Sogni di Felicità: Dreams of Happiness
(As usual, I own the storyline but not the characters or settings, etc.)
Jordan glanced down at the child in her arms, tiny and delicate. Blue eyes were closed and the small chest slowly rising and falling beneath the cover of a pink blanket. She looked well-fed and cared for, but something felt wrong to Jordan. As Woody approached her, she tried to pinpoint the source of her discomfort. To her surprise, the unwelcome feeling disappeared when he leaned back against the car, by her side, and reached out to rub her shoulder. She smiled up at him, only to find that loving smile plastered once again across his face.
The crime scene around them was calming down, as a young woman's body was now being transported to the morgue. Her ex, handcuffed after being caught red-handed, was being "escorted" to the police station. The social worker was trying – in vain – to find any record of the baby's family; and everybody else was waiting for news or instructions. After all that had gone on in the hour before echoed silently between the walls of the alleyway, leaving the single witness shaken and no questions unanswered.
Jordan moved so that Woody could massage her back, which proved difficult when paired with eye contact. "You look natural with a baby in your arms," the detective commented. "You sure you don't want to be a mother?"
The M.E.'s smile faded. "I never said I didn't!"
"Do you?" His tone was playful, so she took it lightly.
"Yeah… I… think it'd be fun! Y'know, a little person, really, to spoil… and take places and watch them grow…"
Now Woody grew serious. "Are you gonna offer to foster Melanie?"
Jordan looked down at the baby and smiled again. "I… um… already did; but I have a – big – favor to ask of you."
"Anything." Somehow, Woody knew what was coming. He wished then that he could have been more prepared, to plan out his response and make the moment perfect; but in a way, it was perfect. He just had to wait for the right time and a dose of inspiration.
"She needs a father-figure… that can be trusted. And you would be perfect for that. You wouldn't have to live with us or anything; you could just visit every—"
"Jordan." She was in her "appeal" mode again. He smiled knowingly, his eyes solidly holding her attention. It was time, but she was occupied with the baby. He turned and slid back the door to the child's seat and gently removed said child from Jordan's grip.
"What are you doing?" The M.E. wasn't sure whether to be amused or upset; and Woody chuckled at her unnecessary panic. She knew the emotions portrayed by his body language: nervousness, excitement, love…
He was genuinely surprised that she couldn't see it coming. As he laid the baby in her carseat, he took a deep breath. When he turned around, Jordan was facing him, waiting for an answer. Finally, she got one. "I'm asking you to return the favor." Then, he made the move she could never be prepared for. She had suspected he might ask, and she knew what she wanted. Now, as he lowered himself onto one knee before her and pulled a small box from his pocket, she prepared herself to say the one word she was terrified to say. "Yes!" She said it without thinking, but for once, she did not regret it. Woody had barely finished his question when she answered, and it caught him off guard. It wasn't like Jordan to answer so quickly; and, if not for the changes brought about by the crash, he would have been concerned.
The ring fit perfectly, now a symbol of more than just friendship, as opposed to the "promise ring" it had been before. Now, tears rolled down Jordan's cheeks, falling like the shadow fell from inside her, allowing her new and welcome freedom. A long silence had followed that three-letter word, feeding Woody's concern and discomfort. Finally, he could wait no longer. "Jordan?" She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it on a second thought. "Jordan, when you get monosyllabic, it's bad; but when you don't say anything at all… I don't even know what to think!"
"Neither do I." Woody let out a relieved sigh before she continued. "For the first time since my mom's… death… I don't even wanna run. I just… it just feels right! I never got the courage to tell you before, but… I need you."
"I need you, too;" Woody nodded, "and Melanie needs us." The couple turned to face the baby; Woody's arm around Jordan. Wise brown eyes met faithful blue ones moments before his lips found and claimed hers for a long moment.
"Doctor Cavanaugh," came a feminine voice from behind them. It broke their embrace and stole Jordan's attention from her newfound family. The social worker handed her a pile of paperwork and smiled. "Fill these out and bring them to my office tomorrow; and we can start the adoption process."
"What about her family?" Jordan inquired.
With a sad smile, the social worker shook her head. No words were needed to explain that Melanie was best off in Jordan's care. With that, the other woman took off, leaving Jordan with a bulging folder in her arms and Woody with a baby in his.
Seeing that they were no longer needed, Jordan and Woody loaded their stuff and the baby's into her car. Then, before she closed the door, she leaned in to face Melanie. "You're coming home with me," she announced; then, turning to Woody, she smiled suggestively. "Both of you!"