Home Again

Adam Cartwright sat behind his laptop when he looked into his mailbox. Not much had come in due to the Holidays but suddenly his eye caught a message with an attachment. He clicked on it and it was an email from his oldest son Mitch who was on vacation abroad with his partner Matthew Walker. Adam started the attachment and put the sound a bit harder what the eldest Cartwright boy then heard and saw beat his naughtiest dreams.

“So now it’s really official”, Adam said to himself.

“What is now really official?”, his wife Sally asked amazed.

“I got this movie per email”, Adam said while he showed it to Sally.

“How romantic”, was her 1^st reaction.

Then the cell phone of Adam rang. It was Dan Walker, the father of Matthew.

“Have you also received a movie from ours?”, asked Dan.

“Yes, so they also have sent it to you. Sally thought it was romantic. Laura did too, didn’t she?”, was the counter-question of Adam.

“Indeed”, said Dan.

“I send it through to my family. See how they react”, answered Adam.

He hung up and sent the movie of the proposal to his father Ben Cartwright and younger brothers Hoss and Joe.

Hoss Cartwright sat behind the joined computer and saw that he had received an email from his oldest nephews Mitch and Matthew. He opened the email and saw the 2 photo’s of the 2 puddings at the candy house of the witch. In the email stood as reaction of Mitch, ‘Uncle Hoss, here you have 2 photo’s of 2 delicious puddings. Enjoy your meal. M & M.’

He printed the photo’s, walked with them to the others and said, “Our nephews have emailed these to me last night.”

“How delicious”, said his wife Betsy.

Their daughters Inger and Petra also found them delicious. Back at the computer Hoss saw that there was an email from his brother. Hoss clicked on the movie and saw and heard the proposal.

“Pa, you really must see and hear this now”, he said smiling.

With pa Hoss meant his father Ben Cartwright, the owner of the Ponderosa ranch. The rancher came and also got to hear and see the movie. Now Betsy, Joe and his wife Paula came there too. The women found the proposal romantic.

“When are the boys coming home?”, asked Ben.

“They leave from Rotterdam on December 28 and come probably home the next day. Do you want to organizer an engagement party for them?”, asked Joe, the youngest Cartwright brother.

“Indeed. But I think about to combine it with the change of year. I think that the boys will be bothered by jetlag”, answered the rancher.

While his children played outside Adam watched again the movie of the proposal.

“My little boy has now really grown up”, he said a bit melancholy.

“Ah, what are you pathetic. Do remember that your other son is playing outside”, Sally said teasing.

Adam hit back with, “Just wait until Lisa and/or Rose gets or getting married. Then you will brush away a whole lot of tears.”

“I will do that too with Mitch and Benji”, confessed Sally.

She saw that Adam missed Mary.

“Mary would liked it very much if she saw this movie. Somewhere she knew that Mitch and Matthew would become a couple”, Adam said seriously.

“Because she and Laura were bosom friends and their sons are having their birthday exactly 2 months after each other?”, asked Sally.

Adam nodded and told, “If I needed a babysitter I brought Mitch by Dan and Laura and the other way around. Sometimes it looked like if they and/or I had 2 sons instead of 1.”

Sally looked at her husband and asked, “Shall we tell it the children?”

“Of the engagement of Mitch and Matthew?”, Adam asked amazed.

“Yes”, said Sally.

“I will get them inside for a moment”, said Adam.

He got up and called his children (Lisa, Benji and Rose) inside.

“Why did we have to come inside now? We were just playing so nicely in the snow”, said Benji.

“Take off your shoes and coat because mama and I have something to tell you”, said his father.

That happened and the children looked questionable at their parents.

“Just walk along to my office because your brother has sent something to us by email”, said Adam.

The children walked along and got to hear sand see the movie of the proposal.

“So they are getting married together?”, asked Benji.

“As soon as it here can yes”, answered Adam.

“What funny”, Lisa said on behalf of her brother and little sister.

Adam and Sally gave each other a quick wink.

“Does grandpa already know it about Mitch?”, Rose asked then.

“He knows that indeed because I have sent the movie forward to him”, answered Adam.

The children went to play outside again.

After a long flight with intermediate stops in London and Atlanta Mitch Cartwright and Matthew Walker were on December 29, 2012 in Las Vegas. The uncle of Matthew, Sean Walker, had picked up the boys in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, where the couple have had a great vacation. The parents of Matthew (Dan and Laura Walker) were at the airport to pick them up.

“Dan, there they are finally”, Laura said excited when they saw the boys coming.

“So to see they haven’t slept much the last few hours”, Dan remarked when he saw how sleepy the boys looked like.

The boys received a warm greeting from Dan and Laura.

“Congratulations both of you with your proposed wedding. The movie was so romantic”, said Laura.

“Thanks mom. The whole vacation was romantic in our eyes. You have missed so much there”, said Matthew.

“Especially the cupcakes. But I think that uncle Hoss will find them a bit on the small side”, Mitch reacted laughing.

“Mitch, your uncle finds everything small what food is concerned”, answered Dan.

They laughed. Meanwhile they walked to the car of Dan and they got in. Dan took place behind the wheel and drove to the ranch house where Adam and Sally lived.

Meanwhile Sally was bus with supper because they would get guests for dinner. She knew that her children were good eaters and that also went for Mitch and Matthew. That’s why Sally made a big pan of macaroni with ham and cheese. That always went down well.

Around 17.45 o’clock Rose suddenly called “Daddy, mama, there come uncle Dan and aunty Laura.”

Her father (Adam Cartwright) came to his youngest daughter and saw them coming too.

“Are the world travelers coming there?”, asked Benji, the youngest son van Adam.

“So to see yes. Boys, they will be very tired from the flight trip. So don’t greet them too wild”, answered his father.

The door bell rang and Adam answered it.

He saw his son and son-in-law standing asked sarcastic, “Finally come home from the Fairytale Forest?”

“We rather had stayed there. But we go again next year”, answered Mitch.

“So to hear has the vacation been good”, said Adam while the guests came in.

Matthew nodded and got with Mitch an extended greeting from the little ones and of Sally too of course.

During supper Mitch and Matthew got many questions to answer. They hardly had time to eat which the grownups noticed.

Adam said then too, “Boys, let the world travelers first eat something. They probably haven’t eaten much at the Fairy Tale park.”

“We have done that though. Especially big cupcakes”, answered Mitch.

“Big cupcakes?”, Lisa asked curious.

“Yes, there were cupcakes met the Wolf, Red Riding Hood and The Dragon on it”, answered Mitch.

“You probably haven’t taken any photo’s, have you?”, Dan asked teasing.

“We have taken about 600 photo’s. On New Year’s Eve everyone get to see them. First we want to catch up with sleep”, said Mitch.

“After the show you get the presents”, said Matthew.

“I will pass it on to grandpa. You know that we always celebrate New year’s Eve there”, reacted Adam.

The boys nodded.

Yet before it was 20.00 o’clock Mitch, Matthew and Rose were already sleeping.

“Lisa and Benji, you leave your brother and Matt alone for tomorrow and day after tomorrow. And that also goes for Rose. Can I depend on you?”, Adam asked the twins seriously.

“We promise that”, they said at the same time.

Their parents were at ease.

The next morning Laura took the little ones along to the big ranch house so that Mitch and Matthew could sleep some more. She also took the dirty laundry of the boys along.

Ben Cartwright, the owner of the Ponderosa ranch, saw his grandchildren and Laura coming and walked towards them.

“Welcome to the Ponderosa. Are the world travelers not there yet?”, asked Ben.

“Yesterday they came home by evening time but the gentlemen has a lot of lack of sleep and jetlag. That’s why I have taken the twins and Rose already to here. I have also taken the dirty laundry with me”, said Laura.

“You know where the wash machines are. Hop Sing has already made coffee”, said Ben.

The children brought their bag to their guest room and went then to play outside with their cousins Inger and Petra. Laura went to do the laundry.

Adam and Dan kept themselves busy with the photo show. Mitch had given the code for the IPad so that his father and father-in-law could put the photos in order.

While he looked at the photo’s Adam said, “At this sort of moments I miss Mary very much.”

“I know that Mitch misses her too very much. Even though he has hardly known her”, said Dan.

“On the photo’s Mitch looks like a lot like her. Especially the way he looks at the camera”, said Adam.

“Matt is really a talent to photographing. That has Laura too”, said Dan.

By noon the boys came downstairs.

“Finally slept gentlemen?”, Adam asked teasing.

“No, we woke up by our empty stomachs. What is it here quiet. Have you put the Smurfs outside the door?”, Mitch asked on his turn.

“Laura has taken them to the big ranch house. They stay the night there so that you have a bit more rest”, answered Dan.

“What are you still doing here then?”, Matthew asked teasing.

Adam and Dan couldn’t laugh about it but Sally and Mitch could.

During lunch Dan said, “It are really beautiful photo’s which you have taken.”

“Thanks. It is there really beautiful, especially with that snow. We are going there once more”, said Matthew.

Adam suggested, “Now you have been to the Winter Efteling. Maybe it’s a good and nice idea to go to the Summer Efteling.”

“We want that too but we have our jobs with the baseball club to consider. It has been so good to us that next year we spent Christmas again at the Winter Efteling”, answered Mitch.

Adam had forgotten that for a moment.

Then Matthew asked, “Pa, would you and mama be my bets men at our wedding?”

Dan answered, “Of course we are your best men.”

“I want that grandpa gives me away. Only I don’t dare to ask it. Would he like to do that?”, asked Mitch.

“I know for sure that grandpa will be very honored to do that”, answered Adam.

“And who are your best men, Mitch?”, asked Sally.

“You and daddy”, was the answer of her stepson.

Adam and Sally looked at each other smiling.

“Has there been already a date set?”, asked Dan.

“On the most romantic day of the year: February 14”, answered Mitch.

“Mitch, mama and I engaged ourselves on that date in1990”, Adam said with a lump in his throat.

“That’s why it’s our wedding day too”, Mitch explained.

“Can’t grandpa not arrange it that we can get married soon? The ceremony takes place at the ranch”, said Matthew.

“He is already busy with that. The governor of Nevada is a very good friend of his”, answered Adam.

After lunch the boys went to sleep again and Adam phoned his father to pass on the wedding date of Mitch and Matthew.

“By coincidence the Governor had just phoned me and he has given permission to perform their marriage. It’s then at once acknowledged and legal”, said the rancher.

“Mitch wants that you give him away. I know that he doesn’t dare to ask it himself”, said Adam.

“I am very honored to do that”, said Ben.

They put down and Adam went to the bed room of Mitch and Matthew.

“Gentlemen, go make wedding cards because on February 14, 2013 it’s your wedding day. Grandpa has done it to let you get married”, said Adam.

“That is great!”, the boys said at the same time.

A moment later they slept again so that Adam left them alone.

Just the next morning Mitch and Matthew were completely rested from the long trip.

“Is it alright if we go to the graves of mama and Cody? We have a lot to tell them”, Mitch said after breakfast.

“Just go. Your Jeep stands in the garage”, said Adam.

The boys grabbed their luggage and drove to the private cemetery of the Cartwrights.

Mitch and Matthew told everything that they had experienced during their vacation and also about their wedding plans. Especially for Mitch it was emotional. He began with a new chapter of his life and his real mother was missing. That also went for his oldest friend the shepherd dog Cody. But Matthew was a big support for Mitch.

“Mama and Cody, see you very soon”, Mitch said after an hour.

They got up and drove to the big ranch house where the boys also lived.

Here too Mitch and Matthew received a warm greeting.

“Welcome back boys”, Ben said on behalf of the boys.

“Thanks grandpa. The vacation was so great that we go next year again and around the same time”, said Matthew.

“But then it’s our belated honeymoon”, Mitch added to it.

“Why belated honeymoon?”, his uncle Hoss asked amazed.

“On February 14, 2013 we are getting married and here at the ranch. Our parents are best men. Grandpa will give Mitch away and I take the last name of Mitch”, answered Matthew.

Now the boys got congratulated by everyone.

After lunch Adam, Sally and Dan came also to the big ranch house. The Chinese cook Hop Sing had made together with the wives of Hoss (Betsy) and Joe (Paula) a delicious high tea.

Via a big screen Mitch and Matthew let see the whole photo session with explanation of the world travelers. Especially the fairy tales appealed the little ones very much. Hoss was very satisfied about the photo’s with food on it. When Long Neck came in sight Mitch and Matthew looked at each other for a moment with very loving eyes.

After the photo show the persons who stayed at home got the presents which were bought for them. Everyone was pleased with their Dutch souvenir.

Although Mitch and Matthew had a great time on their vacation they were also pleased to be back home at the Ponderosa again.