Note: I wasn't going to continue this series but since I've gotten so many responses asking me to…I am
July 21st, 1996
Brian stared at his wife. She looked nervous. He had been pushing this opening a model school here for awhile now. She did it in Miami and she loved it right up until their lives changed forever.
"Zophia, are you okay?" He asked her. She bit her lip.
"Are we really staying here? Are we really going to stop moving around?" She asked him. Brian nodded.
"We're really staying here." he said reaching over to take her hand, "You can open up a school and we can become rich…again." Zophia gave a tearful chuckle.
"That would be nice." She said as the door bell rang. Both of their smiles faded. Brian slowly stood up and stared at the door. His heart pounded in his chest.
"Do not make a sound." He whispered. The doorbell rang again. Brian slowly walked towards the door. He glanced through the peep hole and groaned loudly. "It's okay, Zoph." He opened the door and John and Andrew stood there, "Hey guys."
"Took you long enough." Andrew chuckled.
"Wow, you really have grown up." John winked.
"Who is it?" Zophia slowly stood up. Brian stepped aside and led his high school friends into his apartment.
"You remember Andrew and this is John." Brian said. John looked Zophia over. Wow, he thought. "What are you guys doing here?"
"We wanted to come see you. Stop being so secretive." Andrew chuckled. Brian glanced out the window as he closed the front door and double bolted it.
"Got someone coming after you?" John grinned.
"I….I will check on the boys." Zophia rushed out of the room. Brian frowned at John.
"Look guys. I'm different than I was in high school. I cant have you guys dropping by my house any time you want." he said. Andrew held his hands up.
"Whoa whoa. We just wanted to see you." He said.
"Call next time." Brian muttered glancing back out the window.
"Brian, what's going on?" John asked.
"Nothing is going on." Brian said going into the kitchen. The men followed.
"When I ran into you at the mall you couldn't get away from me fast enough." Andrew said. "Now did we really fuck you over that bad in high school?" Brian sighed shaking his head.
"None of this is you." Brian said.
"Then what's going on man." John said, "Look we've all got families now. We're all adults now. I'd like for the three of us to be able to get alone and become friends again." Brian stared at John. He was being sincere.
"I'd like for us to have some friends." Brian said.
"Good." Andrew said.
"Are you in some kind of trouble because I'm a lawyer. I can help you out." John said. Brian laughed.
"You couldn't help me with this." He said.
"Try us." Andrew said. Brian glanced at the door. He had wanted to talk to someone about this for years now. Could he trust them?
"We got into a little trouble back in Miami." Brian said.
"Drugs?" John asked. He heard there were a lot of drug trafficking there.
"Sort of." Brian said.
"Tell us. We wont let anything leave this room." John said, "I'm good with keeping information secret."
"Well, um…Zophia opened up a modeling school a few years ago. She was doing really well. She had so many little girls in her school. Well, one little girl Lucia Sanchez was doing very well so she went to the Sanchez home…" Brian bit his lip for a moment. "Let's just say Zophia saw some things that she shouldn't have and had her life threatened. So we ran."
"Wow…." Andrew said. "How long have you been…on the run?"
"Four years." Brian said, "I cant get into much more detail than that. You understand, don't you?"
"Yeah yeah. Of course." john smiled. "You can trust us. Well, you can trust me. I don't know about Andy boy here."
"You can trust me." He said, "Your wife doesn't have to run away from us. We'll treat her just like our wives."
"That means a lot." Brian said, "She's pretty lonely. She would love to met Alli and Claire, I'm sure."
"Well, great." John said, "Claire is about to give birth so I don't think she'd be up for company, but soon all of us have o get together. All our children and all of that.
"A barbeque." Andrew said. Brian chuckled. Okay, maybe this wouldn't be too bad. Maybe he could actually lead a normal life. M aybe he could actually raise his boys in a place that was actually safe. Maybe this was the best move he had ever made.
August 1st, 1996
John ran his hand over his hair as he stared at the pile of papers on his desk. His latest case was a hard one. His Client was suing her husband because she had suffered four miscarriage due to his beatings. She wanted him to pay up and be charged with four accounts of murder. He wasn't sure if he could do it but he would try his best.
"Mr. Bender, Scott Lovejoy wants to meet you tomorrow." April, his secretary, said as she stood in the doorway.
"You know my schedule. Can I make it?" H e asked. April chuckled.
"Yes, but you hate him. Do you want to have lunch with him?" She asked him. John shook his head.
"no but he will keep on nagging me if I don't." John waved his hand. "Schedule him for a 12:30. Then I don't want to hear from him for three months, All right?"
"You're unbelievable." April walked back out into the front office. John leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "Mr. Bender, your wife is on line one."
"Thanks." He said picking up the phone. "hello, Baby."
"Hey." Claire smiled. "What are you doing?"
"Oh just going over some notes." John said, "How are you feeling? Any activity from the wee one?"
"Oh yes. A whole bunch." Claire chuckled. "like my water breaking." John sat up as the colored drained from his face. His heart pounded in his chest.
"Wh-What?" he asked.
"My water has broken." She said. "Courtney and the little ones walked over to Alli's house. John, are you there?" He cleared is throat.
"Yeah. Sorry. How are you feeling?" he asked her.
"Just fine, but are you able to come home?" Claire asked, "I'd really like to have this baby with you there." John stood up.
"Give me ten minutes. Just sit there and relax." John hung the phone up and ran outside, "She having the baby. Cancel everything for the next week."
"What? She's having the baby?" April smiled as John grabbed his blazer jacket.
"I'm going to be a dad…again." John ran outside of his building. This was great.
Claire laid in the bed taking in a deep breath. She looked at John and smiled.
"I don't think it'll be a long labor. Tyler was what? Seven hours." Claire said, "I'm betting on four."
"Four? Okay, I'll take that one." He smiled. John kissed her head, "Our family is almost complete."
"Two boys and two girls." Claire sighed with happiness, "Who knew twenty years ago we'd be here?"
"Not me." John said settling down in a chair beside her bed.
"Do you think Tyler will like finally having a brother?" Claire asked. John laughed.
"I think he will love it. He is sick of girls." he said. Claire took in a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly.
"Oh god…." She began to moan. John looked at her with wide eyes. He hated these. Defiantly not as much as she did but he hated feeling helpless. He wanted to make her pain go away.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"No." Claire snapped, "I'm pushing a human out of my vagina!"
"Okay okay." John looked at the floor. He listened to Claire as she began to relax. He looked back up at her. "can I talk now?"
"Why not?" She glared at him. John bit his lip. He was going to shut up.
"She's almost there." John said on the phone "How are the kids?"
"Fine." Allison said, "They're really anxious. Andy is making them dinner."
"Great thank you for this." John said, Allison laughed.
"That's what friends are for." She said, "Next baby I have you need to watch my kids."
"Deal." He said.
"Mr. Bender," A nurse walked up to him, "Your wife is ready to push."
"Oh my god. Alli, got to go." John slammed the phone down and ran to the room. "it's time?"
"It's time." Claire smiled. John went to her side and took her hand.
"Wow." He smiled. Dr. White walked into the room and put some gloves on.
"I hear it's time." He said. Claire took in a deep breath.
"I need to push." She said.
"You need to wait a second." He informed her.
"I cant wait." Claire moaned. There was so much pressure. She knew it'd feel better if she could only push. "Oh god." Dr. White lifted the sheet up and chuckled.
"Have you been pushing?" he asked.
"No. he's coming out on his own." Claire moaned.
"I see." Dr. White settled in front of her, "Push with everything you have, Claire."
"This is it, Baby." John said taking her hand. Claire groaned taking in a deep breath. She pressed her chin to her chest and began to push. It felt so much better as she pushed.
"That's it. It wont take long now." Dr. White said cleaning out the baby's mouth. "One more push Claire and this will all be over with."
"Thank god." She grunted. She looked at John and smiled weakly.
"You're doing great." He said.
"I know." Claire chuckled. She took in a deep breath and began to push again.
"That's it." Dr. White said. Claire pushed harder and she could feel the baby leave her body. She exhaled and looked down at the screaming baby. "It's a Boy." he was placed on Claire's chest.
"Oh my." She whispered. John stared at the baby with large eyes.
"He's perfect." John whispered.
"Do you have a name picked out?" Dr White asked. Claire nodded.
"Conner Johnathan." She said touching her son's downy hair. He was perfect. Ten toes and ten fingers. Even though this was her fourth child, it was still so powerful to hold them for the first time in your hands.