LINKS TO PARTS 1. 2.

Lee looked around the room smiling.  The soft green was perfect for what she had pictured in her head.  Kathy and Jo were going to come over in a bit and they were going shopping for curtains, bedding and anything else they saw that she liked.  Johnny had fixed the closet so she had been putting things away.  The closet was set up like hers.  She picked up the soft  lavender bunny that Jenny had  bought  with the money she had earned helping her Uncle Johnny plant wild flowers out in the Grove.   Jen hadn’t named it yet.  She was waiting to see if the baby was a boy or a girl.   Stacy still had not found what she wanted to buy but Lee had an idea what it would  be.   The wild flower garden they had planted was one of Lee’s favorite places on the whole place.   Johnny had been working on a secret project and had not spent as much time out there lately but he had gotten many of his improvements done.  

 When Kathy and Jo came over to the house Lee showed them what she done that morning so they had some idea of what they needed.

“Johnny said we would go tomorrow to get car seat.   I think he rather stay home and work on whatever he is doing in the workshop.”

“You still need a diaper bag and a few odds and ends.   Any idea where you want to shop?”

“The mall?  I have been meaning to get over there and get some of the caramels from the Sweetheart House.”

“I love the candy there, that’s why I avoid it as much as possible.”  Kathy said laughing.  “Especially the fudge.” 

“Don’t let me forget I need to go to Styles Remembered for some supplies.  I’m almost finished with my project.”

“Which project is that?” Jo asked as they headed for the car. 

“The one no one has seen yet or knew about till just now.”  The two friends laughed knowing that was all that was going to be said on the matter. 

The SCU’s sounded “…structure fire…”  Frustrated,  since it  was the  third time he had  tried to get this  drill  done, Hank acknowledged the call and  headed  towards the  engine.

Following the engine Johnny watched the traffic lost in thought.    They   pulled up in front of an older home.  There was smoke visible from the   back windows.

Hank began giving orders and the linesmen and Mike carried them out with practice precision.  Johnny and Roy were putting on their equipment as they talked with Vince Howard.

“The neighbor said the lady that lives here is in her 60’s and has a son who is disabled.  They spend most of their time in the son’s room at the back of the house during the day while the son’s wife is at work.”

Johnny and Roy made their way through the smoke filled house.  The fire had started in the kitchen and had not spread pass the dining room as far as they could tell.

The living room and dining room were cluttered.  The furniture was old but well kept.  Bookshelves and tables were covered with family pictures and knick-knacks as well as books and magazines.    The amount of furniture and the smoky darkness slowed down the paramedics as they made their way through the maze of furniture.  (The windows were all heavily draped so what little light there was came from two small lamps on one of the end tables.)

They could hear a television at the end of the hallway.   Roy went in first.  The man in the bed was clearly agitated.   His speech was garbled and he seemed to have only the use of one arm, which he was waving wildly pointing at the end of the bed where the body of his mother was.  Johnny moved towards her while Roy went over to the man.   “I’m a paramedic, we’ll get you out.  You need to relax.  Let me check you.”  Roy said softly and calmly to the man.  The garbled speech sounded to Roy as if the man was trying to say mother. 

“Just relax,  my partner is taking good care of her.”  Roy  gathered the vitals for his patient.  The man’s heart rate and  blood pressure  were  elevated  and he had been coughing as he tried to  talk.  “What you got Johnny?” 

“She’s got a knot on her head, small amount of blood…Breathing is a little ragged…Pulse is rapid.  She’s wedged in here pretty tight.”   The woman was between the foot of the bed and a footlocker that looked like something from a World War II movie. 

“Ok.”  He keyed the HT.  “Cap, we’re gonna need some help in here…2 backboards, c-collars.” 

“On the way.”   Cap looked around and saw Mike and Chet were nearest to the squad.   “Get backboards and collars, for 2 victims.  Marco you and  Chet take them in  then  check the upstairs  to make  sure we didn’t miss any  hot spots. Mike you want to set up the bio-phone and gets the trauma box and O2 ready for them.   After they get the victims out we’ll set up the exhaust fans.”  

“Roy, I need help getting this trunk moved so I can get her BP.”  Johnny called to his partner.  “I can’t budget it.”   There was something in his voice sent a warning bell off.   He did see that Johnny had taken off his mask and managed to get it on the woman.  The smoke was not as thick in this part of the house so he was not concerned.

“I’ve got to help with your mom.  Don’t worry we’ll get you both out.”  The man nodded as Roy went to help Johnny.  It was not easy but with a lot of shoving and pushing they moved the trunk far enough to get the woman free.   Roy had watched Johnny as they worked.  He didn’t  see any evidence of any injury but something was definitely wrong.  Johnny took the vitals giving  Roy the required information.     Marco and Chet brought in the needed equipment.  They soon had the two out of the house.  After talking with the doctors at Rampart, they were ready to transport.   Roy watched as his partner talked to the man strapped to the gurney.  

“Johnny, you want to ride in with them?”

“No...Why don’t you…I’ll clean up and meet you there.”  Johnny answered.  “Won’t be long.”  

“You ok?”  Roy asked again before getting into the ambulance. 

“Yep.  See you at Rampart.”    Roy got in, Johnny closed the door and with two smacks on the door sent them off.    He began cleaning up and loading the squad.  Lost deep in thought, he did not hear the woman coming up behind him until she spoke.

“Johnny?   John Gage?”  Tall with flawless skin and large blue eyes and natural blond hair most people considered her a beauty.  That coupled with her brains had always given her an air of confidence even as a teenager.

“Cindy.”   He continued working.  “I thought you and Jim were back East somewhere.”

“We came back when his dad died.  We had been back about a year when he had his first stroke.  It wasn’t too bad.  I thought it might be a wakeup call.  You know change his life style?  Then he had the second that left him like that.  The neighbors called me at work.   I got here just as they were putting them in the ambulance.   Any idea what happen?”

“The fire started in the kitchen…Cap said something left unattended on the stove.  We found Mrs. McClure passed out in Jimmy’s bedroom.”

“Are they alright?” 

“The  doctor  wanted  Jimmy  brought in as a precaution,  she  was still  unconscious but  stable  when they  left.”   He finished the loading.  “I need to go pick up my partner.  They took him to Rampart General.”

“I  don’t think  anyone has  called him  Jimmy for  ages…When  he  joined his  dad’s firm they decided he would  go by  Connor  since there  were already two  James McClure’s  there and  one JC…Guess I  should  head over that way.  It was nice seeing you.”

“Yeah, same here.  Sorry for the circumstances.”  He got into the squad   pulling out, without a backward glance.

The woman stood there watching him pull away.  She remembered when he would hang on her every word and do her bidding without a second thought.  It seemed strange he seemed so disinterested.  She had seen the wedding ring.  However, a ring had never stopped her before when she was interested.  Why should it?  Connor had made it clear it was not going to stop his fun.   With a shrug, she got in her car and followed him to Rampart.

Roy went up to Lee’s office to pick up some papers from the last advisory board meeting.  While he was up there he grabbed two sodas and 2 cup cakes.   He was still trying to figure out what had changed.   Still the professional, but there had been a definite change in his attitude.  He signed the sheet so Lee would know that 51 had received their notes.  He smiled as he saw the picture on her desk.  It was of her and the kids and Johnny that had been taken when they all were up at the lake house they had rented the previous summer.  The family had decided not to sale it at the last minute.  He knew she had been disappointed but understood the reason why.  This year they were looking forward to staying home enjoying their new home and their baby.  

Johnny was waiting for him when he came back down to the ER.   He handed him a cup cake and the soda. 

“Thanks.   You ready?”  Johnny seemed anxious to get back to the station.  “I don’t know about you but I’m ready for some lunch.”

“Yeah me too.   Think Marco is making taco salad.”   They were almost   back to the station before Johnny opened up.  

“I knew him.”  Johnny said in a flat tone.  “Big Jimmy Mac…”  He closed his eyes.   “He was the all star football player, wrestler and a student.  One of biggest meanest bullies at the high school.   He was  sneaky.  Would make you  think he  was a  really nice guy then stab you in the  back.   Most of the time he ignored me, I wasn’t important enough to get his notice.”

“Most of the time?”  Roy asked.  

“I set a new track record and about the same time a picture I took for the school paper won some sort of state completion.  Most of all it was that Cindy started paying attention to me.   She was one of the prettiest girls in school, a cheerleader and assistant editor of the school paper.   She and I did a series of pictures on the school’s senior athletes.   I   never even thought of asking her out…She was Jimmy Mac’s girl.   Then suddenly she was paying me a lot of attention.   It seemed strange at first then it was kind of nice.”

“This Jimmy Mac didn’t think so?”

“No, he cornered me one day in the locker room in front of all his friends.  Told me if I didn’t stop spending so much time with Cindy after school and on the weekends he’d stop it.” 

“So what happen?” 

“There was this big awards ceremony.  It  was a  formal  dinner and dance   with the awards  given  out  between  the  dinner and the  dancing.   My aunt was going. It was the first time I had won anything like that.   The  night before the  dinner,  Cindy called  me and  asked  me to meet  her  at this  restaurant that  a lot of the kids hung out  at.  Said she needed to go over some stuff for the paper.  When I got to the parking lot, Jimmy Mac and his friends welcomed me.   I went to the awards dinner with a broken arm and two black eyes.    But I went and I  went along  with the lie that an animal  had run out in front of my bike and I wrecked trying to avoid  hitting it.   Jimmy Mac and his friends said it would  be safer for my friends and family if  that was the story.   Cindy was there, said they threatened  her if she didn’t call  or  if I  didn’t  go along with their story they would  hurt her.”

“So did you ever tell anyone the truth?”

“Not till just now.   Seeing him  there  like that---couldn’t help  but  just to think  for  just a  minute that he deserved that.   No one deserves living like that.”

“Junior, you have the kindest most forgiving nature of anyone I ever met. I don’t think anyone would blame you for thinking like you did for that moment.”   Roy gave him the reassurance he needed.

“He married Cindy.  She came after you left.  She’s  still pretty but there is a hardness about her.  Got the feeling it wasn’t a good marriage even before he got sick.”

“Speaking of being married---what is Lee doing today?  I was surprised she wasn’t in the office.”

“She and Kathy and Jo have a shopping trip planned.   They were going to look for curtains and bedding and I think a few other things they want to finish setting up the nursery.   She is so sure that it is a girl.   We picked out  a name for  a  girl and a  boy  but she wants to keep them secret.”        

 “Surprised the doctors didn’t tell you.” 

“I think Lee told them not to.  Back when this first started.  She was afraid to believe there really would be a baby.   She did everything she could to keep it from being too real.”   He let out a long deep sigh.  “If something does happen and we don’t get this baby---It’ll kill her spirit.  The doctors are all pleased with the way the baby is developing and they think that Anna’s kidney function has stabilized for now.”

“What about you?  How are you doing?”  Roy asked as they pulled into the station.  “What if this doesn’t work out?”

“I’ll be ok.   I’ll take  care of  her and  we’ll  be Uncle Johnny and  Aunt Lee  to  your  kids and  all the other kids in our  extended  family.  There won’t be any more talk of adopting.    I couldn’t do that to her again.”

                 
Johnny called Lee at 7:30.   It rang twice before she answered.

“Hello.”  

“Good morning Sweet Pea.  Did you sleep ok?”  Johnny asked as Roy handed him a cup of coffee.

“I did but it  will be even better tonight with you home.  So did you have a good night?”

“Yep.  Only one runs about 6:30.   Instead of  you cooking this morning  why  don’t  I  pick  you  up  and we’ll  go  get the car seats after  breakfast at O’Sheas’.” 

“Sounds lovely.   We can visit Anna afterwards, she seemed a little more responsive to me the last time.   She responds more to you than anyone.   Amy said her temp has been  normal  for  the last few days  so what ever  was going on has responded to the  antibiotics.   Instead of you driving out here why don’t I meet you at O’Sheas’ or at the station?”

“Ok, come on over to the station then we can decide from there where to go next. Love you.”

Lee waited out in her car for Johnny to come out of the station.   She  was  kind of  hoping  they  would  take her car but  knew Johnny would rather  drive his Rover.  He had said they could get something else when they had gotten new cars but she insisted on him getting another Rover.  She smiled remembering the look on the sales clerk’s face when she wrote out the check for the full amount.   They had went a few days later and picked out her new car another mustang convertible.  This one had a mobile phone.  Johnny had opted for another CB instead of a phone.  Said it was more practical for him to have that.   Mike and Chet waved as they got into their vehicles.  Roy, Marco and Johnny walked out together.  

“Mind if these two have breakfast with us?”  Johnny asked as he leaned down to kiss her. 

“Of course not.”

“Pull into the space Mike just left, told them you were leaving your car here.”

“Ok, Roy why don’t you two go on over to the restaurant.  Just let Sheila or whoever is at the podium know you are meeting us.  Ignore the dirty looks if there is a line.” 
 
Twenty minutes later the three of them were laughing at the latest escapades of Johnny and the Phantom.    Lee was glad that whatever Johnny had been so angry with Chet about had been resolved.

“Oh  I  forgot to tell you, last night when I was reading the mail  there  was a  thank you note from our insurance company, thanking us for  renewing our policies.  Oh, and we have a new agent.”  Johnny laughed and shook his head.  “You’re bad.” He said when he finally stopped laughing.

“I  didn’t  get him  fired, he  just doesn’t handle our policies any  more.  None of them .”

“So how many did you have with this jerk?”  Roy asked.  

“Our two cars, the house and I have a life insurance policy with them. Then there were the ones that WBS has.”

“Which she threatened to cancel because she didn’t like this guy’s attitude.” 

“He was rude to me and even ruder to you!”  She protested.   “So I called his boss and told them that I was going with another agency and all the WBS policies were going with me.”

“He said someone in a wheelchair shouldn’t be driving and that someone like me shouldn’t have been accepted in the first place.   I could  ignore that. He referred to the drunken paramedic he saw on TV.   I  couldn’t ignore  that.”

“Idiots.  They seem to be taking over.”  Lee giggled at the look on Johnny’s face.  “Like it was our fault we had to get new cars.”

“What time is Jo going to be home?”  Lee asked as they were heading out to the car.

“Not until school is out.  By the time they get back to school it will almost be time for them to be dismissed.”

“You can go home and get some sleep.  Marco, you tell your mama I said hi and sent her my love.”

They entered the store and Johnny had to smile at Lee’s  reaction to a large display of  frilly  baby  dresses and bonnets.  He heard her giggle.  The next display was bootees and shoes.     Johnny had never seen such tiny shoes before.   “Look at the black patent leather ones and the colored leather ones.  Oh look, even little rain boots.”

“Let’s go on over to the car seats, if I let you stop here we’ll never get done.” 

“IF you let me?”  She knew he was teasing.   “So how are you  going to keep me from stopping here?”

“Like this.”  He put his foot on the cross bar and tilted her chair back until he could bend down and kiss her.    Then keeping her tilted he pushed her over to the section of the store that had car seats, playpens, and strollers.

“May I help you?”   The sales clerk asked as he watched the couple looking at various car seats.

“We need two car seats.”  Lee said smiling. 

The clerk began talking about the various safety features and issues and Lee couldn’t  help but giggle.  The sales clerk looked at her insulted.

“The safety of a child in a car is no laughing matter.”

“I know it isn’t.   There is no one who takes children or adult safety in a car more serious than my husband.   I owe you an apology for laughing.  Johnny is an L.A.  County paramedic.   He has  went to  several  training  sessions  to be certified in  teaching the proper way to install car seats and has  given several  workshops to various  groups on the subject.  You reminded me of him practicing when he started doing the classes.”

“I  thought you looked  familiar  when you came in  like  maybe you  had  been in before.    You were the  instructor  for  the class on car seat  safety.”   She left Johnny and the sales clerk talking and went back over to the dresses and shoes.    She had picked out several when Johnny came back over to her with the sales clerk.

“You should see the stroller Kevin was showing me.  It’s  one  that you can use from newborn till they are toddlers.  They have one you can  fix to your  bike or push when you are on  a jogging or  bike trail.   It’s like a little moving tent.”   Johnny said his smile spreading. “ It would  be great for  going from the house to the Grove  or to  Kathy or  Jo’s. Or  for  when we were outside at the pool or  on the  deck.”

“We may as well get them while we are here. One of the regular ones for shopping and stuff and one for the pathways.”

“Are you sure?”  Johnny was like a little kid getting to pick out two birthday gifts instead of one.

“On the condition you don’t tease about buying baby shoes and dresses.   If it turns out to be a boy, I can return the girly stuff, right?”

“Of course,” Kevin answered a little surprised how this sale was turning out.
.
“Do you have any stores in Montana?” 

“Yes, two, I think.”

“What are you thinking?”  Johnny asked although he knew the answer.

“I think Sean and Steve need a gift card from here for the clinic.  They know better what they need than we do.”

The store manager had seen the couple with Kevin and wondered why his sales clerk was looking so shocked.

“Is there anything else you can think of  that have you wanted today?”  Johnny asked as they started over to the cashier.      

“No unless you can think of anything.”

“Nope, I’m happy if you are.”

“I’m  fine with what we have.  You  want to  pull the Rover around  to the  loading  dock or pay  them to do it?”   Kevin gave him the sheet to give to the loading dock manager.

“I’ll go load up and then come get you.  Behave while I’m  out there stay away from the shoes,” He teased before giving her a quick kiss.   “I’ll call Micah and have him send you some moccasins.”

“Matching mother and daughter ones?” 

“Brat.”   He winked at her before going out to the parking lot.

“Kevin, will carry these for me?  He forgets that sometimes I do need a little help.   Would hate to drop these on the way to the counter.”   She handed him the shoes and dresses she had picked out.

The cashier totaled the bill from the slip Kevin gave her. “What amount do you want the gift card for?”

“Equal to what that bill is.”  Lee said.

“Mr. Taylor, could you come over please.”  The cashier called to the man talking with another cashier.

“Is there a problem?”  He asked looking at the cashier.

“I need your approval for a check this large.  It’s company policy, nothing personal.”  The girl seemed embarrassed.

“No problem.  Here is my bank information.  Or I could put it on a credit card if it’s easier.”  

“No a check will be fine, Mrs. Gage.  Like Marcy said its just company policy.”

He went into his office and called the number Lee had given him.  When his call was answered, he explained what he needed.

“Lee is used to this happening.  The account has more than enough in it to cover that check…several times over.”  The bank manager said.

 “Mrs. Gage, everything is in order.  We appreciate your choosing   our store.”

“Thank you…Marcy would you make out another gift card…this one for $250 dollars.  I’ll   just pay for that one.”   She had decided Kathy could use some supplies for her clinic.  (The clinic was one medical personnel and others supported through the county health department that had a sliding fee.  However, many who came there paid nothing.)  “I’m sure we will be back for more things.  And  return some if my dreams are wrong and it’s a boy.”   She smiled when Johnny came in.

“All the other stuff is loaded and ready to go.  You ready?”

“Yep.”

Everything was set up in the nursery except a changing table.   Johnny had told her not to worry about it he had it under control.  She did know he had been over to the WBS building several times lately talking with one of the consortium members.   He had asked her not to ask him or anyone over there any questions.  He had also asked that she didn’t go into his workshop.  She had agreed and thought no more about it.  She finished typing the last page of her weekly report to Sacramento when Johnny and Roy came into the office.   Roy had a bandage on his arm, Johnny looked hot and tired.

“Are you ok?”  She asked Roy as Johnny went on over to the fridge.

“Yeah, no stitches just got it cleaned and some antibiotic cream on it.   Junior there  got  it cleaned  up  out  at the  site  but  insisted I  get  one of the  doctors  to  look  at it.”  Johnny handed him a bottle of the juice Lee kept for him.  “Thanks.”  

Johnny nodded in reply as he went over to Lee.  Bending down he kissed her.  “Love ya.”

“The feeling is mutual, now sit down and drink your juice.   You two have had a busy day.”

“Yeah…thankfully mostly little things.”  Roy answered since Johnny was downing the bottle of juice in one gulp.

“So what happen to your arm?”

“A piece of flying glass.  I put my arm up over my face.”  He   finished his   juice.  “Kids home alone were bored, tried to recreate a science experiment from school.”

“Only this time they used whatever they found in the garage and used an old pickle jar.  Why don’t parents use some common sense about keeping chemicals out of the reach of kids?”   The start of  a rant  Lee  thought  smiling at him.

“Why do they call it common sense when it ain’t that common?”   Lee said with a shrug.   “You have the key to your dark room up so high even if I stood up I couldn’t reach it.   You two stay here as long as you want but I have a meeting I need to get to.   Boyo, take some of the juice with you.  There is plenty in the storage closet.  Unless our mystery thief has been back.”

“Again?  What this time?”  Johnny asked angrily.  Lee would  give  anyone  anything  she  could  to help  them,  especially if they  were  hungry.  So far, only been food that was missing.

“A  case of  the  chips,  all the  milk, some  bread,  lunch meat,  cheese  and 2 dozen cupcakes  that Johnny Pat had packaged  up.”

“Hospital security hasn’t been able to do anything?”  Roy asked.

“They say no unless I change the security code and stop giving it out.”  She answered sadly.   “I don’t want to do that, it defeats the whole purpose of having this if it’s  only open when someone is in the office.”

Not long after they left she decided to go see Anna.  Anna had been on her mind all day,  she just felt the need to go see her.  She stopped at the gift shop and bought a small bouquet of flowers.  She knew that Anna didn’t know they were there but it made her feel better.  Whenever she had been in the hospital there had always been so many flowers and cards and balloons, it was only right Anna have some too.

Callie was in with Anna when Lee got there.  One of the cassettes Johnny had made for her was playing softly.  Callie was rubbing the lavender lotion Anna seemed to like on her arms and hands.

“Callie, are you alright?”  Lee asked seeing how upset the young aid looked. 

“Yes ma’am.  The doctor was just in and said the coma was deeper and not to expect her to open her eyes again or respond to touch or sound.   I can’t just stop trying.  She looks so peaceful and isn’t restless any more.  I’ve been her aid every shift I’ve worked since she got here.   The nurses say she didn’t had any skin problems because when I rub in the lotion I add some love.  That’s what so many forget that these are people not just bodies.   The real nurses they care but they have too many to watch over. I have my 4 rooms so I can give each a little more time.”   The young girl’s soft southern accent made her words even more beautiful to Lee.  Lee remembered the special aids and nurses who had taken extra steps when she was first hurt and the ones she had seen with Johnny who did the same.

“The doctors said the baby was still doing fine.   They’re going to put a fetal monitor on her just to make sure.   If you ever need help with the baby and I’m not working here I’d be happy to help you.”

“I’ll make sure we have your number.”

“My  book  learning  isn’t  fancy  but I’m  good with those who need  caring for.  Back  home I  took  care of my  grandma  and her sisters  when they  were old and  couldn’t  do  for themselves.   Then me and Billy got married and came out here.  He works when he can find a job.  He’s a real good worker, works hard and always does a fine job.”

“What does he do?”

“Day labor they call it…what he is really good at is planting and growing things.  He and his daddy had a nice little farm.  Then  his mama  got  sick and after she died his daddy  just  kind of  grieved  himself to  death.  They sold the farm and split what was left between him and his two brothers.   We decided to come out here.”

“Would it be ok if I talked to a friend about maybe having a steady job for Billy?  It would be gardening and landscaping work.”

“Billy would be proud to be doing that kind of work.  His mama always said her flowers were the best in the county because Billy took care of them.   Her  flowers and  can goods always won  blue ribbons at the  county  fair back  home…Sometimes  she  would  even  enter them in the  state fair…and  win  prizes.”    They talked awhile longer then Lee went on home.  She called Eddie and talked to him about Billy. 

“Ok, Mrs. Levi, I’ll give him an interview. How’s everything looking out there?”

“Pretty good.  We are going to hopefully have the pool up and open in 10 days or less.   It takes about 5 days for the water to get warm enough for me.  The girls are excited; they are having an end of the year party out here.”

“You are a glutton for punishment.   Have your friend call me and we’ll get this set up…I can always use a good man.   One that loves the work is even better.”

Lee waited for Johnny to call after what was the usual dinnertime at the station.  It was almost eight before he called.

“You sound so tired…did you eat?”  She was worried about how tired he sounded.

“Yeah we grabbed a sandwich and some soup when we were at Rampart.  I’m   going to hit the sack….Roy really liked that new roast beef you had…Think we ate it all.”

“No problem.”

“Oh, did you see Anna today?”  He remembered to ask before hanging up.

“Yes, Callie said the coma was deeper and they were going to be closely monitoring the baby for the next few weeks.   Callie is such a sweet gentle person.”

“Yeah she is.  Love you Sweet Pea.”  Johnny had heard the sadness in Lee’s tone.

 “Love you and sweet dreams.” 

She went out to the sunroom to work on her special project.   It was almost finished.   That and the package she had hidden in the cedar chest were her special gifts to her Boyo.   She smiled as she worked.  Finally, she was feeling more positive than negative about the adoption.   Life was good.  

Johnny was sleeping so well when the station’s klaxon sounded.   He stretched and turned over.

“Rise and shine Gage.  It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”  Chet said as he passed by Johnny’s bunk.

!

Lee brought in the mail putting it in the basket they kept on the small table by the door.    Above that was the key holder Chris had mad for Johnny a few years ago in scouts.  Shaped like a key it had three small hooks.   They had put it at a level Lee could easily reach it.   She changed clothes then did her routine housework before going into the sunroom to work on her project.   She had a feeling she was going to need it sooner than she had planned.    She worked on it until she got hungry.    She forgot all about the mail as she kept busy the rest of the evening.

Johnny came into the kitchen smiling.  He could smell the bacon and the coffee cake.   “Hey Sweet Pea.”

“Good morning.   You look like you had an easy night.”

Yeah we did for a change.   Roy  and I  only had  two  calls and they  were  fairly early in  the evening.  Neither was too bad.   We had one a little after six this morning but it was almost time to get up any way.”  He kissed her then poured himself a big glass of milk and cut a piece of the coffee cake.   “Do we have any plans for today?”

“Nope.  I figured you wanted to work in your workshop and I have a few miscellaneous items to do.   Maybe after dinner just hangs out and watches a movie.

“A western?”

“Sure.  An omelet with lots of veggies and bacon sound good for breakfast?” 

“With that good sharp cheese?”

“Already shredded.   Oh, there is a letter for you in the basket.  It has a pink envelope and smells of a very expensive perfume.   Not one I use but nice.”   She batted her eyelashes.  “Should I be jealous?”

Not sure if she was teasing, he looked alarmed.  “What in the Sam Hill   does that mean?   Who?  …why… uh um…you don’t think…What would make you even think?”

“Calm  down…I  know  you  had a  lot of  girl  friends, some  more serious  than other.  But  I also know you my love.”  She wheeled herself over to him.   “Read the letter and decide if you want to answer it or ignore it.”  

“You  never cease to amaze me.  Now about that omelet?”  She motioned   for him to bend down so she could kiss him.   “Now, sit down and enjoy  your  coffee cake while I fix breakfast .” 
 
“Think I’ll go out to the  workshop.  Call me if you need anything, ok?”  He said standing up after they finished eating.

“I’ll probably be in the sunroom.   Call before you come in, ok?”   He kissed her and went out to his workshop after picking up the letter from the basket.

He smelled the envelope comparing it to what Lee usually wore.  Her perfumes reminded him of wild flowers or calm gardens.  This was heavy and reminded him of stale air.   He read:

     Dear Johnny,
      I Hope you don’t mind me writing.  It was so good to see you after all these years.  Connor’s mom is doing well.  The doctors said she fell because she hadn’t eaten before she took her pills.  They have hired someone to come in and help cook and clean as well as help with Connor.  He  isn’t too happy about that.   The stroke only made his temper worst.  Now it is only verbal abuse I was wondering if you would like to meet somewhere for dinner or drinks?   I know several nice little inns where we could meet.  Enclosed is my number at work.  Looking forward to seeing you soon.  
              Love,
                 Cindy

Johnny read the note, wrinkled his nose in disgust and threw it in the trashcan.    There was no way he'd consider her offer worth the time or effort to answer.  Changing  his  mind put it in his back pocket
 
Lee had just put her project away when Johnny buzzed the intercom.

“Can I come in now?   I think it’s time we took a nap.”

“Of course, I  just didn’t want you in the sunroom while I was working.  It’s all put away.”

 Lee was surprised when he came into the bedroom with a sandwich.  “I thought you were sleepy?”

“Saw the bread on the counter and decided I was hungry.    Wanna a bite?”

“No thank you.  So everything going as you planned with your project?”

“Yep…another few days of working on it and it should be done.  Yours?”  He sat down on the bed undressing except for his boxers.  

“About a week I think.   I wanted to apologize for teasing you this morning.   I know I never have any reason to be jealous.  I remembered how I felt when you teased me, asking if I had broken one of my vows to you.”   She looked at him waiting for an answer.  “Forgive me?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, so there isn’t anything to forgive.  It just caught me by surprise.  I read the letter.  Put it out on the table if you want to read it.  Fished it out of the trash. I don’t even think its worth answering.  She is married and unhappy.    He was a  bully  even  back  in  high school. So  what about  you  getting  settled,  I’ll  close the curtains  and we can get a nap.   Maybe  later we  drive up to the lodge for dinner and stay the night?    Just you, me, and maybe a nice hiking  trail.   The early wild flowers should be blooming.”  He helped her on to the bed then moved her chair out of the way,  He smiled at the questioning look she gave him.  “Got ya right where I want you.” He said laughing as he lay down beside her.  “I want to fall asleep listening to your heart beat.  You  know,  I use to  wonder if  I would  ever have this---  now  that I do, there is no way I  would  risk it for anything or anyone.  It may not be nice, but I think maybe Connor and Cindy deserved each other.”   Lee let him talk although she had no idea who these people where.  To be truthful, she didn’t want to know.  They were the past.   She knew it was a ‘head in the sand’ gut reaction but she didn’t want to think of the abuse and hurt Johnny had faced in his past.  She wanted to focus on  now,  she  couldn’t  change the  past  but she  could  help shape the  here and  now and the  future.

Twenty minutes later, he opened his eyes.  “You awake?”

“Kinda…you know that feeling when you aren’t asleep but aren’t really awake either.”  She said  moving slightly closer to him.  “You know in a few weeks we won’t always have this time to take a nap or do whatever we want. It’s going to be the three of us.  Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”

“Yes but we’ll still have our time.”   She couldn’t know how much those words meant to him.  He wanted this child so much.  He  had dreamed of having a family for so long.  Ever since he first started to be part of the DeSoto, family and being Uncle Johnny he had wanted to share the kind of relationship and love he saw between Roy and Jo and between them and the kids. 

He knew the kids loved their Uncle Johnny but it wasn’t the same.  Not that he would have or could have stopped loving Lee when she told him about her inability to have a child.  He had never let her see how much the rejection letters had hurt him---at least he hoped he hadn’t.   He had talked to Roy about his feelings.   But as he saw her hurt  and her spirit  slowly  dying he began to wonder if  maybe he  was wrong in  wanting to continue   encouraging  the idea of adopting.  

 Her outward detachment to the pending adoption had worried him…That maybe …maybe she didn’t want the baby.  He knew it didn’t matter to her that their daughter would be Cheyenne… He had been afraid that she had decided she didn’t want any child.  Now he understood she had been afraid of him getting hurt if something had prevented the adoption,  of her being the cause of more pain for him.   In the back of his mind was always the nagging memory of what she had said one night shortly after they had said I love you for the first time.   She had still been so scared of not being good enough for him.  (That she felt that way in the first place had surprised him.)     “If I ever see that being with me is hurting you, I will leave.  I won’t stop you from being happy.  I will never ask you to stay with me out of pity or duty.”     

“Where are you Boyo?  You look as if you’re a million miles away.”  Lee said softly watching the expression in his eyes and feeling his body’s tension.  She had turned so she was facing him.  

“I’m right here, right where I want to be.”    He kissed her and began running his hands down her back.   His touch was gentle as always, but there was urgency to it that she felt herself responding to even more than usual.

The next day Johnny spent most of the morning in the workshop. This   suited Lee as she could work on her project.    After lunch, they took a walk to the Grove.    The sidewalk that they had WBS build was Y shaped and   led from the back patio to the split that made the V shape of the Y.   One fork leads to the Grove the other to Kathy and Jim’s patio.  Their unhappy neighbor had complained about the noise and dirt and the ugly nature of the sidewalk.  Johnny and Lee had just shrugged it off.    Everyone thought Lee was teasing but she was serious about getting a golf cart to drive on the path as she called it.  They had spent most of the afternoon out there making plans for the three of them. 

They  had decided they   were  going to  stay   home  so they  walked out to the Grove.

“Boyo, will you answer me truthfully?”  She asked softly.   They were in the swing that Johnny had made for her and him.  The simple a frame held an old fashion porch swing that he had secured so it wouldn’t move until he was ready to swing.

“I always do.”

“Has there been a time when you doubted me?  That you worried I wouldn’t be able to take care of our baby?”

“Never.  You have so much love to give.  We will work everything out.  Once she starts walking we’ll  put some  kind of  fence  up  around the  pool  and  probably some  gates so she can’t get off the  porch by herself but  nothing we can’t handle.  Having Ibbie here for the first few weeks…as a backup should help you find out what you need to do different or what works best.   I never doubt you; wish you wouldn’t doubt yourself…  That is the only thing that worries me.  That you’ll let what other people say hurt you.”

“Their words might sting a bit but they can’t hurt me like they use to.   I   discovered that a few days ago.  At the meeting I went to the day Roy got  cut,  Paddy  asked if  I  was still  going to  work after the baby  came.  I said yes just not as often at the office.   Something else was said and a comment was made that wasn’t very nice.  But I didn’t care because  I knew what  was said  didn’t  matter because that  person didn’t matter in our lives.  Besides, I already knew she doesn’t like me any more than I like her.”

“See, I always say you’re as smart as you are beautiful.  I could stay out here all night but think it’s getting a little chilly for you.  Want to go get something to eat?”

“No there is plenty to eat at the house.  Wish we had thought to bring some hot dogs out with us.  Ya know, I’ve thinking, maybe you should call your aunt and see if she wanted company one day next week?  We could drive down for the day or spend the night at a hotel.”

 Johnny just nodded he was so surprised.   There was no way they could spend the night at Rosemary’s because all the bedrooms were upstairs.    Lee had not wanted to spend the night there or go down there before now.    He   never really believed she would change her mind.    The  run ins she had with his aunts in  Lame Deer and  his cousins  had made her  gun shy  of  getting  close to  Rosemary.  She told him  she  knew it  wasn’t  fair to  Rosemary or  him  but  she  couldn’t feel  any  closeness to her.   He appreciated she was trying to change  just as he  had her  honesty  about her  feelings.

“Are you sure?”   He asked not wanting to make the call then have her change her mind.

“Yes.  She is going to be our daughter’s great aunt.  I want her to know all her family.   I can’t  very well expect you to welcome my  uncles here if  Rosemary isn’t made to feel  welcomed  too.   She does love you and I think she should know she is always welcome in our home.”

“Are you going to be too upset if we have a son?”

“No, every time I’ve dreamed of the baby it has been a girl.  A  boy would be just as wonderful.  Especially if he grew up to be just like you.”   They talked awhile longer then went back to the house.  Lee fixed dinner while Johnny called Rosemary.   He was disappointed she was not home but left a message asking her to call him.

Lee was in the sunroom and Johnny was out on the tractor mowing the grass out at The Grove the next morning.   It was his choice to mow.    Eddie would have sent one of his men out to do it if he had called. The phone’s ringing interrupted Lee’s train of thought and she sighed as she put her almost finished project down.

“Hello.”  Expecting it to be Jo or Kathy.

“Lee, its Rosemary.   As soon as I walked in the door, Doris told me Johnny called yesterday.  Is everything all right?   She said he told her it wasn’t urgent but he sounded disappointed.”

“Everything is  fine.  He’s out  mowing.   He called to ask if it would be convenient for us to come down next Wednesday or Thursday.  If we came Wednesday, we could stay overnight.    He thought you could find us a place close by.”

“Wednesday would be wonderful.  Is there a special type room I should ask for?”  She was thrilled they were coming down.  

“If they have one  with a walk in  shower  it  would  be  great and  see if  they can arrange to have a  shower  chair  or a  plain folding  chair we  could set in the  shower.”

“I will.   Lee, I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to this  visit.   I want you and Johnny to know you are always welcome in my home.   I’ll call you after I make the arrangements at the hotel.”

“Great, if we aren’t here leave a message.  One of us will call and let you know we got it.  You’ll have to come up here soon.  We have the nursery almost ready.”  They talked awhile longer.   Lee felt good about the conversation.  She really was trying hard to lay all the old hurt and anger to rest.   She went back out to work on her project and with a happy sigh, she finished it. 

At dark, Johnny came into the kitchen. He was tired, sweaty and very pleased with himself.  He had finished all the mowing and some other yard work.  Once the fire season picked up he would  probably agree to  hiring  someone from Hector and Eddie’s  company . He  grabbed a carton of  milk drinking a  large ice cold glass of it  before calling  Lee  on the  intercom.  “Would you be interested in a shower  before dinner?”

“What a lovely idea.   Meet you there.”

“Ya know it feels so much  better when you wash my hair…think it is the extra  massaging  you do on my  neck.  Rosemary  called and she is going to get us a room  then call  back.”   He felt the increased tension in her neck when she mentioned Rosemary’s name.

“Great.”  He continued to massage her neck and shoulders.  He was surprised at how quickly she relaxed. “So what is the plan for tomorrow?”

“The  pool guy is coming and doing al the opening  stuff.  Other than  that,  nothing  except  enjoying  your  company.”

His stomach grumbled.  “Now the most important question…what’s for supper?”

“How does grilled salmon, corn on the cob and a salad sound?”

“Perfect.”

Johnny called over to the DeSotos’ after Lee, Jo, and Kathy left on a spur of the moment shopping trip.   Roy walked over  there enjoying the nice weather.  They went out to the workshop.   The floor plans for the house had the large room added on labeled darkroom and storage area.  In fact, from the time she had began dreaming of their house, there had been a workshop planned.  The  large garage gave Johnny  plenty of  room for  the  everyday  tools  a  guy  had  for  doing  home  repairs and  working on his  car.  The workshop was a wood workers dream.   Lee had arranged  for the  contractor to  only  work on it  when  Johnny was on  shift  and  for it to  be  locked up whenever  they were not  working on it.   Lee had told Johnny the   contractor had asked to store some things there and he never questioned her.     It had left him speechless on Christmas morning when they went out there for the first time.

“I finished it yesterday except for one more…maybe two more coats of shellac.   Do you think she’ll like it?”   The  expression  on his face  reminded  Roy of  Chris  when he  finished a  project he was  extremely   proud of, wanting his father to agree it was perfectly done.

“Junior, she’s gonna love it.  The artisanship is excellent and most importantly you did it for her.   How long have you been working on this?”

“Since November in my head January for real…”  He looked so proud and pleased with himself.   “It’s been hard not sharing what I was making   with anyone.  Especially you but I had to do this my way.”

“I understand.” 

“Wanna see what there is to snack on and watch the game?   Since I don’t think we’ll see the girls for awhile.”

“Think the plan was to pick the kids up at school on their way home.”

Lee had everything packed for staying overnight in Santa Barbra.  Soon as Johnny got home, they would leave, stopping to eat somewhere along the way.  She had asked him if he  wanted to  take a nap first when they had  talked on the phone  last night but he said no,  they  should  get there  early.  

Rosemary  was in her  office  catching  up  on  some  correspondence  when  Tiffany with her sister- in -law,  Dinah   burst into the  room.   “Mother you need to come to lunch with us.  Darcie is having a luncheon fashion show in the gardens at the museum.”

“I’m sorry but I have plans.  Go have fun.”  Rosemary was not happy to see her daughter right now.  Knowing the history between the two, she did not want Tiffany there when Lee came.

“What’s so important you can’t come with us?  It’s been ages since we had a girl’s day out.   The proceeds from the luncheon and part of the sales are going to be donated to the Children’s Hospital.”   Not that really mattered to her but she knew it was one of her mother’s favorite charities.

“I’m sorry but I have plans for today and tomorrow.   I thought you would be up in L.A. finishing the new office building.  Didn’t Josh say it was having its grand opening next week?”

“My part is all done until a day or two before the official opening.   Allison is meeting us at the museum.”

“Tell her I said hello.”  Rosemary knew what Tiffany was doing.  

Doris came into the room.  “Excuse me  but cook needed to know if your guests had any food allergies.   Since they have never been here before.”

“None that I know of, thank her for her concern.”   Rosemary was getting aggravated with herself.  It was her home and here she was trying to hide the fact John and Lee were coming to visit.  “My nephew usually eats anything he is offered.”

“With disgusting table manners.”  Tiffany added.  “Mother, what is he coming here for?  Is his wife coming too?”  Making a face as if she smelled something bad.

“They are coming here because I invited them and yes, Lee is coming also.   I would suggest you be on your way before all the good seats are taken at the fashion show.”

“If they get too unbearable you can always call me.  I’m sure if Allison and I came over they would find an excuse to leave.”

Rosemary ignored that remark as the two women left.  

Johnny and Lee followed the bellhop to their room.  “Mrs. Huges wanted to make sure the room met your special needs.  If there is anything you need please let us know.”   He waited while Johnny checked in the bathroom.   There was a bath chair sitting in the shower.  It was obvious it was brand new.

“Everything is fine.  Honey, did you bring your back pillow?”  He said looking over at the king sized bed.

“It’s in the garment bag.”  She smiled as Johnny handed the young man a tip.

“Mrs. Hughes has already taken care of that. Everything has been taken care of just call the front desk or room service if you need anything.  There’s diet Dr. Pepper in the mini bar.”   He left after wishing them a pleasant stay.  Johnny hung up the garment bag while Lee put a few things on the dresser.

“Call your aunt and see what time she is planning on us being over there.”  Lee reminded him.

As he hung up the phone Johnny watched with a grimace as Lee transferred onto the bed.   “She said lunch would be ready at one.   Why didn’t you ask for help?”

“Because I could do it myself.   The night stand wasn’t gonna move when I pushed on it”

“Ok Miss Independent.   Set your watch for 12:30, ok?  That ‘ll gives us some time just to relax.”

Two minutes after he lay down, he was asleep.  Lee with several pillows behind her turned on the radio then began reading.  

Lee watched out the window as Johnny talked about various places they passed.   Lee giggled at some of his stories but felt sadness at some.   The sadness was heavy when they passed the street his friend Drew had lived on.  Drew had died before Lee had met Johnny, but he had told her all about him and Pam and how he had felt losing him.  She also remembered Jo had told her Johnny tried to push away from Roy and the others at the station.  She shivered as she remembered what else Johnny had said then.  He was glad he didn’t have a wife or family. It had hurt her hearing how alone and hurt he had felt.

“Cold?”  Johnny asked as he saw her shiver and wrap her arms around herself.

“No   just an old memory…So that is where you went to high school?”  The building  was off to their right and very impressive looking.

“Yep.  Not, that it has many good memories except for the journalism room and the track.   When you went to high school …did you get involved in anything?”  Lee rarely talked about high school but was more open about her time at UCLA both before and after the accident.

“It was different at our school.  We didn’t have any teams except intramurals because the way the school was set up.  There was a ski  club and a  group  that went  surfing…I  went on a  few of the ski  trips  but  they frowned on the  ones under  12  going…safety issues  was the excuse.   Jeff and I  would  take  trips  sometimes  up to ski  and  more often  during the  summer we went  surfing.   I spent a lot of time alone in the library  when I was at school.  I  loved it  when  I  was  able to leave school  early and  go to Jeff’s  office.  I’d type and file.  Suzanne taught me to run the switchboard.  At  school we were supposed to  do  community  awareness  projects  related to  our  future  job  choices…since I  was  going to be a  forensic scientist or an  FBI  agent  I  used  Jeff ‘s  office as a  project.  The school was ok with that because they didn’t know what else to do with me.”   (She had never told Johnny she was the youngest person to ever graduate from the academy.)

Johnny pulled up in front of the house and  waited for Lee to say something.  “This was home sweet home,” with a trace of sarcasm.   “Rosemary did the best she could…I’m glad you suggested this.” Lee didn’t answer just smiled at him.  They went up to the door Johnny rang the bell.  They were surprised when Rosemary answered the door.  “Welcome…Lee thank you, I’m so happy you decided to visit.”   They went into the living room.

“Thank you for inviting us even after several refusals on my part, not the Boyo’s.”  Lee said with a shrug.  “Put it down to my being a brat  and accept my apology.”

“There is no need for an apology.  I am glad we have gotten past the problems and can be friends now.”

“Not friends, family.   You would think me of all people would have known how important family is.  Misunderstandings happen.”

"And are forgiven.”  Johnny said with his famous crooked grin.   “I think something was mentioned about lunch?”    His stomach growled to make his point. 

“On the patio.  I hope you still like lasagna.”   She laughed at the look on his face.  “Lee, did he ever tell you about the time he ate a whole pan of lasagna?”

“Not all at once…”   Johnny said in his defense. 

“No, it took him all day.”   Lee giggled as he pushed her out to the patio.

“I was a growing boy and I was getting ready for a big track meet.”

“Yes that was just before you won the big state meet.  The record still stands.   In fact, I was at the school not too long ago, your picture and trophy is still displayed.   I think they also have some of your pictures in the journalism room.”

“I want to see them.  Rosemary do you think we could go visit the school.”  Lee put down her fork.  

“Why would you want to do that?”  Johnny said with a shocked look on his face

 “That ice cream  place  you‘re always  talking about…I  want to  go there  and share a  double banana  split with you.   I want to go tell that stupid biology teacher what a stupid jerk he was.”  Johnny had gotten over being shocked and was laughing at her.

“You are so silly.   Why would you want to do that?”

“Because  I  remember  what  you told me he  said  when you  got an  A on  your  final.”     Johnny frowned at that.  “You told me that when we were studying for your recertification test.  I’d like to see him answer some of those questions.”

“I can arrange for us to go visit the school.”  Rosemary said as Johnny was shaking his head no.  “Yes, John, I  think  Lee  should  go see  your  picture   and if  she  wants to share a banana split  with you  I  think we   should  take her.”   She went inside to make a phone call.

“What are you up to now?”  He asked laughing.  “You really want to see those old pictures?”  He stood up and went over to her. 

“Yes.  I want to see if what I imagine you were like is anywhere close to reality.”   

He just shook his head.  “You are totally out of your mind, you know that?”

“Yeah but you love me anyway.”  She looked up at him and batted her eyelashes.  “No matter what, you love me anyway.”

“I’ll love you always.  Now behave yourself.”    He started to push her inside.

“Why?  That isn’t any fun.”    He stopped , tipped the chair backwards  leaning down he kissed her.  He stood up sitting the chair’s front wheels back on the ground.   Rosemary had been watching them from the doorway.

“The  principal of the school said for us to come over and  he  would  give us a  tour of the  school.”

On  the way to the school  Rosemary pointed  you several different places of  interest in town.  Lee watched and listened as Rosemary told her bits and pieces of Johnny’s life.  

The three adults entered the school and Johnny cringed slightly.  Other than the time spent  taking photos for the paper or running track  it hadn’t  been all that pleasant for him.  The last two years had been a little better since he was a track star.  They went into the main office.  The secretary recognized Rosemary. 

“Mr. Wagner will be right with you.  He had to take a phone call from a parent.”

“No problem.  We appreciate you letting us come visit.”  Rosemary answered with a gracious smile.  “Johnny, you may remember Mr. Wagoner, he was vice principal when you were a senior.”

The principal came out of his office stopping to study the three people studying the photo on the wall.  He vaguely  remembered the tall,  dark  haired man,  the  girl  in the  wheelchair  wasn’t familiar at all.  Everyone connected with the schools knew Rosemary Gage-Hughes.  She was a very generous woman when it came to school fundraisers.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Gage.”  Wagner said warmly.

“Thanks.  This is my wife, Lee.”

“Nice to meet you.   Let’s  go down to  the Sports Achievement Hall    first so  you can  see the track  wall  and the  case of  trophies.”  Johnny pushed Lee as they went towards the sports complex.    “Did you go to school here in Santa Barbra, Mrs. Gage?”

“Please call me Lee.  No I went to Westview Progressive.”

“That’s the program that UCLA runs?”   Wagoner was impressed.   “Then did you go onto to UCLA?”

“Yes, I majored in Statistical Analysis and in computer programming.”

“She had one masters and was working on a second one by the time she was 20.”   Johnny said proudly. 

“May I ask why you didn’t finish the second degree?”

“I was bored and found something more worthwhile to do.    After almost 18 months of doing nothing except working on master degrees I was ready for a change.” 

Thery reached the sports complex and Mr.  Wagner led them over to the track section.  Lee found the picture of Johnny and his trophy and read the article about him setting a new state record.  She saw the cast on his arm in the photo and the black eyes.   His  comment  about  Jimmy  Mac  being a  bully took on new meaning for her. She looked at him raising an eyebrow.  He looked away.

“Reliving old glories, Gage?”  A new voice said from behind them. There was something in the man’s voice that sent up warning signals in Lee.  The man was a little shorter than Johnny and was and definitely out of shape.

“He doesn’t have to relive old glories he is too busy accomplishing new more important ones.”  Lee‘s tone was neutral her glance at the man wasn’t.

“Like what?” 

“Winning the paramedic competition at the Firefighter/Paramedic competition last summer.  His  station  won  the  firefighters’ challenge…He earned the highest score in his class for paramedic  certification and  him and his  partner  were the first  working  Paramedics  in  the  state…to name a  few,  besides  he and his  partner  being  one of the  best and  most respected  paramedic teams in the state.”

“That’s some press agent you got Gage.  Gonna introduce us?”

“Mitch Howell, my wife, Lee.   Mitch was on the football team when I was a senior.”

“One of Jimmy Mac’s friends?”   Rosemary noticed the distinct chill in Lee’s voice.

“Yes.”  He frowned a little worried about what she would say next. He had gotten the message she did not like him at all.  “I haven’t seen him for years…Wonder if he and Cindy are still together.”  

“Yes they are.  In fact she sent Johnny a note after the squad responded to a call at their home.”  Lee said sweetly.

“You still run any Gage?”  Howell did not know why but he got the feeling he did not want to continue with the conversation about Jimmy.

“When I have time.  Well, we better let you get back to work.” 

They went back towards the office.  Rosemary and Mr. Wagner   were walking ahead of them.    

“Boyo,  bend down here.”  She said.  He stopped and went   around so he was standing in front of her.    With a giggle, she kissed him when he bent down.

“What?”   He asked puzzled at her behavior.  

“I’ve always seen and read about couples sneaking a kiss in the hallway of the high school.   Always wished I could do it just once to see what it felt like.” 

“And what did it feel like?”   Laughing at the look on her face.

“Very good…because it was you not because of where it was.”   He bent down and kissed her, cupping his hand behind her neck pulling her closer.   “I love you Boyo.”  She whispered when he pulled back.

“John, I think you’re a little old for detention,” Rosemary said smiling.

“It was my fault…I was playing out an old fantasy.   One disadvantage of  graduating  at  13  you  never  got to  go to  high school  being  14 on a  college campus isn’t a  lot of  fun.”   Lee said.   “Not much of a social life.”

There was a class going on in the journalism room.  The teacher was explaining the fine points of interviewing to get more than just the facts.   The teacher looked up when the visitors came in. 

“Ms.  Roper, this is Rosemary Hughes and her nephew John and his wife Lee.   John  was the photographer for the  paper  his senior  year  and  won a  prestigious  award  at  state  competition.  The photo  was of a  fireman rescuing children from a third floor apartment.   There was a large copy of the photo and story hanging  on the back wall as well as the plaque Johnny had won. 

“I should have known.”  Lee said laughing looking very proud of her blushing husband.  

“Should have known what?”  Ms. Roper asked.

“That his award winning photo would have been of a fire fighter.   Johnny   applied for the L.A.  County Fire Academy  the  day he  turned  18...Being a  firefighter was his  dream  from the time  he  was 5, right?”  She looked up at him.

“Yeah.” 

“Mr. Gage, would you let our class interview you?”   Ms. Roper asked.

“I’m not sure what my aunt had planned for this afternoon.”  Trying to get out of the interview politely.

“I think that is a wonderful idea, don’t you Lee?”   Rosemary said.

‘A very excellent idea.”

“Mr. Wagner,  why  don’t you and I  go  up to your  office and  talk about the arts program you want to  implement?” Rosemary said, taking the principal by the arm.  Soon Johnny was perched on the edge of the desk   looking uncomfortable.  The 12 students had formed a semicircle around the desk.  Lee had moved back to where the teacher was sitting.

“Lee, I think you should be up here.  You always have interesting things to add.”  Johnny flashed his crooked grin at her.   She shrugged but moved up to where he was.  Ms. Roper noticed that as soon as she was next to him he reached for her hand.   “Ok, I guess I’m ready for this.”  Ms. Roper  heard the  intercom  click on  and knew that  they  were  being  heard in the  principal’s  office.

“Your wife said you wanted to be a fireman when you were five?  Why?”

“My dad and I would take walks and there was a fire house near where we lived.    There used to be a tiller man on the older engines.  That is what I wanted to do, sit up there and steer.”

“Is that what you do now?”

“No they changed the design on the engines.  After  I  finished  my  training and  probationary  period  where you are a ‘boot,’  I  took  the  training to be a rescue man.   Then when the paramedic program started I went to classes for that.”

“He  not  only went to classes he  graduated  with the  highest  test  score on the certification  test  for that  class.  He and  his  partner were the  first working  paramedics in the  field  when  the  law  passed  that allowed them to use what they had  learned.”   Lee added knowing Johnny would not. 

“Why did you want to be a paramedic?”

“Because  too many  times  I  saw people  die or  their  injuries  worsen  because  there  wasn’t  proper  medical  help  available  soon  enough.”  The students all saw how serious their subject had become.    “It’s not all bad…sometimes we get really crazy calls.   Like the guy who was showing off for his girl friend and ended up with his foot caught in the space between slats in a fence.”   This lead to stories about life in the station and the pranks and good fellowship.

“Do you ever get hurt?”

“Sometimes…”  Lee made a soft humpfing sound.  “It’s all part of the job.”   The talked until the bell rang.  The students left thanking Johnny for the interview.   The students had been given an assignment to write an article based on the interview.

“I’ll send you copies of the stories, if you’d like.  And of the pictures they took.”

“Thank you I would really enjoy seeing them.”  Lee answered before Johnny could say a word.

Tiffany, Dinah and Allison were leaving the fashion show.

“Why don’t you drop in on your mother -in- law and let her know what wonderful bargains she missed.”

“And spy on your cousin and his wife?”  Allison had never met Lee but had   heard stories about her from Tiffamny and Joshua.  She also knew Lee was responsible for them losing money on a real estate deal.

“I just thought you might like to meet her.”

The house cleaner showed Allison out to the patio.  Rosemary was laughing at something Lee had told her.   Rosemary was relieved it was just her daughter-in-law. 

“Rosemary,  I  wanted to  show  you the  darling  purse I  got  at the  fashion  show.  It was such a fun show and the prices were exceptional.”

“I’m glad you had a good time.   Lee, I don’t believe you’ve   met Joshua’s wife.”

“No we haven’t.  I know she and my husband had some business dealings.  Josh is up in San Francisco working    so hard to get this latest project done on time.  The general contractor had a problem and it caused all sorts of delays.”

“Nice to meet you.  I remember when we were having our house built there was a few delays.  Lucky none were major.”  Lee’s tone was polite and friendly.   “I was so happy we were able to be moved in in time for the holidays.” 

“Yes, I remember Rosemary saying   she had a nice time there for Thanksgiving.    Well I need to get home.  My parents are taking me out to dinner.”    She was confused   by Lee’s manner.  Tiffany and Josh had made her out to be such a witch.    She   wondered what Tiffany would have to say about that.   She  wasn’t  even sure if she  was  going  to  tell Joshua since he  was so unreasonable   whenever  John  or Lee’s  name was  mentioned.   

Rosemary suggested they have dinner there on the patio instead of going out as they had planned.  It was so nice to be so relaxed and laughing.  Rosemary  let  the  young  couple  guide the  conversation and  resisted the  urge to  ask  questions about the  upcoming  trial  or  the  adoption.  She wanted Lee to feel comfortable and be willing to come back.  After dinner, they played some three handed euchre and canasta.  It was nearly 10:30 when Johnny began yawning.

“I know you worked yesterday.”  Rosemary said with a sad smile.  “As much as I am enjoying this you need to get some rest before the drive home tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you come over to the hotel for brunch?  About 11?  They serve it until 1, I think.”  Lee suggested.  “Or  we could have  ice cream  for  lunch.” 

“I would enjoy that.  You and John need to plan on coming down more often.”

“We will.   We want you to be part of our baby’s life as well as ours.  I guess I wasn’t as welcoming as I should have been in the beginning.  It was never Johnny.”

“Lee, my dear, the first time I met you I knew you were perfect for Johnny.  You were going to defend him at any cost.  Given the  circumstances  that  my children were so  self centered  and mean spirited to keep me from   your  wedding.   That they  made you both feel  I didn’t want to be there.”

“That is the past where it belongs.”  Johnny said.  “We are glad you want to be part of our lives and that of our baby.”

“Have you decided on a name yet?’  Rosemary asked glad to change the subject. 

“Yes but we aren’t telling anyone one until she is born.”  Lee said.  “Johnny shook his head at his aunt hoping she wouldn’t ask any questions.
 

Lee jumped when the phone rang.  She looked at the clock   as she answered.  12:30 a.m.   Johnny had waked up on the first ring also.

“Gage residence.”  Lee answered.  She listened and  Johnny saw her hand tremble.   “Just a minute please,” she said putting her hand over the receiver.  “They called a squad for Anna.    Yes, we’ll be there soon as possible.”

Johnny was already up and getting dressed.  “Lay still till I can help you.”  The grab bar had been pushed back and she was struggling to sit up.   He helped her sit, then began helping her dress.  Lee  felt  guilty  that  even under these  circumstances  she  felt  her  body  responding  to his  touch as he  helped her .  He lifted her into the wheelchair.  She grabbed the brush off her dresser and he pushed her out to the kitchen.  He stopped for a moment and went back into the bedroom, grabbing his camera case.    After making sure she was belted in, he smiled and kissed her tenderly. 

“It’s going to be alright…our baby is coming and it’ll be fine.”  He hoped he was sounding more confident than he felt.    As they pulled out of the lane onto the highway, he let out a deep sigh.  “Now, what exactly did they say?”

“That Anna’s temperature had spiked and she was having increased difficulty breathing.  The heart monitor was showing erratic function.”

“Her or the baby’s heart?”   Johnny asked.  They had placed monitors on both when Anna had slipped deeper into the coma.

“I  don’t  know…She  said  that  they had  placed a call to the  OB  and that  someone  from  Dr.  Westmore’s group would be going to Rampart.”

“Sweet Pea, remember whatever happens tonight I love you and we’ll be alright.”  Johnny was worried but he was trying hard to be strong for her.   “Anna and the baby have got some of the best doctors in the state taking care of them.” 

“I love you John Roderick Gage…never more than now.”  She could see the fear and the pain in his eyes.   He was in so much pain but all his concern was for her.     “I’m  scared  but  I know  its  whatever is  best  for  Anna  and the  baby that  matters.   God has a plan and even when we do not understand or agree…His plan is perfect.  I  have to  believe that  or I  would  totally  lose  what  little  mind I  have  left.”

“Your mind is just fine just like the rest of you.”  Johnny assured her.

At the  nurses’ desk Betty and  Dr. Early  were  talking  as they  saw  Johnny and  Lee they  looked  concern.

“What brings you here this time of night?”  Joe asked, as he looked Lee over closely.

“They are bringing Anna in…Guess we beat the ambulance from the trauma center.”  Johnny said.

“No, they took her straight up to the OR.  I didn’t know you were friends,”   Betty said.   “You were in treatment room 3 when they came in, Doctor.”  

“Thanks.”  Johnny pushed   Lee towards the elevator before Betty could ask any questions. 

“Are they close friends?”  Betty asked.  She knew they were adopting a baby but did not know the whole story.

“Anna is the birth mother for their child. Did the paramedics say anything about her condition?”

“That they were told that  we would  take her straight up to OR that Dr.Shipper  would be waiting.”

“Hi Johnny.  What can I do for you?”  The nurse behind d the desk asked. “Checking up on one of your patients?” 

“No, we’re here for Anna Two Hawks.”  

“She’s in surgery  with Dr. Shipper and Dr. Ramon.”  Before anything  else  could be said, Carol Jordon  came back from a patient’s  room. 

“Johnny, Lee.  Dr. Shipper wants you to wait in the private waiting room.  Sorry Beth I forgot to tell you.   Follow me please.”   Beth watched  as her friends went down the hallway.   A feeling of pity and sadness swept over her.  They only used that room when the doctors felt the outcome of the delivery was not going to be a happy  one. 

The small room  held a sofa and a rocking chair.  The  walls were  painted a calming  soft  ivory,  the  pictures on the  walls  peaceful  landscapes.  There was  a  small  television and  some magazines  on a  shelf  with  some  tastefully  done artificial  flowers. 

“Why don’t you get settled on the sofa?”  Johnny  asked as he  watched her  move  trying to  finsd  a  more  comfortable  way  to  sit.  He knew her back and hip had to be tense.

“You gonna sit by me?”  She asked knowing he would have a hard time not pacing about.

“Of course I am.”  He helped her, knowing it was importantly to her to do as much for herself as possible.  “Do you want the TV on?”

“Yeah,  maybe a little back ground noise would be nice…  don’t  want  to sit here  just hearing the inane conversations going on in  my  head…Boyo,  do  you  think  maybe  we  could  take a  trip to the east coast in the fall?  Go see Matt and Jeff and maybe go up to New England and look at the trees?   Once Matt and I took a  long  weekend and  went up to Boston  to visit all the wonderful  history sites  and  went  on a  harbor  tour.   That  was the  summer I was  14.   I  would  love for us to  just  take  some time and  go visit  all the  tourist  stuff in  the  DC area .  The three of us could fly there then rent a car.   How old does she have to be before its ok for her to fly?”

“Good question. Think it’s probably six month or so.   Yeah I would like that.  Never been over that way except when we went to New York City for Thanksgiving.”   He watched her as she stiffen.  “Are you going to be sick?”   He noted her pale face and the swallowing she was doing.

“No, but a ginger ale would   maybe  help settle my stomach.   It’s kind of queasy.”  Looking very embarrassed.  “There should be some ice cold ones in the fridge at the very back.”

“Ok, be back in a few minutes.” 

Johnny looked up as the door to the office opened and the paramedics from 36 came in laughing.  The paramedics did not notice him sitting over at the desk leaving a note for Nell.  He slammed the drawer shut a little harder than necessary and the two paramedics jumped.  

“What are you doing in Lee’s desk?”  Murphy said not recognizing Johnny in the dim light.  (Murphy was new to 36.)

“Don’t you get enough of this place in the daytime?   What are you doing here?”   The other paramedic recognized Johnny and relaxed.

“Just leaving a note and grabbing a soda for her.”   He moved into the better-lighted area.  “Saxon.”  He acknowledged the other paramedic who was shaking his head. 

“You guys having a busy night?”  Johnny countered trying to change the focus of the of the conversation.  

“This is our third time here tonight.  Decided to grab something to eat before going back.”  Saxon Brown had settled in to a chair and seemed ready to chat.

“Lee’s waiting. One of these days you need to come out to the house, the pool’ll be open soon.”   Johnny made his way to the door.  “Stay safe out there.”

Lee   waited for Johnny to come back trying to keep herself in   some sort of control.  She was scared and cold and she knew if she started crying the dry heaves would get worst.  The TV was showing a commercial for baby food.   The tears  began  trickling  down her  face as she  watched the  mother and  baby  on  the  screen.  The doubts began surfacing again.  What if Jo’s mother was right?  What if she had  just  been  playing  house  with the  girls and she  really  couldn’t  handle  the  day to  day   tasks.    She did not want her baby raised by a nanny.  

Johnny would be great hands on dad.   She smiled remembering how excited he had been when they got the jogging stroller.  He had  picked out the  perfect  spot to   put it on the  deck  and   how they  could  use it  down  by the  pool.   He had already talked to the pool company about getting a fence around the pool and the best kind of gates and about other safety features.   She  looked  at the  clock  wondering  what  was  taking  Johnny  so long  then  realized he had  been  gone  less than  10  minutes.   The what if’s continued to plague her.  What if the baby dies or was handicapped?    Would Johnny want to try again? What if  Johnny  thought she  wasn’t a  good mother or  couldn’t  keep the  baby  safe?  What if Anna is grandmother changed her mind?   What if her insecurities made Johnny angry?  What if…

She looked up when Johnny came in with the sodas.   She tried to smile but   it was not very convincing.

“Hey, did you miss me that much?”  He sat down next to her.  It’s ok, I am scared too.   But I  also  have  this  feeling that  everything is  going to  be alright.  Roy said him and Jo are gonna spoil this one as bad as we spoil Chris and Jen.”   He was wiping her eyes and cheeks with a tissue.   “When we see our daughter all this worrying and being scared is gonna seem so far away.    Remember the first party we had for the people?  You did not tell me until after the party you had made yourself sick worrying about it.   I should have known   how scared you were and you should have talked to me.   You never did tell me what Chet  said  that made you cry  that day.   But then I never knew he did that until at the engagement party.”

“I  made  Jo  promise  not to tell you   and  not to tell you I  was  going to give you  your  ring  back.   Jo asked me if I was going to let some ones offhand remark make us both miserable.   That the only  way I  could  not  be  good enough  for you  was to let others convince me I  was.   I thought he was the biggest jerk I had ever met.  Some days I still do but I know he is really a good friend.   What did he say that had you so mad?”

“Nothing for you or me to worry about.   Yeah Chet is a good friend, we’ve got lots of good friends and family…”  He poured   her some ginger ale and   they sat there talking and waiting.   He had his arm around her and she was leaning into his embrace.  Anyone who did not know her would have thought she was asleep.  Johnny looked at clock.  They had been there almost 2 hours.

“So you think it’s a girl?  Any particular reason?”   Jan, the nurse who worked with him often knew he liked to guess the sex. 

“Her new mom has been saying it was a girl for the last three months.  I am not going against her dreams.   Boy or girl this little one is gonna be well loved and well cared for.”

“This is another one of your miracle babies?” 

“All babies are miracles, this one has just needed a little extra help to get here.” 

The nurses  pulled the stomach muscles back.  There was little resistance.  Dr. Shipper   carefully began the incision doing a classic C-section cut rather than the bikini cut.  

“Let’s have the suction ready.  OK,   everyone…”

The  door to the waiting room opened and  Dr. Thad Shipper  looked at the  couple sitting on the sofa.  Lee’s head was on Johnny’s shoulder and he was holding her tightly.  Thad  couldn’t hear  what  Johnny was  saying  but he  knew  whatever it was it was exactly  what she  needed  to hear  at that moment.

“Anna?”  Johnny asked, seeing the sadness in the doctor’s face. 

“She has hours at the  most,  the  best  blood pressure  we could get  was 70/40, the  monitor   was  showing  very little   brain  function…sporadic at  best.  The  kidney  function is  almost non  existent .  The machines  are keeping her alive.  Micha  Little Bear requested that we did not prolong   life once the  baby was delivered.”

Lee sat there and listened as the tears began again.  Feeling terribly selfish she asked, “And the baby?”

Roy DeSoto looked at the clock and frowned.  Mumbling to himself  about idiots that called at 5a. m., he answered the phone.  “DeSoto.”

“Chloe Elizabeth…”  The words were hard to make out as it sounded as if the speaker was crying or drunk or both.

“You’ve got the wrong number.”  Roy started to hang up then he recognized the voice.  “Johnny!  What did you say?” 

Jo had woke up  when the  phone  rang but  had just laid there until  she heard  Roy say  Johnny.   “What?  Are they ok?”   Roy held his hand up in the stop gesture.

“…Chloe  Elizabeth …only  four pounds  4 ounces  but the  doctor  said  other than that she is  doing  good.   They are  gonna let us  hold her in a  few minutes…They  wanted to let her  rest and  get  a  little  warmer  before we  did…She’ll be in the  incubator  for awhile  just  because she is  so  tiny  wanted you to be the  first to know…”

“Give her a kiss from her Uncle Roy and Aunt Jo  and give one to Lee too.”

“I will.  See you after while?  Maybe we can have breakfast.  We’re up in Lee’s office.”

“We’ll head over there after we take the kids to school.  Can I tell the kids or do you want to?”

“Let us, ok?   Thanks Pally.   Lee is gonna call her uncles now.”  Johnny hung up.  Jo was waiting for details.   “Name, weight…is everything ok?”

“Chloe Elizabeth  weighs  4 pounds  4 ounces and is   fine  except  for being  tiny…They  want  us to have  breakfast  with them  after we  see her,   they  want to  tell the  kids.”

“Did they call Hank and Emily yet?”

“I don’t think so. Lee hadn’t called her uncles yet.”

Lee dialed   Kathy’s number knowing that it was really   too early but she could not wait.   Kathy answered on the third ring.  “Kildare residence.”

“The baby is here… so tiny but healthy.”   Lee said in an amazingly calm voice.  “Miss Chloe Elizabeth Gage made her formal entrance into our lives at 4:45 this morning.  You are the second   person we have told…Johnny called Roy.  Jeff and Matt are next on the list.  I know you had another hour to sleep but I couldn’t wait to tell you.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.   I’ll be over after I get done at the clinic. We’re so happy for you.”

“Can you wait so we can tell the kids?”

“Of course.  You take care and I’ll see you later today.”

“Mr. Spencer’s office.”

“Hi, this is Lee Gage, is my Uncle Jeff in the office by any chance?”   No one had answered at his apartment.  “It’s really important.”

“Just a minute please I’ll connect you.”  

“Napoleon Solo.” 

“Mr. Solo there is a call for Mr. Spencer.   A   Miss Gage. She said it was important.”

“Here he is.”  He handed the phone to Jeff.  “It’s Lee.”

“Hey Sweet Pea…what‘s up?

“Chloe Elizabeth wants to know when her great Uncle Jeff is coming to meet her.”

“Just as soon as I finish my meetings with Mr. Waverly and Mr. Solo and can catch a plane.  Chloe Elizabeth a very pretty name.”

“The doctors are really pleased with how well she is doing and I get to hold her in a few minutes!”

“You called Matt yet?”  Jeff loved hearing the excitement in her voice.

“He is  next on the  list.  Roy then  Kathy  then  you  two.  Johnny is  waiting until a  more  civilized  hour to  call his aunt and the others.  He  woke  Roy up, it  wasn’t  even  5  yet.”

“I’ll  see you  sometime  in the  next  few  days. Love  you give Chloe a  kiss  for me and tell John  I  think  he’ll make a  great  dad.  You’ll be a wonderful  mom “

The same conversation was repeated with Matt. 

“Ready to go up to see our daughter?”

The room they went into was smaller than the waiting room and had a rocking chair and a love seat.  There were no paintings on the walls but there was a mural of baby farm animals.  Johnny helped Lee be seated in the rocking  chair.

Dr. Terri  Ramon came in with a nurse.  Lee looked up and for a minute panicked when there was no baby in sight.  Johnny tightened the hold he had on her shoulder.

“Is Chloe alright?”  Lee finally managed to get the words unstuck from her throat. 

“She is fine,”  Dr. Ramon assured the couple.  “She passed her first test with flying colors.”

“The Apgar?   The Five minute one?”  Johnny’s smile grew even bigger. “I was kind of wondering.”

She scored an eight, she needed a little help at first but once she was suctioned it was fine.  She has a good set of lungs and knows how to use them.  She is ready for some formula.   You ready to hold her?  With her being so small, we will try to do more frequent smaller feedings.  The two of you are welcome to do them but it is not a problem if you can’t.   Don‘t   be too worried if she does not seem to be very interested in the bottle at first.   Sometimes it just takes a while especially with ones this little.  We will keep a good record of her intake and her weight gain.  Once she is 5 pounds, we will probably be able to send her home.  Any questions?”

“No, I think that what you just told us covers most of the questions for right now.  Is it ok if I rock her?  Just a little.”

“Sure  just  remember her tummy is tiny and she may  need some extra  burps  not  just at the  end.   Johnny when you take the pictures, can you makes sure to use low light for a day or two.  These new flashes are sometimes hard on their eyes.”

“Got some film here that is designed for low light.”   Johnny opened the   camera case.  “The room light should be plenty.”

“Good…Ok, Nancy, would you bring Miss Chloe in. ”  The tiny little girl was tightly wrapped in a soft pink blanket.  Nancy handed her to Lee.   Johnny bent down looking at his daughter for the first time

“Na'néso”  He whispered the name then kissed her lightly on the forehead.  “She is so beautiful…Look at all that hair.”  He soon was taking pictures of Lee holding her and giving her first bottle, burping her.

“Ok, daddy, your turn.”  Johnny took the small bundle from Lee.  Sitting down on the love seat, he talked to her as he fed her.   Lee handed Dr. Ramon the camera so she could take some pictures.  Johnny had   Chloe on his shoulder and was patting her on the back.  The small very woman like burp was his reward.

“Nancy, you take the baby and Johnny, you help Lee over to the love seat.  We’ll take the first official family portrait.”   Dr. Terri was a GYN-OB and had known Lee for years, since she first entered Dr. Westmore’s group.    Her husband Steve was a pediatrician  in the  same  practice  and  would  most likely  be Chloe’s  doctor  since he  was more  experienced  with high risk babies. Their friend Thanh had recommended him to her and Johnny.

Johnny  handed  the  camera to  Dr. Terri  and  quickly   scooped  Lee  up,  giving her a  kiss  before sitting her  down.  Once she was settled, Nancy handed the baby to Lee. Johnny  chose to  stand  behind  them,  leaning  forward,  one  hand on  Lee’s  shoulder  the other  touching the  blanket.  

“Ok time for this young lady to get some rest…”

“One more pictures…You and Nancy with Lee and Chloe.  I’ll get one with Dr. Shipper and my girls later.”   Johnny soon had the pictures and Chloe was safely in her incubator.

They went back up to the office.  Lee called  down to the nurses  desk  in the  ER  and  left a message for  Dixie or  Kel  to call her as  soon  as possible.  They were not due in for a while.    Lee made a call to Denver and then Johnny called his aunt.  She was thrilled and said she would be there some time that afternoon.   Johnny looked at the clock.  It was after seven.  He knew Em would be up since their youngest daughter was a junior in high school.   He dialed the number ‘

“Stanley residence.”   Hank sounded more asleep than awake.

“Cap, its John.”

“Is everything ok Pal?”   He knew John would not call that early without a good reason.

“We have a daughter…Cap she’s beautiful.  Her name is Chloe Elizabeth and she is alert, smiles, and is wonderful.  I held her and it was like all the bad stuff just dissolved away,”

“Do the guys know?”

“Just Roy, he and Jo are coming over then we’re going to have breakfast.  Why don’t you and Em come too?  We’ll be here in the office or up in the nursery.”

“I’ll check with Em when she gets back, she drove the girls to school.”

Johnny and Lee headed down to the ER to see if Dixie and the ‘the Docs’ were in yet.  

Dixie frowned when she saw Johnny’s Rover in Lee’s parking place.  She  couldn’t  imagine  what  they  were doing  here  this  early  unless  something was wrong.

“Dixie,” Lee called out when she saw her friend going towards the nurses’ desk. 

“What are you two up to now?  Pretty early to be up on your day off.”

“We’ve been here since about 1.  There is someone very special upstairs we need you to meet.”

“Who’s that?”  Dixie watched their faces.  They were smiling but in their eyes was a sadness that flickered there.

“Miss Chloe Elizabeth Gage is waiting to be adored by her family and friends.”

“When did this happen?”  She was thrilled for her young friends.

“4:45 this morning.  They  did an emergency C-section.   They   say it’s only going to be a few hours until Anna is gone.  Almost doesn’t seem right to be so happy knowing …It’s like we’re trading one life for another.”

“Johnny, Lee let me read part of Anna’s diary.  What she  wished most for in this world was for their  baby to have a  happy  and loved filled  life.  I can’t think of anyone better to make that wish come true.”

“Thanks Dixie.  You got time to go upstairs?”  Lee asked.  

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t miss a chance to meet this young lady.”

“What young lady?  What are you doing here?”  Kelly Brackett inquired as he came up behind Lee and Johnny.  

“Want to meet our daughter, Kel?”  Lee’s questioned caught the usually unflappable doctor completely off guard.

As they rode up to the nursery, Johnny filled in the details.

“I  agree with  Dixie,  this  young lady couldn’t have  a  more  loving  family.”

“She is beautiful and all that hair. “  Dixie exclaimed as she watched the tiny baby move her arm slightly.  “Taking after her daddy… already fidgeting in her sleep.”

“How was her Apgar test?”   Kelly slipped into doctor mode.

“A five minute score of 8.  We gave her a bottle and held her.  She makes these tiny little burps like a baby bird chirping.”  Johnny never took his eyes off her as he was talking.   They stayed a  few  minutes  longer then  Dix and Kel  went  down to the  ER  while  the proud  parents stayed  up at the window awhile longer. 

At the nurses’ desk, the Dixie stopped to talk with the desk nurse.“You might warn   your nurses  to expect a lot of  visitors once the  word  gets out  they’ll  be a parade of   paramedics  up  here  and a few off duty firemen coming to see their new niece.  Just remind them to be quiet if you need to.”

“I just went down to see her myself. Is it true the mother isn’t going to survive?”

“Yes.   But that isn’t anything that needs to be talked about by staff, is that understood.”  It wasn’t a question, it was a statement and a warning against gossip. She knew the rumor mill  would  be running  full force once  the news got out,  even  more so once the baby’s ethnic  heritage was  apparent.

Roy and Jo went to the nursery before checking in the office.  Brenda  the  desk  nurse  smiled  as she  watched  the couple  go to the section of the  wall where the incubators were  visible.  They were surprised to see a gowned and masked Johnny Gage sitting in a chair feeding a tiny bundle.  Lee, also gowned was sitting   a little ways away, taking pictures.     Roy  watched as  Johnny checked the level  of  formula  then  sat the  bottle  down placing the  tiny  baby on his  shoulder.  Jo  had  tears in her  eyes as she  watched  him  burp  the  baby,  putting his  mouth  close to her  ear  whisper  something before  gently  placing her in the  incubator.  Lee wheeled herself over to them.

“I wonder what he was saying.”   Jo remarked.

“That’s an easy guess.  He’s  telling her  how much  he and her  mommy  love her and that she’ll  always  be loved.   Wouldn’t be surprised if he was saying it in Cheyenne.  Told me he was going to teach her that and was going to make sure she knew all the good things about her heritage.   He made Anna and her grandmother a promise back in November.”

The nurse had unwrapped the baby.  While it  was important to keep her  warm it was also important  not to  overheat her body and  to  make  sure  all the  wires were connected.  Roy frowned at seeing the wires, knowing they were to a heart monitor.

Chloe’s incubator was in the front row giving them a perfect view.  Roy wasn’t surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  Cap’s touch was a familiar one of comfort and support.  How many times had Roy felt it under different circumstances?  Less happy times due to medical issues.

“She is beautiful and so tiny.  My babies were both over 5 pounds...Chris was 6 and a half pounds, Jenny was 5pounds 9 ounces.”

Johnny looked up knowing he was going to see Roy and Jo.  He wasn’t surprised to see the Stanleys standing there also.  He gestured just a minute.  He bent down and whispered something in Lee’s ear and she turned to see their family standing there.  The warmth of their smiles was so encouraging and full of pride and love. She  knew there would  be adjustments and  problems  to be solved  but  she also  knew they  would be solved.   No matter  what  happen or was said  she  would  never  doubt   that this was the right thing  to do ever again.  

When  Lee and  Johnny  joined their  friends in the  hallway  tears,  hugs  and  congratulations  were exchanged.  

 
“They have her on the monitor just a precaution…Everything has been good.”  Johnny said to Roy’s unasked questions.  “They are estimating maybe a week in here.  When she burps it’s almost like a newborn kitten purring.”  

As if on some pre planned cue Johnny’s stomach rumbled loudly.  He turned slightly red as everyone laughed before laughing himself.

“Let’s go get some breakfast.   The  nurses  will  give her another ounce of  formula  in about  2  hours  but I  think  after breakfast  maybe a  shower and a nap is on the schedule for us.”

Once they were settled at the table at O’Sheas’ Lee relaxed,.  Johnny excused himself telling Lee to order for him.

“Thr Boyo ‘ll have a  8 oz  rib eye  with  eggs over  easy, potatoes O’Brian  and  grilled soda  bread.   I want the  corn beef  hash  omelet and a  bowl of  sausage gravy on the  side with  6  biscuits,  an order of cheese straws.   Hank, Roy  you want steak and eggs too?  The Boyo’s medium rare.

Please tell Shelia I need two dozen cupcakes sent to Rampart ER. mixed  flavors but  baby  pink  icing  with the initials  CEG  on  them and   2  dozen to  Station  51 and 2  dozen  to  Dr. Westmore’s  office  in the  medical  building.  She has the addresses and to Rampart.   “OH,  add 2 dozen for  the  nurses  in the nursery.”

No one was surprised to see Mick and Shelia coming towards the table.  “Now, what is it you’re celebrating with all these baby pink cupcakes?”  The big Irishman demanded with laughter in his voice.   They  knew  about the upcoming  adoption.

“We‘re  celebrating the arrival of  Chloe Elizabeth  Gage into our  family she arrived  at  4:45 this morning  to make our lives  even more  blessed than we already were.”  Lee proudly announced.

“Congratulations.  And when will we be seeing this little one in here?”

“Not  for  awhile.  She  has to weigh  5  pounds  before we can  take her  home…with  luck it’ll be a week at most.   She weighs 4 pounds and  4  ounces and has  dark  dark  black  hair and its  thick and  beautiful…just like her  daddy’s.   We  called  Micha  this  morning  before  we left the  hospital and the  adoption  papers are all signed and  going  by  special  messenger to the state of Montana.   As far as the Cheyenne tribal council   is concerned we are legally her parents.”

“Congratulations to all three of you.   Your cupcakes will be going out as soon as we can get them ready.  God Bless you and the wee one.”

“Oh He has, Mick, every day He does more and more.”  Lee spoke softly as the tears came. 

“Speaking of legally…John did you notify HQ that you are now a father?  So all the paperwork can get started.”   Hank  added.

“I’ll do that when we get home.   Can’t wait to get home and into the darkroom.  I took a whole roll of pictures this morning.”

“I thought a shower and a nap was on the schedule.”  Roy teased his partner knowing nothing was going to stop him from developing those pictures.   “Besides I think you need to call a few more people.  Chet and Marco and Mike would probably like to meet Chloe.”

“Chet and his brother Dennis took their mom to visit some friends somewhere over in Nevada.   Marco wasn’t home when I called him.”  Johnny explained.  “I didn’t want to call over to Mike’s until  later, didn’t want to wake anyone up.”

“Yeah but he had no problem calling me at 5 this morning.”  Roy pretended to grumble.

“Don’t tease.  You know you wouldn’t have wanted him to wait.”  Jo smacked her husband on the arm.  “It was hard not telling the kids.”

“Lee said to call you first even before Jeff or Matt.    We  want  you  to  be her  god parents,“  Johnny said   looking at  Roy and  Jo.  Sorta  hoping  you and the  guys  would  be her uncles.   It means a lot to me to know she has a loving family one that will always be there for her no matter what.”

“We’d be honored, John.   I know I speak for all of  A shift when I say that.”

It wasn’t long after that they all left.  Johnny promised he would get some sleep before going back to the hospital.  While Johnny was in his dark room Lee made a few more calls  then went into the nursery.  The  changing  table  that  Johnny had  made  was  in  its  place and  made her  smile  even more.  It was just the right height for her but a little low for him.  He had surprised her with it just a few days ago.  He had  built it  longer than normal and had  fixed a  place she  could  put a  small  tub of  water to  use when she needed to give  the baby…to give Chloe a bath.  

The phone rang and Lee went into the bedroom to answer.  It was Micha.

“I just wanted you to know I got a call from the state and the papers are filed.  They said you should receive your copies in a week or so.  They called the hospital and let them know you were officially the parents and have all the legal rights.   I was wondering if you had heard any more about Anna.”

“No but they are to call us when anything happens.    Still want us to have the body crematated and send the ashes to you, correct?”

“Yes.  Her grandmother and Mark’s parents will hold a ceremony for them.  I understand your decision not to come back here.”

“If Johnny wants to go when you have the ceremony I won’t say no or fuss about him coming there.”

“No, I think Mark and Anna would want him to stay there with Chloe.    Her great grandmother was very touched by your giving her Anna’s  a middle name.”

“Johnny is  developing  the  pictures we  took today,  we’ll  send  them  soon as  possible  to you and her  great  grandmother.”  

Johnny came into the bedroom surprised to see Lee laying on the bed.

“You ok?”   He went over quickly. 

“Yeah, my back and hip were getting tight and I thought I’d do some stretches.”  He had a folder in his hand.  He went around to his side of the bed and sat beside her. 

Lee was speechless as she looked through the pictures.  The one  the  doctor had  taken of the three of them was her  favorite tied very closely to the  one of  Johnny  holding her for the  first time and the ones of him  feeding and burping her.  Johnny watched her as the emotions played across her face.  

“If this is a dream I don’t ever want to wake up.”  Lee finally said.  “Do you think it will only be a week until she is home?”

After a nap and a shower, Lee and Johnny got ready to go back to the hospital.  Lee checked her watch and  knew that the kids were home from school.  Johnny gathered up the copies of the pictures he had for Jo and Kathy before calling over to Roy’s house. 

“DeSoto residence.”  Jenny answered the phone sounding very grown up.

“Hey, Princess, is your mom or dad around?”  Johnny asked.

“Hi Uncle Johnny.  Dad is working in the yard and mom is outside talking to Aunt Kathy.   Want me to get her for you?”

“No just tell them we’ll be over in a few minutes.  Ask Aunt Kathy to bring the kids over.”

“Stacy is here Chris and Jimmy went to the park.” 

“Ok,   we’ll see you in a few minutes.”   He hung up and went to check on Lee.  She was in the kitchen looking at the pantry shelves, frowning.

“Problem?”  He asked as he bent down kissing her neck.

“Not really just thinking about rearranging.  The bottles should fit here nicely and the formula too.   Did you get a hold of Jo and Kathy?”

“Left a message with Jen.  Her mom was outside talking to Kathy…You ready?”

As they started out the door, the phone rang.   Johnny stopped to answer it. “Hello.”

“Johnny, it’s Rosemary.  I wasn’t sure if you were at home or the hospital.”

“We were just getting ready to go tell Jen and Stacy about Chloe. Where are you?”

“About a half hour from you.  I stopped for gas and to call.” 

“Why don’t you come on over to the house and we’ll go to the hospital together.   We won’t be long at Roy’s.”

“I can find a hotel and meet you there if that would be easier.”

“No hotel, we want you to stay with us.  There is plenty of room.”

“Are you sure it won’t be a problem?”

“No…If you are still asleep when we leave in the morning you can go over to the hospital …Lee will be there most of the day.   She is taking maternity leave when Chloe comes home.”

“Uncle Johnny and Aunt Lee are here.”  Jenny and Stacy waited until the Rover was stopped before racing to the driveway.  The adults were on the deck waiting.

“You want something to drink before you start this meeting?”  Roy kidded his partner.   “You look like you got some sleep.”

“We did …No thanks we’re fine…unless you want something Sweet Pea?”

“I’m fine,”

Johnny   looked at the two very special little girls.   He couldn’t image Chloe at their age.   “Ok, we have something very special to share with you and a big favor to ask.   Remember when we asked you to help with the baby?  Well, early this morning Chloe Elizabeth was born.  She is   tiny  and will have to stay  in the  hospital  for  awhile…but  when she  comes  home she id  gonna  need her  cousins.”

“Chloe is a pretty name.  I think her bunny should be named Clover. Clover and Chloe. “

“I think that is a perfect name for a lavender bunny.”

“Uncle Johnny, will Chloe be your princess now?”  Jenny   wanted to know but she didn’t want to sound   jealous.

“No sweetheart, you will always be my princess.  You and Stacy …Princess 1 and 2.’’    He opened d the folder he had placed on the picnic table.  “Want to see pictures of your cousin?”   Everyone   looked at the pictures and Kathy saw Chloe for the first time.  They talked awhile then Johnny reminded Lee Rosemary was on the way over to the house.  As they were leaving, Stacy came over to Lee.

“Mom is gonna take me to the toy store tomorrow.  I know what I want to get Chloe.   I can help teach her how special being adopted is.”   Stacy looked at her mom.  “Chloe grew in her birth mom’s belly but she is grew in your heart too.   Just like me.”   Lee gave her a big hug then looked over to Jen and nodded at her.  Jen came over and got a hug from Lee.

“Chloe is so lucky to have you for her cousins…think you’ll be more like big sisters, just like Kathy is for me.”

Rosemary pulled up in front of the house just as they were getting home.   Johnny went over to her car.

“Chloe should be due for a bottle about the time we get there.”  Johnny told his aunt after giving her a hug.  

Lee and Johnny told Rosemary about the call and the time spent with Chloe earlier.  “Holding her just felt so right.   She was so content and  relaxed she  took her bottle without  any trouble.  She  gets an ounce and a half for now,  we stop to  burp  her  about half way  thru.”

Johnny added, “I never heard anything so soft and sweet.”    They pulled into Lee’s parking space.  “You have to put on a gown and gloves to hold her.  It’s just a precaution.”

“The Boyo helps me into the rocking chair.  I rock her, she takes her bottle, and I feel like her mother.   Does that sound silly?”

“No, it sounds like a perfect bonding of mother and child.”  Rosemary told her.   

Lee  fed her half the bottle and burped her then let Johnny finish   the feeding.  Looking at his aunt, he surprised her by saying, “Would you like to burp her?   She seems  to  like  the  it on  your  left  shoulder  better than  when she is on my right side.”  Rosemary nodded then sat down next to him.   Carefully taking the she put her on   her shoulder.  Lee took a picture of the three of them.  Giving Chloe back to Lee Johnny then took more pictures.   When the nurse  came into  take her  back  to the incubator  all  were  amazed how  time had  passed so quickly.  

In  the  hallway  watching  Chloe  sleep  Johnny  was  surprised to see the  paramedics from 16 coming down the hallway.    Congratulations were offered and accepted with pride.

“So can we expect a big party sometime soon?”  Donaldson asked.   “I keep hearing what a great place you all have for parties.”

“Give us a few weeks, ok?  We love having our friends over.”

The drive home was quiet,  each  thinking  about the  past and the  future as  well as enjoying the present. 

“Dinner will be ready soon…We’re having left overs, I hope  that is ok.”

“I should have offered to take you out on the way home.”  Rosemary realized both Lee and Johnny looked tired.

“No, we have ham and green beans left from yesterday.   They had really nice fresh green beans and new potatoes at the farmer’s market this week.”

“Any of that cucumber salad left?”  Johnny grinned at her knowing if there wasn’t she’d make more.

“Yes and there is corn bread left  I made a double pan for left overs.”

“Like I always say, not just beautiful but smart too.”  He kissed her and went off to the dark room.

“He’s so  cute  when he’s  in that  kind of  mood…they all say he is an  over grown  kid.  Guess that’s  because  most of the  world  doesn’t   know  he  never  got to be a kid.   Did I ever thank you for trying to make it better for him?  You did you know.  He just couldn’t tell you then.  Just like, I couldn’t until now.   I’m   glad  for  his  sake and Chloe’s  as well  as  mine  you’re  going to be part of our  lives.  I almost feel sorry for Tiffany and  Josh,  they’ll  never get to know what a wonderful  friend  Johnny  can  be.”

“They’ll never know what a good friend you can be either.  Let’s just leave it at they are adults and their choices are just that, their choices.”

Lee called the dark room to give Johnny a 10-minute warning to dinner.   He came in with pictures to share.   They had all turned out really well.

“I’m glad you have a hobby you can enjoy.  Actually  these are  wonderful,  if   you  ever decide to  give  up  being a paramedic  you  could   be a  very successful photographer.”  Rosemary was very impressed with the pictures.

“Thanks.”  His blushing made the two women laugh.  “Now can we eat?”

After dinner, they were sitting on the deck talking.  Lee was  telling   Rosemary about her work  for the passage of the  Wedsworth-Townsend   Act and how  because of that she had  been  hired as  a special project  manager buy the state.    A little after nine the phone rang.  Johnny answered and spoke briefly before going out to the deck.

“That was Rampart.”  Lee’s heart dropped at the tears on Johnny’s cheek.

“Chloe??”

“Chloe is fine…Anna passed away 10 minutes ago.   Everything is proceeding as planned.”   He   bent down and hugged Lee then kissed her lightly.   “She is happy with Mark and they’ll be keeping an eye on Chloe.   Our daughter has a whole family of guardian’s angels watching out for her…”

By 11:00 everyone had went to bed.  Lee laid as Johnny held her tightly as she cried for Anna and Mark.  Both were feeling sad for the young couple but both were thankful for the gift they had been given.

As they showered and dressed, the next morning Johnny watched Lee   carefully.  She had been restless during the night   but seemed fine now.  Rosemary was still in her room.    It had  been  decided the night  before she would  sleep until she was ready to get up and if they had already  left she  would  stop over at Rampart before going  home.   She had a folder of pictures to take with her.

“I’m going  to try to be there when Chloe is fed a couple of times today.  I’ll have to do it in my chair but that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“You know if we skip breakfast we might get to feed her this morning.”

“Aren’t you hungry?”   Lee asked not wanting him to start the day without breakfast.

“I can grab something from your office.  I’ll just change into my uniform here.”  Johnny said.  “Maybe this time I can feed her first?”  The crooked grin appeared.  “When we’re at Rampart today I’ll run up to the nursery when I get a chance.  At least I’ll get to see her.”

“So instead of getting a chance to see me, you’ll go see her?”  Teasing him giving him that look where she tilts her head and raises an eyebrow.”

“Brat.”    He kissed her then pushed her out to the kitchen.

He parked the Rover and started over to her.  “Go on up, I’ll be there in a minute.  He nodded and hurried into the ER and over to the elevators.  Mike Morton watched him, shaking his head.

“Problem, Mike?”  Dr. Joe Early asked coming up behind the younger doctor.

“Just watching Gage.  Doesn’t he ever slow down?”

“Not often.”

“Wonder where he’s going in such a hurry?”  Morton  was surprised to see Lee coming in by herself.

“You didn’t hear?  Johnny is a new dad.  He’s probably going up to see his daughter before going to work “

Lee saw the two doctors and wheeled over to them.  “So have you been up to see Chloe?”

“I was off yesterday, I just heard, congratulations.”   Mike told her.

“I saw her yesterday.  Beautiful baby.”  Joe said    “How is Anna?”

“She passed away last night.  We got the call about 9.”

“Will the service be here?  I’d like to attend.”

“They are sending her ashes to Lame Deer.  They’ll have a service for her and Mark.  I don’t think Johnny is going, Chloe and I won’t be for sure.   If you’ll excuse me I am going up to see my daughter.”

“She was sincerely sad about the birth mother dying.”  Mike’s comment surprised and irked Joe. 

“Why wouldn’t she be sad?   A human life was ended much too soon.    Two young lives because someone decided to drink and drive.   It’s a miracle that baby survived.  She’ll have a good home with loving parents.”

Johnny  got  up there just as they  were getting  ready  to  give Chloe  her  bottle.  The nurse smiled as he hurried over to the doorway to get his gown and gloves.

“We were wondering if you or Lee would be here this morning.  Miss Chloe was fussy a little bit ago.  I think she was trying to tell us breakfast was late.”  

“I  can  start her  and Lee ‘ll  be  up to  finish so I  can  get to  work on  time.”   He went on in and picked her up.

“Na'néso.”  he whispered to her softly.  “It’s gonna be ok. Soon you’ll be home soon.  We’ll all be there together.   Your mommy is going to be here to see you soon.  Slowdown,  you’ll give yourself a tummy ache.”    He sat the bottle down and began patting her back.  He listened for the burp then patted some more.  He was rewarded with two more burps and a smile.   He was walking her and humming to her when Lee came in.   “She is all fed and burped and ready for you to visit.  Love you both.”  He handed her Chloe then kissed her.  “See ya later.”

“There  is a  brown  paper  lunch  bag for  you  …Grab it  when  you  put the  gown in the bin.   Love you.”

Lee  spent the  next  ten  minutes  holding  Chloe and   talking to her  even after she  went  to  sleep.  The nurse came into to take her.

“We’ll  give her a dry diaper and  get her  settled  down for a nap  before the next  feeding.  Will you be back in about  2  hours?”

“Yeah, I’ll be up in my office until about 5.  You have the number.  I  don’t  think Johnny  will be in to feed her again  but  he’ll be popping in I’m  sure.   I know he is planning on coming here soon as he gets off in the morning.”

“ Kelly,  I  was starting to  think I’d  get some  overtime,”  Murphy the  C  shift  lineman  said with a  grin.  “Wouldn’t have minded as long as it didn’t include your latrine duty.  Gage doesn’t spoil that babe too much.” 

“What babe?  He talking about Lee?”  The confused linesman asked.

“Our daughter, Chloe.  We aren’t going to spoil her.  Much.”

“Congratulations.  When do I get to meet her?”

“Soon, she’ll be at Rampart about a week.”

“I think Chloe is gonna have people standing in line to spoil her.”  Roy said laughing at the shocked look on Johnny’s face.   “All lined up behind her dad.”

“Hey, that’s my job, isn’t it?”  Johnny replied. “I should be good at it. Look how long I’ve been practicing on your kids.” 

Roy rolled his eyes and thought to himself, “I walked   right into that one.”

“He’s got you on that one Pal.”  Cap interjected with a laugh.  “Roll call in 5 minutes.”

The  morning  was  quiet and  all chores were  done and  even the  hoses  all  finished  before  lunch.   They had  finished  lunch and  were  getting  ready to  do  some review drills when the SCU sounded  a MVA  accident   3  block  from the  station.

Vince Howard was directing traffic when the squad and engine pulled up.    “ The first  driver had  swung  too  far into the  next  lane  when  making a  turn.  The woman  driving the  station wagon had panicked and   over corrected  hitting   an on  coming  station  wagon.  Which in  turn  had  been rear ended  by a sedan.

“Marco, Chet   pull the battery cables then wash the road down.”  Cap’s orders were quickly followed as Johnny and Roy began their assessments of the injured.

“Cap, can you radio in for another ambulance? “  Roy  had   two  people in the  first  car  who  needed to be seen  by  doctors  for  possible  concussions and  one  broken  wrist.   Johnny was dealing with a mother and three small children who seemed more scared than hurt.  The mother had a 4 inch cut on her forehead.  The third car   had no injuries.  The driver had almost avoided hitting the second station wagon, clipping the back bumper.

“Chet, you drive the squad in.”  Cap directed the linesman. 

The ambulances left and the remaining crew finished the clean up then Chet left for Rampart.   Johnny was waiting at the desk, showing Dixie and the other nurse pictures of Chloe and Lee.   Roy was still in the treatment room with Dr. Morton.  Seeing Chet, Johnny smiled. “Dix, when Roy comes out tells him we’re upstairs.”

“Think he’ll figure that one out on his own.”  Dixie told the departing firefighters.

Chloe was asleep  but that  didn’t  stop  her  dad and  “Uncle” Chet  from  tapping on the  window.

“Is she ok?  Why all the wires?”   Chet questioned    hoping it   was just standard with babies so small.  “Man, she looks like you with all that hair.”  

“Just to keep an eye on her breathing and heart since she was a little congested when she was born.   She is doing fine.”

Part 3  
Two mornings later Johnny pulled into Rampart’s parking lot right behind Lee.  They went up to the nursery making plans for her homecoming. 

“Little Miss Gage is fussing this morning.”  Donna said as she let them into gown room.  “She was fine when you were here last night, wasn’t she?”   They could hear her crying as the nurse brought her into the room.   It was a high pitch cry different from what they had heard from her before.

“It took her a little longer than usual to finish her bottle and she didn’t burp as easily.   Do you think she has gas?”  Lee asked concern evident in her voice.

“She could.  They increased her to 2 and half ounces per feeding since she lost 3 ounces.”  Donna watched as Johnny fed the fussy infant.  He had given her just a little then began to softly rub her stomach with two fingers in a circular motion. 

“Learned this trick from Jo.  She used it on me a few times when I was sick.  Only she used her whole hand and a little bit more pressure.”  Lee had  heard the  stories of  how  his friends had cared for  him through almost fatal illnesses.   Chloe seemed to relax a little and he continued feeding her.  “You ready to take over?” 

“Yes.  You have a good day and stay safe, ok?”  She kissed him then got back to the task at hand.

Johnny went on to work promising he would fine time to visit  later. 

They had finished lunch and most of the drills Hank had planned for the day.  The engine had  been  called out  on a  minor trash  fire and the  squad  had  two  minor runs  but  none  that  ended up at Rampart.  Johnny had went into the kitchen to get some ice tea so when the phone rang he grabbed it.  “Station 51, firefighter/paramedic Gage speaking.”

“Johnny, something is wrong with Chloe.  They took blood and now they have her eyes covered.”

“What did they tell you?”  He was more  concerned  for  Lee  than Chloe  since he had a good  idea what was going on with her.

 “The nurse wouldn’t tell me anything she said the doctor would talk to me as soon as he was free.  She looks so tiny and helpless.  As  helpless as I  feel.”
   
“Calm  down, it’s  gonna  be ok…Chloe may  just be a  little jaundiced…It  happens with  a lot of babies especially  preemies.  Look, I’ll check with Cap and see if we can be available from Rampart, ok?”  He heard the huge sigh she let out.   “You know it’s gonna be alright.  I’ll be there soon as I can…If I can’t get there talk to Thanh or Kel or Joe…If that nurse gives you any trouble call Dixie.”

“No one is  telling me anything.”   She was trying to be calm but it had scared her so bad to see Chloe lying there  with patches on her eyes after watching the nurse taking blood from her foot.

Johnny went to Hank’s door knocking before he went in.  “Cap you gotta minute?”

“Sure Pal.  Anything wrong?”   He could see the look of concern on his young friend’s face.

“Lee just called in a panic,   Sounds like Chloe’s jaundiced.  From what Lee said, they are doing all the right things but no one is telling Lee what or  why they are doing it.  Would it be ok if we went over so I could check on them both?”

“Go ahead, just stay available.”

Roy agreed that it was a good idea to go over to calm Lee down and check on Chloe.   He was impressed with how calm and matter of factually Johnny was dealing with this, give his tendency to over react when Lee was ill.   Maybe over react was the wrong term, it was more like panic than over reacting  Ro  decided on  second  thought.

“I thought maybe she was showing some signs of jaundice.  I guess I just figured they would say something to Lee before they began treatment or at least explain what was going on.”   Johnny said as Roy drove.

Roy listened as his partner talked knowing it was Johnny’s way of working things out in his own mind.  The  fact that he  felt  guilty  by not  sharing his suspicions with Lee  earlier didn’t go unnoticed.

“Would you saying anything done any good or just worried Lee more?”  Roy questioned.  “The staff seems to have caught it pretty quick.”

Lee was sitting out in the hallway looking at Chloe.  She was  laying  uncovered in her incubator with patches over her  eyes and  looked  so  tiny. 

“Hey Sweet Pea, anyone told you anything?”  Johnny asked after kissing her. 

“Just that the doctor will talk to me when he has time.   They took blood from her foot…I could hear her crying and then she arched her neck way back.”

“Does she look a little yellow to you, Roy?”   Johnny was trying to see in her eyes.

“Can’t really tell from here.”

“Would you please tell me what is wrong with her?”  The fear and anger in her voice surprised Roy and made Johnny cringe.  He had went into paramedic mode automatically assessing and being clinical.

“Honey, its ok, they took the blood to test her bilirubin level.  The patches are so they can do light therapy and get the level down.  Newborns get it because their liver’s are immature especially preemies like Chloe.   The doctors are doing all the right things.”

“She is so tiny and losing weight.”   Lee trusted Johnny to tell her the truth so that he was not overly concerned was a calming influence. 

“I should have recognized the symptoms this morning.”

“Does this mean she has something wrong with her liver?   Is it serious?”

“Not usually.  Her liver isn’t keeping  up with the breakdown of the red blood cells.  It happens to a lots of babies, honestly.  They’ll   increase her   formula and do the light therapy.  I should have said something this morning   when the nurse was telling us she was fussy.  For some reason baby’s with jaundice seem to have a high pitch cry.”

“I was so scared and when they wouldn’t  tell me anything I imagined the worst. “

“I‘m glad you called.  I want to be here for you whenever you need me, whenever our daughter needs me.  Understand?”

“Yes. This is all so new to me.  Roy, do you think I’m a complete idiot?”

“No,  just a new  mom.   Jo and I were a wreck the first few weeks with  Chris.  He  had  some stomach  problems and  cried  a  lot.  Whatever it was cleared itself up.” 

 They  talked another few  minutes  then  Johnny  kissed her.   “You ok  now?”

“Yeah. You better get back to the station.  Tell Hank I said I really appreciate him letting you come over here.”

When it was time for Chloe’s feeding Lee went back down to the nursery.  As luck would have it, Thanh and Dr. Steve Ramon were both down there.   Lee talked to them and afterwards felt much better.  Lee went in and fed Chloe then rocked her awhile. She had  burped  her  several  times and  used the  two finger circles on her tummy like Johnny had  done earlier. She smiled as the tiny girl made a soft cooing sound as she slept.    Once Chloe was safely, tucked back in her incubator Lee decided it was time to go home for the night.  She was feeling so much better and more confident everything was going to turn out well. 

“Can you believe she is 10 days old already?”  Johnny asked as he watched his sleeping  daughter.    “I thought we would have her home by now.  The  good thing is all the paperwork is done.  The papers are filed with the courts here and in Montana.”

They  had finished her noon feeding and had told the nurses they would  be  back for the  6 o’clock  bottle since  Lee had a doctor’s appointment  that had  been set up  6  months ago.   Lee had wanted to cancel it but Johnny had been adamant they keep it.   They were going to have lunch with  Ben Oliver before the appointment at the Golden Dragon .  Most of the  lunch  was  social  but  Ben  did  bring  up  meeting of the  consortium  board  that  would  be in  July.    “Will  you help  plan it ?  We want to do something  different.  It would be for the owners  of the  35 companies that are now  part of the consortium.  Something other than  the  formal and  boring   dinner  meeting.”

“Let me  think  about it.  I know I still have responsibilities to WBS  that is  why I’m not  giving up control of WBSF.  I  may hire another  reader   but  right now I  don’t see any major  changes since I  do  most of the  stuff  at  home in the evening  when Johnny is working.”

“Good.  When  is Jeff coming into  town?”  Ben  was surprised he  nor  Matt had  been  to L.A.  yet to see the  baby.  

“We talk to him and  Matt  every other  day or so.  Doesn’t make a  whole  lot of  sense for them to fly in until she is home.   Rosemary  has  been up to see  her  twice.   Thank  you so  much again  for the beautiful planter you sent and the Teddy Bear.”

“We’re so happy  for you…Our granddaughter  has  a  bear  just  like  that.  She uses it as her security  pillow at  night.  Of course Tammy is almost 3 now.”   They  talked awhile   longer  then  they  had to  go to Dr. Westmore’s  office.   As they were leaving  Johnny saw a  man  who  looked  familiar  but he couldn’t  place.  He shrugged it off.

Dr. Westmore was running about 15 minutes behind schedule.  Lee  didn’t mind and Johnny had a book stuck in her  purse so he  didn’t really mind.  These  visits  still made him  nervous but  not as  bad as in the  beginning. 
Dr. Steve Ramon  came into the office.

“They  told me at Rampart you’d  be over here  this afternoon.   I  saw   Chloe  just  before I  came over here.  Unless  something  drastic happens  I  think  that  young  lady is ready to go home in a few days.  When is  your  next days off?”

“ Thursday and Friday”  Johnny said.

“Then Friday  morning will work out great. See you about  9:30 .  Call and  make an appointment  for  her  6  week check up.  Of course you can  call any  time  with  a  question or  concern.”   Johnny   shook  the  doctor’s hand  then  gave  Lee a  kiss.

“Johnny,  Dr. Westmore is  ready for Lee to go into the exam room.”  The receptionist told  them.  “Room  3.”   Johnny   thanked her and  pushed  her back to the  room.  He helped her get a gown on then  lifted her up onto the  exam  table.

“Are you  going to stay in here with me?”  Lee asked  knowing he  usually  had questions for the  doctor.   She   just  took  whatever he  and the  doctor  talked about in stride since half the time she  didn’t  understand all the medical  terms.  But she  knew if she had a question both  would  answer her and  made sure she understood  all the  terms.

“Unless you don’t want me too.”    He  looked at her  worried  there  was something she didn’t want  him to know. 

“Don’t  give me that look.  There isn’t anything I’m hiding from  you.  I   promised to always be truthful with you  about this.”

“I  know.  It’s  just sometimes I worry just because.”  He  stroked her  cheek.  “Just  because I  love you so  much.   Don’t  tell me you don’t  do the  same thing.” 

“I  guess we know each other pretty well,  most of the time.  We have so  much to be thankful for  with Chloe and all our family and  friends.  I  want a special  party  just  family then we can have a  big  open  house  party to celebrate with  everyone.  Maybe a Fourth of  July pool  party.   When we get  home we’ll call  Jeff and  Matt and  they  can  work it out  when they can come and we’ll  do the family  party  then.  Even with just  family  it’ll be about 35 people that’s a pretty  nice size gathering.   The  first part of  June the girls want a pool party and if  we have one for the girls  we have to let the boys have  some  sort of get to gather.  Chris and  Jimmy  want to  camp out in  the Grove.   Seems to  me  someone promised them that would  happen  once it  got  warmer.”   The more excited Lee  became the faster she  talked and switched  subjects.  Party planning  ended when Dr. Westmore  came into the  room.  

“ I  just heard  that your  daughter is  going  home  on  Friday. Congratulations.  I  saw her at the  hospital  the other  day.  She has your  hair,  Johnny.”

“And his appetite.  She is getting  3 ounces at a time  now…Tomorrow  they are going to start every three hours instead of every  two. “

“Let’s get this over with so you can  make her next feeding.  Terri  tells me you are there for  most of the daytime ones.   So  do you have a  plan  for   when she  comes  home?”

“Yeah for the first few weeks when Johnny is on shift  our  friend  Ibbie is  going to be at the house with me.  Just as a precaution.   We have  made some  modifications on  how  things are set  up.  Johnny  built  this fantastic  changing  table  that  even has a  special  place for a  small  baby sized  tub  so I can give her a bath  safely. 

Johnny  smiled pleased with  himself.  He had her fooled into thinking the  changing table was the special project he had  been working on.  He’d  need  Roy’s  help to pull off the  really special  surprised  he had  planned. 

Dr. Westmore  did the  exam and  frowned  when  Lee seemed to  be experiencing  some  tenderness in several  spots.   One especially  tender  spot concerned her  most.  “Lee have you  had  any  problem  with  pain lately?”

“Not really.  I hit my side in  the office the other day  and it was tender for a day or  two.”

“You  didn’t tell me  that.”   Johnny  growled at her.

“It  wasn’t any  biggie.  I  stood  up to get  something  and kinda  lost  my  balance,  hit a  door  knob.  It scared me  more than  hurt.”

“What am I  gonna  do with you?”

“Kiss me on the forehead and tell me  you love me.   It  didn’t  even  leave a mark.  You  would have seen it with the  new  swim  suit.”    He grinned as  that suit didn’t leave anything to the imagination.  (It  would  only  be worn  when  no one  was at the  pool  except  him.)  

“If  you  have any  pain  let  someone  know.  We’ll  send  this out to the  lab and should have it  back in a  day or  two.”

Dr. Westmore left and he helped her get dressed.   Once they were in the  car   he   turned  to her.  “Why didn’t you tell me about  falling?”

“Because it  wasn’t a  fall,  I  just  lost my balance   when I  reached   up into the  closet.  Boyo,  trust me if I  fell I’d  tell you.   With  Chloe  now  being  there I’ll be  extra  careful.  Wouldn’t  do to  fall and  not  be able to  take  care of  her.”   She smiled at  him.  “Wanna  go  tell  Roy and  Jo  the  good  news?”

“Great idea.”

Roy had just finished trimming the bushes that outlined the deck when Johnny and Lee pulled into the  drive way.  He watched as Lee kissed Johnny  before he sat her in  the  wheelchair,  hearing her  laugh as he  called her a brat.   Johnny pushed her around  to the  ramp.

“Wait till I get most of the honey  do list  done then come  around.”  Roy  teased his  partner.  

“Yep  perfect timing.  You  ready to take a  break?”

“Yeah,  actually I  am.    You  want some  ice  tea or  soda?” 

“Tea  sounds good to me.”  Lee answered.    “But first I need to go inside.”

Johnny  opened the  door for her and  she  pushed herself  in.  Before  they had moved  in WBS had  sent a crew over to  build a  ramp and  widen the  downstairs  bathroom  door to make the  house more wheelchair  friendly.

“I  need a  favor.”  Johnny said  once Lee was out of hearing.   He explained  what he needed Roy to do.      By the  time  Lee came  back out  to the  deck  Jo and Jen were home and ice tea was sitting on the table. 

“Did you tell them?”  Lee  thought  Johnny had that  canary that  ate the  cat  look.

“Nope  thought you’d  like to do the  honors.”

“Chloe Elizabeth is  coming  home Friday morning.  Dr. Ramon  said that he’ll have it set  up so she is  released  and  ready to  come  home  by  9:30.”

“That’s  wonderful.  I  know it was hard them keeping her longer than you  expected.”

“Between the  jaundice and  then  her  not  gaining like  they  wanted…But the  new  formula is  working so  well.  She is  5  pounds and  3 ounces.”   Lee  glowed  as she talked about their little girl.

The next morning  after   they  saw  Chloe  both made  phone  calls.  Johnny called  HQ  and  requested  3  vacation  days  starting on  Saturday.    Lee called   Tom and   Will   putting in her formal request for maternity leave.  She  did agree  that she  would  check  in  once a  week  with Nell  and if there  was any  problems  Nell  couldn’t handle she would go in.   Will  asked her if she  intended to  quit  and she  could  honestly  say  no.  she   would  still  be working  but  maybe they would  change her  job  title to  consultant  so she  could cut down  her  hours  or  at least  do  more of the  job at home.

Thursday  morning  before  going to the  nursery she  went to the  office  to  check  supplies and  leave some  notes for  Nell  about a problem in the San Francisco  office.    Since this  was  the last time  for  awhile  she  would  be there  she  double checked  all the supplies  and  made a  list of  what she  thought  they needed to  stock  up on.  Nell  would  take  care of  keeping the  pantry stocked  and the office in  good  order.   She made  some  phone  calls  then went down to the nursery.  Chloe was now in a regular crib and  they no  longer had to  wear a gown to feed her.     Johnny  was  waiting for her by the elevator.   He pushed her  down the  hallway  to the  nursing  room. 

“Can  you  believe this time tomorrow we’ll  be getting  ready to  take her  home?”  Lee asked  him as they  waited for the  nurse to  bring her in.  The  change in  formula and  her  getting use to it had set the  homecoming  back  a few days.   While disappointed  they  had agreed  that it  was  better  to make  sure this  formula  was going to meet her needs without  upsetting her  stomach or her digestive  system.    After  two  days of  crying and  fussing and  spitting  up  it had  been decided she was eating too fast and  taking   in too much air.  But  now everything  seemed to be working  well. 

Johnny  waited as Lee burped Chloe then took her.  Sitting in the  rocker  he  fed her the remainder  of the  bottle  then  walked her  as he  patted her  on the  back.  He  loved  to hear the  soft  purring  as she  nestled near  his  ear.  He smiled  thinking of the surprises he had for her and her mommy. 

Thursday afternoon  Johnny  put the  car seat in the Rover and  double  checked  all the  straps.  He had vacuumed  the  car out and  after he  finished with the car seat had  washed and shined it up.  He  kept  busy  trying to make the time go faster.

Lee  was planning a special  evening.  She was going to give Johnny the two presents she had hidden in the sunroom.    Technically  they  were  presents  for Chloe but with special meaning for her daddy.   She had  debated with herself  rather to  give him the  packages tonight  or in the  morning  but had  decided   in the  morning they  would  both  be too anxious  to get to the  hospital.  After feeding  Chloe  she  suggested  they  go  out to  dinner  but told him she had desert at home.

It  was a little after 9  when  they  got  home  from the  dinner.  Johnny  was surprised to  fine  the  table  set  with  their  best  dishes and  crystal.  A  small  arrangement of  faerie  roses and  candles  were in the  center of the  table  in the heart shaped  bowl  Johnny had  gotten  Lee  during  their  courtship.    Music was playing  in the  background.  There  was a  large  wrapped  package sitting at his seat and a  smaller one beside it,

“What?  How?  Who?”  Johnny  said as  Lee  giggled at his  surprised  expression.

“I  wanted this to be a  special night  for us,  Boyo.  I  asked Kathy   to  come over and set  this up  while  we were  gone.  I  wanted to you  to know  how  much I love you and appreciate all  that you are and ever will be in my  life.   My  friend,  my  lover,  my  conscience, my soul mate.  And  now  the  father of  my  child…Thank  you  for  all that  you are and  will  ever be.”  He just nodded at her.  His  expression  told her more  than  words  could have  at the  moment.  “Open the little package first.  There’s  kind of  a story  behind it.  Back  when  the Fireman’s  challenge  was taking place.  one of the  auxiliaries  from  another  station  had a booth  of  personalized  sweat shirts and tee shirts  and other  odds and ends.   One of the  things she had  were sleepers and  tee shirts for babies.    If you  remember  we  had  just  gotten  several  rejection letters  and I  was losing  hope…I had lost  hope  that  we would  ever  be  parents.   I  saw  this  tee shirt and  bought  it  for  Melissa.  It had a an  engine on it and  you could have the  station  and  number  added.   Something  made me  ask if she  could  do  other  designs  and she said  sure…any way…that package is  my  leap of  faith…”   He picked  up the  small  soft  package and unwrapped it  slowly.

 He laughed when he saw the paper was fire engines and Dalmatians.   The  small  shirt had a  squad  painted on it  with the  number  51.  The  lettering read  My  Daddy is a  LA   Paramedic.   The back said  Gage Station 51. “ I  got  that  to  reaffirm  the reality of us having a  baby to wear it.   I  couldn’t  give  up on  us…you never gave up on me.”

“Never will.”  He touched the soft small  shirt carefully  as if afraid it  would  break.  He  laid it on the  table.  “Does  this have a  story  too?”  He  picked  up the  larger  package.

“I  never  told anyone  except  Liz  what I was doing…in  case it  didn’t  turn out.  She  helped me get the materials I needed and  sewed the  edging on  for me  since it  would have taken me  for ever to  do it by hand.”   The  soft white  blanket had a  series of  symbols  embroidered  around  the  edge  and in the  middle  was  a  hawk  that  seemed to  be  soaring  above a  fawn..  L  went to the library and  got a book on  Native  American  symbols…Liz  showed me  how to make  patterns…I  wanted to  honor  your  promise to Anna  that  we would  teach  our  daughter her  heritage.   I called  Micah   and  found  out  that Anna’s  tribal name  was Little  Fawn…The  stars  are a reminder of the beautiful  story  you  told  when we went  camping the  first  time.” Johnny looked  and  touched  the  designs  tenderly.  The tears  that had  been  building  ran  down his  face as he  traced  over the small crescent  moon  that  was  done in  fire engine  red.  “I   kind of  invented that one…it’s looking down at the  figure of a  small  teepee.  That’s  suppose to  represent our  home  and  your  mom  watching over  you.”

“How long did that  take?”

“I  started it  right  after Micah  came and  told us about  Anna.  It  was  hidden in my  trunk and  I  didn’t  work on it  much in  December.   I’d  work on it  when I was here  alone…Working on it  helped  through  some  long  sleepless nights,  there are  some  mistakes in  it…a  few times I   messed  up  the size  ratio  and   …”

“No…It is  perfect…it’s  …too  beautiful  to use.”   

“No,  it was  made to be used.    Tomorrow  we’ll  use it to  bring her  home.”

“Liz  has  been  busy   keeping  secrets  for  both of us.  I  went to talk to her  after  listening  to a conversation  between Jen and Stacy.  They were playing  with their  dolls---  the  dolls had  on their  dresses from our  wedding.  Stacy  said  as  little as Chloe  was  that  Stacy  Lee’s  dress would  almost  fit  her.  Jen said she  didn’t  think so  but it  would  be nice if  Chloe  had a  flower princess dress too .    I  went  back over to see Liz and  get that  dress you liked so  much  the  day we told  Liz  about  the adoption.  Someone had already bought  that  dress and we were looking at  some  like it  when I  told  Liz about the conversation  between the  girls.  “Wait here.! He went into their  bedroom and  got a  beautifully  wrapped  package  down from his  closet.  He handed  the package  to Lee.   “From  me and the  flower princess  cousins.”   Lee  quickly  unwrapped  the  package,  saving the  bow. 

Lee  cried as she  looked at the  tiny dress.  It was made exactly like the  ones Stacy and  Jenny had worn  to their wedding.  There  was even a  pair of  tiny white  tights and  white patent shoes.  “The perfect   dress for her  homecoming.”

“Liz  said to tell you it had  been washed and was ready to wear .  I  promised her pictures.”    They talked awhile  longer  of  hopes and  dreams and  the reality of  being  parents.   Johnny  went  out to the  kitchen and  brought in the  dessert  Lee had  fixed  earlier. 

Johnny  watched as Lee carefully  put  the  dress on  Chloe  then   helped  her  get the tights on  her.  He  laughed  at the  expression on  Lees  face as she  put the  tiny  shoes on.     He  took  pictures of   his  wife and  daughter   thinking   he  was the  most  blessed man in the  world.  Dr. Terri  and  Dr. Steve  were  photographed  holding the  baby  then  Steve  took  one  of  Johnny  standing  behind  Lee  holding  Chloe,  then  one of  Lee  holding  Chloe  with  Johnny leaning  down ,  his  chin  barely  touch  Lee’s  head,  his  arms  encircling his  girls.    Lee wrapped  her snugly  in her blanket.  As  Johnny  pushed  them  towards the  elevator  the door opened.  Roy   held the door as Johnny carefully maneuvered the chair into the waiting  car.

“Thought  you might  need some  back  up.”   He smiled at the stunned  look on his little brother’s  face.  Lee just smiled as she watched one of the  famous silent conversations  taking  place.   Roy bent  down and  kissed  Lee  then gently  stroked the tiny forehead pushing the dark  hair back off  it.  On the  ride  down   Roy  watched the  young  family  remembering  when  he and  Jo took  Chris and  Jen  home.

Johnny  very  carefully   put  Chloe in her  car seat  making  sure everything  was secured.  Then he  helped  Lee into the  back  seat.  Lee had  giggled  when  the y  saw  the  Rover.   There were several balloons tied to the door handles and pink crepe streamers  flying  from the antenna. 

“I’ll  put the  balloons in my  car,  I  have a  bag to  put them  in   so they  won’t  be a  traffic  hazard.”

Lee  watched  as Johnny  lifted  Chloe  from  the  car seat  then  placed her in her arms.   Roy  went ahead  to  open the front  door.  It never phased  either one that Roy didn’t have to  unlock the  door.  

Jo  and  Kathy were in the kitchen  and when they  heard  the car door  slamming went into the living  room.(The  designer had  called it a  great room,  Johnny  called it the  living  room).   Lee wasn’t  really  surprised to  see them there  but was surprised at the  screen  in front of the  fireplace.

Kathy  watched as  Johnny  who  was  literally  bouncing on his toes,  stood  by  Lee.   He  went  around  to the  front of her  chair and  squatted  down in  front of her.  “The  changing  table  wasn’t  the only  project,  Sweet  Pea.  I  know  you like  the  crib  we  bought  but I  wanted  something  special  for  Chloe  and  you.”  He turned to  Jo.  “Would  you like to hold  your  niece?”

“Would  I  like to hold her?  Humpff.”  Jo answered as she  moved towards  Lee

“I’m  surprised she hadn’t  snatched her  out of  your  arms  yet.”  Roy  teased his  wife.    Johnny  stood  up and  moved  the  wheel chair  closer to the screen. 

“Pally, you  want to get the other  side.   “Close your  eyes.”  Johnny  said as he  moved  to the screen.  “No  peeking.”  Lee heard the  screen  move and a gasp  from  Kathy and  Jo.  “Keep them  closed, I’m  going to  move  you.  Ok,  open  them.”  He said as he  took her hand  in his.

The  cradle  was  beautiful  a  work of  love as well as of  workmanship.  It  was  just the  perfect  size for Lee to  put  Chloe in or  take  her out  safely.

Jo  handed the sleeping  baby to Lee.   “Think  this one is  ready  for a nap,  don’t  you.” 

“First get a picture of her  daddy holding her  standing next to her cradle.”

Roy  took that picture then one of Lee placing  Chloe  into   it.

“Welcome  home “Na'néso.”   Johnny  whispered as he  watched  Lee  gently   put  her  to  bed.  There  was one of the  light  weight  receiving  blankets  folded at the  foot of the cradle and  Lee spread it over her  sleeping  daughter.  

“There is  coffee and  juice and  coffee cake if anyone is  hungry.   The guys  will be here about  12:30  for  lunch.  Which is all  taken care of.  Some were threatened  with  dire  consequences  if they  showed up  more than  5 minutes  early.”

“Did you know about this?”  Lee asked a rather dazed  looking  Boyo.

“Not the lunch part.  I  asked Roy to tell the others to give us some  time alone  his  morning.”

“ Lunch was  my and Kathy and Em’s  idea.  We figured  that  way we  could  control some over eager uncles.”  

“If  you  all  excuse me?”  She  went down to their  bedroom.  Johnny  followed a  few minutes later.

“You  doing ok?”  Johnny asked   as she  came out of the  bathroom.

“Yeah…it’s all a  little over whelming, isn’t it?”  She  brushed her  hair.
That cradle is so beyond  anything I could ever imagine.”

“No one saw it until the other day.   Roy brought it in after we  left this morning.   You ok with  the  guys  coming  over?”

“Yes.   But I’m  glad  they aren’t coming for awhile.  Gives Chloe  time to  rest and  us  time to be us.   We  should have invited  your  aunt  to  come over today.”

“She’s  coming over tomorrow I  think.   Let’s  go  get  something  to  eat and  visit  with our  family.”

By  12:30  the crew of  51 was gathered in the  living  room.  Chet had  brought  more  pink balloons,  Marco and  he  had  went together  and  bought a  high  chair.   Mikey’s  gift to his new  cousin  was a small  lamb  with a  pink  tutu  and  ballet  shoes.   Melissa  had   painted  a   shirt  with   3 hearts intertwined.  Emily had  knitted a  sweater and  bootie  set and  embroidered  a  set of baby  pillow cases.     Roy  and Jo  gave them a  photo  album   and  a brush and  comb  set.    Everyone  who  wanted to had  been  given a  chance to  hold  Chloe and have  pictures  taken.   Lee had  giggled  at the  look of terror on  Chet’s face  when  Chloe   began  crying   as he  held her.     As he  walked  with her  he  repeated the word ,several times. 

“What  did  you do to her?  Pinch  her or  something?”  Johnny  teased  him.

“I  didn’t  do anything she  must  be  hungry or  something.”  Chet  protested as  Johnny  took  her and  began  patting her  as she  nestled  on his  shoulder. 

“It is  close to bottle  time,”  Lee agreed.   “Jo,  can  you take her  while I  heat a  bottle.  I  fixed some  before  we left for the hospital.”

“I’ll  get it.”  Johnny  volunteered.  Cap,  make sure  Kelly  doesn’t  scare her again.”  Laughing  he went into the  kitchen  ignoring  Chet’s  protest of  being   picked on. 

After her  bottle and a change  Chloe  was  peacefully asleep in her  cradle.   The  adults  talked  until it  was time for  Roy to go get his kids and  Kathy to be home for her’s.  

“You  need to get some  rest, Lee.  I don’t think you’ve been out of that  chair  since  you  got  up  this  morning.”

Johnny felt a pang of guilt that he hadn’t insisted she get in the recliner  earlier.   He had been so  involved with Chloe and visiting friends  he hadn’t even thought  about what  she might  be  needing.

As if  she  was  reading his  mind,  Lee laughed.  “You all have to  trust me to do what I need to take care of myself  if  you are  going to  trust me to take care of  that wee one.”

“Lee’s  right…and I  apologize if  in any  way  I  made you feel that I  didn’t trust you.”  Hank said  standing  up.  “You are one of  the most trustworthy   people I  know.”

“Thank you  kind  sir.”   Roy  walked  Cap and  Emily  to  their  car,

“Roy,  can you a  question for me?”  Emily  said  as they  reached  their  car.
 
“I  can try.”  

“What  does Na'néso.    mean?    I heard Johnny calling  Chloe that when he was rocking her.”

“It’s a Cheyenne word meaning my child.   He told me the other day when we were in the woodshop.  I  hear  him  teaching  the kids  words and  phrases once in a  while  but  seldom  hear him  use any  Cheyenne  around  adults.”

Kathy and Jo came back to the house with the girls.  Stacy had an odd shaped package wrapped in fairy paper.

“Aunt Lee, here is Chloe’s present from me.  I named  her Miracle.”  Lee unwrapped the package to find a purple and pink unicorn.  “Because that is what she is to you and Uncle Johnny.   I heard daddy telling mommy that Chloe is your miracle child.”

“Yes she is.  Guess what, Uncle Johnny had two special surprises for me and Chloe.  He built her this beautiful cradle.  He heard you  talking about  your  flower princess dresses and  had  Miss Liz  make one  just  like them  for  Chloe.  She wore it home from the hospital today.    And when we have her welcome   party she’ll wear it again.  Tomorrow I want you to get your picture taken with her.   She’s had a busy day today so I think she is gonna sleep the rest of the day  except  when he is  hungry.”

“Ok.  But can we see her?  We promise to be quiet.

“Of course.”

Lee woke up hearing  Johnny talking to Chloe.  They had left the door between their room and the nursery open as well as having the intercom on.  She listened her heart bursting with pride and love. 

“Your mama is a really special lady.  She is pretty and smart and has a heart the size of the world.  Now, don’t get me wrong, she isn’t a push over.  She is gonna make you mind  and expect you to do your best.   But you don’t have to worry about that for a long time.   Just wait till you can start eating real food.  You’ll find out what a good cook she is.   When you are three months old she is gonna start you in the water baby program.   She was reading all about that.    Speaking of reading, she has a whole stack of books she wants   to read to you.  You have  some  really  cool  dresses she  has  been  buying  every time  we  go into a store…Between  you and me  I  tease her about  all the  shoes  she  has…but if  they make her  happy  I  won’t  ever tell  her she  has  too many  or  try to stop  her  from  buying more.   I  get on her about some of the  heels  because they  scare me ,  I  get all  worried she’ll  fall  when she  transfers.    But if she has those shoes on she asks for help.  I’m  really  proud of  all the things she  can  do…Wheelchairs aren’t all that  comfortable and  easy to  handle.  I’ve had to use them a few times when I was hurt.  I  promise you  I’m  gonna  do my  best to  come  home to you  and your mommy  after every  shift.   If something should happen and I have to leave you…”  Lee could hear the hitch in his voice.  

“If I had to leave you…your Uncle Roy and Aunt Jo’ll be here to help you and your mom. Ok,  let’s  get you  burped and  make  sure  you have a dry  bottom…Then  you  can go  back to  sleep for a  few hours.  Sleep  well Na'néso. Know  you’re  surrounded  by  a  whole lot of  people who  love you.  And you have a whole family of guardian angels watching over you.   You have  dark   chocolate colored  eyes  like your  grandma  Katie and  your  birth  parents but  we’ll  talk about that later when you’re  more awake.  Sweet dreams.” 

Johnny  checked  that  Lee’s  small  back  pillow  was in  place and  pulled the  light  blanket  up  over her.,  He resisted the  urge to  kiss her  wanting her  to get as much  rest as possible.  He had a  feeling in about  two or  three  hours  Chloe  would  bed  wanting  some  attention.   He  got  back in  bed and soon  was sleeping  soundly  with a  crooked  grin on his  face as he  dreamed of  his  girls.

Lee   laid  there listening to  his  breathing  and   letting it  lull her  back to sleep  with  one last whispered “I  love you Boyo,  sweet  dreams”  before  falling  asleep.

Jeff Spencer looked around The Grove amazed at the assortment of people present.  Those invited today were what Lee had called the core of   their family of the heart.    He watched as Johnny played croquet with Stacy, Jen and Cami.   There was a  spirited  game of  soccer  going on  with  Jimmy, Chris, Mike and  Trey  against  Chet,  Cisco and  Marco with  Roy  referereing.  Hector, Amos and Hank were off talking at one of the picnic tables with Matt and John Paul.   Jim, Kel and Joe were at another table talking shop.  

Under the  tent they had  rented  Lee and most of the  ladies  were  gathered  talking  babies,  kids and  life in general.     Jeff smiled watching Dixie hold Chloe looking very lovely.  He knew  Lee had  really  wanted his  and Dixie’s  relationship  to  go  beyond  just  being  friends.   They both had been smart enough to know that wouldn’t have worked.  He thought of Gina who he had invited to come with him.   She had refused saying this was Lee’s time.  He was planning on her coming with him at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“May I join you?”  Rosemary asked coming over to the swing Jeff was sitting in.

“Please do.”  Jeff had been hoping to get a chance to talk with Johnny’s aunt.   “They know how to throw a party, don’t they?”

“Yes.  When I think about  how alone Johnny  use to  be  in crowds.  Never comfortable he  had  built  such walls around  him.  ”She  stopped, not sure how much of his past Johnny had  shared with Lee’s uncles.

“Because of his life on the reservation and his Aspergers?”  Jeff said it casually to let her know he knew and it wasn’t an issue.

“I should have known he would have told you.”

“He told me because he wanted me to know not because I questioned him.   For the same reason he told Matt and the Alvarez’s.    You  know,  I  never heard  Lee  giggle until  the night  they told me they were engaged.  There had always  been a  sadness, a  feeling of  loss  from  the  time  I  first  brought her to California.   That’s not  saying she didn’t  laugh and  play, it  was as if she was afraid to be too happy that  something  would  take it  away from her.  She lost that because of John.”

“They both are old souls in some ways.   They lost so much so young.  John’s life with his mother‘s family was hell on earth.   I‘m  afraid  my  children  weren’t  much  better  than  his  Indian  relations..  We’ve  talked more these last few weeks  than we did  in all the  years  he  lived with me.  Talked  honestly about  really important  things in his  life…He  told me  if one of them  had to have  a  bad  childhood  he was  glad it was him and not her.   You met my children  didn’t you?”

“Yes.   Lee told me then why you weren’t at the wedding. “

“It’s only been in the last month that she has trusted me to be in their lives more than on the outer edge.  She made the effort to include me, to make me feel welcome.    She had always  been  respectful and  polite and never stopped me from being included if  Johnny asked me to  come  visit.  She was ready to pounce if she  thought I  was  going to say or  do anything to  upset  or hurt him.”  

“Did she tell you he wanted to take her  dancing on their  first  date and she  threatened to have security  throw him out of her  office?”

“No, I can’t believe John would be that insensitive even with AS…”

“It was all a misunderstanding.   Ask her to tell you the story sometime.”  Jeff laughed as Johnny had gone over to the tent to check on Lee and Chloe.  

Johnny looked around at all their family gathered to celebrate Chloe’s adoption.  He  held her  tightly against  his shoulder  feeling a  little overwhelmed by all emotions  he  was  feeling. 

“Would everyone gathered around the truck.”  Johnny said as he walked over that way.  Kathy  pushed  Lee  not  sure what  was  going to happen  next  but sensing  Lee becoming  more  tense.

“As  you  know,  Lee and  I  don’t  go  to  church  on a regular  bases…but  we  do  believe  in  God.  The  Cheyenne  has a  history of  being  spiritual  and  believing  in the Great Spirit as a  higher power.   We  made a promise to  Chloe’s  birth parents  we  would  teach  our daughter  the rich  heritage of  our  tribe.   We will also  do our  best  to  teach her  of  God and  His  love…Please  each in  your  own  way  take  a few minutes  to thank  whatever  God  you  believe in---  thank  Him  for  bringing  not only  Chloe into our  lives  but  each  other  …and to remember those  who  are not here in  body  but  spirit and  love.   This is an outward sign of the love we are sending up…”  As Johnny  said  this  Roy and Hank  removed  the  tarp  from the truck  bed  and  sent  a cloud of  brightly  colored ballons  skyward.

“Thank you for friends, family and love.  May we never lose the joy and wonder of  this life  You give to us. The waiting is  over.   Now is the time to look forward.”

THE END

LINKS TO PARTS 1. 2.