"What's that?" Robbie heard Laura laugh as she read a message on her phone.
The sound of Robbie's voice made her smile widen as she looked up at him. "It's from James. He is happy to pick us up the airport as long as we don't have masses of excess baggage."
Robbie raised his eyebrows. "Did you tell him?"
"No, not a word as we agreed."
As they sat in the airport waiting for their long flight home to begin, Laura sent James a message and said if that was the best he could offer she would make other arrangements for their airport pickup. Then she added a 'thanks anyway, explain later' not wanting him to feel slighted for his offer. Laura made yet another call to her brother Brad before boarding the plane.
Robbie juggled several carry-on items much to the consternation of other passengers and the flight crew while Laura pulled wipes from her bag and disinfected their seats and chair arms. As they prepared for take off, Robbie leaned over to kiss Laura's cheek and said "Ready?"
She turned to kiss him full on the mouth before pulling back breathlessly, "Ready as I'm ever going to be."
Robbie's face formed a serious expression. "The morgue will still be there when you get back."
"I was afraid of that. Now"...she blushed, "it doesn't matter."
"Are you sure?" He raised his eyebrows.
"I'm sure if you're sure." Laura punched him lightly on the arm then gently brushed off the blow with her fingers.
After the plane leveled off fatigue set in and sleep took over the occupants in their row. Robbie, ever the insomniac was the last to succumb. He gently snuggled into the blond head and inhaled her familiar scent before dropping off, blissfully snore free.
A few hours later Robbie and Laura spoke quietly so they would not disturb anyone sleeping near them.
"Do Brad and Carole regret going to New Zealand at the beginning of Caroline's pregnancy instead of waiting until it was time for the baby to come?"
Laura shook her head. "No, when they first found out all they could focus on was Caroline's health. Her seizure disorder made a pregnancy possibly life threatening and they rushed over to make sure she was getting the best care possible. Then, when it looked like the baby was going to be a reality, Carole's mother needed to come stay with them because her care home had a fire. The dementia wing was closed leaving Carole's mother on a waiting list for a new place. So it was serendipitous when I told them we were planning a trip to New Zealand that coincided with the due date." She emphasized the 'we'.
"That must have been rough, taking on the care of Carole's mother at the same time their daughter needed them." Robbie raised his chin and studied something on the ceiling while a memory from the past surfaced.
Laura took his hand and brought him back to the present. "Dealing with a family member with dementia was stressful enough. Caroline's high risk pregnancy was even worse. Subconsciously they may have been relieved to rely on us to look after their daughter. " She squeezed his hand. "They were scared Robbie. I've helped them out with Caroline before. She's not just my niece, she's my Goddaughter as well."
"She's a lucky girl to have you."
"Aunts step in and help out, then give them back to the parents. It's what I know. It's who I am."
"It would have been a lot easier if she hadn't run off to New Zealand in the first place and stayed closer to home."
"Agreed, she made the decision all on her own. Maybe I would have done the same thing if I were in her shoes." Laura's face turned sad as a memory from her past tried to bring her to a dark place. She pushed it away. "Robbie, you were kind enough not to question her about it. Thank-you for leaving Inspector Lewis back in Oxford." She patted the place in his jacket where his warrant card would have been.
"That's not to say I'm not curious." He put his arm around her and lowered his voice even more. "You said the father of the baby was an unmitigated cad and for some reason Caroline was still in love with him."
Laura turned to face Robbie. "She didn't trust herself not to go back to him and had to make him a very long flight away. She needed to move on." Laura shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "She told me his name in confidence and I promised not to tell anyone, even you,'' under her breath she added , "especially you."
"Does it matter now?"
They were interrupted by a passenger with a complaint. After things quieted down they resumed their conversation.
Robbie rubbed Laura's shoulder. "That was bad luck Carole breaking her...clavicle?" Laura nodded, "while lifting her mother. She never should have tried taking care of her without help. Now Brad has to take care of both of them."
"Brian was helping out until he went back to college. Now Brad has hired some in home help because he had an important project at work."
"Work is more important than his wife, mother-in-law, daughter, and grandchild? A man should put his family first." Robbie appeared unaware of the irony of his statement.
"Robbie, Brad has some secrets, things he can't talk about having to do with his work."
"I know."
"You do? Even Carole doesn't know all the details," she gave him an admiring gaze, "you are a good detective."
"Not me, Innocent. She noticed his name in connection with an untouchable suspect in a murder case."
"I guess you do know something."
"Yeah, until then I thought your brother was just another one of those computer programmer nerds. I never told you because I figured you couldn't talk about."
"All I know is Brad has been assigned a very important project at work. I can only guess at the details which include Brad, the computer geek, keeping the world safe for everyone, including his new grandchild."
"Well it's a good thing Caroline's twin brother Brian was able to stay with her for a few weeks."
"And after that, your Ken and Ryan were lifesavers."
"Yeah, Ryan has been good for Ken. They were happy to help. Family is important to Ken now. I hope things work out so they can eventually adopt a child. Just think, we could have another grandchild someday."
"Good thing Lyn gave us nappy changing lessons so we could help with Jack's baby sister, Susan." They both had a silent chuckle remembering some of their first clumsy efforts. "For now Ken and Ryan will do well as foster carers. That'll do for starters and then I'm sure they will be wonderful parents."
"I'm very proud of my boy and Ryan. He is just as much part of the family as our Lyn's Tim."
"Brad and Carole are very thankful they could help out until I got there. Robbie, you knew I had to go even if you were going to back out."
"I can't say it enough times. I was a fool..."
"Yes, I wasn't meant to go on my own."
"No, we're a team and if I ever forget that, I want you to remind me."
"I will. I hope I never again need to threaten to put your dinner or any of your body parts in the canoe."
"Good thing there are plants growing in it now."
After the long flight the plane landed and Robbie gathered up their excess baggage while Laura double checked they did not forget anything. After a mercifully short wait to collect their checked luggage they made their way towards the pick-up area where Laura's brother, sans sign, waited for them.
Robbie juggled his burden to shake Brad's hand while Laura gave him a quick kiss on the check and suggested they get moving away from the throng of disembarking passengers. Brad used his work credentials to secure a preferred parking spot. Normally Laura would protest and give him a hard time but she spared him a sharp retort in this instance and got in his car after making sure everything was properly stowed, allowing Robbie the front seat with more leg room, worried about the effects of a long flight on his circulation system.
As Brad drove off Robbie heard a sigh and turned to look in the back seat and saw Laura frown at her phone and he asked if everything was okay.
"No." Her face tightened into a grimace as she read the caller id.
Cale