Helen stood up and without thinking hugged him tightly. Mike's arms tightened around her and she felt his body shake with silent sobs.

Helen held Mike closely, wishing there was something she could do to take away the pain. After a few minutes, he pulled away slightly. "I have to go there," he whispered hoarsely. Helen nodded. "I have to call the airlines and pack..."

Helen rubbed her hands down his arms gently. "I'll pack for you if you want, so you can call the airlines."

Mike nodded. "Will you come with me?" he asked softly.

Helen froze for a second. Go with him? And meet his family? But she was pregnant! They'd hate her! "I don't know," she said slowly. "This isn't the best time for me to meet them, they'll be upset and trying to get everything together...and you don't need me there, you should be with your family."

"You are my family, Helen," Mike objected. "And I do need you there. I need you to keep me from going crazy. Please? If you can't get the time off, I understand..."

Helen paused. He'd given her the perfect out, she was sure that the office wouldn't be happy with her taking more time off. But she didn't have any big cases coming up and what he'd said about her being his family...Helen nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll come, as long as you're sure you want me to. I mean, you don't need to be dealing with me on top of everything and I don't want it to cause any problems with your family."

"It won't," Mike promised. "Will you be okay, flying?"

Helen gave him a strange look. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"The baby..."

Helen's eyes grew wide. "Oh. No, I'm okay to fly up until my third trimester and I'm only five months. I'll pack my things, then we can call the airline. I doubt we'll get a flight out before tomorrow."

Mike nodded and kissed Helen gently. "Thank you," he whispered.

Helen smiled slightly. "I'm sorry this happened."

"I know," Mike said. Helen squeezed his hand, then pulled out her suitcase and began packing. She packed her black maternity suit, for the funeral and a black dress for the wake, along with a pair of jeans and her black capri pants and several tops. She might have to do laundry there, she didn't have very many maternity clothes. Helen added her underwear, shoes, and toiletries, then she scrawled a quick note to Ellenor and she and Mike went over to his apartment. While he called the airline for tickets, Helen packed his suitcase for him. He came back into the bedroom as Helen was about to lift the suitcase onto the floor. He took it from her and set it down himself.

"Our flight is tomorrow morning at 8, so we should be there around 6."

Helen nodded. "I have to call Linds and tell her that I'm leaving and call the office, and I should call Ellie too. I'll be right back." Helen called Lindsay and told her what had happened, then called Ellenor and told her the same thing. She left a message on Ken Walsh's voice mail that there had been a family emergency and that she'd be out for a week. When she walked back into the bedroom an hour later, Mike was standing at the window, looking out.

Helen sighed and walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his back. "There's nothing else we can do tonight," she whispered. "Let's get some sleep."

Mike nodded, but didn't move. Helen linked her fingers with his and led him to their bed. She laid down first and he laid next to her, his head resting on her shoulder and his hand stroking gently over the mound of their child. He felt the baby moving and Helen began stroking his hair gently. Despite his grief, Mike fell asleep, Helen holding him for comfort.

Helen jumped awake the next morning when the alarm went off at 4:00. Mike was still sleeping, thankfully, so she turned off the radio and carefully crawled out of bed. She showered and dressed in a pair of khaki capris and a blue short sleeved top. When she was ready and knew that Mike couldn't wait any longer, she bent and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Michael," she whispered. "You need to get up now. It's 4:45."

Mike opened his eyes and smiled briefly at her before sadness clouded his eyes again. "How long have you been up?" he asked.

"Forty-five minutes. Not long. But we need to leave in half an hour so you need to get ready."

Mike nodded and climbed out of bed before kissing her again. "Thank you," he said, heading into the shower.

They arrived at Logan International Airport an hour later and it took them another hour to get through security. Once they were finally through, Helen's stomach growled so they went to find somewhere to eat breakfast. Unfortunately, the only place they could find was McDonald's. Helen ordered pancakes and orange juice while Mike had an egg mcmuffin and a coffee. Helen sighed sadly as she looked at Mike's coffee. Mike caught her glance and felt guilty. He stood up and tossed his coffee into the trash can, returning with an orange juice for himself.

Helen smiled. "You didn't have to do that," she said.

Mike shook his head. "It's not fair to you that I get to drink it and you don't. We both made this baby, so we should both have the same restrictions."

Helen smiled and leaned over, kissing Mike gently. "You're so good to me."

They threw out their garbage, then walked around for a little while. Helen bought copies of People, Cosmo, Glamour, and US Weekly. Finally, they were allowed to board the plane. Helen sat by a window and buckled her seatbelt under the bump of her stomach before leaning her head back against the seat and breathing deeply.

Mike glanced over at her worriedly. "Are you okay, honey?"

Helen nodded but didn't open her eyes. "I'll be fine once we're up. I hate take offs and landings. I don't think the baby likes them either."

"Is she kicking?" Mike asked.

Helen nodded. "Pretty hard too."

Mike rested a hand on Helen's stomach and grinned when the baby kicked his hand. He stroked her stomach gently and kissed Helen's cheek. "Maybe she'll relax if her mommy does."

Helen nodded. "I'm trying."

Mike pried one of her hands off of the arm rest and laced his fingers with hers. "I'm sorry sweetheart. If I'd known you were afraid of flying, I wouldn't have asked you to come with."

"I'll be okay," Helen assured him. As the engines started, Helen gripped Mike's hand tighter.

He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb comfortingly. "You're okay," he whispered.

Helen nodded tensely. The plane began moving and as it picked up speed, Helen gripped Mike's hand tightly in hers and squeezed her eyes shut. Her whole body was stiff. She hated take offs and landings, they terrified her. Once they were in the air, she was fine but until they got there...it wasn't fun. Finally, Helen felt the plane leave the ground and after a few minutes it seemed to level off slightly. She let out the breath she'd been holding and opened her eyes slowly. She glanced at Mike and smiled nervously.

Mike brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed hers gently. "We're up," he said soothingly.

Helen nodded. "I'm okay."

Mike nodded in agreement and lifted the arm rest between them , drawing Helen into his embrace. She relaxed a little more and Mike smoothed a hand over her hair. "We'll be there in about two hours. Do you want to rest?"

Helen shook her head. "I'm okay for now." She closed her eyes and savored the feeling of Mike's arms around her. She knew it was her fault that she hadn't had that in awhile, but that didn't mean she hadn't missed it. Helen had almost forgotten how good it felt to have Mike hold her and how safe she felt when he did.

The rest of the flight was uneventful until landing when Helen again gripped Mike's hand and closed her eyes. Mike spoke softly to her, assuring her that she was okay and reminding her to breathe. Once they got off the plane, Mike gathered their luggage from baggage claim and found their limo that Helen had rented to take them to his parents' house in Elmhurst. Elmhurst was a suburb of Chicago and about 20 minutes from the airport since traffic was good. The limo turned onto Prospect Ave. and Helen took a deep breath, preparing. She wasn't sure how Mike's family would take to her having Mike's baby and not being married, or even engaged to him.

The limo pulled up to a small ranch house and Mike paid the driver, then unloaded their bags. Helen reached for her suitcase, but Mike shook his head.

"No carrying heavy objects," he said firmly.

Helen rolled her eyes. "It has wheels."

"No dragging heavy objects either," Mike said with a small smile. Helen glanced nervously at the gold brick house and Mike reached over, turning her face back to him. "They'll love you," he reassured her.

Helen nodded but didn't look like she believed him. Mike led her up the walkway to his front door. Before he could even ring the bell, the front door was thrown open by a woman who looked like she was about 28. The woman threw her arms around Mike's neck and clung to him. He held her tightly, then pulled away.

"Helen, I'd like you to meet my sister Sera. Sera, this is my girlfriend Helen."

Helen smiled weakly, feeling very nervous. "It's nice to meet you, Sera. I'm so sorry about your grandfather."

Sera nodded. "Thank you. It's nice to finally meet you, too. Mike's told us all so much about y..." Sera trailed off as she noticed Helen's stomach, which was sticking out. "You're...?"

Helen blushed and nodded as she tugged at her shirt in a vain attempt to hide her pregnancy. "Yes. Five months."

Sera smiled. "Congratulations." She swatted Mike on the arm lightly. "Why didn't you tell us? When's the wedding?"

"Uh, we're not getting married."

Sera stared at him, then back at Helen. "Why not?"

"We're not ready for that yet," Mike answered, not completely honestly.

"But when you were here a few months ago you said-"

Sera was cut off when Mike stepped on her foot and shook his head slightly. She covered by smiling at Helen. "Come in and meet the rest of the family. Things are a little crazy right now. The kids just got up from their naps and have tons of energy, so we're trying to keep them away from Mom and Dad."

Mike grinned. "How are the rugrats?" he asked as he slipped his arm around Helen's waist for support. Helen smiled gratefully and squeezed his hand in hers.

"They're great," Sera said.

"How many kids are there?" Helen asked. "Mike's told me, but I can't remember all of their ages."

Sera beamed. "My three are Adam who's 5, Alexis who's 3, and Adrienne is 4 months. Our brother Isaac and his wife Jessica have four. Georgia is 11 and likes to be called Georgie, Phoenix is 8, Austin is 6, and Paris is 18 months. So your little one will fit right in. Do you know the sex yet?"

Helen shook her head. "No, not yet. We want to be surprised."

Sera nodded in understanding. "Why don't we go inside. They're probably wondering what's taking so long." Sera grabbed Helen's suitcase, and led the way into the house.

Mike turned to Helen and smiled. "Are you ready?"

Helen took a deep breath. "Yeah. Are you sure they won't hate me because of the baby?"

Mike smiled. "You're carrying their grandbaby, they'll love you."

Helen nodded but felt better when Mike slipped his hand through hers and walked in ahead of her. The small living room was full of people. Two older people, Helen assumed Mike's parents were sitting on the couch. A man who looked like Mike, only taller, was talking on the phone while a tall blonde woman was trying to put leaves in the dining room table with the assistance of a red haired man. A blonde girl, who Helen figured must be Georgie was sitting around looking bored while one baby sat in a baby seat and another toddled around the room.

Sera cleared her throat and everyone looked up. When they saw Mike, the older woman's eyes filled with tears and she stood, walking over to hug him tightly.

"Thank you for coming, Michael," she whispered.

Mike hugged her back before stepping aside. "Mom, this is Helen Gamble, my girlfriend. Helen, my mom Mary Anne."

Helen smiled cautiously. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Maguire."

Mike's mom hugged her. "It's nice to meet you too, Helen. Michael's told us so much about you. And call me Mary Anne."

Mike's dad came over and had already hugged Mike. Mike introduced his father Sean, then introduced the rest of his family. The red haired man was Patrick, Sera's husband, the dark haired one was Isaac and the blonde woman was Jessica, or Jessie. Apparently, Adam, Alexis, Phoenix, and Austin were all outside playing. When she was introduced to Georgie, the young girl looked at Helen closely.

"Are you pregnant?" she asked curiously.

Helen's face turned bright red and she tugged on her shirt as Jessie shushed her daughter.

"But she looks like she is," Georgie argued. "She's so skinny, but her stomach's sticking out, just like when you and Aunt Sera were pregnant."

Mike laughed nervously. His whole family was now staring at them intently. Or rather, staring at Helen's stomach. Mike slipped his hand through Helen's and squeezed it comfortingly. "Well, this wasn't how we planned to announce it, but yes. Helen and I are having a baby."

The room was dead silent for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Mary Anne smiled slightly. "This is certainly a surprise but congratulations!"

The rest of the family quickly added their congratulations. After things had calmed down somewhat, Sean suggested that Mike show Helen his old room, where they'd be staying. Mike led Helen through a doorway into a small hall, then into a room with two large couches and a television set in it.

"They redid it after Isaac moved out," Mike explained. "Isaac and I shared this room from the time Isaac was born until I went to school. He and Jessie live a few blocks from here now."

Helen nodded. "So...we'll each have a couch?" she asked with a bit of doubt in her voice.

Mike laughed. "No, no, the big one folds out into a king sized bed. It's actually comfortable too."

Helen sat down on the longer couch, then sighed, raising her feet so they were elevated too. She leaned her head back against the arm and closed her eyes.

Mike laid both suitcases on the ground. "We don't have any drawers, so I'll hang our clothes up."

"Thanks, honey," Helen murmured. She didn't know why, but suddenly she was exhausted. Mike turned around when he was finished and smiled, seeing Helen curled up against the back of the couch. He lifted her up and laid her on the smaller couch before, as quietly as he could, pulling out the sofa bed. He carried Helen back to the bed and tucked her in. When he saw her sleeping, his own fatigue overcame him and he laid down next to her.

They didn't sleep for long and when they woke up, it was because a little voice yelled through the door, "Uncle Mike, Nana says lunch is ready!"

Mike groaned. "Thank you!" he yelled back.

Helen stretched. "Who was that?" she asked sleepily.

"I think Adam," he answered. "What time is it?"

Helen looked at her watch. "Noon."

They stood up and Mike showed Helen where the bathroom was. She splashed cold water on her face and followed Mike into the living room/dining room. There was a huge buffet style meal spread out on the table and everyone was helping themselves. Helen ended up sitting with Sera and Jessica since the men seemed to be having a serious conversation. When she was full, Helen threw her plate away and watched baby Adrienne who was cooing happily in her seat. Sera followed her gaze and smiled.

"Do you want to hold her?"

Helen looked at Sera surprised before smiling and nodding. Sera handed Helen the baby and Helen cradled Adrienne to her. "Hey sweetie," she whispered, stroking a finger over the baby's cheek. "You are so beautiful. Yes you are," Helen said with a warm smile. Adrienne smiled and grabbed Helen's finger. Helen held the baby for several minutes until she patted her diaper testingly. "I think someone's wet," she said, standing.

"You don't have to do that," Sera said, standing also. "I'll take her."

"I can do it," Helen insisted. "Where are her things?"

Sera looked surprised. "In the other bedroom. Go like you're going to your room, but make a sharp left instead of going straight."

Helen walked into the room and found a diaper bag with "Adrienne" written across the side. She quickly changed the baby's diaper, talking to her the whole time to keep her distracted. When she finished, Helen picked up the baby and sat down in a white wooden rocking chair. As she rocked back and forth, Helen kept talking to the baby.

"Well, you're not going to be the baby of the family for much longer, Adrienne. Your uncle Mike and I are having a baby. It's not exactly planned, but we're still really happy about it. I hope that you two will get along and be friends."

Helen fell silent then, rocking the baby. She didn't know how long she sat there, but it felt good. Mike's family had been nice, but she could still feel them watching her. Probably judging her, she thought sadly. Wondering why their wonderful son would be with someone like her, who would be pregnant and not marry the father. Asking themselves why Mike would bring her there, to something so personal, when she was an outsider. She rarely felt intimidated and hated it when she did. It made her defensive and that wasn't the kind of impression she wanted to make on Mike's family. Though to be honest, showing up to Mike's grandfather's funeral while 5 ½ months pregnant wasn't that impression either.

Mike walked into the extra bedroom and smiled, seeing Helen rocking his niece. He cleared his throat and she looked up, surprised. Then she smiled when she saw him. Mike walked over to the chair and crouched next to her, one hand reaching up to play with Adrienne's fingers.

"Are you hiding out?" he asked softly.

Helen shrugged. "Maybe a little. I came in to change her diaper and it just seemed...easier in here."

"Talk to me," Mike requested gently.

Helen paused. Mike was worrying about so much already, he had so much on his plate, she didn't want to be another problem for him. "She's beautiful," Helen whispered, looking at Adrienne.

Mike nodded. "Ours will be, too."

Helen smiled. "It's so amazing to think about. I'm sitting here holding her, seeing her, and feeling our baby move in my stomach. And in 3 ½ months, I'll be holding our baby."

Mike looked up at Helen. "Is that what you're worried about? The baby?"

Helen paused, then shook her head. "I'm not worried about the baby. I'm worried..." She took a deep breath. "I'm worried that she won't know your family. They seem so wonderful, but I'm worried that they hate me. I mean, I come here, a stranger, into their home, with their oldest son and brother, pregnant and not married..."

"They don't hate you," Mike soothed.

"They keep staring at me," Helen said, hating the vulnerability she heard in her own voice.

Mike shook his head. "No they're not."

Helen turned to him, angrily. "Don't tell me they're not, Michael. I'm not imagining it! Maybe you don't see it, but I do. I can feel them staring at me and judging me and..." Helen broke off, tears streaming down her face. Adrienne began to fuss in her arms, and Helen tried to swallow her tears.

"Hey...sweetie," she whispered haltingly. "Sh. It's... okay Adrienne, we...we weren't fighting." When the baby continued to cry, Helen stood up, hoping walking would help.

Mike rose also and caught Helen in his arms. He pulled her to him, Adrienne and their child nestled between them. Helen buried her face in his chest, crying. "They're not judging you," he whispered. "They're not. They're just curious. You're the first woman I've brought home with me, ever, and you're having my baby. They're curious, but they're not judging you. You know what my dad said to me?"

"What?" Helen asked softly, her voice muffled.

"He said that I should hang on to you, that you're a good one. And guess what. I happen to agree with him."

Helen pulled back and looked up, her watery blue eyes meeting his hazel ones, eyes that always showed his love for her. "Well I happen to think that you're pretty great yourself. It's just...I know how important they are to you..."

"You're important to me too," Mike said softly. "Very very important. And my family will love you, as soon as they get to know you." Helen nodded, but showed no intention of moving from his arms. Mike laughed softly. "Honey, they won't get to know you if you hide in here."

Helen laughed also. "I guess you're right." She paused and realized that the baby was quiet. She glanced down and saw Adrienne sound asleep in her arms. "She calmed down," Helen whispered, not wanting to wake her up.

"Maybe she just needed you to calm down too."

"Maybe," Helen agreed.

"Ready to come back out?"

Helen nodded. Mike slipped an arm around her waist and together, they walked towards the door. Helen looked up at Mike. "What were you men talking about?"

"Earlier? Isaac and Patrick and I are going to be pall bearers at the funeral. The wake is tomorrow and the funeral is the day after."

Helen leaned her head against Mike's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Mike nodded and drew her closer. "Me too," he answered.

The next day, Helen was woken up by Mike kissing the back of her neck. "Honey, time to get up," he whispered.

Helen rolled over and looked into his eyes. Hers widened when she saw he was already dressed. "What time is it?" she asked, sitting up quickly.

"It's 9:45. We have to be at the funeral home by noon, but I know how long it takes you to get ready."

Helen smirked as she stood up and gathered her robe. "Very funny. I'll be ready in an hour."

True to her word, Helen emerged from the bathroom in an hour, dressed with hair done and make up on. Mike looked up from his seat on the couch and smiled. She was wearing a black dress with a black suit coat over it and her hair was pulled back into a bun. "You ready?" Mike asked.

Helen nodded and slipped a hand through his as he stood. "Are you?" Mike shrugged and they walked together to Mike's parents' car. Mike drove since his father wasn't in a state to and Helen sat in the back with his mother.

The funeral home was in town and it only took them a few minutes to get there. The funeral director showed the family to a private room which they could use at any time if they needed a break. It had two vending machines, one for soda and one for candy, and a coffee maker along with two big couches and several chairs. The family was also allowed time to pay their respects before the wake began at two. It was scheduled to last until seven that night.

Helen stayed glued to Mike's side through the whole day both for support and because she felt awkward, a feeling she'd always hated. After awhile of meeting people, friends of Mike, his parents, or his grandfather, Helen volunteered to stay with the younger children for awhile in the family's room. Sera and Jessie had been taking turns and Helen felt bad. They should be in the receiving line, after all, they knew the people. The youngest kids were fairly easy to entertain. Helen read to them or helped them color pictures. Adrienne slept most of the time. The only one that Helen had any trouble with was Georgie. The girl drifted between the receiving line and the family room for hours. To most people, it probably seemed like she was bored or being moody. Helen recognized some of the signs though. Jessie came in to relieve her and Helen pulled her off to the side.

"It's almost 5. Nobody ate much for lunch, so I was thinking of running out to get sandwiches or something. I think I saw a Jimmy John's nearby."

Jessie smiled slightly. "Thanks, that would be great Helen." She walked over to her purse and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill. "I know Sera will chip in too."

Helen shook her head and pushed the bill away. "I got it. I was wondering if I could take Georgie with me though. She seems to need some time away and I could use a hand carrying everything."

Jessie bit her lower lip. "I guess that would be fine. Who's car are you taking?"

"I thought we'd walk, it's nice out." Jessie nodded and Helen grabbed her purse. "I'm just going to tell Mike where I'm going so he doesn't worry. We'll be back in about half an hour."

Helen walked into the room where the wake was being held and approached Mike from behind. "Hey," she whispered. "How are you doing?"

Mike shrugged. "Okay. How about you?"

"I'm fine. Hungry, but fine. I'm going to take Georgie and run pick up something for everyone to eat."

Mike smiled. "Thanks honey."

Helen left the room quickly, well aware of the speculative glances aimed her way. She found Georgie in the hall. "Hey," Helen said softly. "I was looking for you."

Georgie eyed Helen warily. "Why? I didn't do anything."

Helen's lips quirked into a slight smile. "I know. Actually I was hoping you could help me. I'm getting hungry and no one else has eaten so I was going to run get some sandwiches."

Georgie's brow furrowed. "Why do you need me?"

"Well I could use some help carrying everything and you look like you could use a break."

Georgie nodded, then stopped. "My mom probably won't let me," she said.

"I talked to her already and she said it's fine, if you want to come that is. You don't have to."

Georgie smiled then and nodded. "Okay." They started walking towards the back door, figuring that it would be easier to slip out that way. Once they were outside, Georgie looked up at Helen. "Where are we going?"

"I thought I saw a Jimmy John's a few blocks away. Do you like them?"

Georgie nodded. "Are we walking?"

"I thought we could. It's good for the baby."

Georgie nodded again. They walked in silence for a block before Helen decided to seize the proverbial bull by the horns.

"How are you doing?" she asked gently.

Georgie looked at her, surprised. "What?"

Helen sighed. "This has to be hard for you. You're the oldest, you understand what's happening better than the other kids do, but you're still not quite an adult."

Georgie nodded. "Part of me wants to be in the line, but I feel awkward there. Then when I'm in the family room, I feel like I'm too old to be there." She paused awkwardly. "Why am I telling you this?" she asked, almost to herself. "I don't even know you."

Helen shrugged. "Maybe that's why. I'm safe because you don't know me."

Georgie felt tears sting her eyes and blinked them back. "I shouldn't be this upset," she said softly, sitting on a bench.

Helen sat down next to her. "Why not?" she asked gently. "He was your great-grandfather and you loved him."

Georgie nodded and wiped a hand under her eyes. "I don't have the right though. I mean, he was Grandpa's father and Dad and everyone's grandfather. They have more of a right to be upset and more to deal with. I shouldn't be one of the things that they have to deal with."

Helen felt her heart go out to the young girl sitting next to her and knew she'd done the right thing in giving Georgie the chance to talk to someone. "That's not true," she said softly. "I'm sure you loved your great-grandfather just as much as everyone else did. You have just as much of a right to be upset as they do."

Georgie shook her head. "It's my fault," she whispered.

Helen stared at her, stunned. "Wha- Georgie, honey why would you think that it's your fault?"

"I had a dream," Georgie started, tears again welling in her eyes and pouring down her cheeks. "Grandpa Sean died and I was at my friend Anna's house. Then I was at Anna's in real life and Mom came and got me and told me he'd died. If I told someone, maybe they could have stopped it."

"Oh sweetie," Helen reached over and drew Georgie into a hug. "Georgie, it's not your fault. Your Grandpa Sean was very sick for a long time and he was very old. Sometimes, it's just a person's time to die and there's nothing that you or anyone else can do to stop it. God just wanted to bring him home."

"It's not fair," Georgie sobbed into Helen's arms. "He was the only one who understood me. He came to all of my skating shows and I got to go to his house after school instead of having to go to a baby-sitter. And he listened to me, really listened, not like I was just some stupid kid."

Not knowing what to say, Helen rocked Georgie back and forth gently until her tears slowed, then stopped. Helen took a Kleenex out of her purse and wiped Georgie's cheeks with it. "I know you miss him. But you'll always remember him and how wonderful and how much he loved you. And you have a very important job now. The littler kids might not remember everything about him and you'll have to tell them. By doing that, you can keep him alive for them."

Georgie sniffed and looked at Helen with watery green eyes. "Really?" she asked softly.

Helen nodded. "Really. My grandma died when I was 17 and I loved her very much. It makes me sad to think that my children won't know her, but I can still tell them all about her."

Georgie nodded and leaned over, hugging Helen tightly. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Anytime," Helen answered, hugging her back. "And for the record, I don't think you're just some stupid kid. I think you're very smart and special."

Georgie smiled slightly. "Thanks." She paused. "We should get lunch before everyone wonders where we went."

Helen nodded. "When we get there, why don't you go wash your face and I'll order. We can eat there and bring everything back for them. Then you can either stand in the receiving line with your parents or stay in the waiting room, which ever you're the most comfortable with." Helen personally thought that being in the receiving line was what Georgie needed but she didn't want to force anything on her that she wasn't ready for.

They stood up and started again walking towards Jimmy John's when Georgie looked up at Helen curiously. "How come you don't stand in the line with Uncle Mike?"

Helen sighed. "It's kind of complicated. I don't want it to be awkward for Mike. It's not exactly the ideal time for him to be introducing people to his pregnant girlfriend and, as you proved yesterday, I can't exactly hide it."

Georgie shrugged. "Maybe it would help him to have you there. I mean, Dad has Mom and Aunt Sera has Uncle Isaac. Maybe Uncle Mike needs you too."

Helen shrugged. "Maybe," she answered noncommitedly.

As the approached the door to the restaurant, Georgie stopped and looked up at Helen. "If you stand in the line, I will too."

Helen looked down at the girl who was far wiser than her years. "Deal," she said.

Once they got back to the funeral home, Helen dropped off the sandwiches in the family room and walked into the wake. She walked behind Mike and linked her fingers with his. He turned and smiled slightly. "Hey," he whispered. "Did you just get back?"

Helen nodded. "There are sandwiches in the family room for everyone."

"I'll let my parents go first," Mike said. "Then the kids can go in shifts." He turned back to the receiving line which he'd been holding up and was surprised hen Helen stood next to him. "You're staying?" he asked, somewhat confused.

Helen nodded. "I want to be here for you."

Mike smiled and kissed her cheek gently. "Thank you," he whispered before turning back to the elderly woman standing in front of him. "It's good to see you, Mrs. Wickett. Thank you for coming."

"Your grandfather was a special man, Michael."

Mike nodded. "Yes he was. Mrs. Wickett, this is my girlfriend, Helen," he said, turning slightly towards Helen. "Mrs. Wickett was my Sunday school teacher."

"Hello, dear," Mrs. Wickett said. "Did you know Sean?"

Helen shook her head. "Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to meet him, but Mike told me wonderful things about him."

Mrs. Wickett nodded. "When is your baby due?" she asked curiously.

"In four months," Helen answered softly.

"Hopefully yours won't be as big of a handful as it's father was," Mrs. Wickett said. She moved on and Helen breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she could handle this afterall.

The next day was the funeral and a luncheon in the basement of the church. Helen and Mike left for Boston the day after the funeral, promising to keep everybody updated on the baby and to come back to visit soon. As they got off the plane in Boston, Helen reached in her purse and turned her cell phone on. She was surprised to see that she'd missed 10 calls since turning it off to board the plane. She called her voice mail while Mike gathered their luggage and her stomach dropped when she heard the panicked voice of the first message.

"Helen, it's Bobby. There's been an emergency..."