Chapter 36

I Can't Believe It

On Tuesday, Jack returned to school, albeit reluctantly, and Stella and Kelly dropped him off and headed to 51 for their shift. On the way, they talked a little bit about Jack's birthday. Once again, it happened that it was not a shift day for the pair. They had hit it really lucky this year, being off on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and Jack's birthday. As it happened, Jack's birthday also fell on MLK Day this year, so he would be off school, as well. Stella did point out that it might be nice to ask Jack what he wanted to do, and Kelly agreed with that.

It was one of those shifts where there were no big incidents, but a ton of little ones. Automobile accidents, kids stuck in weird places, suspicious odors and the like kept everybody hopping for most of the day. By the afternoon, although no one was especially tired, everyone was a bit frazzled from the constant bells and the constant hopping.

At about 3:30, the Dunbar van dropped Jack off, and he came into the firehouse looking despondent. Kelly and the squad were sitting at the squad table, and Jack walked over, dropped his backpack near Kelly's feet, and climbed into his lap without a word. At a silent signal from Tony, the other three members stood up and left for the common room. It was getting cold anyway.

"What's up, Jack? Something wrong?"

"Amber's gone."

"What?"

"You know. Amber. The little girl that Bradley-"

"Yeah, I remember. What do you mean she's gone?"

"I mean she isn't at Dunbar any more. Martha's parents know her parents pretty well, and Martha said that they decided Amber needed a different school, that Dunbar wasn't right for her. Maybe they're right, but I'm really going to miss her, Dad."

Kelly held him close and kissed the top of his head. "I know you will, bud. She's really special to you. But maybe we can figure out a way for you to see her sometimes. I'll work on it, I promise. Okay?"

Jack sighed. "Okay. But it won't be the same."

"You're right, it won't. But sometimes we just have to accept and deal with things, Jack. Right?"

"Right." Jack leaned against his father's chest and just sat quietly. Kelly did the same.

That's how Stella found them a few minutes later. "Everything okay?"

Kelly explained, and Stella said, "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. That's too bad. But Dad's got a good idea. We can probably figure out a way for you to see her some. I know that's not ideal, but it's the best we can probably do."

"I know. Thanks."

Stella carded her fingers through his curls and looked over his head at her husband. Jack seemed to melt a bit more into his dad. Going back to school after the Christmas break was the sort of thing that was tough on Jack already, and to discover that one of his favorite people wasn't there any more just added insult to injury. He would be okay, his parents knew, but they would have to help him get there. The good news was that he now knew it was fine to be sad, to come to them, and to ask for help with it. As recently as two months ago, this would have probably been expressed as rage. So this was okay. This was progress.

The bells went off. The call was for all four units—ambo, truck, squad, and engine. Jack slid off of Kelly's lap, grabbed his backpack, and hustled out of the way. He headed to Kelly's office to start on his homework, but not before calling out to his parents to keep their badges off the wall. When he did that, they knew he was alright.

Things settled after the sun went down, and except for a couple of ambo calls and one for engine, the night was quiet. Jack slept easily and well, and the next morning was up and ready for school in plenty of time. He boarded the van with a wave and a smile, and Kelly and Stella both breathed a sigh of relief before heading to shower and change for the end of shift. It was yet another reminder of Jack's progress over the last year that he was facing his disappointment head-on and working through it in a positive way. Their kid was an absolute marvel. At least they thought so.

When they picked Jack up that afternoon, he got into the car all smiles. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"Amber's back."

"That was fast," said Stella.

"Yeah, Martha said that she went to the new school yesterday and she cried all day. When her mom went to pick her up, one of the teachers said she was a real handful, and that if she couldn't settle down, she wouldn't be allowed to stay. So her parents just said the hell with it-"

"Language!" said both parents at once.

"-the heck with it, and brought her back to Dunbar."

"That's great, bud. Was she happy to see you?"

Jack smiled. "Yeah, but probably not as happy as I was to see her. I wish I had a sister like her. I mean, I know she's always going to have some challenges, but she's so sweet."

"Would you like a sister, Jack?" asked Stella.

Jack's eyes widened. "Mom! Are you pregnant?"

Kelly burst out laughing. "Wow. That was a giant leap to a wrong conclusion. No, bud, she isn't."

"Oh." Jack sounded a little disappointed.

"Actually," said Stella, "Dad and I have been talking about adopting another child. We haven't decided anything yet, but would you be okay with it?"

"Hell, yeah!"

"Jackson." Kelly's tone held a true note of warning this time.

"You say it all the time," Jack pointed out.

"I'm not eleven."

"Neither am I. Not yet. Almost, though. But hey, I get it. Double standard, right? Okay for you, but not for me?"

"Jackson. Everett. The ice you're skating on is getting thinner by the second. Do you want to spend the evening in your room with no books and no screens?"

"No, sir."

"Then knock it off."

"Yes, sir."

Kelly glanced at Stella and murmured, "Are we sure we want another one of these?"

"In this moment, no," she replied.

"Hey! I heard that. I'm wounded," said Jack.

Kelly gazed into the rear view mirror, brows raised. "No, you aren't. Not yet. But it can be arranged. Follow me?"

"Shutting up now."

"Wise choice, grasshopper," said Kelly wryly.

Jack, true to his word, remained silent.

When Kelly and Stella asked Jack about his birthday, he said he didn't want a big party. He asked if he could take a special treat to school to share with his friends, as was the practice at Dunbar. Stella agreed to buy cupcakes for the occasion. Aside from that, Jack said that he wanted to celebrate his birthday at 51, during the shift the day before the actual date. Kelly and Stella were amenable to that, as was Chief Boden, so the plan moved forward. Sylvie offered to bake a cake, and the Severide-Kidds gratefully accepted, but they made a rule that no gifts were to be purchased.

"He has plenty," Kelly kept telling people. "You have no idea. Believe me, he doesn't need anything more than what we have for him."

Then Ritter got an idea. Almost everyone, at some point, had taken a picture or two of Jack, and of course his parents had an abundance. Cruz even had one of the day Jack had rappelled off of the roof. Casey built a shadow box frame, and the firefighters filled it with a collage of pictures of Jack with all of them. The centerpiece was the rappelling shot. It was surrounded by pictures of things like Jack tossing a baseball with Gallo; punching the heavy bag while Chief Boden, grinning, held it in place; watching intently as Tony demonstrated how a Halligan worked; rolling a hose with Herrmann; and sitting perched on Cruz's shoulders as Cruz stood atop the Squad 3 truck (that one nearly gave Stella heart failure). There were a number of others, and all of them spoke of the relationships that Jack had formed with his firehouse family. Stella was moved when she saw it. "Oh, guys. He's gonna love it. I love it."

The only other thing Jack requested was an extra day out of school so that they could take a trip to the cabin. "It's my favorite place in the world. Please?" Jack actually missed very little school, and obviously his grades were straight A's. Kelly and Stella couldn't really see why not, so they made the appropriate arrangements for a planned absence.

On the Friday before his birthday, Jack shared cupcakes with his friends during morning recess, which had to take place inside because it was too cold to stand around outside and eat. No one seemed to mind. At a little before noon, Jack was summoned to the office for an early checkout. He had not expected this, so his heart beat a little faster than normal as he made his way down the hall. His parents were there to pick him up.

"What's going on?" asked Jack.

"Early birthday surprise," was all Kelly would say.

Still mystified, Jack got into the car. After a few minutes, he realized where they were probably headed. He had already been there several times, and he didn't usually forget things like this. "Are we going to the courthouse? We're going to the courthouse, aren't we? But the last time, they said that the next hearing would be the finalization. Is that what we're doing? Is this it?"

Stella couldn't stand it any longer. She turned to look back at him, tears in her eyes. "Yeah, baby. This is it. Today, you and I become official."

Jack started crying. "I can't believe it. I can't believe it."

Kelly grinned at him in the rear view. "Believe it, bud. It's happening today."

But that wasn't all. They had to park several blocks from the courthouse and walk, and as they approached the steps of the building, Jack saw a familiar figure. "Nana!" he nearly screamed, and took off running. This was the first time he had seen her in person since the wedding, but they had spent many hours on FaceTime in the ensuing months. Jack loved talking to his Nana. Jennifer just loved looking at Jack's little face. He reminded her so much of Benny, who, whatever else may have transpired, had been the love of her life. She also saw and heard much of Kelly in him, and to know that this amazing man that her son had become had a son of his own who was well on his way to being a fine man in his own right, filled her with joy.

Jack grabbed his grandmother in a hug and kissed her cheek repeatedly. "I didn't know you were going to be here! They didn't tell me!" he said breathlessly.

"Well," she said, "here I am. Surprise!" Jack laughed and hugged her again. "This is the best birthday ever! And it isn't even my birthday yet. Of course, I've never really celebrated a birthday before, so what do I know?" He was absolutely giddy, and it delighted both Jennifer and his parents, who had finally caught up.

"Hey, bud. We gotta get moving. Don't want to be late." Kelly kissed his mother quickly. "Hi, Mom. Glad you could make it."

"I'm happy to be here. Thank you for thinking to invite me, Stella," she said with some emphasis, glancing sidewise at her son. "That's more than some people thought to do."

Kelly just laughed. "Sorry, Mom."

"You know," commented Jack, "you get in trouble every time you see her. You really need to shape up, Dad."

Kelly leaned down and playfully swatted Jack's rear. "Mind your manners, boy." Jack just giggled.

When they arrived in the courtroom, they sat in the gallery until it was their turn. Several other adoptions in various stages were given hearings, and then finally it was the Severide-Kidds' turn. Stella and Jack sat at the table together, with Kelly standing behind them, while Jennifer remained in the gallery.

In a matter of minutes, it was over. Stella was officially and forever Jack's mother. When the judge said, "Congratulations, young man. I'm very happy for you," Jack thanked her tremulously, then looked at Stella and, as he had that day at the airport, touched her face and simply said, "Mama." Then he put his head on his mother's shoulder and sobbed, overcome by emotions even he, with his great intellect and wide vocabulary, could never begin to explain.

Stella held him and cried right along with him, until Kelly finally leaned down, trying to mask his own emotions, and whispered, "Other people are waiting. We need to get out of here." They left the courtroom, the four of them, Jack with his hands in the hands of his parents, and Jennifer walking alongside Kelly. They said nothing as they exited the courthouse and walked down the sidewalk.

They were quiet all the way to the car. Once they were buckled up and ready to go, Jack said softly, "I don't need another thing for my birthday. I got a mom. Nothing's gonna top that."

"This is your day, Jack," said Stella. "What do you want to do next?"

"It's as much your day as it is mine," said Jack. "You decide."

Ultimately, Jennifer was dropped off at her hotel, and the Severide-Kidds headed home for a snack and some down time. That evening, they dressed up and headed out for a fancy dinner, picking Jack's beloved Nana up on the way. After dinner, Jennifer caught a cab back to the hotel, but she would be at 51 the next day for Jack's big celebration. It was turning out to be quite a birthday, indeed.