Disclaimer: All of the people in this story are owned by Vince McMahon and the WWF, except for Melanie, Monica, Pastor Smith, and the young orphan, Sam, Danielle, and Ms. Moreland. Marissa is not mine, I've noticed her name in other stories, and have found out from a friend that she is indeed Shane's wife(in real life).
The song, "Thought You'd Be Here By Now," is by Wes King and is not mine.
The song, "Garden For Two," is by Code of Ethics and is not mine.
If you would like to use my story, please ask me first.
Please review, I love feedback! Constructive criticism is fine, but no flames please.
This story is based on the Bible scripture: 1st Corinthians chapter 13, verses 4 through 7
Chapter 6: Garden For Two
Andrew's eyes snapped open and he jerked his head up, "Lenae?" A smile slowly spreading across his face, he whispered, "Thank you Lord," as he gently wrapped his arms around her petite frame.
A week later:
Everyone was sitting down on the earth and wood floor, in what would soon become Pastor Smith's main sanctuary.
Marissa and Shane got up from their place on the floor, "Everyone, we have an announcement to make," Marissa said beaming proudly.
*Marissa looks like she's about to burst,* Stephanie thought to herself with a smile.
"We're going to have a baby, I'm pregnant!" Marissa said excitedly. Out of the corner of his eye, Paul carefully gauged Stephanie's reaction. The smile quickly left Stephanie's face as her mouth dropped open in surprise. Recovering quickly, she made her way to the front of the room.
"Congratulations, you guys," Stephanie said, giving them both hugs.
"Thanks lil sis," Shane said warmly as he gave her a squeeze. Though she was doing her best to hide it, he could see the pain evident in her eyes.
"Steph, your time will come," he said reassuringly. Stephanie took a deep breath as Marissa and Shane stepped away from the podium and sat back down on the ground. It was time to get her mind back on the matter at hand.
"I have some more news. Paul and I bought the orphanage! Now, Dad, I know what you're thinking, what about wrestling? We don't plan on retiring for a while, so until then, we know a couple that dearly love and have children of their own, who would love to run the orphanage. All Paul and I are finishing up now are the permits for expanding and fixing up the grounds and building. Hopefully, by next week, everyone can move back into the orphanage, and out of the Holiday Inn," Stephanie said with a smile. There will be one less child at the orphanage. The group let out a gasp, "Now, hang on a second, nothing bad has happened. Paul and I are adopting six-year old Adam!"
Lenae, sitting in between Trish and Andrew, smiled brightly, "I can't believe it! Oh, I'm so glad for Adam though, he's been wanting a family for soo long."
"And now, we have a special little girl that would like to talk to you all for a few minutes," Stephanie finished. Painfully, Lenae pulled herself up on her crutches. Each step practically took her breath away, what with two cracked ribs, a dislocated elbow, and a sprained ankle, not to mention lacerations and bruises on her face, it was quite difficult for her to walk. Their hearts going out to her, Trish and Andrew watched her walk towards Stephanie. They wanted to help her go up, but she had refused. Andrew knew almost from the moment he had laid eyes on her that she was as stubborn as a mule. *But she's also a fighter,* Andrew thought to himself with pride.
"Hi sweetie," Stephanie said softly. "Everyone, I would like you to meet Lenae." Stephanie stepped away from the podium and into Paul's comforting embrace. He wrapped his arms around her as she laid her head on his shoulder. Her heart ached for this little girl. "Hello," Lenae said shyly. "First of all, I would like to thank Nora for cracking the code. Now, all of my friends, who are like brothers and sisters to me, will be living at the orphanage until they find loving families wanting to adopt them," Lenae said, a toothy smile lighting up her features. Nora smiled, tears coming to her eyes. Jeff reached over, and squeezed her hand. Everyone listened intently as Lenae told her story, from the day of Stephanie and Paul's wedding up to now.
"I do want to thank a few more people, Sam and Danielle, for saving me." Both Trish and Andrew glanced over at the two detectives, and noticed that Sam had a protective arm around Danielle's waist. Trish and Andrew just looked at each other and grinned. *Love forged out of friendship, it doesn't get any better than that,* they thought solemnly.
"And, finally, Trish and Andrew for loving me. Thanks for everything." When she reached Trish and Andrew, they pulled her in for a hug.
"You did great!" Andrew whispered in her ear reassuringly. Vince made his way up to the podium and said, "I'm proud of all of you, what you've shown is an excellent display of teamwork and compassion." He reached over and gave Stephanie and Shane a hug. "Now, Trish, I know you and Andrew weren't planning on taking a honeymoon, but the day after your wedding, as kind of a bonus, I've arranged for all of us to go to Australia!"
Later on that night:
Unable to sleep, Stephanie crept downstairs and poured herself a glass of ice cold water. "I know we are adopting Adam, and I thank you for the chance, but oh, I want to have a child that Paul and I have helped to create. Most of the time my hope springs eternal, but sometimes I doubt. Will I ever be able to have children Lord? Help me to keep believing and trusting in you. Everything is in your time, so please help me to be patient. Amen." Feeling suddenly afraid and overwhelmed, she laid her head in her arms and cried.
"We're praying through our tears that somehow we might hear your sweet cry.
It's getting harder to be strong. Is there something we did wrong?
I never knew that I could miss someone I've never met yet.
We'll be waiting."
Two months later:
Trish and Andrew had their wedding in the same church as Stephanie and Paul. You might say it was an open air wedding, since the only structure left to build was the roof.
Trish walked down the aisle, wearing a robin's egg blue floor length gown, and a pale, blue veil over her face. She turned to face Andrew, who stood across from her in a black tuxedo. Andrew's best man was Chris Jericho, who stood behind him in a black suit and tie. Trish's maid of honor was Nora, who stood behind her in a rich, wine colored off-the-shoulder dress. They had wanted a small wedding, nothing too fancy. They did have a flower girl though, Lenae. She was pleased as punch that Trish had asked her if she wanted to be in the wedding. She had never been in a wedding before.
"This is so cool!" Lenae said, swinging her legs back and forth excitedly. Matt watched as Jeff stole a glance at the oval- shaped diamond ring encircled by pink gemstones, sparkling on Nora's hand. He smiled as he watched Jeff's glance move to Nora. Matt could see the love and adoration in Jeff's eyes.
Smiling, Matt said, "I expect you'll be attending at least one more wedding soon enough."
"Huh," Jeff replied, coming out of his almost trance- like state. "Oh, we haven't decided on a date yet though."
"I didn't know you were going to marry Nora?" Lenae asked curiously, looking up at Jeff.
"Oh, yes, I am definitely going to marry Nora," Jeff said without hesitation.
A few minutes later Pastor Smith announced, "I now pronounce you man and wife." Andrew and Trish smiled as they were about to kiss.
"Wait!" Chris cried. Trish, Andrew and Pastor Smith stared at him as if he were crazy. "Is the sun still shining? No dark clouds, twister or hurricane," Chris Jericho said comically.
Everyone laughed. Shaking their heads, Andrew leaned in towards Trish for a kiss. As Trish and Andrew left the church, everyone showered them with rice.
"We'll see you guys in the morning!" Andrew yelled, as he, Trish and Lenae made their way to Andrew's car.
"I can't believe you did that!" Jessica said, slapping Chris in the arm lightly.
"I do," Chris Benoit said from behind them, a sly grin on his face. Chris turned around only to realize Melanie was lagging behind.
"You okay?" he asked worriedly.
"I'm just tired, don't worry, I'm not having the baby or anything. I know, your afraid I'm going to have my baby here at the church just like Jessica did."
"See, Chris is scared history is going to repeat itself too," Chris Jericho defended.
Later that evening:
"So, this is our house now?" Lenae asked in both disbelief and awe.
"Mm hmm, I used to live in an apartment, until today, since Andrew recently bought this house. Now, it's yours and mine too. You also have your own room," Trish said with a smile, as she opened the bedroom door.
"Wow, my own room?!" Lenae asked, not quite believing it.
"Yes, and you can decorate it whatever way you would like. When you're ready, come on downstairs, Andrew and I have a surprise for you." Trish closed the door behind her as Lenae looked around the room. *It's so big!* she thought. She walked over to the window seat, and sat down. She gasped in surprise as she pushed open the windows. Lenae looked up at the crescent-shaped moon as it lit up the front yard. *This is way cooler than the push up window at the orphanage,* Lenae thought happily. Lenae turned to look at the bare, white walls of the room. *Hmm, I can decorate it whatever way I want huh,* she thought, a coy smile on her face. She closed her eyes, envisioning brightly painted walls or wallpaper with horses all over it. Lenae walked over to the closet, tugged on the knob and slid the doors open. *Oh my gosh! There's so much room in here, much bigger than the closet at the orphanage. I don't think I have enough clothes to fill this!* In awe, she slowly made her way down the steps. Seeing her eyes all aglow, Trish and Andrew turned to each other and smiled.
"We got you a few things - for the trip," Trish said, handing the gift wrapped boxes to Lenae.
"Wow!" Lenae exclaimed as she sat down on the floor and tore off the turquoise ribbon. The first two packages held coloring books, children's books and some travel games. She opened up the last package and let out a squeal, "Ooh, thank you," Lenae said enthusiastically, holding up the patched Raggedy Ann dress. She fingered it lovingly for a few seconds. "When I was at the orphanage we never had any money to buy anything for each other, so we would always make gifts for each other on our birthdays. Feeling a pang of homesickness for her dear friends, she brushed the stray tears off her cheeks and smiled gratefully at Trish for sewing her apron back on. Lenae was about to close the cardboard box, when she saw a beautiful royal blue, velvet dress folded neatly inside. "It's beautiful! And so soft," Lenae finished, hugging the soft dress to her.
"We saw it a few days ago and thought it would look just lovely on you," Trish replied softly. "We hope it fits."
Lenae held up the dress, studying it critically, "I think it will fit, but let me go try it on!" she said excitedly. When she came back out a minute later to model it for them, they were pleased to see it fit like a glove and looked perfect with her wavy white-blond hair.
"It's so pretty, thank you!" Lenae let out in a rush. She wrapped her short arms around there waists and just as quickly she bashfully backed away.
"May I go to bed now?" Lenae asked, suddenly tired.
"Of course, if you want to," Trish said with a frown. As Trish and Andrew tucked her into bed, her last thought before she fell into a deep sleep, was, *This bed is so much nicer, bigger and softer than my old bed.
Hours later, Trish lay against Andrew, content to feel the rise and fall of his chest.
"Andrew, are you awake?" Trish asked softly.
"Yeah hon, I'm awake," he said, gently stroking her hair.
"I think Lenae seemed to distance herself from us tonight. Why?" "I'm not sure, maybe it's because so much has happened to her in the past few months, or perhaps it's Lenae's distant past. If that doesn't traumatize a child, I don't know what would. And maybe, just maybe she's not sure how she feels about us. I mean, we know she likes us, but love, well love has to bloom," Andrew finished thoughtfully, a smile on his face, as he looked down at Trish.
"Do we really have to go to Australia?" Lenae asked the next morning as she sat down to breakfast.
"Of course, don't you want to go?" Trish asked in surprise, glancing sideways at Andrew.
She shrugged her shoulders, "Not really," Lenae responded truthfully.
"It will be fun, besides you'll get to see us fight other wrestlers," Trish coaxed.
"I guess," Lenae said half-heartedly. Frowning, Trish and Andrew wanted to ask her what was troubling her, but refrained.
When Lenae dragged herself up the stairs to get dressed, Andrew said quietly, "She'll tell us when she's ready."
Several days later:
"So, let me get this straight, you guys beat each other up for a living?" Lenae asked. They had just gotten back to the hotel after their last house show of the trip. Trish looked at Andrew, "Well, yes and no. Sometimes the moves hurt, but we try to make them as safe and painless as possible. While other times, looks can be deceiving, sometimes when people think we are getting the snot beat out of us, we aren't. It's kind of like a choreographed dance," Trish finished.
"In other words," Lenae questioned, a puzzled look on her face, "you plan in advance to beat the snot out of each other?"
"Well no, not fully," Trish said hesitantly.
"You know what, never mind, I'll understand it when I'm older. Besides, I wouldn't to do what you guys do, a girl could get hurt," she stated matter-of-factly. Andrew and Trish just laughed.
Trish turned to Lenae, "Well, tomorrow is going to be great. We get to spend the next five days checking out the sights. Which reminds me, Jeff wanted to know if you would like to go with him and Melanie to the Australia Zoo tomorrow morning?"
"Oh wow, would I ever, that's the one with Steve and Terri Erwin! He's so neat, he wrestles crocs, kind of like when you guys wrestle."
"Wha, what?" Trish asked, startled, a blush tingeing her cheeks. "You know what I mean, like you and Andrew wrestling against Matt and Amy or you vs. Terri or something."
"Oh, oh, yeah," Trish said nervously.
Grinning, Andrew deadpanned, "Good thing she wasn't talking about us."
The next morning, Lenae excitedly jumped into the yellow s.u.v. that Jeff was driving. Melanie looked at Lenae in her bright red jumper.
"That's a pretty outfit," Melanie commented, smiling at Lenae.
"Thanks, Andrew picked it out for me when we were at the mall last night," Lenae said as she wriggled around in the seat, trying to adjust the seat belt. "So, is Matt coming?" Lenae asked hopefully.
Jeff glanced up into the rearview mirror looked at Lenae thoughtfully, "Nope, it's just the three of us."
"Oh," Lenae said, her face falling slightly.
"Nora's not big on crocs, let alone watching them get fed, but we'll be meeting up with her, Matt and Amy at the Queensland Art Gallery later this afternoon." Unable to resist, Jeff stole a glance at Lenae's face in the rearview mirror. She was beaming. *Man, she's got it bad. My brother, the heartthrob,* he thought to himself with a chuckle. When they reached the zoo, Lenae was practically bursting with excitement.
"Maybe we'll get to see Steve, Terri or even Bindi Sue!" Lenae said, jumping up and down in her seat.
"You're just like a miniature version of Jeff," Melanie said with a shake of her head. None-the-less, she couldn't resist a smile.
"She's paying you a compliment, aren't you Mel?" Jeff asked, grinning cheekily.
"Yeah, whatever," Melanie replied with a roll of her eyes, but Jeff noticed the smile still etched on her face. About an hour and a half into their excursion, Melanie plopped down onto a bench in the shade.
"You okay Mel?" Jeff asked, eyeing her carefully.
"I'm fine, but you'd better hurry up if you don't want to miss the Croc feeding. It starts in five minutes," she informed them, tapping her watch crystal. Jeff and Lenae tore off around the bend, then Jeff stopped and turned around.
"You sure you'll be okay?" Jeff double checked, running back to her.
"Positive, now go," she shooed. Watching Jeff take off after Lenae, Melanie muttered to herself, "I wish I could believe my own answer," as a sharp pain coursed through her lower abdomen. As they walked into the gift shop, a very animated Lenae told Melanie all about when the guy fed the Crocodiles.
"You should have seen them Melanie, the crododiles just went crazy. I thought even the feeder person looked scared."
"Even I'm not that crazy," Jeff said with laugh. Melanie nodded, her face pale. For the past fifteen minutes she had been trying to stave off the pain and as they made their way up to the counter all efforts now failed. Just as Jeff finished paying for the souvenirs, Melanie let out a low moan.
"The baby's coming," Melanie groaned.
"Where's the nearest hospital?" Jeff asked urgently.
"Wesley Hospital, in Brisbane," the young woman at the counter informed him. Quickly, he wrote down the directions she gave him.
"Thanks," he said, as he hustled Melanie and Lenae out the door. Jeff helped Melanie into the car while Lenae jumped into the back seat. Jeff gunned the engine and tore out of the parking lot.
Jeff tossed the cell phone to Lenae, "Here, call Chris."
"Which one?" As much discomfort as Melanie was in, she couldn't help but chuckle at Lenae's innocent question.
"Benoit, the one with the missing tooth."
"Ohh, him."
"Tell him to meet us at the hospital, and to step on it." Via Jeff's coaching, Lenae also called the hospital and told them the baby was on the way. "Give them Melanie's full name, where we're at, and how Mel is doing at the moment."
"At the moment, my water just broke," Melanie said through clenched teeth.
"What! This is a rental car!" Jeff exclaimed. Lenae relayed the message to the receptionist on the phone.
"Okay, the lady said everything will be ready for Melanie when she gets there."
"Good. You told her that Melanie's water broke, didn't you?"
"I didn't need to, the woman on the phone heard you yell and knew something big happened. She told us to hang tight," Lenae finished.
"Sounds just like Matt," Jeff muttered.
"You don't think Melanie's going to have the baby here do you?" Lenae asked nervously.
"I certainly hope not," Jeff exclaimed, glancing up in the rearview mirror at Lenae.
"Just in case you have the baby before we reach the hospital, you're are only having one right, not four or five?" Jeff asked Melanie anxiously.
She rolled her eyes, "Jeff, I'm large, but I'm not as big as a house. No, I'm only having one." When Jeff, Melanie and Lenae reached the hospital, they hadn't even made it through the double doors, when two assistants came out to greet them. Gently, yet quickly, they eased Melanie into the wheelchair. Jeff rushed to the front desk and filled out the paper work for Melanie. With a great sigh of relief, Jeff collapsed into a chair.
The receptionist behind the desk smiled, "You act as if you're the one having the baby." Jeff just stared at her.
"I'm just glad she didn't have the baby in the car," Jeff replied bluntly. The receptionist in turn stared back at him, surprised by his response. He turned on his cell phone and dialed the hotel number.
"Hey Jeff, what's up?" Matt asked lazily. Just then Chris Benoit rushed through the entrance way.
"Has she had the baby yet? Is she okay?" Chris asked frantically.
"Here, tell Matt what happened," Jeff commanded, once again tossing the phone to Lenae.
"Okay," she said happily. Jeff explained what was going on with Melanie, while Lenae gave the lowdown to Matt. Both Chris and Jeff walked over to the receptionist's desk.
"Can we see her?" they asked simultaneously.
"Wait a minute, I thought you were her husband," she said, turning to Jeff.
"Heck no! I'm just a friend."
"So, am I," Chris responded.
"She's a widow," Matt announced with a frown as he strode through the doors, followed by Amy, Nora, Jessica, Chris, Erin, Monica, Stephanie, Paul, Trish and Andrew.
"Well, you can't all see her at once," the receptionist stated in astonishment.
Matt, sensing the frustration in Jeff, put a calming hand on his shoulder, "We know that, but is it possible for either Jeff or Chris to be with her?" The receptionist nodded yes.
"Chris, you go ahead," Jeff urged, knowing the two had a deepening friendship.
"Thanks for understanding Jeff," Chris said thankfully. The gang watched as Chris hurriedly made his way down the hall.
Jeff leaned over to Matt, "Thanks man, I was loosing my cool there, I mean what does she think we are, idiots!" he whispered, agitated.
"Oh, and I think someone has a crush on you," Jeff said pointing to Lenae. Matt frowned, not quite sure how to respond.
"I guess it will be alright, since it's just a crush. At some point she'll lose interest in me and like someone her own age," Matt said uncertainly. "I just don't want her to get hurt. She knows I'm involved with Amy right?" Matt questioned.
"I'm not sure," Jeff replied honestly, a puzzled look on his face.
"I'd better go talk to her." Matt made his way towards her, but she was talking animatedly with Trish and Andrew, showing them what she had bought at the Crocodile Hunter gift shop. He sighed, yet another conversation that would have to wait.
Meanwhile, Nora looped her arm through Amy's, and steered her towards the cafeteria. Nora leaned over her Fettuccine Alfredo and Peanut Butter Pie with a smile and asked, "So how are things going with you and Matt?"
"Really, really well. I didn't think we could get much closer, since we've known each other for years, but we have. It's like we're learning little things about each other that we didn't even notice before, it's amazing." Amy could feel her whole face light up as she talked about their relationship.
Nora smiled knowingly, "I kind of understand what you mean. Jeff didn't know that I was a hacker, until just recently. Many people don't know, and I don't worry about it. I've never made a big deal out of it. And, pretty soon, he's going to find out the adverse effect too much sugar has on me," Nora said with a giggle. "I get kind of loopy. I know what you mean though, it's the little things."
After three hours of pacing and talking in the waiting room, Paul and Stephanie got up off the hard, plastic chairs.
"We hate to leave guys, but Steph is getting kind of tired. We'll call you as soon as we get to the hotel. Keep us posted though, okay?"
Jeff nodded, "Sure, no problem, we understand."
Andrew looked at his watch, "We hate to leave also, but we have tickets to the Sydney Opera House."
"Hey, Andrew I didn't know you liked opera," Chris teased.
Andrew wrinkled his nose, "It's not an opera that I'm going to see, it's a classical music concert. Besides, I've never been to one, and I thought it might be different."
"Oh, it'll be different all right, try boorring."
"Let up Chris, it was my idea and he agreed to it. Andrew's willing to give it a chance, which I think is very sweet of him," Trish said, reaching up on tip-toe to kiss his cheek. Andrew blushed, embarrassed.
"Trish has him wrapped around his little finger," Chris commented as he watched the three of them leave.
"She does not, he is just sweet enough to try something new, unlike a certain person I know," Jessica quipped, looking up at Chris with a smile.
"Hey, that's not tru.., oh you were just kidding, okay. He, he," he responded, grinning weakly.
"Well, I'm not kidding about my next statement: I'm pregnant."
"What! We just had kids two and a half months ago," Chris exclaimed.
"We?" she accused, "If I recall correctly, I was the one screaming in the basement."
"Yeah, and I was the other one screaming when I lost all feeling in my hand," Chris joked.
"Wow, you guys didn't waste any time," Jeff said, his eyes wide.
"Well, what did you expect us to do with one - two weeks free time on our hands," Chris stated bluntly.
"Enough, I don't want to hear anymore," Jeff said grimacing, putting his hands over his ears.
Chris and Jessica laughed.
"Actually, I like the idea of more children," Chris said, looking down lovingly at Jess, "more carbon copies of you."
She wrapped her arms around Chris's waist, "I'm glad, I wasn't sure how your reaction would be. Besides, it gives us a shot at having more carbon copies of you too," she said softly.
"It's funny how love changes us," Matt said thoughtfully.
Meanwhile:
As soon as Stephanie and Paul reached their hotel room, Paul called the hospital to see how Melanie was doing. Stephanie raced into the bathroom and looked at the stick on the bathroom sink. Her eyes widened, it couldn't be, could it? She had been feeling tired lately and was a week and a half overdue, so she went to the drug store and got a kit.
"Honey, what are you doing?" Paul said, as he laid back on the bed. Stephanie walked out of the bathroom holding up a stick. Instantly alert, Paul sat straight up. "Honey, your not… You don't mean that we're…" Stephanie nodded, her eyes sparkling. Paul wrapped his arms around her waist and twirled Stephanie around. The white stick with the hint of pink on it dropped noiselessly to the floor.
Two hours later, at the hospital:
Chris Benoit sat beside Melanie as the Doctor urged her to push. "It hurts too much, I don't want to push," she panted.
"Darlin, you want your baby to come out don't ya? Besides the more you push, the faster the little tike is going to pop out," Doctor Schneider said amicably.
"You can do it Mellie," Chris said encouragingly. He took her hand and squeezed it gently.
"Okay, just a little more," Melanie conceded. She pushed as hard as she could, and just as she let out a cry, the baby's cry filled the air. Quickly Doctor Schneider and his nurse, Catherine, cleaned up the baby and handed the newborn to Melanie.
"Congratulations, you have a beautiful little boy," Catherine cooed.
"With an excellent set of lungs," Doctor Schneider said with a boyish grin, a blond lock of hair falling over his eyes. Quietly, the doctor and nurse left the room.
"I wonder what our little young'un will look like Cathy," Doctor Schneider said, smiling softly as he patted Catherine's stomach.
"If he looks anything like you John, he's going to be a heartbreaker," she said laughing softly as they made their way down the hall.
"He's beautiful Melanie," Chris said softly, as he gingerly rubbed the baby's downy hair. Have you decided on a name yet?"
"Yes, Gregory Christopher Iverson."
"Wow! Melanie you, did you…" he trailed off, unable to voice his thoughts into words. She nodded, smiling.
Noticing, the tears in his eyes, she mimicked the Australian commercial for Fosters Beer: "Cry baby." Overcome with emotion, he hesitantly leaned in towards Melanie and kissed her gently on the forehead.
Nurse Catherine once again entered the room. "I have to borrow your sweetie for just a minute sugar." Benoit and Melanie looked at each other uncomfortably. "No honey, the baby, not your hubby," she reiterated. As Catherine took the baby, she thought to herself, *What odd folk,* wondering why they looked so shocked.
"I'm so tired," Melanie stated, doing her best to stifle a yawn. She felt her body relax and her eyes start to close. "Imagine us - married," she chuckled nervously.
"You never know," Chris said softly. Quietly, he stole out of the room. When Chris reached the lobby, everyone bombarded him with questions. Chuckling, he raised his hands, "Okay, okay, Melanie and Gregory Christopher are doing fine. She's sleeping though, so the doctor suggested it might be a good idea to visit her tomorrow morning."
"So," Chris J. said as they left the hospital, "she decided to name the baby after you," he said softly.
"I know, I can't believe it. I'm still kind of in shock over the whole thing. I love her Chris."
"I know, and I think she's falling in love with you too, but you have to give her time," Chris said quietly.
"I plan on giving her all the time in the world."
Meanwhile, at the Opera House:
As the performance ended, Andrew clapped enthusiastically. Watching him, Trish could have sworn that he was one of the most enthusiastic concert goers there.
"That was great!" he whispered in her ear, "I'm glad you persuaded me to come."
Suddenly, a young child screamed, "There's a bomb in the building!" The audience's enthusiasm automatically changed to one of terror. Everyone screamed, pushing and shoving, in a mad attempt to flee the building. Struggling to stay together, Andrew had no choice but to angrily elbow his way through the crowd, keeping one arm around Trish, and the other around Lenae. In the midst of the chaos, a young mother was desperately searching for the boy who had screamed. Realizing this, he ushered Trish and Lenae out into the entrance hall.
"You can't stay!" Trish whispered frantically into his ear, all the while clutching Andrew's arm.
"I'll be fine, trust me. Just please listen to me and take Lenae to the parking lot, okay?"
"Alright," Trish said reluctantly. Taking Lenae by the arm, she threaded her way through the crowd. Lenae twisted around in Trish's grip, "Why isn't Dadd… I mean Andrew coming?" she asked frantically.
"He'll meet us here, he's going to be okay," Trish assured her, hoping Lenae didn't hear the worry in her voice.
"Here, let me help you find your boy Ma'am," Andrew said as he made his way back to her. As the throng dissipated, a red-headed little boy bent over, almost double, clutching his knees, and howling with laughter, came into view.
"Aw, that was so funny!" the young child exclaimed.
"I beg your pardon," Andrew fairly shouted at the boy. The boy looked up, a flash of fear flitting across his face. When his mother came rushing up to him though, his fear became replaced with arrogance.
"What would your father say if he were here. Oh, you know you've been told a thousand times not to cry wolf. Just wait Jamie Jr., wait until your father comes back from his long trip," she scolded him something fierce as they walked away. Andrew tried to cool his seething anger at the twosome. *An out-of-control kid and the mother who couldn't keep him contained. Sounds like the perfect title for the next episode of Jerry Springer,* he thought sourly. *You wait kid, your shenanigans will come back to haunt ya,* Andrew thought as he quickly made his way to Trish and Lenae, in the lower level parking garage.
Meanwhile, on to a much nicer situation:
Amy and Matt walked hand-n-hand along the water's edge. Breaking the silence, Amy commented, "It's so beautiful out here! Now-a-days, for us to see a sunset is hard to come by." Lost in thought, Matt nodded.
"Matt, is something wrong?" Amy asked in concern.
"No, actually, I was just thinking - about you," Matt finished. Bringing his head up, he looked deep into her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. "When I said that marriage had never crossed my mind, I wasn't being truthful to you," he said apologetically. "I've been thinking about it ever since Stephanie and Paul's wedding day." Matt tugged on her hand, pulling her up the steep, sandy bank. "I think, as long as we've known each other, somehow, in the past few months we've managed to grow even closer…"
"The little things," she finished.
"Exactly," Matt replied, beaming at her. Gently cupping her chin in his hand, Matt leaned in towards Amy, brushing a light kiss against her lips. *It's now or never. Will she accept?* Nervously, he stuck his hand in his pocket, making sure the blue, velvet box was still there. He knelt down on one knee, "Amy, I've been dreaming of this moment for months," he stopped, his knee slowly starting to sink into the sand. He started to topple over.
"What are you doing?" she asked, laughing, helping him up. "Why don't you just stand up," she suggested.
He shook his head stubbornly, "No, I want to do this the old-fashioned way." Readjusting his position, he lifted his head to watch her. The breeze had picked up, blowing Amy's hair all around her smiling face.
"You are beautiful. Amy I love you and want to be with you - as long as I have breath. Will you marry me?"
verse:
"I've heard monogamy is rusting in the yard.
But I believe the seed not married to the soil grows apart.
I want to build a foundation with you.
Chorus:
Forever before Heaven, we'll plant a garden here for two.
Forever before Heaven, I'll build a life in Eden with you."
THE END-FOR NOW J
The song, "Thought You'd Be Here By Now," is by Wes King and is not mine.
The song, "Garden For Two," is by Code of Ethics and is not mine.
If you would like to use my story, please ask me first.
Please review, I love feedback! Constructive criticism is fine, but no flames please.
This story is based on the Bible scripture: 1st Corinthians chapter 13, verses 4 through 7
Chapter 6: Garden For Two
Andrew's eyes snapped open and he jerked his head up, "Lenae?" A smile slowly spreading across his face, he whispered, "Thank you Lord," as he gently wrapped his arms around her petite frame.
A week later:
Everyone was sitting down on the earth and wood floor, in what would soon become Pastor Smith's main sanctuary.
Marissa and Shane got up from their place on the floor, "Everyone, we have an announcement to make," Marissa said beaming proudly.
*Marissa looks like she's about to burst,* Stephanie thought to herself with a smile.
"We're going to have a baby, I'm pregnant!" Marissa said excitedly. Out of the corner of his eye, Paul carefully gauged Stephanie's reaction. The smile quickly left Stephanie's face as her mouth dropped open in surprise. Recovering quickly, she made her way to the front of the room.
"Congratulations, you guys," Stephanie said, giving them both hugs.
"Thanks lil sis," Shane said warmly as he gave her a squeeze. Though she was doing her best to hide it, he could see the pain evident in her eyes.
"Steph, your time will come," he said reassuringly. Stephanie took a deep breath as Marissa and Shane stepped away from the podium and sat back down on the ground. It was time to get her mind back on the matter at hand.
"I have some more news. Paul and I bought the orphanage! Now, Dad, I know what you're thinking, what about wrestling? We don't plan on retiring for a while, so until then, we know a couple that dearly love and have children of their own, who would love to run the orphanage. All Paul and I are finishing up now are the permits for expanding and fixing up the grounds and building. Hopefully, by next week, everyone can move back into the orphanage, and out of the Holiday Inn," Stephanie said with a smile. There will be one less child at the orphanage. The group let out a gasp, "Now, hang on a second, nothing bad has happened. Paul and I are adopting six-year old Adam!"
Lenae, sitting in between Trish and Andrew, smiled brightly, "I can't believe it! Oh, I'm so glad for Adam though, he's been wanting a family for soo long."
"And now, we have a special little girl that would like to talk to you all for a few minutes," Stephanie finished. Painfully, Lenae pulled herself up on her crutches. Each step practically took her breath away, what with two cracked ribs, a dislocated elbow, and a sprained ankle, not to mention lacerations and bruises on her face, it was quite difficult for her to walk. Their hearts going out to her, Trish and Andrew watched her walk towards Stephanie. They wanted to help her go up, but she had refused. Andrew knew almost from the moment he had laid eyes on her that she was as stubborn as a mule. *But she's also a fighter,* Andrew thought to himself with pride.
"Hi sweetie," Stephanie said softly. "Everyone, I would like you to meet Lenae." Stephanie stepped away from the podium and into Paul's comforting embrace. He wrapped his arms around her as she laid her head on his shoulder. Her heart ached for this little girl. "Hello," Lenae said shyly. "First of all, I would like to thank Nora for cracking the code. Now, all of my friends, who are like brothers and sisters to me, will be living at the orphanage until they find loving families wanting to adopt them," Lenae said, a toothy smile lighting up her features. Nora smiled, tears coming to her eyes. Jeff reached over, and squeezed her hand. Everyone listened intently as Lenae told her story, from the day of Stephanie and Paul's wedding up to now.
"I do want to thank a few more people, Sam and Danielle, for saving me." Both Trish and Andrew glanced over at the two detectives, and noticed that Sam had a protective arm around Danielle's waist. Trish and Andrew just looked at each other and grinned. *Love forged out of friendship, it doesn't get any better than that,* they thought solemnly.
"And, finally, Trish and Andrew for loving me. Thanks for everything." When she reached Trish and Andrew, they pulled her in for a hug.
"You did great!" Andrew whispered in her ear reassuringly. Vince made his way up to the podium and said, "I'm proud of all of you, what you've shown is an excellent display of teamwork and compassion." He reached over and gave Stephanie and Shane a hug. "Now, Trish, I know you and Andrew weren't planning on taking a honeymoon, but the day after your wedding, as kind of a bonus, I've arranged for all of us to go to Australia!"
Later on that night:
Unable to sleep, Stephanie crept downstairs and poured herself a glass of ice cold water. "I know we are adopting Adam, and I thank you for the chance, but oh, I want to have a child that Paul and I have helped to create. Most of the time my hope springs eternal, but sometimes I doubt. Will I ever be able to have children Lord? Help me to keep believing and trusting in you. Everything is in your time, so please help me to be patient. Amen." Feeling suddenly afraid and overwhelmed, she laid her head in her arms and cried.
"We're praying through our tears that somehow we might hear your sweet cry.
It's getting harder to be strong. Is there something we did wrong?
I never knew that I could miss someone I've never met yet.
We'll be waiting."
Two months later:
Trish and Andrew had their wedding in the same church as Stephanie and Paul. You might say it was an open air wedding, since the only structure left to build was the roof.
Trish walked down the aisle, wearing a robin's egg blue floor length gown, and a pale, blue veil over her face. She turned to face Andrew, who stood across from her in a black tuxedo. Andrew's best man was Chris Jericho, who stood behind him in a black suit and tie. Trish's maid of honor was Nora, who stood behind her in a rich, wine colored off-the-shoulder dress. They had wanted a small wedding, nothing too fancy. They did have a flower girl though, Lenae. She was pleased as punch that Trish had asked her if she wanted to be in the wedding. She had never been in a wedding before.
"This is so cool!" Lenae said, swinging her legs back and forth excitedly. Matt watched as Jeff stole a glance at the oval- shaped diamond ring encircled by pink gemstones, sparkling on Nora's hand. He smiled as he watched Jeff's glance move to Nora. Matt could see the love and adoration in Jeff's eyes.
Smiling, Matt said, "I expect you'll be attending at least one more wedding soon enough."
"Huh," Jeff replied, coming out of his almost trance- like state. "Oh, we haven't decided on a date yet though."
"I didn't know you were going to marry Nora?" Lenae asked curiously, looking up at Jeff.
"Oh, yes, I am definitely going to marry Nora," Jeff said without hesitation.
A few minutes later Pastor Smith announced, "I now pronounce you man and wife." Andrew and Trish smiled as they were about to kiss.
"Wait!" Chris cried. Trish, Andrew and Pastor Smith stared at him as if he were crazy. "Is the sun still shining? No dark clouds, twister or hurricane," Chris Jericho said comically.
Everyone laughed. Shaking their heads, Andrew leaned in towards Trish for a kiss. As Trish and Andrew left the church, everyone showered them with rice.
"We'll see you guys in the morning!" Andrew yelled, as he, Trish and Lenae made their way to Andrew's car.
"I can't believe you did that!" Jessica said, slapping Chris in the arm lightly.
"I do," Chris Benoit said from behind them, a sly grin on his face. Chris turned around only to realize Melanie was lagging behind.
"You okay?" he asked worriedly.
"I'm just tired, don't worry, I'm not having the baby or anything. I know, your afraid I'm going to have my baby here at the church just like Jessica did."
"See, Chris is scared history is going to repeat itself too," Chris Jericho defended.
Later that evening:
"So, this is our house now?" Lenae asked in both disbelief and awe.
"Mm hmm, I used to live in an apartment, until today, since Andrew recently bought this house. Now, it's yours and mine too. You also have your own room," Trish said with a smile, as she opened the bedroom door.
"Wow, my own room?!" Lenae asked, not quite believing it.
"Yes, and you can decorate it whatever way you would like. When you're ready, come on downstairs, Andrew and I have a surprise for you." Trish closed the door behind her as Lenae looked around the room. *It's so big!* she thought. She walked over to the window seat, and sat down. She gasped in surprise as she pushed open the windows. Lenae looked up at the crescent-shaped moon as it lit up the front yard. *This is way cooler than the push up window at the orphanage,* Lenae thought happily. Lenae turned to look at the bare, white walls of the room. *Hmm, I can decorate it whatever way I want huh,* she thought, a coy smile on her face. She closed her eyes, envisioning brightly painted walls or wallpaper with horses all over it. Lenae walked over to the closet, tugged on the knob and slid the doors open. *Oh my gosh! There's so much room in here, much bigger than the closet at the orphanage. I don't think I have enough clothes to fill this!* In awe, she slowly made her way down the steps. Seeing her eyes all aglow, Trish and Andrew turned to each other and smiled.
"We got you a few things - for the trip," Trish said, handing the gift wrapped boxes to Lenae.
"Wow!" Lenae exclaimed as she sat down on the floor and tore off the turquoise ribbon. The first two packages held coloring books, children's books and some travel games. She opened up the last package and let out a squeal, "Ooh, thank you," Lenae said enthusiastically, holding up the patched Raggedy Ann dress. She fingered it lovingly for a few seconds. "When I was at the orphanage we never had any money to buy anything for each other, so we would always make gifts for each other on our birthdays. Feeling a pang of homesickness for her dear friends, she brushed the stray tears off her cheeks and smiled gratefully at Trish for sewing her apron back on. Lenae was about to close the cardboard box, when she saw a beautiful royal blue, velvet dress folded neatly inside. "It's beautiful! And so soft," Lenae finished, hugging the soft dress to her.
"We saw it a few days ago and thought it would look just lovely on you," Trish replied softly. "We hope it fits."
Lenae held up the dress, studying it critically, "I think it will fit, but let me go try it on!" she said excitedly. When she came back out a minute later to model it for them, they were pleased to see it fit like a glove and looked perfect with her wavy white-blond hair.
"It's so pretty, thank you!" Lenae let out in a rush. She wrapped her short arms around there waists and just as quickly she bashfully backed away.
"May I go to bed now?" Lenae asked, suddenly tired.
"Of course, if you want to," Trish said with a frown. As Trish and Andrew tucked her into bed, her last thought before she fell into a deep sleep, was, *This bed is so much nicer, bigger and softer than my old bed.
Hours later, Trish lay against Andrew, content to feel the rise and fall of his chest.
"Andrew, are you awake?" Trish asked softly.
"Yeah hon, I'm awake," he said, gently stroking her hair.
"I think Lenae seemed to distance herself from us tonight. Why?" "I'm not sure, maybe it's because so much has happened to her in the past few months, or perhaps it's Lenae's distant past. If that doesn't traumatize a child, I don't know what would. And maybe, just maybe she's not sure how she feels about us. I mean, we know she likes us, but love, well love has to bloom," Andrew finished thoughtfully, a smile on his face, as he looked down at Trish.
"Do we really have to go to Australia?" Lenae asked the next morning as she sat down to breakfast.
"Of course, don't you want to go?" Trish asked in surprise, glancing sideways at Andrew.
She shrugged her shoulders, "Not really," Lenae responded truthfully.
"It will be fun, besides you'll get to see us fight other wrestlers," Trish coaxed.
"I guess," Lenae said half-heartedly. Frowning, Trish and Andrew wanted to ask her what was troubling her, but refrained.
When Lenae dragged herself up the stairs to get dressed, Andrew said quietly, "She'll tell us when she's ready."
Several days later:
"So, let me get this straight, you guys beat each other up for a living?" Lenae asked. They had just gotten back to the hotel after their last house show of the trip. Trish looked at Andrew, "Well, yes and no. Sometimes the moves hurt, but we try to make them as safe and painless as possible. While other times, looks can be deceiving, sometimes when people think we are getting the snot beat out of us, we aren't. It's kind of like a choreographed dance," Trish finished.
"In other words," Lenae questioned, a puzzled look on her face, "you plan in advance to beat the snot out of each other?"
"Well no, not fully," Trish said hesitantly.
"You know what, never mind, I'll understand it when I'm older. Besides, I wouldn't to do what you guys do, a girl could get hurt," she stated matter-of-factly. Andrew and Trish just laughed.
Trish turned to Lenae, "Well, tomorrow is going to be great. We get to spend the next five days checking out the sights. Which reminds me, Jeff wanted to know if you would like to go with him and Melanie to the Australia Zoo tomorrow morning?"
"Oh wow, would I ever, that's the one with Steve and Terri Erwin! He's so neat, he wrestles crocs, kind of like when you guys wrestle."
"Wha, what?" Trish asked, startled, a blush tingeing her cheeks. "You know what I mean, like you and Andrew wrestling against Matt and Amy or you vs. Terri or something."
"Oh, oh, yeah," Trish said nervously.
Grinning, Andrew deadpanned, "Good thing she wasn't talking about us."
The next morning, Lenae excitedly jumped into the yellow s.u.v. that Jeff was driving. Melanie looked at Lenae in her bright red jumper.
"That's a pretty outfit," Melanie commented, smiling at Lenae.
"Thanks, Andrew picked it out for me when we were at the mall last night," Lenae said as she wriggled around in the seat, trying to adjust the seat belt. "So, is Matt coming?" Lenae asked hopefully.
Jeff glanced up into the rearview mirror looked at Lenae thoughtfully, "Nope, it's just the three of us."
"Oh," Lenae said, her face falling slightly.
"Nora's not big on crocs, let alone watching them get fed, but we'll be meeting up with her, Matt and Amy at the Queensland Art Gallery later this afternoon." Unable to resist, Jeff stole a glance at Lenae's face in the rearview mirror. She was beaming. *Man, she's got it bad. My brother, the heartthrob,* he thought to himself with a chuckle. When they reached the zoo, Lenae was practically bursting with excitement.
"Maybe we'll get to see Steve, Terri or even Bindi Sue!" Lenae said, jumping up and down in her seat.
"You're just like a miniature version of Jeff," Melanie said with a shake of her head. None-the-less, she couldn't resist a smile.
"She's paying you a compliment, aren't you Mel?" Jeff asked, grinning cheekily.
"Yeah, whatever," Melanie replied with a roll of her eyes, but Jeff noticed the smile still etched on her face. About an hour and a half into their excursion, Melanie plopped down onto a bench in the shade.
"You okay Mel?" Jeff asked, eyeing her carefully.
"I'm fine, but you'd better hurry up if you don't want to miss the Croc feeding. It starts in five minutes," she informed them, tapping her watch crystal. Jeff and Lenae tore off around the bend, then Jeff stopped and turned around.
"You sure you'll be okay?" Jeff double checked, running back to her.
"Positive, now go," she shooed. Watching Jeff take off after Lenae, Melanie muttered to herself, "I wish I could believe my own answer," as a sharp pain coursed through her lower abdomen. As they walked into the gift shop, a very animated Lenae told Melanie all about when the guy fed the Crocodiles.
"You should have seen them Melanie, the crododiles just went crazy. I thought even the feeder person looked scared."
"Even I'm not that crazy," Jeff said with laugh. Melanie nodded, her face pale. For the past fifteen minutes she had been trying to stave off the pain and as they made their way up to the counter all efforts now failed. Just as Jeff finished paying for the souvenirs, Melanie let out a low moan.
"The baby's coming," Melanie groaned.
"Where's the nearest hospital?" Jeff asked urgently.
"Wesley Hospital, in Brisbane," the young woman at the counter informed him. Quickly, he wrote down the directions she gave him.
"Thanks," he said, as he hustled Melanie and Lenae out the door. Jeff helped Melanie into the car while Lenae jumped into the back seat. Jeff gunned the engine and tore out of the parking lot.
Jeff tossed the cell phone to Lenae, "Here, call Chris."
"Which one?" As much discomfort as Melanie was in, she couldn't help but chuckle at Lenae's innocent question.
"Benoit, the one with the missing tooth."
"Ohh, him."
"Tell him to meet us at the hospital, and to step on it." Via Jeff's coaching, Lenae also called the hospital and told them the baby was on the way. "Give them Melanie's full name, where we're at, and how Mel is doing at the moment."
"At the moment, my water just broke," Melanie said through clenched teeth.
"What! This is a rental car!" Jeff exclaimed. Lenae relayed the message to the receptionist on the phone.
"Okay, the lady said everything will be ready for Melanie when she gets there."
"Good. You told her that Melanie's water broke, didn't you?"
"I didn't need to, the woman on the phone heard you yell and knew something big happened. She told us to hang tight," Lenae finished.
"Sounds just like Matt," Jeff muttered.
"You don't think Melanie's going to have the baby here do you?" Lenae asked nervously.
"I certainly hope not," Jeff exclaimed, glancing up in the rearview mirror at Lenae.
"Just in case you have the baby before we reach the hospital, you're are only having one right, not four or five?" Jeff asked Melanie anxiously.
She rolled her eyes, "Jeff, I'm large, but I'm not as big as a house. No, I'm only having one." When Jeff, Melanie and Lenae reached the hospital, they hadn't even made it through the double doors, when two assistants came out to greet them. Gently, yet quickly, they eased Melanie into the wheelchair. Jeff rushed to the front desk and filled out the paper work for Melanie. With a great sigh of relief, Jeff collapsed into a chair.
The receptionist behind the desk smiled, "You act as if you're the one having the baby." Jeff just stared at her.
"I'm just glad she didn't have the baby in the car," Jeff replied bluntly. The receptionist in turn stared back at him, surprised by his response. He turned on his cell phone and dialed the hotel number.
"Hey Jeff, what's up?" Matt asked lazily. Just then Chris Benoit rushed through the entrance way.
"Has she had the baby yet? Is she okay?" Chris asked frantically.
"Here, tell Matt what happened," Jeff commanded, once again tossing the phone to Lenae.
"Okay," she said happily. Jeff explained what was going on with Melanie, while Lenae gave the lowdown to Matt. Both Chris and Jeff walked over to the receptionist's desk.
"Can we see her?" they asked simultaneously.
"Wait a minute, I thought you were her husband," she said, turning to Jeff.
"Heck no! I'm just a friend."
"So, am I," Chris responded.
"She's a widow," Matt announced with a frown as he strode through the doors, followed by Amy, Nora, Jessica, Chris, Erin, Monica, Stephanie, Paul, Trish and Andrew.
"Well, you can't all see her at once," the receptionist stated in astonishment.
Matt, sensing the frustration in Jeff, put a calming hand on his shoulder, "We know that, but is it possible for either Jeff or Chris to be with her?" The receptionist nodded yes.
"Chris, you go ahead," Jeff urged, knowing the two had a deepening friendship.
"Thanks for understanding Jeff," Chris said thankfully. The gang watched as Chris hurriedly made his way down the hall.
Jeff leaned over to Matt, "Thanks man, I was loosing my cool there, I mean what does she think we are, idiots!" he whispered, agitated.
"Oh, and I think someone has a crush on you," Jeff said pointing to Lenae. Matt frowned, not quite sure how to respond.
"I guess it will be alright, since it's just a crush. At some point she'll lose interest in me and like someone her own age," Matt said uncertainly. "I just don't want her to get hurt. She knows I'm involved with Amy right?" Matt questioned.
"I'm not sure," Jeff replied honestly, a puzzled look on his face.
"I'd better go talk to her." Matt made his way towards her, but she was talking animatedly with Trish and Andrew, showing them what she had bought at the Crocodile Hunter gift shop. He sighed, yet another conversation that would have to wait.
Meanwhile, Nora looped her arm through Amy's, and steered her towards the cafeteria. Nora leaned over her Fettuccine Alfredo and Peanut Butter Pie with a smile and asked, "So how are things going with you and Matt?"
"Really, really well. I didn't think we could get much closer, since we've known each other for years, but we have. It's like we're learning little things about each other that we didn't even notice before, it's amazing." Amy could feel her whole face light up as she talked about their relationship.
Nora smiled knowingly, "I kind of understand what you mean. Jeff didn't know that I was a hacker, until just recently. Many people don't know, and I don't worry about it. I've never made a big deal out of it. And, pretty soon, he's going to find out the adverse effect too much sugar has on me," Nora said with a giggle. "I get kind of loopy. I know what you mean though, it's the little things."
After three hours of pacing and talking in the waiting room, Paul and Stephanie got up off the hard, plastic chairs.
"We hate to leave guys, but Steph is getting kind of tired. We'll call you as soon as we get to the hotel. Keep us posted though, okay?"
Jeff nodded, "Sure, no problem, we understand."
Andrew looked at his watch, "We hate to leave also, but we have tickets to the Sydney Opera House."
"Hey, Andrew I didn't know you liked opera," Chris teased.
Andrew wrinkled his nose, "It's not an opera that I'm going to see, it's a classical music concert. Besides, I've never been to one, and I thought it might be different."
"Oh, it'll be different all right, try boorring."
"Let up Chris, it was my idea and he agreed to it. Andrew's willing to give it a chance, which I think is very sweet of him," Trish said, reaching up on tip-toe to kiss his cheek. Andrew blushed, embarrassed.
"Trish has him wrapped around his little finger," Chris commented as he watched the three of them leave.
"She does not, he is just sweet enough to try something new, unlike a certain person I know," Jessica quipped, looking up at Chris with a smile.
"Hey, that's not tru.., oh you were just kidding, okay. He, he," he responded, grinning weakly.
"Well, I'm not kidding about my next statement: I'm pregnant."
"What! We just had kids two and a half months ago," Chris exclaimed.
"We?" she accused, "If I recall correctly, I was the one screaming in the basement."
"Yeah, and I was the other one screaming when I lost all feeling in my hand," Chris joked.
"Wow, you guys didn't waste any time," Jeff said, his eyes wide.
"Well, what did you expect us to do with one - two weeks free time on our hands," Chris stated bluntly.
"Enough, I don't want to hear anymore," Jeff said grimacing, putting his hands over his ears.
Chris and Jessica laughed.
"Actually, I like the idea of more children," Chris said, looking down lovingly at Jess, "more carbon copies of you."
She wrapped her arms around Chris's waist, "I'm glad, I wasn't sure how your reaction would be. Besides, it gives us a shot at having more carbon copies of you too," she said softly.
"It's funny how love changes us," Matt said thoughtfully.
Meanwhile:
As soon as Stephanie and Paul reached their hotel room, Paul called the hospital to see how Melanie was doing. Stephanie raced into the bathroom and looked at the stick on the bathroom sink. Her eyes widened, it couldn't be, could it? She had been feeling tired lately and was a week and a half overdue, so she went to the drug store and got a kit.
"Honey, what are you doing?" Paul said, as he laid back on the bed. Stephanie walked out of the bathroom holding up a stick. Instantly alert, Paul sat straight up. "Honey, your not… You don't mean that we're…" Stephanie nodded, her eyes sparkling. Paul wrapped his arms around her waist and twirled Stephanie around. The white stick with the hint of pink on it dropped noiselessly to the floor.
Two hours later, at the hospital:
Chris Benoit sat beside Melanie as the Doctor urged her to push. "It hurts too much, I don't want to push," she panted.
"Darlin, you want your baby to come out don't ya? Besides the more you push, the faster the little tike is going to pop out," Doctor Schneider said amicably.
"You can do it Mellie," Chris said encouragingly. He took her hand and squeezed it gently.
"Okay, just a little more," Melanie conceded. She pushed as hard as she could, and just as she let out a cry, the baby's cry filled the air. Quickly Doctor Schneider and his nurse, Catherine, cleaned up the baby and handed the newborn to Melanie.
"Congratulations, you have a beautiful little boy," Catherine cooed.
"With an excellent set of lungs," Doctor Schneider said with a boyish grin, a blond lock of hair falling over his eyes. Quietly, the doctor and nurse left the room.
"I wonder what our little young'un will look like Cathy," Doctor Schneider said, smiling softly as he patted Catherine's stomach.
"If he looks anything like you John, he's going to be a heartbreaker," she said laughing softly as they made their way down the hall.
"He's beautiful Melanie," Chris said softly, as he gingerly rubbed the baby's downy hair. Have you decided on a name yet?"
"Yes, Gregory Christopher Iverson."
"Wow! Melanie you, did you…" he trailed off, unable to voice his thoughts into words. She nodded, smiling.
Noticing, the tears in his eyes, she mimicked the Australian commercial for Fosters Beer: "Cry baby." Overcome with emotion, he hesitantly leaned in towards Melanie and kissed her gently on the forehead.
Nurse Catherine once again entered the room. "I have to borrow your sweetie for just a minute sugar." Benoit and Melanie looked at each other uncomfortably. "No honey, the baby, not your hubby," she reiterated. As Catherine took the baby, she thought to herself, *What odd folk,* wondering why they looked so shocked.
"I'm so tired," Melanie stated, doing her best to stifle a yawn. She felt her body relax and her eyes start to close. "Imagine us - married," she chuckled nervously.
"You never know," Chris said softly. Quietly, he stole out of the room. When Chris reached the lobby, everyone bombarded him with questions. Chuckling, he raised his hands, "Okay, okay, Melanie and Gregory Christopher are doing fine. She's sleeping though, so the doctor suggested it might be a good idea to visit her tomorrow morning."
"So," Chris J. said as they left the hospital, "she decided to name the baby after you," he said softly.
"I know, I can't believe it. I'm still kind of in shock over the whole thing. I love her Chris."
"I know, and I think she's falling in love with you too, but you have to give her time," Chris said quietly.
"I plan on giving her all the time in the world."
Meanwhile, at the Opera House:
As the performance ended, Andrew clapped enthusiastically. Watching him, Trish could have sworn that he was one of the most enthusiastic concert goers there.
"That was great!" he whispered in her ear, "I'm glad you persuaded me to come."
Suddenly, a young child screamed, "There's a bomb in the building!" The audience's enthusiasm automatically changed to one of terror. Everyone screamed, pushing and shoving, in a mad attempt to flee the building. Struggling to stay together, Andrew had no choice but to angrily elbow his way through the crowd, keeping one arm around Trish, and the other around Lenae. In the midst of the chaos, a young mother was desperately searching for the boy who had screamed. Realizing this, he ushered Trish and Lenae out into the entrance hall.
"You can't stay!" Trish whispered frantically into his ear, all the while clutching Andrew's arm.
"I'll be fine, trust me. Just please listen to me and take Lenae to the parking lot, okay?"
"Alright," Trish said reluctantly. Taking Lenae by the arm, she threaded her way through the crowd. Lenae twisted around in Trish's grip, "Why isn't Dadd… I mean Andrew coming?" she asked frantically.
"He'll meet us here, he's going to be okay," Trish assured her, hoping Lenae didn't hear the worry in her voice.
"Here, let me help you find your boy Ma'am," Andrew said as he made his way back to her. As the throng dissipated, a red-headed little boy bent over, almost double, clutching his knees, and howling with laughter, came into view.
"Aw, that was so funny!" the young child exclaimed.
"I beg your pardon," Andrew fairly shouted at the boy. The boy looked up, a flash of fear flitting across his face. When his mother came rushing up to him though, his fear became replaced with arrogance.
"What would your father say if he were here. Oh, you know you've been told a thousand times not to cry wolf. Just wait Jamie Jr., wait until your father comes back from his long trip," she scolded him something fierce as they walked away. Andrew tried to cool his seething anger at the twosome. *An out-of-control kid and the mother who couldn't keep him contained. Sounds like the perfect title for the next episode of Jerry Springer,* he thought sourly. *You wait kid, your shenanigans will come back to haunt ya,* Andrew thought as he quickly made his way to Trish and Lenae, in the lower level parking garage.
Meanwhile, on to a much nicer situation:
Amy and Matt walked hand-n-hand along the water's edge. Breaking the silence, Amy commented, "It's so beautiful out here! Now-a-days, for us to see a sunset is hard to come by." Lost in thought, Matt nodded.
"Matt, is something wrong?" Amy asked in concern.
"No, actually, I was just thinking - about you," Matt finished. Bringing his head up, he looked deep into her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. "When I said that marriage had never crossed my mind, I wasn't being truthful to you," he said apologetically. "I've been thinking about it ever since Stephanie and Paul's wedding day." Matt tugged on her hand, pulling her up the steep, sandy bank. "I think, as long as we've known each other, somehow, in the past few months we've managed to grow even closer…"
"The little things," she finished.
"Exactly," Matt replied, beaming at her. Gently cupping her chin in his hand, Matt leaned in towards Amy, brushing a light kiss against her lips. *It's now or never. Will she accept?* Nervously, he stuck his hand in his pocket, making sure the blue, velvet box was still there. He knelt down on one knee, "Amy, I've been dreaming of this moment for months," he stopped, his knee slowly starting to sink into the sand. He started to topple over.
"What are you doing?" she asked, laughing, helping him up. "Why don't you just stand up," she suggested.
He shook his head stubbornly, "No, I want to do this the old-fashioned way." Readjusting his position, he lifted his head to watch her. The breeze had picked up, blowing Amy's hair all around her smiling face.
"You are beautiful. Amy I love you and want to be with you - as long as I have breath. Will you marry me?"
verse:
"I've heard monogamy is rusting in the yard.
But I believe the seed not married to the soil grows apart.
I want to build a foundation with you.
Chorus:
Forever before Heaven, we'll plant a garden here for two.
Forever before Heaven, I'll build a life in Eden with you."
THE END-FOR NOW J