Rewards of Virtue

Steve reached inside his suit and took an envelope out of the pocket. He opened it and said, "I have been instructed to read this letter in its entirety at the wedding reception of Alex Fielding and Brandy Hoover." Everyone there who knew the couple and Mrs. Fowler gasped it seemed. All wondered how she could possibly have made a bequest for this wedding.

Steve continued. "Well Alex it's about time you did something right for a change. I had been watching you and Brandy dance around and make mooneyes at each other for months. I don't know how long I've been gone but it's about damn time you got your head out of your butt and married that girl. I wanted so badly to keep you from marrying Alice but I just couldn't. You could have been right and she could have turned over a new leaf for you but I just didn't believe she had. I do believe that for the first two years you were married she stayed true to you. At least my investigators could find no problems. Unfortunately as we all know that changed. You have a keeper now boy. Live, love and prosper. I know you have more important things to do than listen to an old woman talk to you from the grave so I will be brief. I loved you both as my own and am so happy for you now. In honor of this occasion I want to provide the honeymoon. I left this final bequest for that purpose. I want you to take a world trip and not come back until this $100000.00 and its interest is completely gone. Just so you know, had you two not gotten married to each other this amount would have gone to the children you each may have had with the spouse you did choose. In any event, know this old woman loved you both and wants you to be happy with each other."

The audience was deathly quiet as Steve handed the check for the bequest and interest to Alex. Many of the women and even some men were crying, as was Brandy.

Over the next few months it seemed even Alice had mellowed. She was calling and letting the children spend more and more time with Alex and Brandy. Alex always had to go pick them up and deliver them but he was happy to do that. He was getting to spend way more time with his children than the court had mandated. Alice never came to the car to talk but he could see her inside the door when he picked up the children. She seemed to not want to leave her home any longer.

Alex questioned the children about her but all they could tell him was that mother didn't go out as much any more and she had told them they needed to spend more time with their father.

About eleven months after Alex and Brandy married they got a phone call from Child Protective Services. The worker said, "Mr. Fielding we have your children in foster care. Should you so desire they will be released into your custody if you make arrangement to pick them up."

Alex was shocked and asked, "What happened to their mother? They are supposed to be in her custody. Oh, God she or one of her boyfriends didn't hurt them did they? Are they OK?" Alex yelled into the phone.

The caseworker let Alex finish his questions then said, "Relax Mr. Fielding. Your children are fine. Their mother is too ill to care for them any longer and they want to come live with you if you want them."

"Of course I want them. How could you ask that? What do you mean their mother is too ill to care for them? What happened to her," Alex asked.

The worker replied, "I am afraid I cannot go into their mother's health problems but perhaps you can get that information from her. I am told she has requested you visit her before you take the children home with you. She is in St. John's Medical Center here in town. Now if there is nothing else, you can stop here at our office and a caseworker will accompany you to pick up your children after the proper paperwork has been taken care of."

Brandy was watching Alex while he was talking on the phone. Her face looked puzzled and worried at the same time. As soon as Alex hung up she asked what had happened. After he told her she said, "Of course we want the kids. Why would anyone think any different? Do you want to leave now?"

"Yes. Let's go and see if we can get them settled in time for bed."

Alex and Brandy were horrified at the amount of paperwork involved in just picking up the children but they finally got it all done and were taken to the home of the older couple who had the children. When the door opened Sam looked up and saw who was there. He darted past the foster family and caseworker to hug his father. Julie was not far behind and she grabbed Brandy and hung on for dear life. Sam looked up at Alex and said, "I told them you would want us. I knew momma was wrong about that. Can we please go home now? I don't like it here."

Alex smiled and said, "Yes Sam we can go home now. You and your sister get your things and we will go."

On the way home Brandy was watching Alex. She reached over and put her hand on his thigh. "Honey what's the matter? We have the kids and everything will be ok now. Why do you look like that?"

Alex sighed and said, "The caseworker said that Alice wanted us to come see her in the hospital. I just don't know if I want to and I am not sure I could do it even if I did."

"Honey, it's over between you and her. If she is so ill she can't care for the kids don't you think we should at least do this one thing for her? After all she is their mother."

Alex sighed and agreed. He turned the car toward the hospital and drove silently until they had the car parked. He looked in the back seat and said, "OK kids. Let's go see your mother so you can tell her good bye for now."

Both children held back and seemed afraid. Sam started to cry. Alex looked at him and said, "OK guys why don't you want to see your mother? What's going on?"

Julia looked at Alex and said, "Daddy Mother told us we were not supposed to touch her or kiss her and to not touch anything she had been using. She said she didn't want to make us sick. We're scared she will make us sick if we go. Do we have to? She said she was real sick and people should stay away from her."

Alex looked at Brandy then said, "No kids, you don't have to touch her but we promised we would see her before we took you home. Brandy and I have to go but you can stay out of the room if you want to. Now let's go."

When they got to the hospital reception area the volunteer directed them to the hospice unit. She wouldn't tell them why Alice was there but said one of the workers there could help.

When they got to the proper wing of the hospital they were told to not touch anything Alice had been using and directed to the room she was in. Alice looked up when they walked into her room. She smiled slightly and said weakly, "Alex. Thank you for coming. I could always count on you couldn't I? You don't know how much I hoped it could have been different with us. I tried so hard honey. I just couldn't be what you needed me to be. You deserved so much more."

Alice looked behind Alex at the two children peering into the room from the hallway and continued, "At least we made some good babies. I always loved you for that and I'm so sorry now I treated you like I did not letting you see them much. I was just so angry with you for so long because I felt like you were trying to keep me from things I needed. I felt like you deserved not having something you needed. Heck, I'm even sorry about the way I treated you in the divorce. I guess you know by now I won't be here much longer. You know you were right when you said I needed to be more careful or my lifestyle would kill me. I guess it did. If they didn't tell you I have AIDS. Jason and all the Jocks I was screwing have it too. We don't know which of us gave it to the others but I guess that's not important now. You know I did love you. I always came back to you. I always thought of you when I was with the other guys. I just couldn't be happy with one cock and like you said at college that killed me. Please take care of my babies for me and try not to let them forget me."

Brandy had tears in her eyes while Alice was talking. She watched while Alex walked closer to Alice's bed. He said, "Alice you were always my best friend from the day you first came to school until you did what you did. I always liked you and for a while I loved you. I just wish..."

Alex looked over at Brandy then continued, "I just wish you had taken care of yourself so you could see the children grow and prosper. Brandy and I will love them and care for them for you. Good Bye."

Alice smiled slightly and watched the family move out of the room. A tear ran down her cheek and she sighed.

Late the next day Alex received yet another phone call from Centerton. The voice was crisp and businesslike. "Mr. Fielding?"

After Alex verified his identity the man continued, "This is Dr. Douglass from St. Johns Hospice. I regret to inform you that your ex wife passed away at 3:17 p.m. this afternoon. I'm sorry. The remains have been transferred to Grogan's chapel for cremation. If you would contact them for any instructions? You are the only person she listed as an interested party so... I am truly sorry sir. Good bye."

Alex and Brandy took care of Alice's final disposition and had her ashes buried in the Steelville Cemetery along with her parents and grandmother. He hoped she had found whatever she was looking for and that she would be happy in whatever afterlife she had.

Several months later Alex was once again sitting in a hospital room. This time his 10-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son were with him. They were looking at Brandy lying in a hospital bed smiling down at Joseph Howard Fielding born just three hours before. They all felt such happiness it was hard to imagine just eighteen months before they had been so shattered by Alice's death.

Once again, all was well in Steelville.