The Caetano's:
Everything was finally starting to fall into place. Nikki and Josh had their last session with Dr Holmes, and she released Nikki to return to active duty when she was ready. She would be recommending a shore posting for at least the first month of her return.
"Mike Flynn."
"Commander, it's Nikki."
"Nikki! How's everything going?"
"Things are great, starting to settle down to some kind of normal," she chuckled. "We're leaving to see our families on Friday. We expect to be gone for a couple of weeks. When we get back, I would like to try returning to work, Sir."
"What did Dr Holmes say?"
"She's released me for active duty but recommends a shore posting for the first month."
"Nikki, that's wonderful news. I'll have something sorted for you when you get back. You two enjoy your time with family. Kiss that beautiful baby for me."
"You know it! Thank you, Sir."
When Nikki finished her call, she went in search of Josh and found him sitting outside with Gale. "Hey, Babe."
"Hey, yourself," he answers.
"How do you feel about a shopping trip? We need some things for our trip."
"Sure,"
Packing up Gale, they hit the mall. They bought new clothes and shoes for both of them and had a blast picking out some things for Gale. They also bought two large suitcases, a new baby carrier, a backpack to double as a nappy bag, and a baby seat and jogging stroller combo. After several trips to the car with all of their purchases, they went in search of lunch.
That evening Josh purchased their airline tickets. They were to leave in four days, Friday.
It's Wednesday and Hammersley is in port, so they invited Mike, Kate, Swain, and Sally over for pizza to thank them for all that they had done for them.
Josh answered the door. "Mike, Kate! Come in! Can I get you a beer, wine, soft drink?"
Leaning in and giving Josh a hug, "I'll have wine," Kate said.
"Beer sounds good to me, Mate," added Mike as he shook Josh's hand.
"Great!" Following him into the lounge, they found Nikki sitting with Gale on her lap.
"My! It's only been a month and she's grown!" Kate exclaimed.
"It's just amazing watching her change. She's making sounds now; so much fun. You should see Josh when he's with her trying to make her laugh."
"I can just see him doing that," Kate says, smiling.
Josh returns with their drinks, and there is another knock. "Must be the Blakes."
"Swaino!" Josh gives him a man hug, complete with back slaps. "Sally!" More hugs. "Where are the munchkins?"
"We wanted a night out and also to keep Gale away from kids a little longer."
"Sally, Nikki and I can't thank you enough for all that you have done for us. You really made things easier."
"No worries, Josh. It's just so great having you both back."
Josh showed them into the lounge to join Mike and Kate. "Drinks? Beer, wine, or something else?"
"Beer, Mate, thanks."
"Make mine wine," Sally answered.
"I'll be right back, Nikki, Luv, anything?"
"Diet Coke Please, Thanks,"
" No worries."
After visiting for a bit, Josh called in the Pizza order.
Gale was fed and settled, sitting in her bouncy seat next to the table while they all chowed on pizza.
"Josh and I can't even begin to thank you all for everything that you've done for us. All we thought about for the last year was being found and getting home. This is still all so unreal. Settling back in is much harder than we could have imagined. Your support and guidance have been a tremendous help."
"Really... Nikki, Josh, We are so thrilled to have you back and healthy and with the miracle of a beautiful baby girl! You're family; this is just what you do for family," Kate said.
Sally and Swain agreed, "It's what you do for those you love and care about," Sally added.
They talked, laughed and enjoyed the pizza and the stories that Josh and Nikki had to tell.
"Nikki, Mike is going to order uniforms for you so that they will be ready for when you get back. Any idea what size?" Kate asked.
"The smallest that there is, for now, I guess. I've only gained two pounds. Dr Brennen says that it's because I'm nursing even though I've been eating like a horse."
"And how tall are you?"
" 164 cm ( 5 ft 4 in)."
After dinner, the guys went into the lounge while Nikki took Kate and Sally to see all the things they bought, especially the new things they bought for Gale.
"We had such a blast shopping for her," Nikki told them.
A little after 10, Kate and Mike left and then soon after Sally and Swain.
"Listen, safe journey to Perth. Enjoy your family time." Mike said as they were leaving. "Nikki, call me when you get back, and I'll set up a day for you to start."
After saying they're goodnights and goodbyes, Josh and Nikki returned to the kitchen to clean up. Putting the last dish into the dishwasher, Josh walked up behind Nikki where she was wiping down the table and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck. The wiping of the table was completely forgotten as she turned into him for a long kiss.
Pulling back, "that was a really nice time," Josh says.
"It was… but being back still feels strange."
"It does," as he begins to nuzzle her neck again. "Ready for bed, Mrs Holiday?... I'll never get tired of calling you that... And I mean a real bed, not an air mattress in a tent."
Nikki laughed, "take me to bed, Mr Holiday," kissing him deeply.
Josh bent, scooped her up and carried her into their room.
Friday:
The taxi arrived at 6:30 am to take them to the airport for their 9:00 am flight to Perth. After checking their bags and the stroller, Nikki put on the nappy pack and Josh put Gale in her new carrier, where she rested snuggly against his chest.
After going through the security check, they grabbed a brew and some breakfast sandwiches. While they were waiting, Nikki's phone rang.
"Hi, Mum… Yeah, we're at the airport."
"How is everything going? Are you and Josh managing okay with the baby?" Sophia asked.
"We're fine, Mum."
"What time are you landing? We'll pick you up."
"That's okay, Mum; we've got a hire car reserved."
"Nikki, that's not necessary; we can get you and save you some money."
"Mum, really, we're fine. We'll see you at the house around 1:00. I'll call you when we are on our way."
"Alright, see you soon then."
"Love you, Mum."
"What's up?" Josh asked after she hung up.
"She wanted to meet us at the airport," Nikki chuckled. "Can you just see that scene? The ride will help me to prepare."
Josh laughed.
Now boarding… JetStar flight 3220 to Perth was announced over the P.A.
"Well, that's us," Josh said, standing.
Nikki picked up the nappy pack, and after the gate check, they proceeded down the jetway holding hands. Once on the plane, they found their seats, Nikki taking the window. She removed Gale's bottle from the pack in preparation for take-off and then stuffed the pack under the seat in front of her.
Ten minutes later, seatbelts fastened, they taxied to the runway, and the plane accelerated. Nikki started feeding Gale her bottle to help with the altitude change, and she took it like a champ.
Once the plane levelled off and Gale was done with her bottle, Nikki cuddled Gale and snuggled next to Josh for a nap. Putting his arm around Nikki, he powered up his kindle and relaxed into the 5-hour flight. With the time change, they would get into Perth around 12:00.
They passed Gale back and forth between them throughout the flight, changed her, fed her, played and cuddled. The flight passed uneventfully.
"Ladies and Gentleman, we're making our final approach into Perth. Seatbelts fastened, tray tables up and locked. We'll be on the ground in 10 minutes. Thank you for flying JetStar Airlines."
They waited until all of the passengers behind them went forward before they gathered their things and proceeded to the front of the plane. When they reached the front, the flight crew and cabin crew were there waiting to see them off. The captain stepped forward and extended his hand. "Mr and Mrs Holiday, the cabin crew alerted me that you were flying with us. Yours is such a remarkable story. Welcome home."
"Thank you, Sir," Josh said.
"Were you nervous flying after what happened to you?"
"No," Nikki answered. "No, what happened was a crazy accident, a small plane, a bad storm."
"Good. I hope that you were comfortable."
"We were; thank you."
"And how did your little one take to the flight? It's a rather long one."
"She did great," Josh said, then saying goodbye, they made their way off the plane.
Once in the terminal, Josh settled Gale into the carrier once again, and they headed off to claim their luggage. Grabbing a luggage trolley at the carousel, they loaded their bags, settled Gale into her stroller, and then headed off to pick up their car. Josh had reserved a Toyota Rav 4 to accommodate their bags and the stroller. Gales car seat secured, they left the airport for the 30-minute ride to Nikki's parents.
Nikki sent off a text to her Mum…* We just left the airport*...
*We're so excited to see you and to meet the baby*... Sophia texted back.
*We're looking forward to seeing you too. See you in about 30 mins.*
"Josh, how about a drive-thru brew?" Nikki asked.
"Is there one nearby?"
"I'll look," After a search on her phone, she found a shop that was about 5 minutes away.
"Ace!" Josh said, and Nikki put the address in the GPS.
Thirty minutes later, they were approaching her parent's street. "Josh, pull over for a minute, please."
Pulling over, " What's up?"
"I just need to take a breath. You've met my parents, especially my mother."
Josh chuckled, "Yeah."
After a short minute, Nikki reached across the seat and kissed him.
"I'm not sure what that was for, but I'm not complaining."
"Just because."
Putting the car into gear, Josh turned onto their street. As soon as they pulled into the driveway, Sophia and Dom came running outside to greet them. Nikki was getting out of the car as her Mum rushed to her and wrapped her in a hug. They were both crying. They broke apart, and Dom got his chance.
While the hugs were happening, Josh got Gale out of her car seat. Sophia and Dom then turned to Josh, giving him a quick hug. "Josh, it's so good to see you…Oh, My God! Look at those blue eyes and her dark hair. She's even more beautiful in person!"
"Yeah, we think she's pretty special," Josh says, passing Gail to her Nonna.
"How about we take this inside," Dom suggests. "Is the patio, okay?"
"Perfect, Dom," Josh answers.
Everyone got comfortable, and Sophia passed Gale off to her grandfather, " Would you like something to drink? We have beer, wine, sodas, lemonade…"
"A beer would be great, thanks," Josh answered.
"Diet Coke, Mum?"
"Sure. Dom?"
"I'll have a beer, please."
"Did you have a chance to eat? I can bring out some sandwiches."
"Mum, that would be great. I'm pretty hungry."
"Alright, I'll be right back with the sandwiches and drinks, then you can tell us all about what happened."
Sophia returned ten minutes later, passed the drinks and put a platter of sandwiches on the patio table. Then Nikki went into the nappy pack, brought out two framed pictures, and handed them to her Mum.
"We had these made for you. Our wedding picture and our first family picture. Gale was just an hour old."
"Nikki, Josh, these are wonderful! How did you ever? These are amazing. Thank you. Nikki, you look beautiful!" Sophia said, passing the pictures to Dom to see.
"Josh, these are great, but how?" Dom asked.
"We were supposed to be wilderness camping, so I brought solar chargers for our phones and tablets and such. Even with no service, the camera functions still work. We took a lot of pictures, documenting our time on the island."
Dom passed Gale back to Nikki, and she settled her into her seat, then she and Josh settled in to tell their story. When they got to the wedding, Nikki showed off the ring that Josh had made for her.
"You were able to make this? It's beautiful. How did you do this without tools?" Dom wondered.
"I had some tools from the pilot's tool kit. Others I improvised."
"Well, surely you'll be having a church ceremony now that you're home, and of course, you'll need a marriage certificate," Sophia remarked.
Nikki reached over and clasped Josh's hand, thinking ( here we go…), "No, Mum, there won't be a church ceremony or any other ceremony. We are married; we promised ourselves to each other before God as our witness."
Josh added, "We have a marriage certificate that was issued by a judge in Cairns after we got back."
"But Nikki, the church needs to bless the union." Sophia continued.
"No, Mum, it doesn't."
Gale then let them know that it was time for a snack, which diverted the conversation, at least for the time being.
Josh picked her up, "I'll go change her."
"Would you bring her 'Tummy Time' back with you?"
Bending to kiss her," Sure, Luv."
Their bags were still in the car, so Josh would have to get her play mat after her change. Heading up the stairs to the room that Sophia told them they would be using, Josh nuzzled Gale while she made little cooing sounds. He reached their room and stopped dead in his tracks. The large room had two single beds with the pack n play crib set up in between them.
"This will not do…" Josh says to Gale. "Your Mum and I will take care of this later," as he lays her on the bed for her change.
He brought Gale back to Nikki, "I have to get the suitcases, then I'll bring down her 'Tummy Time mat '."
"Thanks, Baby. Mum, would you like to feed her?"
Beaming, Sophia took Gale from Nikki. Nikki got her bottle ready and passed it to her Mum.
It was quiet for a few minutes, then… "She's so beautiful, but Josh, why weren't you more careful? An unattended birth in what amounts to a third world country, Nikki could have died! How dangerous!" Josh looked at Nikki and raised an eyebrow. Then before either of them could say anything Sophia started again, "How did this happen?"
"Mum, I'm pretty sure that you know exactly how she happened, and we are NOT going to discuss this!" Nikki said forcefully.
"Her birth? I assume Josh delivered her?"
"Of course, Mum, who else?"
Josh was becoming uncomfortable with this whole conversation. Just as if she knew that a distraction was needed, Gale started to fuss needing another change.
"Do you want me to take her up?" Josh asked Nikki.
"Sure, Luv, I'll be up in a sec."
Uh-Oh… Josh thought as he climbed the stairs, then to Gale, "Your mummy is about to lose it."
Josh entered what was to be their room, and Nikki was right behind him. She stopped short as she walked into the room, looked and screamed, "MOTHER! WHAT THE HELL! "
Sophia arrived with Dom… Dom started to laugh.
"Really, Dad!"
"This is just so typical of your mother," still laughing.
Stammering, Sophia says, "I thought that you would want to have her sleeping between you," she said by way of an excuse.
"REALLY, MUM? REALLY? I'M SICK OF THIS BULLSHIT! WE JUST SPENT A YEAR, ALONE, ON AN ISLAND! YOU NEED TO ACCEPT THAT WE ARE TOGETHER AND NOW MARRIED!"
"Nikki! Language!" Sophia retorts.
"I need some air! Fix this, or we're going to a hotel!" She flew from the room, down the stairs and out the front door. Sophia tried to go after her, but Nikki was ignoring her, and she was too fast.
"Come on, Josh, let's put this right. No… actually, we have another room down the hall with a queen bed, and the little crib will fit just fine."
"Thank you, Dom."
"Why don't you go after our girl, and I'll move your things."
"Thanks."
Josh put on his tennies, put Gale into her chest carrier and set off at a jog searching for Nikki. Sophia and Dom watched him go.
"I'm not sure that jogging with that little baby is such a good idea," Sophia comments.
"Sophia, knock it off," Dom responds.
"Hummmpft… I'm going to start dinner."
"Good idea." Dom returned upstairs to move their things.
As Josh circled onto the next street, he spotted Nikki, power walking. "She's probably sputtering…" Josh thought. He picked up his pace and caught up with her. As soon as she saw him, she stopped.
"Hey," he said as he approached her.
"Josh, I'm not sure I can do this. She treats me like I'm thirteen instead of thirty-three, a wife, mother and Lt in the Navy."
"I know, Baby, but you're the youngest of five and the only girl. Obviously, she is having difficulty letting go," he said, pulling her close then kissing her.
"Josh! I'm thirty-three! Don't you think enough time has passed? Fourteen years in the Navy! This is why I hardly ever went home. Dating was near impossible."
"Can't say that I can complain about that," Josh chuckled. "Kept back the competition. Are you ready to go back?"
" No, not quite. I mean it Josh, If she doesn't stop, we're going to a hotel. We can stay in Perth and visit but be by ourselves at night."
"Let's give it another go, okay? Your Dad moved our things to the bedroom with a queen bed."
"Alright, Mr reasonable."
They continued to walk, holding hands, as Gale dozed in the carrier for another half hour before returning to the house.
Sophia had just finished putting the lasagna together when they got back. She came out of the kitchen, "Nikki, I…"
"I'm tired; I'm going to lay down," her Italian temper is still getting the best of her. "Join me, Josh?"
"You bet."
Laying Gale in her crib to coo herself to sleep, Nikki grabbed the throw blanket and snuggled in next to Josh with her head cradled in the perfect spot between his shoulder and neck. He turned towards her and kissed her thoroughly, pulled her back to where she was, and they fell asleep.
Gale woke about an hour later. Josh picked her up and brought her into bed with them for a few moments.
"Niks, I need a shower after that jog."
"If my mother wasn't such a freak, I would join you."
Josh laughed, they kissed, and Josh headed to the shower while Nikki made her way downstairs.
To her surprise, her favourite brother, Rick, had arrived from Brisbane.
"Sis!" throwing his arms around her. "When Mum called, I thought that maybe she had lost it. This is such a miracle! It's so wonderful to have you back! Where's Josh?"
"In the shower, he had a bit of a jog a little earlier," giving her brother a look that said that there was more to it.
"This beautiful baby must be Gale. She is the perfect blend of the two of you. Her eyes are devastating with her dark hair!"
"Would Uncle Rick like to hold her?"
"You know it!"
Their mother was still working in the kitchen. "I'll go in and get us drinks and meet you outback under the old tree," said Rick, "then you can fill me in."
Nikki grabbed up Gale's Tummy Time and pack and went out to the tree. The tree was far enough from the house so that they could talk in private. She laid Gale on her mat and waited for Rick.
Handing her a diet coke, Rick sat down next to Nikki. "So, little sis, what did she do?"
"Well, it started when she invalidated our marriage."
"You're married? When? How did I not know?"
"We'll explain it all when everyone is here, just suffice it to say, Josh and I are married, marriage certificate and all. She insisted that we needed a church ceremony to have the marriage blessed. Then she gave Josh a hard time about my getting pregnant."
"Did she really expect that the two of you would be lost on an unknown island and be celibate?" Rick chuckled.
"I don't know, probably."
"Then what really pushed me over the edge was when I went up to our room to find that she had put us in the twin bedroom and she had put the crib between the two beds!"
Now Rick was roaring with tears, "Nicole, that is just pure passive-aggressive Mum. What did Josh say?."
"Josh being Josh, kept quiet and just planned on fixing it when we went up to bed."
"But not you…"
"No, well, I sort of lost it. I read her one, told her we would be going to a hotel if she didn't stop, then I left."
"Left? Where?"
"For a walk, Josh came after me. He jogged to catch up. We talked, and he convinced me to give it one more go."
Josh had finished his shower and found them under the tree. He had never had the chance to spend any real time with her brothers, so this was the first time he met Rick. They talked and laughed like old friends in minutes, finding that they had a lot in common. Diving being one of them.
Nikki was lying on her side playing with Gale, just enjoying listening to her favourite brother and her husband getting to know each other.
"Josh, I'm going in for another beer; get you one?"
"Sure, that would be great, Mate."
"Nikki?"
"I'm good, thanks."
Over the next two hours, the rest of the family trickled in. There were hugs and tears, and of course, Gale was a favourite topic.
Several folding tables were set up together in a square so that everyone could be included in the conversation. Once everyone was settled and the food was on the table, the saga was told again. The telling went a bit different this time, with Nikki's sisters-in-law remarking on how romantic Josh was causing him to blush a bit. They admired her ring. Nikki passed their wedding photo around.
"Nikki, you're so beautiful!" Danny's wife, Carol, said.
"You're as pretty a bride as I have ever seen," remarked Stephanie, Nathan's wife.
"Thank you, Josh had taken me completely by surprise. I had no idea what he had planned."
"You're a lucky woman. He's a keeper for sure," Melissa, Jeff's wife, added.
After dinner, the kitchen got put to rights by the sisters-in-law and Sophia; Nikki had been admonished to stay away. The kitchen was finished, and everyone returned to the patio; they chatted and laughed for the next few hours. Then with hugs and kisses and 'it's so great to have you back', her brothers left. Rick would be staying with them, being that he was from out of town. He took the " twin" room with a chuckle and a shake of his head.
Nikki went into the shower while Josh gave Gale her last change and feeding for the night, then rocking and singing her to sleep.
Climbing into bed, he waited for Nikki. Coming in from the shower in her robe, Nikki closed the bedroom door then dropped the robe to the floor. Josh was staring and very much enjoying the view. Joining him in the bed, she snuggled up next to him and then started kissing and nuzzling his neck while tracing circles around his chest and stomach, slowly moving south.
"Uhhh, Nik, Luv, not that I'm going to complain or want you to stop, but are you sure that this is a good idea with your parents just on the other side of this wall?"
"Josh, I don't care. You're my husband, and I want to be with you. She has to get over it. She's not the only one who can be passive-aggressive," swinging her leg over him and kissing him deeply.
"Lt. Holiday, Ma'am," he says, whispering between kisses, " Is that an order?"
"You bet, mister," kissing him again.
In the next room: "Dom?... is that?"...
Dom starts to laugh, "good night Sophia."
In the morning, Sophia managed to ignore what she had heard the night before, and they enjoyed a pleasant breakfast.
"Nikki, would you like to go shopping? I would really like to get Gale some things."
"Sure, Mum. I would love to."
"Can we take Gale?"
"Of course."
Nikki went looking for Josh and found him out back reading, "Hey, Luv, Mum wants to go shopping, us girls. Could you help with Gale's car seat?"
"You bet."
After helping to get Gale settled, he gave his girls a kiss and wished them a good time.
"We'll most likely be having lunch out, so you boys are on your own," Sophia said.
"No worries," Josh replied and then watched as they pulled out of the driveway.
Dom met him in the kitchen while he was making a brew, "Josh, how about a round of golf with Rick and me?"
"God, wow, it's been forever since I've played, but sure I'm game."
"Let's see, you're about 183 cm? ( 6 ft. )"
"Yeah, that's right, 213 cm actually. ( 6 ft 1 in. )"
"Just about Danny's height. He has a set of clubs in the garage that you can use."
"Fair dinkum."
Nikki enjoyed the morning shopping and lunch with her mother. When they got back to the house, the boys weren't back yet. Dom had left them a note in the kitchen saying that they were at the golf course. He also said that he wanted to go out to eat for dinner.
Nikki and Sophia were on the patio when the guys got back. All three of them grabbed a beer and went out to the patio talking about their game.
Finishing his beer, Josh excused himself to take a shower. Nikki followed him upstairs about 10 minutes later, wanting to show him what they had bought and to give him the shirt that she had bought for him.
Returning to the bedroom from the shower, he found Nikki nursing Gale.
"Hey, Babe, I wasn't expecting to see you here," he said with a smile and a kiss on her head and then one for Gale.
"Well, I got you something to wear out to eat tonight," she said, laying Gale in her crib. Then she took a medium blue shirt with white and yellow frangipani out of one of the bags.
"Nikki, it's wonderful, perfect!" he said, slipping it on and then finishing getting dressed.
"It matches your eyes," she said, giving him a kiss.
Josh set up the baby monitor, took Nikki's hand, and they headed downstairs.
"Josh, I'm going to get a soda. Do you want a beer?"
"Sure, babe, thanks. I'll meet you out back."
Sophia had done really well so far this day, but that is about to change. She just can't seem to help herself. Nikki and Josh were sharing a lounge chair when she joined them on the patio.
"Mum, where did Dad and Rick get off to?"
"They're in the garage, I think. I guess you'll be leaving the Navy to take care of Gale, and Josh will be getting a job?"
Nikki takes a deep breath…I knew it couldn't last..."No Mum, in fact, I'm going back when we get home."
"Nicole! Really! You're a mother now; you need to take care of your baby. That's your responsibility. Do you want a nanny raising your child? Can you even afford one?"
Dom and Rick had just joined them. Rick, sitting down nearby, rolled his eyes in a 'here we go' gesture.
"Mum, Josh will be caring for her when I'm working or away. At least for now anyway."
"She needs her Mother!"
Josh, who had his arms around Nikki, finally speaks up, "She'll have me."
"Sophia, come on now. They're not kids," Dom interjects. "It's their choice, not yours."
"Josh, let's get out of here before I say something I'll regret."
"How about going for a run?"
"Good, fine, let's go."
They went up to their room and changed.
"I want to take Gale," Nikki said.
"Alright," and he reached into her crib and scooped her up. She didn't even wake as Josh set her into her car seat. They headed out the front door.
Sophia heard them coming downstairs and went after them. " Nikki, please, Nicole!"
"Not now, Mum," Nikki called over her shoulder.
"Let's go to the park to run," Nikki suggested.
"Sure, we can stop for some bottled water on the way."
Gale secured in the back seat they set off. Sophia watched them leave, then taking a deep breath, returned to the house.
"Josh, I'm ready to go. I've had it. I haven't seen her in over a year, and she's pushing my buttons. Can't she just be happy that we're home? She just can't help herself. I had to grow up with this bullshit; I am not about to take it now."
"Nikki, what happened? I thought that you had a good time with your Mum shopping."
" We did. But she had to start again. 'Are you going to leave the Navy now that you have Gale… Josh needs to get a job... Blah, Blah, Blah. She just can't seem to stop."
"Alright, if that's what you want. Let's see how dinner goes, and then why don't we stay the night. You're angry now; if you feel the same in the morning, we'll change our flight and go."
"Okay, Babe, thanks for a voice of reason. You know that I love you."
"No, will you tell me again?" he said with a twinkle.
"Josh Holiday, I love you!"
"Nicole Holiday, I love you too."
"Hey, Poppet, back there, we love you!" Josh called towards the back seat.
A quick stop for water, and they were at the park. Settling Gale into the jogging stroller, they set off down the running path. It was a pleasant jog, 5 km ( 3 mi ) through wooded areas and around a small lake looping back to the car park. Nikki had calmed by the time they finished and returned to her parents.
Back at the house, Nikki went straight up to their room. Josh picked up the car seat with Gale in it and followed her. Gale had just been changed while at the park, so she was still dry and content. They brought her into the bathroom with them while they showered. Nikki now longer cared what her mother thought. Gale kicked and gurgled, listening to the shower while Josh and Nikki played and washed each other. Wrapping in towels, they returned to their room. Nikki picked up Gale and laid her in her crib; then they laid down with a light cover over them and took a nap before supper.
Sophia had been out in her vegetable garden and didn't hear them come home. They slept for about an hour. Nikki woke first, slipping out of bed as not to wake Josh; she dressed in shorts and a tank top. Gale was starting to wake; she gave her a few minutes, then picked her up, climbed back into bed with Josh and began to nurse. Waking a few minutes later, he rolled onto his side and just looked at his wife and baby girl and felt a warm surge of love. When Gale finished nursing, Nikki leaned over, kissed him. "I'll meet you downstairs."
Josh got up, dressed and followed her. Wandering into the living room, he found Nikki lying on the floor playing with Gale. Seeing the piano, he went and sat down and began to play a simple melody that he remembered from years ago.
Nikki sat up, trying not to let her mouth drop open. "Josh, Babe, I didn't know that you could play!"
"Well, I hardly think about it anymore. The Navy doesn't really offer a lot of opportunities."
"I'll be right back," Nikki left to get the tummy mat.
Once she got Gale settled, she sat next to Josh at the piano. Listening for a moment, she picked up the harmony to his melody and began to play with him.
Grinning, "I didn't know you played."
"Navy doesn't allow for many opportunities to play," she answered, chuckling.
Josh gave her a quick kiss and then began playing again. Although he could read music, when Josh was in high school, he had taught himself to play by ear as well, wanting to play some of the popular songs. Closing his eyes for a moment, he thought of their wedding song and started playing, ' I found a love,' he sang softly.
Nikki was smiling through tears as Josh continued through the song. "I found a girl, beautiful and sweet; I never knew that she was the one waiting for me."
Hearing the Piano, Dom, Sophia, and Rick went to the living room, expecting to see Nikki playing and were surprised to find that it was Josh.
"Look at them, Sophia; they are happy and very much in love. They managed to hold onto that love through a year of adversity. That's more than a lot of couples can do and without what they went through. He saved our daughter's life. Just be happy for them," Dom said, slipping an arm around Sophia's shoulders and giving her a squeeze. "Now, let's let them be."
Josh finished his song to Nikki and launched into a bouncy jazzy tune. Picking up Gale, Nikki danced around the living room. Rick wandered over and joined her.
At 6:00, they left for the restaurant, a steak and BBQ place where Dom had made a reservation. Dinner went very well with easy conversation.
Later that night, while lying in bed, "She was almost a different person through dinner; I'd like to give it one more day," Nikki told Josh.
"Good," pulling her close and saying goodnight.
The following two days were uneventful. Rick had to return to Brisbane, and Sophia finally seemed to accet things as they are.
The night before they were to head to Melbourne, Sophia had another family dinner.
"What is your schedule like tomorrow?" Dom asked.
"Our flight is at 10:15 in the morning. We'll need to be at the airport by 8:30 so that we can return the car and such." Josh answered him. " We'll get everything sorted out tonight to make the morning easier."
"We're going to miss you," Sophia said.
"Hopefully, we'll see you again soon, Mum."
Later that evening, after her brothers left, Dom asked them to join him in his home office. "With all of the excitement, I almost forgot about this."
"What is it, Dad?"
"When you were declared...presumed…dead, we had to go to court to get a judicial order that allowed us to close your affairs."
"Dad…"
"Nikki, just listen, the judge ordered that we could close your accounts and liquidate your assets, but the funds had to be put into a trust that was to be held for 5 years or until you were found. Nikki, with the sale of your car, other things from the townhouse, and your bank accounts, you have $35,000. I have a check here for you."
"OH MY GOD!" Nikki exclaimed while Josh was just speechless.
Josh was the first to recover, "Wow, Nikki, maybe we can think about getting a townhouse."
Nikki went over to her, Dad, " Thank you!"
"Hey, thank the courts," Dom laughed.
In the morning, they had breakfast, said their goodbyes and headed to the airport for their 3 ½ hour flight to Melbourne. With the time change, they would arrive in Melbourne about the same time that they left.
As Josh pulled away from the house, they waved goodbye, and Nikki heaved a sigh of relief. "Well, I'm glad that's over. I miss my family, and I love my mother, but she is sooo hard to take sometimes. Thank you, Josh."
"For what?"
"Not losing it all over my mother."
Josh laughed, "I didn't have to; you had that totally covered." Nikki laughed with him.
Hearing the laughter Gale giggled almost causing Josh to swerve the car, making them laugh some more. "That's right, Poppet Nonna is a hoot."