Eleven months later, July
Elizabeth picked up four month old Cecelia, whom they called Cece, to feed her.
"My sweet girl. Are you hungry?"
Cece stared up at Elizabeth, wide-eyed and kicking her legs.
"I'll take that as a yes." As soon as she was eating, two and a half year old Hope yelled and ran in the room.
"Mama! Come," she said, pulling on Elizabeth's fingers.
"Come where, Hopie? I'm feeding Cece."
"Come, pease? Book."
"Why don't you bring your book in here and look at the pictures? Then I can read when Cece is full."
"No! Need you!"
"Babe, we need to be patient and don't yell."
Hope pouted and crossed her arms.
She had been so moody and pouty all day. The moment Cece was asleep, she had to have Elizabeth's attention.
Elizabeth put Cece in her crib and picked up Hope, walking over and climbing into the big bed with her.
"No nap!"
"Yes, nap. I'm tired. So are you."
Hope snuggled up though, despite her protest, put her thumb in her mouth and fell asleep so Elizabeth allowed herself the same luxury, minus the thumb sucking.
Jack got home from grocery shopping and found his girls sleeping. So he put the groceries away and started chopping veggies. His phone buzzed so he hit the answer button.
"Jonah! Hey bud."
"Hey, Dad."
"Uh oh. The tone….you're not gonna stay at home this summer are you?"
"No. I got an internship until September 1st, close to Ray. I had to take it."
"Of course you did, Joe. I understand."
"Will Mom?"
"Yeah. She will. But you're going to come visit at some point though, right? And bring Ray?"
"Yeah. This weekend actually."
"Okay, great."
Jack heard Cece cry upstairs so he left the veggies in a bowl and rushed upstairs to relieve Elizabeth.
"Bee, I can take her," he offered.
"Thank you but she didn't eat much before her nap."
"Let me change her first. I'll bring her to you."
Elizabeth sighed, settling back against her pillows. Hope was looking at her.
"Hi, Mama."
"Hi, Hopie."
"I sleep."
"Yes you did. So did I."
Jack brought Cece over and groaned dramatically as Hope climbed on his shoulders. "Ride, Daddy!"
He stood up fast, making her giggle. "Let's go finish dinner, Hopie. You wanna help?"
"Yeah. I help."
"Okay."
He turned and watched Elizabeth feeding Cece for a minute. She was lovely. Extremely feminine. Sexy.
Her eyes met his, questioning. He smiled. "I love you, Bee."
"I love you too."
He missed her. Being close. The girls had become their priority and they hadn't taken time to be alone in about six weeks. And before that, she was recovering from Cece's birth and before that, she was extremely pregnant.
"Jack?" He had been staring.
"Later, babe."
He left the room with Hope giggling on his shoulders, leaving Elizabeth in the quiet solitude of the master, Cece drinking and breathing, occasionally gulping as if she couldn't get enough.
"Cece, sweetheart. Slow down. There's plenty for you to eat." Elizabeth rubbed her arm and legs as she drank, humming a random tune.
Later, after dinner, after the girls had been bathed and Cece fed, Elizabeth walked down to the kitchen to start the dishwasher.
"Hey, Mom."
"Hey, Isaac. How was the diner?"
"Busy. Mandie and I made a killing in tips."
"That right?" Elizabeth said with a distracted tone.
"Yeah. You alright?"
"Sure." She added dish detergent to the dishwasher. "Please start this once your dish is inside, okay, Isaac?"
"Sure, Mom. Um, Dad is on the porch. He asked me to tell you to meet him out there."
"Why's that?"
"Got me," he said with a shrug.
Elizabeth grabbed a bottle of water and walked onto the screened in porch. She stopped and looked around. He had lit about ten candles and there was soft, slow music playing.
He was standing there, smiling at her.
"Jack?"
"Hey, Bee. Will you dance with me?"
"Sure," she said, slipping into his arms. The atmosphere was definitely on the romantic side but she didn't feel romantic. She felt tired and frumpy and...the opposite of beautiful.
"When I was watching you feeding Cece," he told her, leaning his head against hers. "You looked so gorgeous."
She shook her head. "I don't feel it."
"You are, babe."
"Jack," she said, stepping back. "I'm tired and I feel...just not like me. Look at me. I'm wearing these sweats and….my hair is dirty and...I just...I'm not feeling romantic. I'm sorry." She walked away, tears of confusion and frustration falling down her face.
Jack blew out the candles and turned off the music. That hadn't gone like he thought or hoped it would. He was going to help her see that she really was beautiful and capable and sexy. He just had to figure out how.
About a week later, after Jonah and Ray visited and then left for Bowling Green, Isaac told Elizabeth to head to the porch again. He was going to watch the kids for her.
"Ok. Thank you, hon." She kissed his cheek and walked out there.
Jack wasn't there but she gasped at what she saw. Propped up on the bench was a sketch, a very amazing likeness of her and Jack kissing in the park downtown where they had shared their first kiss.
She closed her eyes and she could feel his hand on her hip, much like it had been that night. She raised her fingers to her mouth...she could feel the perfect pressure of his lips on hers, the taste of peppermint.
That had been a most wonderful evening and she truly would never forget it.
She noticed an envelope with "Bee" printed on it next to the sketch so she opened it
"Bee, you are the love of my life. You are my best friend and a true hero. I've known the pain of losing someone and the challenge of raising two boys on my own, but God gave me another chance to experience love, gave me someone to compliment me. He brought me, you. My sweet, Bee, I will always find you to be as sexy as the day I met you, deliciously nerdy and the best wife and mother in the world."
She chuckled, touched by his kindness. She needed to find him. She turned to walk out and there he was.
"Jack...this is...was wonderful."
He held out his hand which held a deep red rose. "For you, love."
She walked over to him and softly kissed his lips, lingering a moment. He tasted like peppermint again. "Thank you."
He handed her the Tahoe keys. "I made you and Julie an appointment at Sunlight Day Spa. A massage, manicure, pedicure, hairstyle. The works."
"Oh, you didn't need to do that."
"I wanted to. Isaac, Mandie and I will take care of the girls and you and Julie are going to relax and have dinner. When you come home, I'll meet you in the jacuzzi bath. Deal?"
"Deal."
Present Day
Mandie put in her notice from the firm for family leave. March 21st, she and Isaac were taking custody of a handsome, smart, two year old little boy named Aaron. He had blue eyes, dark brown hair and a dimpled grin.
It was hard to believe it had been eight months since their first meeting with the social worker. Two months since meeting Aaron and immediately knowing he was meant to be in their family.
Now, it was only another month until he was theirs.
As she drove to pick up Lizzie from Jack and Elizabeth's new condo just outside Hidden Lake, she called Isaac.
"Hey, sweetheart," he said quietly. "I may be late for dinner. I've got multiple car crash victims coming in here."
"Of course. I love you, hon."
"Love you more."
As she hung up, her phone rang so she pushed the Bluetooth button.
"Hey, Nickie," she said, greeting her daughter.
"Mom," she said with a sob. "Mom, there was an accident."
Mandie pulled abruptly into a parking lot. "Baby, where are you?"
"There's a lot of blood, Mom."
"Where are you? I'll call an ambulance for you." Mandie felt panic rising in her body. She was talking. That was good.
"Someone called," she told her, her voice weaker. "Mom, I'm scared."
"I know. Hold on, baby girl. Stay with me."
"Mom, I love you."
"I love you more. Please, stay with me. Keep talking."
"I want to meet Aaron. I want to finish college…" her voice trailed off.
"You will do those things. And you'll have a family and be a teacher, just like Papa Jack."
"Mom," she whispered. "I love you so much."
She heard a siren in the background. "They are going to help you, Nickie. I'll see you at the hospital in a few minutes."
Nickie didn't respond any more and Mandie listened as long as the line stayed connected, trying not to lose her mind with worry.
At the hospital
Isaac hurried to the next ER bay, ready to help with this patient.
"Doc, you can't help with this one," his coworker told him, blocking his way.
"What do you….Nickie?! Holy Crap! This is my daughter!"
He watched as they took her vitals and addressed her head wound. "She needs a CT…"
Isaac watched helplessly from the edge of the area...he needed to just make it all better. But no one would let him. His phone buzzed.
"Isaac! Nickie…"
"I know. I'm watching them work on her right now."
"Isaac, I'm worried. She was talking like she knew she wouldn't make it."
"She's alive. Looks like a significant head wound...a lot of bleeding but she's still fighting. Probably has a concussion."
"Isaac, I'm here…"
"I'll come find you once I know what's going on."
"I left Lizzie at your parents and...your Dad is coming up here...and Jonah said he couldn't. They are moving next week…" Isaac heard her tears and sniffles.
"Babe, I'll be there soon." He couldn't and wouldn't leave Nickie until he knew she was going to make it.
"Okay. Yes. Stay with her."
Back to the story
Jack woke up with a blessed silence in the house and Bee in his arms. Exactly what he had needed for what seemed like months.
She sleepily stirred and sighed, "Good morning, babe."
"It certainly is, Bee."
She giggled and closed her eyes, moving closer. They heard Hope outside the door. "Mooooooommy!" she yelled.
"Can we just pretend we didn't hear her?"
Next they heard a tiny knock and Hope saying, "Daddy! Pease food!"
Jack gave Elizabeth one more kiss, got dressed and opened the door. "Well hello, Hopie Thornton. How are you, my sweet girl?"
"Egg pease? I help."
"Okay, let's go!" he told her, kissing her cheek loudly and making her giggle.
As they were eating a little bit later, Isaac walked through the room. "I'm going to pick up Mandie. We are going to Cedar Pointe with her cousin and husband."
"Ok, bud. Have fun."
"Thanks, Dad," he said, grabbing a piece of toast and kissing the babies and Elizabeth's cheek. "Love you guys."
"Love you more!" Elizabeth responded, handing Hope another piece of toast.
"So what should we do today?" Jack asked, finishing his coffee and taking Cece.
"Nothing? By nothing I mean, lounge around in pajamas, order food in and watch TV."
"Sounds perfect, if by pajamas you mean that little number you wore last night. You know, black with all the lace and the slit…."
"Yes, dear. I remember. I'm sure that can be arranged."
"Great. Let's have ourselves a perfect day."
