Chapter 17- (BJ goes home)
"I'm glad we're finally back on the ground," BJ sighed with relief. He had never like to fly and Steven had cried for most of the flight.
"Awwww, what a cute baby, where's his mother?" An elderly woman gushed while making googly faces at the infant.
"She's back in South Carolina."
"Awww, well I hope she wont be long."
"Actually, no ma'am, she's staying there, I'm keeping the baby, raising him alone."
"Oh. Ummmm... oh. OK. Goodbye little one," the older woman bade farewell.
BJ continued along with the child, who was now sleeping quietly. Everything was ready, BJ had a friend set up an apartment near Peg's home, so he could still see Erin often. BJ was walking, not paying much attention to the people surrounding him, thinking of what lay ahead of him in life.
"Oh, excuse me, ma'am, I didn't see you," Beej apologized, "my mind is elsewhere... Peg?!" Beej jumped back with surprise.
"BJ, oh, I'm so glad you got home safely."
"Yeah, so am I, but Peg, what are you doing here? I'm so glad to see you... Erin!"
Erin ran out from behind her mother, throwing her arms around her daddy. He handed Peg the baby to hold while he greeted his daughter.
"Oh Erin, I missed you so much," he cried, squeezing her tight after picking her off the ground, "Daddy missed you so much sweetheart, I'm so sorry I had to be away, I'm so sorry Erin," he sobbed into her hair."
"OK, Daddy, I love you." Erin said happily, beaming at the man she now knew as her father.
BJ put her down and looked at her, wiping his face of the 2 years of tears he had been holding back. "I love you too, sweetheart." He stood, holding the toddler's hand. "Peg, thank you, thank you for bringing her to meet me, I needed to see her more than anything else when I arrived home."
"I didn't only bring her here to see you, BJ," she said handing the infant back to him, "I also came to see you."
"You?"
"Oh, BJ, I couldn't do it. I couldn't file those awful papers, I loved you too much."
"You mean...? We're not...?"
"No, BJ, we're not divorced, my love for you was too strong, and I realized that this child was a blessing, it proved that we were stronger than any opposition, stronger than the distance and the loneliness, stronger than any stupid mistakes and their sometimes wonderful outcomes," she explained, nodding toward the baby, tears streaming down her face. She kissed BJ and held him tightly, allowing all the time away and all their problems slip away in his arms.
"So this is...?" Peg smiled at the baby, her arm still around BJ's waist.
"May I present, Steven Hunnicutt."
"Daddy, is that my new brother?" Erin peeked at the baby.
"Yes sweetheart," he replied, kissing Peg on the forehead, "yes he is."
"I'm glad we're finally back on the ground," BJ sighed with relief. He had never like to fly and Steven had cried for most of the flight.
"Awwww, what a cute baby, where's his mother?" An elderly woman gushed while making googly faces at the infant.
"She's back in South Carolina."
"Awww, well I hope she wont be long."
"Actually, no ma'am, she's staying there, I'm keeping the baby, raising him alone."
"Oh. Ummmm... oh. OK. Goodbye little one," the older woman bade farewell.
BJ continued along with the child, who was now sleeping quietly. Everything was ready, BJ had a friend set up an apartment near Peg's home, so he could still see Erin often. BJ was walking, not paying much attention to the people surrounding him, thinking of what lay ahead of him in life.
"Oh, excuse me, ma'am, I didn't see you," Beej apologized, "my mind is elsewhere... Peg?!" Beej jumped back with surprise.
"BJ, oh, I'm so glad you got home safely."
"Yeah, so am I, but Peg, what are you doing here? I'm so glad to see you... Erin!"
Erin ran out from behind her mother, throwing her arms around her daddy. He handed Peg the baby to hold while he greeted his daughter.
"Oh Erin, I missed you so much," he cried, squeezing her tight after picking her off the ground, "Daddy missed you so much sweetheart, I'm so sorry I had to be away, I'm so sorry Erin," he sobbed into her hair."
"OK, Daddy, I love you." Erin said happily, beaming at the man she now knew as her father.
BJ put her down and looked at her, wiping his face of the 2 years of tears he had been holding back. "I love you too, sweetheart." He stood, holding the toddler's hand. "Peg, thank you, thank you for bringing her to meet me, I needed to see her more than anything else when I arrived home."
"I didn't only bring her here to see you, BJ," she said handing the infant back to him, "I also came to see you."
"You?"
"Oh, BJ, I couldn't do it. I couldn't file those awful papers, I loved you too much."
"You mean...? We're not...?"
"No, BJ, we're not divorced, my love for you was too strong, and I realized that this child was a blessing, it proved that we were stronger than any opposition, stronger than the distance and the loneliness, stronger than any stupid mistakes and their sometimes wonderful outcomes," she explained, nodding toward the baby, tears streaming down her face. She kissed BJ and held him tightly, allowing all the time away and all their problems slip away in his arms.
"So this is...?" Peg smiled at the baby, her arm still around BJ's waist.
"May I present, Steven Hunnicutt."
"Daddy, is that my new brother?" Erin peeked at the baby.
"Yes sweetheart," he replied, kissing Peg on the forehead, "yes he is."
