PART 4
1 Pacey
Six weeks later Joey and I were used to the baby and to the daily routine of taking care of him. I tried to do as much as I could to help although there wasn't much I could do since she had to be the one to feed him every two or three hours. Instead, I'd do all of the laundry, make the meals, clean up around the house and whatever else I could find to do.
I always made sure to get up with Joey during the night and sit with her while she fed him. It made me feel as though I was helping out even though I really couldn't. And, I knew she appreciated the company. We were both exhausted all of the time but we loved it. We didn't care.
I finished loading up the dishwasher, added the soap and then turned it on before entering the nursery where Joey was feeding the baby in preparation for his afternoon nap. As I entered, she stood up from the rocking chair my parents had gotten for us a week after Ryan was born and started towards his bassinet. I smiled at her as I reached for the yellow and white quilt my mother had made for the baby.
My parents had surprised me very much when they showed up at the hospital the day after Ryan was born and brought a nicely wrapped gift. I was speechless when I opened the box to find one of my mother's signature homemade knitted quilts. I smiled as I thought of the way my mother had asked Joey so concerned, "Is yellow okay? I wanted to get a head start and since we didn't know the sex..."
And, of course, Joey had immediately quelled my mother's concern by saying, "It's beautiful. It will look perfect in the nursery. Thank you so much."
And, she was right, it did look perfect in the nursery. It looked even more perfect as I placed it lightly over my son's tiny little body. I rubbed my thumb lightly over Ryan's cheek. He was so adorable, his skin was still red and wrinkly. I reached for his tiny hand and I loved the way he always wrapped his fingers around my index finger whenever I did that. After that I took Joey's hand and led her out of the room. She flipped the switch on the baby monitor on the way out.
"I should probably get going," I told Joey as I wrapped my arms around her waist in the living room. I had to leave for the airport to pick up Dawson, Gretchen and the kids.
"I wish I could come," she said as she rested her head on my shoulder. "I can't wait to see everyone."
Dawson and Gretchen were going to be the first to arrive. Jack and Andie were both flying in to Boston that day and Jen was picking them up. The next day all of them would be driving down to Capeside from Boston.
"I guess your little reunion has finally come to life," I teased her.
"You just wait," she said pulling away from me and slapping me playfully on the chest. "Everyone is going to have so much fun, you'll all be thanking me."
"I don't doubt it," I said grabbing my keys from the table behind the couch where I always left them. "I'll be back soon," I told her.
"You're dropping them at the Leery's before you come home, right?" she asked me through a yawn as she stretched out on the couch.
"Yeah and then they're coming over for dinner tonight," I reminded her.
She nodded with closed eyes. She was practically asleep already. I moved the baby monitor closer to her so she'd hear if the baby woke up.
"Get some sleep, Jo," I said leaning down to kiss her forehead then heading out the back door.
****
I decided to park the car at the airport even though I knew it would probably cost an arm and a leg. I didn't anticipate the Leery's being able to quickly exit the airport with three kids and god knows how many bags. I was there about five minutes before their plane from Los Angeles was supposed to arrive and when I checked the computer screen I saw that their plane was on time.
In a rush of excitement at seeing Dawson, my sister and my nieces, I picked up the pace and moved quickly towards the gate where they'd be getting off the plane. People were already pouring out of the gate when I arrived so I stood close by and waited, searching the crowd for those familiar faces.
I saw them walking up the gate; Dawson carrying a bag over one shoulder, a bag in his hand and the baby asleep on his other shoulder. Gretchen was beside him holding their other two daughter's hands. They looked tired and worn out. I imagined the flight must seem even longer when you have three little kids to take care of. When they saw me, smiles broke out across both of their faces.
Gretchen grabbed me into a huge hug and it surprised me. I laughed as I hugged her back, giving Dawson a "what-the-heck" look over her shoulder. He just shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
"It's so good to see you," she said finally letting go of me. That's when I noticed she was crying and I tilted my head to the side as though to ask her what's wrong. She smiled and wiped at her face. "I'm just glad to see you and to be home," she said hugging me again.
Truth be told, I was glad to see her too. She had always been my favorite sibling. The one I related to most and could talk to most. It was hard to have her living so far away.
She re-introduced me to Isabella and Kristina since it had been three years since they'd seen me and at the time they'd been too young to even remember seeing me. They looked so much like her as they turned away from me, burying their faces in their mother's legs to hide from me.
I shook Dawson's hand. "This is Ashley who, unfortunately for us, only fell asleep at the end of the flight after she spent the first three hours crying."
"Ouch," I laughed.
"Yeah, you should've seen all the dirty looks we got."
"I'm just glad she's quiet now," Gretchen said examining her daughter carefully as she slept on Dawson's shoulder.
"Thanks for coming to pick us up, Pace," Dawson said carefully placing the two bags he was carrying on the ground. "My parents said to say thanks too. They have some sort of recital of Lily's to go to and it
would've been hard for them to get here."
"Sure, no problem."
"Hey, where's Joey?" Gretchen asked as she hoisted Kristina up on her hip. I smiled as Kristina nestled her head in the crook of Gretchen's neck and Gretchen rolled her eyes.
"She really wanted to come but the baby was sleeping and she was on the verge of falling asleep herself as I was leaving."
"Well, we'll see her tonight," Dawson said.
"Definitely," I told him. "So, should we go get your bags?"
"Yes, good idea," Dawson said. "Everybody here could use a nap," he said reaching down to get the carry-on bags.
"Let me take those," I told him. "You've got enough to carry."
"Thanks," he smiled.
As we all headed toward the baggage claim, I was happy to have them home. Joey was right. We'd all be thanking her for getting us back together again. It had been a long time. Too long.
1 Pacey
Six weeks later Joey and I were used to the baby and to the daily routine of taking care of him. I tried to do as much as I could to help although there wasn't much I could do since she had to be the one to feed him every two or three hours. Instead, I'd do all of the laundry, make the meals, clean up around the house and whatever else I could find to do.
I always made sure to get up with Joey during the night and sit with her while she fed him. It made me feel as though I was helping out even though I really couldn't. And, I knew she appreciated the company. We were both exhausted all of the time but we loved it. We didn't care.
I finished loading up the dishwasher, added the soap and then turned it on before entering the nursery where Joey was feeding the baby in preparation for his afternoon nap. As I entered, she stood up from the rocking chair my parents had gotten for us a week after Ryan was born and started towards his bassinet. I smiled at her as I reached for the yellow and white quilt my mother had made for the baby.
My parents had surprised me very much when they showed up at the hospital the day after Ryan was born and brought a nicely wrapped gift. I was speechless when I opened the box to find one of my mother's signature homemade knitted quilts. I smiled as I thought of the way my mother had asked Joey so concerned, "Is yellow okay? I wanted to get a head start and since we didn't know the sex..."
And, of course, Joey had immediately quelled my mother's concern by saying, "It's beautiful. It will look perfect in the nursery. Thank you so much."
And, she was right, it did look perfect in the nursery. It looked even more perfect as I placed it lightly over my son's tiny little body. I rubbed my thumb lightly over Ryan's cheek. He was so adorable, his skin was still red and wrinkly. I reached for his tiny hand and I loved the way he always wrapped his fingers around my index finger whenever I did that. After that I took Joey's hand and led her out of the room. She flipped the switch on the baby monitor on the way out.
"I should probably get going," I told Joey as I wrapped my arms around her waist in the living room. I had to leave for the airport to pick up Dawson, Gretchen and the kids.
"I wish I could come," she said as she rested her head on my shoulder. "I can't wait to see everyone."
Dawson and Gretchen were going to be the first to arrive. Jack and Andie were both flying in to Boston that day and Jen was picking them up. The next day all of them would be driving down to Capeside from Boston.
"I guess your little reunion has finally come to life," I teased her.
"You just wait," she said pulling away from me and slapping me playfully on the chest. "Everyone is going to have so much fun, you'll all be thanking me."
"I don't doubt it," I said grabbing my keys from the table behind the couch where I always left them. "I'll be back soon," I told her.
"You're dropping them at the Leery's before you come home, right?" she asked me through a yawn as she stretched out on the couch.
"Yeah and then they're coming over for dinner tonight," I reminded her.
She nodded with closed eyes. She was practically asleep already. I moved the baby monitor closer to her so she'd hear if the baby woke up.
"Get some sleep, Jo," I said leaning down to kiss her forehead then heading out the back door.
****
I decided to park the car at the airport even though I knew it would probably cost an arm and a leg. I didn't anticipate the Leery's being able to quickly exit the airport with three kids and god knows how many bags. I was there about five minutes before their plane from Los Angeles was supposed to arrive and when I checked the computer screen I saw that their plane was on time.
In a rush of excitement at seeing Dawson, my sister and my nieces, I picked up the pace and moved quickly towards the gate where they'd be getting off the plane. People were already pouring out of the gate when I arrived so I stood close by and waited, searching the crowd for those familiar faces.
I saw them walking up the gate; Dawson carrying a bag over one shoulder, a bag in his hand and the baby asleep on his other shoulder. Gretchen was beside him holding their other two daughter's hands. They looked tired and worn out. I imagined the flight must seem even longer when you have three little kids to take care of. When they saw me, smiles broke out across both of their faces.
Gretchen grabbed me into a huge hug and it surprised me. I laughed as I hugged her back, giving Dawson a "what-the-heck" look over her shoulder. He just shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
"It's so good to see you," she said finally letting go of me. That's when I noticed she was crying and I tilted my head to the side as though to ask her what's wrong. She smiled and wiped at her face. "I'm just glad to see you and to be home," she said hugging me again.
Truth be told, I was glad to see her too. She had always been my favorite sibling. The one I related to most and could talk to most. It was hard to have her living so far away.
She re-introduced me to Isabella and Kristina since it had been three years since they'd seen me and at the time they'd been too young to even remember seeing me. They looked so much like her as they turned away from me, burying their faces in their mother's legs to hide from me.
I shook Dawson's hand. "This is Ashley who, unfortunately for us, only fell asleep at the end of the flight after she spent the first three hours crying."
"Ouch," I laughed.
"Yeah, you should've seen all the dirty looks we got."
"I'm just glad she's quiet now," Gretchen said examining her daughter carefully as she slept on Dawson's shoulder.
"Thanks for coming to pick us up, Pace," Dawson said carefully placing the two bags he was carrying on the ground. "My parents said to say thanks too. They have some sort of recital of Lily's to go to and it
would've been hard for them to get here."
"Sure, no problem."
"Hey, where's Joey?" Gretchen asked as she hoisted Kristina up on her hip. I smiled as Kristina nestled her head in the crook of Gretchen's neck and Gretchen rolled her eyes.
"She really wanted to come but the baby was sleeping and she was on the verge of falling asleep herself as I was leaving."
"Well, we'll see her tonight," Dawson said.
"Definitely," I told him. "So, should we go get your bags?"
"Yes, good idea," Dawson said. "Everybody here could use a nap," he said reaching down to get the carry-on bags.
"Let me take those," I told him. "You've got enough to carry."
"Thanks," he smiled.
As we all headed toward the baggage claim, I was happy to have them home. Joey was right. We'd all be thanking her for getting us back together again. It had been a long time. Too long.