn't realized that he was a musician. People everywhere were giving toasts and making speeches. Ed Stephens had given a particularly poignant toast to Mike and Jo. Suddenly, George had the microphone, and was starting to speak, and he was talking about her. Mindy looked at Jo, and Jo nodded and winked at her. Mindy would have to see the recording to hear everything that George said, but she would never forget the ending.

“Last May Chief Krewzewski told us that we were getting a new Division Commander for Operations to replace the man who was retiring. He had just left the Air Force, and was supposed to have been some sort of hotshot hero. Those were my words, not the Chiefs. We had seen Mike talking to the Chief some time before but had no idea who he was. Well a week later we are introduced to this kid. It was strange though, because when I looked into his eyes, I saw someone old beyond his years. At first there was a lot of resentment in the force. They had hired a guy with no civilian experience to replace a man who had been with the force for 35 years.

“I didn’t work for Mike; however, he introduced himself to every person in every division. Within the month he’d ridden on patrols with every officer in operations. He even went on motorcycle patrols. In a month he knew every street and area in town, and was fast learning who the business owners were and meeting them. Redding is a wonderful place; however we have problems here just like any city this size. Mike went everywhere, meeting with the kids and adults. He did it on foot, and he is still doing it.

“Then the fool gets shot while off duty trying to protect the woman he loves. That’s when I found out what type of man he really was. I found out what he would do for the people he loves and people in general. I found out he has an ability to see people as they really are, and I found out he is damned smart. What he, Ed Stephens, Chief Krewzewski, the FBI and others did was amazing. It’s something books are written about. They stopped the evil plans of some people who were trying to take over this state, and they put several murderers behind bars.

“I found out something else. Mike, Jo, and their families are compassionate and caring people. It doesn’t seem like it was such a short time ago, but because of their compassion and love, my life took a huge turn. Three weeks ago yesterday I walked by Administration to leave off some paperwork. As I went in I noticed a new face. So, I introduced myself to this lovely brunette who is now sitting next to me.

“I told Mike later on that there was something about her that got my attention. I thought about her all weekend, and went back to talk with her on Monday. As some of you know, I lost my wife to cancer three years ago, and since then I haven’t been a very pleasant person. Our children have done a commendable job helping me keep my sanity. Anyway, when I go back into her office, I am greeted by the most beautiful smile. I didn’t know it the previous Friday, but I knew it then. My life was changing forever. For more than ten years there had been only one woman in my life. She never left me, and she never will; however, it was almost as if I could hear her voice saying “She’s the one George. It’s okay. You will see.”

That was when Mindy started paying closer attention to what George was saying.

“I saw her picture with her two beautiful little girls, and they were dressed as they are now. I asked her if she would like to go out to dinner with me, and she accepted; however, I would have to get an okay from her stepbrother. It’s Mike, and she’s living with Mike and Jo. All of a sudden I realized who she is, and I was really confused. For reasons known to many of us, I didn’t think she and Mike were on the best of terms, but I found out that’s not the case at all. Mike explained things, and I said to myself what a hell of a couple they were to bring Mindy, her children and her mother under their roof. For that, I will be eternally grateful.

“Three weeks is not a very long time to get to know someone; however, I think there have to be exceptions. If it is possible to develop an instantaneous dislike for someone, why isn’t it possible to develop a near instantaneous love for someone? I know that it is. These last three weeks have only confirmed what I felt and I think she felt from very early on.

“Mindy, I love you with all my heart and soul. I want to be father for your daughters, I want you to be mother for my son and daughter, and I want you to be the mother of our children to come. Would you please honor me by becoming my wife for all eternity?”

Mindy hadn't realized that she'd been crying. She just knew that this was one of the happiest moments in her life. She was ready, and she'd known her answer for quite a while. “Yes, Kevork Hovan Essegian, I will marry you.”

George had taken her hand in his, and when she said yes, he slipped a ring on her finger. She looked at it only briefly. George was far more important. In front of all those people, most of them total strangers, she kissed him as if her life depended on it. In a way, it did.

Soon, Jo was dragging her and George around to meet more of her friends. Then it was time to say goodbye to the newlyweds. Mike had been out to get the car the two couples would be taking for a quiet couple of days before they had to get back to work. They would be taking their extended honeymoon much later. He returned, covered in melting snow, to ask for help getting the wheel boots removed from his car; something his police friends had done during the reception. There was a heavy snow falling, and it was very lovely as the two couples disappeared into the distance after the car was released.

Well, it was over, or almost. As they returned to the dwindling crowd, George was accosted by two little girls. “Does this mean you really are going to be our Daddy?” Becca asked rather loudly.

“Yes it does, Becca.”

Becca turned to Susie, “See, I told you.”

Susie almost jumped into George's arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and said, “I love you. You made my momma cry happy.”

He hugged her in return, and gave her a gentle kiss.

What had transpired was no surprise to Donna, and she took Mindy aside. “If you want to be with him, I’ll be glad to watch the children.”

“Momma, we haven’t even talked about it. Let me see if he had any other plans.”

Mindy found George talking with all four of the children. It would turn out that he had discussed his plans with his two earlier, and they had wholly approved. “George, Momma was wondering if you had any plans for this evening. She said she would take care of the children.”

“I was thinking that we could leave here, go to your mom’s place, and get some other clothes for you and the girls. Then we could go to our house, and fix a light dinner and relax. Then we can get up in the morning, have pancakes, and go to church. What do you think?”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

When they arrived at the house in the pines there was a couple of inches of snow on the ground, but the snowfall was about over. The six of them walked into the living room together. Mindy looked around and she knew it was alright. She was welcome here and it was so good. They were a family.

Her thoughts were interrupted by screams coming from the back of the house. They weren’t screams of hurt or terror; they were screams of excitement. They hurried to John’s room, and looked in.

“He was here, he was here!”

The source of his excitement was obvious. The room was filled with Tony Salcedo and San Diego Padres memorabilia. It was quite a surprise, to say the least.

Chapter 35: Asdoodzme chu vakhtsoghen vakhtseer. Fear the man who doesn't fear God. (Armenian Proverb)

Mindy awoke with the feeling of a warm body next to her. For the first time in her life she had slept with a man for an entire night, and didn't wake up with a sense of sadness and fear surrounding her. She could hear the sound of a flicker or woodpecker rapping on a tree, and the Blue Jays were scolding something. George had been snoring lightly when she woke up. It was a comforting snore, not loud or intrusive. She realized she couldn't hear it, and turned to see George looking at her.

"Good morning, my love. You slept well," she said as she reached out and caressed his bristly cheek.

"I think you did too. I don't think either of us moved after hitting the sheets. I haven't slept that well in years."

Mindy's hand wandered south and found a prominent erection. She could feel herself moistening in response. She wanted him. They had not made love the night before, partly because the children were at the other end of the house, and partly because they were exhausted. In a sense, the urgency was no longer there. She knew George would always be there for her, as she would be there for him. Besides, she needed to explain something to the girls about her, what she was pretty sure, uncontrollable outbursts when she orgasmed. She would let George explain it to John. They had to know without explaining a lot of details, that she was not being hurt, that it was like laughing uncontrollably when being tickled. Becca was very ticklish, and she would understand that.

A light knocking at the door brought her back to the present.

George responded with, "Come in."

Three soon to be sisters bounded into the room followed by their soon to be big brother. The three girls were quickly snuggling up to their parents. John stayed at the side of the bed.

"Dad, Min-..., er Mom, I got the stuff out for pancakes. They wanted to have cereal, but I told them to wait."

"Why don't you get dressed for church? Your mother and I will be out there in a few minutes. Lucy, help Becca and Susie."

The four returned to the far side of the house as Mindy slid out of the bed, and headed for the bathroom. George watched her body shift under the nightgown that she insisted on wearing. It didn't really hide that much. He would have to work on her body shyness, at least when they were making love. He was in no rush. They had all the time in the world.

"George, did you realize that John called me 'Mom'?"

"Yes, he asked me a few days ago what to do. He wasn't sure how to address you, and had essentially been avoiding the issue."

"Well, it's fine with me." Mindy paused for a moment.

"When do you want to get married?"

"The sooner, the better; how about Christmas day - I think Christmas day would be perfect. We could take the week after off, and have some private time together. Your mother, if she is willing, could stay here with the children. John and Lucy will be out of school, and they're pretty self sufficient. They've had to be. I think Reverend Washington would be glad to do the ceremony."

"But we've sinned. We're sleeping together. He wouldn't marry us after what we've done."

"Of course he would. Oh, they're a few sticks in the mud, but most everyone in the church is pleased to see us together. They like you; you need to realize that. I'll bet that most in the congregation already know that we're going to get married. There were several church members at the wedding yesterday. And in the case of this group, good news usually spreads rather rapidly.

"Don't worry about a thing. As Lutherans go, they're a pretty liberal bunch, even if most of them are Republicans. There are several gay members, by the way.

"Speaking of gay, my good friend Emeril Silvera, and his partner, Hunter will be at the wedding. Emeril was my best man before." George paused for a moment. "I think I'll ask Mike to do the honor this time."

"Are we really going to do this?" Mindy asked as she buttoned the back of her rather conservative dress. "I mean, this is all sort of a dream. A month ago, the thought of something like this was the farthest thing from whatever I was thinking about."

"All that's over now," George said as he kissed the back of her neck. His hand slipped under her breast and lifted it slightly. Instead of flinching or pulling away, she turned and gently kissed George.

"We don't have that much time. We've got to fix breakfast for the hungry horde."

Somehow, everything fell into place. The church being available for Christmas Day was not unexpected; however, the printer being able to get the invitations ready in just a couple of days, they weren't engraved, was a godsend. With Donna and Jo, mostly Donna, overseeing things, they managed to get the invitations out by the end of the next week. There weren't that many. Many of them, although it was not socially correct, were personally handed to the invitees. Some of them were mailed, after telephone calls. However, there was one handful that went to the Fresno area.

In any wedding or big party, here are always attendees that failed to RSVP if asked, and there are those who in spite of sending a confirmation of their attendance, don't show up. But never in Donna or Jo's recollection would anyone return an invitation unopened. That was just what happened to the invitations that went to the Essegian families and relatives in central California. With only two exceptions, all the invitations were returned unopened. Two had been opened, but were taped shut, and had new postage applied.

Donna wasn't that aware of the rift in the Essegian family; however, Jo was furious. As Mindy was to find out over the years, when Jo had a crusade in mind, she was seldom deterred. Unknown to George and Mindy, Jo took off in the dark of morning, and headed to Fresno. Ed Stephens had found the addresses and phone numbers two weeks before. Her first stop was at George's mother's home.

"Mrs. Essegian, I'm Dr. Jo O'Donnell," Jo said as she took in the image of a woman who could have been shopping in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Jo knew she had been born in California; however, it was as if she wouldn't acknowledge that fact. She was wearing a patterned dress that fell well below her knees. She had a sweater draped across her shoulders, and a scarf over her hair. She'd probably been shopping.

"I suppose so. Is something wrong? Is someone sick?"

"No one is sick. It's about your son, George. He's getting married this week to a wonderful woman, and they would love to have you there."

"I have no son, George," she almost spat the words out. "I think you should leave, now. There is the door."

"Do you know that you will have four grandchildren?"

There was a hesitation before she spoke again. "There are no grandchildren. Kevork Essegian died many years ago. Please leave now."

Jo paused on the concrete walk as she neared her car. She turned and watched George's mother peering at her from behind the living room curtains. Jo shook her head before getting in her car.

She next went to the Minasian's home where she met with a much friendlier reception.

"Did you know that George and Ingrid had two children?"

"No, we didn't even know he was in Redding." This response got Jo to wondering.

"When did you find out he was so close?"

"When we received the invitation. We knew he and Ingrid got married in Germany, but mother refused to allow us to communicate with him. We would have been ostracized just like he was."

"So you don't know about Ingrid?"

"We've seen her picture. He told me a lot about her before mother found out he was going to marry outside our culture. Now I'm so sorry I didn't know he was so close. What happened to Ingrid? Did their marriage fail?"

"No, it was a very strong marriage right up to the end. I never met Ingrid. In fact, I didn't know George until this summer. He and my husband are police officers in Redding. George helped out in a police investigation that we were involved in."

Ari had been silent since the introduction several minutes before. If Lucy had been paying any attention to him, she would have noticed that he was looking intently at Jo, and it wasn't just because she was an attractive woman. He started looking through some magazines that were on an end table next to his chair.

"Excuse me, I just realized something. Lucy, do we still have those magazines about the movie stars and all that crap?"

"Ari, we have a guest. Why do you want those anyway? They're out in the service porch in those bags waiting to be recycled. Can't that wait?"

"I'll be right back."

Lucy turned back to Jo. "I wonder what's on his mind? He doesn't usually like to read those things. He says they're a waste of money, but sometimes, when the kids aren't around, I like to read about the stars, and the rich Armenians like the Kardashians who have it made.

"Ingrid died three years ago after a long illness."

"Ohmygod, we never knew," Lucy's mood suddenly took a down turn. "Oh, poor George," she said as she wiped a tear from her cheek. "This is awful. We should have been there for him. Damn Mother and her old ways. This should never have happened. May I ask what happened? She was sick?"

"She had ovarian cancer. It was very bad, obviously, and George took it very hard. Some say he tried to kill himself. The story is that he climbed Mt. Shasta to talk to God, and nearly died in a blizzard. He recovered.

"His children are wonderful. John is a baseball fanatic, and Lucy is the sweetest little thing. He named her after you, you know. Mindy, George's fiancé, is a wonderful woman whose life has been even harder than George's, just in a very different way. She has two little girls who are almost five and three. They are delights."

Jo looked up to see Ari standing there, thrusting a magazine in Lucy's face. She recognized the magazine immediately. Ari was holding two others. The subjects on the covers were the same. They were Jo and Mike.

"Lucy, you need to look at this."

"Ari, please don't interrupt. I don't know what's gotten into you. I'm sorry, Dr. O'Donnell."

"Look at the damn magazine."

"Ari!" That's when what Ari was trying to show her finally got through. "Oh my God, that's you and your husband. You're the one that maniac tried to kill."

"I don't like to think about it too much; however, yes, that is my husband and me. Look, that's over for the most part. We need to talk about your brother, your future sister-in-law, and your nieces and nephew. It's time this nonsense ended, and I can't think of a better place for it to start than with you. Someone needs to take a stand, and I think you're the best person to do it. Your mother will come around eventually, especially if she begins to feel she's losing her hold on things.

"I know you read the invitation. It was one of two that were opened. Your mother opened the other one, by the way. Please come to Redding, and join us in beginning the healing process. George has suffered long enough, and he never should have been forced to endure this isolation in the first place. It was a terrible tragedy when he and the children lost Ingrid, but Mindy is special in her own unique way. I know you will love her; just as your mother will love her when she gets her head out of her rear end.

"Outside of Mindy and the children, George has no family. Well, he has his Redding family in the police force, his church, and some friends from the Air Force. I guess Ingrid's family is there, too. But they are in Germany, and won't be able to attend. One of the reasons they picked December 25th for the wedding was the hope that his central California family would attend. Since you celebrate Christmas on the Epiphany, there shouldn't be any serious conflicts; especially since the children are out of school."

"Actually, we celebrate both holidays. I think we'll be there. There's absolutely no reason for this to go on."

"Wonderful, you won't regret it."

They spent another hour talking about George's two brothers, their families, things Armenian, and growing up without a father. Jo didn't try to push Lucy into trying to convince George's brothers to attend: one small step.

Jo felt much better about things as she headed north into the darkness of the late fall evening. She filled Mike in on what had happened as she cruised along California 99 south of Stockton. All in all, it had been a good day.

Chapter 36: Avelee lav aghkadeen geen ullal, kan to haroosdee usbasoohee. Better to be the wife of a poor man, than the maid of a rich man. (Armenian Proverb)

If George had any nervousness, he certainly didn't show it as he, Mike, and Patrick Beebe walked to their places with Reverend Washington. The sanctuary was surprisingly full, and had been decorated since the Christmas morning service. There had been an open invitation given at the end of the morning worship service, and many of the churchgoers had gone to lunch and probably run a few errands before returning for the wedding. George's eyes were on the door at the back of the sanctuary when the door opened and the bridal march started. Mary Katherine (MK), Mike's sister, followed by Jo entered; however, George had eyes only for his bride.

She had the brightest smile as she entered, and her beautiful brown eyes sparkled. As Mindy reached a point about a third of the way down the aisle, George's attention was briefly diverted. There was a family of five, and he recognized two of them immediately. They were his sister, Ari, and their three children. When he turned back to see Mindy, he realized that she was reading his expression of surprise. He quickly mouthed 'I love you', and her smile returned.

The ceremony was over before they knew it. They retreated to the pastor's study for a few photographs before going to the reception. “George, what happened? I was coming down the aisle and you were smiling at me, and all of a sudden the expression on your face changed to I’m not sure what. You almost looked as if you had seen a ghost.”

“It’s my baby sister. I haven’t seen anyone from my family since mom kicked me out when I told them I was marrying Ingrid. I have a feeling that no one else knows she’s here, or she went against the family’s wishes in coming here. I guess another question would be how she knew there was a wedding. However, knowing this bunch we’re associated with I wouldn’t have put it past them to have tried to get my family up here.”

"They knew, George. We sent invitations." She didn't tell him that they had been returned unopened, except for two.

The guests realized very quickly that there was a very special reunion happening. There was a lot of hugging, kissing, and a few back slaps. Seven cousins were rapidly getting to know each other. Ari and Lucy's children were Daniel, Isaac, and Margaret. John thought it was rather neat that he had two cousins who were about the same age. As it would turn out, there were several more in Fresno who were even older.

George had planned to take Mindy to a fancy inn in San Louis Obispo the next day. His sister realized this was an opportunity not to be missed. She excused herself, and retreated to an empty Sunday school classroom. She pulled out her cell phone and hit automatic dial for her oldest brother.

"Gary, It's Lucy.

"Jesus, where the hell are you? Mom called and said she couldn't reach you, and went by your house, and no one is there. We called your and Ari's cell phones, and no one is answering."

"Yeah, we saw your calls, and got your voice mail. We had to wait a while before we called. We're in Redding. We got up here last night.

"What the hell are you doing in Redding on Christmas day?"

"George got married a little while ago to a wonderful woman. There are a number of people that we need to get to know and know all over again."

"Mom will kill you!"

"Gary, it's time for this idiocy to end. It never should have happened in the first place. This has been nothing but a losing situation for all of us. It's been hell for George. He lost his first wife, Ingrid, you saw her picture, to cancer three years ago. He's been raising his son and daughter, your nephew and niece, by himself until he met Mindy a while ago." She wouldn't tell him how short their courtship had been.

"This is what I want you to do. I want you to reserve a room at George's restaurant for dinner tomorrow night. You and Peter, wives, kids and in-laws will be there. I want you to invite Mom. I'm sure she will refuse; however, if you and Peter have any hair on your balls at all, you will not let this go any further. You're going to tell Mom exactly what's going on.

"Next, I want you to reserve the best room possible for them at the best hotel in town. We will pay for it. They were going to the Madonna Inn and need to keep their reservation.

"Mom knew they were getting married and when. A friend of George and Mindy's drove to Fresno, and invited Mom to come to the wedding, even though we had returned the invitations. Of course Mom refused. Jo O'Donnell came to us next, and that's why we're up here. I realize now that Mom got to the rest of you before you opened the invitations. What a bunch of cowards we are. You didn't even bother to find out who was getting married.

"We're going to spend the night up here. I'm not exactly sure what their plans are about this evening. The reception will be over in a little while, and I want to tell George and Mindy about their change in plans. We'll get away early and be back shortly after noon. Call me in five minutes with their hotel information."

Lucy returned to the reception feeling very satisfied.

"There you are," Ari proclaimed. "I thought you fell in."

"Actually, I was talking with Gary." Turning to George and Mindy, she said, "I hope you don't mind, but Gary is making reservations at George's Restaurant for tomorrow night. I think everyone, with one notable exception, will be there."

"That could be a problem," a concerned George replied. "We have reservations tomorrow night in San Louis Obispo."

"We'll take care of that. Gary's making reservations for you in the best hotel in town. We'll pay for it. George, I think it's important that you and Mindy meet your family. This shouldn't be put off any longer. Mom will come around, eventually."

"Mindy, are you okay with this?" George asked.

"I think that would be very nice."

As it turned out, Gary took a bit longer than five minutes to return Lucy's call; however, when he did, he confirmed they had reservations for dinner, there was a hotel room, and Grandmother Khatchouhi would not be attending. But the healing was beginning.

For the newlyweds the honeymoon couldn't have been better. For the first time in their relationship children were not an issue. Mindy may have been taking a chance due to the fact she had been on the pill only a month; however, she didn't want George to use condoms any more. If she got pregnant it would be because it was with a man who she knew would be the father of her children to come. It would be just fine.

Mindy didn't get pregnant on their honeymoon, but she would get pregnant the following June (Jo O'Donnell was already pregnant). They were on a river trip with most of Mike and Jo's wedding party; something that Jo's little sister and fiancé had given them the previous fall. They were spending the night with Ingrid's parents in Mainz before rejoining the cruise. She knew the timing was right, as Jo had explained about her fertile period, something that Mindy was not aware of before. Nine months later, Josephine Ingrid entered the world.

The following fall, an event happened that no one in the beginning would have guessed what the importance would be. There was a murder. Then it turned out there were two murders. George handled the case from Redding, he was now a lieutenant, and Ed Stephens did the leg work in Southern California. The murderer was an insane, very wealthy man. He was also very sick physically. Ed Stephens was at his hospital bedside before he lapsed into a terminal coma. His last words to Ed were, "Please find my daughter." They discovered shortly after that that her mother had died giving birth to her.

Well, they did find her. She was living in a home for disadvantaged children, and she was far from disadvantaged. She was just short of her eleventh birthday, was a slightly built, dark eyed waif, and unknown to anyone at that time, she was a genius. Her given name was Frances, but everyone called her Fanny. A talented pianist, her skills were close to many pianists playing the concert tour at that time. What was amazing was she'd had only a few lessons. Per her father's wishes, she was hidden away from public scrutiny. She was brought to Redding by Jo and Mike, who along with Ed had found her in Los Altos. She met the Essegians when Jo and Mike came to pick up the twins Mindy had been caring for. Then, she met John. It wasn't quite love at first sight, but it was close. The fact she was a serious fan of baseball, and worshipped Tony Salcedo closed the deal. They were basically inseparable for the rest of their lives. Mike and Jo adopted her only a few months later.

Sadly, George's mother continued to refuse to acknowledge George's existence. Fortunately, there were frequent trips between Fresno and Redding; however, now Grandmother Katia was never to be seen. They also visited Emeril, Hunter and their children in San Francisco. George stayed in touch with Nellie, Donna, and the Prewitts. They exchanged Christmas cards every year. Brat would get a second star before he retired.

Three years after Josephine Ingrid's birth. Mindy was pregnant again. She hoped they would have a son, but that was not to be. They named her Katia after George's mother. Finally, someone in Fresno, it was Father Hovhannessian, took Katia aside and gave her a figurative shake to get her attention.

"Don't you realize that you have six grandchildren who are missing out on things Armenian? George can't do it all, and as wonderful as his wife may be, she is not Armenian. Although, I am told she is learning how to cook properly. Someone said her baklava is nearly as good as yours."

"George, there's someone driving an old pickup truck up the drive." Mindy had just finished nursing Katia, and caught a glimpse of the truck parking in the guest parking area as she was getting ready to put Katia down for a nap.

He looked out to see a mostly gray haired woman getting out of an old truck: a truck that should probably be sporting 'Antique Auto' tags. She straightened her dress a bit before putting her scarf over her hair. She took her handbag and another bag from the back seat. Then she set off in her most deliberate pace that George would have recognized from a half mile away.

"Oh my God, it's mother."

Mindy with Katia in her arms stood next to George as he opened the door. She did not stand behind him in deference. She was making a statement.

His mother stood there for a second looking at the three of them. "So, Kevork, I have brought you some dried figs. They are the best. And now, I think it is time that I should meet my grandchildren.

"Mindy, it is Mindy isn't it? I knew a Mindy Barsamian in Bakersfield. You are probably related. We need to talk about your baklava. I'm told by confidential sources that you are using syrup instead of honey. You mustn't do that. What type of fillo are you using? For derevi dolmas you must use only the best leg of lamb. Grind it at home. Don't let the butcher do it. It will never be fresh enough. George doesn't like his lamb too well done. Also, ...."

The dragon was no more.

Havu Beele, choor khume ne, yergeenk gu nayee. Even the hen, drinking water, looks up to heaven. (Thank God for your blessings.) (Armenian Proverb)

Amen inch’ lav e, vor avartvum e lav. All is well that ends well. (Armenian Proverb)

This does not end the tales of George and Mindy, Jo and Mike, and their families. Their stories pick up in The Narragansett Fork, Who Is Sylvia, Five Love Stories en Brochette, and The Redhead and the PM. I know about some things that happen but have yet to be written about. I'm not sure I'm up to the task. There is a story in the making about the SRU Wizard, Cindy, Bobbie and the rest. I may concentrate on that area for a while. Thank you for reading.

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