Author's Note: I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed the first
chapters of the fic- I really, really appreciate the feedback. Again, this
chapter is not related to any of the first three. They are all stand-
alones. Oh, this one's about Jeanie. Please review the chapter after you've
read it- constructive criticism is always helpful! Enjoy!
***
"Beep-beep-beep-beep-" screamed the alarm clock next to Jeanie Boulet's bed. She rolled over and slammed the snooze button. 6:15. Far too early to get up. Nevertheless, she rolled over and shook her husband's shoulder.
"Reggie, it's 6:15. Time to get up."
"Five more minutes," was Reggie's muffled reply. Too tired to argue, Jeanie swung her legs over the side of the bed and walked into the bathroom.
Looking in the mirror, she saw that her hair was disheveled and pressed flat against one side of her head. "Man, do I look like crap," she thought. She splashed her face with ice cold water and looked back in the mirror. Playing with her hair to try to restore it to its normal curly state, she walked over to the shower and turned it on.
Reggie entered the bathroom five minutes later. Jeanie was washing her hair, trying desperately to work the snags out. She was not succeeding. Giving up, she reached for the conditioner, hoping that it would bring more success. The sounds of the radio traveled across the bathroom, followed closely by Reggie's off-key baritone voice. Jeanie poked her soapy head out of the shower.
"Is it really necessary to sing along at this hour of the morning?"
Reggie smiled. "Nothing to wake you up like a good sing-a-long."
"I wasn't aware that this was a good sing-a-long," Jeanie teased. Reggie playfully threw a washcloth at her, which she caught.
"All right, I'll sing quietly," Reggie conceded. "You're starting to drip shampoo."
Jeanie looked down at the small puddle of bubbles on the bathroom floor. "Oops," she said, pulling her head back into the shower.
***
Jeanie knocked on her son's door. "Carlos?" There was no answer. She quietly turned the doorknob and entered the bedroom. Tonka trucks were everywhere, but her son wasn't playing with them. She looked at the telltale lump on the bed, and pulled off the covers. "Rise and shine, sweetie."
Carlos opened his eyes. "Is it time to get up already?"
Jeanie smiled. "Sure is. Now let's get you dressed, Daddy's downstairs making your breakfast." Carlos sat up in his bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Jeanie walked over to the dresser and opened a few drawers. Placing a shirt and a pair of jeans on the bed, she turned to Carlos, who was still sitting on the bed.
"Okay, arms up, Carlos," she said, pulling the pajama shirt off and putting the T-shirt on. Knowing what was coming next, Carlos climbed off the bed. As her son held onto her head, Jeanie pulled the jeans over his legs and buttoned them. "All set," she said, and Carlos ran downstairs. Jeanie laughed and followed him at a slower pace.
Reggie stood at the counter, buttering a waffle. After soaking it in syrup and cutting it up, he placed it in front of Carlos. "Good morning, buddy," he said, pouring his son a glass of orange juice. Jeanie opened a cabinet and retrieved several bottles of pills. She handed Carlos the appropriate pills before chasing down her own medicine with a glass of water.
"Do you want some oatmeal, Reggie?" she asked, taking some bowls out of a cabinet.
"Sounds great," Reggie said. "I have to eat quickly though, my shift starts in an hour."
Jeanie nodded. "Okay, I'm on at 9, so I'll bring Carlos to school before I head in to work." Sticking a bowl of instant oatmeal in the microwave, she couldn't help but look outside at the beautiful spring day.
"Spring in New England is gorgeous, isn't it?"
"Sure is," Reggie said.
Jeanie smiled. She had commented on the New England weather almost every day since they had moved here two years ago. 'Maybe it's because it changes every ten minutes,' she chuckled to herself.
The beeping of the microwave disturbed Jeanie's train of thought. She took the bowl of oatmeal out and slid it along the counter to where Reggie stood. He took a spoon out of the drawer and began to stir it. They made a perfect team. Jeanie put the second bowl of oatmeal in the microwave and set the timer.
Reggie gobbled down his bowl of oatmeal in two minutes flat. Already dressed in his uniform, he walked across the kitchen and kissed Jeanie. "I gotta go, babe." Jeanie nodded.
"What time will you be home?"
"My shift is over at 3, so I'll be home before 4."
"Can you pick up Carlos from school? I'm not off 'til 6."
"Of course."
Reggie walked toward the front door, picking up his coat, which was draped over the back of a chair. He rumpled Carlos's hair and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you later, okay, Carlos? I'll pick you up from school this afternoon."
Carlos nodded enthusiastically, his face and hands sticky from syrup. "Bye, Daddy!"
"Bye, Carlos," Reggie said, smiling. He waved to Jeanie, who was standing in the corner, stirring her bowl of oatmeal. "Bye." He then walked out the front door to his car.
Seeing that Carlos was done with his breakfast, Jeanie set her oatmeal down on the counter. "Wait a second, Carlos," she said as her son stood up. "Let's clean you up before you touch anything." Carlos held out his hands obediently while Jeanie wiped them off with a damp paper towel. "All done," she said. "Go brush your teeth, we have to leave in 15 minutes." Carlos nodded and ran up the stairs, letting Jeanie finish her oatmeal in peace.
***
"Good morning, Kathy," Jeanie said, walking into the medical center where she worked. When she moved to the Boston area with her family two years ago, Jeanie had decided to go into private practice. She wanted to have plenty of time at home with Reggie and Carlos, but she missed working. So she had taken a part-time job at a nearby pediatric clinic.
"Good morning, Jeanie. Dr. Feldman needs you in 2 when you get a chance. Bad allergic reaction."
Jeanie nodded, punching in her time card. "Okay, Kathy, tell Dr. Feldman I'll be there in five minutes." Kathy, the desk clerk, nodded and picked up the phone.
Jeanie walked into the staff lounge, hanging up her coat and putting her bag in her locker. She took out her stethoscope and lab coat and walked into the hallway, ready to begin another day of work.
***
"I'm home!"
It was 6:30, and Jeanie walked into the kitchen, hoping to see Reggie cooking some fantastic dinner. Unfortunately, no one was in the kitchen, and the money lying on the counter suggested that pizza would be delivered to the Moore house that night. Jeanie took off her coat and shoes and went upstairs, looking for her husband and son. She found them playing trucks together on the floor of Carlos's bedroom.
Jeanie entered the room. "Hey," she said, kneeling down. "How was your day, Carlos?"
"It was good, Mommy," he said, pushing a fire truck across the floor. "I made a picture for you."
Jeanie crossed the bedroom to find a drawing on Carlos's bed. It was a picture of him playing baseball with Reggie.
"That's a great picture, Carlos."
Carlos beamed, and consequently crashed his fire truck into the crane his father was "driving." Reggie laughed. "Well, now we need a police car!"
Jeanie sat down on the floor and reached for the toy police car lying in a pile off to the side. Making siren noises, she drove the car across the floor to the scene of the accident.
"Daddy's supposed to drive the police car, Mommy!"
Jeanie and Reggie laughed. "He's right, babe," Reggie said, taking the police car from his wife. "I can make much better siren noises." Jeanie smiled.
"Okay, fine." She placed her hand on the crane that Reggie had been using. "What do we do with this, Carlos?"
As Carlos launched into a long lecture about how cranes roll over when hit, Jeanie leaned back and smiled. Five or six years ago, if someone had told her that she would be this happy now, she never would have believed them. But as she watched her four-year-old lecturing her police officer husband about what police cars did at the scene of a car accident, she knew that she couldn't be happier.
"Mommy? Mommy?"
Jeanie directed her attention towards Carlos. "What is it?"
"The police car is going to pick the crane up now."
Jeanie smiled as she followed Carlos's directions. He looked up at her and smiled back.
"I love you, Carlos."
"I love you too, Mommy."
Those were the words she lived to hear.
***
"Beep-beep-beep-beep-" screamed the alarm clock next to Jeanie Boulet's bed. She rolled over and slammed the snooze button. 6:15. Far too early to get up. Nevertheless, she rolled over and shook her husband's shoulder.
"Reggie, it's 6:15. Time to get up."
"Five more minutes," was Reggie's muffled reply. Too tired to argue, Jeanie swung her legs over the side of the bed and walked into the bathroom.
Looking in the mirror, she saw that her hair was disheveled and pressed flat against one side of her head. "Man, do I look like crap," she thought. She splashed her face with ice cold water and looked back in the mirror. Playing with her hair to try to restore it to its normal curly state, she walked over to the shower and turned it on.
Reggie entered the bathroom five minutes later. Jeanie was washing her hair, trying desperately to work the snags out. She was not succeeding. Giving up, she reached for the conditioner, hoping that it would bring more success. The sounds of the radio traveled across the bathroom, followed closely by Reggie's off-key baritone voice. Jeanie poked her soapy head out of the shower.
"Is it really necessary to sing along at this hour of the morning?"
Reggie smiled. "Nothing to wake you up like a good sing-a-long."
"I wasn't aware that this was a good sing-a-long," Jeanie teased. Reggie playfully threw a washcloth at her, which she caught.
"All right, I'll sing quietly," Reggie conceded. "You're starting to drip shampoo."
Jeanie looked down at the small puddle of bubbles on the bathroom floor. "Oops," she said, pulling her head back into the shower.
***
Jeanie knocked on her son's door. "Carlos?" There was no answer. She quietly turned the doorknob and entered the bedroom. Tonka trucks were everywhere, but her son wasn't playing with them. She looked at the telltale lump on the bed, and pulled off the covers. "Rise and shine, sweetie."
Carlos opened his eyes. "Is it time to get up already?"
Jeanie smiled. "Sure is. Now let's get you dressed, Daddy's downstairs making your breakfast." Carlos sat up in his bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Jeanie walked over to the dresser and opened a few drawers. Placing a shirt and a pair of jeans on the bed, she turned to Carlos, who was still sitting on the bed.
"Okay, arms up, Carlos," she said, pulling the pajama shirt off and putting the T-shirt on. Knowing what was coming next, Carlos climbed off the bed. As her son held onto her head, Jeanie pulled the jeans over his legs and buttoned them. "All set," she said, and Carlos ran downstairs. Jeanie laughed and followed him at a slower pace.
Reggie stood at the counter, buttering a waffle. After soaking it in syrup and cutting it up, he placed it in front of Carlos. "Good morning, buddy," he said, pouring his son a glass of orange juice. Jeanie opened a cabinet and retrieved several bottles of pills. She handed Carlos the appropriate pills before chasing down her own medicine with a glass of water.
"Do you want some oatmeal, Reggie?" she asked, taking some bowls out of a cabinet.
"Sounds great," Reggie said. "I have to eat quickly though, my shift starts in an hour."
Jeanie nodded. "Okay, I'm on at 9, so I'll bring Carlos to school before I head in to work." Sticking a bowl of instant oatmeal in the microwave, she couldn't help but look outside at the beautiful spring day.
"Spring in New England is gorgeous, isn't it?"
"Sure is," Reggie said.
Jeanie smiled. She had commented on the New England weather almost every day since they had moved here two years ago. 'Maybe it's because it changes every ten minutes,' she chuckled to herself.
The beeping of the microwave disturbed Jeanie's train of thought. She took the bowl of oatmeal out and slid it along the counter to where Reggie stood. He took a spoon out of the drawer and began to stir it. They made a perfect team. Jeanie put the second bowl of oatmeal in the microwave and set the timer.
Reggie gobbled down his bowl of oatmeal in two minutes flat. Already dressed in his uniform, he walked across the kitchen and kissed Jeanie. "I gotta go, babe." Jeanie nodded.
"What time will you be home?"
"My shift is over at 3, so I'll be home before 4."
"Can you pick up Carlos from school? I'm not off 'til 6."
"Of course."
Reggie walked toward the front door, picking up his coat, which was draped over the back of a chair. He rumpled Carlos's hair and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you later, okay, Carlos? I'll pick you up from school this afternoon."
Carlos nodded enthusiastically, his face and hands sticky from syrup. "Bye, Daddy!"
"Bye, Carlos," Reggie said, smiling. He waved to Jeanie, who was standing in the corner, stirring her bowl of oatmeal. "Bye." He then walked out the front door to his car.
Seeing that Carlos was done with his breakfast, Jeanie set her oatmeal down on the counter. "Wait a second, Carlos," she said as her son stood up. "Let's clean you up before you touch anything." Carlos held out his hands obediently while Jeanie wiped them off with a damp paper towel. "All done," she said. "Go brush your teeth, we have to leave in 15 minutes." Carlos nodded and ran up the stairs, letting Jeanie finish her oatmeal in peace.
***
"Good morning, Kathy," Jeanie said, walking into the medical center where she worked. When she moved to the Boston area with her family two years ago, Jeanie had decided to go into private practice. She wanted to have plenty of time at home with Reggie and Carlos, but she missed working. So she had taken a part-time job at a nearby pediatric clinic.
"Good morning, Jeanie. Dr. Feldman needs you in 2 when you get a chance. Bad allergic reaction."
Jeanie nodded, punching in her time card. "Okay, Kathy, tell Dr. Feldman I'll be there in five minutes." Kathy, the desk clerk, nodded and picked up the phone.
Jeanie walked into the staff lounge, hanging up her coat and putting her bag in her locker. She took out her stethoscope and lab coat and walked into the hallway, ready to begin another day of work.
***
"I'm home!"
It was 6:30, and Jeanie walked into the kitchen, hoping to see Reggie cooking some fantastic dinner. Unfortunately, no one was in the kitchen, and the money lying on the counter suggested that pizza would be delivered to the Moore house that night. Jeanie took off her coat and shoes and went upstairs, looking for her husband and son. She found them playing trucks together on the floor of Carlos's bedroom.
Jeanie entered the room. "Hey," she said, kneeling down. "How was your day, Carlos?"
"It was good, Mommy," he said, pushing a fire truck across the floor. "I made a picture for you."
Jeanie crossed the bedroom to find a drawing on Carlos's bed. It was a picture of him playing baseball with Reggie.
"That's a great picture, Carlos."
Carlos beamed, and consequently crashed his fire truck into the crane his father was "driving." Reggie laughed. "Well, now we need a police car!"
Jeanie sat down on the floor and reached for the toy police car lying in a pile off to the side. Making siren noises, she drove the car across the floor to the scene of the accident.
"Daddy's supposed to drive the police car, Mommy!"
Jeanie and Reggie laughed. "He's right, babe," Reggie said, taking the police car from his wife. "I can make much better siren noises." Jeanie smiled.
"Okay, fine." She placed her hand on the crane that Reggie had been using. "What do we do with this, Carlos?"
As Carlos launched into a long lecture about how cranes roll over when hit, Jeanie leaned back and smiled. Five or six years ago, if someone had told her that she would be this happy now, she never would have believed them. But as she watched her four-year-old lecturing her police officer husband about what police cars did at the scene of a car accident, she knew that she couldn't be happier.
"Mommy? Mommy?"
Jeanie directed her attention towards Carlos. "What is it?"
"The police car is going to pick the crane up now."
Jeanie smiled as she followed Carlos's directions. He looked up at her and smiled back.
"I love you, Carlos."
"I love you too, Mommy."
Those were the words she lived to hear.