Parenthood
By
Mary (AKA Angel)
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to these characters, I'm just borrowing them for a little story :0)
NOTE: This is a Jack/Nora story…if you do not like the idea of them as a couple, you might not want to read this…there, you've been warned :0) But please read it, I worked hard on it!
Jack sat in his office reading the newspaper and enjoying a cup of coffee. He had had a good night. Nora joined him for dinner, they walked through the park where she let him steal a kiss and hold her hand. Though they had been seeing each other for a year it was their first real date. They had been keeping their relation ship a secret so Nora could keep her position. It hadn't been easy, every time he looked at her he wanted to hold her, every time they were together he wanted to feel her lips on his.
"Jack! Jack!" Nora called to him hurrying into his office.
Jack jumped from his seat "Nora, what's wrong?" he went to her.
"I'm having a baby!" she said excitedly.
Jack nearly fell to the floor at her words "What! When? We…"
Nora laughed softly "Sweetie, no…I'm not pregnant" she sat on his sofa and he joined her.
He sat next to her, confused. "I don't understand."
"I've been on an adoption list for four years. They just called me and told me it's my time, there is a woman expecting a baby by the end of this month, she wants to give it up…they said if I am still interested, it's mine," her eyes were bright, and it looked to Jack as if she were glowing.
Jack smiled at her, still a little shocked "That's wonderful Nora, you're taking it?"
"Yes, well…I want to" she smiled, "I've always wanted a child, I turned fifty last month, I thought for sure I'd lost my chance at motherhood. It made me so sad, I feel that I have so much love to give, you know?"
"Are you sure you are up to this? I mean, kids are a lot of work. With your job are you going to have the time?"
"I know they're a lot of work Jack…I know I am needed here but I can handle it, really." Her smile faded "Jack, if you don't want me to have this baby I wont. I love you so much, I don't want to ruin what we have" she took his hand.
He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it "I love you so much Nora. If you want that baby, have that baby…I'll help you."
Nora smiled "I'm so excited, Jack" she said with tears in her eyes. He took her in his arms and held her.
Jack rolled over in bed and watched Nora sleep. They had spent the night together in her apartment. He touched her face gently; she stirred but didn't wake. Many of the nights they spent together he would lie awake and watch her, admire her. But this night was different. He thought about earlier, in his office, how scared he had become when he thought she was pregnant, and then told him the news of her adoption. She shifted in her sleep and he pulled the blanket up to her chin. His love for her grew all the time, sometimes to the point where he didn't think he could love her anymore, but then it grew ten times more. He thought about when his daughter was small; having a child was the last thing he wanted in his life. He had already gone though the diaper changing, the three a.m. feedings, sleepless nights and rushing to work in the morning and he didn't want to go through it again. But Nora, she wanted a baby, it was her dream and he knew it. She may not have talked about it, but it was in her eyes whenever she heard the laugh of a giggling toddler, or heard the cry of an infant. He could see the longing in her heart when they passed a playground on their morning walks to work.
He rubbed his face and turned to the ceiling. As much as he loved Nora, he just couldn't go though all of that again. But how could he tell her? He didn't want to break her heart, but he knew the news would.
"Jack" she yawned, rolling over "are you still up?"
"Yeah" he said "it's okay, go back to sleep."
"Cuddle me" she mumbled wrapping herself in his arms. He held onto her and gently stroked her hair. How he loved having her in his arms.
Nora and Anita walked down fifth avenue window shopping for baby things. Anita had stepped in to help Nora get ready for the baby, and was filling her in on all of the stuff she should get. Since the baby was due anytime, Nora was in a rush to fix up a nursery, her apartment only had one room to spare, so she decided to get rid of her study.
"So, how does Jack feel about all of this?" Anita asked.
"He say's he's okay with it" Nora said.
"Is he really?" she asked.
"I don't know. He seems distant lately. I don't know what to do Ani…I love Jack, and I want this baby" she looked down at the sidewalk.
Anita put her arm around her friend "forget about it for now, its time to shop…they stopped in front of a store that specialized in baby things and went inside.
Nora took it all in as she walked through the shop, the tiny clothes; the little blankets and toys made her baby seem more real. It had all been like a dream, she still couldn't believe that she was going to be a mother.
"This is perfect!" she smiled running her hand along the side of a little bassinet.
"It's great for a boy, or a girl" Anita said.
Nora imagined walking into the nursery, her old study, and walking up to this bassinet and looking down at her child. The thought made her smile.
Jack stood outside Nora's apartment with roses and candy in his hand. It was their first anniversary and he wanted to make it special. Nora answered the door; she had paint on her hands and clothes.
"You look…cute" he smiled.
"I thought I had an hour yet, I'm sorry" she said, embarrassed.
"It's okay, you look beautiful" he walked in and kissed her cheek.
She led Jack to the living room and they sat on her sofa.
"Working on the nursery?" he asked.
"Yes. Since I don't know what it is I decided to go with yellow."
"So I see" he grinned touching a spot of yellow paint on her cheek.
"I think I got more on me than on the walls" she smiled.
Jack laughed, "I think so too. Do you need any help? With the nursery or anything else?"
"I don't want to bother you," she said softly, knowing that he just wanted to be nice.
He ran his hand through her hair, "How about dinner?" He tried to hide his feelings, seeing the little baby things spread out over her apartment made things seem more real, he had secretly hoped that she would forget about having the baby and just go back to normal…but now he realized she wasn't.
"Please" she said getting up "I've been working in there all day, I need a break! Just give me a few minutes to get dressed and cleaned up."
She hurried out to her room leaving Jack in the living room. He picked up a little stuffed bear that was on the coffee table in front of him and held it. He imagined himself in three or four years with a whining kid by his side begging for candy or toys. He tossed the bear to his side along with the thought.
He got up and went to her c.d. player and put on their favorite c.d. Elton John's Love Songs.
Within ten minutes Nora had rejoined him, no signs of the paint, and she was wearing her favorite black dress.
"Wow" Jack stood and took her in his arms, and dipped her "care for a dance?"
She giggled looking up at him "Delighted!"
They twirled around the room dancing to 'Can you feel the love tonight?'
"Let's continue this after dinner?" he smiled after their song was over. He took her hand and escorted her out.
They were having a great time; Jack had surprised her and taken her to their favorite restaurant, Grille on the Green, near Central Park. Throughout dinner they stared into each other's eyes more than they spoke. They didn't need words. Occasionally they would catch each other by the foot and engage in a little game of 'footsie.'
They'd laugh and ignore the other people around them, they didn't care about them anymore, just each other.
After dinner they decided to walk back to Nora's apartment. Jack held onto her hand as they walked. He didn't want the night to end; he wanted them to stay together happily forever.
"This has been a fun anniversary. Thank you" Nora smiled.
"It was my pleasure" he pulled her closer to him and held her firmly.
Nora sighed "My adoption councilor called me this morning, she said that the baby will be born tomorrow…cesarean. I'm so scared Jack."
"Don't be. It's not as hard as you think," he said.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Anything" he kissed her head.
"Do you want me to take this baby? Honestly. You haven't seemed excited for me, you've been distant lately."
"Nora…I…"
"Truthfully, Jack. Please."
"Babies are a handful," he said. "I remember when my daughter was little…the diaper changing…getting up every few hours in the night to feed her, change her, comfort her…trying to plan out my closing arguments or get work done and have her running around and wanting my constant attention…it was hard."
"I know how hard it is, that's not what I want to know" she sounded a little upset.
"I want you to be happy…"
"I'm happy when I'm with you," she said.
"Don't you think about what it's going to be like? When you're sixty this kid will be ten, when you're seventy, it will be twenty. Me, I'll be pushing eighty. Some life for the kid, pushing us around in wheel chairs, passing out medication."
Nora stopped and looked up at him, saddened by what he said, "I didn't know you felt that way. I'm sorry, Jack…all of a sudden, I'm not feeling very well, I think I'm just going to go home and go to bed" she started to walk away and he took her arm.
"Nora, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"
She shrugged him off and hailed a cab. He watched solemnly as her cab sped off away from him.
Jack walked into Hogan Place and started towards his office. He past Nora's looking in, it was almost nine and she wasn't in yet. "Serena, have you seen Nora?"
"I called her earlier, she was called to the hospital last night" she smiled "it's a girl! She said she wouldn't be in today, but if anyone needed to get a hold of her to call this number" she handed him a piece of paper.
"Thanks" he mumbled and walked into his office. He shut the door and stumbled to his desk. Everything seemed to change in those last few moments. Nora was a mother, and he was…what? It's not like he was the father.
He tried to concentrate on his work but couldn't. He thought about the night before and how hurt Nora had been. He thought about all the fun that they had when they were out on their date, how happy she looked when they danced around her living room to can you feel the Love Tonight? He missed that and he missed her. He thought about the baby, and wondered what she looked like, and what she sounded like when she cried. He smiled and remembered when his daughter was little, he had taken her to the zoo and he was showing her all the animals and the sounds they made. He grabbed his planner and looked to see how busy his day was…he didn't have to be in court until after three. "Great" he got up and hurried out past Serena.
"Jack, where are you going?"
"To do something I should have done day's ago" he said.
Nora picked her daughter up out of her car seat and held her in her arms. The hospital allowed her to bring her home early. She had spent most of the morning filling out paper work and was just happy to be home with her baby.
"Welcome home Violet" she whispered.
The baby had her eyes open and was staring up at Nora, reaching out her little hand towards her face.
"Do you want to see your room?" Nora asked. "I bet you do. I think you'll like it" she carried her into the nursery and walked around.
Nora's housekeeper, Ayesha, walked in and looked at the baby "oh, she's so beautiful! Hello, baby!" she said making a silly face at her.
"Thank you" Nora smiled.
"Congratulations, Nora."
The doorbell rang "Would you get it, please?" Nora asked putting the baby in her cradle and sitting beside it in her rocking chair.
"Sure" she walked out and down the hall to the door. She opened it and stood back.
"Hi, Ayesha. Is Nora home?" Jack asked with an armful of boxes and bags.
"In the nursery, let me help you with that" she laughed at the site of him.
"Thanks" he struggled to keep a box from falling out of his arms.
She grabbed it as it slipped and started to fall. "Follow me."
He followed her inside and put the stuff beside the door. She stopped outside the nursery door and nodded for him to go inside.
He slowly walked in, stopping to watch Nora. She was leaning over the cradle and talking to the baby.
"You're so pretty…yes you are" Nora talked to her daughter. "Are you Mommy's little girl? Yes you are!" she tickled the baby's tummy.
Jack walked up behind Nora and put his hand on her shoulder. She jumped "Jack? Wha…what are you doing here?" she asked surprised.
"I got to thinking" he crouched beside her "I thought about last night, how much fun I had with you…and about all of the time we've spent together. How much I love you" he smiled. "Then I thought about my daughter when she was little…I miss that. I remembered taking her to the zoo and playing with her, teaching her animal noises, teaching her how to dance, telling her stories. I'd like to do that again…I want to that is…If you'll still have me?"
Nora smiled "Really? Oh, Jack" she threw her arms around him.
They separated and smiled at each other. Nora took his hand "meet our daughter" she said softly.
"Hi sweetie" he said taking the baby's little hand.
"Violet" Nora said.
"Hi Violet! I'm your papa" he smiled. Violet looked up at him, "She's smiling at me!" he said.
Nora picked her up out of the cradle and put her in Jack's arms. "She loves to be held."
Jack sat Indian style on the floor and cradled her "Hi beauty" he said. "We're going to have fun together. I'll teach you how to play baseball, would you like that? And we'll go for walks in the park."
Nora watched him and smiled with tears in her eyes. They were her family, something she never thought she'd have, and now it was all right in front of her.
"Maybe we can convince Mommy to let us get a dog! Would you like that, Violet?"
Nora got down and joined them on the floor. She slipped her hand into Jack's and they watched Violet play with his tie. Jack kissed Nora's cheek and she rested her head on his shoulder. They sat together in the nursery and watched as their little girl drifted off to sleep.
The End
There are children all over the world who need homes…look into adoption.
By
Mary (AKA Angel)
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to these characters, I'm just borrowing them for a little story :0)
NOTE: This is a Jack/Nora story…if you do not like the idea of them as a couple, you might not want to read this…there, you've been warned :0) But please read it, I worked hard on it!
Jack sat in his office reading the newspaper and enjoying a cup of coffee. He had had a good night. Nora joined him for dinner, they walked through the park where she let him steal a kiss and hold her hand. Though they had been seeing each other for a year it was their first real date. They had been keeping their relation ship a secret so Nora could keep her position. It hadn't been easy, every time he looked at her he wanted to hold her, every time they were together he wanted to feel her lips on his.
"Jack! Jack!" Nora called to him hurrying into his office.
Jack jumped from his seat "Nora, what's wrong?" he went to her.
"I'm having a baby!" she said excitedly.
Jack nearly fell to the floor at her words "What! When? We…"
Nora laughed softly "Sweetie, no…I'm not pregnant" she sat on his sofa and he joined her.
He sat next to her, confused. "I don't understand."
"I've been on an adoption list for four years. They just called me and told me it's my time, there is a woman expecting a baby by the end of this month, she wants to give it up…they said if I am still interested, it's mine," her eyes were bright, and it looked to Jack as if she were glowing.
Jack smiled at her, still a little shocked "That's wonderful Nora, you're taking it?"
"Yes, well…I want to" she smiled, "I've always wanted a child, I turned fifty last month, I thought for sure I'd lost my chance at motherhood. It made me so sad, I feel that I have so much love to give, you know?"
"Are you sure you are up to this? I mean, kids are a lot of work. With your job are you going to have the time?"
"I know they're a lot of work Jack…I know I am needed here but I can handle it, really." Her smile faded "Jack, if you don't want me to have this baby I wont. I love you so much, I don't want to ruin what we have" she took his hand.
He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it "I love you so much Nora. If you want that baby, have that baby…I'll help you."
Nora smiled "I'm so excited, Jack" she said with tears in her eyes. He took her in his arms and held her.
Jack rolled over in bed and watched Nora sleep. They had spent the night together in her apartment. He touched her face gently; she stirred but didn't wake. Many of the nights they spent together he would lie awake and watch her, admire her. But this night was different. He thought about earlier, in his office, how scared he had become when he thought she was pregnant, and then told him the news of her adoption. She shifted in her sleep and he pulled the blanket up to her chin. His love for her grew all the time, sometimes to the point where he didn't think he could love her anymore, but then it grew ten times more. He thought about when his daughter was small; having a child was the last thing he wanted in his life. He had already gone though the diaper changing, the three a.m. feedings, sleepless nights and rushing to work in the morning and he didn't want to go through it again. But Nora, she wanted a baby, it was her dream and he knew it. She may not have talked about it, but it was in her eyes whenever she heard the laugh of a giggling toddler, or heard the cry of an infant. He could see the longing in her heart when they passed a playground on their morning walks to work.
He rubbed his face and turned to the ceiling. As much as he loved Nora, he just couldn't go though all of that again. But how could he tell her? He didn't want to break her heart, but he knew the news would.
"Jack" she yawned, rolling over "are you still up?"
"Yeah" he said "it's okay, go back to sleep."
"Cuddle me" she mumbled wrapping herself in his arms. He held onto her and gently stroked her hair. How he loved having her in his arms.
Nora and Anita walked down fifth avenue window shopping for baby things. Anita had stepped in to help Nora get ready for the baby, and was filling her in on all of the stuff she should get. Since the baby was due anytime, Nora was in a rush to fix up a nursery, her apartment only had one room to spare, so she decided to get rid of her study.
"So, how does Jack feel about all of this?" Anita asked.
"He say's he's okay with it" Nora said.
"Is he really?" she asked.
"I don't know. He seems distant lately. I don't know what to do Ani…I love Jack, and I want this baby" she looked down at the sidewalk.
Anita put her arm around her friend "forget about it for now, its time to shop…they stopped in front of a store that specialized in baby things and went inside.
Nora took it all in as she walked through the shop, the tiny clothes; the little blankets and toys made her baby seem more real. It had all been like a dream, she still couldn't believe that she was going to be a mother.
"This is perfect!" she smiled running her hand along the side of a little bassinet.
"It's great for a boy, or a girl" Anita said.
Nora imagined walking into the nursery, her old study, and walking up to this bassinet and looking down at her child. The thought made her smile.
Jack stood outside Nora's apartment with roses and candy in his hand. It was their first anniversary and he wanted to make it special. Nora answered the door; she had paint on her hands and clothes.
"You look…cute" he smiled.
"I thought I had an hour yet, I'm sorry" she said, embarrassed.
"It's okay, you look beautiful" he walked in and kissed her cheek.
She led Jack to the living room and they sat on her sofa.
"Working on the nursery?" he asked.
"Yes. Since I don't know what it is I decided to go with yellow."
"So I see" he grinned touching a spot of yellow paint on her cheek.
"I think I got more on me than on the walls" she smiled.
Jack laughed, "I think so too. Do you need any help? With the nursery or anything else?"
"I don't want to bother you," she said softly, knowing that he just wanted to be nice.
He ran his hand through her hair, "How about dinner?" He tried to hide his feelings, seeing the little baby things spread out over her apartment made things seem more real, he had secretly hoped that she would forget about having the baby and just go back to normal…but now he realized she wasn't.
"Please" she said getting up "I've been working in there all day, I need a break! Just give me a few minutes to get dressed and cleaned up."
She hurried out to her room leaving Jack in the living room. He picked up a little stuffed bear that was on the coffee table in front of him and held it. He imagined himself in three or four years with a whining kid by his side begging for candy or toys. He tossed the bear to his side along with the thought.
He got up and went to her c.d. player and put on their favorite c.d. Elton John's Love Songs.
Within ten minutes Nora had rejoined him, no signs of the paint, and she was wearing her favorite black dress.
"Wow" Jack stood and took her in his arms, and dipped her "care for a dance?"
She giggled looking up at him "Delighted!"
They twirled around the room dancing to 'Can you feel the love tonight?'
"Let's continue this after dinner?" he smiled after their song was over. He took her hand and escorted her out.
They were having a great time; Jack had surprised her and taken her to their favorite restaurant, Grille on the Green, near Central Park. Throughout dinner they stared into each other's eyes more than they spoke. They didn't need words. Occasionally they would catch each other by the foot and engage in a little game of 'footsie.'
They'd laugh and ignore the other people around them, they didn't care about them anymore, just each other.
After dinner they decided to walk back to Nora's apartment. Jack held onto her hand as they walked. He didn't want the night to end; he wanted them to stay together happily forever.
"This has been a fun anniversary. Thank you" Nora smiled.
"It was my pleasure" he pulled her closer to him and held her firmly.
Nora sighed "My adoption councilor called me this morning, she said that the baby will be born tomorrow…cesarean. I'm so scared Jack."
"Don't be. It's not as hard as you think," he said.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Anything" he kissed her head.
"Do you want me to take this baby? Honestly. You haven't seemed excited for me, you've been distant lately."
"Nora…I…"
"Truthfully, Jack. Please."
"Babies are a handful," he said. "I remember when my daughter was little…the diaper changing…getting up every few hours in the night to feed her, change her, comfort her…trying to plan out my closing arguments or get work done and have her running around and wanting my constant attention…it was hard."
"I know how hard it is, that's not what I want to know" she sounded a little upset.
"I want you to be happy…"
"I'm happy when I'm with you," she said.
"Don't you think about what it's going to be like? When you're sixty this kid will be ten, when you're seventy, it will be twenty. Me, I'll be pushing eighty. Some life for the kid, pushing us around in wheel chairs, passing out medication."
Nora stopped and looked up at him, saddened by what he said, "I didn't know you felt that way. I'm sorry, Jack…all of a sudden, I'm not feeling very well, I think I'm just going to go home and go to bed" she started to walk away and he took her arm.
"Nora, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"
She shrugged him off and hailed a cab. He watched solemnly as her cab sped off away from him.
Jack walked into Hogan Place and started towards his office. He past Nora's looking in, it was almost nine and she wasn't in yet. "Serena, have you seen Nora?"
"I called her earlier, she was called to the hospital last night" she smiled "it's a girl! She said she wouldn't be in today, but if anyone needed to get a hold of her to call this number" she handed him a piece of paper.
"Thanks" he mumbled and walked into his office. He shut the door and stumbled to his desk. Everything seemed to change in those last few moments. Nora was a mother, and he was…what? It's not like he was the father.
He tried to concentrate on his work but couldn't. He thought about the night before and how hurt Nora had been. He thought about all the fun that they had when they were out on their date, how happy she looked when they danced around her living room to can you feel the Love Tonight? He missed that and he missed her. He thought about the baby, and wondered what she looked like, and what she sounded like when she cried. He smiled and remembered when his daughter was little, he had taken her to the zoo and he was showing her all the animals and the sounds they made. He grabbed his planner and looked to see how busy his day was…he didn't have to be in court until after three. "Great" he got up and hurried out past Serena.
"Jack, where are you going?"
"To do something I should have done day's ago" he said.
Nora picked her daughter up out of her car seat and held her in her arms. The hospital allowed her to bring her home early. She had spent most of the morning filling out paper work and was just happy to be home with her baby.
"Welcome home Violet" she whispered.
The baby had her eyes open and was staring up at Nora, reaching out her little hand towards her face.
"Do you want to see your room?" Nora asked. "I bet you do. I think you'll like it" she carried her into the nursery and walked around.
Nora's housekeeper, Ayesha, walked in and looked at the baby "oh, she's so beautiful! Hello, baby!" she said making a silly face at her.
"Thank you" Nora smiled.
"Congratulations, Nora."
The doorbell rang "Would you get it, please?" Nora asked putting the baby in her cradle and sitting beside it in her rocking chair.
"Sure" she walked out and down the hall to the door. She opened it and stood back.
"Hi, Ayesha. Is Nora home?" Jack asked with an armful of boxes and bags.
"In the nursery, let me help you with that" she laughed at the site of him.
"Thanks" he struggled to keep a box from falling out of his arms.
She grabbed it as it slipped and started to fall. "Follow me."
He followed her inside and put the stuff beside the door. She stopped outside the nursery door and nodded for him to go inside.
He slowly walked in, stopping to watch Nora. She was leaning over the cradle and talking to the baby.
"You're so pretty…yes you are" Nora talked to her daughter. "Are you Mommy's little girl? Yes you are!" she tickled the baby's tummy.
Jack walked up behind Nora and put his hand on her shoulder. She jumped "Jack? Wha…what are you doing here?" she asked surprised.
"I got to thinking" he crouched beside her "I thought about last night, how much fun I had with you…and about all of the time we've spent together. How much I love you" he smiled. "Then I thought about my daughter when she was little…I miss that. I remembered taking her to the zoo and playing with her, teaching her animal noises, teaching her how to dance, telling her stories. I'd like to do that again…I want to that is…If you'll still have me?"
Nora smiled "Really? Oh, Jack" she threw her arms around him.
They separated and smiled at each other. Nora took his hand "meet our daughter" she said softly.
"Hi sweetie" he said taking the baby's little hand.
"Violet" Nora said.
"Hi Violet! I'm your papa" he smiled. Violet looked up at him, "She's smiling at me!" he said.
Nora picked her up out of the cradle and put her in Jack's arms. "She loves to be held."
Jack sat Indian style on the floor and cradled her "Hi beauty" he said. "We're going to have fun together. I'll teach you how to play baseball, would you like that? And we'll go for walks in the park."
Nora watched him and smiled with tears in her eyes. They were her family, something she never thought she'd have, and now it was all right in front of her.
"Maybe we can convince Mommy to let us get a dog! Would you like that, Violet?"
Nora got down and joined them on the floor. She slipped her hand into Jack's and they watched Violet play with his tie. Jack kissed Nora's cheek and she rested her head on his shoulder. They sat together in the nursery and watched as their little girl drifted off to sleep.
The End
There are children all over the world who need homes…look into adoption.