Chapter 1 – The Dance of Reality
Just Family
Owen and Amelia – married 3 months shy of 2 years
Nolan 13, Ryder almost 9, Olivia 5
Annabelle and Victoria, 52 weeks, 50 weeks
January 11, Wednesday. Late Evening.
Introduction
Just Family is the second book in a series about Owen and Amelia. It begins moments after the last scene in Just Friends. Although a new reader might miss some nuances (just like when you start watching a TV series in seasons 2 or 3), starting with this book is possible.
After nearly 100 chapters in Just Friends, a new book seemed like a good way to proceed. Believe it or not, I really struggled to come up with storylines for Just Friends at first and originally planned to conclude the story around Chapter 10 or so. Then everything started flowing and I couldn't stop. Now, I'm so in love with the Shepherd-Hunt children and family that I can't imagine concluding their stories.
I'm so thankful for all the feedback. Please always feel free to make suggestions or message/post your hopes. I often integrate readers' ideas in future chapters. I especially enjoy when readers mention phrases or scenes in their comment – it's fun to find out what resonated and made an impression.
Happy Reading!
Trivia: Just Friends occasionally used song titles for chapters. Just Family will use movie titles for each chapter.
The Dance of Reality
Amelia looked over her shoulder and put the rig in reverse. Carefully backing out from the parking spot, Amelia was relieved to be leaving McChord Air Force Base, which represented Owen's latest tour and all that had brought. She smiled exuberantly as she shifted to drive then set her right hand on her husband's good leg, gushing, "Owen, I am so incredibly thrilled to have you home."
Setting his hand on top of hers, Owen met her grasp firmly and squeezed. He smirked with bittersweet joy. He was thankful to be home and see the kids. Just the same, he detested that he was coming home debilitated and in need. Daddy isn't returning, Owen had thought to himself earlier on the plane, some incapacitated, dependent version of Daddy is showing up. Attempting to sound sincere and grateful, rather than self-pitying, Owen blurted out, "I hope to God you still feel that way in a week…or in three weeks…or two months…or four months when I'm still hurting and helpless."
Shifting her focus from the road to Owen's face and quickly back, Amelia appeared crestfallen. Could Owen truly be worried that his family wouldn't stand by his side as he rehabilitated and healed? Sure, the process would be lengthy and sometimes challenging, but that didn't mean they would tire of his existence. She opened her mouth and breathed slowly. "We are your family, Owen. Please don't say that."
Owen's phrase was meant to be interpreted as humorous and self-depreciating, not as deeply significant. Unsuccessfully attempting to hide his fear of dependence through humor, Owen's surface level comment had stung Amelia, sounding to her as if he didn't have faith in his family's dedication. Still seeing his comment on a surface level, Owen shrugged casually, "It's true. It's my hope."
Still breathing through her mouth and occasionally swallowing, Amelia glanced up at the roof of the Buick. To her, his quip meant that he saw himself as burdensome and completely dependent on his inconvenienced family. That perspective shattered her soul. "Owen, I'm going to say this once," Amelia began calmly and flatly, "I am currently responsible for seven and a half lives as I drive all of us home on a pitch black night. Our drive home will take 30 more minutes. If you could please refrain from shocking commentary during that time, I would be grateful."
Owen removed his hand and ran it over his hair, thinking to himself, Oh f*&#. What the hell? As he brought his hand down, he folded his arms and gazed out the side window with an audible exhale.
Within the first five minutes of the drive, Nolan was the only one of his generation that remained awake. "Mom?" Nolan called out softly enough to not awaken his siblings, yet loudly enough to be heard in the front.
"She's driving, Nolan. What do you need?" Owen answered with a slight edge in his voice.
Was he snapping or simply exhausted? Nolan couldn't clearly discern the tone intellectually, but his gut told him Owen was tense. "Never mind," Nolan responded pleasantly. He pursed his lips and moved them to one side, trying to survey the floor of the rig.
Owen, exhausted and overwrought, grumbled with irritation and minimal self-awareness, "You didn't call out for Mom for nothing. What's the problem?"
"Don't snap at him," Amelia insisted firmly. Changing her tone, Amelia called back, "Sweetie, what's up?"
"I've got a headache. I was thinking if I ate something, it might help. But it's no big deal, Mom. Really," Nolan assured her, trying his best not to be a source of stress.
Glaring at Owen before responding, Amelia suggested, "Can you see the diaper bag? I'm sure there's something in there."
"I can't see it, already tried that," Nolan responded. "Really, never mind, Mom. I'm sorry I bugged you. I know you're trying to drive."
Seeking to fix the situation, Owen opened up the glove box and spotted a granola bar. He turned slightly and threw it toward Nolan kindly suggesting, "Catch, Nole."
"Thank you," Nolan answered in a reserved tone, using his manners but not sure what to make of the earlier hostility from Owen.
Ten minutes later, Owen inquired with concern, "Headache any better, Nolan?"
"No. It's worse," Nolan explained briefly, not wanting to enter into conversation.
"Did he get enough sleep last night?" Owen asked Amelia.
"Yes," Amelia opined. Feeling tested and judged, she continued, "And he ate well throughout the day. Can you dig through my purse for an ibuprofen?"
Owen chuckled lightly, "You know I can never find anything in there. It's like a trauma room after everyone's gone up to the OR."
Amelia didn't respond. Owen was trying to shift the mood and make light of everything, but Amelia interpreted his words as sarcastic. She thought to herself, Don't. Cry. Amelia, don't let him wear you down to tears. He's healing. He's tired. He's hurting. He's not trying to be an ass. Buck up and tolerate the tension. Everyone's just adjusting – you just didn't expect it to start on the drive home. The possibility that she too might be overwrought and adjusting was not on her radar. Overly sensitive and yearning for life as it used to be, Amelia's tenderness was an unconscious factor in the situation.
"Are you ok?" Owen, who had long ago reoriented his mindset and tone, asked softly as he touched Amelia's upper arm gently.
"Mmm Hmm," she responded quickly.
Owen gazed at his wife and whispered, "Aims…I'm sorry. I've pissed you off, haven't I? Good Lord, Amy, I'm truly sorry. What can I do?"
Whispering back with exasperation, Amelia countered, "You can look through my damn purse for an ibuprofen."
Resting his head on the backrest, Owen sighed and thought, Hell, it's great to be home. Then he tried to reach down for her purse, which was set on the floor between their seats. He sighed in frustration and admitted with a sense of embarrassment, "I'm sorry. I can't bend to reach it."
Without looking, Amelia grabbed the purse and held it up, suggesting, "Try the inside middle pocket. There's probably a bottle of water in there too."
"Yep, right where you said. Now how the hell am I going to get it to him?" Owen pondered aloud.
"Just unbuckle briefly and lean over the 2nd row," Amelia proposed without thinking.
Owen swallowed his pride, looked down and mumbled, "I can't."
Amelia was embarrassed by her suggestion. Gently grasping her purse, she called softly to Nolan, "I'm going to reach back as far as I can. Unbuckle and reach up to grab my purse, Nolan. The meds are in the middle pocket and there's probably a bottled water in there, too."
"Ok," Nolan groaned, shocked that Amelia was suggesting he unbuckle. If he did that on his own without permission, he knew the consequences would be serious. In the trauma surgeon's home, safety was a non-negotiable. Having been granted immunity, Nolan unbuckled, reached over and grabbed the purse. Quickly rebuckling, Nolan dug into the middle pocket. He found the meds and the water, then asked, "How many?"
Owen answered, "Take two." Simultaneously, Amelia responded, "Just one." Nolan flopped his head onto the back of the seat. Having a pounding headache was bad enough without conflicting advice.
Amelia corrected her response, "Dad's right. Two would be good." Nolan took the pills and closed his eyes, hoping the headache would disappear.
"I'm sorry," Owen reiterated softly. "Truly. I'm…"
"We're all in a funk. No apologies necessary, Owen," Amelia offered as she entered her code for the property's gate and drove toward the house. The dogs barked and ran alongside the car, happy to welcome home their people. Amelia hit the button for the garage door and started to drive in. She paused and inquired, "Are you going to have enough room to maneuver if I pull in?"
"Why not just pull into the middle bay?" Owen suggested with curiosity.
"I didn't think about the logistics, I guess. Your truck is in the middle. I can move it tomorrow," Amelia sighed, disappointed with herself. "Guess I should just stop in the driveway, then," she thought aloud as she parked and turned off the car. "I'm going to get the kids upstairs, then I can come help you, ok?"
"Yeah," Owen agreed with resignation. His level of helplessness was becoming more apparent by the minute.
"Mom," Nolan offered, sounding exhausted, "I can help. Babies first?"
Amelia looked at Nolan with a mixture of gratitude and apology, "Thanks, Nole. Which one do you want?"
"I've already got Ria," Nolan admitted as he came out Owen's side of the car. "And the diaper bag."
A few minutes later, Amelia and Nolan returned. Owen's eyes were closed as he waited in the passenger seat. "How are we going to do this?" Amelia wondered aloud as she looked at Nolan. "Can you carry Ry? I know I can't."
"No, but I'll wake him up and help him upstairs. I can take Olivia up first, Mom. Why don't you help Dad?" Nolan recommended.
"I'm gonna need you both, buddy, but that was a nice offer," Owen mentioned. "Aims, let him get Livs – she's too heavy for you."
"I do it all the time, Owen," Amelia admitted with a shrug as she dismissed his input.
"Doesn't mean you should, right?" Owen countered, attempting to sound light while worried about the baby.
Nolan was already stepping through the doorway to the house with Olivia in his arms when Amelia and Owen finished their exchange. He was gone about five minutes and returned saying, "Sorry I took so long. I made her wake up and pee so she wouldn't wet the bed." Nolan turned to Ryder and tried to wake him up, "Ryder, we're home. You gotta wake up."
"Noooo," Ryder whined, half-asleep.
"C'mon, buddy, you're going to have to get yourself upstairs," Owen encouraged.
"Carry me, Daddy," Ryder begged.
"I can't, buddy," Owen confessed regretfully. "C'mon, you can do it."
Ryder slipped out of his seat with half-closed eyes as Nolan advised, "I'll put my arm around you, Ryder. That'll help you get upstairs, ok?"
"We can't rely on him like this all the time," Amelia observed with a deep breath when Nolan stepped inside. She rubbed her arms, trying to stay warm in the chilly evening weather.
"I know," Owen agreed.
Nolan reappeared, looking tired and as if his headache was still pounding. "How can we make this easy for you, Dad?"
Amelia had already grabbed and opened the wheelchair. She placed it by the door exactly where Owen instructed and set the brakes. Owen asked Nolan to get one of the crutches from the back and place it to his right. He slid to the side, facing outward, realizing the distance to the ground was far greater than the distance he was used to navigating.
"Crap, I'm up so high," Owen grumbled. "On second thought, let's bring the walker out too. Keep the chair where it is and put the walker right up against the car. I think I'm going to try sliding off the seat and onto the floor, then move from the floor to the walker. I can't move from the seat to the ground – it's too much distance and impact for my left leg."
Moving the seat back as far as he could, Owen carefully navigated his way on to the floor, using Nolan's shoulder and the seat to help stabilize him. From there, he could easily slide onto the driveway and use the walker to get into the chair. The whole process took about 10 minutes and Amelia wondered how much time would pass before this practice became their new normal.
Standing on his left leg with his arms slightly shaking, Owen nudged the walker around a half circle a little at a time until his back was to the chair. "I'm sorry, you guys. I move pretty slowly, but we did it. Nolan, buddy, thanks, man. Go on up to bed, I really owe you for all your help tonight," Owen gushed.
"No, you don't, Dad. It's what family does for each other, right?" Nolan commented in a nonchalant manner as he leaned down and hugged Owen, "Welcome home, Dad. Good night." He stood up and kissed Amelia on the cheek then headed to bed.
As Amelia pushed Owen inside, she mumbled jokingly, "Umm…have you seen our 13 year old? Looks like that kid but is far more argumentative and attitudinal."
Owen moved his head back to smile at Amelia and chuckled, "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be back soon."
Amelia went back outside to pull the rig into the garage and whistled for the dogs who came bursting in the door. Out of habit, they ran directly up the stairs and right in to the boys' rooms. When Amelia came back in the house with Owen's pack, Owen laughed, "I don't think the dogs even saw me."
Setting the pack down, Amelia inquired, "So…meds…what do you need tonight?"
"I can get it. Go ahead and get ready for bed, Aims," Owen encouraged lovingly.
"It's ok, O. Let me help," she smiled.
Owen grimaced, "I think it's better if I manage my meds."
Furrowing her brow, she responded, "I'm not going to take them. Is that your fear?"
Sighing heavily, Owen looked up at Amelia and declared, "Let's not do this tonight, ok? We can figure out a system tomorrow."
Amelia looked at him with disappointment in his eyes and began to step away. Half way to their temporary bedroom, she stopped and turned, asking, "Seriously, Owen? Really? Are you afraid to have the meds in my midst?" Her words were laced with a tone of hurt, surprise and sorrow.
"Amy…" Owen began slowly with loving concern. "Hey…let's talk about it tomorrow, ok?" He smiled and pushed his chair toward the fridge to get some water. By doing so, they were no longer in one another's line of sight. He reached into a particular area of the backpack and took his meds, carefully returning them to their hiding spot.
Even though he was exhausted, Owen wheeled over to the large windows overlooking the water. He gazed out and let the scene fill him. When he was overseas, his memory of the view had frequently provided a sense of peace.
About ten minutes later, Amelia came out and approached him from behind. She was wearing yoga pants and one of Owen's ARMY t-shirts. As she rubbed his shoulders, she commented, "Not an ideal first night back, but we'll get there."
"Yeah," Owen responded absently, not shifting his gaze away from the water.
"You coming to bed?" she asked with hope.
Owen turned his head and grinned, "Yeah. Yeah, I am." He pushed himself into the makeshift bedroom and pulled his chair alongside the bed.
"Do you need any help?" Amelia inquired.
"Nope," Owen responded as he clenched his teeth and focused on the task at hand. He placed his left foot on the ground and his left hand on a nightstand. Grasping the edge of the bed with his right hand, he shifted and lowered himself down. Amelia curiously watched the whole process. He sat on the bed, his right leg resting straight along the outer edge. Then, Owen pursed his lips and grumbled, "Dammit."
"What?" Amelia asked.
"I forgot to pee. I'm just getting used to not having that damn catheter," Owen huffed.
"Just so happens, I'm a doctor and bodily fluids don't bug me. Want me to grab something you can pee into? Or…if you really want me to, I could catheterize you," she teased.
"You're really funny," Owen nodded as he rolled his eyes. Humiliated, he took her up on her offer to bring a container.
She brought one over and politely offered, "You want me to leave the room?"
He was already taking care of business when she asked. Moments later, he sighed, "No, but, sorry, can you take it?"
"Not a problem," Amelia declared in her normal matter-of-fact tone. After dealing with the bottle and washing her hands, she brought it back, saying, "Just in case you need it overnight." She leaned over and set it on his nightstand, kissing him gently and repeatedly on the lips before returning to her side of the bed. "Good night, Major, Doctor, husband, Daddy, incredible, handsome, finally home Owen Hunt," she smirked. "I love you."
Owen closed his eyes halfway and grinned from ear to ear, "I love you too, Aims. I love you too."