A/N: Thanks, as always for reading, following and reviewing! It's appreciated. This chapter picks up where the last one off. There is a jump in time towards the end. Hope you enjoy this update!
/
"This is the last of it."
Marissa glanced up from the sofa as her wife and Cory returned from their latest trip to the redhead's SUV to retrieve the gifts the couple had received at the baby shower. After they had all returned to Minx Manor, Bianca and Jo carried the rocking horse inside and up to Sparky's nursery while the others began to unload the remaining gifts. Upon returning downstairs, the others sent Marissa to the sofa to begin sorting through the items and more importantly, to get off her aching feet. The redhead was sorting the clothing into two piles based on size. One pile contained the pieces they knew they would use right away so the tags could be removed and the items washed. The other pile consisted of pieces that were slightly larger and could be stored until they were needed. Receiving blankets, bibs and bath sets were readied to be washed as well.
"Thanks for helping, Cory."
"You're welcome. I have to earn my keep for the free room and board." The teacher grinned. "I saw Jo and Jessica in the kitchen. I'm going to go help them out with dinner."
"You do know that all of you don't have to cook dinner for us, don't you?" Bianca asked. When the other three women volunteered to fix dinner for them as a thank you for letting them stay at the couple's home, Bianca and Marissa had protested at first telling them it wasn't necessary. They were happy to have them there and they were guests. The trio from Devon insisted, and the couple finally relented.
"We went over this already. Yes, I know we don't have to, but we want to. We never expected you guys to wait on us. This gives the two of you a break before you tackle brunch tomorrow." Cory waved as she headed to the kitchen.
Marissa glanced around at all of the packages in awe. "I can't believe how much stuff we got, B. We have very generous family and friends."
Bianca looked around at the various piles. "We really did get a lot, and yes, we do. Oh speaking of generous, this is the gift from Mom. You want to check it out real quick before the kids get home?" The brunette handed her wife a gift bag.
"Good idea." Marissa pulled out the thick envelope and opened it. She scanned what she quickly recognized as a legal document. "Wow."
"What is it?"
"They're papers that detail the trust your Mom is setting up for Sparky. I know I shouldn't be surprised especially after she set one up for AJ, but my mother-in-law never ceases to amaze me. She's something else."
"That is Mom." Bianca could see a car's headlights coming down their driveway through the front window. "I'm betting that's Scott and the kids."
Marissa glanced up and nodded. "I think you're right. We should probably put these away for now. We'll read them later tonight in more detail."
Bianca took the papers and placed them back in the envelope. "I'll go put them in our bedroom."
"I'll get the door."
/
AJ, Miranda and Gabby bounded inside as soon as Marissa opened the door.
"Hi, Mommy!"
"Hi, Ma!"
"Hello, minions! Did you all have fun?"
"Uh huh!"
"Hey, Scott. Did they behave themselves?"
"Hey, Marissa. Yes, they did."
"Did Scott and the other guys behave themselves?" Marissa asked her children with a grin.
The kids giggled and nodded. "Yeah, they did."
"Good." Marissa turned to her friend and couldn't help but laugh. "You look tired."
"I'm exhausted. You and Bianca weren't kidding earlier. What I don't get is how the kids have so much energy still."
"They're still riding that high. They'll crash in another couple of hours. Thanks for taking care of them."
"You're welcome. Even though I feel like I could sleep for a week, I had a blast. Looks like you had quite the haul from your shower."
"We did pretty well."
Scott hugged the redhead. "Alright, I'm going to go home, kiss Madison and then crash on the sofa."
Marissa looked her kids. "Tell Scott thank you for today."
"Thanks, Scott!"
"You're welcome."
"Thank you for today and returning them in one piece." Marissa grinned as she hugged her friend again.
Scott laughed. "You're welcome. I knew I had to or I'd be facing the wrath of you and Bianca. Talk about scary. Tell Bianca 'hi', and the two of you have a good night."
"You too."
/
"Whoa. Is all of this for Sparky?" AJ asked as he eyed the various gifts in the family room.
"Not everything. There are a couple of presents for the three of you."
Three sets of eyes lit up.
Gabby began to look around and spotted some bags near the fireplace. "Are those for us?!"
"Yes, they are, Monkey. Let's wait for your Mom before you open them though."
"K."
Just a moment later, Bianca joined her family, and the kids opened their gifts. The gifts themselves were nothing big, some movies, games and books, but they did get the point across that they weren't forgotten in all of the excitement surrounding the baby. In the bags from Erica, Kendall and Greenlee, there were t-shirts that the kids loved. AJ's was red, and on the front, it read 'Big Brother AJ'. Miranda's was purple and read 'Big Sister Miranda', while Gabby's was light blue and read 'Big Sister Gabby'.
Jo came into the family room and saw what the kids had gotten. "I really like those shirts. Purple's my favorite color."
Miranda beamed. "Mine too!"
The doctor gave the young girl a wink and then addressed the others. "Dinner is ready."
"I'm starving." AJ's stomach growled to prove his point.
"Well, I got here just in time then."
"The Moms didn't cook?" Miranda was a little surprised.
"No, my Mom, Cory and I cooked to thank you all for letting us stay here."
"What'd you make?" Gabby asked.
"Well, your Moms told us that you like spaghetti and meatballs so we have that along with garlic bread and salad. Sound good?"
Jo's question was met with three enthusiastic nods.
"You're in for a treat. Jessica makes the best meatballs." Marissa informed the others as they made their way to the dining room.
/
Once they were all seated and plates filled, conversations began in earnest.
"Did you all have a good time today?" Bianca asked.
"Yep! We wiped the floor with everybody at laser tag!" AJ and Miranda did a little fist bump.
The women laughed.
"Good job, guys." Cory smiled.
"What about you, Monkey? What did you do?"
"Ian and me played in the castle. Some big kids came and tried to make us leave."
"What? Did they do anything to you?" Marissa and Bianca were instantly on alert.
"Nope! AJ, Mimo and Spike came over and talked to them. The big kids left us alone after that. AJ, Mimo and Spike stayed and played with us. It was really fun." Gabby smiled before taking a bite of a meatball.
"Didn't Uncle Zach, Scott or any of the other guys see what happened?" Marissa asked. They were supposed to be keeping an eye on you, and Scott didn't mention anything like this happening.
Miranda was ready with an explanation. "It all happened really quick, and they're too big for the castle so they didn't see anything. The other kids wanted Gabby and Ian to leave and said a couple things to them, called them babies. Gabby stood up to them and said she wasn't a baby."
"I'm not." Gabby's defiant Kane streak showed.
Bianca smiled proudly. "No, you're not. What happened next, Miranda?"
"AJ could hear what they were saying and ran over there to stop them from doing anything."
The boy shrugged. "She's my little sister. Nobody's going to do anything to her."
Gabby beamed adoringly at her big brother.
"Those kids were trying to bully them because they were bigger. You guys have told us to stand up to bullies. Miranda and Spike came over to help. The other kids backed down then."
"If they didn't, we were going to get Uncle Zach or Scott, but we didn't need to so we didn't tell them what happened."
The couple looked at each other. They were really proud of the way they had each other's backs.
"Your Ma and I are proud of all of you and how you handled everything today. If this ever happens again though, we still want you to tell an adult. Okay?"
"Okay, Mom."
Bianca made a mental note to talk with Kendall tomorrow and let her know what happened. She wasn't sure if the boys would tell them but knew her sister and Zach would want to know.
As they ate, everyone continued to talk and share their adventures from earlier in the day. The kids were impressed that their Moms had won the diaper changing contest and laughed when Jo described what they looked like when they were doing it and how they had baby powder everywhere. After dinner was finished and everything cleared away, all of them went into the family room to see the baby's presents. They went up to Sparky's room to check out the rocking horse which the kids really liked.
When they returned to the family room, AJ decided to ask a question that popped into his mind after seeing the horse. "Ma, do you think Alex might help us with the tree house?" The boy just knew that if they had Alex's help that their tree house would be the best ever.
Marissa smiled. "Hmmm, I'm not sure, Buddy. I don't know how much free time he'll have to help, but you can always ask him. He's going to stop by later this week to drop off the highchair. You can ask him then, but don't be disappointed if he can't. Maybe if he can't help you actually build it, he can give you some tips."
AJ smiled. "Okay. That'd be cool too."
While the family was looking over the gifts, Jessica, Jo and Cory packed their bags in preparation for their trips back home the next day. A movie was put in once everyone was back together again, and the kids crashed about halfway through, their day at the fun zone finally catching up with them. Bianca and Marissa took the kids to their bedrooms and tucked them in. The women stayed up a little longer and talked before Jo and Cory decided to turn in. They had long drives ahead of them the next day and wanted to be well rested. Jessica would just be a passenger in her daughter's car so she decided to stay up a little longer. Bianca could sense a conversation between her wife and Jessica was waiting to be had.
"I'm going to go on back to bed. Good night, Jessica."
"Good night, Bianca."
"Try not to stay up too late." Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss.
"I won't."
/
Jessica watched as Bianca headed down the hallway to the couple's bedroom before turning back to Marissa who was smiling.
"Just the two of us finally. Is there something you want to ask me?"
The older woman shook her head and smiled. Marissa was always perceptive, and her parents had taught her to follow her instincts. It was a lesson she had learned well.
"How have things been for you since you moved here, really?"
"Long answer or short answer?"
"Short answer."
"Overall, pretty damn good."
"Long answer."
Marissa smiled. "I knew you wouldn't settle for the short answer. When I first moved here, it was tough. I met my biological parents and learned they were a far cry from my Mom and Dad. The things they did would never had entered Mom and Dad's minds. I find out that not only was I the result of a one night stand but that I had a twin sister. Our mother decided to keep her and sell me to support them. There's a lot that goes through your head when you find that out. For the longest time, I wondered what was wrong with me. I mean, wasn't I good enough for her? Was there something that was wrong with me that had her pick the one she could love more?"
"Marissa."
The redhead held up a hand to stop Jessica. "I know what you're going to say, and it's something I figured out myself. It wasn't me. It was her. Krystal made her decision for whatever reason, but it wasn't because of anything I did. Truth be told, it ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me. Roy and Lydia Tasker were the best parents I could've asked for. Who knows how my life would've turned out if I didn't have them?" Marissa sighed and then shook her head. "Anyway, I also met my biological father. He's … he's something. I doubt that I'll ever figure him out. David is a brilliant surgeon, truly gifted. He's also manipulative, has a god-like complex and never does something without asking what's it in for him. Krystal, David and Babe hurt a lot of people that I've come to love very much, Bianca chiefly among them. I can pretty much forgive them for what they did to me. What they did to Bianca though? I have a harder time with that. I think that's one of the reasons that Erica and I get along so well. For Bianca though, I'm trying. If you haven't figured it out by now, my wife is a remarkable person. I have never met anyone like her, and I think it's safe to say that I never will. Her capacity for forgiveness is just completely unreal and without equal."
Jessica nodded. "I have to say that from everything I've heard about her here but especially from working at the Miranda Center in New York, I'd have to agree. I know her official bio doesn't give the full story, but it hints enough that I can tell there is a lot more."
"There is, but that is her story to tell. I will only say that she is far stronger than you know. Don't get me wrong. She's no saint, and she'll be the first one to tell you that. She is remarkable though."
"I'm not fishing for more. I completely respect her privacy and you for protecting and keeping it, and I know you do the same for Jo and myself."
"I do. The only other person here who knows is Bianca, and that's only because Jo told her at the reunion and then gave me permission to fill in some of the details for her."
"She told me. I trust you, and I'm finding that I trust Bianca. Now, back to my question."
Marissa chuckled. "Back to your question. I met JR, fell in love with one side of him and then found out he had this whole other side he was hiding. He's charming, very smooth and an equally manipulative son of a bitch and cruel, especially when things don't go his way. He can lie to your face without batting an eye. Trust me, I know that firsthand. He cheated on me and then tried to cover for his mistress when she tried to kill me."
Jessica shook her head. She was still trying to get over that revelation from the previous evening. "I don't have any words for that. He just better hope that I never see him."
The redhead could tell from the glint in her eyes that Jessica meant what she said. "I would go through all of that again though if it meant I still had AJ. He is the sweetest and most loving boy and worth all of it. When he came into my life, I understood what my parents said about me. I couldn't love him anymore if I had given birth to him. Everything was worth it for him." Marissa smiled. "When everything seemed to be at its worst, that's when Bianca came into my life. She's smart, funny, kind, giving and really listens to me. She became my best friend and then, well then things changed."
"Do you know what it was that caused it?"
"No, I don't. By the time I realized what was happening, I was already pretty much hopelessly in love with her. And before you ask, yes, I was scared to death. She was my best friend, and I didn't want to lose her. She was too important to me."
"Was that the only reason you were scared?"
Marissa shook her head. "No, it wasn't, but it was the main one. The other reason was that I found myself in love with a woman. I had never been attracted to one before, and quite frankly, I would be lying if I said it didn't freak me out a little because it did. Then, I thought about it. I didn't see it as me falling in love with a woman. I fell in love with Bianca, an amazing person with a beautiful soul who happens to be a woman. Does that make sense to you?"
Jessica thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think it does. You fell in love with the person."
"Exactly. Once I figured that out, I just needed to get up the courage to tell her. Again, I was terrified that I might lose her as a friend. It turns out, she was just as frightened. Looking back, falling in love with her was the easiest and best thing I've ever done. I've never felt as loved with a partner as I have with her, and we truly are partners in every sense of the word. Yes, we have fights, some knockdown drag-outs. I defy you to find a couple that doesn't. But at the end of the day, there is no one else I can see myself with, no one else I want to be with. She is it for me. I think Mom and Dad would love her and be okay with this."
"I think you're right. Roy and Lydia were as open-minded as they were open-hearted. They would just want you to be happy, and it's clear that you are. I want the same thing for you too. You deserve it. You have found a home and a family here."
"I have. I always wanted a big family, and now, I have a wife and three, soon to be four, kids."
"Ah, the girls. They are adorable."
Marissa smiled proudly. "Yes, they are. Miranda is a mini Bianca, and Gabby is so carefree and light-hearted. Both will do anything for you and not really think twice about it. Miranda is a tad more on the serious side than Gabby, but I think that is because of her age she's seen Bianca get hurt, remembers more about her past relationships and is extremely protective of her. She also carries a couple of scars of her own when it comes to her relationship with Bianca's ex-wife. Bianca and I have done our best to help her with that. Just like with AJ, I couldn't love them more if they were my own."
"I can tell and so can they. It's easy to see they love you just as much as you love them. So, personal life …"
"Pretty damn good."
"Professional life?"
"Pretty damn good as well. I love what I do and feel like I'm really helping people."
"Something you've always wanted to do. I'm proud of you and, more importantly, happy for you. Professionally, you are a partner at a prestigious law firm and being recognized for your talent. Personally, you are even more of a success. You have family and friends that love you and have your back. I couldn't ask more for you, and I know your parents couldn't as well."
Marissa beamed and hugged Jessica tightly. "Thank you. That means more to me than you will ever know. Hearing that from you is like hearing that from them."
"You're more than welcome, and I promise you that I will be here for you whenever you need me. I am not losing you again."
"Same here. Looks like we're stuck with each other." Marissa wiped her tears away. "It's getting late, and we both need sleep."
"Yes, we do. You need it for Sparky, and I need it to help keep Jo awake. I'll see you in the morning." With that, Jessica headed off to bed.
/
Marissa checked the locks and security system before turning off the lights in the family room and padding down the hallway. She smiled seeing the bedroom lights still on. The redhead opened the door and found Bianca sitting up in bed reading.
"Have I ever told you how much I love those glasses?"
Bianca glanced up and smiled. "Maybe once or twice."
Marissa quickly got ready for bed and slid under the covers before giving her wife a loving kiss.
"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"
"For being you and knowing that Jessica and I needed some time alone to talk."
Bianca set her book on the nightstand along with her glasses. "You're welcome. How did it go?"
Marissa smiled. "Pretty damn good."
The couple talked for a little while longer before they turned off the lights and Marissa settled herself in Bianca's arms.
/
Marissa opened the door and welcomed the Slater family inside. As she was hanging up their coats in the hall closet, she noticed Zach cock his head in the direction of the family room where the TV was on.
"That wouldn't happen to be the Flyers/Rangers game, would it?"
The redhead chuckled seeing her brother-in-law's eyes light up. "Why yes, it would. Jo has it on. She's a huge hockey fan. Come on, I'll introduce you. Kendall, the kids are downstairs and Bianca's in the kitchen.
Zach grinned and followed his sister-in-law leaving a clearly amused Kendall behind.
"Jo, I would like you to meet my brother-in-law and Kendall's husband, Zach Slater. Zach, this is one of my oldest and dearest friends, Jo Shelton."
The two shook hands.
"It's nice to meet you, Zach."
"You too, Jo. Would you mind if I joined you?"
"Sure, have a seat. Are you a Flyers fan?"
"Definitely. You?"
"Born and raised. I used to watch the games with my dad. Living in New York, I don't get to see them in person as much as I'd like, but whenever they play the Rangers at the Garden, you know I'll be there."
Zach smiled. "I like her, Red. You have good taste in friends."
Marissa laughed. "I'm glad you approve. I'll go get you something to drink." The redhead left the two to bond over their favorite team.
/
Bianca smiled as she opened the front door to Erica and Jack. "Mom, Uncle Jack, come on in. I thought you couldn't make it."
"I didn't want to impose on your time with Kendall and Greenlee."
"Mom, we wouldn't have invited you if we didn't want you to come. You know that you're always welcome here."
"We're not too late, are we?"
"No, we're just about ready to sit down. I just need to add two more places."
"Good. I was hoping I could talk with Jessica for a few minutes, and Jack would love to meet her."
"Your mother is right. I'd really like to meet this woman, all three actually."
"I can arrange all of that. Follow me."
/
"I'll get it." Jo called over her shoulder as she headed to the front door. "Hello, can I help you?"
"Hello. I was hoping to speak with Marissa and Bianca."
"Can I tell them who's asking for them?"
"Caleb Cortlandt. I work with Marissa."
"Oh, you're one of the partners at her firm. She's told me about you. Come on in. I'm Jo Shelton, by the way."
"Her friend from Devon. It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too."
"Jo, who was at the door? Oh, Caleb, what a nice surprise." There was something in his expression telling her something was up. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't a social call?"
"Because you know me. I really do hate to interrupt, but I do need to talk with you and Bianca for just a few minutes."
Marissa nodded. She knew what or rather who Caleb wanted to discuss. "We can talk back in our office. Let me just get Bianca."
"I'll get her for you." Jo offered.
"Thanks. Um, could you do it discreetly? I really don't want everyone to know."
"Gotcha." Jo nodded and headed off to get Bianca.
"Let's go on back."
/
Bianca entered the couple's office and found her wife and Caleb sitting on either side of the desk.
"Hi, Caleb. What did JR do now?"
Caleb chuckled. "Hello, Bianca. JR is asking for an early release. He is offering to leave town again for an out of state treatment facility as soon as he's out. He says if you agree that he'll be out of your hair for a long, long time."
Marissa eyed her mentor. "What's the catch? There always is one with him, and this is way too easy."
"You're right. He wants something. He wants to talk to AJ, alone."
"Hell no." The couple answered at the same time.
"He's not getting anywhere near AJ anytime soon, let alone spending time alone with him. Bianca and I have just gotten AJ to stop having nightmares. He's gotten his smile back and isn't looking over his shoulder wondering what the hell his father is going to do next to try and screw up his life. And we're done. We're done with JR trying to run things and making demands. Enough."
Bianca nodded and placed a hand on her wife's shoulder. "Rissa's right. JR isn't in charge, and he needs to learn that, once and for all. The only way he's ever going to hope to learn that is by facing the consequences of his actions. He stays where he is this time, no deals. After he's served his prison, he goes back out of town and into rehab. AJ is not a bargaining chip. He's a little boy."
Marissa placed a hand over top of Bianca's. "Exactly. We will not allow JR to use him. Tell him that he can take his offer and shove it straight up his ass."
Caleb nodded and smiled as he stood. "I couldn't agree with you more. Can I quote you on that to him?"
"Please feel free to." Marissa's smile matched Caleb's.
"I have to tell you that I'm looking forward to talking with lawyer and client. They were acting pretty cocky when they presented this proposal to me and were willing to bet the farm that the two of you would cave and jump all over this deal. Personally, I knew better and thought JR was smoking something to even think you would consider it. Alright, let me get out of your hair so you can get back to your guests."
The couple exchanged a glance and nodded at each other.
"Caleb, would you like to join us for brunch?"
"What? No, I wasn't …"
Marissa waved him off. "We know. We'd like you to stay, and I would like you to meet my friends. Please?"
Caleb sighed. "How can I say 'no' to you, to either of you? It would be my pleasure."
"Good!" Bianca smiled. "I'll go set another plate."
"We'll be right there." Marissa waited until Bianca was gone. There was something else she wanted to run by Caleb. "Have you been following a case before the state supreme court by the name of Samuels vs the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania?"
Caleb cocked his head. "I haven't been following it, but I've heard of it." The nature of the question dawned on the man. "Ah, I think I understand."
"Good. Could we talk tomorrow about it?"
"I'll make time."
"Thank you. Now, let's go eat. Sparky is hungry."
/
"Jessica, I'd like you to meet someone." Marissa said as she directed Caleb to the seat next to her friend. "This is Caleb Cortlandt. Caleb, this is Jessica Shelton."
The two smiled and shook hands before Caleb took his seat.
"It's nice to meet you, Caleb. Marissa and Bianca have told me a lot about you."
"It's nice to meet you as well, Jessica, and likewise. Marissa was disappointed when she thought you weren't going to make it. I'm glad to see that you were able to after all."
"I am too. I was coming all along. We thought it would be fun to surprise her."
"She does seem pretty happy about it. I hear you're a photographer."
Jessica smiled brightly. "I'm getting back into it."
/
"Marissa, thank you for me inviting me to stay." Caleb glanced over to where Jessica was seated. "I had a great time."
"You're welcome. Are you sure you have to go now?"
"Yes, I have a call to make, and I'll be sure to let you know how it goes."
Marissa chuckled. "I look forward to it."
/
"Jessica, I'll see you next month when I'm in New York."
"I look forward to it, Erica, and thank you again." Jessica saw the confused look on Bianca's face. "Your mom and I are going to meet up when she's in the city next month."
"That's great." Bianca turned to her Mom. "I'm glad you and Uncle Jack stopped by, and thank you for your gift for the baby. It means so much to both Rissa and me."
"You're welcome, and don't think anything of it. I'll see you this week."
/
Soon, it was just Bianca, Marissa and the trio from Devon.
"Thanks for coming, Cory. It was really good seeing you. Tell Chris and Matt 'hi' for me."
"I will, and it was so good seeing you too, Marissa, and meeting your family and friends. They're all pretty great." Cory smiled and hugged her friend before hugging Bianca. "Take care of yourselves, and thank you for opening your home to us."
"You're more than welcome and anytime, Cory."
"Marissa, take care of yourself and Sparky. Bianca, I want updates letting me know she's behaving herself." Jo winked.
"I'm sure you know that it's hard for Rissa to behave herself, but I'll do my best to keep her in line." Bianca smirked.
Marissa rolled her eyes. "Whatever. So, Dr. Shelton, did we pass?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Jo, I recognized the look a few times. I think there was maybe a little analysis going on."
The doctor chuckled. "Busted, huh? Occupational hazard, and I just can't help myself sometimes. You did great, and I'm happy for you."
"Thank you. Now, I just need to meet this professor of yours and give him the once over."
Jo sighed. "You're going to do the lawyer thing with him, aren't you?"
Marissa shrugged. "Like you said, occupational hazard. Drive safe."
"I will. Talk to you soon."
"Jessica, it was so good meeting you."
"And you too, Bianca. Thank you for taking care of this one." Jessica nodded in Marissa's direction.
"It's my pleasure. We will be talking soon about your ideas for the Miranda Center."
The two hugged before Jessica turned to Marissa.
"I'm so glad you're back in my life."
"That definitely makes two of us. Thank you for everything this weekend."
"It was my pleasure. You have a wonderful family and life here."
"I do, and now that I have you, Jo and Cory back in it, it's even more so."
"I feel the same way."
"So, you and Caleb seem to hit it off." Marissa grinned knowingly.
Jessica blushed. "He's a very interesting man."
"Are you going to see him again?"
"Maybe."
"I think that's great."
"So do I. Although, it looks like I'm going to have to have the talk with Mom on the way home. I also might have to have a chat with Caleb to see what his intentions are." Jo grinned.
Marissa snorted when she saw Jessica roll her eyes at her daughter's teasing.
"Josephine Lorraine Shelton."
"Ooh, Jo, you got the full name again. I think you're in trouble. I can vouch for Caleb's character if you need me to though." Marissa smirked.
"I think you're right. It's still not getting her out the talk."
"Better safe than sorry. Do you think we should chaperone them?" Marissa added with a mischievous grin.
"You're both impossible. Remind me again exactly how old the two of you are."
The younger women burst out laughing.
"We better go before I get myself in more trouble. I'll talk to you later this week." Jo said as she hugged Marissa.
The redhead turned to Jessica, and the two exchanged a hug as well. "Call and let us know when you get home."
"We will, and if you need anything, I'm just a call away." Jessica added with one final hug.
The three loaded up the car and gave a quick beep of the horn as they headed up the driveway. Marissa and Bianca stood with an arm around each other and waved as their friends began their trek back to their homes.
/
The following week
"Well, Marissa, you and Sparky are doing great. Everything is right on track."
Marissa and Bianca both released a sigh of relief.
Dr. Abbott smiled. "How have you been feeling?"
"Pretty good. I get tired a little more easily. My feet definitely swell more and hurt, but Bianca gives the best foot rubs." Marissa grinned at her wife.
"I gotta do what I gotta do to take care of you and our little one."
"She spoils me, and I love it almost as much as I love her."
"Well, I'm very glad to hear it. What about Lamaze classes? How are they going?"
"Good. We really like the instructor, and she's helped make me not feel so nervous about the actual delivery. We've got two more classes."
"Good, I'm glad they're helping. Do you have any questions for me?"
The couple exchanged a glance. "Not right now."
"Alright, if you do, call me. I'll see you next week."
There was a knock on the exam room door and a nurse came in and spoke quietly to the doctor. "We have an emergency with a patient and have her in exam room 2."
"Who is it?"
The nurse showed the doctor the patient's chart. "She's not here alone, is she?"
"No, a friend is with her. Her husband wasn't able to make it today."
"Call Dr. Rivera and inform him of what's happening. Then, call her husband. I'll be right there." The doctor turned back to the couple. "I'm sorry. I need to go. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call."
The couple nodded and hoped the other patient was okay.
/
After Marissa got dressed, she and Bianca made their way to the exit through the waiting room when they stopped suddenly.
"Greenlee?"
/
A/N: Yeah, my evil side is back. See you soon!