16- "The Best Birthday Gift"


"Happy Birthday!"

Taña and Greg had just walked into the DNA Lab, and almost died from shock. The cake was in the shape of a test tube, and instead of candles, they had lit a strip of magnesium for the pyrotechnics.

Everyone was there, even Sara. Yvette was smiling as she handed Greg and Taña lab coats which had "Birthday CSI" and "Birthday Profiler" written on the backs. They all smiled and ate cake, the perfect geek birthday. It wasn't May 7th quite yet, but at 12 o' clock they would probably be at some crime scene, so they celebrated early.


Taña and Greg were in the break room later that day, laughing, reading the newspaper when Catherine walked in and threw a letter over to Taña.

"We got this at the front desk."

Taña looked slightly confused as she ripped open the letter and read the first two lines, and actually spit her tea across the room in surprise.

"What?" Both Greg and Catherine asked at the same time, as Taña stood up and grabbed her jacket.

"I need to go," She said hurriedly, and grabbed her jacket.

"Shift doesn't end for another half an hour!" Catherine yelled to Taña's retreating back, but she had opened the door and left.

Taña ran outside and into her car, the sun beginning to rise, rereading the letter as she sat in her car. Shocked.

But she remembered it. Like it was a nightmare of a yesterday. The secret she should have never kept...

A knock on her window. It was Greg.

"Are you okay? You left in a hurry."

She rolled down the window and held the paper to her chest in a possessive manner.

"Greg! Hi. I didn't see you there- no no, don't worry, I'm fine. It's okay, I am fine." Her blabbering arouse even more suspicions as Greg said, "Taña, you're worrying me."

"I'm fine... I have to go though. Yes. I have to go. Have a good weekend, Greg." She threw the car into gear and practically burned rubber out of the parking lot.


Gil and Sara sat outside in a small, inconspicuous café, smiling and laughing about who-knows-what. To see Sara smiling was one thing, but to see Gil laughing was another.

"Gil, I really appreciate this. You coming today, and seeing me. I was a little lonely."

"No problem. Every second with you is a blessing."

"Stop doing that, Gil."

"Doing what? Telling you that you mean everything to me?"

"Stop complimenting me."

"Are you telling me to stop telling the truth?"

"I- Oh, that was a good one."

Gil smiled at her as the sun shone on her face, lighting up her features in such a cliché way that Gil worried it was all a dream.

But it wasn't.

"Marry me, Gil." Sara said, making Gil choke on his drink.

"I'm sorry?"

"Seriously, Gil. We aren't getting any younger. We've tried dating; it was wonderful. We've tried breaking up; it was terrible. We've tried doing nothing; that obviously didn't work. So let's get married."

Gil's slow smiled appeared again: it seemed almost as if it didn't belong on his serious face, but it made him look different, made him look so human, so miraculously happy.

"I would be stupid to say no."

"I love you, Gil."

"I've always loved you, Sara."


The next day was Saturday, and Greg needed to talk to Taña, to figure out what spooked her so badly. He knocked on her door, but there was no answer.

"Ya lookin' for Taña?" A little girl asked, the Mexican accent obvious in her voice.

"Yes. Do you know where I can find her?"

"She said something about headin' over to the park to talk with some guy." A woman in the next apartment yelled something in Spanish and the little girl excused herself and ran off.

He was about to head over to the nearest park when an open letter near the window caught his eye. It was the letter she had received that last night.

What caught his eye was the seal on top. The letter was from Colorado Social Services.

With a glance around to see if anyone was looking, Greg leaned his hand through his window and grabbed the letter.

-----------

Dear Taña Szmerka:

COLORADO SOCIAL SEVICES REPORT OF Daren Gregory Schroeder:

We are informing you on behalf of adoption of Daren Gregory (SUBJECT) to Mike and Deborah Schroeder; finalized on March 13th, 1995 in Denver, Colorado. SUBJECT'S parents died in automobile collision on April 23rd, 2004 in Boulder, Colorado.

SUBJECT, born at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado on March 10th, 1995 to Taña Szmerka, 18, born May 7th, 1975, and to UNKNOWN PATERNITY; SUBJECT'S biological mother relinquished rights of parenthood citing reasons of age and financial grief.

SUBJECT, 9 years of age as of April 20th, 2004, requests visitation with biological mother. Biological mother has secure financial situation, is unmarried and has no children. Currently resides in LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. Employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, QuanticoVirginia for over a year. Biological mother filed papers for adoption on April 30th, 2004. Papers pending a visitation and investigation into paternity of SUBJECT.

Visitation scheduled for May 7th, 2004, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Maples Community Park, at 12 pm. Social Worker Jackie Hardnez will supervise visit.

Call Colorado Social Services to confirm visitation.

-----------

Greg stood there in a moment of shock. Three things stood out at him: "unknown paternity", "Taña Szmerka", and most of all "Biological mother... filed for adoption."

He was actually blown back as he sat on the ground, rereading the letter, absorbing it all in. Then, he looked at his watch. It was 11:46.

He practically flew to his car and drove over to Maples Community Park. He got out of the car, still holding onto the paper for dear life, as he saw Taña, who was standing and pacing, looking incredibly nervous, and very beautiful. She was looking out at something in the distance, and Greg followed her gaze, and saw him.

A tall, black woman from social services was holding onto his hand, and he was practically pulling her across the baseball field. The smile on his face could only be explained using the adjective "Taña". But his face, his eyes, all screamed "Greg". Especially his hair. It wasn't brown, it was blonde, but very crazy. Very Greg-like.

Taña stiffened, and her eyes began to water as the little boy named Daren broke away from the social worker and flew-it was way faster than running- over to Taña's arms, which were wide open and welcoming. She crouched down and hugged him, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

"Oh, my sweet baby. How I missed you." Taña whispered, as the angel whispered back, "Are you my real mom?"

She had seen Greg, he knew it. She was crying, the joy could almost be seen. So he walked over, and Taña said, "Yes, I am. And this is your Dad."

The word fell on Greg like syrup, sticking to him and giving him an overall warm feeling. Dad. He was a dad!

Daren looked overwhelmed, shocked. "I... I get a Dad too? All on the same day?"

Greg smiled, "Hi Daren. My name is Greg."

"Can you teach me how to throw a football?"

Greg's eyes filled too; the child's innocence almost killed him. Daren was beautiful.

"Mom and Dad are in Heaven now, talking with the angels. I can talk to them too, when I pray. I pray really hard, so they can hear me. Like this."

He squinted his eyes in intense concentration, but that didn't last long, as a hyper child of nine he stood back and said, "I'm in fourth grade."

"Really?" Greg asked, bending down, "Do you like school?"

"No!" He shrieked, laughing, then he fell serious quickly, exhibiting Taña's intense stare.

"So, if you're my real dad, and she's my real mom, do I get to live here? Does it snow here? I love skiing, and sledding. And making snow angels!"

"We don't know yet, Daren." Taña said, smiling and bending over to join the whispering pow-wow. "Do you want to live here?"

"Do you have football here?"

Taña smiled, "Yes, we do."

Daren smiled again, "I brought one. Teach me!"

Greg accepted the ball that Daren shoved into his hands. Until the sun began to set, they had played football, played in the sand box, played a very intense game of tag and attempted to build a human pyramid but it didn't really work out well.

Jackie Hardnez finally came up and told Daren it was time to go as Taña, Greg and Daren were in a pile on the ground, planning a ground strike on the sandcastle they had just made, scheduling it for destruction.

Daren wasn't too happy with having to leave, but you could tell he respected Jackie and was getting used to social services as he sadly dragged his feet away, but before he left he said something neither of them will ever forget.

"I miss my mom and dad a lot, but I know I'm going to miss you guys too. Why do I keep losing my parents?"

If Greg wasn't standing behind her, Taña would have fallen down in sad surprise. Her emotional drain was beginning to affect her, and Greg held her up as Daren walked back into the sunset. Both had tears down their faces. Even after the car had left, taking their son away again, they still stood there, the sun slowly setting.

"I know I should have told you everything about Daren. We were only together once in high school, but that's all it took."

"Is this why your parents gave me that revolted stare? Because they thought I knew..."

"Oh God, Greg. I am so sorry. I told them... I told them that I told you and you didn't care. I am so sorry, Greg."

He sat there, finally understanding.

"He's beautiful... that was the best birthday gift."

More silence.

"I know I'm not going to get him, Daren, but it would have killed me if I had passed up this one opportunity to get him back. I can't let him live with the knowledge that his mother didn't at least try to get him back."

Greg and Taña stood in the silence, emotionally tired from the day's events.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: there is no purpose to dwell on lost dreams. I made the worst mistake of my life giving him up, but I know I had to... just as I gave you up. The two most important men in my life, both of whom I drove away and had a chance of reconciliation..."

She shook her head sadly and began to walk away.

"There is no purpose to dwell on lost dreams..."


"I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils...

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils."

-William Wordsworth