Unbreakable
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
"Luka, look!" Dr. Luka Kovak looked up from the reports he was studying. Ria and Ailleen were on the floor behind him, and he twisted in his seat to look. One small, pudgy foot lifted, then fell, and another small pudgy foot lifted and fell beside it. Ailleen had taken her first step!
"Come on!" Ria encouraged her 15 month old enthusiasticly, "Come to Mommy!" The baby gurgled happily and took another dubious step. Caroline and Frederic had turned around in the couch to watch the spectacle and were encouraging their young cousin with soft whispers in Croatian. Luka watched as she took another step, about a foot away from her mother, and lost her balance. She tumbled to the floor, right onto her bum, and looked up at him. He rose and swooped her off the floor.
"There's my baby!" he told her, "You did such a good job!" He swirled her around in the air before bringing her back down to rest on his chest. Caroline and Frederic were clapping and horraying from their perch on the couch. His wife got up off the floor and stretched to kiss her daughter on the cheek. Luka shifted his daughter to his other arm and brought Ria closer with his free arm, planting a kiss firmly on her lips. She smiled up at him and he could see his own happiness reflected in her eyes.
Caroline and Frederic seemed to be happy too, a blessing to Luka's way of thinking. The transition to an Enlish speaking world had not been easy for them, but with the dilligent help of their Aunt, the paitent teachers at their school, and their recently returned American friend Gregory Phillips, they seemed to have adjusted well, despite the tragedy they had endured not three months after they'd moved. A shudder threatened to tremble through him at the thought of Laila, the girl he had reffered to his wife for psychological care. She had shot Ria in the shoulder, and then killed herself, in the front room of their old apartment. They were now residing in John Carter's grandmother's mansion, a fact that was very obviously beginning to bother his dear wife. She kept egging him to take some time off to help her find a suitable house, but Kerry and Romano had him schedualed for every waking hour it seemed, and some sleeping hours. When they did find time to look for something, they were met with depressing results. They wanted a house that would accomadate the "large" family that Ria wanted, and also that she could work out of, and also that wasn't too far from the hospital, AND was close to some sort of elementary and secondary school. And they couldn't afford the mansion they currently accupied. Carter had been extremely gracious after "The Tragedy" by letting them stay in his grandmother's house, and for two months Ria allowed it. But after her shoulder had healed appropriately, she had insisted on paying rent, which she did over Luka and Carter's objections. She had started taking care of her paitents again at that time too, again over Luka's objections, and so felt they could afford it.
The phone rang, and Caroline hurried to pick it up. Luka duitifully handed Ailleen back to Ria as he resumed his place at the table to continue his work.
"It's Maria" Caroline informed them all, one hand over the reciever, " She wants to know if I can come over" Luka watched, mildly amazed, as Ria put the still gigling newly christened tottler in her crib and moved to the stove where she was about to start making their evening meal.
"Did you do all of your homework?" she asked as she crossed the room.
"Yes" Caroline answered hopefully.
"After dinner, then, for a couple hours" she answered and their niece excitedly relayed that information to her friend on the other end of the phone. Luka pondered the almost overly domesticated scene and wondered how he ever got to this part of his life without having a mental breakdown. Ria turned around, a knowing smile on her face that said "You didn't" and then returned her attention to her cooking. Luka sometimes wondered if she was telepathic, the way she picked up on people's thoughts and feelings so well, and always seemed to know how to handle them. He smiled to himself, and went back to his work.
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
"Luka, look!" Dr. Luka Kovak looked up from the reports he was studying. Ria and Ailleen were on the floor behind him, and he twisted in his seat to look. One small, pudgy foot lifted, then fell, and another small pudgy foot lifted and fell beside it. Ailleen had taken her first step!
"Come on!" Ria encouraged her 15 month old enthusiasticly, "Come to Mommy!" The baby gurgled happily and took another dubious step. Caroline and Frederic had turned around in the couch to watch the spectacle and were encouraging their young cousin with soft whispers in Croatian. Luka watched as she took another step, about a foot away from her mother, and lost her balance. She tumbled to the floor, right onto her bum, and looked up at him. He rose and swooped her off the floor.
"There's my baby!" he told her, "You did such a good job!" He swirled her around in the air before bringing her back down to rest on his chest. Caroline and Frederic were clapping and horraying from their perch on the couch. His wife got up off the floor and stretched to kiss her daughter on the cheek. Luka shifted his daughter to his other arm and brought Ria closer with his free arm, planting a kiss firmly on her lips. She smiled up at him and he could see his own happiness reflected in her eyes.
Caroline and Frederic seemed to be happy too, a blessing to Luka's way of thinking. The transition to an Enlish speaking world had not been easy for them, but with the dilligent help of their Aunt, the paitent teachers at their school, and their recently returned American friend Gregory Phillips, they seemed to have adjusted well, despite the tragedy they had endured not three months after they'd moved. A shudder threatened to tremble through him at the thought of Laila, the girl he had reffered to his wife for psychological care. She had shot Ria in the shoulder, and then killed herself, in the front room of their old apartment. They were now residing in John Carter's grandmother's mansion, a fact that was very obviously beginning to bother his dear wife. She kept egging him to take some time off to help her find a suitable house, but Kerry and Romano had him schedualed for every waking hour it seemed, and some sleeping hours. When they did find time to look for something, they were met with depressing results. They wanted a house that would accomadate the "large" family that Ria wanted, and also that she could work out of, and also that wasn't too far from the hospital, AND was close to some sort of elementary and secondary school. And they couldn't afford the mansion they currently accupied. Carter had been extremely gracious after "The Tragedy" by letting them stay in his grandmother's house, and for two months Ria allowed it. But after her shoulder had healed appropriately, she had insisted on paying rent, which she did over Luka and Carter's objections. She had started taking care of her paitents again at that time too, again over Luka's objections, and so felt they could afford it.
The phone rang, and Caroline hurried to pick it up. Luka duitifully handed Ailleen back to Ria as he resumed his place at the table to continue his work.
"It's Maria" Caroline informed them all, one hand over the reciever, " She wants to know if I can come over" Luka watched, mildly amazed, as Ria put the still gigling newly christened tottler in her crib and moved to the stove where she was about to start making their evening meal.
"Did you do all of your homework?" she asked as she crossed the room.
"Yes" Caroline answered hopefully.
"After dinner, then, for a couple hours" she answered and their niece excitedly relayed that information to her friend on the other end of the phone. Luka pondered the almost overly domesticated scene and wondered how he ever got to this part of his life without having a mental breakdown. Ria turned around, a knowing smile on her face that said "You didn't" and then returned her attention to her cooking. Luka sometimes wondered if she was telepathic, the way she picked up on people's thoughts and feelings so well, and always seemed to know how to handle them. He smiled to himself, and went back to his work.