The following year, Merry graduated high school. Laura went to the ceremony and brought Jeremy and Jennifer along. The twins had just turned eight, and they had become good friends with Jamie and Amy Jordan. Jeremy was in Amy's second grade class, and Jennifer was in Jamie's.
Annie looked up and smiled as Laura came over. Laura saw that Jo and Jeannie were sitting with Annie and her parents. A young man with curly light brown hair and blue eyes sat beside Jo, who was obviously in the last stages of pregnancy.
"This is my husband, Sebastian," Jo told Laura.
"Hi," said Laura. Sebastian smiled and shook her hand.
"When's your baby due?" asked Laura.
"Next Tuesday, and I am so ready for this to be over with!" said Jo.
"I can't believe my baby sister graduates high school today!" said Annie. "It seems like only yesterday that I was holding her!"
"Time does fly," Mrs. White agreed. "I remember how much you wanted a baby sister for Christmas that year."
"A baby brother wouldn't do, no sir; it had to be a sister," Mr. White chuckled. "And along she came, early Christmas morning!"
"I remember wanting to name her Merry Christmas White," said Annie.
"I'm glad we decided to go with Merry Christine White instead," said Mrs. White.
"So am I," said Annie.
The valedictorian gave her speech, and then the other students were called up to receive their diplomas, one by one. Laura was so intent on the ceremony she didn't even see the look of panic which crossed Jo's face as a torrent of water gushed out of her.
At last the principal called Merry's name, and her family and friends stood and cheered, with the exception of Jo, who sat rooted to the spot, staring at the puddle of water at her feet.
There were only three more students after Merry, and then the graduates all threw their caps into the air.
Laura rushed out onto the field with the rest of Merry's friends and family.
"Where's Jo?" asked Mrs. White, after everyone had congratulated and hugged Merry. The group glanced back at the bleachers to see Sebastian leading his wife in the direction of the parking lot. They all hurried over to find out what was wrong.
"Jo's in labor," Sebastian told them. "I'm taking her to the hospital."
Right way, Jimmy and Annie and their children followed Sebastian and Jo the the hospital, with Laura and her children following along in Laura's car.
"Where are we going, Mommy?" asked Jennifer.
"Miss Jo is having her baby, and we're going to the hospital to be with her," Laura explained.
"I wanna go home!" Jeremy whined.
"You mean we get to watch the baby being born?" asked Jennifer.
"No, but we can wait with her friends," said Laura. Arriving at the hospital, she parked, and they went inside. She knew the twins wouldn't be allowed past the first floor, so they got together with Jimmy and Annie and their twins in the emergency waiting room. Jeannie was there, too.
"Where did Merry go?" asked Laura.
"Her parents took her out to dinner," said Jeannie. "They'll be here in a couple of hours."
"We were supposed to join them," added Annie. "But I couldn't just leave Jo."
"How about if I take the kids to the park for awhile," Jimmy suggested. "They're just gonna get bored waiting here."
"Do you want to go to the park with Mr. Jimmy and Jamie and Amy?" Laura asked her children.
"Yes!" said Jeremy.
"All right," said Jennifer.
After Jimmy and the children had left, the adults rode the elevator up to the maternity floor.
"I didn't even know Jo was married until I met Sebastian," Laura remarked.
"She met him in college," Jeannie told her. "His family are refugees from Poland. They came over when he was just five."
"Wow!" said Laura. "They sure were lucky to get out!"
"Oh, I know!" Jeannie agreed.
The group got hungry and went to the hospital cafeteria to eat. When they returned, Mr. And Mrs. White and Merry had arrived.
"How was lunch?" asked Laura.
"Delicious!" said Merry.
It was not quite dark when Sebastian appeared, beaming.
"He's here!" he told the group. "Seven pounds, five ounces, and he's perfect!"
"I'm an aunt!" said Jeannie, and the others all cheered. "When can we go in and meet him?" asked Jeannie.
"The doctor said in a few minutes. Right now he's still getting everything cleaned up."
When the group was allowed into the room, Laura saw Jo sitting up in bed, looking exhausted but ecstatic, holding her new son.
Jeannie, the new aunt, got to hold the baby first. When Laura's turn came, she held the newborn close and gazed into his tiny, wrinkled face.
"It's so hard to believe Jeremy and Jennifer were once this small!" she remarked. "Does he have a name yet?"
"Kevin Sebastian Nowak," Jo told her.
After visiting for about half an hour or so, Laura and Annie rode the elevator down to the lobby, where Jimmy and the children were waiting for them.
"Thank you so much for watching Jeremy and Jennifer for me," Laura said to Jimmy.
"No problem at all!" he replied with a smile. "They're good kids."
By the time Laura and her children left the hospital, it was completely dark, and the moon and stars were out.
"Did you have a nice time?" Laura asked as they rode home.
"Yeah," said Jeremy. "Mr. Jimmy's a nice guy. I wish he was my Dad, too."
Laura had to swallow a lump in her throat. She didn't know what to say.