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From: "The Star" <extar@hotmail.com>
Subject: {ASSM} Adoré04 - The Juggling Act
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2001 18:10:04 -0400
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<1st attachment, "Ador 04.txt" begin>

						Ador 
				A Tale of Romance By The Star*
				Chapter Four - The Juggling Act


Winter was a good time.

Ador  was going to drop her classes that term. She just wasn't strong enough 
to come back after only a week, and thought more than that would make it 
impossible to catch up. Since she was only taking two classes, she spoke 
with the instructors, who both urged her to continue. "I'll cut you some 
slack, Ador ," her French teacher said. "You speak and read above this level 
anyway. You'll do OK." When her English teacher took the same approach, she 
agreed to continue.

Little Robby seemed a typical kid. He cried when he was wet or hungry, cooed 
when he was played with, and generally seemed happy to be with them.

They were certainly happy to have him.


Ador 's obstetrician confirmed that it would be very difficult--though not 
impossible--for her to conceive again and that Robby was a lucky fluke. Her 
uterus had sustained some additional damage carrying Robby. She counted her 
blessings.

Marty sailed through his winter term courses. He was a happy, contented man. 
His wife--he'd never expected to have a wife for several more years--was the 
woman of his dreams. In fact, Ador  exceeded all of his dreams, in beauty, 
personality, and in bed. His schoolwork was interesting and challenging. And 
his little son was a joy. What more could a man want?

Their friends were pleased for them. Ador  made their home a warm, friendly 
place, where the few close friends they'd made were welcome--and often 
present; sometimes to study, sometimes to talk or play cards, sometimes for 
dinner.
Ador  was, when they first married, a barely adequate cook. But she directed 
her attention to the subject and, by the time they'd been married a year, 
was very good at 'American plain cooking', and was learning some gourmet 
tricks. Determined to maintain her figure, she emphasized healthy food and 
low fat.

Spring term, they were both back in class and, at her mother's insistence, 
hired a part-time housekeeper/nanny to take care of Robby and the house 
while they were in school. This worked out well for them, since they were 
able to hire another student--a young woman who really loved children and 
was studying to be an elementary teacher. She was capable and congenial, and 
soon became a lifelong friend.

They didn't make Dean's List, but their grades were good and, before they 
knew it, finals were upon them.



"We need to fly to Virginia as soon as finals are over," Ador  announced.

"Won't it keep until Fourth of July?"

"Mom was unusually insistent. I don't know what's on her mind, but she 
really wants us there."

"OK. But I'll have to placate my folks. Mom's expecting a month with us, 
then July in Virginia. Of course, dad would like our help for roundup."

"I know, honey. But I think we need to go."

Marty made Ador  make the call, thinking that Hazel wouldn't beat her up so 
much.

Hazel wasn't upset, but was very curious. "I think maybe I'll join you, if 
you don't mind?" she said.

"Not at all, Hazel. It will be fun to have you. Daddy's sending the Lear, so 
we'll pick you up in Bend."

On the cross-country flight, they didn't speculate much about the urgent 
summons. As Hazel said, "We'll know all about it when we get there. In the 
meantime, I need some quality time spoiling Robby." She monopolized her 
grandson the rest of the trip, except when Ador  was feeding him.


The family chauffeur met them at the airport with a limo. As they started 
off, Ador  asked, "Are we going to the farm?"

"No, miss. Your parents will meet you in the Richmond house."

"I suppose you're sworn to secrecy and can't tell me what's going on?" she 
asked.

"Sorry miss. I'm not sworn to secrecy. But I'd only be speculating and I'd 
rather not do that."

"I didn't mean to put you on the spot. I'm just awfully curious."

"Think nothing of it, miss."

When they pulled in to the covered entrance to the family mansion in 
Richmond, Ador 's mother met them herself.

"Hazel, welcome. I wasn't sure you'd come but I'm glad you did. You'll be a 
big help." Hugging everyone indiscriminately, she led them inside, deftly 
plucking Robby from her daughter's arms as she did.

In the downstairs library, they found Ador 's father and brother. When 
greetings and hugs were exchanged and little Robby admired, Mr. Parmentier 
cleared his throat, gaining their attention.

"Kids, thanks for coming. I know you planned to be here next month, but this 
is important. Hazel, glad you're here, too... In a way, getting you here 
like this is a selfish act. But I wanted to see you when ... well, when I 
was able to be me and enjoy your company. Last week we learned that I have a 
particularly nasty form of cancer. It's in my head, and is not just a 
tumor--rather it has spread through a large portion of my brain and will 
soon be into the brain stem."

He paused to let them take in what he'd said. "There is no cure, and no 
effective treatment. Oh, I could try chemotherapy or radiation, but the 
doctor told me frankly that they've had zero results with that for this form 
of the disease. A month from now, I will be bedridden--and unable to 
recognize any of you. Certainly not mentally competent most of the time."

Tears were flowing from Ador 's and Hazel's eyes, as they listened to a man 
they loved and respected, calmly tell them he was under an irrevocable 
sentence of death.

"I wanted you here, now, so I could enjoy a few last days with those I love, 
while I can be aware enough to enjoy having you near me. I especially wanted 
to see and hold little Robby again. Jeff hasn't produced any offspring--at 
least that he'll admit--so this is the only grandchild I'll see.... Thank 
you, Ador , for producing him. I think maybe his miracle conception and 
birth was the Lord's way of making it up to me a little."

Ador  and Hazel reached for the Kleenex, and sniffled.

"A couple of other things. I only want you to stay a week. Don't come for 
Fourth of July this year. I don't want you to see me that way. I want you to 
remember me as I am right now. Will you agree to that?"

"Daddy, I don't care that you'll be changed by this. I'll stay with you."

"I know you would, honey. But I would be so much easier in my mind if you 
didn't... please go back to the ranch for the summer."

Sobbing, Ador  agreed.

"I'm not in any pain, honey. There will be some, they tell me. But they also 
promise that they have effective medications to keep it bearable. Your mom 
will be here. I ordered Jeff away, too. He's defying me. He'll stay, knowing 
it is my wish that he would not." He tried to glare at his son, but the love 
in his look robbed it of any force.

"The other thing we need to talk about, Marty, Ador ...and you, too, 
Hazel...is Dory's money. Every year, both of us have given each of the 
children the maximum $10,000 we can tax-free, as well as some other gifts. 
That money is in a trust account at Bank of Virginia. Mr. Sydne, whom you 
know, Hazel, can handle it all for you. It's in your name, Dory. It's yours. 
I'm told it's something over a million dollars."

Marty's eyes got big. He sure hadn't expected this.

"Then there are your trusts... You have access to one of them now--it became 
available when you turned eighteen. You were so busy making Robby, we didn't 
bother you about it. There are others. My lawyers are preparing a list, with 
a synopsis of the terms and amounts in each...

"Honey, there is not enough money there for you to live like you did growing 
up. You can't afford houses like this or jets. I'd hoped to make enough for 
that, but didn't have time. But you will be well-off. You could invest the 
funds and enjoy a comfortable middle class lifestyle from the income. That's 
what I urge you to do. Marty is a fine young man. I wish you had married 
some money, frankly, but I can't and don't have any complaints about his 
character. I suspect he will be able to provide you with any lifestyle you 
want. Use what you have to make your way a little easier, to achieve your 
goals a little quicker. OK?"

Numbly, Marty and Ador  both nodded. Hazel, seeing it, did too.

"Just for your information, to answer the questions I can see that you have, 
your brother has nearly identical arrangements, with a bit more opportunity 
in the family business. He's not ready to take over from me, but it will be 
there if he wants to. Your mother will be OK. She says she intends to move 
to the farm, and sell this house to your cousin, Allen. Allen is the next 
'patriarch' and has said he'd like to keep the Parmentier House in 
Parmentier hands. He's also said that you will always be welcome here.

"Surprisingly, the farm is almost self-supporting, and your mother has 
plenty of assets to keep it, and herself, in any style she wants.

"Any questions?"

"Just one, daddy. Why won't you let me stay with you? I would feel much 
better if I could hold your hand and kiss your cheek every day. And if you 
can't recognize me, it doesn't matter. I can recognize you."

"I love you, too, Ador . Little Dory. What a wonderful woman you are... 
Believe me, darling, I love you very much. I respect you. I'm so proud of 
you it hurts... And I will die easier, knowing you don't have to bear the 
pain. There will be no funeral. There will be no burial. I'll be cremated 
and the ashes scattered on the farm. Like I said, it is my wish--my dying 
wish, if you will--that you remember me as I am today. And that you have as 
many good memories of me as you can. Will you do that?"

Sobbing, Ador  responded, "Daddy, I think this is the hardest thing you've 
ever asked of me. I will do it. But know that you will be in my prayers 
every day..." Her tears overcame her. She rushed to her father and buried 
her head in his chest.



Robby announced that he was hungry, so Marty and Ador  took him to their 
suite, where she could breast-feed him in comfort, while Marty showered off 
the scum of the flight. When Robby was burped and asleep, Ador  showered.

"Well, darling, what do you think?" she asked her husband, as she vigorously 
toweled her hair, naked otherwise.

"Absolutely stunning!" he said in an awestruck tone.

"Idiot!" She snapped the towel at him. "About daddy and all?"

"Baby, I'm really sorry about your dad. He's not that old a man, and he's a 
good guy besides. But if you ask me, it's not a bad way to check out. Pretty 
fast, but he's had some warning, so he can make arrangements--like spending 
a last week with his grandson. I believe him when he says they can handle 
the pain. I think he's set things up as well as he can, to make it all as 
pleasant--or at least as little unpleasant--as he can. I understand why you 
want to be here. Hell, *I* want to be here. But, baby, it's what he wants. 
And I think we owe it to him to give him what he wants if it's in our 
power."

"Yeah. You're right. But you better hold me a lot, the next few months. I'm 
likely to break down in tears at odd moments."

"No problem. I love you, Dory."

"And I love you too, Marty... What do you think about the money?"

"I think we need to talk to mom--and probably a good tax guy--right away."

"What does Hazel have to do with it?"

"She's a lot smarter about that stuff than most anybody I've ever met. I'll 
bet, if she was a man, she'd be doing your dad's job for the family."

"OK, Marty... Darling? ... Hold me?"



Later, they found the Parmentiers in the upstairs sitting room, Mrs. 
Parmentier's favorite room in the house.

Ador  hugged her dad in greeting, passed Robby to him, and sat by her 
mother, giving her a hug, too.

"OK, daddy," she said. "I'll do it your way--but you need to know that I 
would rather be with you all the way."

"Thanks, honey. That really does make it easier for me... How about a bridge 
game after dinner? I think I still have enough brain cells to beat you."

She smiled and agreed to the game, but not the probable outcome. "I'll take 
Marty for a partner. You won't have a chance."

"Sure I will. Hazel's going to by my partner."

She looked at her mother. "You going to let him get away with that?"

"Sure. He's always wanted to play with Hazel, this is the only way I'd let 
him do it."

"_MOTHER!_"

"True. If you don't believe me, ask Hazel."

"Well, that's not quite right. There was a family picnic when I was fourteen 
and Hazel thirteen..."

"That's quite enough, you old fart. You don't want the kids to remember you 
as a liar, too."

"All I will say is, 'Ask Hazel'," he said in a sanctimonious tone, his eyes 
twinkling. "Anybody want a drink?"

"Do you think you should, dear?"

"How is it going to hurt me? Can I become an alcoholic in a month?"

"You're right, dear. I'll have a glass of merlot."

"I'm having scotch. Marty?"

"Whisky, please, with water."

"Here you go, dear... Marty... Dory, what can I get you?"

"Do you have Chablis or something like that?"

"I'll ring for it. Just take a minute."

"It's OK, daddy. The merlot will do."

"No, we should have a bottle up here anyway."

As he rang for the butler, Hazel showed up, followed by Jeff.

"At the sauce, I see," she commented. She tasted Marty's drink, and 
appropriated it.

Jeff poured himself a straight scotch while a new drink was prepared for 
Marty. By then the Chablis had appeared and a toast was proposed.

"To the family. I'm proud of you all, and proud to be a part of this."

"You give us a good example to follow, sir," Jeff said.

"Yep. You're one of the _good_ cousins," Hazel said, straight faced, and 
then shared a chuckle with the rest of them.

Conversation remained light during dinner. Afterwards they adjourned to the 
game room for the bridge game. Ador 's mother and brother kibitzed a bit and 
watched a bit of television in a corner of the room.

During the game--Hazel was as good as her reputation--Ador  asked her, "Did 
you and dad ever get it on?"

Hazel grinned and thought about it for a minute. The kids didn't know quite 
what to make of the delay in answering. "Yeah, we did. Just the one time, 
though. Why didn't we ever do it again?"

"Well, you and Dick were pretty involved. Then you met Ad and it was all 
over for the rest of us."

"Too bad. Might have been fun."

"No regrets, Hazel."

"Yeah. No regrets."



They stayed ten days. Their days were filled with small excursions in 
Richmond, and a three-day trip to the farm. Ador 's dad was obviously saying 
goodbye to people and places. But he kept cheerful and made jokes or just 
acted goofy whenever he spotted a long face. He made a point of holding and 
playing with little Robby whenever he could, and even sat beside his 
daughter while she nursed him, brushing his hair gently, and absorbing all 
he could of the scene, and the time with his child and grandchild.

When it was time to leave, he went with them to the airport, hugging 
everyone strongly as they boarded the plane, kissing Ador  and Hazel. He 
loved them and had told them so. He'd said goodbye, and done it his way. 
Driving back into Richmond, his eyes were filled with tears, but they were, 
mostly, happy ones.
There were tears on the airplane, too.


					- - + + + + + - -


At the ranch, there was plenty to do. Rick was home, so he and Marty pitched 
in with their dad and their hands. Most of the year's crop of calves had 
been located, rounded up, and branded--as well as having their shots and 
their details noted in Ad's tally book. But there was plenty of work, and 
they all spent long hours in the saddle or in the jeeps, returning home 
reeling from exhaustion more than once.

Cattle had to be moved from one range to another, springs needed to be 
cleaned out, and fences repaired. And there was sometimes a cow that got 
itself in trouble and had to be rescued.

Then there was the hay crop to cut and rake. When it dried, they hired the 
baling done, but helped with the stacking. Two of the barns had to be full 
of feed, as well as several large haystacks here and there on the ranch, in 
order to see all the stock through the winter.

In the fall, they would cull the herd, sending some to slaughter and a few 
to buyers of breeding stock. Similarly, they would cull the horse herd, 
though that year they figured they only needed to get rid of a half-dozen 
animals.

The Fourth of July they all went to Bend for the annual celebration and 
fireworks. Ador  was a little weepy--this date was a tradition on the family 
plantation and she'd never missed it. She knew she'd probably never be in 
Virginia on the Fourth again. All in all, they had a good day, though she 
insisted on being held during the entire fireworks display.

Marty didn't think it much of an imposition, holding his wife's shapely form 
against him.



Hazel talked with Ador 's mother regularly and passed the news along. The 
fifth, Ador 's dad slipped into a coma; he died two days later. Her mom sent 
the jet for the family.

On the plane, Ador  was weeping pretty much constantly. When she said that 
she should have been there, Hazel brought her up short. "No regrets, girl! 
That's what your daddy said and that's what I say. No regrets, ever. He 
really was happy you weren't there to see him waste away, or turn crazy. 
That bothered him more than the prospect of it happening. Be happy for him. 
It's all over. He was a church-going man and I guess he's in a better place. 
You played your part by giving him his dignity."

Ador  heard, and agreed. She even tried to smile, as she dashed tears from 
her eyes. "Yeah, he was a pretty starchy old coot at times, wasn't he?"

Hazel laughed. "He was indeed. That's probably why we never got together--I 
was just too much of a hellion when I was younger. He was always pretty 
straight."

The memorial service--they had one, in spite of Robert's wishes--filled the 
big church in Richmond. The next day, the family gathered at the farm, where 
Ador , her mom and her brother spread the ashes over the acres where he'd 
been so happy and so full of joy of living. He'd always be there for them, 
whenever they visited the place.



Back in Oregon, Ador  got reacquainted with her horse. Champ had enjoyed 
most of a year off, and had successfully serviced seven mares on the ranch. 
At least, that many were in foal and Ad thought it was Champ that got them 
all.
They set up some jumps in the smaller corral and Ador  led her excited mount 
over them. It was plain that the horse was pleased to be 'working,' even 
more than his rider, who complained of some tenderness on her bottom. Her 
balance wasn't quite the same either, with her breasts still full of milk 
much of the time. Still, she was pleased to be on a horse again, and enjoyed 
herself totally.

She and Marty gravitated to working with the ranch horses. When Ad mentioned 
over supper that he needed to cull some horses, Ador  took it on. Two days 
later she gave him her list. That precipitated quite a row. Ad contended one 
of the horses she wanted to sell was one of the best they had.

"Ad, that horse is a cull, pure and simple. She's six, but hasn't been in 
foal once. And her conformation is wrong. Her feet are just too dainty for 
her bone structure. Right now, she's at her peak. Sell her for the best 
price you can get and let somebody else worry about her vet bills when her 
hooves won't take her weight."

When Marty and Hazel agreed with her, he gave in.



Soon it was Labor Day and first Rick, then Marty and Ador , left for school. 
Champ went with them and was boarded at a stable on the edge of Corvallis.
Ador  had a bit of catching up to do for the classes she'd missed last year, 
but they were both full-time students in their sophomore year.

Their friend, Denise Hollister, asked if she could work for them again.
"It was a perfect arrangement, Dory! It's not hard to arrange my classes so 
they don't conflict with yours. And Robby's a dear. I really loved the 
setup. Of course, the pay isn't bad, either, and was very welcome. Can we do 
it this year?"

They agreed that it worked well for everybody concerned. Marty liked Denise 
a lot, too. Eventually, they put the 'guest room' bed in Robby's room, since 
Denise started sleeping over, some nights. By the end of the fall term, she 
had moved in. It still worked well and they remained good friends.

Ador  began to wean Robby, though she loved breast-feeding. Her schedule had 
become too full to be tied to his feeding schedule. Denise fed him a bottle 
at nap time, but they started him on a child's cup. He'd been eating solid 
food since he was six weeks old.

Marty sometimes got the benefit of the effort, when he got to nurse the 
remnants from his wife's breasts.

There was also a horse to work and the normal college social activities. Not 
to mention Saturday football games and a few weekend horse shows.

They were a busy family.


Hazel had given them good advice about Ador 's money, too. The cash from her 
parents was put into semi-liquid accounts. The money from the trust that 
matured was also invested, after taxes were settled. The next 'chunks' of 
money would come when she turned twenty-one.

Ador  had suggested spending some money to build their home at the ranch. 
Hazel cautioned her to take her time. She might need a tax shelter soon. Use 
it for that.

They did consult an architect, and Ador  paid his fee, for a plan that they 
both liked a lot and that Ad felt would fit into the surroundings nicely. As 
promised, he obtained permits, had the site leveled, and the septic system 
installed.

With the plan in hand, he called a friend who was an excavation contractor 
and arranged to have the foundation put in.

Ador , meanwhile was attending one or two horse shows every month, with 
Marty along to assist, more often than not, with judging. This was an 
expensive hobby, but Ador  contended that it was a good investment.

"If we offer Champ to service other people's mares, he'll be worth a lot 
more if he and I are still well-known. Besides, neither of us is ready to 
retire from competition."

Marty just grinned. He knew the competitive fire wasn't gone from her, and 
they could afford it, after all. Besides, he enjoyed the shows as much as 
she did.
So they were busy, keeping all the balls in the air: baby, house, new house, 
ranch, horses and, oh yes, college classes and collegiate social life.



*(c) 2001  Extar International, Ltd. All rights reserved. Single copies for 
personal, non-commercial use may be downloaded or printed. Any other uses, 
including reposting, or posting on an archive site, must have prior 
permission from Extar International. Comments always welcome.  
<extar@hotmail.com>



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