Harvey and Lori Ferguson Ch. 8 Lori's Parents John and Melora

Melora had called up and invited Harvey and Lori for a late Christmas Day supper. Her brothers and sister would be there, too. Of course they accepted. She said if they could plan to arrive around 4 pm there would be finger foods and they could open gifts then. The buffet dinner would be ready around 6 or 7. That would work out almost perfectly for Harvey and Lori since they were supposed to have brunch over at Harvey's parents' house in the late morning and then open gifts around 1 or 2 pm. They would be able to come to her parents' house from there.
 
Her mother had told Lori to be prepared; John had shaved off his beard and mustache. Lori did not remember ever seeing her father bare-faced before.
 
"I assure you he has a handsome face; he always has," Melora laughed, "What actually happened was that he nicked off part of his mustache by mistake when he was shaving. One side was way too short, it stopped before the end of his mouth and on that side he looked kind of like Hitler. It was ridiculous so he decided to shave the whole thing off temporarily.
 
Frankly, sweetie, I think his eyesight isn't what it used to be, in fact, I know it isn't what it used to be. But he refuses to wear his glasses except when reading fine print. Anyway, he went over to the new cafe in Bluewater and that cute little blond waitress--probably hoping for a bigger tip--said she hardly recognized him he looked so much younger without the beard. So that did it. I can promise you he will be beard-free for life now."
 
"I can't even imagine it; although I know you told me once that you really liked Daddy best with no facial hair at all."
 
"I liked the way he looked when he had just a mustache when we were first married, but yes, I figured why cover up that gorgeous face? Still he always has been extremely handsome to me with or without his mustache. And I must admit the beard--when he got to his forties is when he grew it--did make him look a bit rakish. Kind of swashbuckling. He's always been a sexy devil anyway."

Lori laughed,
 
"Mom, you're so bad."

"Oh, sweetie, I almost forgot. We're finally going to do something with your old room, although we're not sure what yet. Anyway, I don't want to sell the desk there; it was your grandmother's but before that it belonged to her mother. Since it was yours last I didn't know if you wanted it. You may not have room."
 
"Oh, yes, Mom, I do want it. You know how sentimental I am, I love that it was once Great Grandma Simon's desk and later belonged to Grandma Elaine. If we can't fit it into the nursery now we'll put it up in the attic and then when we convert the nursery to a bedroom maybe we can use it there. Believe me I'll find a way."
 
"Right--you could always paint or refinish it anyway. I went in your room and got choked up a little remembering you dancing in front of the mirror and all the sleep-overs and pajama parties you had there."
 
"Yep, I had a wonderful childhood and I can thank you and Daddy for that," Lori said softly, getting a little teary-eyed herself, "I only hope our child can say the same thing."
 
"Oh, you know that will be true," Melora assured her, "You and Harvey will make fabulous parents. You're probably more prepared for it than your father and I were! But how will we get this huge desk to your place? I'd rather your father didn't try to help Harvey with it, but he'll try."
 
"He most certainly will not help with it, Mom. The very idea gives me cold chills. Harvey will get Nicky or Gareth--both of them have a pickup--and they'll help him get it downstairs and into the truck. I know it's massive, but once they take out all the drawers and movable shelves it shouldn't be quite so heavy."
 
"They won't forget to bring quilts to wrap around it to protect it, will they?"
 
"Don't worry, Harvey is so neat and precise he'll have everything right," Lori said.
 
"That's true. Bless him, Harvey is a man for all seasons, isn't he?"
 
"He's the best," she agreed, "But I'm sure he won't be able to do it until after the holidays."

"That's fine--no real hurry," Melora replied.
 

Melora went on to tell Lori how she had become very interested in flower arranging while her father was making toy robots. They both were taking classes and had moved the easel and pottery wheel out of the studio, temporarily anyway.
 
"We'd also kind of like to get a pet now. Can't decide whether dog or cat yet."
 
"Well, I like that!" Lori said indignantly, "And you wouldn't let Trey and I have so much as a parakeet when we were little. Daddy always said animals made too much mess. I knew you used to have a cat years ago, but I just figured he didn't like animals."
 

"Oh, no. He used to have dogs all the time while he grew up until he was a teenager. But he is a clean freak, it's true. And I don't think his dogs were indoors very much. I will not have a family pet that lives outside, so we agreed to disagree and, unfortunately, you kids lost out on a meaningful part of life. Don't wait forever to find out what we made you miss! I should have insisted, he would have given in eventually. He never could deny me much."
 
That night when Lori relayed all this news from her mother to Harvey she also told him that she was shocked to find out that her parents had redecorated their bedroom as well.
 
"What's so shocking about that?" Harvey asked. His own mother, Madeleine moved furniture around and painted various rooms in their house every four months it seemed like.
 
"Just about every room in their home has been renovated or redecorated at some time in the last 30 years, Harvey, but never their bedroom. Ever since I can remember it has always been purple with even deeper purple carpeting and green curtains. Their bedspread had green and purple in it; I guess that's where they got the idea for the colors. And they had the same rococo type furniture from forever. Mom said it is now modern with light colored carpeting and walls. They simply amaze me at times. Big changes to the house, big changes with their hobbies, maybe getting a dog, and Daddy even making big changes to his face!"
 

A younger John and Melora in their bedroom as formerly decorated. Sorry the photo is so dark, it was night and they must have forgotten to put the lights on since they were getting frisky--hee hee :) --Author

"I think it's great," Harvey said, "It's probably what keeps them young."   

"I guess. Oh, listen to this, Mom told me she made Christmas cookies ahead and was going to freeze them. She even made them after a spaghetti supper so she wouldn't be too hungry while she baked. She gave two to Dad--they're big sugar cookies--and then during the rest of the evening she kept going to get more and ended up eating the rest of the batch up by herself. She said she had to go make some more the next morning," Lori giggled, "When she went to bed Daddy asked if he could have a couple more cookies and she said, 'Well, we need to save them for Christmas--I'll make some just for you tomorrow morning'. She never told him what really happened but, not surprisingly, she had a little stomach trouble that night. She had to take some of Daddy's Tums!"
 

Hmm, that reminds me when will my beautiful, gorgeous, talented brat be making some Christmas cookies for the Ferguson home?" Harvey patted his well-muscled belly.
 
"Soon. I've been trying out some new recipes."
 
"Don't eat them without me."
 
"Ha ha, very funny." 

Next update: Harvey and Lori Ch. 9 Trey and Chelsea