Loving Together

Once all four of them were in the kitchen, they began to get things ready for their discussion. Ken went to the Keurig and started getting cups of coffee ready. Katherine grabbed the cups from her brother and distributed them. Katie grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat down at the table to eat. Her lack of an appetite from earlier had passed, and she was hungry. Penny saw Katie with her cereal and her stomach growled. Since she hadn't eaten dinner, she too was very hungry. She started making toast. She grabbed some plates out of the cabinet and some jam from the fridge before heading to the table.

Once all four of them were sitting around the table, they sat quietly for a while contemplating what to do next. The siblings were mainly waiting on their mom to begin, Penny was trying to determine how to begin. Finally, Penny looked up at her kids and began.

"Before I begin, I want to make it clear that this has been one of the most difficult situations I've been in since your father passed. I want you to know that I love you all." She paused, looking to each one of them to ensure they had understood what she was saying. Satisfied, she continued.

"I wasn't sure how I was going to feel after I went to bed last night. I was hurt and blamed myself for how things were turning out in your lives. When I finally fell asleep last night, I started dreaming of memories in our family's past. They were mostly good memories, but they made me realize some things that I never noticed before. I'll do my best to tell you everything that happened in my dream, so please try to remain quiet and don't interrupt me."

They all nodded, but then Ken spoke up. "Mom, what about calling into work? Is it too early? I'd hate your you to lose your focus on retelling your dream."

Penny looked at him and smiled. Ken thought of everything. She got up from the table and called work to let them know she was going to be out. It was a little early, but it was ok.

When she sat back down at the table, she thanked Ken. "Now without further distractions, let me begin."

Penny started from the beginning of her dream. The siblings sat completely silent, enwrapped by how their mother was describing her dream in vivid detail. As Penny told them about her 'Kenny Kat' memory, Katherine sat there with her mouth agape. She had had the same memory in her dream last night. It was a fleeting memory, one that she vaguely remembered from her childhood. She was a little misty-eyed thinking about it. Penny took note of her oldest daughter's face, but she kept going with her story.

The next part of her dream involved Katie. Katie, like Katherine, was enthralled with the story. She too had dreamed of this moment from her past. It was one of the brief periods when she wasn't tossing and turning. Even though she was only 7 at the time, she fully remembered the scene from her childhood. Katie had a crush on her big brother back then. She guessed she still did, only it was more developed. Katie smiled as she thought about the dream her mom was talking about. Penny noticed that her youngest daughter was lost in thought.

As Penny was about to start telling the next part of her dream, she paused, trying to calm herself for a bit. She hated this part of her dream because it involved her late husband's funeral. Ken reached out and squeezed her hand. Katherine followed suit and took her other hand. Katie just reached her long arms across the table and laid her hands on top of both of theirs. Penny felt the love of her children's touch and found the strength to continue.

Even though Ken was involved in all three memories from his mother's dream, this one he found considerably more special. He remembered that day with surprising clarity. That day was very surreal for Ken, for them all really. He knew that he had to be there for his family, especially his mother. She had been devastated by the news of his father's death. Ken remembered saying those words to her when he was just 11 years old. He meant them.

Penny had the strength to continue, but she told her dream through tear-stained eyes. Ken continued to squeeze her hand while Katherine and Katie both continued to hold her. She finished with the funeral memory and stopped for a little while. She felt better now that the retelling of this part of her dream was over. "Thank you all for helping me get through that," she said quietly.

Ken, Katherine, and Katie all got up and hugged their mother. They were, at that moment, the tightest knit family you could imagine. They each sat back down and let their mom continue. She was slow to speak, trying to remember Paul's words to her in the last part of her dream.

"I've been contemplating not telling you about the last part of my dream," she said.

The siblings looked a little concerned at her statement. Katherine spoke up, "but why would you not tell us?"

"Because it was a moment that your father and I shared in my dream. It wasn't a memory from the past," Penny stated. She looked at them a moment before saying, "however, I believe this part of the dream is crucial for your.... our future."

The siblings were very curious. What could this be about? Ken calmly looked at his mother and told her to please continue.

After a deep breath, Penny told them how their father had surprised her in her bedroom. He laid out the argument for the siblings being together. Penny said, "Your father posed the question that you three finding each other was foreshadowed."

Katie was about to question it, but her mother put a hand up to stop her. "You remember these events from your youth." This was a statement and not a question. "I saw the looks on your faces as you thought about them. Katherine, you were a little misty-eyed. Katie, you seemed to be happy while remembering that part of the dream," Penny concluded.

Katherine couldn't help but tell them all about her dream coinciding with her mother's dream. "I was waiting for you to finish before saying anything, I had the same memory in my dream as you, mom. I can't explain it. When you were retelling your version of the memory, I was shocked because I had already been through it myself."

It was Katie's turn to be shocked. "That's so unreal," she exclaimed. They all looked at her. "I dreamed of Ken patching me up last night. I can't believe we shared a memory in each other's dreams."

Penny was dumbfounded by this realization. She was beginning to think that her late husband really had somehow been involved in everything from beyond the grave. After a minute of reflection, Penny voiced her thought to everyone. "I believe that your father somehow reached out to us in our dreams. It seems he is still there for us, even though he's gone."

"But what about Ken," Katie asked? "Ken never mentioned having any shared dreams."

Katherine spoke up next. "Yeah, Kenny, didn't you have any of our experiences in your dream?"

Ken had indeed experienced something in his dream, but it wasn't the shared dream of his family. Ken said, "I didn't have any shared dreams from the past. I'm still contemplating what I experienced in my dream."

"Will you tell us," Penny asked?

Ken looked up at her. He didn't know if he wanted to share it or not. Both of his sisters and mother were looking at him expectantly. Finally, he sighed and said, "I was dreaming of dad."

Intrigued, the girls sat at the table and gave Ken their full attention. All the attention had Ken a little nervous to talk about his dream. It had been odd, to say the least. Ken steeled himself and then began to tell the others about his dream.

Ken was in the hospital room with his father after Paul had broken his leg. His mother and sisters were downstairs getting something to snack on the hospital's cafeteria.

"Ken," his father began, "I'm going to need you to be the man of the house for a little while. Your mother won't be able to handle everything by herself."

At the time, Ken was only 8 years old. He looked up to his parents, but he was happy to have his father giving him such an important responsibility, as though he was an adult as well.

Paul continued on, "I know you're young Ken, but I know you can do it."

Ken was taking his newfound responsibilities seriously. He looked at his father and said, "what do I need to do, dad?"

"I want you to look after your mother and sisters, especially your sisters. I need you to take good care of them while I'm laid up with my broken leg. Can I count on you soldier?"

Ken stood back and saluted his father like he was an actual soldier and said, "Sir, yes sir!"

Paul saluted his son and said, "at ease, soldier." Then both of them shared a laugh. It was good to laugh a little under the circumstances of Paul's situation.

"You know, Ken, I believe this family is going to be just fine!"

Ken and his father shared a smile before the rest of the family walked in. Ken was so excited about the role his father gave him, that he walked up to his mother and sisters and proudly stated, "Dad said I'm going to be the man of the house while he's down!" He quieted down after saying this. He became solemn, then said, "I just want you all to know that I'll do whatever I can to help us until dad is well again."

Ken's mother smiled down at her son. "I know you will, baby!" She looked at Paul and then back to Ken. "You've got some big shoes to fill, but I'm sure you will be able to help me greatly while your father is healing."

Both his sisters were giggling hysterically. "Mom called you baby," Katherine said teasingly, which brought a frown from Ken.

Katie then spoke up. "Does that mean Ken can tell us what to do?"

Everyone laughed at her cute question. Before Ken's dream memory could continue, his dream shifted to another scene. This one was much darker, though.

Ken saw his father's casket in the funeral home during the visitation. His family had been hit hard with the news of his father's passing. Why did he have to have this memory now?

"Ken, take your sisters and go outside for some fresh air," his mother said. She had been busy talking with friends of the family. Ken noticed that she looked a little frazzled at the moment. Her hair was a little out of place and her eyes and nose were red from crying and wiping snot away with a tissue.

Ken looked at his sisters. They were both looking tired and in need of a break from the funeral home. He grabbed them and started to take them outside. Before he could, one of the family's neighbors saw him and stopped him. She had her daughter in tow, one of the girls' friends.

"Hi, Mrs. Johnson," Ken said.

"Hello, Ken. I'm so sorry for your loss. I saw you were going to take the girls out. I was going to ask your mom if I could take them home with me. They can stay the night at our house. It looks like they could use a break from here."

Ken walked with Mrs. Johnson over to where his mother was standing. Mrs. Johnson briefly spoke with Penny, who seemed happy to allow the girls to go with Mrs. Johnson.

"Thank you, Megan! That will be a big help," Penny told her.

Mrs. Johnson looked at Ken and said, "you're welcome to come too."

"No thank you, Mrs. Johnson. I'm going to stay here and support my mom."

Penny looked at her son. She tiredly smiled at him. He was her rock right now. Mrs. Johnson nodded, said her goodbyes, and left with the three girls in tow.

Before anything else could be said, Penny was snatched up by another visitor. As she grew more absorbed in conversation, Ken wandered over to the open casket. He felt sad and didn't know how he could help his mother now.

"Ken, I need to you to be the man of the house again. This time, it will be for a lot longer." The voice came from over Ken's shoulder, and it shook him to his core. He was afraid to look over at the all too familiar voice to verify who it belonged to.

"I didn't mean to frighten you, Ken. I know you have a lot on your plate now that I'm gone, but I need you to look after your mother and sisters, especially your mother. She will need you now more than ever."

Ken grew a little bolder, not much, but enough to turn around and look at the origin of the voice. He turned and looked up at the face of his father, which should have been impossible. Yet there he was, standing and looking at his body lying in his casket.

"How can you be here," Ken asked?

Paul smiled down at his son. He simply said, "Ken, I had so much to say to you, but I didn't get the chance. I don't know how I'm here with you, but it's not important now. Please just heed me. You have to watch over your mother, Ken. She and your sisters will need you, but your mother needs you the most right now."

"How do I do that? I'm just a boy. I'm not sure I can help much."

"That's nonsense, Ken. You are going to be the glue that holds this family together. You just need to be strong for them. I know you can do it! You are stronger than you realize," Paul said to his son. He lowered his voice slightly and began again, "Ken, I wish I had more time with you. Remember to be there for your mother and sisters. I love you!"

Ken was looking at his father laying in his casket. He had tears in his eyes when he turned to look at the ghost, or whatever it was, of his father standing behind him. However, Ken found himself standing alone. Ken had expected him to be gone.

Ken looked over to where his mom was standing and smiled when she looked his way. She smiled back at him. He made up his mind right there. He was going to be there for his family.

"Dad, I promise I'm going to do everything I can to help this family make it through," Ken said to himself. "We will be ok!"

Ken's dream shifted again. This time, he was standing outside of his mother's bedroom. He heard his father talking to his mother, almost assuredly, about the recent developments of him and his siblings. Ken couldn't make out what was being said in particular, but he knew they were talking about it.

Ken heard his father tell his mother that he had to leave. What was he going to do? He couldn't let his father see him eavesdropping on their conversation, but he found that he couldn't move. As his dad walked out of his mother's bedroom, he stopped and turned to her and said, "you know, you deserve to be happy too" (Ken kept that he heard this part from his mother and sisters during his retelling.)

With that, Ken's father walked out the door, and right up to Ken. "Hi, Ken. Long time no see," he said with a smile.

Ken was at a loss for words. Was his father actually here? Suddenly, he didn't care if this was real or a dream. He walked up and hugged his father. His father returned the hug, and it felt so real to Ken.

"Ken, I miss you, your mother, and your sisters. I'm proud of how you have grown closer together. You have kept your promise to look after them, especially your mother."

Ken was on the verge of tears. He looked up at his father and said, "dad, I've done my best, but I messed up somewhere along the way and forgot about my sisters' wellbeing. I'm such a terrible brother. Now I'm a terrible son for putting mom into the situation we're in."

Paul looked down at his son, nothing but love and concern in his eyes. "Ken, you don't need to be worried about that. Nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes. Sometimes our mistakes lead to our biggest revelations, and these revelations help us to become better people. You obviously care about your family, so given the situation, you have done well in looking after them. You guys found each other together."

Ken continued to look up at his father. He felt better as his father talked. He was surer than ever that the course his sisters and he decided to take was the correct one. "Dad, do you think we are making the right decision to have a relationship together? I don't want to cause this family trouble or ruin our futures."

Paul looked at Ken evenly before smiling and saying, "Ken, I told your mother once that your love was foreshadowed. Whether I or your mother agreed with you was a moot point. I think that you will be fine together, but Ken, you must promise me one thing."

"Anything, dad!"

"Ken, I want you to promise me that you will always look after your sisters and mother. Don't hurt your sisters in any way. Should you all decide the relationship won't work, don't force anything. This is important Ken. Keeping this promise will help you keep your family relationship intact should your love relationship dissolve. Can you make and keep this promise, Ken?"

Ken thought about this for a moment. This was a heavy decision, and it was his to make. His father was putting this stipulation on him, and he appreciated the seriousness of it. He wouldn't take his sisters' feelings lightly. Finally, Ken returned his father's gaze and said, "dad, I promise that I will always consider my sisters' feelings about our relationship. Since I was little, you have placed responsibility on me to help lead this family. I take it seriously. I won't let you down. I want nothing more than for our family to stay together and love each other, regardless of the circumstances of our relationship."

Ken had an epiphany as he said this. He needed to do something important when he woke up, but the time had to be right.

Paul smiled down at Ken. He nodded his approval and said, "I knew you would make that promise, and I'm glad you're taking it seriously. I had every right to trust you with this responsibility."

Paul bent down and whispered something into Ken's ear as they gave each other a final hug. Afterward, Paul stood up straight, looked down at Ken and said, "I have to go now. I love you, Ken. Take care of the women in your life. For now, you need to wake up."

Having said that, Paul turned and walked away from Ken. Ken, just like his mother, wasn't able to speak or move to stop this from happening. His dream was starting to break apart. As his father headed down the stairs to who knows where, he said in a somewhat disembodied voice, "Ken, go to your mother now! She needs you, son!"

"That's when I woke up and made my way to mom's room." Ken finished retelling his dream. All three girls were crying a little as he finished.

Penny was the first to speak up. "That sounds so much like your father." She looked at Ken and smiled. "He's right, you know. You are a wonderful son for looking after us. You've had a lot of responsibility thrust on you at an early age."

"That's why we love you, big brother," Katherine spoke up. Both her and Katie grabbed his hands and squeezed.

Katie added, "You have been so caring over the years. You always put us three first. It's okay that you were a little selfish when you left for college. It was a break from all the stress of taking care of us."

"That's a good point, Katie," Katherine said. "It was kind of selfish of us to want you for ourselves after all you did for us."

"I plan to keep my promise to dad. I won't break this family apart. I will love you all, regardless of how this relationship works out. You three beautiful women are my top priority!"

Ken looked at each one of them in turn. He ended on his mother. Penny was beaming at her son. She was proud of him in every way a mother can be proud of a son. Yet, there was something different about him now. He seemed a little surer of himself. Besides looking like his father, he was acting like his father. Penny felt a little tingle run through her body at the thought.

Penny looked at the time and noticed it was after 10 a.m. They had been in the kitchen for over five hours talking about the dreams. She suggested that they all take a shower and go out to have a nice lunch. It would give them more of a chance to get some fresh air and bond some more.