Chapter 51

An Imperfect Life – The Waterworks

End of August

The annual 4th of July party, held in August because Lucas wanted his entire family at his birthday party, was full of joy, stories, and dancing. The yearly Shepherd-Hunt event was a time everyone came together to play and laugh.

Lucas' 7th birthday party was the focus of the first few hours of the festivities. With cake, ice cream, balloons, and party horns, Lucas' day was all he hoped it would be. Amelia arranged for a unicycle riding jokester who juggled bowling pins to entertain the kids in the driveway. In addition to his abilities to manipulate long balloons into a multitude of shapes, animals, and wearables, the man entertained the kids with jokes and stories.

Molly was captivated by his juggling and babbled boisterously for more whenever he stopped. He created a special hat for her to wear that wrapped around her tiny head and held a huge heart at the top. Eventually, the hat had to be passed along to Ria, who, unlike Molly, wouldn't attempt to eat it. Willing to be held and snuggled by anyone and entertaining an audience with her growls and noises, Molly was one of the many stars of the day's festivities.

The Tremblay Hunts could not believe that their move to England was right around the corner. At eight weeks pregnant, Lissa did not have a baby bump and few knew she was expecting. The day prior, as she attended her last appointment in Seattle, Arizona was fairly certain that the baby had attached to the uterus and not the septum. While the pregnancy remained at risk, the news was a relief.

Nolan, in their last days in Seattle, rushed around focusing on details. Passports and legal documents were in order, mail would be forwarded or sent to the Lake House where Owen would either tend to it or forward it to England. Lissa's car had been sold and his beloved Jeep would remain at the house. A limited number of boxes were shipped overseas, minimizing the amount of luggage he'd have to manage at the airport on either end of the trip.

Back in the moment, as the man on the unicycle sang a corny song and juggled away, Julie and Adam arrived. Owen spotted them before Ryder and hurried to welcome them.

"Adam," he began as he extended his hand, "Great to see you again." Since Ryder and Julie returned from the Naval Academy, the Shepherd Hunts and Caldwells had gathered a handful of times.

"Likewise, Owen," Julie's self-assured, perfectly-postured father stated with warmth.

The doctor smiled and turned to Julie. He hugged her as he chuckled, "Hey, Kiddo. Long time no see, huh?"

Julie embraced him back and laughed, "A whole three hours or so, huh?" She had been over earlier in the morning to help with some set up for the party. A hard worker, Owen had praised her efforts and joked that she was worth three Hunt offspring.

"Hi, Caldwells," Amelia sauntered over and leaned in to the conversation. "Are you ready to relax by the lake and nibble on goodies all day?"

"Amelia, no matter how many times we connect, I still swear we've met before this summer," Adam commented with a searching glance.

Laughing and attempting to recall details, Amelia agreed, "You've always looked familiar to me too. We'll both remember when and where at about 3am some night, right?"

"Exactly," Adam smiled softly.

"Adam, can I get you a beer? Soda? Water?" Owen offered as he began to step toward the house.

Julie quickly peeked at her father out of the corner of her eyes. Smoothly, he grinned and responded, "It's a hot day. Water sounds perfect. Let's go, Itsy-kit."

"Can I stay out here with the little kids, Dad? This guy is fun to watch," Julie requested. Adam nodded clearly once and continued with Owen.

"Keep me posted if you wander elsewhere," he told her.

As Owen and Adam continued their trek to the back patio, Owen commented, "We've sure enjoyed having Julie around this summer, Adam. She's a great kid."

"Thanks. Ryder's not so bad, either," Adam chuckled. "Quick witted and highly intelligent. I've enjoyed getting to know him."

"A little too quick witted for his own good most of the time," Owen joked as Adam extended his hand to Richard Webber and greeted him. "Oh, you two know each other?"

"We do," Richard nodded, not disclosing how the two met.

From a picnic table at the other end of the patio, Meredith called for Owen. He excused himself and left Adam with Richard. With Amelia over by the kids' party, Mer wasn't sure where to set some of the food and drinks. Not sure either, Owen guessed and helped himself to a beer.

From the water, Ryder spotted Adam. Even though his girlfriend of the week, Jen, was at the party, Ry ran to the walkway, grabbed a towel and headed toward Adam.

"Dr. Webber, Captain," Ryder stated. "Great to see you both."

Adam patted Ryder's back firmly and observed, "Good Navy boy – already in the water, huh?"

"Something like that," Ryder laughed. He wondered where Julie was, but didn't want to be overt about his interest. "Make sure and help yourself to snacks and everything," Ryder stumbled verbally.

"Julie's in the driveway," Adam stared and informed Ry.

"Oh," Ryder nodded. "Yeah, great. I'll look for her later. Excuse me – I left my date behind to come say hello."

"Who's Julie?" Richard asked Adam after Ryder was out of earshot.

"My daughter. Same age," Adam detailed as both he and Richard watched Ryder goof off in the lake.

"He's got a thing for her, hmm?" Richard reflected.

"Just friends, they tell me," Adam commented. "I used to think there might be more, but, nope, they're pals."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`'

Later, Amelia was in the kitchen refreshing some of the dishes from outside. Adam wandered inside, mostly to take a brief break from the crowd of people.

Amelia saw him come through the sliding glass doors and hollered happily, "Adam! Hey there."

He raised his chin slightly and headed toward the kitchen. He grabbed a fork and loaded some fruit onto a plate. Leaning on the counter, he pointed the fork her way and informed her, "I think I've figured out our connection."

"Yeah?" Amelia questioned with curiosity.

"Bill W. He's a friend of yours?" Adam wondered aloud, referring to AA.

Amelia smirked and caught Adam's eye, "Yeah. Off and on since my teens."

Holding up five fingers, then one, he admitted, "Six years." He looked down and disclosed, "It was my wife's dying wish. Sam, our oldest, hauled me into treatment about three months after Claire died. He was 18, and I was an absolute mess. Itsy…umm… Julie was 11."

"I stole prescription pads when I was a teenager. Pills are my drug of choice, but wine is a close second," Amelia confessed.

"We all have a story," Adam stated clearly.

"Your wife died," Amelia echoed. "She was young."

"She was," Adam confirmed as he took a drink of water. "Ovarian cancer. Fought it like hell for six years. Julie never knew Claire as healthy. Mommy was in bed and sick, weak and tired. Itsy-kit thought all Mommies were like that at one point." He scoffed and continued, "She was shocked when other moms volunteered in 1st grade."

"Itsy-kit. Tell me more," Amelia nudged.

Adam chuckled softly, "Jules was born with a ton of brown hair. When we'd stroke her head, she'd move her head to the side like a cat does when you rub the side of their mouth. Kit… for kitten. She was only 5 pounds at birth – born a few weeks early. Sam was beefy and brawny when he was born, and he weighed nearly 10 pounds. Jules was itsy-bitsy – that's what Claire called her. Claire called her 'my itsy-bitsy kitten.' Over time, Itsy-kit kind of stuck."

A few tears slid down Amelia's cheek. "I'm so sorry Claire died. I can't imagine…"

"I'd better get back out there and check on the kid," he related softly.

"We're here, Adam… I'm here. Owen's here… if you ever need to talk," Amelia offered.

He nodded and whispered, "Thanks."

As Adam stepped outside, he noted he hadn't ever shared so much about Claire at one time. He returned to the driveway and discovered the unicycle/little kid party had broken up. As he scanned the area for Julie, his heart ached as he thought about Claire. Spotting Julie stretched out on the dock in her bikini, he called out pleasantly, "Julia Claire." His voice sounded gentle and benevolent, but Julie knew the use of her full name meant business.

She jumped up and attempted to fake a smile as she hurried over to Adam. He was standing apart from any others and watched her approach. With a broad smile pasted on for anyone watching, he warned, "Why in the hell are you on that dock like that?"

"Everyone's lying around in their swimsuits, Daddy," she pointed out.

"That bikini is bad enough in the water, Julia. If you're not in the water swimming, keep some sort of cover up on. Don't tell me my instructions come as a surprise," he warned seriously.

"No, Sir, it's not a surprise," she gulped and stared at her feet.

"There are too many young men here for you to put on a show," Adam admonished. He cautioned, "Cross the line again and we're leaving."

"I understand," she confirmed as she glanced up at him.

Adam cleared his throat and insisted, "Buck up, put a smile on your face, and go back over there like nothing's wrong. You're having a blast, right?"

With a smile, she nodded and agreed, "Right." Julie turned and blinked repeatedly as she took in slow, deep breaths as she returned to join Lissa and her friends on the dock.

Ryder, in the water, was letting the kids stand on his shoulders and jump into the water. He caught a glimpse, then nodded with a smile at Adam. At some point, Ry hoped he could pull Julie aside and find out what was wrong – he could see through her façade and, as he'd joked previously, into her wounded soul.

"Everything cool?" Lissa inquired with a touch of concern.

"Oh yeah," Julie smiled. "He's just checking in." She faked a laugh and added, "He wanted to make sure I'm having fun." She threw on a loose knit cover up and sat down next to Jen.

"Piper! Get over here!" Ryder demanded with a bellow.

In her own revealing bikini, Piper walked to the edge of the dock and challenged him, "Why, Ryder? Can't survive without me?"

"Jump in, chicken. The water's perfect," he lied as he pulled his head to the side to non-verbally beg.

Piper cannonballed into the water and came to the surface screaming about the cold temperature. She swam over to Ryder and balked, "What's your deal, baby brother?"

"Find out what's up with Julie. Her dad was just hassling her. If I go over there, it'll be too obvious," he requested.

"She said he was checking to make sure she was having a good time," Piper reported.

"That's a bunch of crap," Ryder retorted. "She's faking it right now. He upset her somehow."

"Geesh… Lissa's no fun because she's pregnant. Your girl is only fake happy. What's up with you guys and your chick choices?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Ryder insisted.

"Whatever," Piper shook her head as she turned back toward the dock and swam toward it.

When Piper reached the dock, Nolan was there with a shivering Molly in his hands. Her tiny teeth chattered even though she absolutely did not want to leave the water.

"Baby girl, it's too cold for you," Lissa attempted to reassure her daughter as she crouched down.

Molly's temper was raging at the surface as she pounded the water and tried to pull herself down from Nolan's grip. "Hey there, Molly Jo…" he gently warned. "If your lips turn blue, both you and I will be in trouble." He handed the baby up to Lissa, and Molly screamed mightily. "You got her?" he confirmed with his wife, who nodded as she wrapped a towel around their daughter. Pursing his lips, he lifted himself out of the water to help Lissa anyway.

Lissa swayed back and forth and tried to give Molly a paci. The baby spit it out with attitude and resumed her screaming.

"Man, she's pissed," Ryder commented as he pulled himself onto the dock and glanced quickly at Julie. Adam was seated at a table about 40 feet away, chatting with Owen and Richard. His glance returned to the dock repeatedly.

Ryder walked up to Jen and Julie and shook his wet head, bringing on screams and laughter. Jen threw a towel at him and raised her eyebrows as she focused on his green eyes. Reciprocating, Ryder displayed a coy half-smile and lay down by his date. He rested his head on her legs and grinned. She leaned down and kissed him as she messed up his hair, whispering, "You're nothing but trouble, Ryder Hunt."

Maintaining his grin, he shrugged and pointed out, "You wouldn't have it any other way, Kitten." Jen giggled softly and grasped his hand. She pulled it toward his shoulder and he stretched his fingers out and ran them along her uncovered waist. For her part, Julie pretended not to notice.

"Nole, the paci," Lissa pointed out.

"It's nasty now, Blondie," he declared as he grasped it and threw it in the outer pocket of the diaper bag.

"I know," Lissa clarified. "I didn't want to lose it down here. Thanks for grabbing it."

"What's going on with Miss Molly?" Owen cooed as he arrived at the dock and took his screaming granddaughter into his arms. "Are you all wet and cold?"

"She didn't want to leave the water," Nolan informed his dad.

"Then maybe Papa needs to give her a bath upstairs," Owen offered, thrilled to have a few precious moments with his grandchild.

"You've got a party going on, Dads," Lissa reminded him as she reached for Molly.

Owen turned as he shushed Molly and insisted, "Mommy and Daddy need a break. I've got this."

As Owen approached the patio, Amelia stepped over and rubbed Molly's back. "Someone didn't get her way," Amelia cooed with pity.

"Papa rescued her from her big mean parents," he chuckled. "I thought I'd go run a bath and warm her up a little."

Amelia held up her right pinky and pointed it with her left forefinger. "Right here, Owen. She has you wrapped around right here."

"Yeah," he smirked. "But I'm not Daddy. I can give in to her fits." After fixing her a bottle, he proceeded upstairs shushing and cuddling Molly. Her newfound ability to hold her own bottle took his breath away. Being a grandparent was an experience of pure awe and bliss.

Sliding up the stairs a few minutes later, Amelia joined Owen in the bathroom. They cooed and giggled at every blink, yawn, and smile Molly displayed. Owen wrapped his large hand around Molly's forehead as Amelia rinsed her soft hair. Then Amelia helped Molly balance upright while Owen scrubbed her back.

With four hands swarming her body, Molly was diapered, dressed in jammies, and tickled. Owen and Amelia babbled back and forth with their granddaughter, dreading the reality that she'd soon be an entire continent and ocean away.

"I'm sorry, Miss Molly," Owen cooed. "We're going to keep you here when your Mommy and Daddy move. Papa and Gamma won't let you move far away. No, we won't." In response, Molly laughed and grabbed onto Owen's ear.

Picking Molly up, Amelia flirted, "Gamma's stealing you way from Papa. You're all mine."

Embracing her from behind, Owen rested his chin on Amelia's shoulder and his cheek along her neck. He mused, "We see miracles in our jobs all the time, but nothing trumps this chubby little face in front of us."

"Those big brown eyes," Amelia sighed with awe. "I could look at you all day, Molly girl."

"We should go back to our party, hmm?" Owen suggested.

"Yeah," Amelia agreed grudgingly. "But I get to hold the baby."

Owen kissed his wife's cheek and rubbed his hands along her sides. As he wrapped an arm around her back and set his hand on her shoulder, he guided her toward the stairs. Together, they showed off the baby to anyone who allowed it. Even after Molly fell asleep in Amelia's arms, the baby tour continued.