Chapter Nine
"Okay, Maxy," Eddie told her little boy as she fixed his bow tie and jacket. "You play your heart out, and if you get scared, look for Mommom, I'll be in front of the crowd."
"I'm good," Max told her. "I play solo good."
Eddie smiled and nodded, she kissed his cheek and left him with his teacher. The younger kids went on first.
The entire family plus Kara and Luke with their kids and Carlos were in the audience. They took up an entire row. "How's he doing? Frank asked. "He nervous?"
"No, I'm way more nervous than he is," Eddie laughed. "He said he plays his solo good…"
"He does, and he played the right song most of the last week too," Jamie bragged. He held Eddie's hand and rested both of their hands on her belly. Jamie looked over at Kara, she was due five months before Eddie and had a very round belly to rest hands on now.
Carlos was sitting between Eddie and Kara. He was anxious to hear Max play and spend more time with the family. He loved the Reagans, they were fun and he got to hear cool cop stories and eat junk food.
"Ladies and gentleman," the director greeted. "Welcome to the KinderMusic School's recital for our 2-6 years old classes. The recital for our older children will be held next Saturday and next Sunday afternoons. We invite you to sit back and relax and enjoy the music. We now present the "Rubber Ducky" song from Sesame Street by our two year old class."
That was April's class, she stood in the right front center in a yellow frilly dress and sang her heart out off key to the teacher's piano playing. Eddie felt herself choke up as she watched her little girl doing her song. She was not as musical as Max, but had a fair and adorable voice. She loved her friends and she loved her songs. Eddie was so happy to see her smiling.
The whole row of Reagans stood up when the song finished and clapped hard for April. She did her little curtsey and went back with her class. When April ran down to the audience, Jamie caught her and picked her up in his arms. "You did so great, peanut! Daddy has a surprise…" Jamie reached under his seat and handed April a bouquet of carnations and daisies. They would live longer than roses, so April could enjoy them longer. "For me?" April had never received flowers before.
"For you," Jamie repeated. "You did such a good job. Daddy's so proud of you!"
April smiled and held the flowers on her lap the rest of the show.
All of the numbers were very cute, and most were close to being good. Eddie had to excuse herself a few times to use the bathroom along with Kara, one of the joys of pregnancy. Finally, the director came out with a smile, "Ladies and gentleman, next we have a solo performance by one of our youngest piano players. May I present the music stylings of Max Reagan!"
The family clapped and whistled again as Max came out in his little tuxedo and his tie in his pocket. Eddie laughed, she knew he wouldn't leave it on. Jamie burst out laughing when he handed it to his teacher before sitting down at the piano. No one, not even Eddie, expected what happened next.
Max began to play the introduction to the song, then got so into his own music, he began to sing the song. "I'm gonna be a mighty king so enemies beware!" he sang in his clear and melodious voice. By the first chorus he had the entire audience in the palm of his hand. Eddie was clapping her hands and she and Jamie were beaming with pride. Max received the first of what Eddie was sure would be many standing ovations in his life.
When the show was over, and Max came off the stage, Eddie caught the boy in her arms. "You were so good! I'm so proud of you!" she gushed. "You did the best I've ever seen you do!"
Jamie picked up his little boy and spun him around in his arms. "Oh, my boy…you did great!"
"I sing my song," Max told them with a huge smile on his face.
There was no shortage of people congratulating the family on Max's talent. "He has a real future, he's so entertaining." Eddie and Jamie just nodded and smiled, they didn't want to pressure Max, they wanted him to keep loving it.
"You ready to go get Chinese food?" Jamie asked Max and smiled at his son.
"Yes, I want dumpins," he announced and saw Carlos and Kara coming down the way. Max took off to hug his friend and honorary aunt. He was so excited after a successful first performance.
The large party went to the Chinese restaurant and took up the entire back room. "To Max and April…" Danny smiled. "Way more talented than their old man!"
Jamie laughed as Danny poked fun at him, "Amen to that brother! They got their mother's talent…."
Carlos sighed, sometime she really missed his family. Kara noticed, "How are you doing in school Carlos?"
"Good, but my foster Mom can't help me so much," he replied. "She's been sick a lot but I don't know what's wrong with her."
Kara arched her brows, she felt bad for this little guy. He was a sweetie. "Well I hope she feels better, you know you and my son are in the same grade. If you need help why don't you call us…I'll give your foster mother my telephone number."
Carlos smiled, "Thanks, I need some help sometimes on my math."
"Well, you just give us a holler then and we'll do the best we can," Kara smiled. "You need help with the chopsticks?"
Carlos shook his head, "I'm good at chopsticks, everything but math…"
Luke laughed at the boy, he was very sweet.
"Kara's getting pretty big,' Jamie commented later that night. "She's so pretty, I can't wait to see you that way again."
"I can't wait to be that way again,' Eddie laughed. "Isn't that funny, that we work so hard to have the baby and lose the weight and all that, but I'm glad to be carrying your child again and I'll be glad to be heavy and round with him or her again as well."
"Not funny," Jamie replied. "Pregnancy is a gift, and when it gets tough, I'll be right here every step of the way. We are in this as a team this time around, just like Kara and Luke are a team. They were great with Carlos, do you think they might consider adding him to their family. Older foster kids never really get adopted out of the system…"
"I don't think Luke would consider that," Eddie replied. "They don't have unlimited funds, and he wants Kara to retire the way I did. He's been at her about doing that since the wedding, our wedding."
"Kara's not the type," Jamie observed. "With you, I could see it. I could see that you had the desire to be a wife and mother as well as a police officer. Kara is too much the job."
Eddie had to agree with that, "You know, I don't regret it Jamie. I don't regret it for one second."
Jamie tipped his head and began to kiss Eddie gently, "I don't either, there's not one thing along this path I would change, because we ended up right here right now, happy and together."
Eddie leaned her head against Jamie's chest, they were blessed and they were so happy. They had a great family, good friends, and financial security and then some. "Jamie, I was thinking about Mick at the recital today, and there are so many people like him."
"I was thinking about him too," Jamie replied. "He was never married to Ava'a mother, and they both got lost in the shuffle. It's just…I'm glad we are helping him, I really am, but he's just one of the lucky ones in the fact that he met us and we have the resources to help him and Ava. What would you think if we did take some of Tom's money and set up a fund for other children like Ava, that fell through the cracks? We can call it the Thomas Manning Fund for Forgotten Children…or something like that."
Eddie's eyes misted over, "Tom would be proud to have his name on something like that."
Jamie smiled at her, "Then can we look into setting it up?" Eddie nodded, "We will...but for now...I'm tired."
Smiling Jamie hugged Eddie close placing a kiss on top of her head gently. "I love you."
Eddie slid into bed and stretched, her body tired and achy. Jamie spooned her and held her close in his arms, they would not forget this day for a long time.
"I love you Jamie," Eddie mumbled half asleep with her head resting on his chest comfortably. "So much."
Jamie couldn't have expressed it better himself.