“Unveiling the Secrets of Shack Man: What Lies Beneath the Surface and What’s Next on the Horizon!”
Added on February 27, 2025 inASTROLOGY CARDS
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Do you ever find yourself caught in the delightful chaos of new relationships? The excitement, the nerves, the unexpected proposals slipped casually into conversations—like a surprise twist in your favorite rom-com? Well, get ready to dive into Chapter Thirteen of “Shack Man,” where Shack drops the heartfelt bombshell that he wants to introduce his girlfriend, Elsa, to his family for Thanksgiving… right after revealing his plans to pop the big question! It’s the perfect mix of charm, humor, and a bit of awkward family dynamics that makes us all recall those moments when love’s thrill dances tantalizingly close to vulnerability. As Shack navigates the complexities of family introductions while laying the groundwork for their future, we can’t help but root for this adorable couple to tackle whatever comes their way—complete with climbing adventures and a family that’s sure to bring both laughter and chaos. Ready for an emotional ride? Buckle up! LEARN MORE
Catch up here – Shack Man
Chapter Thirteen – Behind The Scenes & What’s Ahead
Then one night, Shack says, “I wanted to ask you something, Elsa.”
“What?”
“I’ve been thinking about this while and I hope you’ll think about it too. It’s really important to me. I’m going to ask you something and I hope you’ll say yes. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I hope you’ll want to and that you’ll say yes.”
“What?”
I already know the answer is yes. So does he. I don’t care what he is asking. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him and he wouldn’t ask me to do something I wouldn’t want to do. This was his standard way to introduce his latest big idea for adventure. It means I am in for a treat. We’re going somewhere.
“I want you to go East with me. I want you to meet my family.” He laughed nervously, but he was very happy. “This is a big deal. A BIG deal. I haven’t introduced a woman to my family since I was in high school,” he said, blushing. Shack was thirty-seven. “Will you meet them? My brother and I are going home, Thanksgiving. We go each year. Well, most years. Some years we don’t but most years we do.”
There is something up his sleeve. His smiling is interfering with his talking and he sounds a little goofy. It’s endearing so I chuckle. I really get a zing out of how he is. I am really in love with him.
“This year we have to go because we didn’t go last year. Miss two years? We can’t get away with it. We wouldn’t even try,” he says, laughing. He rolls his eyes. “We have to make the trip this year and I want you to come with us. So does my brother. He loves you too, you know. He told me he did.” Shack was flushed. I didn’t know why, but it was charming.
“Of course, I’ll go. I’m happy to go meet them.” I said. But there is more. I know there’s more.
“Because I want to marry you and I guess my family should meet you. Besides my brother, I mean. I know you know him, already. I know you like him and that sure makes me happy. I want you to meet everyone else. I’ve never been married, so I want to do this right, and I think you should meet my family. Will you do it?”
“You want to marry me? Good! That’s good.” Big smile. I started laughing. Biiiiig smile. “Yeah, I’ll come. Sure! When do we leave? And when do you want to marry me, Shack Man?”
I was laughing at this whole thing. I couldn’t help it. He’s funny to me. It’s the look on his face. He plans experiences. He makes presents out of them and then slowly reveals what he’s been up to. This started with the car and our first date. It’s always tasty. Always. It’s because he listens. He takes care to comprehend. He has a real knack for this. He is not done talking, I can tell.
“Elsa, I am a happy man. This makes me happy. You have no idea.”
He looks giddy. I do have an idea.
“I want to do this right. My brother is helping me figure out, how. Can you believe that? I can’t figure it out alone. I’m lucky to have him, believe me. He’s smarter than me. I am stronger, though. As long as I can kick his ass I guess I can still be his brother. Other than that. Well I don’t know. I’m lucky that’s all.” He stops to laugh. Whatever they’re up to, they’ve apparently been having some fun. I can feel the size of what’s coming.
“First I want to take you, East. Then I want to ask you to marry me, but I am not ready yet. I have to talk to you about some things. Your ring for one. I’m working on this and I have to ask you something about that. You want one, don’t you? I hope so. I hope you will wear a ring, if I get you one. I have to do something to try to keep the wolves back. I know how men sniff around you all the time. It probably won’t help, but it may, so think about it. If you would wear a ring from me, I mean. Don’t think about the wolves. Forget them. Think about wearing my ring!”
I was quiet. I caught the, “not ready yet”. He wasn’t done talking.
“Next, if you’ll marry me, I think we should buy a house, and move into it. We can do this before or after we get married. It doesn’t matter. I would like to do this, soon. It will be good to get out of this shack. I have been thinking about it. You’ve been very good about being out here with me. Don’t think I haven’t noticed, because I have. This is a shack and I know it. But you come out here and stay with me anyway. You have never even complained. Well… except for the bathtub. I know you hate that bathtub. I love you for it, but we need to get a real house, because as soon as we get one, we can start making our babies. You want two, right?”
“Yes!” Big smile. Little tear.
“Well, we’ll start with one. Is that okay? Unless we make twins. I would not be surprised. That’d be okay too.”
Umm… someone get me the phone. I need to call my agent, and give ’em a raise.
Shack says he has an extensive travel plan. He wants things to go smoothly, and he wants me to have a good time. He and his brother have been working on this awhile. He stresses this. Tt’s a joint project between them. He wants his brother credited.
“My brother’s a good man. Sometimes, I can’t believe how good a man he is. He’s amazing. I couldn’t have a better brother. He’s doing a lot for me, Elsa, and he’s doing a lot for you, too. I thought you should know that. He doesn’t care if you know, but I want you to. I don’t know a better man than my brother. He’s a best man. If you decide you’ll marry me, I want my brother to be my best man because he’s the best man I know. If you marry me, then he can kind of be your brother too, and you couldn’t have a better one.”
I was quiet. Probably crying. I don’t remember. He’s not done talking so I let him go on. He wants to talk. He wants to say, everything. He’s been waiting, and telling day is here. We’re going to be up late, and I’m glad.
“Do you know what my brother says about you?” he asked.
Actually, I don’t. They talk all the time, though. From work. They’re BROTHER brothers.
When Shack’s brother comes around, once every week or ten days, he smiles at me a lot and he’s very respectful. Extremely respectful, in a “ma’am” and nod his head kind of way. He has excellent manners. He shows deference for women.
I think I see him rise out of his chair, when I stand up to leave the room. Barely perceptible, but he does it, just in case, I might expect it. How often do you see that? Not very. He really is extraordinary. I respect him back.
He had excellent boundaries – so do I. He knew when to stay, and when to go. I never pushed him or tried to cultivate him in any way. I allowed the relationship to develop at its own speed in whatever direction it took. I had no agenda.
Considering my experience with, Shack, this seemed a wise way to go. A way of being that was appreciated in their family.
To date, he’d not been especially chatty with me, but he laughed like hell at my jokes, and this is mainly how I knew he liked me. I could make him laugh to the point of tears.
Shack Man told me he’s never seen his brother laugh like that in his life. I could really get him going. The bond between these two was palpable. They talked in brother-speak almost like twins might.
Shack’s brother didn’t talk to me that much. He impressed me as the type who absorbs. He may indicate Shack, and ask me “What are you doing with, Ugly?” Or look to Shack, “She’s way funnier than you are.” And then to me, “Aren’t you bored with him?” Brother stuff. It was nice.
He told me once, on the way out the door, “You’re good to my brother and I just want to say thanks.” Nods his head, slightly. “Goodnight, Elsa.”
He was classy. I knew he was lonely, and since Shack brought it up, I decided to ask. “What’s he say?”
“He says I’m the luckiest man on the planet to have found you. He would like to kick my ass because I found you and he didn’t. I don’t blame him. He can’t kick my ass,” he said, laughing. “I try to get him to work out, but he’s always on his computer. He’s not sure I deserve you.” He smiles.
“Not really. He knows I deserve you. He’s happy for us. He says if I could find you, there’s hope for him. Now I just hope he finds someone good. That is the only way I could possibly be happier than I am right now. If my brother found someone good, too. He said, if I don’t marry you I am a stupid son of a bitch. And that I should hurry before you notice how ugly I am. He thinks you’re good for me and no one knows me better than my brother.”
Together, they made exhaustive plans for this trip. That’s an understatement. These boys have been busy.
When we go, “East”, we’ll fly to DC. The three of us. Tuesday. We’ll spend a night with their sister and her family there. “This is the easy part”, he says. “Piece of cake.”
I think about planning a course up the side of a rock. That’s how he sounds. He laughs and shakes his head. I don’t really get it. I have to keep listening.
His sister is married to an immigrant Italian. I knew this. She met him at university in Italy and brought him home. Shack says her husband is especially anxious to meet me.
“She says he can’t wait to talk to you.” He laughs. “We’ll have to see what that’s about. He won’t say. He says he wants to talk to YOU.” He chuckles. “I know you’ll like him. He’s funny, and he’s Italian. Hey! Same as you! They have two kids. They have great kids and a great marriage. My sister did good when she picked him. She’s the happiest one in my family. In fact, she’s the only happy one until now. Now I’m happy too. And my brother is happy because he has hope, and it’s because of you.”
He says, we’ll take their second car to, Baltimore, the next day. He says it’s a beater, and it should be fun to ride in. A big station wagon.
“Do you care? We could rent a car.”
“I don’t care. Keep talkin’ Shack Man.”
“We’ll drive to my mother’s house. She’s very skittish. She’s VERY skittish. But my brother and I are going to do everything we can to limit the time you have to be there.” He smiles and looks to heaven, laughing.
I laugh, too. I have never been this “considered” in my life. I’m stupefied.
“We’ll get there in the afternoon. You can meet, and then we should be able to get out of there in the evening. I can’t promise though. We’re going to have to play it by ear. She knows I want to marry you and she’s very nervous. Very, very nervous, is what I hear.
My brother and I have been gone from home a long time and she still thinks I’m her little boy. She doesn’t know I’m a man. We’re going to try to keep her from wigging and it’s not going to be easy.” He laughs.
“I think we can do it, but my brother is not so sure. He is a double Virgo and so you know he worries a lot. I am a single Virgo and so worry less.” He laughs. I didn’t know, he was picking up, astrology.
“I’m going to owe him big when we get home. I’m sure of that, but it’s okay. I can owe my brother.” He stops to think on that. He will be repaying his debt, for sure.
“I want to take you into the city for dinner. I know right where I want to take you. Actually I want to take you two places, so I’m going to have to pick one or the other. I wish we had more time. My brother will stay with our mother and keep her distracted. Talk to her and stuff. That’ll be his problem to figure out. I’ve never gotten married before so my brother is going to run interference for me the whole trip. If he finds a wife, I’ll do the same for him. Maybe you’ll help me. Anyway, you and I will stay out late. Passsssst bedtime! We will wait until everyone is asleep before we come home. There are lots of things I can show you. We have to stay there, otherwise she is too likely to wig.”
There’s more. He says his mother is married, “But you don’t have to worry about my stepfather. He’s a nice guy. Too nice. He does everything my mother tells him too. You can just smile and ask him how he’s doing. That’ll be good enough. He’ll probably stare at your legs, but you’re used to that. Just try to ignore him. He’s harmless. I don’t think he is going to be a problem. Hey! That’s one down.” He stops to laugh. I’m mesmerized.
“We’ll wake up there; it’ll be Thanksgiving. Be sure and pack some shoes you can climb in. I’m going to take you up the first mountain I ever climbed. Don’t worry. It is the hill behind her house. I was four years old when I climbed it. My mother will probably show you pictures. Just look at them. She’s proud of me,” he explains, continuing to laugh at this whole situation.
“There’s something on the mountain I want to show you. It’s the remains of my fort. I built it myself, so you know I did a good job, and most of it is still there. I’m going to show it to you. I want my wife to see my fort. You’ll see it with me, right?”
I laughed. Actually, I was lying on the Shack Floor Rug, listening to this, so rolled around, holding my sides. And it’s okay, people. He knows this is funny.
“Yeah, Shack Man, I’ll see your fort. I may even kiss you in your fort. Unless there is a, NO GIRLS ALLOWED, rule. Do you have a rule like that?”
“I did have that rule, but I’m gonna bend it,” he says. I snort.
“You will also have a big chance to climb my mother’s house. Part of her house is rock, and we’re going to climb it. I will show you all the good holds and I think you can make it to the chimney if you concentrate.”
I stared.
“It’s hard, but it’s not that hard. It would be good if you could make it to the chimney and look in. Then you can say you did it. If you make it up there, be sure and look in, because that is how you know you made it the whole way. If you can see down the chimney, that’s the top.”
We laugh and laugh.
“Don’t worry about smoke. They don’t know how to start a fire,” he said.
We both look at the fire in the woodstove and crack up.
“We’re going to be stuck there all day and night so I’m trying to think how to keep you entertained, plus out of the house. The less time you spend with my mother, the better. The less time I spend with her, the better.”
“She never comes outside, so now you know you know why I never come inside!”
On that, we pause to laugh for ten minutes.
To be continued.
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