He's tired and rightfully so. He has been doing this job for over thirty-five years. And he can tell that he is becoming obsolete in his chosen profession and the funny thing about this is that he knows it. His wife keeps telling him that the older he gets the wiser he becomes. It's funny but he doesn't feel any wiser. He does have trouble keeping up with technology. In recent years there has been a call for training sessions to determine if an explosive is new or old. It's just that most of the newest plastic explosives that are being used today are for the most part undetectable.
Smitty had his brother remodel the loft after the printer bomb detonated and leveled just about everything. He needed to return about four years later to do it again. But this time it was not because of an explosive device. Well, maybe it could be classified as just that…
Flashback to six years ago…
"Don't tell me to calm down Rick! Look at me! Look at how big I am!"
He did look and that might have been the worst thing he could have done. The second he looked back up from her larger than normal belly he saw her eyes narrow at him and not in a loving way. He needed to come up with a lifesaving romantic sentiment like now or else he was toast.
"You are so beaut…"
"Save it, Rodgers. Don't go there."
Kate knew that he was going to say that she was beautiful. But the trouble with that was that she didn't feel beautiful. She was in her last trimester with her two babies. Both were girls and she felt like she was as big as a house.
"Don't tell me that I am beautiful because, well, look at me!" Kate swept her arm down towards her baby bump becoming upset because she could not complete the motion because her arm stopped at the middle of her baby bump.
"But babe you are beautiful. You are carrying our daughters. What could be more beautiful than that?"
And that was all it took. Kate broke down and started to cry. She loved this man and wonders how she ever got so lucky to have him in her life. Damn hormones.
"Thanks, babe."
Rick walks over to the couch she is sitting on, sits next to her and pulls her in for a comforting hug. She offers him no resistance.
"I think that we need some time to ourselves just you and me. Since you are on maternity leave now and I have this weekend off, how about we getaway to the Jersey shore? I'm sure that we can find a place on such short notice." Rick whispered in her ear.
Before Kate could answer him two things happened. The first thing was all the construction noise that was coming out of the second-floor bedroom had stopped abruptly. Then there was an argument as to what was to happen next being shouted out between the men working in there. The second thing that happened is that there was a knock on the door.
"Babe, you go see what the problem is up there and I'll get the front door."
Rick helped her up off the couch and he had to stifle a laugh as she waddled towards the front door. She checked the peephole and placed her hand over her mouth to stop from screaming out. Then she pulled the door open and held out her arms widely.
"Hi, mom!"
"Hi, baby!"
The second the words were out of her mouth her daughter was in her arms. To anyone who looked from behind them what they were doing looked normal. But if you were to look at them from a sideways point of view, they were barely touching each other. This would be because her daughter is just as pregnant as she is. Their baby bumps were touching and they were both happy. They break from their embrace and take each other in.
"Is it me or are you just a little bigger today?"
"Mom stop! You are just jealous because I am past my due date. I can't even get through my bedroom doorway at home. My nights have been spent on the pull out sofa in the living room."
"Did Kyle agree with that?" Kate let out a little snicker and that was when Alexis saw the twinkle in her eye.
"Mom, come on! I'm not going to make it. I'm already past my due date by three days." She said ignoring her mother's comment about her husband.
"Now that's a good thing, Alexis. Your babies have a better chance of making it into this world with no issues instead of going straight into the NICU after they are born."
Alexis just looked at her mom and understood exactly what she was saying. She had a couple of friends who had delivered early and their children were preemies in the NICU for a while before they were allowed to leave the hospital. With her mother here now she felt more at ease. She caressed her bump and her mother does the same. Rick watches as they mimic each other's movements as he stands halfway down the stairs. He can no longer watch them because his son has caught sight of his sister and wants to be put down so he can go see her. Before he can put him down Alex squirms out if his arms drop to the staircase and run down the rest of the steps.
"Lexi!" Alex shouted.
"Inside voice," Rick called out to him as he finished descending the stairs.
"Hi, Alex," Alexis said as he wrapped his small arms around her midsection.
"Hi, Lexi. How are the babies?" Her brother asked as he patted her tummy.
"They are just fine. But I want to hold them so badly but they are late."
"Late?" Alex asked.
"Yes, I can't hold them because they aren't born yet. They were supposed to be here on Tuesday and that day came and went."
"Oh. Are you mad at them for being late?" Alex wondered.
"No Alex it's not like that. They will come when they are good and ready." She said and sighs heavily.
Rick enters the kitchen and pulls Alexis into a hug. She welcomes the hug and rests her head in the crook of his neck. She just wishes that her babies were here.
"Hey Peanut, let's get some lunch okay?" Kate says to her son.
"Sure mommy, what are we going to have?"
"How about tomato soup and a tuna fish sandwich?" Kate suggested.
Alex stood there thinking about his lunch choice and after ten seconds he nodded his head.
Alexis breaks from her father's hug and followed her mother into the kitchen. They got lunch ready for all the people in the loft. The three workers upstairs, Rick, Alex, her daughter and herself. She has the meal done in no time and the workers who had come downstairs when they were called, were very thankful for being fed.
Kate watches as her daughter and son interact with each other. She is brought back to a memory from a short time ago….
Kate had been hoping that they were going to move their relationship further along because she knew that her daughter loved Kyle. She just needed to come out of her shell just a little more and commit to him emotionally and physically. Kate knew that Kyle had come to her husband to ask for their daughter's hand in marriage. Rick sat at his desk going over the BDU's budget for that year and stopped working to see Kyle standing at his office doorway.
"Kyle, is there something I can do for you?" Rick asked him without looking up.
Kyle just stood there not knowing what to do next. He was lost because her dad was a very intimidating man and he liked his head right where it was…attached to his body.
"Um… ah… Mr. Rodgers… I ah… came here to…."
"Kyle stop standing in my doorway stuttering, come into my office and sit down. Then we can talk."
He did as he was asked but he was nervous. So nervous about what he wanted to ask he completely forgot why he was there. Then her father started to talk.
"So Kyle, what can I do for you?"
"Um, Mr. Rodgers ah um…."
"Yes, Kyle I think we already established that I am Mr. Rodgers. Can we speed this along, please? I do have work to do."
Kyle just stared at him and doing this got him to think about his job. Then he was back on track.
"Mr. Rodgers, as you know I have recently been promoted to district manager for Best Buy. When I took the promotion, I was given a large increase in pay. I believe that now I would not have a problem supporting Alexis and myself. And according to my superiors if I am good at what I do in the next six months I will be promoted to regional manager. That will bring in a little more money. I have been looking for places to live and I believe I have found something that we will both love. I have also saved enough for a very modest but beautiful engagement ring. So, what I'm asking you Mr. Rogers is will you give me your blessing to marry your daughter?"
"Kyle, do you love my daughter?"
"I do."
"Will you treat her with respect, kindness and as an equal in your marriage?"
"I will."
"Well, Kyle I guess I approve. But I'm going to need something in the form of a dowry."
"A dowry?" Kyle responded.
"Yes, Kyle a dowry. A dowry is cash, jewelry, furniture, or whatever the father of the bride decides upon. And what I want from you in the form of a dowry is a cow, four chickens, and two pigs."
Kyle just sat there looking at Rick with his mouth hanging open. He had never known what a dowry was and he doesn't know if his future father in law is pulling his leg or not. Just as he's about to say something, he is interrupted by two female voices shouting at Rick.
"DAD! RICK!" Both Kate and Alexis were standing in his doorway giving him very dirty looks. Apparently, they had been eavesdropping during the whole can I marry your daughter request that Kyle was asking Rick.
"What? I like chickens and cows and pigs."
"Dad get serious. Kyle is not going to give you anything you just asked for. Isn't it enough that he came to you asking for my hand? He could have taken me away to elope. Tell me would you have liked that? Making a big joke of this is not funny."
At least Rick had the decency to look and his shoes in shame. He was just having a little fun with Kyle; it was his right to do so because he was losing his baby bird to a man he knew she loved. She had grown up way too quickly and, in a way, he wanted to stop it.
"Kyle I give you my blessing."
Alexis was busy planning her wedding while her boyfriend was at work when she had an excellent idea. She needed to talk to her mother to see if she would let her do what she wanted to but she was keeping something from them and she really felt bad for doing so. Maybe if she had the courage, she'd tell them, well her mom anyway.
She and Kyle are in love and he asked her to marry him. Kyle and Alexis had wanted to celebrate their new found love by exploring what they mean to each other. One thing led to another and Alexis wanted him to make love to her no matter what the cost. Kyle thought that they could do whatever they wanted to do in the lovemaking department and be able to dodge a bullet. He had used condoms but they were older ones from when he and Alexis first started dating. Here within lies the problem. The condoms in question were past their expiration date. Kyle couldn't believe it when Alexis was waiting for him at his apartment with a home pregnancy test that she had already taken. It was positive.
They were at her parent's home that night trying to tell them gracefully that Alexis was going to be a mother. It didn't go that well. But they understood. And plans were moved up for the wedding. They were married within two months.
"Mom it'll be great! Alex can walk down the aisle with the rings on the pillow. He could be our ring bearer." Alexis said excitedly.
"Are you sure you want him to do this baby?"
"Yeah, mom I am. He is a part of this family and I want to include him."
"Even though he is young I think that he'd be happy that you would include him."
"He is my brother why wouldn't I?"
Kate had no answer to that question.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Alexis is concerned now that her mom answered her like that.
"Mom is everything okay? Did I overstep?"
"No sweetie, I just have a lot on my mind. I feel like something is looming over our heads and there's nothing we can do to stop it."
"Like what?"
"I'm not that sure baby. To me, it feels like there is something that will tear us apart and it will be final."
"Mom, are you thinking that dad is in danger?"
"Yes, I am."
