Chapter 10
Danny entered the kitchen quietly, not wanting to awaken any of the sleeping occupants in the house. Glancing around the kitchen he noted that not much had changed there either. Stepping softly, he walked into the living room which was just off the kitchen. He paused for a moment, content to just look at Kate's sleeping form. He felt his throat tighten and his heart speed up. She was the most beautiful sight he had seen in a long, long time.
Curled up on her side, her legs drawn up, she slept peacefully, a blanket tucked around her. As was her habit, her hands were cradled under her cheek as if she were praying. She looked as beautiful as an angel, her golden hair pulled back from her face in a pony tail which draped down her back.. Danny's fingers itched to run through it. As if drawn to her by a magnet, he moved across the living room, finally sitting on the coffee table in front of her. Reaching a tentative hand out, he gently stroked her face It was as soft as he remembered.
Mumbling in her sleep, Kate absently brushed at her cheek, as if to brush away a pesky bug. Danny smiled, reaching to stroke her cheek again. This time she swiped her hand across her face, frowning slightly. With an aggravated sigh she rolled towards the back of the couch, almost onto her back, her hand coming to rest on her stomach.
Well, this is progress, Danny thought. He knew that if he could get her onto her back she would eventually wake up. She could never sleep in that position. Watching her, the movement of her hand caught his attention. His breath stopped.
The blanket had shifted when she moved. Her swollen, distended stomach was now in clear view, her hand absently rubbing circles on it. Danny glanced briefly at Kate's face to see if she was awake, but then returned to her big - beautiful - stomach. Hesitantly he reached a hand out to touch it, surprised by it's hardness. He jumped as it shifted beneath his fingers. Tears began to fall down his cheeks as he pressed his hand more fully against Kate's belly, feeling the life pulsing within it.
"It's about time, Flyboy," Kate whispered, smiling gently at him, her hand moving to hold his against her stomach.
Danny looked up at her, a look of wonder on his face. Kate reached out to wipe away his tears. He leaned his face against her hand, closing his eyes in relief. Looking into her eyes he knew that he was finally home. "Got something you want to tell me?" he asked, kissing palm.
"Yes," Kate told him. "It's about time." She smiled, her hand caressing his face once again. "Welcome home, Danny."
Without thought, Danny knelt on the floor beside the couch and burried himself in Kate's arms, his face pressed against her neck. "I missed you so much," he whispered.
Kate held him tightly, afraid to let go. Afraid that it might all be a dream. She had been waiting for this day for years, it seemed. After a moment, Danny pulled back slightly wanting to look at her some more. Her eyes were like pools of the greenest moss, tears falling silently down her cheeks. He tried to wipe them away. "Hey, no crying," he told her. "You're supposed to be happy."
"I am happy," Kate replied. "You have no idea how happy I am."
Danny smiled crookedly at her. "I think I have an idea."
Kate laughed and Danny grinned. It felt so good to be near her again. To hold her in his arms. "God, I missed you," Danny whispered, leaning in to kiss her. The kiss started gently, a reminder of a the feelings they had for each other, but soon those feelings took over as their passion rose. It had been so long since they had been together, and even then they were only just beginning to explore each other. Embers that had been left behind all those months ago in China sparked to life once again.
Pulling away breathlessly, Danny looked down at Kate. "I love you."
"I love you too," she told him, her eyes shining with happiness. "Don't ever leave me alone again."
"I won't," Danny promised. His hand stroking her stomach once again, he smiled crookedly. "Now is there something else you'd like to tell me?" he asked.
Kate beamed up at him. "You were right," she told him. "The rhythm method doesn't work."
Danny laughed. "It's good to home."
"And just in time, too," Kate said. "Three or four more weeks and you would have missed the big event." She rubbed her belly, smiling happily.
"I wouldn't want to miss that," Danny replied, his hand resting on top of hers.
Chapter 10
Kate grabbed onto Danny's arm as she sat up on the couch. Her eyes never leaving his. She felt like she could drown in those eyes. For so long she had dreamed of them, of him. It had been the oddest thing, waking up to see him sitting next to her, his hand on her belly. She had been tensed and waiting for months, but upon finally seeing him she felt only a deep sense of peace. He was home, and in some ways it was like he was never gone. He looked just the same, if not better - more well fed and muscular - than when she had last seen him shirtless and crying outside their cabin in China. She realized that she hadn't really been living her life until now. She felt more alive seeing Danny's love for her in his eyes than she had in months.
A frown creased her brow. Reaching out she touched his cheekbone. "What happened to your face?" she asked.
Danny smiled, flinching slightly at her gentle touch. "I, uh, ran into Rafe working on the plane in the barn."
Kate's eyebrows raised in surprise. "He hit you?!" she asked incredulously.
"Yeah. It wasn't exactly the welcome I expected," Danny said, a grin playing across his face. "God, you're huge." His hands spread across her belly.
Smiling at the awe in his voice, Kate grabbed his hand and moved it to her side. "Feel this," she told him. "Come on little one," she talked to her belly, "show your daddy how strong you are." She laughed as the baby kicked or elbowed Danny's hand.
"Whoa," he looked up at her, his eyes wide with shock. "Does that hurt?"
"Not really," she told him, but then flinched as another movement jabbed her. "Unless he bounces on my bladder or works something underneath my ribs," she admitted.
"He?" Danny asked.
"It's just a feeling," she told him, "but I think it's a boy."
"Well, it's 50-50," Danny said, his hands still on her belly. "But I'll trust you."
"Grace wants a little sister."
"Grace," Danny smiled. "How is she? Does she remember me?"
"Of course she does," Kate told him. "She's been waiting for you. She was really disappointed when you didn't show up on her birthday."
Danny frowned. "I'm sorry," he said. "I was in Peru then, but I was thinking of her. I wanted to be here."
"Hey," Kate said, her hand squeezing his. "It's not your fault. You got here as soon as you could. I know that. We all know that." Danny nodded, his frown lessening. "Peru?" Kate questioned.
"Yeah," Danny replied, letting out a puff of breath. "I've done some traveling."
"I guess," Kate replied.
Their conversation was interrupted by a low growl from the hallway. Both of them turned toward the wary dog.
"Ramsey, stop it," Kate told the lab. The dog stopped growling, it's tail wagging minutely, still eyeing Danny uneasily.
"Ramsey?" Danny questioned, holding out one hand for the dog to sniff.
Kate smiled as Ramsey began fervantly sniffing Danny, licking his hand in welcome. "Yes, it appears that you and Rafe have the same talent for naming. Grace didn't like her Ramsey having the same name as a dog." Kate laughed.
Danny laughed too. "I imagine she didn't."
"She insisted on calling him Ramsey Two for the longest time."
Danny's response died on his lips, his attention caught by the small honey blond child standing in the hall, her green eyes wide as she stared at him. In one hand she held the raggedy looking Ramsey, and in the other she clutched a blanket.
"Hi Gracie," Danny said softly not wanting to startle her. He looked over at Kate, tears stinging his eyes again. "You've gotten big," he told her as she slowly inched her way into the room, her eyes not leaving him. Ramsey padded over to her, waiting to be petted, but she ignored him.
"Come here, sweetheart," Kate called. "Dandy's been waiting to see you."
Crawling up onto the couch, Grace leaned into her mother, still not saying a word. Danny smiled at her, but she only continued to stare, her bottom lip beginning to tremble slightly. Kate hugged her close. "It's okay, Grace. Dandy's back. He's home." Still Grace said nothing.
Danny leaned down, smiling. "Do you remember me, Little One," he asked her. She nodded slowly. "Good," he told her. "I've missed you a lot. I thought of you and your mom all the time." He paused trying to think of a way to reach her. "I was on a big boat for a long time, that's why I wasn't here for your birthday or Christmas. I wanted to be Grace, but I couldn't. But I have lots of new stories to tell you, about the places I've seen and the strange people I've met." It broke his heart to see her staring at him so warily. There had been a time when she would jump into his arms and chatter away with abandon. It didn't seem so long ago to Danny, but to Grace it was half a lifetime. "I'd love to tell you the stories sometime. Would you like that?" he asked. Grace nodded solemnly. Danny smiled. "Good, because I've been saving them up, just for you. But there's a price for my stories - I need a hug," he told her. "Ever since you had to go away, the one thing I missed was the hugs from you. Do you think I can have one now?"
Grace looked up her mother, wanting reassurance. Kate smiled and nodded, her eyes as teary as her daughters. Looking back over at Danny, Grace finally nodded. Danny opened his arms to her and suddenly Grace's little arms were wrapped around his neck. He closed his eyes, the feeling of her little body shaking with her tears causing his own to fall once more. "I missed you Miss Grace," he whispered into her hair. "I missed you so much." He smiled up at Kate, seeing her crying again. "Aren't we a sorry mess," he said, sitting Grace in his lap. "All of us crying - and this is supposed to be a happy day."
Grace leaned against him, once again reaching for the dog tags that were hanging out of his shirt. "Dandy?" she asked in a quiet voice. "Are you going to go away?"
He kissed her head. "No Gracie, I'm not going away," he told her. "I'm home for good. I promise."
She nodded. "Good."
A sniff from behind them let Danny know that they weren't alone. Danny turned to see Rafe and Evelyn standing in the kitchen, watching the family reunion. Evelyn was crying too.
"Well, it's good be home," Danny told everyone, "but I don't know how I feel about everyone crying." They all laughed.
Evelyn moved into the room, sitting in one of the empty chairs. "We've been waiting a long time and it's just kind of shocking," she told him. She looked at him curiously. "What happened to your eye."
Danny grinned over at Rafe, who was looking at the ground, embarrassed.
"I, uh," Rafe said, clearing his throat, "I hit him," he admitted.
Evelyn gasped at her husband. "You hit him! Rafe, how could you..." Danny's laughter cut her off. Kate began to giggle and soon Rafe joined in. Evelyn stared at them all as if they were crazy. "I can't believe you would hit him after all that this time. He's your best friend."
"It's okay, Evelyn," Danny said. "I probably deserved it."
"I doubt that," she responded, still eyeing Rafe.
"I'm sorry, alright?" Rafe said. "I didn't mean to hit him, it just happened." He shrugged. "He did deserve it too." Rafe smiled over at Danny.
Grace, not really interested in the adult's conversation, looked around the room. She was the first to see the small figure watching them. "Danny!" she called to him. "Dandy's home. I tol' you he'd come home!"
Danny glanced curiously down at Grace in his lap, wondering why she was talking to him like that. Everyone else in the room fell silent, staring at the little boy standing in the hall. Ramsey's happy bark drew Danny's attention and he froze, staring at the little boy who stared back at him solemnly. Everyone's eyes followed the little boy as he walked across the room to stand near Rafe, looking up at him expectantly.
"Hey buddy," Rafe said, hoisting him into his arms. No one seemed to know what to say as they divided their stares between Danny and the little boy in Rafe's arms. All the attention causing him to duck his head and hide.
Danny didn't know what to say or what to think as he stared at his son. The child that he knew existed but knew nothing about. At least now he knew his name. He felt he had to say something to ease the awkwardness. He could see the tension on Rafe's face. Glancing over at Evelyn, he saw that she looked scared and worried, her face pale. Whatever he said right now would set the tone for the rest of their lives.
Clearing his throat he looked down at Grace. "So, who is this Gracie?" he asked quietly.
"He's Danny," she told him matter of factly. "He's my friend."
Danny looked up at the little boy, seeing both himself and Evelyn in his little face. "Hello Danny," he said.
"Hi," the little boy replied quietly after Rafe gave him a little squeeze.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Grace's daddy," he said, firmly drawing the lines.
"You can call him Uncle Danny, just like I call Uncle Rafe," Grace chimed in, her natural exhuberance returning. "Can we go play? Can we have a cookie?" She looked expectantly at her mother and Evelyn. "Can we?"
"I think that would be fine," Kate replied. "Only one cookie each and you have to wear your boots and jackets."
"Okay," she jumped down from Danny's lap. "Come on Danny," she called. Halfway across the room, she turned back. "Dandy?" she asked. "Will you stay?"
Danny smiled. "I'm not going anywhere," he told her. "Have fun."
"We will," she said, running into the kitchen. "Come on, Danny!" she called back. Scrambling down from Rafe, her little friend followed her into the kitchen and out to the porch.
"Rafe would you..." Evelyn asked, pointing towards the retreating children.
"Yeah," he said, turning to follow them. "You better be putting your boots and jackets on or I'm eating your cookies," he called to them. They giggled in return, obviously not taking his threat seriously.
Once again the room was silent. Danny moved to sit on the couch next to Kate. She took his hand, giving him what support she could. He smiled at her weakly before looking over at Evelyn.
"He's a good looking boy," he told her, his voice hoarse.
Evelyn nodded, trying to control the tears that were threatening to fall. "Yes," she replied. She glanced around the room, a panicked look on her face. "I should probably see to dinner," she finally said after a moment, hurriedly getting up.
"I'll do it," Kate interjected, wanting to give them some time to talk.
Evelyn shook her head. "No, I'll do it. You two need some time."
They watched as she quickly went into the kitchen, keeping her back to them. "I think I'm going to go talk to Rafe," Danny told Kate softly. He leaned over and kissed her. "Will you be okay?"
Kate smiled. "I'll be fine....now that you're home," she told him. "Go talk to Rafe."
He got up and walked into the kitchen. Pausing briefly behind Evelyn he tried to think of something to say to her, but by the slope of her shoulders he knew that she wasn't ready to talk yet. Continuing past her he grabbed his coat and went outside.
Danny entered the kitchen quietly, not wanting to awaken any of the sleeping occupants in the house. Glancing around the kitchen he noted that not much had changed there either. Stepping softly, he walked into the living room which was just off the kitchen. He paused for a moment, content to just look at Kate's sleeping form. He felt his throat tighten and his heart speed up. She was the most beautiful sight he had seen in a long, long time.
Curled up on her side, her legs drawn up, she slept peacefully, a blanket tucked around her. As was her habit, her hands were cradled under her cheek as if she were praying. She looked as beautiful as an angel, her golden hair pulled back from her face in a pony tail which draped down her back.. Danny's fingers itched to run through it. As if drawn to her by a magnet, he moved across the living room, finally sitting on the coffee table in front of her. Reaching a tentative hand out, he gently stroked her face It was as soft as he remembered.
Mumbling in her sleep, Kate absently brushed at her cheek, as if to brush away a pesky bug. Danny smiled, reaching to stroke her cheek again. This time she swiped her hand across her face, frowning slightly. With an aggravated sigh she rolled towards the back of the couch, almost onto her back, her hand coming to rest on her stomach.
Well, this is progress, Danny thought. He knew that if he could get her onto her back she would eventually wake up. She could never sleep in that position. Watching her, the movement of her hand caught his attention. His breath stopped.
The blanket had shifted when she moved. Her swollen, distended stomach was now in clear view, her hand absently rubbing circles on it. Danny glanced briefly at Kate's face to see if she was awake, but then returned to her big - beautiful - stomach. Hesitantly he reached a hand out to touch it, surprised by it's hardness. He jumped as it shifted beneath his fingers. Tears began to fall down his cheeks as he pressed his hand more fully against Kate's belly, feeling the life pulsing within it.
"It's about time, Flyboy," Kate whispered, smiling gently at him, her hand moving to hold his against her stomach.
Danny looked up at her, a look of wonder on his face. Kate reached out to wipe away his tears. He leaned his face against her hand, closing his eyes in relief. Looking into her eyes he knew that he was finally home. "Got something you want to tell me?" he asked, kissing palm.
"Yes," Kate told him. "It's about time." She smiled, her hand caressing his face once again. "Welcome home, Danny."
Without thought, Danny knelt on the floor beside the couch and burried himself in Kate's arms, his face pressed against her neck. "I missed you so much," he whispered.
Kate held him tightly, afraid to let go. Afraid that it might all be a dream. She had been waiting for this day for years, it seemed. After a moment, Danny pulled back slightly wanting to look at her some more. Her eyes were like pools of the greenest moss, tears falling silently down her cheeks. He tried to wipe them away. "Hey, no crying," he told her. "You're supposed to be happy."
"I am happy," Kate replied. "You have no idea how happy I am."
Danny smiled crookedly at her. "I think I have an idea."
Kate laughed and Danny grinned. It felt so good to be near her again. To hold her in his arms. "God, I missed you," Danny whispered, leaning in to kiss her. The kiss started gently, a reminder of a the feelings they had for each other, but soon those feelings took over as their passion rose. It had been so long since they had been together, and even then they were only just beginning to explore each other. Embers that had been left behind all those months ago in China sparked to life once again.
Pulling away breathlessly, Danny looked down at Kate. "I love you."
"I love you too," she told him, her eyes shining with happiness. "Don't ever leave me alone again."
"I won't," Danny promised. His hand stroking her stomach once again, he smiled crookedly. "Now is there something else you'd like to tell me?" he asked.
Kate beamed up at him. "You were right," she told him. "The rhythm method doesn't work."
Danny laughed. "It's good to home."
"And just in time, too," Kate said. "Three or four more weeks and you would have missed the big event." She rubbed her belly, smiling happily.
"I wouldn't want to miss that," Danny replied, his hand resting on top of hers.
Chapter 10
Kate grabbed onto Danny's arm as she sat up on the couch. Her eyes never leaving his. She felt like she could drown in those eyes. For so long she had dreamed of them, of him. It had been the oddest thing, waking up to see him sitting next to her, his hand on her belly. She had been tensed and waiting for months, but upon finally seeing him she felt only a deep sense of peace. He was home, and in some ways it was like he was never gone. He looked just the same, if not better - more well fed and muscular - than when she had last seen him shirtless and crying outside their cabin in China. She realized that she hadn't really been living her life until now. She felt more alive seeing Danny's love for her in his eyes than she had in months.
A frown creased her brow. Reaching out she touched his cheekbone. "What happened to your face?" she asked.
Danny smiled, flinching slightly at her gentle touch. "I, uh, ran into Rafe working on the plane in the barn."
Kate's eyebrows raised in surprise. "He hit you?!" she asked incredulously.
"Yeah. It wasn't exactly the welcome I expected," Danny said, a grin playing across his face. "God, you're huge." His hands spread across her belly.
Smiling at the awe in his voice, Kate grabbed his hand and moved it to her side. "Feel this," she told him. "Come on little one," she talked to her belly, "show your daddy how strong you are." She laughed as the baby kicked or elbowed Danny's hand.
"Whoa," he looked up at her, his eyes wide with shock. "Does that hurt?"
"Not really," she told him, but then flinched as another movement jabbed her. "Unless he bounces on my bladder or works something underneath my ribs," she admitted.
"He?" Danny asked.
"It's just a feeling," she told him, "but I think it's a boy."
"Well, it's 50-50," Danny said, his hands still on her belly. "But I'll trust you."
"Grace wants a little sister."
"Grace," Danny smiled. "How is she? Does she remember me?"
"Of course she does," Kate told him. "She's been waiting for you. She was really disappointed when you didn't show up on her birthday."
Danny frowned. "I'm sorry," he said. "I was in Peru then, but I was thinking of her. I wanted to be here."
"Hey," Kate said, her hand squeezing his. "It's not your fault. You got here as soon as you could. I know that. We all know that." Danny nodded, his frown lessening. "Peru?" Kate questioned.
"Yeah," Danny replied, letting out a puff of breath. "I've done some traveling."
"I guess," Kate replied.
Their conversation was interrupted by a low growl from the hallway. Both of them turned toward the wary dog.
"Ramsey, stop it," Kate told the lab. The dog stopped growling, it's tail wagging minutely, still eyeing Danny uneasily.
"Ramsey?" Danny questioned, holding out one hand for the dog to sniff.
Kate smiled as Ramsey began fervantly sniffing Danny, licking his hand in welcome. "Yes, it appears that you and Rafe have the same talent for naming. Grace didn't like her Ramsey having the same name as a dog." Kate laughed.
Danny laughed too. "I imagine she didn't."
"She insisted on calling him Ramsey Two for the longest time."
Danny's response died on his lips, his attention caught by the small honey blond child standing in the hall, her green eyes wide as she stared at him. In one hand she held the raggedy looking Ramsey, and in the other she clutched a blanket.
"Hi Gracie," Danny said softly not wanting to startle her. He looked over at Kate, tears stinging his eyes again. "You've gotten big," he told her as she slowly inched her way into the room, her eyes not leaving him. Ramsey padded over to her, waiting to be petted, but she ignored him.
"Come here, sweetheart," Kate called. "Dandy's been waiting to see you."
Crawling up onto the couch, Grace leaned into her mother, still not saying a word. Danny smiled at her, but she only continued to stare, her bottom lip beginning to tremble slightly. Kate hugged her close. "It's okay, Grace. Dandy's back. He's home." Still Grace said nothing.
Danny leaned down, smiling. "Do you remember me, Little One," he asked her. She nodded slowly. "Good," he told her. "I've missed you a lot. I thought of you and your mom all the time." He paused trying to think of a way to reach her. "I was on a big boat for a long time, that's why I wasn't here for your birthday or Christmas. I wanted to be Grace, but I couldn't. But I have lots of new stories to tell you, about the places I've seen and the strange people I've met." It broke his heart to see her staring at him so warily. There had been a time when she would jump into his arms and chatter away with abandon. It didn't seem so long ago to Danny, but to Grace it was half a lifetime. "I'd love to tell you the stories sometime. Would you like that?" he asked. Grace nodded solemnly. Danny smiled. "Good, because I've been saving them up, just for you. But there's a price for my stories - I need a hug," he told her. "Ever since you had to go away, the one thing I missed was the hugs from you. Do you think I can have one now?"
Grace looked up her mother, wanting reassurance. Kate smiled and nodded, her eyes as teary as her daughters. Looking back over at Danny, Grace finally nodded. Danny opened his arms to her and suddenly Grace's little arms were wrapped around his neck. He closed his eyes, the feeling of her little body shaking with her tears causing his own to fall once more. "I missed you Miss Grace," he whispered into her hair. "I missed you so much." He smiled up at Kate, seeing her crying again. "Aren't we a sorry mess," he said, sitting Grace in his lap. "All of us crying - and this is supposed to be a happy day."
Grace leaned against him, once again reaching for the dog tags that were hanging out of his shirt. "Dandy?" she asked in a quiet voice. "Are you going to go away?"
He kissed her head. "No Gracie, I'm not going away," he told her. "I'm home for good. I promise."
She nodded. "Good."
A sniff from behind them let Danny know that they weren't alone. Danny turned to see Rafe and Evelyn standing in the kitchen, watching the family reunion. Evelyn was crying too.
"Well, it's good be home," Danny told everyone, "but I don't know how I feel about everyone crying." They all laughed.
Evelyn moved into the room, sitting in one of the empty chairs. "We've been waiting a long time and it's just kind of shocking," she told him. She looked at him curiously. "What happened to your eye."
Danny grinned over at Rafe, who was looking at the ground, embarrassed.
"I, uh," Rafe said, clearing his throat, "I hit him," he admitted.
Evelyn gasped at her husband. "You hit him! Rafe, how could you..." Danny's laughter cut her off. Kate began to giggle and soon Rafe joined in. Evelyn stared at them all as if they were crazy. "I can't believe you would hit him after all that this time. He's your best friend."
"It's okay, Evelyn," Danny said. "I probably deserved it."
"I doubt that," she responded, still eyeing Rafe.
"I'm sorry, alright?" Rafe said. "I didn't mean to hit him, it just happened." He shrugged. "He did deserve it too." Rafe smiled over at Danny.
Grace, not really interested in the adult's conversation, looked around the room. She was the first to see the small figure watching them. "Danny!" she called to him. "Dandy's home. I tol' you he'd come home!"
Danny glanced curiously down at Grace in his lap, wondering why she was talking to him like that. Everyone else in the room fell silent, staring at the little boy standing in the hall. Ramsey's happy bark drew Danny's attention and he froze, staring at the little boy who stared back at him solemnly. Everyone's eyes followed the little boy as he walked across the room to stand near Rafe, looking up at him expectantly.
"Hey buddy," Rafe said, hoisting him into his arms. No one seemed to know what to say as they divided their stares between Danny and the little boy in Rafe's arms. All the attention causing him to duck his head and hide.
Danny didn't know what to say or what to think as he stared at his son. The child that he knew existed but knew nothing about. At least now he knew his name. He felt he had to say something to ease the awkwardness. He could see the tension on Rafe's face. Glancing over at Evelyn, he saw that she looked scared and worried, her face pale. Whatever he said right now would set the tone for the rest of their lives.
Clearing his throat he looked down at Grace. "So, who is this Gracie?" he asked quietly.
"He's Danny," she told him matter of factly. "He's my friend."
Danny looked up at the little boy, seeing both himself and Evelyn in his little face. "Hello Danny," he said.
"Hi," the little boy replied quietly after Rafe gave him a little squeeze.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Grace's daddy," he said, firmly drawing the lines.
"You can call him Uncle Danny, just like I call Uncle Rafe," Grace chimed in, her natural exhuberance returning. "Can we go play? Can we have a cookie?" She looked expectantly at her mother and Evelyn. "Can we?"
"I think that would be fine," Kate replied. "Only one cookie each and you have to wear your boots and jackets."
"Okay," she jumped down from Danny's lap. "Come on Danny," she called. Halfway across the room, she turned back. "Dandy?" she asked. "Will you stay?"
Danny smiled. "I'm not going anywhere," he told her. "Have fun."
"We will," she said, running into the kitchen. "Come on, Danny!" she called back. Scrambling down from Rafe, her little friend followed her into the kitchen and out to the porch.
"Rafe would you..." Evelyn asked, pointing towards the retreating children.
"Yeah," he said, turning to follow them. "You better be putting your boots and jackets on or I'm eating your cookies," he called to them. They giggled in return, obviously not taking his threat seriously.
Once again the room was silent. Danny moved to sit on the couch next to Kate. She took his hand, giving him what support she could. He smiled at her weakly before looking over at Evelyn.
"He's a good looking boy," he told her, his voice hoarse.
Evelyn nodded, trying to control the tears that were threatening to fall. "Yes," she replied. She glanced around the room, a panicked look on her face. "I should probably see to dinner," she finally said after a moment, hurriedly getting up.
"I'll do it," Kate interjected, wanting to give them some time to talk.
Evelyn shook her head. "No, I'll do it. You two need some time."
They watched as she quickly went into the kitchen, keeping her back to them. "I think I'm going to go talk to Rafe," Danny told Kate softly. He leaned over and kissed her. "Will you be okay?"
Kate smiled. "I'll be fine....now that you're home," she told him. "Go talk to Rafe."
He got up and walked into the kitchen. Pausing briefly behind Evelyn he tried to think of something to say to her, but by the slope of her shoulders he knew that she wasn't ready to talk yet. Continuing past her he grabbed his coat and went outside.