Chapter Twenty-Four:
"You okay?" Nick asked Josh with a tug on his baseball cap. The boy looked the way he was feeling. Like the rug had been pulled out from under him. "Josh. Champ. It's okay. I know you're sad," he said. Trying to get Josh to meet his eyes. "You don't have to pretend with me." Josh looked up then. And Nick noticed the wetness of his brown eyes.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Nick. I'm glad Jenny found her family," he said quietly. Casting a glance to where his favorite person in the entire world sat. "But I don't want her to leave us," he said in a wobbly voice. "I don't want her to go." Neither do I, Nick thought as he hugged Josh. Neither do I.
He leaned back on his heels and gave Josh a friendly smile and was relieved to see Josh's toothy smile again. Even if it didn't quite reach his eyes. He nodded his head politely at Jenny's--no, Sheridan's--husband. Her husband. The words stuck in his throat. Luis. The man who had everything. Everything he had ever wanted, he thought as he watched Jenny with her daughter. Getting to know each other. She would always be Jenny to him. Not Sheridan.
But he couldn't hate him. Couldn't bring himself to do it. Especially after hearing his heartfelt thanks following the story of how Sheridan came to be "Jenny." The man loved her too much for him to hate him. He felt guilt instead. Guilt for his thoughts. His feelings. Guilt that his heart had sank upon the realization that his Jenny was indeed Luis's Sheridan. It gnawed at him. Because a small part of him still wished to win her heart. Despite it all.
He smiled as Theresa--that's what she had introduced herself as--tried to lift Josh's spirits. Her efforts finally paid off. Earning a genuine smile from his young friend. He turned to Luis in surprise when he heard his voice. "Will he be okay? He loves her. Adores her. It's plain as day. I can see it all over his face when he looks at her. And I can tell she loves him. Just as much."
"I think so," he replied, turning back around to the scene in front of him. Josh. Laughing. Enjoying himself. Playing with Jenny's daughter. While Jenny looked on with a content smile. Happy. They were happy. "It'll take him a while. He'll miss her like crazy. All of us will. She means a lot to us. But knowing she's happy will make it easier. Keep her that way."
Something he couldn't name flashed through Luis's dark eyes. Just a flash. Lasting only a few seconds. Then he held out his hand, and Nick shook it firmly. And watched him cross the room to Jenny. Soon she stood in front of him. Looking a bit overwhelmed, but happiness and hope shone in her blue eyes. She hugged him in gratitude. And goodbye.
He closed his eyes tightly as he held her one last time. Memorizing the feeling. "Thank you," she whispered. "For all that you have done for me. I'll never forget it. Never forget you," she said with a smile. A kiss to his cheek. The moment was too fleeting. Then she was on her knees. At Josh's feet. Gazing up into his dark eyes. Trying to make him understand.
"I'll visit all the time. I promise you," she said to him. Holding his hands in hers. Josh sniffled as he said, "It won't be the same. Not without you. I wish you could stay with me." "Oh, sweetie. I can't. This," she said looking around the room at Theresa, Pilar, Ali, and Luis, "is my family. I still don't remember a lot of things. And I may never remember everything. But I know I belong with them."
"I know," Josh said softly. "You'll visit? You promise?" She smiled at him and cupped his cheek in the palm of her hand. "Of course I will. We'll have to play a few hands of cards here and there." "You'll never win," Josh said with a grin. "I'll always beat you." She matched the grin on his face with one of your own and said, "We'll see about that mister." Josh laughed and threw his arms about her neck. Whispered something to her. And Jenny beamed at him as she waved goodbye.
In the car on the way out of Boston, Nick asked Josh what he had said to make Jenny smile so. Josh smiled a secret smile and told him, "I can't tell you. That's my secret. Mine and Jenny's." He laughed and gave him an affectionate pat on the shoulder. And turned back to the road in front of him. The road home.
"You okay?" Nick asked Josh with a tug on his baseball cap. The boy looked the way he was feeling. Like the rug had been pulled out from under him. "Josh. Champ. It's okay. I know you're sad," he said. Trying to get Josh to meet his eyes. "You don't have to pretend with me." Josh looked up then. And Nick noticed the wetness of his brown eyes.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Nick. I'm glad Jenny found her family," he said quietly. Casting a glance to where his favorite person in the entire world sat. "But I don't want her to leave us," he said in a wobbly voice. "I don't want her to go." Neither do I, Nick thought as he hugged Josh. Neither do I.
He leaned back on his heels and gave Josh a friendly smile and was relieved to see Josh's toothy smile again. Even if it didn't quite reach his eyes. He nodded his head politely at Jenny's--no, Sheridan's--husband. Her husband. The words stuck in his throat. Luis. The man who had everything. Everything he had ever wanted, he thought as he watched Jenny with her daughter. Getting to know each other. She would always be Jenny to him. Not Sheridan.
But he couldn't hate him. Couldn't bring himself to do it. Especially after hearing his heartfelt thanks following the story of how Sheridan came to be "Jenny." The man loved her too much for him to hate him. He felt guilt instead. Guilt for his thoughts. His feelings. Guilt that his heart had sank upon the realization that his Jenny was indeed Luis's Sheridan. It gnawed at him. Because a small part of him still wished to win her heart. Despite it all.
He smiled as Theresa--that's what she had introduced herself as--tried to lift Josh's spirits. Her efforts finally paid off. Earning a genuine smile from his young friend. He turned to Luis in surprise when he heard his voice. "Will he be okay? He loves her. Adores her. It's plain as day. I can see it all over his face when he looks at her. And I can tell she loves him. Just as much."
"I think so," he replied, turning back around to the scene in front of him. Josh. Laughing. Enjoying himself. Playing with Jenny's daughter. While Jenny looked on with a content smile. Happy. They were happy. "It'll take him a while. He'll miss her like crazy. All of us will. She means a lot to us. But knowing she's happy will make it easier. Keep her that way."
Something he couldn't name flashed through Luis's dark eyes. Just a flash. Lasting only a few seconds. Then he held out his hand, and Nick shook it firmly. And watched him cross the room to Jenny. Soon she stood in front of him. Looking a bit overwhelmed, but happiness and hope shone in her blue eyes. She hugged him in gratitude. And goodbye.
He closed his eyes tightly as he held her one last time. Memorizing the feeling. "Thank you," she whispered. "For all that you have done for me. I'll never forget it. Never forget you," she said with a smile. A kiss to his cheek. The moment was too fleeting. Then she was on her knees. At Josh's feet. Gazing up into his dark eyes. Trying to make him understand.
"I'll visit all the time. I promise you," she said to him. Holding his hands in hers. Josh sniffled as he said, "It won't be the same. Not without you. I wish you could stay with me." "Oh, sweetie. I can't. This," she said looking around the room at Theresa, Pilar, Ali, and Luis, "is my family. I still don't remember a lot of things. And I may never remember everything. But I know I belong with them."
"I know," Josh said softly. "You'll visit? You promise?" She smiled at him and cupped his cheek in the palm of her hand. "Of course I will. We'll have to play a few hands of cards here and there." "You'll never win," Josh said with a grin. "I'll always beat you." She matched the grin on his face with one of your own and said, "We'll see about that mister." Josh laughed and threw his arms about her neck. Whispered something to her. And Jenny beamed at him as she waved goodbye.
In the car on the way out of Boston, Nick asked Josh what he had said to make Jenny smile so. Josh smiled a secret smile and told him, "I can't tell you. That's my secret. Mine and Jenny's." He laughed and gave him an affectionate pat on the shoulder. And turned back to the road in front of him. The road home.