Chapter Six

A few days later, Jillian watched as Ed packed his suitcase, a sour look on her face. "Sandra Adlman," she said with a disgusted shake of her head, "You don't think she's attractive do you?"

"Sandra?" Ed asked as he looked at some ties, trying to decide which ones to pack. "Sure," he said, without thinking, "she's very pretty."

His wife bristled as she listened, "Oh really?"

Immediately realizing what he said, Ed quickly looked at his wife and smiled, "But no where near as beautiful as you are."

"Yeah, nice save, Deline," She said as she got up off the bed. Walking over to the bassinette, she laughed quietly as she bent over and picked the baby up. Holding him close to her, she cooed quietly at him as she laughed. Turning around to look at her husband, she said, "How can you leave this sweet and beautiful baby for a year?"

Smiling at his son, Ed dropped the ties on the bed and walked over and kissed the baby's small forehead, "Believe me, I don't want to," he said. "I also don't want to leave his mother and sister."

"Here," Jillian smiled, handing the baby over to Ed, "You take him, I need to get his bottle ready."

Ed eagerly took his son in his arms and walked over to the bed and laid him down close to the edge. Kneeling at the end of the bed, Ed grinned down at him and flattened his hand over the baby's stomach and gently moved it, causing the baby to smile. Laughing softly, he said, "You like that, don't you?" Looking around, Ed spotted a small stuffed rabbit and quickly went over to get it. Grinning again at his infant son, Ed held the rabbit in the baby's eye line and then held it out and slowly brought it back in.

As he played with his son, Jillian came in and then stood in the doorway, smiling as she watched. Listening to her husband's laughter, Jillian laughed a little herself, causing him to turn and smile at her, "Uh-oh, Joey," he said as he picked the baby up, "we were caught."

"Yes you were," she smiled as she walked in, "and Mr. James Bond Wannabe looks pretty sexy when he melts at the sight of a baby."

"Not just any baby," Ed said as he smiled at his son, "My boy." He grinned at his wife, "Can we get him a Yankees hat?"

Jillian laughed as she took the baby and sat down in the rocking chair, "No,"

He sighed as he watched her, "Why?"

Putting the bottle in the baby's mouth, she looked at her husband, "Because he's going to be a Mets fan."

"Over my dead body will he be a Mets fan!"

Smiling sweetly at her husband, she said, "That can be arranged."

Rolling his eyes, Ed went back over and finished packing his bag.

"Don't cry, buttercup," Ed said as he held his crying daughter in the middle of the airport, "I promise, Daddy will be back as soon as he can and I'll call you every day."

Sandra Adlman stood back as she watched Ed tell his family goodbye. Delinda cried harder in her father's shoulder, "Daddy, I don't want you to go, you always go."

Feeling his heart being ripped out, Ed looked at his wife for some help, but she merely shook her head, not entirely happy that he's leaving either. Casting an icy glance at Sandra, she walked up and put her hand on the little girl's back, "Sweetie, daddy has to go, he's gotta go on the airplane now."

"Hey," Ed said, gently pulling back from his daughter. Reaching out, he brushed her tears away with his thumb, "How about daddy brings you back a special surprise from Spain? I'll even send you a few things in the mail when I can, okay?"

Delinda nodded, still sniffling. Hugging his daughter again, he kissed her cheek and put her down and then looked at the baby who was sleeping in the stroller. Kneeling down before it, he sighed as he reached out and brushed a fine lock of hair off his face. Standing up, he went over and hugged his wife, "Take lots of pictures," he said, "I want to see everything when I get back."

Jillian nodded as she tried hard not to cry. Sighing deeply, she hugged her husband tightly, "You come back to me," she said softly, feeling herself losing her battle as a tear fell, "You come back to me safe and sound and quickly."

He nodded as he held her tighter, "I promise, honey, I'll be fine, and I'll call you every single chance I get."

She sighed as she nodded and pulled away from him, tears falling, "I love you, Eddie."

Smiling softly, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, "I love you too, honey."

"Ed."

Ed turned around and saw Sandra standing there, a look of guilt on her face, "I'm sorry, Ed, but our flight leaves in a few minutes."

Sighing, he nodded, "Yeah, okay." Looking at his wife, he kissed her once more and then looked at Delinda, "You be a good girl and help your mom, okay? Daddy will call you later." Casting another look at his wife, Ed picked his briefcase up and walked away from his small family, not seeing Jillian pick Delinda up, both of them crying.

Ed Deline sighed deeply as he walked down the tiled floors of Dulles International Airport. Watching her partner, Sandra sighed softly, "Don't worry, Ed," she said, "Jillian and the kids will be fine."

"I know that," he said as his jaw clenched, "I just don't like leaving them, especially now that Jillian had the baby. I'm gonna miss out on so much," he lamented with sadness, "the first time he starts to crawl, his first real laugh, the first time he starts to really play with his sister, his first Christmas..." Sighing, he swallowed a lump in his throat.

She nodded sympathetically and then let out a quiet sigh. Her eyes falling back to the destination in which they were walking, she headed over to the counter of TWA and opened her briefcase so it could be inspected. Reaching into her purse, she displayed her ID card stating who she was and waited as the man behind the counter went through it. Drumming her crimson nails on the counter, she glanced over and saw that somebody was going through Ed's briefcase as well.

Getting the go-ahead, Sandra closed her briefcase and walked into the terminal and stopped, waiting for Ed to catch up. Once he was inside, the two walked through the terminal and onto the plane. "Do you know where we are sitting?"

Ed checked the stubs of the tickets, "Seats E 4 and 5."

Sandra nodded as she found the row, "Here we go," she said. Knowing Ed likes aisle seats, she slid in first and sat down in the center seat. Setting her briefcase on the seat next to her, she buckled up.

"Here," Ed said, taking her briefcase and putting both of them up in the overhead compartment. "Once we are in the air, I'll get them back down."

Sandra nodded as she adjusted herself so she got comfortable and then sighed. Reaching in front of her, she took out an in-flight magazine and read it.

Ed glanced over at her and then noticed something. Taking her hand, he looked at it and then at her, "You want to explain something?"

Sandra sighed as she pulled her hand back, "What?"

"You know what," he said, "where's your ring?"

Sighing again, the auburn haired woman shook her head, "It didn't work out with me and Michael, that's all."

Ed looked at her, his eyes scanning over her face, "What happened?"

"Gloria Russell."

Closing his eyes, he sighed, "Damn," shaking his head, he looked at her, "I'm sorry, Sandy. You want me to kill him?" He grinned, causing the woman to laugh, "Cause I can do it, I can kill him and make it look like an accident."

Sandra laughed as she gently smacked his shoulder, "I know you can, but no, I'm taking care of it in court."

"Attagirl," Ed said with a small grin.

Falling into a lull in the conversation, they both sat back as they felt the plane beginning to taxi and within minutes they were climbing altitude in the air.

After getting Joey buckled into his car seat, Jillian shut the door of the car and walked over to the other side and made sure that her daughter was strapped in firmly. Giving her a small smile, she handed her the new doll that Ed had given her before he left. Shutting the door, she walked around to the driver's side and got in the car and put her own seatbelt on.

Starting the car up, she turned around and smiled at her, "How about we go to Goody's for dinner. We can get milkshakes and burgers, just like we do when Daddy's here."

Delinda shook her head quietly as she looked at the doll, "Mommy, where did daddy say this doll was born again?"

Smiling quietly at the way she worded it, Jillian backed out of the parking spot, "Spain, sweetie."

"Is that far away?"

"Oh yes," she said as she circled the parking lot and headed out, "It's very far away."

Running her small chubby fingers over the glossy black hair, Delinda studied the dark eyes and the bright ruby red lips of her porcelain doll. As soon as he found out that he had to leave again, Ed made a special trip to Clasky's Toy Store and selected a porcelain doll for his daughter that was dressed in an ornate Spanish dancing dress. Upon presenting the doll to his daughter, Ed was delighted to see that she never let the doll out of her sight for a moment and the gift seemed to bring the two closer, if that was even possible. So close that Delinda did a rare thing for a girl such as herself, she let her father help decide on a name to call her.

"Daddy's going to where Rosa was born, right, mommy?"

Smiling at her daughter in the rear view mirror, Jillian nodded, "That's right, baby, daddy's going to where Rosa was born." Seeing the diner in the distance, she said, "Dee, are you sure you don't want Goody's tonight? If you want it, tell me, and I can stop."

Delinda continued to stare at the doll in her lap, "Okay, mommy."

"Alright then," she said as she pulled into the parking lot of the favorite diner. Finding a parking spot, she turned the car off and sighed deeply. Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against the steering wheel of the car, wondering how she was going to survive a whole year without the man that she loved.