Chapter 18- Reminiscing

Joe was released from the hospital the next day with the usual doctor warnings of 'be careful'.

"Careful isn't a word in Joe's dictionary" Kayley responded with a smile as she took her husbands hands.

"I resent that remark," Joe said as he pulled Kayley in for a hug.

"You mean you resemble that remark!" laughed Frank as he too took a turn hugging Joe. Joe just swiped at his brother's head as he laughed good-naturedly.

Several hours later, Joe, Frank, and Fenton were on their way to New York City.

Joe had learned a lot about Natalie, Sophie, and Jenni while he was in the hospital. It was amazing what you could learn in one night. He'd learned quite a bit about Sam as well.

"What's Liam like?" Frank asked suddenly as they drove.

Joe smiled at the thought of his oldest child; thinking of his children always brought a smile to his face. "Well, I am always told that he's a mirror of me, not just in looks but in attitude and personality as well."

Frank groaned "I've been around you as a child, then I raised you in Sam and now you tell me that my nephew is like you!" he smiled at Joe and winked.

Joe rolled his eyes and smiled. "If you must know, the torture of raising three me's will end when Liam and Sam are nineteen. That was when I settled down."

The three of them broke out laughing as they pulled over to allow a switch in drivers and Joe took a turn at driving his father's car. The tension of Joe's arrival had faded away into a distant memory and the three men talked about the good, the bad and the just plain hilarious times they had in their lives.

Joe pulled on to the road and the car filled with a comfortable silence. All three of them lost in thoughts and prayers for the safe return of the boys. Joe's eyes held tears in them as he began to think about all the times he and the children had done things together. He could count on one hand the number of times Kayley hadn't come with them.

Even as he drove through the busy roads, Joe began to think and hope that what he had left of Liam by the end was not just painful distant memories. Yet from somewhere he could almost hear Liam's laugh and the laugh of someone with him, someone similar. Maybe, just maybe this was a message letting him know that his son and his nephew were going to be okay. God, he hoped so.