Chapter 3
"Bobby, he's beautiful," said Alex as she looked at the pictures he had of the new baby. This was his first day back to work since Robert was born. As much as he liked it and Melanie hated it, it seemed inevitable that Robert James Caffey would come to be known as R.J. Caffey.
She continued to look at the pictures and said, "So, how's Melanie feeling?"
"She says she's great. But, I think two is a little more work than she thought it would be. We'll see what happens after today while I'm working," Bobby said, slightly worried.
Jimmy slapped Bobby on the back and said, "Ah, Bobby, she'll be fine. She'll get into a routine pretty soon and she won't even remember how hard it was in the beginning. Just ask Kim."
"Ask Kim what?" said Kim as she walked into the kitchen of the firehouse.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Jimmy asked in surprise as he gave her a kiss. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
"Well, as a matter of fact I am supposed to be at work. But a certain someone left their stuff in the backseat of my car. You think you might need this stuff later?" she asked Jimmy, holding up his duffel bag with his change of clothes and his books in it. He had been taking a course on hazardous materials and planned on getting some studying done during the downtime between calls.
Immediately, the teasing started. First with D.K., "Aw, Jimmy Wimmy, did Mommy have to bring your stuff for you?"
"Did she sew your name in your underwear?" Billy Walsh continued.
"Alright, alright. Everyone have a good time with that, did they?" he replied, blushing slightly while giving Kim a look that said, 'Did you have to do this in front of the guys?'
"Sorry, Jimmy Wimmy. I'm off to work," Kim said with a smile as she kissed Jimmy good-bye.
"Safe shift everyone!" she called over her shoulder as she left to head to work.
"Bye Kim," came the reply from everyone, as Jimmy walked her out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mom, really, you don't have to do that," Melanie said, exasperated.
"Mel, don't worry about it. I want to help you. That's what I'm here for. You need to pay attention to the baby and Abby right now. And get your strength back. Now go take a nap while the kids are sleeping so you won't be so tired for those 2:00 a.m. feedings. You're breastfeeding, so those I can't help you with," Catherine Zambrano said as she continued to sort the laundry.
"Remember when women used to just have their kids in the field and go right back to work?" Melanie mumbled to herself as she went back to lie down while the kids were both napping. She had to admit she was pretty exhausted.
******
It seemed like it had only been about ten minutes since she'd fallen asleep when she heard R.J. crying. She waited for a moment to see if he would quiet down and glanced at the clock to see that it had indeed been three hours. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Well, you're punctual. I'll give you that," she commented as she started out of the room to change him and then feed him.
As soon as she was done feeding him, she carried him out to the living room to find her mother and Abby watching Sesame Street and having a snack. "Mmmm food. That's what I need," Melanie said as she walked past them toward the kitchen, stopping to put a hand on the side of Abby's face and kissing the top of her head. "How's my little girl," she said quietly in her ear.
"I'm good Mommy, but you look terrible," the little girl commented and Catherine tried to stifle a laugh.
"Abby, Mommy's had a hard day. Give her a break," she said as Melanie walked off to the kitchen, a tear running down her cheek. "I really hate this part," Melanie mumbled to herself, referring to her post-partum depression, as she poured herself some milk and grabbed a banana off the counter.
"You're doing great," came the soft voice of her mother behind her giving her a gentle hug.
And then the tears began to flow. "Mom, I look terrible. I don't think I've taken a shower since I came home from the hospital two days ago and I haven't even kissed Bobby since R.J. was born. I think he thinks I'm ugly," she said, trying to hold back her tears.
"Oh, Mel. You went through this with Abby too, remember?" Catherine said, taking the baby from her. "Honey, go take a shower and relax a little. You are not ugly and Bobby doesn't think so either. You're just tired and you're body has been through a hard ordeal. Now go. I've got R.J. and Abby so don't worry. You've got at least three hours until he needs to eat again," she said, walking Melanie to the bathroom. She gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, "I love you," as Melanie disappeared into the bathroom, with a weepy, "Thanks, Mom."
Melanie didn't hear the phone ring as she turned on the shower. Catherine answered the phone to hear Bobby on the other end.
"So, how's it going?" he asked his mother-in-law.
"The usual. She feels ugly. She's tired. She's depressed," Catherine told him. "Nothing that won't pass," she added.
"Should I come home?" Bobby asked her with some concern in his voice.
"No, no. She'll be fine. Just give her a couple of days and help out as much as she'll let you when you're home," she explained to him. "But, Bobby. I did want to talk to you about something I saw in the mail. I didn't want to upset Mel so I set it aside. It's an envelope from the New York City Department of Corrections, Parole Division," she read off the envelope.
"Open it up," Bobby said, a frown on his face.
After a moment, he heard Catherine take in a breath. "What?" he asked over the phone.
"It's Tony. He's out on parole, Bobby," she told him.
"What?! Why weren't we notified before he got out?" Bobby almost yelled into the phone. "Is there a phone number on the letter?"
Catherine gave him the number. "I'm not going to mention this to Melanie," she told Bobby.
"No!" Bobby agreed. "I'm sure it's fine. Just lock the doors and be careful. I'll call the Parole Office and find out what happened."
"Bobby, he's beautiful," said Alex as she looked at the pictures he had of the new baby. This was his first day back to work since Robert was born. As much as he liked it and Melanie hated it, it seemed inevitable that Robert James Caffey would come to be known as R.J. Caffey.
She continued to look at the pictures and said, "So, how's Melanie feeling?"
"She says she's great. But, I think two is a little more work than she thought it would be. We'll see what happens after today while I'm working," Bobby said, slightly worried.
Jimmy slapped Bobby on the back and said, "Ah, Bobby, she'll be fine. She'll get into a routine pretty soon and she won't even remember how hard it was in the beginning. Just ask Kim."
"Ask Kim what?" said Kim as she walked into the kitchen of the firehouse.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Jimmy asked in surprise as he gave her a kiss. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
"Well, as a matter of fact I am supposed to be at work. But a certain someone left their stuff in the backseat of my car. You think you might need this stuff later?" she asked Jimmy, holding up his duffel bag with his change of clothes and his books in it. He had been taking a course on hazardous materials and planned on getting some studying done during the downtime between calls.
Immediately, the teasing started. First with D.K., "Aw, Jimmy Wimmy, did Mommy have to bring your stuff for you?"
"Did she sew your name in your underwear?" Billy Walsh continued.
"Alright, alright. Everyone have a good time with that, did they?" he replied, blushing slightly while giving Kim a look that said, 'Did you have to do this in front of the guys?'
"Sorry, Jimmy Wimmy. I'm off to work," Kim said with a smile as she kissed Jimmy good-bye.
"Safe shift everyone!" she called over her shoulder as she left to head to work.
"Bye Kim," came the reply from everyone, as Jimmy walked her out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mom, really, you don't have to do that," Melanie said, exasperated.
"Mel, don't worry about it. I want to help you. That's what I'm here for. You need to pay attention to the baby and Abby right now. And get your strength back. Now go take a nap while the kids are sleeping so you won't be so tired for those 2:00 a.m. feedings. You're breastfeeding, so those I can't help you with," Catherine Zambrano said as she continued to sort the laundry.
"Remember when women used to just have their kids in the field and go right back to work?" Melanie mumbled to herself as she went back to lie down while the kids were both napping. She had to admit she was pretty exhausted.
******
It seemed like it had only been about ten minutes since she'd fallen asleep when she heard R.J. crying. She waited for a moment to see if he would quiet down and glanced at the clock to see that it had indeed been three hours. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Well, you're punctual. I'll give you that," she commented as she started out of the room to change him and then feed him.
As soon as she was done feeding him, she carried him out to the living room to find her mother and Abby watching Sesame Street and having a snack. "Mmmm food. That's what I need," Melanie said as she walked past them toward the kitchen, stopping to put a hand on the side of Abby's face and kissing the top of her head. "How's my little girl," she said quietly in her ear.
"I'm good Mommy, but you look terrible," the little girl commented and Catherine tried to stifle a laugh.
"Abby, Mommy's had a hard day. Give her a break," she said as Melanie walked off to the kitchen, a tear running down her cheek. "I really hate this part," Melanie mumbled to herself, referring to her post-partum depression, as she poured herself some milk and grabbed a banana off the counter.
"You're doing great," came the soft voice of her mother behind her giving her a gentle hug.
And then the tears began to flow. "Mom, I look terrible. I don't think I've taken a shower since I came home from the hospital two days ago and I haven't even kissed Bobby since R.J. was born. I think he thinks I'm ugly," she said, trying to hold back her tears.
"Oh, Mel. You went through this with Abby too, remember?" Catherine said, taking the baby from her. "Honey, go take a shower and relax a little. You are not ugly and Bobby doesn't think so either. You're just tired and you're body has been through a hard ordeal. Now go. I've got R.J. and Abby so don't worry. You've got at least three hours until he needs to eat again," she said, walking Melanie to the bathroom. She gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, "I love you," as Melanie disappeared into the bathroom, with a weepy, "Thanks, Mom."
Melanie didn't hear the phone ring as she turned on the shower. Catherine answered the phone to hear Bobby on the other end.
"So, how's it going?" he asked his mother-in-law.
"The usual. She feels ugly. She's tired. She's depressed," Catherine told him. "Nothing that won't pass," she added.
"Should I come home?" Bobby asked her with some concern in his voice.
"No, no. She'll be fine. Just give her a couple of days and help out as much as she'll let you when you're home," she explained to him. "But, Bobby. I did want to talk to you about something I saw in the mail. I didn't want to upset Mel so I set it aside. It's an envelope from the New York City Department of Corrections, Parole Division," she read off the envelope.
"Open it up," Bobby said, a frown on his face.
After a moment, he heard Catherine take in a breath. "What?" he asked over the phone.
"It's Tony. He's out on parole, Bobby," she told him.
"What?! Why weren't we notified before he got out?" Bobby almost yelled into the phone. "Is there a phone number on the letter?"
Catherine gave him the number. "I'm not going to mention this to Melanie," she told Bobby.
"No!" Bobby agreed. "I'm sure it's fine. Just lock the doors and be careful. I'll call the Parole Office and find out what happened."