"You're quiet," Alex said to Kim after they had eaten dinner. Jimmy was
cleaning up in the kitchen.
"Just thinking," Kim said absently as she traced patterns on the table.
"Anything interesting?"
"This morning Bosco and I were in the park and this little girl was following us. We sat down and she came over. She recognized Bosco from when he talked to her class a while ago."
"So, what? She wanted to talk to him?"
"Yes and no. She said that her mother was resting and her daddy said not to bother her. This was after they had a fight."
"Uh-oh."
"Yeah. She showed us where she was after a little convincing. The mother was dead."
"Oh man," Alex winced. "How old was the girl?"
"About Joey's age."
"Poor thing. Why do people do this kind of thing?"
"Some people are just wired differently. It bugs me to think that there are people in this world that get their jollies by smacking their family around."
"Yeah me, too," Alex said.
Kim looked over at Jimmy and smiled a little.
"What?" Alex said.
"No matter how badly he botches up his relationships with women, he'd never raise a hand to any of them."
"He's one of the good ones," Alex nodded.
"Yeah."
The women looked at each other, "Most of the time."
~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Kim lay on her side watching TV. Every few minutes she looked down to the end of the couch at Bosco.
Finally Bosco looked at her, "What?"
"What?"
"You keep looking at me like you wanna ask me something. What's up?"
"Well, since you asked," Kim sat up. "Do you ever think about having more kids?"
"Sometimes. Why? Are you pregnant?"
"No," Kim shook her head.
"Do you want to try?"
"Not exactly. I called DCFS today when I got back to the firehouse after that car accident. The little girl, Amanda, doesn't have any other family. She just has her father and it's pretty much agreed that she can't go with him."
"Kim, do you want to adopt her?"
"Yeah, I do. I think she needs us Bosco. I think that's why we were the ones she found today." She studied his face. "You don't like the idea."
"No, I do. I actually thought about it for a little while today. I just didn't think you'd want to."
"I've always wanted a daughter," Kim said, smiling. "I love my boys but I think it'd be nice to have someone in the house who isn't loaded with testosterone."
"Not to mention you'd have someone to follow in your footsteps and be a paramedic. Joey will be a firefighter like his old man, and Johnny will be a cop like me."
She covered his mouth, "Don't even think it. If that happens I won't be able to sleep at night."
"I'll be there to keep you entertained," Bosco smiled.
"I know you will. Before we go any further with this, we should talk to Joey. He might not like the idea."
"I think he'd like having a little sister even if she is pretty close to his own age."
Kim smiled, "You're the best."
"I know," Bosco grinned.
"Smart ass."
"Just thinking," Kim said absently as she traced patterns on the table.
"Anything interesting?"
"This morning Bosco and I were in the park and this little girl was following us. We sat down and she came over. She recognized Bosco from when he talked to her class a while ago."
"So, what? She wanted to talk to him?"
"Yes and no. She said that her mother was resting and her daddy said not to bother her. This was after they had a fight."
"Uh-oh."
"Yeah. She showed us where she was after a little convincing. The mother was dead."
"Oh man," Alex winced. "How old was the girl?"
"About Joey's age."
"Poor thing. Why do people do this kind of thing?"
"Some people are just wired differently. It bugs me to think that there are people in this world that get their jollies by smacking their family around."
"Yeah me, too," Alex said.
Kim looked over at Jimmy and smiled a little.
"What?" Alex said.
"No matter how badly he botches up his relationships with women, he'd never raise a hand to any of them."
"He's one of the good ones," Alex nodded.
"Yeah."
The women looked at each other, "Most of the time."
~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Kim lay on her side watching TV. Every few minutes she looked down to the end of the couch at Bosco.
Finally Bosco looked at her, "What?"
"What?"
"You keep looking at me like you wanna ask me something. What's up?"
"Well, since you asked," Kim sat up. "Do you ever think about having more kids?"
"Sometimes. Why? Are you pregnant?"
"No," Kim shook her head.
"Do you want to try?"
"Not exactly. I called DCFS today when I got back to the firehouse after that car accident. The little girl, Amanda, doesn't have any other family. She just has her father and it's pretty much agreed that she can't go with him."
"Kim, do you want to adopt her?"
"Yeah, I do. I think she needs us Bosco. I think that's why we were the ones she found today." She studied his face. "You don't like the idea."
"No, I do. I actually thought about it for a little while today. I just didn't think you'd want to."
"I've always wanted a daughter," Kim said, smiling. "I love my boys but I think it'd be nice to have someone in the house who isn't loaded with testosterone."
"Not to mention you'd have someone to follow in your footsteps and be a paramedic. Joey will be a firefighter like his old man, and Johnny will be a cop like me."
She covered his mouth, "Don't even think it. If that happens I won't be able to sleep at night."
"I'll be there to keep you entertained," Bosco smiled.
"I know you will. Before we go any further with this, we should talk to Joey. He might not like the idea."
"I think he'd like having a little sister even if she is pretty close to his own age."
Kim smiled, "You're the best."
"I know," Bosco grinned.
"Smart ass."
