Chapter 54
Kim and Jimmy walked down the hallway toward Melanie's room and saw Catherine Zambrano sitting in the hallway with a smug smile on her face.
"Mom? What's up?" asked Kim, smiling back. "I take it you've heard the good news."
"What good news?" Catherine asked her.
"Faith called me. They found Tony. He's in jail and he's not getting out. She and Bosco are on their way here with Abby, Charlie and Joey," Kim explained, watching her mother's face light up even more.
"That's fantastic. You should go in and tell Melanie. No one has told her yet either, but you may want to wait a few minutes," Catherine said, again with the smile.
"Wait? Why? I'd think she'd want to know this right away," Kim said, glancing over at Jimmy with a confused look on her face.
"Well, Bobby's in there with her. They have really gotten quite close during all this. I think they're good for each other," Catherine said.
"Ahhh. I see," said Kim. "Well, I think that this news warrants an interruption," Kim said and she took Jimmy's hand and walked into her sister's room.
They stood in the doorway, trying not to laugh as they watched Bobby and Melanie kissing as if they were two kids behind the bleachers of the football field. "Ahem," Jimmy finally cleared his throat, breaking up the session.
"Hey! Kim, Jimmy!" said Bobby as he came over and shook Jimmy's hand. "How's everything going? Any news?" he asked.
"Well, as a matter of fact," Kim started, walking over to her sister. "Tony's in jail and will be for quite some time. Abby's fine. As a matter of fact, Faith and Bosco are bringing her over here right now," she finished, seeing her sister's eyes light up and release their fear and tension.
"Oh, thank God," Melanie said as Bobby came over and took her hand. "And the doctor said that I can finally get out of here. What a great day this is turning out to be," Melanie said, looking up at Bobby and then over to Kim and Jimmy.
All four of them heard a noise behind them and turned toward the door in time to hear, "Mama," from Abby as Catherine brought her into the room.
"Abby!" Mel exclaimed, holding her arms out to grab her. She took hold of her and held her tight, until the child began to squirm. "Abby, I missed you so much. I love you."
"Mama booboo?" Abby asked quietly, suddenly a little scared of her surroundings.
"Mama's fine now, Abby. I'm coming home today," she said, calming any fears the child had.
"Um, actually, Melanie," came Bosco's voice from the doorway. Bosco and Faith were standing in the doorway with Joey and Charlie and Kim and Jimmy immediately went over to take their kids into their arms and welcome them home.
"We took a report from your neighbor about a break-in at your apartment building. Apparently Tony went over there and trashed the place looking for you and Abby. I guess when he found you weren't there he went a little nuts and destroyed pretty much every room," Bosco explained.
"Yeah, the landlord is starting to have the repairs made, but it's gonna be a little while until you can live there again," Faith added. "So much for that security deposit," she kidded, trying to lighten the mood a little.
"Oh," Melanie said, not really knowing what to do next. She knew that Kim, Joey and Charlie were staying with her mother and that Bobby and his mother were living at a hotel since the fire, so she didn't really know where she'd stay. "I guess I'll have to look at apartments," she said uncertainly.
"Not at all," Jimmy piped up as Kim looked at him. He looked over at Kim as if asking her permission to make the announcement and she nodded yes.
"Kimmy, Joey and Charlie will be coming to live with me. She'll be calling the hospital in Chicago to give her notice and then use her two weeks vacation time up," he said, taking in the smiles on everyone's faces. "So, that frees up your Mom's house for you to recuperate in and if you need any help at all from us, you know you got it." He finished.
"Yeah, well I'm gonna be around to help out too," Bobby announced, looking at Melanie with love. "I talked to Doc yesterday and he said anytime I want my job back, it's mine. And I checked at my old building and there's an apartment open so Mom and me will be staying there until they figure out if her house can be fixed or not."
Everyone congratulated Kim and Jimmy and Joey was thrilled. Abby and Charlie sat on the empty bed in Melanie's room, with the side rails up and played with each other as everyone caught up on everything.
Kim and Jimmy walked down the hallway toward Melanie's room and saw Catherine Zambrano sitting in the hallway with a smug smile on her face.
"Mom? What's up?" asked Kim, smiling back. "I take it you've heard the good news."
"What good news?" Catherine asked her.
"Faith called me. They found Tony. He's in jail and he's not getting out. She and Bosco are on their way here with Abby, Charlie and Joey," Kim explained, watching her mother's face light up even more.
"That's fantastic. You should go in and tell Melanie. No one has told her yet either, but you may want to wait a few minutes," Catherine said, again with the smile.
"Wait? Why? I'd think she'd want to know this right away," Kim said, glancing over at Jimmy with a confused look on her face.
"Well, Bobby's in there with her. They have really gotten quite close during all this. I think they're good for each other," Catherine said.
"Ahhh. I see," said Kim. "Well, I think that this news warrants an interruption," Kim said and she took Jimmy's hand and walked into her sister's room.
They stood in the doorway, trying not to laugh as they watched Bobby and Melanie kissing as if they were two kids behind the bleachers of the football field. "Ahem," Jimmy finally cleared his throat, breaking up the session.
"Hey! Kim, Jimmy!" said Bobby as he came over and shook Jimmy's hand. "How's everything going? Any news?" he asked.
"Well, as a matter of fact," Kim started, walking over to her sister. "Tony's in jail and will be for quite some time. Abby's fine. As a matter of fact, Faith and Bosco are bringing her over here right now," she finished, seeing her sister's eyes light up and release their fear and tension.
"Oh, thank God," Melanie said as Bobby came over and took her hand. "And the doctor said that I can finally get out of here. What a great day this is turning out to be," Melanie said, looking up at Bobby and then over to Kim and Jimmy.
All four of them heard a noise behind them and turned toward the door in time to hear, "Mama," from Abby as Catherine brought her into the room.
"Abby!" Mel exclaimed, holding her arms out to grab her. She took hold of her and held her tight, until the child began to squirm. "Abby, I missed you so much. I love you."
"Mama booboo?" Abby asked quietly, suddenly a little scared of her surroundings.
"Mama's fine now, Abby. I'm coming home today," she said, calming any fears the child had.
"Um, actually, Melanie," came Bosco's voice from the doorway. Bosco and Faith were standing in the doorway with Joey and Charlie and Kim and Jimmy immediately went over to take their kids into their arms and welcome them home.
"We took a report from your neighbor about a break-in at your apartment building. Apparently Tony went over there and trashed the place looking for you and Abby. I guess when he found you weren't there he went a little nuts and destroyed pretty much every room," Bosco explained.
"Yeah, the landlord is starting to have the repairs made, but it's gonna be a little while until you can live there again," Faith added. "So much for that security deposit," she kidded, trying to lighten the mood a little.
"Oh," Melanie said, not really knowing what to do next. She knew that Kim, Joey and Charlie were staying with her mother and that Bobby and his mother were living at a hotel since the fire, so she didn't really know where she'd stay. "I guess I'll have to look at apartments," she said uncertainly.
"Not at all," Jimmy piped up as Kim looked at him. He looked over at Kim as if asking her permission to make the announcement and she nodded yes.
"Kimmy, Joey and Charlie will be coming to live with me. She'll be calling the hospital in Chicago to give her notice and then use her two weeks vacation time up," he said, taking in the smiles on everyone's faces. "So, that frees up your Mom's house for you to recuperate in and if you need any help at all from us, you know you got it." He finished.
"Yeah, well I'm gonna be around to help out too," Bobby announced, looking at Melanie with love. "I talked to Doc yesterday and he said anytime I want my job back, it's mine. And I checked at my old building and there's an apartment open so Mom and me will be staying there until they figure out if her house can be fixed or not."
Everyone congratulated Kim and Jimmy and Joey was thrilled. Abby and Charlie sat on the empty bed in Melanie's room, with the side rails up and played with each other as everyone caught up on everything.