Epilogue
"Come on, Linda, the movie starts in 30 minutes," A.J. said, holding his wife's coat. "Just a minute, I want to say good night to Ricky", she replied, turning to the bright-eyed baby in Laurie's arms. Kissing his forehead, she cooed, "Mind your Auntie and Uncle now, Ricky, and remember, no spitting up on Uncle Rick, unless he bounces you too much!"
Laurie smiled at her sister-in-law, "Don't worry, Uncle Rick will be as good as gold, you two enjoy the movie now."
As the door closed behind his brother, Rick made a face at his wife, "Good as gold?" She grinned, "Yes, at least until Ricky's asleep!" Carrying her two month- old nephew, Laurie settled onto the sofa as Rick sat down next to her. Looking at the little face of his godson, he saw A.J. all over again. "Sweetheart, it's like déjà vu, I can remember Mom holding A.J. like that, so little."
She gazed up at her husband, then put a hand to his cheek, "Darling, you did such a good job with him, I know he'll turn out just as wonderful as his father."
Rick put his finger out for Ricky to grab, then his jaw dropped as the little guy looked at him, then smiled.
"Oh, my gosh, Laurie, he smiled at me, where's the camera?" he whispered excitedly. "Right behind you, Rick, let me grab it and take a picture of him looking at you!" she calmly told him. As she focused the camera, Ricky gazed up at his uncle, then smiled again. Snapping a couple of pictures, she refocused, then told Rick, "Smile for me, darling, I want a picture for my wallet."
Looking at her, the normally camera-shy Rick beamed at her, then after the flash went off, leaned over and kissed her. "Did I tell you I have a thing for babysitters?" he whispered, as she put the camera down. "No, but I have all night to find out.", she blushed, then leaned against him.
Suddenly the doorbell sounded, startling both of them, and grumbling, "Who could it be on a Saturday night?" Rick got up and went to the door.
As Laurie took a bottle and began to feed Ricky, she heard his parent's voices, then saw A.J. and Linda in the doorway, with an older brother laughing behind them. "What happened, A.J., did you forget something?" she asked.
"Yeah, no, uh, the movie was, uh, sold out, so we'll go see it next week", her brother-in-law said. Linda shook her head, "To be honest, honey, what I forgot was to pump for Ricky, I'm afraid I have to change." Catching sight of her friend's embarrassed expression, Laurie stood up and followed her down the hall, as the baby started to yell.
Rick shook his head at A.J., "Boy, do you have bad timing, just as I was about to get lucky with the babysitter!" His brother grinned, "Sorry, but when Linda said, "Oops!" I knew it was going to be a short night!" "Never mind, tell you what, as soon as my nephew gets dinner, Laurie and I will put the little guy to bed and leave you two alone," he promised.
A.J. hugged Rick, "Thanks, big brother, that'll be just as good. Let me pull a pizza out of the freezer, won't be a minute."
Later, as Rick watched his little namesake sleeping, Laurie tiptoed into the nursery, then sat next to her husband on his mom's old loveseat. Laying her head against his shoulder, she felt his arm steal around her. "Darlin'?" She gazed up at him, seeing tears in his eyes. "Rick, what's wrong?" He kissed her, then told her, "I keep thinking of how I almost lost you this week, and I couldn't handle it." "Oh, my love, you didn't, I'm not going to leave you, ever. That little boy needs both of us, and we're going to be around to watch him grow up. Just never let go of me!" she whispered, wiping tears from his face.
He cuddled her in his arms, then took his turn at kissing her tears away. "My angel, you'll never have to worry, I'll never leave you without a partner, in bridge or our home!"
She quietly laughed, then looking up at his loving expression, asked him, "Now, what is this thing you have for babysitters?" He lifted her into his lap, then proceeded to kiss her all over, saying, "First off, baby powder turns me on."
Outside the door, A.J. and Linda tiptoed past, then hearing muffled giggling, exchanged knowing smiles. "Told you he was a good babysitter." A.J. said, kissing his wife. "You mean, he's good with babysitters!" she teased, taking his hand and leading him down the hall.
Entering their bedroom, A.J. looked back at the nursery then said to the closed door, "Thanks for being a great brother." Suddenly he saw his brother open the door, then seeing him, grin and say, "You're welcome!"
"Come on, Linda, the movie starts in 30 minutes," A.J. said, holding his wife's coat. "Just a minute, I want to say good night to Ricky", she replied, turning to the bright-eyed baby in Laurie's arms. Kissing his forehead, she cooed, "Mind your Auntie and Uncle now, Ricky, and remember, no spitting up on Uncle Rick, unless he bounces you too much!"
Laurie smiled at her sister-in-law, "Don't worry, Uncle Rick will be as good as gold, you two enjoy the movie now."
As the door closed behind his brother, Rick made a face at his wife, "Good as gold?" She grinned, "Yes, at least until Ricky's asleep!" Carrying her two month- old nephew, Laurie settled onto the sofa as Rick sat down next to her. Looking at the little face of his godson, he saw A.J. all over again. "Sweetheart, it's like déjà vu, I can remember Mom holding A.J. like that, so little."
She gazed up at her husband, then put a hand to his cheek, "Darling, you did such a good job with him, I know he'll turn out just as wonderful as his father."
Rick put his finger out for Ricky to grab, then his jaw dropped as the little guy looked at him, then smiled.
"Oh, my gosh, Laurie, he smiled at me, where's the camera?" he whispered excitedly. "Right behind you, Rick, let me grab it and take a picture of him looking at you!" she calmly told him. As she focused the camera, Ricky gazed up at his uncle, then smiled again. Snapping a couple of pictures, she refocused, then told Rick, "Smile for me, darling, I want a picture for my wallet."
Looking at her, the normally camera-shy Rick beamed at her, then after the flash went off, leaned over and kissed her. "Did I tell you I have a thing for babysitters?" he whispered, as she put the camera down. "No, but I have all night to find out.", she blushed, then leaned against him.
Suddenly the doorbell sounded, startling both of them, and grumbling, "Who could it be on a Saturday night?" Rick got up and went to the door.
As Laurie took a bottle and began to feed Ricky, she heard his parent's voices, then saw A.J. and Linda in the doorway, with an older brother laughing behind them. "What happened, A.J., did you forget something?" she asked.
"Yeah, no, uh, the movie was, uh, sold out, so we'll go see it next week", her brother-in-law said. Linda shook her head, "To be honest, honey, what I forgot was to pump for Ricky, I'm afraid I have to change." Catching sight of her friend's embarrassed expression, Laurie stood up and followed her down the hall, as the baby started to yell.
Rick shook his head at A.J., "Boy, do you have bad timing, just as I was about to get lucky with the babysitter!" His brother grinned, "Sorry, but when Linda said, "Oops!" I knew it was going to be a short night!" "Never mind, tell you what, as soon as my nephew gets dinner, Laurie and I will put the little guy to bed and leave you two alone," he promised.
A.J. hugged Rick, "Thanks, big brother, that'll be just as good. Let me pull a pizza out of the freezer, won't be a minute."
Later, as Rick watched his little namesake sleeping, Laurie tiptoed into the nursery, then sat next to her husband on his mom's old loveseat. Laying her head against his shoulder, she felt his arm steal around her. "Darlin'?" She gazed up at him, seeing tears in his eyes. "Rick, what's wrong?" He kissed her, then told her, "I keep thinking of how I almost lost you this week, and I couldn't handle it." "Oh, my love, you didn't, I'm not going to leave you, ever. That little boy needs both of us, and we're going to be around to watch him grow up. Just never let go of me!" she whispered, wiping tears from his face.
He cuddled her in his arms, then took his turn at kissing her tears away. "My angel, you'll never have to worry, I'll never leave you without a partner, in bridge or our home!"
She quietly laughed, then looking up at his loving expression, asked him, "Now, what is this thing you have for babysitters?" He lifted her into his lap, then proceeded to kiss her all over, saying, "First off, baby powder turns me on."
Outside the door, A.J. and Linda tiptoed past, then hearing muffled giggling, exchanged knowing smiles. "Told you he was a good babysitter." A.J. said, kissing his wife. "You mean, he's good with babysitters!" she teased, taking his hand and leading him down the hall.
Entering their bedroom, A.J. looked back at the nursery then said to the closed door, "Thanks for being a great brother." Suddenly he saw his brother open the door, then seeing him, grin and say, "You're welcome!"
