S4C Final episode

S4C – Nurture/Destroy Episode 10


“I was so jealous of Gladys,” Ada moaned and wiped her eyes outside the private dining room at Sunny Valley. “Mother of six, mother-of-the-bride, and -groom and grandmother, and now great grandmother how many times over?”
Lois patted her sister-in-law’s arm. “Best to let that go and join the family.”
With the extra tables the Quacious clan passed plates where the teenage waitresses couldn’t squeeze by to serve. Laughter echoed off the walls. As Brad’s fabulous crepe desserts were being handed out, Silent Sam entered, escorting a gray-haired lady with smoky blue eyes and a gentle smile. Clearing his throat, he introduced his wife-to-be and turned to Ada.
“I waited so long, because no one before was enough like my best gal.”
Weeping, Ada leaned into Alf, who held her and reached to shake hands with his gangly son.
“Now, Auntie Lo?” Little Seth, clutching his puppy purse, gaped up at the adults.
“That’s up to Samuel,” Lois, ducking beside Tom Archer, waved the younger generation to take over.
At a smile from his bride-to-be, Silent Sam cleared his throat. “Ma, Pa, we know it’d be hard for everyone to come to Texas. We didn’t want to cheat you out of a full Quacious celebration.”
Ada blinked at the length of her son’s speech.
“So we’re gonna do it again. Here. Pastor Marble says it’ll be a renewal of vows and we can redo the whole ceremony – for everybody.”
Gil rose. “And here, from all of us, Ada. Enough frequent flyer miles for you and Alf to visit a these newlyweds a dozen times a year for a decade.”
Ada was, for once, speechless. But her expression said it all.

That evening, only Lois, leaning back contentedly in her rocker, and her brothers – and Tom Archer  lingered in her suite #231.
“You know, Quint, that saying you tried to tell me once about what nourishes me, destroys me?”
“Over indulgence,” Quint nodded.
“Part of it, I’m sure. But I was so full of my sorrows that I found myself murmuring against how you was a little imp and finally too much for my beau Daniel. Like it was your fault you were going on four. Indulged myself in what I’d missed out on.”
“A lot, Lois,” Gil stirred, ready to apologize for what the brothers had cost her.
“Mebbe, but look what you all have given me. The scales don’t come near to balancing, and the good is all in my favor. Why, I declare…”
And off she went into story after story of the farm and the antics of her boys.
After a while, Gil leaned toward Tom Archer. “I think our folks had a premonition when they named her LoQuacious. Think she’ll make it all the down?”
Tom frowned, but the brothers nodded.
Quint and Brad rose, approaching Lois from behind.
She went on talking.
Carefully they tilted her rocker over backwards.
Lois, back to herself, never missed a word all the way to the floor.