Thank you to those who read and commented on the last chapter. I realize
that when I disappeared for so long many people who were reading the story
also vanished. For me this story started to drag. I have put more of
Mia's babyhood into it that I had originally planned. I am in the process
of revamping my outline, and with any luck, I should be able to move the
story forward a little more quickly after this chapter. Thank you for
bearing with me.
Bosco's Girl
Chapter 10 –
Bosco opened the door and felt the blast of warm air on his face. He rubbed his cold hands together as he started down the stairs. He paused when he heard voices a few flights below him. He knew that he looked awful, and he really didn't need to be facing anyone at that moment. He sat down on the concrete stairs, ran both of his hands through his hair, and let the memories continue.
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"Hi Bosco? It's Susan," the voice on the phone said.
"Susan? Hi! What's wrong?" Bosco said as he tried to hold the telephone between his ear and shoulder while he struggled to hold onto Mia, who was screaming madly.
"Wow, Mia sounds a little cranky," Susan observed, "and what makes you think that something is wrong?"
"She's just mad because I won't let her eat the lily," Bosco explained as he wrestled his daughter into her highchair and tossed some Cheerios on the tray. "What's up? It is only Tuesday and we do not usually talk until Saturday. I assumed that something had happened."
"Something did happen," Susan said. "I got that job that I was telling you about." "Congratulations!" Bosco exclaimed as he cut a banana into small cubes. "Now will you tell me where you are going so I know where to buy my next plane ticket to?"
"No tickets necessary Bos," Susan said with a smile in her voice. "I'll be chief of emergency medicine at Angel of Mercy Hospital in New York!"
Bosco felt a sharp stab of fear cut through his stomach.
"Two of my friends will be coming with me..." she continued to talk for a few more minutes before they hung up.
Bosco put the pieces of banana on his daughter's tray and hit speed dial on his phone.
"Well is there a chance that she's coming for the job?" Kim asked as she and Bosco pushed their strollers through the park.
"I guess so,'' Bosco admitted. "I just freaked out. I mean, Faith... Kim, she has not even been gone for a year. I'm not ready to move on. I don't think that I'll ever be ready. She was the love of my life. She's my Jimmy."
Kim laughed. "Somehow I don't think that Faith would like to being compared to Jimmy."
"Probably not," Bosco agreed and angled toward a bench near some playground equipment. "There, now the 'wild one' can run."
Kim let her young son out of the restraints of his stroller and tossed some toys into the sand for him, while Bosco checked on the sleeping Mia.
They sat quietly for a few minutes and watched young Jamie Doherty play in the sand.
"So I hear..." Kim started then stopped. She turned to Bosco and took his had, gave it a gentle squeeze and then gently rested her head on his shoulder. "It will get better Bos, I promise."
Both Mia and Jamie started screaming at the same time. After a swift glance at Jamie, who appeared to have sand in his eyes, Bosco turned to Mia and lifter her into his arms. "Did you have a good nap?" he asked the baby, as he changed her diaper then carried her over to Kim and Jamie.
"You ok man?" he asked the boy gently.
"Des," Jamie answered in a tearful voice. "Ossco, me tuff guy, sowwy cwied."
Bosco felt Kim cringe. He put Mia down and knelt next to the little boy. "It hurts doesn't it Jamie? I'd cry if I got sand in my eyes too."
"Lilly?" Jamie asked with wide blue eyes.
"Bosco" Kim hissed behind him.
"Absolutely" Bosco nodded.
"Bos," Kim said a little louder and nudged him.
"What?" he asked turning toward her.
"Look," Kim whispered as she pointed at Mia.
Mia had pulled herself up and was staring at her feet.
"She's going to walk," Kim said staring at the tiny girl.
Sure enough Mia inched her left foot forward and then took a wobbly step. Bosco gasped, as she inched her foot forward again and followed with another wobbly step. Bosco felt tears fill his eyes as he watched his Mia taking her first uncertain steps.
!!!!!!!!!!
"Sorry," Bosco said to Mrs. Swersky, when he picked up Mia a few nights later. "I didn't mean to be so late."
"Your supper is ready my dear,' She said with a smile. "I'm used to this Maurice, I understand,"
"Is Mia up?" he asked as he eyed the plateful of roast chicken dinner hungrily.
"Leeza has her," Mrs. Swersky replied with a sly smile.
"Leeza?" Bosco asked as he picked up his fork. "Oh right, your daughter was coming home, I hope Mia isn't making her crazy." He speared a piece of chicken and put it into his mouth.
"She's an angel," an unfamiliar voice said behind Bosco.
"Dadadad!" Mia's tiny voice called.
"Is that my Mia?" Bosco asked as a smile filled his face. "Come here and say hi to Daddy!" He stretched his arms out to collect his baby. "Hi, I'm Bosco, you must be Leeza."
"I am," smiled a dark haired lady, with green eyes and a dazzling smile. "You have an amazing baby. It is no wonder my mom and dad are so smitten with her. Thanks to you, my sister and I don't have to have kids right away!"
Bosco smiled. "I couldn't do it without them. I just wish that I knew how to thank them! So you're a language specialist?"
"Well I work with children who are hearing impaired with severe language delays. I just took a job at the new rehabilitation hospital in Brooklyn."
"Wow, that's pretty impressive," Bosco said with a thoughtful nod. "So do you know anything about this new thing I've heard of called 'Baby Sign'?
"Actually yes! I am thinking about offering it outside of regular office hours. You would be interested?" Leeza asked.
"Absolutely," Bosco said. "She has so much going on in her brain, and she tries so hard to communicate..." he bent slightly to kiss the silky hair on his daughter's head. "I just want to give her all the advantages I can. I don't want her to be a cop, I want her to have all doors open for her."
"What's wrong with being a cop?" Lieu's voice boomed as he stepped into the back entrance.
"Nothing Lieu," Bos said. "I just don't particularly want Mia to be one. I want her to be a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, anything. Police work is far too dangerous."
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'That's for sure,' the thought echoed in Bosco's head. He had done everything to make sure that Mia had every opportunity that life could provide. She had the best education that he could afford, she was involved in many different activities, yet she still chose to join the academy and become a police officer like her parents. Ty was pushing her to go to Law school, and not to make the same mistake that he had. However, Mia was her mother's daughter and nothing short of divine intervention would change her mind once it was made up.
The officers who were talking on the stairs had long since left. Bosco stood up and quietly made his way back down to the staff room where he poured himself a cup of coffee and flopped down on the couch. His eyes floated over the many pictures lining the walls of the room. He focused in on a picture of Mia and Lieutenant Swersky. The little girl was wearing his hat and trying to look stern. She looked for all the world like a miniature Faith.
Bosco's Girl
Chapter 10 –
Bosco opened the door and felt the blast of warm air on his face. He rubbed his cold hands together as he started down the stairs. He paused when he heard voices a few flights below him. He knew that he looked awful, and he really didn't need to be facing anyone at that moment. He sat down on the concrete stairs, ran both of his hands through his hair, and let the memories continue.
Bg10bg10bg10bg10bg10bg10bg10
"Hi Bosco? It's Susan," the voice on the phone said.
"Susan? Hi! What's wrong?" Bosco said as he tried to hold the telephone between his ear and shoulder while he struggled to hold onto Mia, who was screaming madly.
"Wow, Mia sounds a little cranky," Susan observed, "and what makes you think that something is wrong?"
"She's just mad because I won't let her eat the lily," Bosco explained as he wrestled his daughter into her highchair and tossed some Cheerios on the tray. "What's up? It is only Tuesday and we do not usually talk until Saturday. I assumed that something had happened."
"Something did happen," Susan said. "I got that job that I was telling you about." "Congratulations!" Bosco exclaimed as he cut a banana into small cubes. "Now will you tell me where you are going so I know where to buy my next plane ticket to?"
"No tickets necessary Bos," Susan said with a smile in her voice. "I'll be chief of emergency medicine at Angel of Mercy Hospital in New York!"
Bosco felt a sharp stab of fear cut through his stomach.
"Two of my friends will be coming with me..." she continued to talk for a few more minutes before they hung up.
Bosco put the pieces of banana on his daughter's tray and hit speed dial on his phone.
"Well is there a chance that she's coming for the job?" Kim asked as she and Bosco pushed their strollers through the park.
"I guess so,'' Bosco admitted. "I just freaked out. I mean, Faith... Kim, she has not even been gone for a year. I'm not ready to move on. I don't think that I'll ever be ready. She was the love of my life. She's my Jimmy."
Kim laughed. "Somehow I don't think that Faith would like to being compared to Jimmy."
"Probably not," Bosco agreed and angled toward a bench near some playground equipment. "There, now the 'wild one' can run."
Kim let her young son out of the restraints of his stroller and tossed some toys into the sand for him, while Bosco checked on the sleeping Mia.
They sat quietly for a few minutes and watched young Jamie Doherty play in the sand.
"So I hear..." Kim started then stopped. She turned to Bosco and took his had, gave it a gentle squeeze and then gently rested her head on his shoulder. "It will get better Bos, I promise."
Both Mia and Jamie started screaming at the same time. After a swift glance at Jamie, who appeared to have sand in his eyes, Bosco turned to Mia and lifter her into his arms. "Did you have a good nap?" he asked the baby, as he changed her diaper then carried her over to Kim and Jamie.
"You ok man?" he asked the boy gently.
"Des," Jamie answered in a tearful voice. "Ossco, me tuff guy, sowwy cwied."
Bosco felt Kim cringe. He put Mia down and knelt next to the little boy. "It hurts doesn't it Jamie? I'd cry if I got sand in my eyes too."
"Lilly?" Jamie asked with wide blue eyes.
"Bosco" Kim hissed behind him.
"Absolutely" Bosco nodded.
"Bos," Kim said a little louder and nudged him.
"What?" he asked turning toward her.
"Look," Kim whispered as she pointed at Mia.
Mia had pulled herself up and was staring at her feet.
"She's going to walk," Kim said staring at the tiny girl.
Sure enough Mia inched her left foot forward and then took a wobbly step. Bosco gasped, as she inched her foot forward again and followed with another wobbly step. Bosco felt tears fill his eyes as he watched his Mia taking her first uncertain steps.
!!!!!!!!!!
"Sorry," Bosco said to Mrs. Swersky, when he picked up Mia a few nights later. "I didn't mean to be so late."
"Your supper is ready my dear,' She said with a smile. "I'm used to this Maurice, I understand,"
"Is Mia up?" he asked as he eyed the plateful of roast chicken dinner hungrily.
"Leeza has her," Mrs. Swersky replied with a sly smile.
"Leeza?" Bosco asked as he picked up his fork. "Oh right, your daughter was coming home, I hope Mia isn't making her crazy." He speared a piece of chicken and put it into his mouth.
"She's an angel," an unfamiliar voice said behind Bosco.
"Dadadad!" Mia's tiny voice called.
"Is that my Mia?" Bosco asked as a smile filled his face. "Come here and say hi to Daddy!" He stretched his arms out to collect his baby. "Hi, I'm Bosco, you must be Leeza."
"I am," smiled a dark haired lady, with green eyes and a dazzling smile. "You have an amazing baby. It is no wonder my mom and dad are so smitten with her. Thanks to you, my sister and I don't have to have kids right away!"
Bosco smiled. "I couldn't do it without them. I just wish that I knew how to thank them! So you're a language specialist?"
"Well I work with children who are hearing impaired with severe language delays. I just took a job at the new rehabilitation hospital in Brooklyn."
"Wow, that's pretty impressive," Bosco said with a thoughtful nod. "So do you know anything about this new thing I've heard of called 'Baby Sign'?
"Actually yes! I am thinking about offering it outside of regular office hours. You would be interested?" Leeza asked.
"Absolutely," Bosco said. "She has so much going on in her brain, and she tries so hard to communicate..." he bent slightly to kiss the silky hair on his daughter's head. "I just want to give her all the advantages I can. I don't want her to be a cop, I want her to have all doors open for her."
"What's wrong with being a cop?" Lieu's voice boomed as he stepped into the back entrance.
"Nothing Lieu," Bos said. "I just don't particularly want Mia to be one. I want her to be a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, anything. Police work is far too dangerous."
Bg10bg10bg10bg10bg10bg10
'That's for sure,' the thought echoed in Bosco's head. He had done everything to make sure that Mia had every opportunity that life could provide. She had the best education that he could afford, she was involved in many different activities, yet she still chose to join the academy and become a police officer like her parents. Ty was pushing her to go to Law school, and not to make the same mistake that he had. However, Mia was her mother's daughter and nothing short of divine intervention would change her mind once it was made up.
The officers who were talking on the stairs had long since left. Bosco stood up and quietly made his way back down to the staff room where he poured himself a cup of coffee and flopped down on the couch. His eyes floated over the many pictures lining the walls of the room. He focused in on a picture of Mia and Lieutenant Swersky. The little girl was wearing his hat and trying to look stern. She looked for all the world like a miniature Faith.