Chapter 4
"Phoebe!" Joey exclaimed, as he and Colleen stepped further inside the apartment. "What? When? How...how did you get here?"
"I hope you don't mind," she said, holding her daughter as she rose from the chair. Her voice sounded quiet and sad. "I didn't know where else to go. I saw Treager when I arrived. He remembered me and allowed me into your apartment."
"It's fine," Joey said. "I'm glad you and Lily are here. I'm just shocked to see you."
"Is this...is this your daughter?" she asked, motioning to the five-year-old with the curious eyes, who was standing next to Joey.
"Oh, no. This is Monica and Chandler's daughter, Colleen."
"Oh, wow," Phoebe said. "I have a picture of you when you were a baby. Hi, Colleen. It's nice to meet you."
"Hi," she said, looking from Phoebe to Joey.
"This is a friend of mine and your parents and Uncle Ross and Auntie Rachel," Joey explained. "She got married a few years ago and left to join her husband in Europe. That's her daughter Lily."
Phoebe's three-year-old had buried her head against her mother's shoulder.
"Lily is very shy," Phoebe explained. "She's tired, too. Do you think I could put her down for a nap?"
"Of course. You can put her in Chandler's old room."
"That's where I sleep when I stay here," Colleen said, following them into the room.
Phoebe placed her daughter down on the bed.
"You'll take a nap for Mommy?" Phoebe asked.
Lily, never taking her big brown eyes off her mother, nodded.
"I love you," Phoebe said.
She tucked her daughter under the covers and kissed her cheek.
"I'm going to leave the door open, so you call me if you need me. Try to sleep, baby. Okay?"
Lily nodded.
"I can stay with her if you want," Colleen offered.
"So sweet," Phoebe said.
Colleen smiled. "She's so pretty."
"Thank you. You're very pretty, too. You look just like your mom."
"Yeah," Colleen said and giggled, "that's what everyone tells me."
"But she has Chandler's creative genes," Joey said, lifting his shoulders as if he didn't really know what that meant but felt he needed to say it.
"Sure," Phoebe said, nodding. "I believe it."
"You don't mind staying in here, Colleen?" Joey asked.
"No, I wanna watch Lily."
"Okay. As soon as I talk to Phoebe for a little bit, I'll call your parents."
Phoebe and Joey returned to the living room.
"Go ahead and sit," Joey said.
He pulled up a stool next to her and sat down.
"Chandler and Monica are coming here?" Phoebe asked.
"Yes, to pick up Colleen. Is that problem? Do you not want to see them?"
"No, it's okay. It's just...it's weird being back here. But Joey, I don't know what I'm going to do."
"Phoebe, what's going on?"
She rose from the chair and began to pace the small area. She stopped, with her back to him, chewed on a piece of her long blonde hair, and then finally turned and faced him.
"It's Ryan," she said, her eyes brimming with tears. "Joey, the base he was stationed at was attacked. They think...they think he's dead."
As if finally saying the words was too much for her, she began to sob uncontrollably. Joey rushed to her and folded her tense body into his arms.
"I'm try...trying to be so strong," she said, in between her sobs, "but I...I'm so scared. I can't be...believe he's dead...but what if...what if he is? What am I going to do?"
Joey stroked her hair and tried to calm her down.
"Sshh, it's okay, Phoebe, it's okay. You don't have to make any decisions right now. Just stay with me. I have the extra room."
"I...I can't stay here. You...you have your...your own life."
"You need me," Joey said, pulling back to look into her eyes, "and you and your daughter need a safe place to stay. I insist you stay here. I won't take no for an answer."
"Okay," Phoebe said, nodding. "Thank you so much, Joey. I have so much to do, and I don't even know where to begin."
*~*
Only when Phoebe told Joey that she was feeling better did he call Monica and Chandler. Shocked to hear that Phoebe and Lily were with him, they said they were on their way. An emotional reunion ensued once they saw each other. Colleen bounded into the living room to see her parents and to tell them about Lily.
"I think she's waking up," Colleen said to Phoebe.
"I'll be right back," Phoebe said.
"Can you believe this?" Joey asked them, once Phoebe had gone into the bedroom.
"Poor, Pheebs," Chandler said. "I wonder if the military will ever tell her what happened."
"We talked for a little bit, and she mentioned something about maybe having to go to Washington, D.C."
Monica smiled when Phoebe returned, carrying a more alert Lily in her arms.
"Lily, this is Monica and Chandler. They're Colleen parents. Say 'hi' to everyone."
Still shy, she waved but didn't speak.
"You are so precious," Monica said. She tried to get Lily to smile but without success.
"She looks sad, Mommy," Colleen said.
"She misses her Daddy," Phoebe whispered, holding Lily closer.
"Daddy?" Lily asked. It was the first words she had spoken. "Mama, where Daddy?"
"He's not here, sweetie. He can't be with us right now. But I know he's thinking about you. And me. This nice man here," she said, pointing to Joey, "is letting us stay with him. His name is Joey. Can you say 'thank you' to him?"
Lily looked at him but didn't say anything.
"It's okay," Joey said.
"I'm sorry," Phoebe said. "We just...this is so hard."
As fresh tears threatened, Phoebe looked away. Joey placed gentle hands on her shoulders.
"It's all right, Phoebe. We understand."
"I just...I can't talk about this right now."
"We're going to go," Monica said. "Phoebe, honey, you get some rest. But if you need anything, call us. Okay?"
Phoebe nodded, still not looking at them. Joey thanked them for understanding.
"Would it be okay if we told Ross and Rachel?" Chandler asked. "I know they'd want to know how you're doing."
"Sure. I just...I can't see anyone right now."
"No problem," Monica said. "We'll just tell them the news."
*~*
"I can call them from my cell phone," Monica said to Chandler, once they'd gotten into their car and had settled Colleen in the back seat. "Should I ask if we can visit?"
"Okay."
"I can tell Emma and Jake about Lily," Colleen said happily. "Call them, Mommy."
Rachel answered the phone. She was shocked when Monica broke the news to her.
"Ross, you gotta hear this," Rachel said. "Mon, tell him. And get here quickly. We want to know everything."
Rachel handed the phone to her husband, who was just as struck by the news as his wife had been.
"That's terrible," he said. "When will Phoebe know for sure what happened?"
"She didn't reveal too much, at least while we were there. Joey probably knows more than we do."
"We can talk more when you get here. Plan to stay for dinner. Rachel is making spaghetti."
"Okay. See you soon. We're having dinner with them," Monica told her husband and daughter after she'd ended the call. "Rach is making spaghetti."
*~*
"I wanna see Lily," Emma told her parents, after Monica, Chandler and Colleen had left their house in Brooklyn Heights.
"We have to wait until Phoebe says she wants to see us," Ross explained.
"But Colleen got to see her. Why can't I?"
"Sweetheart," Rachel tried to explain, "the only reason Colleen got to see her is because she was with Uncle Joey when Phoebe arrived."
"I know. Because she got to stay and have fun with Uncle Joey. I never get to stay and do anything fun! I wanted to stay, but you wouldn't let me."
"Because you had piano practice," Ross reminded his daughter.
"That's not fun," Emma complained. "That's work. Colleen gets to do fun stuff. I never do!"
Rachel and Ross exchanged confused glances.
"You do a lot of fun things, Emma," Rachel said.
"You can't compare yourself to Colleen," Ross added. "She's younger than you. When she's your age, she'll have homework and things she has to do after school and on weekends."
"But still," Emma said and sniffled, "Auntie Monica and Uncle Chandler let her do more things than you let me do."
"Like what?" Rachel asked.
"She's gone to a baseball game and she does more things with Uncle Joey, too. They went to the park today."
"Okay," Rachel said. "How about if next Saturday we go roller-skating in Central Park?"
"Really?" Emma asked, her blue eyes lighting up.
"Really. We'll make a day of it."
"Okay. Thanks, Mommy. That sounds like fun. Just you and me, right?"
"But what about..."
Rachel nudged Ross in his ribs.
"Yes, Emma," Rachel said. "It'll be just you and me. We'll go somewhere for lunch, maybe do a little shopping. I'll introduce you to Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue."
"Oh boy!" Emma said, clearly excited. "I can't wait to tell Colleen. I know she's never been shopping at those places. For once, I get to tell her about something I've done that she never has. I can't wait for Saturday. It's going to be the best day!"
"Phoebe!" Joey exclaimed, as he and Colleen stepped further inside the apartment. "What? When? How...how did you get here?"
"I hope you don't mind," she said, holding her daughter as she rose from the chair. Her voice sounded quiet and sad. "I didn't know where else to go. I saw Treager when I arrived. He remembered me and allowed me into your apartment."
"It's fine," Joey said. "I'm glad you and Lily are here. I'm just shocked to see you."
"Is this...is this your daughter?" she asked, motioning to the five-year-old with the curious eyes, who was standing next to Joey.
"Oh, no. This is Monica and Chandler's daughter, Colleen."
"Oh, wow," Phoebe said. "I have a picture of you when you were a baby. Hi, Colleen. It's nice to meet you."
"Hi," she said, looking from Phoebe to Joey.
"This is a friend of mine and your parents and Uncle Ross and Auntie Rachel," Joey explained. "She got married a few years ago and left to join her husband in Europe. That's her daughter Lily."
Phoebe's three-year-old had buried her head against her mother's shoulder.
"Lily is very shy," Phoebe explained. "She's tired, too. Do you think I could put her down for a nap?"
"Of course. You can put her in Chandler's old room."
"That's where I sleep when I stay here," Colleen said, following them into the room.
Phoebe placed her daughter down on the bed.
"You'll take a nap for Mommy?" Phoebe asked.
Lily, never taking her big brown eyes off her mother, nodded.
"I love you," Phoebe said.
She tucked her daughter under the covers and kissed her cheek.
"I'm going to leave the door open, so you call me if you need me. Try to sleep, baby. Okay?"
Lily nodded.
"I can stay with her if you want," Colleen offered.
"So sweet," Phoebe said.
Colleen smiled. "She's so pretty."
"Thank you. You're very pretty, too. You look just like your mom."
"Yeah," Colleen said and giggled, "that's what everyone tells me."
"But she has Chandler's creative genes," Joey said, lifting his shoulders as if he didn't really know what that meant but felt he needed to say it.
"Sure," Phoebe said, nodding. "I believe it."
"You don't mind staying in here, Colleen?" Joey asked.
"No, I wanna watch Lily."
"Okay. As soon as I talk to Phoebe for a little bit, I'll call your parents."
Phoebe and Joey returned to the living room.
"Go ahead and sit," Joey said.
He pulled up a stool next to her and sat down.
"Chandler and Monica are coming here?" Phoebe asked.
"Yes, to pick up Colleen. Is that problem? Do you not want to see them?"
"No, it's okay. It's just...it's weird being back here. But Joey, I don't know what I'm going to do."
"Phoebe, what's going on?"
She rose from the chair and began to pace the small area. She stopped, with her back to him, chewed on a piece of her long blonde hair, and then finally turned and faced him.
"It's Ryan," she said, her eyes brimming with tears. "Joey, the base he was stationed at was attacked. They think...they think he's dead."
As if finally saying the words was too much for her, she began to sob uncontrollably. Joey rushed to her and folded her tense body into his arms.
"I'm try...trying to be so strong," she said, in between her sobs, "but I...I'm so scared. I can't be...believe he's dead...but what if...what if he is? What am I going to do?"
Joey stroked her hair and tried to calm her down.
"Sshh, it's okay, Phoebe, it's okay. You don't have to make any decisions right now. Just stay with me. I have the extra room."
"I...I can't stay here. You...you have your...your own life."
"You need me," Joey said, pulling back to look into her eyes, "and you and your daughter need a safe place to stay. I insist you stay here. I won't take no for an answer."
"Okay," Phoebe said, nodding. "Thank you so much, Joey. I have so much to do, and I don't even know where to begin."
*~*
Only when Phoebe told Joey that she was feeling better did he call Monica and Chandler. Shocked to hear that Phoebe and Lily were with him, they said they were on their way. An emotional reunion ensued once they saw each other. Colleen bounded into the living room to see her parents and to tell them about Lily.
"I think she's waking up," Colleen said to Phoebe.
"I'll be right back," Phoebe said.
"Can you believe this?" Joey asked them, once Phoebe had gone into the bedroom.
"Poor, Pheebs," Chandler said. "I wonder if the military will ever tell her what happened."
"We talked for a little bit, and she mentioned something about maybe having to go to Washington, D.C."
Monica smiled when Phoebe returned, carrying a more alert Lily in her arms.
"Lily, this is Monica and Chandler. They're Colleen parents. Say 'hi' to everyone."
Still shy, she waved but didn't speak.
"You are so precious," Monica said. She tried to get Lily to smile but without success.
"She looks sad, Mommy," Colleen said.
"She misses her Daddy," Phoebe whispered, holding Lily closer.
"Daddy?" Lily asked. It was the first words she had spoken. "Mama, where Daddy?"
"He's not here, sweetie. He can't be with us right now. But I know he's thinking about you. And me. This nice man here," she said, pointing to Joey, "is letting us stay with him. His name is Joey. Can you say 'thank you' to him?"
Lily looked at him but didn't say anything.
"It's okay," Joey said.
"I'm sorry," Phoebe said. "We just...this is so hard."
As fresh tears threatened, Phoebe looked away. Joey placed gentle hands on her shoulders.
"It's all right, Phoebe. We understand."
"I just...I can't talk about this right now."
"We're going to go," Monica said. "Phoebe, honey, you get some rest. But if you need anything, call us. Okay?"
Phoebe nodded, still not looking at them. Joey thanked them for understanding.
"Would it be okay if we told Ross and Rachel?" Chandler asked. "I know they'd want to know how you're doing."
"Sure. I just...I can't see anyone right now."
"No problem," Monica said. "We'll just tell them the news."
*~*
"I can call them from my cell phone," Monica said to Chandler, once they'd gotten into their car and had settled Colleen in the back seat. "Should I ask if we can visit?"
"Okay."
"I can tell Emma and Jake about Lily," Colleen said happily. "Call them, Mommy."
Rachel answered the phone. She was shocked when Monica broke the news to her.
"Ross, you gotta hear this," Rachel said. "Mon, tell him. And get here quickly. We want to know everything."
Rachel handed the phone to her husband, who was just as struck by the news as his wife had been.
"That's terrible," he said. "When will Phoebe know for sure what happened?"
"She didn't reveal too much, at least while we were there. Joey probably knows more than we do."
"We can talk more when you get here. Plan to stay for dinner. Rachel is making spaghetti."
"Okay. See you soon. We're having dinner with them," Monica told her husband and daughter after she'd ended the call. "Rach is making spaghetti."
*~*
"I wanna see Lily," Emma told her parents, after Monica, Chandler and Colleen had left their house in Brooklyn Heights.
"We have to wait until Phoebe says she wants to see us," Ross explained.
"But Colleen got to see her. Why can't I?"
"Sweetheart," Rachel tried to explain, "the only reason Colleen got to see her is because she was with Uncle Joey when Phoebe arrived."
"I know. Because she got to stay and have fun with Uncle Joey. I never get to stay and do anything fun! I wanted to stay, but you wouldn't let me."
"Because you had piano practice," Ross reminded his daughter.
"That's not fun," Emma complained. "That's work. Colleen gets to do fun stuff. I never do!"
Rachel and Ross exchanged confused glances.
"You do a lot of fun things, Emma," Rachel said.
"You can't compare yourself to Colleen," Ross added. "She's younger than you. When she's your age, she'll have homework and things she has to do after school and on weekends."
"But still," Emma said and sniffled, "Auntie Monica and Uncle Chandler let her do more things than you let me do."
"Like what?" Rachel asked.
"She's gone to a baseball game and she does more things with Uncle Joey, too. They went to the park today."
"Okay," Rachel said. "How about if next Saturday we go roller-skating in Central Park?"
"Really?" Emma asked, her blue eyes lighting up.
"Really. We'll make a day of it."
"Okay. Thanks, Mommy. That sounds like fun. Just you and me, right?"
"But what about..."
Rachel nudged Ross in his ribs.
"Yes, Emma," Rachel said. "It'll be just you and me. We'll go somewhere for lunch, maybe do a little shopping. I'll introduce you to Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue."
"Oh boy!" Emma said, clearly excited. "I can't wait to tell Colleen. I know she's never been shopping at those places. For once, I get to tell her about something I've done that she never has. I can't wait for Saturday. It's going to be the best day!"