Chapter 36
Cathy looked around the room at all the babies that she was still having a hard time believing were really hers, and with an odd little grin she simply told Jenny, "No."
"You mean Peter was wrong all this time and you only had one after all? Boy did we overbuy then!"
"Nope…not only one…" Cathy was having fun now.
There was a long pause while Jenny processed this information and in a dazed voice she asked, "Good Lord Cath, FOUR?!"
"No…"
"Huh? Then how many did you have?!" Jenny was getting a little upset at this point.
"I'm not sure you would believe me if I told you Jenny."
"CATHY, are you trying to tell me you had FIVE babies?!"
"No Jen, not five," Cathy ended that comment on a yawn.
"Cathy?" came the hesitant, almost fearful, voice of her friend.
"I had two boys…" she paused for dramatic effect even as tired as she was and then added softly, "And four girls."
The silence on the other end of the phone had everyone in Catherine's apartment wondering what was happening with her friend. Cathy finally asked, "Jenny are you okay?"
"ME!? ME!? You're asking ME if I'M okay after you've just had SIX babies?!"
As another yawn took control of Catherine, Peter put down one of the babies he was holding and took the phone from her unresisting fingers. Just as he began to talk, the answering machine finally clicked off. He said into the phone, "Jenny this is Peter. Cathy is understandably exhausted and needs to rest. When you called we were about to take her Below…"
Father, Mary, and Vincent gasped at this casual mention of their world to someone they didn't know and were not even aware that she knew anything about the tunnels. But Peter went on as if he hadn't noticed, "She and Vincent…" another trio of gasps could be heard, "have gotten back together and we are talking her and the babies Below."
No one in the room knew what Jenny said to that, but Peter chuckled and agreed to meet her at Cathy's apartment the next day at noon. He hung up then picked up the baby he'd put down announcing that they could go if Vincent was ready to carry Cathy again.
"What have you told this woman about us Peter?" Father demanded as they all made their way out of the apartment and down the hall to the elevator.
"It wasn't Peter, Father, it was me," Catherine said quietly from Vincent's arms. "She is my best friend and I needed someone to talk to about what was going on in my life. So if you are going to yell at anyone, it should be me."
"No one is going to yell at you Catherine dear, are they Father?" Mary asked, with a frown at the man she had known and respected for decades. She was not about to let him upset this young lady who had become so special to them all and that had just given birth to the most wonderful miracle that Mary had ever seen!
"Ummmm, no of course not," Father blustered as they got into the elevator. "I was just wondering what she had been told…"
"I told her everything Father. Jenny is a wonderful person and I would like to submit her as a Helper. She works in a publishing house," Catherine offered as an extra incentive.
"Father, since this has already happened, why don't we table the discussion of it until a later date?" Vincent suggested quietly. He could feel the weariness in Catherine and didn't want to put any more stress on her than had already happened that evening.
"Yes, quite so!" Father agreed, and the subject was tabled.
As the elevator began its journey to the basement there was only one close call. On the 11th floor the elevator pinged and the doors opened. Catherine quickly pulled Vincent's head down to hers and hid his face from view by kissing him.
The slightly tipsy couple took one look at the very full car and said they would catch the next one. Although Vincent tried to raise his head the minute the doors closed again, Catherine had him right where she wanted him and didn't set him free until the elevator arrived in the basement.
Father gave an amused chuckle and said, "And we were worried he would be seen!"
Mary, Peter, and Catherine laughed while Vincent blushed.
To be continued….