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It was a guilty pleasure, but Charlie was relieved to no longer be the center of Shirley's disapproval. She felt sorry for Sandra, though. The young woman knew how hard it was to be related to Shirley, sometimes.

Thanksgiving passed without any further drama, and the family woes between the Garners and the Westons were forgotten. Breathing a collective sigh of relief, Charlie and Adam began to make plans for the day they could move into the main house.

Ironically, another moving truck had to be rented before this could take place. The Clarks and their bodyguard drove into Twin Yucca and parked in front of Adam's house. Anything that Adam wanted to take to Villa Rosa had to be packed for the move. He carefully boxed up his awards, music sheets, books, magazines, sound equipment, and even his old battered "thinking sofa," and stacked them into the back of the truck. Any miscellaneous kitchen appliances Charlie thought they could use, were also packed, along with sundry household stuff they would need.

After depositing it back at Villa Rosa, Vera went with them to Jerome's house where most of her belongings still remained. Adam helped Vera gather her clothing, photo albums, favorite pots and pans and kitchen utensils, her bags of left over knitting yarn, and nearly every picture frame on the walls, and carefully packed them into moving boxes. There were also a few bags of Arnold's old things that Vera had been unable to bring herself to part with, so they too, were placed in the moving truck. Charlie and her father didn't have much, for most of it was already at the mobile home, but when they arrived at Villa Rosa, a large pile of belongings sat in the living room of the main house.

"When we get all this sorted out," Adam announced rather glumly, "we have to bring over the rest of our stuff from the mobile home."

Charlie sighed in disappointment. Just when it looked as though they were making headway, they had to start all over again!

"Remember, Pumpkin," Vera reminded her granddaughter, "you're combining three households. It's no easy task."

But it wasn't all disagreeable. Adam was relishing the large library that Charlie had told him he could turn into his music room. It was more space than he had ever had for his music, and Adam was eagerly looking forward to returning to his work. As if to test Charlie's promise to let him decorate the room however he pleased, Adam placed his tattered old sofa against one of the walls and waited to see her reaction. When Charlie saw the threadbare couch, she bit her lip and tried to look happy for Adam. If this is what he wanted, then she wouldn't protest. But Adam knew her forbearance only extended as far as the doors of his music room. If he ever tried to put his sofa in the living room, he had no doubt Charlie would give him a piece of her mind!

Not surprisingly, the first item moved from the mobile home was Adam's grand piano. It proudly sat in the middle of his music room, and echoed melodiously whenever he played. Charlie had already planned for the times he would invariably work in the dead of night, and had the doors of the music room soundproofed. But when they were open, music spilled from Adam's piano and into the enclosed courtyard where it freely flowed throughout the rest of the house.

Setting her new kitchen in order, Vera immediately fell to work organizing her utensils, and stocking shelves of food in the pantry. She had been assured by Adam that their road wouldn't flood with all the winter rains, but Vera wasn't taking any chances. They would have food on the table, whether or not the roads were passable.

Kevin helped set up everything in his bungalow, and then officially moved his belongings into his new living space. For the first time in months, Kevin had his own kitchen, living room, and bathroom. The newfound privacy came as a welcome change.

Then the Clarks and Overholts moved into the main house. After Charlie had checked the mobile home one last time to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything, Adam surprised her by catching her in his arms, and carrying her over the threshold of Villa Rosa. Later that night, they slept in the master bedroom, all the while feeling as though they were in somebody else's home.

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