Chapter 7
Born on the 4th of July
"I don't know why I agreed to this," Cailin grumbled, pulling a tray of cupcakes out of the oven. "Baking in a freaking construction zone during a heat wave, I am an idiot," she ranted, blowing hair off her already sweaty forehead despite the early morning hour. She had to finish up the cupcakes so she could drop them off at the CFD picnic, one she would be attending solo because Jeff had officially started at Chicago Med.
"I beg to differ," Clarke remarked from the doorway, taking in his wife clad in a tank top and shorts, wondering if he could convince her to join him in the shower before she left.
"Hey, babe, sorry, it's just this damn heat and those stupid backordered countertops-" she said, trying to find a place to put down the pans, cut off by her husband deftly removing the pans from her hands and placing them on top of the fridge before pulling her in for a long, deep kiss.
"Missed you," he said, when he broke away.
"Back at you cowboy," she said, letting out a groan as her phone started to ring, Voight needing something yesterday. "Damn it. To be continued?" she said, with raised eyebrows.
"Maybe you can skip the picnic?" Clarke replied hopefully, even though he knew the answer before the words even left his lips.
"Cindy Hermann is counting on those cupcakes for the bake sale and everyone knows I am coming," she said, trying to inch toward the door before she gave in to her impulses, knowing Jeff couldn't be late.
"Maybe you can skip the fireworks," Clarke replied, forcing himself to not close the distance between them, going to the fridge to pull out milk for cereal, it was too damn hot for anything more.
Cally tried to not be perturbed that it was only her and Olinksy up in IU, other than Voight who was busy yakking on the phone. It wasn't that she didn't like working with Al, or didn't understand that Erin was taking a much needed break. Or that Antonio had his kids for the weekend, or that Jay was visiting DC for some unknown reason or that Adam was still on mod duty, or, well, she was bitter about both Kevin and Mouse, they were supposed to be there too.
"Mouse is catching up with some old Army buddy, I don't know where Atwater is," Olinsky said, catching the glower on the blonde detective's face. "I did make coffee, that you can actually pour," he added with a slight smirk. "And Hank's in there talking to a realtor."
"A realtor?" Cally asked, a mixture of curiosity and dread in her stomach.
"Yep. Seems he is finally ready to let go of his and Camille's place. Think it has something to do with-" he cut off, knowing he had already said too much, his tongue always somehow loosened in front of the sympathetic looking detective. Same trap perps fell into time and time again.
Cally felt her eyes grow wide, Hank hadn't been he same since the loss of his son. She still wasn't entirely sure what had happened around that as she had been in court for the U of C case and both her boss and her bestie had clammed up about that night.
It was around noon when Hank came out, rolling up his shirtsleeves and looking miserable, the a/c not even attempting to work up in their pen. "Get out of here, both of you, I'm melting just looking at you. Pretend you have something better to do than sitting up here."
"I actually have cupcakes to ice," Cailin said, groaning as soon as she realized she had said the words aloud. Olinsky and Voight exchanged a look, it was almost too easy. "Don't you dare, either one of you. It is for a bake sale for fire victim's. Children," she said, wagging her finger as she gathered her belongings. "Not. One. Word."
"I wasn't going to say anything, were you, Al?" Voight said, Olinsky shrugging in return. "Nope. Have a nice holiday, Callahan." She narrowed her eyes, still expecting something, receiving it as she was most of the way down the stairs hearing Voight call after, "save one for me, cupcake!" She was just glad Platt had the day off.
It was a gorgeous day, sun shining, blue skies, the slightest breeze coming off the lakefront. It seemed everyone was down there too, Cally glad to have her CPD pass to throw up on the dash when she illegally parked by Memorial Park. She carefully made her way through the crowd, trying to spy the bake sale tent as she balanced containers and bags. Cindy Hermann spied her first. "Over here, Detective Callahan!" she yelled, waving, instructing a couple of her brood to come over and help.
"Thank you, Lizzie and Luke," she said, handing them each a container, wincing as they bounded off, certainly dislodging her careful icing. "I am not sure how you keep up with all of them," Cailin said with a laugh as Cailin made her way to the table, setting down the other two containers and surveying the table overflowing with baked goods.
"I'm really not sure how I am going to after they consume all this sugar. Stevie, do not try to climb the tent again or I will make you go help your father!" Cindy bellowed.
"Yes Ma'am," Christopher Hermann's middle son replied, jumping off the pole, looking chastised.
Cindy shook her head. "I did say I wanted a big family," she said, still keeping a smile on her face even as the youngest came padding up, tears streaming down his face, his hands and bottom muddied.
"Mom-ee," he sobbed, leaving two muddy handprints on Cindy's formerly white capris.
"Kenny James, what have you gotten into? Lee Henry, you were supposed to be watching your little brother."
"I was, I told him not to play in the mud!" Lee Henry replied, barely looking up from his video game.
"He is two, son, he needs more than..." she let out a sigh, "never mind, just get me some wipes, would you?"
Cally worked to bite back her laughter at the scene, though a snort escaped when she spied the energy water neatly stacked for sale alongside the baked goods. How much of the stuff did Hermann buy?
"Are you going to buy something, Miss Detective Cally?" Lizzie asked, giving Cally eyes that she was pretty sure Hermann always fell for, that little girl had her father wrapped firmly around her finger. Cally snorted again, knowing full well what that was like. "I guess I should," she replied, digging through one of the bags for her wallet. She made her selections, passing over a bill.
Cindy gestured to Cally's totes, "please tell me you have good wine in one of those."
"You know it," she said, padding the insulated tote containing copious wine and the potato salad Clarke had made.
"I'll find you later then. 51's tent is that way," she said, gesturing, pausing to cock her head slightly, studying Cailin a little too intently for her liking. "You and your Lieutenant Doctor give any thought to starting a family? Because let me tell you, it doesn't get any easier as you get older."
Cally could feel her fingers inching toward one of those bottles of wine. It was going to be like that today, wasn't it? "I'll keep that in mind, Cindy. Thanks, Lizzie. See you all later." She grabbed the bag from the girl's outstretched hands and made her way through the park.
She spied 51's tent, a variety of games scattered around it; Cruz currently challenging Otis to a game of bags, his grandmother in tow, cheering on her grandson in Russian, despite his losing. She spied a very pregnant Taylor sitting on the other side of the elderly woman bemused look on her face as her hands rested on her abdomen. Cailin paused on her way to drop off the rest of her bags to say hello. "You must be close now," Cally said gesturing, before flushing, "which you're probably hearing from everyone."
Taylor laughed, "it's fine, I realize I look fifteen months pregnant. Twins, I have no idea what I am getting myself into."
"You're a nurse, I'm sure you'll be fine and Joe is going to make a great dad."
Taylor nodded, a smile growing on her face as Joe high-fived Otis for almost scoring, encouraging his friend with exuberance. "Yes, he will," she said, shifting uncomfortably in her folding chair, "and hopefully soon, because being pregnant in summer stinks." Otis' Baba let out a stream of words neither woman could understand, gently placing her hands on Taylor's abdomen, tapping lightly. "I'm going to hope that is some sort of Russian blessing," Taylor said, shaking her head. She saw Cally shift, still weighed down by bags. "You should go put that down, and maybe use some sunscreen, you're already looking pink, Callahan."
Cally let out a small laugh. "Already being a mom, Williams, but yes, I think I'll do that," she said, making her way to the shade of the tent, not that it did much to cut down the heat; going about shoving wine into coolers and setting up the potato salad in an ice bath. She pulled out the SPF realizing that she was already turning closer to the red of her tank top than she should be, work having kept her busy and pale. Oh well, she couldn't fight her heritage and would never be perfectly bronzed like Erin.
"We heard a rumor there was good wine, so I knew Cally must have shown," came Leslie Shay's voice followed by Holly Thelan's tinkling laugh and the tiny bark of their new golden retriever puppy.
"You would think with three out of four bar owners here, you would have something better than that boxed crap," Cailin shot back, but quickly poured them both a glass.
"One would think," Holly said, giving Leslie a long look.
"What was that," Cally asked, catching the slight uncomfortable hitch in her friend's shoulders.
"What was what?" Shay replied, more to the ground than to her friend, trying to ignore Holly's grunt, finally breaking down as both women stared her down; one curious, one bordering on angry.
"So I may be selling off my share in Molly's to Gabs," Shay admitted sheepishly.
Cally hitched an eyebrow. "Selling? Is everything okay, Les, you two aren't in any trouble I should know about are you?"
Leslie and Holly took in their friend's wide eyed expression, the concern clear. "The opposite, Cal, Holly just got the best job offer as head of Pediatric Surgery at Children's in Philly, so it looks like I will be trading in the Cubs for the Phillies," Shay replied, unable to stop the grin spreading across her face.
"You don't even like baseball, love," Holly replied with a tinkling laugh, hooking her arm around her wife's waist, pulling her in.
"Exactly why it will be an easy switch," Shay shot back.
Cally blinked, trying to process this announcement, yet another thing changing. "That's great news, Holly, but, Philly...that's...not Chicago," she finally stumbled out.
"True, but I've heard they have great sandwiches, and less lake effect snow," Leslie laughed.
"Can't argue with that," Cally replied, still trying to shake off her shock.
Cailin was grateful to see Coleman come wandering up, wife and four kids in tow, Mei and Lei quickly drawn to the puppy and begging their father for one of their own.
"I just came over here because Colin's truck ran out of beer. How does that even happen?" he said, pulling his sister in for a hug.
Cailin laughed, "he's probably lying to you because he doesn't want to share his good stuff."
"Story of my life," Coleman quipped.
Cally heard a wail behind her, fourteen month Conrad wiggling out of his mother's arms gesturing to his father.
"Daddy's boy," she teased, cut off when Coleman quickly deposited his youngest in her arms saying, "I think he needs some Auntie Cally time."
"I walked right into that," she replied, but something about the toddler snuggling up to her, throwing his sticky arms around her neck made her not argue.
Despite originally crying for his father, Conrad made quick work of turning into Cally's shadow, fussing when Coleman tried to take him back over to the rest of his family. "It's fine, Cole, go, I'll catch up with you later."
Coleman gave her an are you sure look, but handed over the diaper bag. "This way I know you'll come by Colin's tent, which is good because he wants to talk to you."
"What could I possibly have done now?" Cally asked, shaking her head.
"You're fine, Cal, promise. Have fun with that monster, see you sis!" he said, quickly retreating.
"You aren't really a monster, right Conrad?" she asked, the toddler blowing a raspberry in response.
Cailin slowly made her way toward her brother's tent, her progress impeded by the stubborn tiny walker at her side, stopping every few feet to inspect something, refusing to be carried or let go of his Aunt's hand. "You're killing me, kid," she said, as he came across a dandelion, stopping to pluck it, holding it up with a drooling laugh. "It's a good thing you're cute," she said, taking the proffered weed.
She finally got Conrad deposited back with his parents, but was no sooner dragged away by her brother Colin, though this was made easier by the craft beer he sure enough had been hiding from his brother earlier. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it; whatever you want the answer is no," Cally said as Colin tugged on her arm.
"Stop being paranoid, Cally!" Colin admonished, a grin spreading on his face as he wrapped an arm around Anna, a matching beaming smile on her own face. "We're pregnant!" he said. "Twins!" she finished.
"Um, on purpose?" Cally squeaked, knowing Anna was close to 40 and it was in the rearview for her brother.
They both nodded, emphatically, Anna over-sharing, "we've been wanting this for a while, tried a lot of things, finally had to IVF, didn't want to tell anyone until…but we are!"
"Congratulations," Cally replied, feeling a gnawing, "bet mom is over the moon! Where is she by the way?" Cally asked, waiting to be squeezed to death and interrogated.
"She is, and good news, pressure if off of you! Cullen and Bruce took her away for the weekend. Trying to get her to get over herself," Colin said, taking a long drink of beer, which Cally mirrored, trying to sort through her feelings at her brother's news, really trying to ignore that her overriding feeling was jealousy. Cally gave Colin and Anna a hug, repeating her congratulations trying to tamp down her own disappointment.