"Nicholas, are you just going to stand there or are you going to come over here and give me my brand-new grandbaby," my mother ordered the moment that Sara, Reece, and I began to approach them in the concourse. Had it not been for an extensive amount of luggage, my mother probably would have already laid claim to Reece.
"That's better. How are you, darling?" my mother asked as she snagged Reece from my arms. It was funny how an infant could make the rest of the world disappear. My father rolled his eyes at my mother, who seemingly forgot to say hello to anyone else.
"Poncho, she's cute. Sara, you aren't going to have to lift a finger this weekend. Jillian already laid claim to Reece," my father said as I tried to help him corral the four, maybe five, bags my mother couldn't live without. I was positive that the small satchel on my father's shoulder contained everything he planned to use this weekend.
"Sir, it's good to see you again," Sara said as she tried to help with the bags as my mother was engrossed in Reece. Reece seemed to feed on the attention. She cooed and giggled much to my mother's delight. You couldn't get that mad about an illegitimate baby if she was as cute as Reece.
"Sara, don't worry about the luggage. Cisco and I have it under control," I said as I batted Sara away.
"Looks just like her mother," Cisco said as he shook Sara's hand.
"Has the temperament of your son," Sara said with a smile.
"Now, we're all in trouble," my mother replied teasingly.
"So I here we are looking at houses this weekend," my father commented as we began to drag all the luggage out the Denali.
"Sara and I are moving in together so Reece has two parents around full-time," I clarified, which brought an immediate smile to my mother's face. I neglected to mention that the threatening letters were the catalyst of all this change. They had begun to arrive at Sara's home. I had intercepted a few before Sara got to them. I wasn't about to let her read what they said. Sara laughed at my paranoia. I would call her two, three times a night to make sure she was safe. I had taken up residence on her couch. I slept with my loaded service revolver close by. I jumped whenever my telephone rang during the day or night.
"Wonderful, honey. Sara, I insist that we go shopping for Reece this afternoon. Bill and I want to by Reece whatever she might need or you might want. I'm having Nick's old crib sent up from Texas. All the Stokes children have slept in that crib. It would mean so much to me . . . to Bill . . . if Reece would use the crib too," my mother rambled as she held Reece securely to her body.
"Mother, don't be overwhelming," I instructed before she could begin talking again.
"Nick, it's okay. I think that would be very nice. I'd also like to make sure that she has pictures of her family in her room. Reece deserves to know how many people love her," Sara replied. Sometimes, her insecurities took me by surprise. Other times, they nearly broke my heart. Sara didn't realize how much I wanted to give her the family that I knew she deserved.
"Oh, honey. We'll have a good day. The boys can take care of Reece for the afternoon. I've already made appointments for us at the salon. I used to never have any time to get my haircut," my mother said with a smile. I was surprised that Sara didn't have a 'deer in the headlights' expression pasted on her face.
"Jillian, I wasn't the one that asked you to have eight kids," my father replied . . . jokingly.
"You sure didn't do anything to prevent it," my mother quickly quipped.
"Okay, that was way too much information. Mom, go easy on Sara. Reece didn't let her get much sleep last night," I warned again, but I was fairly certain that my warnings fell on deaf ears.
"Oh, honey. I'll make sure that Sara has a relaxing day," my mother replied.
"Mrs. Stokes, you really didn't have to go to all this trouble," Sara said blushing slightly as my mother handed Reece off to Sara, so Reece could be put in her car seat.
"Sara, call me Jillian. You deserve a break. It's hard having an infant in the house. It's hard trying to work and raise a baby . . . and my son," my mother teased as my parents climbed into the backseat of the Denali. One was on each side of Reece, so all attention seemed to turn on her.
"Nick doesn't need much raising. He's been very good to me and Reece. He takes care of us better than I ever imagined," Sara said as I closed her car door and walked around to the driver's side.
"Well, Poncho, I called a few real estate agents in the area. We should go look at the listings this afternoon. Maybe screen out some of the houses that you don't like," my father said as I began to drive toward my townhouse, where my parents would be staying. I couldn't bring myself to leave Sara and Reece alone when I had the night off. I was pretty sure my parents wouldn't argue with my decision.
"Sounds good. How about if I drop you off at the townhouse so yah'll can rest for awhile? Sara and I can go back to her place and get Reece packed up for the afternoon," I suggested.
"Sara and I need to be leaving for the salon in about two hours. Sara, honey, make sure to make a list of anything Reece needs," my mother said in between bouts of baby talk.
"So, Poncho, I tried to warn your mother to take it easy on Sara, but she's always done things her own way," my father said as he held my sleeping daughter.
"It's okay. Sara told me that she thought the afternoon might be fun. I guess she hasn't been out shopping lately or something," I replied as I flipped the television station to the Astros game.
"The way you look at Sara . . . just make sure you aren't falling in love with her because of Reece. Mom and I like Sara. She seems like a good woman. Make sure you love her because she's a good woman," Cisco said, "Couldn't hit a baseball even if it was on a t-ball stand."
My father had always dropped those pearls of advice in the middle of seemingly innocuous conversations. They weren't meant to generate conversation, but they were meant to make me think. Cisco always knew what I was thinking before I, myself, did.
A/N: Not the most action packed chapter . . . I know. My muse must be up to something else these days :( I'm thinking about doing a chapter from Nick's mother's POV - a long conversation with Sara, but it's proving to be harder to write than I anticipated :( If anyone has any suggestions, I am more than willing to listen.