This seemed sostrange to think the closest airport to Plentywood, Montana was actually located in North Dakota… but as she viewed the spacious land below, she understood why this was the case.
Vast acres and acres of open land with very few buildings could be seen for miles and miles. As she gazed out the airplane window, she smiled, thinking of Jax being a young man, so ready to escape and find adventure.
As the plane touched down and taxied forward, she saw several strange looking fences in the distance and realized they were snow breaks for the nasty weather that this area endured. She couldn’t imagine what it was like for him growing up, and hoped there were plenty of photographs for her to look at.
Mary had spoken with his parents several times and knew his mother was so excited, but she hoped it all went well… and was starting to feel nervous, realizing that this was it.
It was time.
Getting out of her seat, she made her way up the aisle of the plane, holding her purse and backpack, taking several breaths to calm her nervous heart. She wished Jax was here to tell her everything was fine, to kiss her cheek and assure her that she was welcome.
Closing her eyes for a moment, she imagined him holding her hand, breathing against her ear, and talking to her, drawing strength from his memory… knowing he would want her to be happy above all else.
As Mary left the walkway, emerging into the airport, she made her way towards the baggage claim area and heard a beep. Glancing at her phone, she saw a few text messages waiting.
Mary – Xavier and I will be waiting in the baggage claim area. We can’t wait to meet you, sweetie!
Are you here?
We are the excited people holding a sign.
Xavier keeps laughing at me, because I keep texting you.
I can’t wait to meet my son’s wife!
Mary couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her as she rounded the corner and saw his parents… hearing the tearful shriek of joy as a woman with shockingly white hair threw her hands up into the air, moving to hug her as she walked through the gates.
“Is this our own little Mary?” Jean-Ann said tearfully, hugging her immediately, before laying her palms on each of her cheeks. “Oh, you are soooo pretty and so sweet – I bet Jax just adores you, doesn’t he?”
“Jean-Ann, let the young lady breathe, honey…” Xavier said. “Welcome, Mary. It’s wonderful to meet you finally.”
She looked at the two of them, hugging Jean-Ann again, and smiling at Xavier. It was so strange to see them both, realizing what a mixture Jax was of his parents, and thinking of her own child starting to bud within her.
Jax definitely had his father’s smile, but his eyes and nose were his mother’s. He was taller than both parents but carried himself like his father… except he had his mother’s ears. It was so cute, so sweet, so incredible a blend – and she couldn’t help but smile, wondering what their baby would look like.
“I’m so happy to meet you both,” Mary said hoarsely, realizing she was going to get just as emotional as Jean-Ann… and knew to have tissues waiting when she made her announcement, because both women would be sobbing with joy.
“Let’s get you home, settled, and feed you, sweet girl,” Jean-Ann encouraged, hugging her shoulders again. “I’ve got some pumpkin bread made, a nice ham in the cooker, and some scalloped potatoes waiting. Do you like scalloped potatoes? I bet you are hungry, you poor thing. You are nothing but arms and legs!”
Mary couldn’t help but smile and shake her head in disbelief as this couple took her under their wing, knowing that the next few days were going to be full of smothering parental love… that would be wonderful.
She couldn’t wait!
* * *
Mary laythere in Jax’s bedroom, looking around and strangely feeling almost like an intruder, peering at things that he thought were precious to him when he once lived there.
There were old movie posters, a stack of CD’s on an old wooden desk that held a lamp, a cup with ink pens and pencils in it, along with a few trophies. The bulletin board above the desk had a line of pins pressed into the corkboard, each holding a medal. A large denim bean bag was in the corner, and a mirror hung on the back of his bedroom door.
She was going to have to tease Jax about the newspaper articles that were cut out and taped to the glass – one with a heart around some girl’s head. It was obviously old, yellowed, but exceedingly sweet, to see that he once had a crush on someone… just like any other normal teenage kid.
She couldn’t sleep.
Mary was too excited to tell Jax about the baby, and wanted to blurt it out so badly to everyone that even remotely walked past her. She was sure to most people this was a happy, everyday occurrence… but to her?
This was a miracle.
With as cruel, mean, and distant as Joe could be… combined with the problems they’d had in the bedroom as a couple? She realized long ago that she didn’t need birth control, because she would probably never have a baby.