Pumping Heat

I told him that, as far as I knew, Tiffany didn't have a boy friend. When I gave him Tiffany's phone number, he thanked me and said he'd give her a call.

Although Donna remained concerned about Mark, I sensed she was greatly relieved to have him back from Iraq. Shortly after he arrived home, he began using his GI Bill benefits by enrolling in vocational rehabilitation training; his chosen career field was in HVAC. He wanted what he called a "green collar job," so he specialized in geothermal heat pump systems. It seems to be a career with a solid future.

Being in the construction trade myself, I knew several companies were looking for good help. After he completed his training, I introduced Mark to the owner of an HVAC company who was searching for someone who had skills like Mark's. Mark was hired on the spot, and he's been working full-time there ever since.

Mark and Tiffany finally renewed their relationship after all those years and began dating again. In a matter of months, they became engaged, having decided they couldn't live without each other. Donna and I concluded the same thing, so we decided to get married, too. We set our wedding date for September of 2005. After the wedding, Donna permanently moved in with me, leaving her house vacant.

Mark and Tiffany married the following April. Since Donna's house was vacant, she had it repainted, then deeded the property to the newlyweds. Now we live only a few doors away from our children.

Last fall, Tiffany stopped taking her birth control pills. Around Valentine's Day, she excitedly announced that she's pregnant. Then last week she called and said her ultrasound shows she's carrying twins. Donna and I are looking forward to spoiling our grandchildren--one for each of us.

I tried to draw out Tiffany's future twin's family tree. There's a knot in it that I can't resolve, because Mark is my son-in-law as well as my step-son. Tiffany is Donna's daughter-in-law and also her step-daughter, too. Confusing, isn't it? I joked with Donna that Mark and Tiffany, being my daughter and step-son, have an incestuous relationship. When Mark and Tiffany's babies arrive, they will only have one set of grandparents.

It's interesting how things change over time. I'd have killed Mark if he'd gotten Tiffany pregnant ten years ago; now I'm happy that he did.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm extremely proud of Mark--Tiffany too, for that matter. As I write this, Mark is still installing heat pumps. He pointed out that as of December 1, 2009, homeowners who install geothermal heat pumps with the ENERGY STAR rating are eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit. Did I mention that I've hired him to install one in our house?

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