"Mr. and Mrs. Cavendish?" a gentle voice calls.
The sleeping couple groggily blink their eyes at the nurse who has woken them from their nap. They're still propped up in the one bed wrapped around each other. It's as if they're afraid to let go of each other in fear that this is only some sun stroke induced dream. It wouldn't be the first time.
"Yes," Rupert eventually croaks.
"You have a visitor," the nurse tells them.
They sit up a little straighter, their hearts beating faster with hope. When the silhouette of a man appears in the doorway, they both sink back down in disappointment. The man steps closer to the bed and he's smiling at the couple.
"Mr. and Mrs. Cavendish, I'm Officer Tom Fisher," the plainclothesman introduces himself as he hands them a piece of paper. "I thought you would be interested in this."
Rupert takes the paper and holds it so that both he and Selma can see it. On the small piece of paper are ten numbers in a row. Hope returns to their faces as they turn back to the officer.
"Is this…?" Selma tries to ask, afraid that the answer will be negative.
"Here," Fisher says as he hands over a small device to them. "You can call your daughter on this."
Rupert takes it, turns it over in his hand is totally stymied about the object he holds.
"What is it?" Rupert asks.
"It's a cellular phone," Fisher smiles as he opens it up for them.
"Is this some type of joke?" Rupert asks incredulously. "This is a child's toy."
"It looks like something out of a science fiction show," Selma observes.
"It's a real phone," Fisher chuckles. "You just push in the numbers and then hit send. Don't forget to put a one in front of the area code."
"What about that phone?" Selma asks, pointing at the phone on the night stand.
"It doesn't dial out," Fisher explains. "It can only take incoming calls."
"There's no dial tone," Rupert states after holding the phone up to his ear.
"There's not supposed to be," Fisher replies, trying to not to laugh. "Here, let me set it for speaker mode and then you can both talk at the same time."
About a minute later, with their arms wrapped around each other and their hearts in their throats, Rupert hits the send button. On the second ring, the phone is answered by a woman who sounds like she's laughing.
"Hello?"
"Mom?" Selma gasps, instantly recognizing her mother's voice even though it's been well over thirty years since she last heard it.
"Selma? Is that you?" Peg responds with a shocked voice.
"Oh my god, Mom, what are you doing there?" Selma happily sobs, tears pouring down her face as Rupert smiles and kisses his wife's temple.
"I'm visiting my granddaughter that I didn't even know existed until a few months ago," Peg answers, her smile clearly evident over the phone.
"How could you not know?" Selma demands, a frown creasing her brown brow. "I sent you the birth announcement."
"I know you did, sweetie, but your father got to it first and hid it," Peg sadly replies. "He hid everything after you left. Steven and Sean found everything hidden in your father's desk a few months ago."
"Why…? How…? Who…?" Selma begs, trying to come up with a coherent question.
"Selma, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but your father died just before this past Thanksgiving," Peg quietly tells her daughter as her breath catches in her throat. "He was in town when a former employee of the store he was in came in and started shooting up the place. The doctors say he never felt a thing."
No more words are said while Selma digests the news quietly with tears of pain, regret and sadness rolling down her face as Rupert holds her closer. A quiet click can be heard on the line as the silence stretches out to a nearly unbearable length.
"I suppose that I should introduce myself now," Rupert says, finally breaking the silence. "Mrs. Steele, I'm Rupert Cavendish, Selma's husband."
"Oh, merciful heavens," a new voice whispers.
"Mother? Are you there too?" Rupert asks in disbelief.
"Of course I'm here, child, where else would I be?" Susan admonishes without any malice.
"Is Father also there?" Rupert hopefully asks.
"Oh, son, I'm sorry," Susan chokes out. "He was killed by a drunk driver nearly seventeen years ago."
More silence follows as Rupert absorbs this news. Rupert and Selma can hear someone in the background talking, it sounds like a woman and their hearts start pounding in their chests once more.
"I've just been told that Maggie should be here in a few minutes," Peg tells them.
"Who was that you were talking to, Mom?" Selma asks.
"That was Dr. Hodson, she's Maggie's doctor," Peg explains.
"A doctor? What does she need a doctor for?" Rupert demands.
"That's a very long story and I think it would be best if Margaret told it to you," Susan answers. "But don't worry yourselves about it, there's nothing wrong with her. She just had some problems a while back and Dr. Hodson was here to take care of her."
"So the doctor is living there?" Selma inquires in confusion.
"Yes, and like Susan said, it's very long story," Peg replies as she hears the back door open to allow Maggie and Abe come into the room. "Ah, here she is, hold on a second."
They wait with bated breath as they can hear the phone handed over to another person, not even noticing the quiet click of the extension being hung up.
"Hello?" asks an uncertain voice.
After nearly two dozen years, the voice has changed, aged, matured, but it still obviously belongs to their little girl.
"Hello, baby girl," Selma greets.
"Hey, little Magpie, how are you?" Rupert asks.
After a moment's silence, Maggie finally answers with a voice quavering with emotion.
"Mom? Daddy?"
Abe's arms tighten around her as she can't seem to feel her legs anymore. He helps her onto the couch as she tries to catch her breath. He holds her close as even more tears trickle down her face.
"Oh, my god," Maggie gasps, the tears pouring down her face unheeded. "It wasn't a dream. You really are alive."
"That's right, sweetness, we're still alive," Selma laughs. "We've missed you so much. Sometimes, just the thought of seeing you again was all that kept us going. We're so sorry that we couldn't get back sooner."
Maggie can't respond as she's crying too hard from relief of them being alive to the pain of missing so many years with them. Abe simply holds her as the sobs wrack her body, his top lying on the couch next to them. After about a minute she manages to get herself under control enough to continue talking.
"I've missed you too," Maggie whispers. "I'm just afraid that I'm going to wake up and find out that this is just some sick dream."
"We're not a dream, Magpie," her father responds. "I promise."
Even with the hundreds of miles separating them, Maggie can still feel the power of that promise coming to her. She relaxes a little bit with a sigh and Abe kisses the top of her head.
"So, Maggie, what do you need a live-in doctor for?" Selma asks in concern.
"Oh, good heavens, that's a really, really long story, Mom," Maggie chuckles. "Right now she's just helping out mostly, but I was having some difficulties a couple of months ago."
"With what?" Rupert demands worriedly.
"My pregnancy," Maggie answers, smiling.
There's a very pregnant pause as her parent's process the news.
"You're…you're pregnant?" Selma excitedly inquires.
"Well, not anymore," Maggie snickers.
"Boy or girl?" Rupert questions.
"Both," Maggie replies, grinning from ear to ear.
"Details, now!" Selma demands all but jumping up and down in the bed.
"They were born on March fifth…," Maggie responds.
"Wait a minute," Rupert suddenly interrupts before Maggie can give any more information about the twins. "If you had babies then that means you're married. When? Where? What's his name? What's he look like? What does he do for a living? When did you meet? How long did you two know each other before you Kissed? Who Kissed whom?"
"DADDY!" Maggie laughs, finally stopping father who's gone into over protective mode. "It's a little late to be getting out the rocking chair and shotgun. We're married and we have children."
"What's his name?" Rupert asks huffily.
"His name is Abe, he's very tall, he has eyes so blue you want to swim in them and he can read my mind," she answers as she stares at her husband with loving eyes.
Thank you, Abe silently replies as he kisses her forehead. Your eyes aren't so bad either.
"What does he do for a living?" Rupert inquires grumpily.
"He works for the government," she replies.
"Doing what?" Rupert demands. "Working for the government covers a lot of ground. He could be driving a garbage truck for all I know."
"Would it really matter if he was, Daddy?" she questions, trying not to snicker. "And I don't see what difference it makes what he does for a living as long as we're happy."
"You're right, Magpie," he sighs. "I'm sorry."
"It's ok," she chuckles. "Grandmother did the same thing."
"I did what?" Susan asks from her spot in the rocker.
Maggie hadn't even realized she was in the room; she was too involved with talking with her parents.
"Gave her the third degree when you found out about me," Abe quietly tells her.
"Well, that's what she gets for not telling me that she had been Kissed," Susan haughtily replies, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth
"Where are you two?" Maggie asks, deftly changing the subject before her parents ask questions that she can't answer over the phone. "When are you coming home?"
"We're in The Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu," Selma replies. "I don't know when they're going to release us. It's seems we're a bit malnourished and dehydrated after a couple of decades on that island. The doctor is really impressed that we're as healthy as we are. They want to run tests and keep us here for a while until they're sure that we're going to be ok. They think it's going to be at least a few days before we can leave."
"I think I can manage a few more days before I get to see you," Maggie admits. "But I'm not sure if I can last much past that. I can't wait until you come home."
"Well, Magpie, even after we're release, getting home may be a bit of a problem," Rupert admits.
"Why?" Maggie demands. "Why can't you come home?"
"Maggie, when were pronounced dead, you inherited everything," Selma hesitantly tells her.
"That won't be a problem," Maggie replies. "I'll make sure you get everything you need. Clothes, plane tickets, whatever you need, just let me know."
"I don't know about plane tickets," Rupert puts in. "Since we don't know when we'll be discharged, it would be pointless to buy us plane tickets."
A noise from the hallway catches her attention and she turns towards the door. Hodson comes in, locates Maggie and smiles.
"You have company," the doctor states.
Maggie stares in wonder as several people come trooping through the door. When a very tall figure makes his way into the room, a very large smile spreads across her face.
"I don't think the plane is going to be a problem," Maggie informs her parents as yet another person enters the room. "Mom, I think there's someone here who would like to say 'hi.'"
Maggie hands the phone off and then goes to greet the rest of the newcomers followed by Susan and Peg.
"Hey, sis," Steven says softly.
"Steven?" Selma nearly shrieks and more tears flow down her face unheeded. "What are you doing there? How long have you been there?"
"I just got here," he chuckles. "I would have been here sooner, but I had to make a stop along the way."
"Why? What did you stop for?" Selma asks.
"Not what, who," Steven tells her. "Let's see there's you niece Sharon, her husband Ron, their daughter Vicki and a rather crusty old fart we found wandering around the airport."
"That would have to be Guillermo," Rupert laughs.
"Who are you calling 'crusty?'" Guillermo demands loud enough to be heard on the other end of the line.
As people laugh, Maggie pulls Ron and Sharon off to one side to talk to them. While they're talking, the phone is passed around so that everyone gets a chance to say, 'hi' and the box of tissues gets passed around as tears of happiness pour down faces. By the time the phone is handed back to Maggie, plans have been made and set into motion.
"Hi, it's me again," Maggie says as she reclaims her seat next to Abe. "Everything's set."
"What's set?" Rupert asks.
"I'm sending Sharon and Ron out to Hawaii tomorrow," Maggie tells them. "They'll make sure you have everything you need and they'll bring you home when you're released."
"Oh," Selma quietly replies, disappointment evident in her voice.
"I'd rather go myself, but things are a little complicated right now," Maggie sadly responds.
"We understand, sweetheart," Selma assures her barely noticing the nurse out of the corner of her eye. "I remember what life was like after you were born and now it sounds like you have a house full of guests. We'll be together soon and that's all that matters."
"I hate to interrupt," the nurse quietly says as she steps up to the bed. "But we need to draw blood now and run some more tests. Would you please end your phone call soon?"
"Maggie, we need to get going," Rupert informs his daughter. "They want to poke and prod us some more. We'll see you in a few days. We love you."
"I love you, too," Maggie whispers. "I'll see you soon."
"Bye, Maggie," Selma says in a pain filled voice.
"Bye, Mom," Maggie chokes out. "Bye, Daddy."
"Bye, Magpie," Rupert sadly replies.
They sit there in silence, none of them willing to break the connection. Finally, Abe gently takes the phone from Maggie and places it back in its cradle. She gives a sad sigh and leans against Abe finding comfort just from his presence. He wraps his arm around her and they sit there for several minutes ignoring the others who are quietly talking until a pair of whimpering babies are placed in their laps.
They pick the babies up and head upstairs to the quiet of their bedroom. Once the babies are latched on, it's like all of the tension of the past several hours just drain away. She looks down at the two precious bundles and her heart fills with so much love it feels like it's about to burst.
As they are changing the babies and getting them ready for bed, there's a soft knock at the door. Abe answers it and it's Sharon with their dinner. Sharon leaves the tray with the food on the dresser and then leaves without saying anything.
After putting the babies to bed, they sit down on the bed and eat their dinner in silence. Once they're done, the ice pack that came up with the food is placed on Maggie's throbbing face and she takes the pain pills that also made the trip with the food. She settles down in the bed and lets out a tired sigh, closing her eyes for just a little bit. Within a few minutes, she's sound asleep and after the ice has had a chance to do its job; Abe takes it and the dirty dishes back downstairs, leaving his wife to sleep in peace.