June 2014
With Sidney's due date just a few days away, she and Mark were looking forward to spending what free time they had left with friends and family. Ever since their youngest daughter, Kayla, left for college last year, Wallace and Lila spent more time with the younger couple. The empty nesters loved being able to socialize with their good friends and spoiling Angie.
Earlier in the week, Lila had called offering to bring over Friday night dinner, courtesy of Cho's Eatery. Sidney eagerly gave her an exact time to arrive and thanked her. As much as she loved cooking, she occasionally liked taking a break from it by ordering a meal from one of her favorite restaurants.
During a phone conversation with her mother-in-law, Elizabeth, she had mentioned her and Mark's Friday dinner plans. Elizabeth immediately proposed that she and Jack babysit Angie for the night in their home. Despite not being face-to-face, Sidney smiled at Elizabeth's generosity and accepted the offer.
The doorbell summoned Sidney and Mark to the front door where Wallace and Lila greeted them with warm hugs. Wallace and Mark headed to the kitchen to unpack and plate dinner. Sidney led Lila upstairs to the nursey. Several baby shower presents had arrived in the mail from the guests who couldn't make it to the party.
"Oooh, this is adorable!" Lila held up a purple onesie while sitting down in the rocking chair. "I remember when my girls were this size and I know it's a cliché, but they really do grow up so fast!"
Sitting on the adjacent sleeper sofa, Sidney remarked, "They really do! But Mark and I just have Angie and we barely keep up with her. I can't imagine what it was like raising twins!"
The redhead folded the onesie as she answered her, "It was damn hard! So many sleepless nights and that's not even counting the times when one or both of them were sick. But we had each other, help from family, friends and our babysitters, just like you two will. Angie's a remarkable kid because you're both good parents."
"Thanks and we'd be a success if our girls turn out as well as yours did. They're three wonderful young women." She grasped her forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze.
A wistful smile touched her lips, "Thanks Sid. Our girls, they're living their dreams and we're so proud of them…but the house is quieter without them around. So, we're growing our family!" She placed the onesie into the nearby dresser and closed its drawer then reached into her purse.
Leaning forward, her dark eyes grew large, "You and Wallace are adopting?!"
She fished out her phone and began scrolling through before handing it to her, "Yes but not in that way. This is Benson, she's Biewer terrier, seven-weeks-old, and she will be coming home with us next week!"
Sidney saw a photo of a disinterested Wallace and a smiling Lila sitting on porch steps with a puppy on her lap. The happy hound was a toy breed with a silky coat. White coloring was on her legs and chest while large dark blue and tan patches covered her face and back. The canine's smile was as bright as Lila's. "Oh she's adorable! And Wallace is clearly so thrilled." She said with a giggle.
"Benson is a total sweetheart and despite his expression, Wallace couldn't stop cuddling her. Here's another one!" Lila swiped the phone's screen revealing another photo with Benson being cradled in Wallace's arms as if she were a baby.
"Yeah, underneath that dry and sardonic exterior is a big ol' softie." Her lips briefly pulled into a grin. "And once again, he'll be outnumbered by the women in his house."
A scoff came from her while Sidney handed her phone back, "Yes and like before, it'll be delightful but not as chaotic. Watson was a great dog; it's been almost a year since he's passed. And now, it feels right to let another dog into our heart. Thankfully, they are much easier to raise than kids. I won't have to deal with 2 a.m. feedings, her pulling at my earrings, drawing on my walls, teenage rebellion and saying goodbye to her when she goes to college. Sid, cherish these times that you're having with Angie and that you're going to have this little one," she pointed at the brunette's round belly before grasping her shoulder, "they truly are special."
Thankful for her friendship and advice from a fellow mother, Sidney embraced her, "I am and I will."
In the kitchen, Wallace was plating gamjajeon (Korean potato pancakes) while revealing some major news. "Yesterday, I was about to leave the precinct for lunch when I got a call from Jeremy, Greta's boyfriend."
"Is everything all right between them?" Mark poured a glass of sparkling white grape juice for Sidney.
He started to set the flatware in their proper place setting, "They're perfect, so much that he asked for my blessing because he's proposing next weekend!"
His blue eyes widen, "Really? How long has she been seeing him?"
"About a year and a half. And sure, they're both twenty-four, Lila and I were their age when we got married. But these days, young people are holding off on getting hitched…I thought I at least had a few years." Wallace glanced at the table and was unable to hide the sadness in his voice, "Jeremy's a great guy…it's just-it's just that Greta's still my little girl. Shit, I sound so corny."
After walking over to his old partner and friend, Mark gripped his shoulder, "You don't, you sound like a dad. You and Lila raised her right. Greta's kind, strong, smart and she's with a good man."
With an appreciative look and pat on the back, he remarked, "Thanks and yeah, we did a pretty damn good job. So, I gave Jeremy my blessing…while also reminding him that I'm a police lieutenant who's armed at all times." He cracked a smug grin.
Soft laughter came from Mark, "Good move, I plan to do the same when our girls start dating."
For dessert, they were enjoying kkwabaegi doughnuts and gourmet coffee. Wallace was sharing a humorous story about Myla and Greta when they were Angie's age. Mark noticed Sidney pause when she reached for another doughnut.
"My water just broke!" She announced and withdrew her hand.
He immediately got out of his seat and helped her stand up. "OK, our little girl is coming three days early! How are you feeling?"
"Good, I-uh, I need to change my pants and into my blue dress." She turned to the living room.
"Sid," Mark held her hand, "I'll get your bag and dress so that you can change in the downstairs bathroom."
"Wallace and I will cleanup here-Honey, why don't you bring the car around front for Mark and Sid?" Lila stated as she and Wallace stood up.
"I'm on it! Kincaid, keys?" He asked his former partner.
"They're on the rack in the laundry room by the garage door! I'll be right back!" Mark pecked Sidney's cheek before quickly heading for the stairs.
Sidney hugged Lila, "Thanks so much for helping us! Uh, there's a grey plastic wash basin in the laundry room, I need it to put these now very ruined pants in."
Lila nodded at her, "I'll get it, you go to the bathroom. Don't worry about a thing Sid! We got you!"
Almost two hours later, they welcomed their second child into the world. Both parents gazed at their little girl with glistening eyes. Sidney held her against her beating heart. They wiped away the blissful tears that streamed down their faces. Little Elizabeth Maureen Kincaid ceased her soft cries once her stare met her parents' loving eyes.
Mark held out his forefinger and smiled when her tiny hand grasped onto to it. "Hello Elle. I'm your dad."
Sidney softly kissed her cheek, "I'm your mom, sweet girl."
"She has your beautiful brown eyes," he loosely bent his fingers and grazed Sidney's face with his knuckles.
She pecked his mouth, "And like her big sister, she has your coloring and my lips. But she definitely has your head full of hair and nose. She's perfect."
Just then, Elizabeth, Jack and Angie entered the room. They marveled at the newest addition to their family. Elizabeth burst into tears when her granddaughter's name was revealed. She gleefully kissed and hugged Mark and Sidney.
With a boost from her grandpa, Angie joined her family on the hospital bed. Her blue eyes stared at the newborn in awe and curiosity.
"Angie, this is Elle, your baby sister. Remember, be gentle." Mark reminded her.
Waving her little hand in the baby's face, she said, "Hi Elle! Me, Angie!" She slowly leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Oooh! So soft!"
Everyone laughed at her adorable reaction. Mark received a video call from Melanie and Trip, he turned his phone toward his girls. She and Trip praised the expanded family.
Sidney gazed at her daughters and couldn't help but feel a bit envious. They had each other instead of being an only child like she had been. Being girls and close in age, they would truly be sisters facing the world together. She felt fortunate to give her children what she didn't have during her childhood. Mark's mouth brushing her hand brought Sidney back to the present. She reciprocated by covering his lips with an amorous kiss. They glanced at their daughters interacting with Mark's parents before gazing at one another. At that moment, they couldn't possibly imagine loving each other more.
The next day Dewey and Gale came to visit. It always amazed Sidney to see softness appear on the seasoned and hardened reporter's face whenever she held a child. There was a vulnerable in her blue eyes that she never showed to anyone outside of their inner circle. Her time with her new "niece" was cut short thanks to a phone call she had received. Dewey happily accepted Elle from Gale's grasp watching her walk out of the room. He sat next to Sidney on the bed. With Mark at the Los Angeles's FBI office to drop off some paperwork and Angie with her grandparents, the longtime friends were alone in the hospital suite.
"Sid, she's amazing!" The white sparkle of his toothy smile was a nice contrast to his dark mustache. "You and Mark make them cute!"
Giggling, she thanked him then stated, "Just like her big sister, I know that Elle is gonna love spending time with her Uncle Dewey every chance she gets!"
His smile faltered a bit, "Yeah, uh, me too...there's something you should know, Sid."
She straightened her posture, "Dewey, what is it?"
With a sigh, he told her, "Gale got an offer to host her own morning show, in New York. We leave in a few weeks. After she exposed the horrible Governor of New York, her phone's been ringing off the hook. She's been so happy these last couple of years…she deserves this, Sid."
His admission made her pause in shock. The last tie she had to Woodsboro and her surrogate big brother, were going to leave. Unlike the losses she had experienced, this one wouldn't be permanent but it would still be hard to adjust to such a change. Dependable Dewey was always loyal and close by, even when she was attending college in Ohio. She couldn't fight the sadness that crept into her heart.
Shaking her head, Sidney's lips curved into a polite grin, "You're not wrong, Dewey. She's been working her ass off for an opportunity like this her whole life. And she's also lucky…You love her so much, especially to make such a big change. You'll both do great! But I'm gonna miss you two a lot!" She gave him one-arm hug.
He leaned into her embrace, "Aw Sid, I'm gonna miss you, Mark and my nieces like crazy! We'll come back for holidays. And now, we can text and video chat whenever we want!"
"Yeah, that makes it less difficult. Although I expect you to spoil Angie and Elle every time you two visit!" Her finger playfully poked at his chest.
Chuckling, he remarked, "I promise that I will! That's one of the many perks of being an uncle!"
She nodded and looked into his kind eyes, "I love you, Dewey."
His lips pulled into his usual sweet boyish smile, "I love you too, Sid."
Elle was asleep when Mark returned to the hospital suite. He sat himself behind Sidney on the bed. Surprise then melancholy filled the federal agent when she told him about Dewey and Gale moving away. Despite getting off to a rocky start, Mark now considered the small-town sheriff to be a good friend and reliable fixture in their lives. He was always just a drive away and a brotherly figure in Sidney's life.
After wrapping his arms around her waist, he asked, "How are you holding up? This is major, Sid, it's Dewey. I know how much he means to you."
She lovingly brushed his toned arms with her hands and enjoyed his strong embrace, "Thanks for asking. It hurts but he's only moving away. He's not gone forever. And he's lucky because unlike everyone else from my past, he actually made it out of Woodsboro alive."
"True and maybe the new environment will be good for him? It's hard to dislike Dewey. The big city could use his small-town charm." He nodded and said, "Gale will have no problem there, she's the only person I know who could easily intimidate New Yorkers despite not being one!"
Her cute laugh resonated in the suite and brought a smile to his face. She turned to him and began stroking her fingers through his hair. And in turn, he curled his fingers into hers as he kissed her forehead. They spent the next couple of minutes savoring the sound of Elle's breathing and each other's comforting presence.
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