CH. 17: Maybe Someday
Danny laid in bed that night, thinking of the date he just had with Linda. Even though, he was shocked to see her sitting there in the restaurant, he had to admit, he was glad it was her. Especially considering, he had wanted to ask her out to begin with. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to do so, at least not with Devon. Even with these thoughts however, they still couldn't bring him to regret the evening he spent with her. And as long as he was being honest, he enjoyed every minute of the night before. And it wasn't like she didn't know Devon, and from what he observed, it appeared as if she liked his baby girl. He was so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't even realize Devon was crying in her crib. For how long, he wasn't sure, but he was certain, it wasn't longer than a minute or two.
"I'm coming baby," Danny threw his covers back, before making the few steps to the crib, picking her up, and carrying her down the stairs, in the same manner he did every night when she woke up screaming, doing his best to keep her from waking his parents.
"I sure hope you outgrow this colic thing," Danny started to pace the floor. He knew she wasn't hungry, and that was leading him to believe that the only reason she was unhappy, was due to the colic. Devon continued to squirm uncomfortably, making it even harder on her father, to find the usual position she liked enough to help settle her down.
"Tomorrows going to be a busy day, and you and I both need our sleep," Danny tried to tell her, even if chances were, it wouldn't do any good. "Daddy has to go to work, then I have to pick you up, since Grandma has plans, and then the two of us are going Christmas shopping. Even if I don't know what I'm going to get you."
The more Devon cried, the more Danny paced, and the tireder and tireder he got.
"Would it help if I changed your diaper?" Danny wondered if I a dry diaper would do any good.
Devon let a loud scream, almost as if she understood him, and it made him change his mind completely. Danny tried sitting, thinking that perhaps she would could calm down a bit, if he tried rocking her. Unfortunately, not even that did a bit of good, and she continued to scream. Only this time, louder.
"Devon," Danny moaned, standing.
Just as soon as Danny stood, Devon curled up, and let out another piercing scream.
That last scream was all it took, for Danny to hold her securely to his chest, and run up the stairs.
"Mom!" he burst through his parents bedroom door, all but forgetting to knock.
"What's wrong?" Mary was already getting up.
"I think somethings wrong with Devon. She won't settle down, long enough to stop crying." Danny sounded as if he was on the verge of tears himself.
Mary took Devon from her father, and Danny ran a hand through his hair, concern showing on his face, even if there was only a bedside lamp illuminating the room.
"I don't know what to do anymore," Danny shook his head.
"When did she start screaming?" Mary tried comforting her, the best she could.
"Not long," Danny replied, shaking his head.
"I think her stomach hurts," Mary interpreted the signs of discomfort, the baby was showing.
"What do we do?" Danny felt as if he was completely unprepared to handle something like this.
"It could be from the colic or gas," Mary explained, remembering when her own children would react in that manner.
"Can we give her some a medicine?" All Danny knew, was that he wanted his little girl to stop crying, and showing signs of pain.
"The gripe water she got at the baby shower helps with stomach discomforts. Go get it, it's in the nursery." Mary started to walk out of the bedroom, and carry her granddaughter down the stairs, in hopes she wouldn't wake her youngest son.
"I can't find anything in there," Danny groaned, sounding concerned, that it would take him awhile to dig through everything.
"You would be, if you organized it like I told you to," Mary chided gently.
"I'm paying Jamie to help, and he started working on it," Danny admitted.
"Just get in there, and find it," Mary ordered, just trying to get her granddaughters discomfort to subside.
"Try to get some sleep Frank," Mary looked back at her husband. "Danny and I, will take care of Devon."
"Yeah right," Frank knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, if his little granddaughter was hurting.
"What's going on?" Jamie walked out of his bedroom door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Devon isn't feeling well," Mary enlightened him. "Go back to bed."
"Yeah right," Jamie repeated the exact same thing as his father did, just seconds ago.
By the time, Danny returned with the gripe water. The rest of his family was already congregating downstairs with Devon.
With the way Devon was fussing, it didn't make giving her the syringed medication easy. In fact, it not only took Danny holding her wriggling body securely against him, but it also took Frank to hold her head still, while Mary tried to get the syringe in her mouth, and Jamie held a burp clothe under her chin, to catch what drained down her chin, while she cried, and tried spitting it out. It took several minutes, but after awhile, they finally finished the difficult task, and Danny tried, once again to get her to settle down.
"She's probably traumatized, after what all she just went through with the medicine," Jamie figured.
"Have you tried giving her a pacifier?" Frank questioned? "It sure helped soothe you when you were fussy." He remembered.
"I'll try anything," Danny was quick to let her try the rubber nipple. "Jamie, can you go find them? They are in the nursery."
"Which one?" Jamie remembered going through them, when he was working in the nursery, not too long ago. "You got several?"
"Bring them all," Danny sounded desperate.
Jamie was back in a matter of seconds, and just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he started pulling them out of their packages.
"They need to be sterilized first Jamie," Mary told him, before he tried giving one to the baby.
"How do you do that?" Jamie sounded confused, looking from his parents to his brother.
"Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. After that put the pacifiers in for awhile."
For how long?" Her teenager sounded clueless.
"Jamie," Mary sounded annoyed.
"I don't have kids," Jamie tried to justify his lack of knowledge on the subject.
"At least five minutes," Mary answered.
"That's going to be the longest five minutes of our lives," Jamie sounded fearful.
After trying at least four different pacifiers, Devon spitting out every one of them, Danny was close to giving up. At least until he decided to give the last pink avent pacifier a try. Devon took to it, in an instant, and it appeared as if the newborn sucking sensation, was going to help sooth her. At least along with the blessed gripe water, which was what Danny was currently calling it, thinking that he just might, manage to get another couple hours of sleep.
Just as Danny suspected, a couple hours of sleep was all he got, before his baby alarm went off, and Devon started to cry, in want of a bottle.
"How is she doing this morning?" Frank asked, meeting his wife and son in the kitchen, some time later.
"Seems a lot better this morning," Danny shrugged.
"Do you still think it was her stomach?"
"Yes," Mary replied. "She seemed to settle, after we gave her the gripe water, and she got the air out of her belly. "But, I think she will be doing even better, just as soon as she has a dirty diaper."
"Sounds wonderful." Even if Danny didn't enjoy her constant fussing. He wasn't exactly looking forward to cleaning up the foul mess. "But I'm definitely going to the store tomorrow, and buying every avent pacifier they have
XXXXXXXX
"How you doing partner?" Baker asked, when she saw him.
"Never better," Danny met her at the patrol car.
"You look stressed," Baker observed. "The job getting to be too much for you," she teased.
"I have a baby with colic," Danny laughed. "My jobs a walk in the park, compared to dealing with a fussy infant."
"She keep you up last night?"
"Oh yeah," Danny nodded. "Gripe water and pacifiers have become my best friend."
"It won't last forever," Baker tried to offer some sort of encouragement.
"The usual is four to five months," Danny told her. "But I've heard of it lasting longer. I just hope that isn't the case with Devon."
"And how old is she?"
"A little over a month," Danny pulled out of the parking lot, and drove to the designated area, they had been assigned that day.
"Hang in there," was all Baker could think to say.
"Thanks a lot," Danny all but mumbled under his breath.
Their day had been mostly uneventful, aside from the few tickets they had to issue, and fights they had to break up. And for that, Danny found himself grateful for the quiet day, especially after the loud night he had with his daughter.
Danny and his partner were just getting out of the squad car to sign out for the day, when he saw his mother and daughter getting out of his mothers car.
"Mom?" Danny called after her. "What are you doing here?"
"I have to leave earlier than I thought, so I decided to drop Devon off here with you." Mary shifted Devon in her arms, so she could get the diaper bag out of the car.
"Here," Danny took Devon from her, seeing as she was struggling with the load, and trying not to drop her squirming granddaughter.
"I can take the diaper bag Mrs. Reagan," Baker volunteered.
"Thank you," Mary smiled at the young woman.
"I'll see you tonight Devon," Mary caressed the infants cheek. "You be good for Daddy." Mary started to get back in the car.
"That's it?" Danny looked at her questioningly. "Your not going to say anything to your own son?"
"I'll see you tonight Danny," Mary repeated. She started to place a hand on his cheek, but stopped short. "You need to shave." Mary added, before driving away.
"You do need to shave," Baker added her own input. "You are liable to get a rip."
"Shut-up," Danny could only imagine, what he was going to hear, when he carried an infant into the precinct.
Just as Danny expected, it wasn't long after he walked through the door, that he heard a teasing comment, from one of the other officers.
"Did you find a baby on the side of the road?"
"No," he shook his head. "It was just outside the precinct," Danny kept the charade going a bit longer.
"Looks kind of like you," he heard another comment, from one of the lady officers, that came to look at the baby.
"The Commissioners recruiting pretty early?" He heard another rib him.
"I'll be sure and talk to my Grandpa about it," Danny didn't even bother to glance back, and instead kept his eyes forward, as he hurriedly signed out and changed, so he could get out the door.
Fifteen minutes later, and Danny pulled up to the usual store, he went to purchase baby items, among several other things, like Christmas presents, which was another thing on his list. After taking her out of her car seat, Danny made a real quick check of her diaper. Deeming it clean, Danny hurried inside, and headed for the baby aisle.
"First things first, we need the items of necessity," Danny grabbed every pacifier that Devon liked, hanging on the shelf. After that, he picked up another bottle of gripe water, and then the largest box of diapers they had.
"Now, what am I going to get you for Christmas?" Danny spoke, as he carried Devon down another section of the baby aisle, looking at all his options. Positioning her upright in his arms, so she could look around, now that she was awake, he thought he'd get her opinion on what she wanted. Spread across the shelves, there were boxes of almost every size and color of play mat activity gyms, crib mobiles, and books. "How about a play mat activity gym, and a crib mobile?" Danny suggested.
A disgruntled look, started to cross the infants face, and Danny spoke.
"Listen Dev, I know you want the books too, but Daddy can't buy you everything." Danny tried reasoning with her.
This time, Devon started to squirm, and Danny picked up. "Maybe Uncle Jamie will buy them for you."
Devon quitted for a moment, and just as she did, Linda spoke up, taking him by surprise. "That's a lot of pacifiers?"
"In case we lose one," Danny grinned.
"This is turning into our regular meeting place," Linda laughed.
"I am always here," Danny said after thinking about it. "But what about you?"
"I'm here shopping for my niece a Christmas present," Linda looked over the shelf.
"Thanks for reminding me," Danny had forgotten. "I need to get my niece something too."
A moment of silence drifted down the aisle, making it a bit awkward, and almost as if there was an elephant in the room, as both their minds turned towards the blind date, they had earlier that week
"So," Linda tried to get past it. "I hope Devon didn't fuss for your sister too much, the other night."
"She didn't really say," Danny thought about, when he went over to Erin's to pick her up.
"I did have a good time, and I hope you weren't too disappointed," Linda had a feeling, the date was the reason for the moment of silence.
"Are you kidding?" A smile started to spread across his face. "It was an unexpected pleasure."
"To be honest, I was afraid I was going to regret the evening all together." Linda decided to come clean.
"Me too," Danny agreed laughing.
"So we both had a good time," Linda's face held a half smile, wondering where things were going to go.
"Looks like it," Danny nodded again.
"Do you think we will have to go on any more double dates?" Linda tried to make the moment light.
"Wouldn't surprise me, when it comes to Joe," Danny laughed a bit louder than he had earlier, and it wasn't because he was trying to make a point.
"Angela too," Linda laughed, right alongside him.
Smiles, were still being held on both their faces. But even that didn't keep their thoughts from echoing the truth, loudly in their heads.
There was an obvious attraction between the two, and they both new it. Unfortunately, neither of them trusted their feelings enough to want to act on it.
"Listen Danny," Linda placed a hand on his arm. "As much as I would love to go out with you again, I cant."
Danny was about to say something, but Linda interrupted.
"I just came off a really bad breakup, and I'm not ready to get into a relationship, that could turn serious."
"I was about to say the same thing," Danny looked at her intently, when he realized, she felt the exact same way as he, aside from the bad breakup. "I'm still trying to get my life in order, being a single dad, and working a job I love, but one that is dangerous at the same time."
"From what I see, you are doing a good job," she assured him. "And if things change, maybe we will meet again." Linda reluctantly walked away.
"Whew," Danny let out a breath, now that it was just he and his daughter. He was grateful, they both decided to come clean, regarding their feelings. And part of him, even wished, they didn't have those feelings. "Oh well," Danny sighed. "Can't change things overnight." He reached for the items he decided to purchase for Nicki, and prepared to walk away.
He was about halfway to the entertainment section, where he planned on picking up Jamie's Christmas present, when he was caught off guard by a horrid smell reaching his nostrils. Just as he noticed the odor, he also felt something wet on the palm of his hand, from where he had just placed it on Devon's bottom, so he could put her up on his shoulder.
"Oh no," he mumbled, as he examined the seat of her pants, and realized he wasn't anywhere near prepared for the mess he encountered. With the temperature outside being what it was, it wasn't uncommon for Mary to dress her in more than one layer of clothing. What Danny didn't expect however, was that her diaper was so bad, it not only leaked through her diaper, but also through all four layers of clothing, along with the blanket he had wrapped around, before the got out of the car.
"I wanted you to have a dirty diaper, but this is not what I meant," Danny climbed into the backseat with her, where it would be easier to change her. It was too cold for him to try to change her with the door open, so he had no choice but to lay her down on the seat and do his best to squeeze onto the floorboard in between the two seats. Getting into position, Danny started remove both the soiled clothes.
"Oh Devon!" Danny was doing his best to keep from gagging, when he finally started to remove the diaper. He had already used half the container of baby wipes kept in the diaper bag, and he wished with everything in him, that she would have waited to explode her diaper until they got home.
As if the diaper mess wasn't enough, Devons fussing, along with the flailing of her little arms in legs in protest, made things ten times worse for both of them. Especially for Danny, who was doing his best to get done with the dreaded task, just as soon as possible.
"You are definitely going to need a bath when we get home," Danny told her, thinking that the diaper change was literally taking five minutes, due to the severity of the mess.
Finishing with the diaper, Danny started to dress her in a set of clean clothes.
"I can't find an extra blanket to cover you with," Danny noticed, after pulling every single thing out of the diaper bag. "That's okay," he said after noticing his NYPD jacket in the front seat. "You can cover with Daddy's jacket. And who knows, maybe one day you will have one of your own, he said while bucking her into her car seat. "What am I saying," he said, while climbing into the drivers seat. "Daddy's never going to let you follow in his footsteps." Thinking there was no way, he would have the stamina to deal with the stress the job could impose on his child. Not even thinking, that it could be the same thing his mother felt on a daily basis, when he was on the job.
XXXXXXXX
"What's the matter with you?" Danny kicked his brothers feet, from where he had them stretched out in front of the couch, after coming down the stairs with Devon, after giving her a bath.
"Hmm," Joe looked up, once he was pulled out of his daydream.
"You seem out of it," Danny took a seat on one of the single chairs across from his brother.
"I had another date with Angela last night," Joe looked at him seriously.
"Same girl in two weeks," Danny noticed. "Must be some kind of record."
"Shut-up," Joe wasn't in the mood to listen to his brothers teasing. "Like you've had a lot of long-lasting relationships, in your dating history."
"Hey," Danny picked up for himself. "I dated Devon's mom for awhile."
"So have you talked to Linda since the date?" Joe changed the subject.
"Joe," Danny sighed, not liking where his brother was heading with the conversation.
"Well," Joe pushed. Not willing to give up, when he wanted an answer. Even if his brother didn't want to hear it.
"If you must know, yes," Danny knew that once his brother got ahold of something, it wasn't likely he would let loose willingly.
"And?" Joe continued to push.
"And we agreed that neither one of us, we're ready to get involved in a serious relationship," Danny picked up Devon, from where she laid in her lounger, once she started to squirm. Which was only a total of five minutes.
"I thought you liked her," Joe remembered how different his brother acted, anytime he was around her.
"I do, I think," Danny admitted.
"Then why didn't you say something?" Joe was doing his best to understand his brothers reasoning.
"It's complicated," Danny kept his tone even. "I have responsibilities now."
"What's that got to do with it?" Joe sounded confused.
"Everything, I'm going to be responsible for Devon, for the rest of my life. I can't ask another person to do the same."
"Come on Danny," Joe tried. "There are tons of step-parents out there, that love their step children, as if they were their own."
"I know," Danny knew his brother was right. "But I have to be sure before I let myself fall in love."
"I suppose your right," Joe respected his brother for his feelings. All he knew was, was that he wanted him to be happy, the same as he wanted Devon to have a mother that would love and care for her, just as much as Danny did.
Danny was just about to reply, when Erin burst in.
"I have a great idea," Erin came charging into her parents house, dragging Nicki along with her.
"I'm glad Devon wasn't asleep," Danny mentioned his sisters behavior. Knowing that without a doubt, it would have awoken her with a start, and brought about a round of cries.
"Sorry," Erin apologized, taking a seat on the other single arm chair, nearest Danny. "But I know what we can get mom and dad for Cheristmas."
"Uncle Joe," Nicki squealed, crawling up onto the couch next to her uncle, before her mother even had a chance to continue.
"Hey baby," Joe placed her in his lap.
"Well, what's you great idea, that brought you running in here like you were on fire?" Danny tried getting down to the real reason his sister was there.
"I think we should send mom and dad on a nice trip," Erin sounded excited.
"Kind of expensive, don't you think?" Danny said after thinking about it.
"Not if all of us put our money together," Erin figured.
"Seriously Erin?" Joe looked at his sister questioningly. "Mom and Dad have more money than all of us. And if they wanted to go on a nice vacation, I'm pretty sure they would go."
"And they did just get home from a trip, not too long ago," Danny reminded her. "Not to mention, where exactly do you expect our kid brother to get the money to put towards this trip?"
Forget Jamie, he still gets an allowance," Joe interrupted. "I'm wondering about me, I'm only working part-time, and that all goes to keep me alive."
"You? What about me? I have an infant I'm trying to take care of." Danny couldn't believe his brother even thought, he could fit in the same category as himself.
"Well if you don't want to give mom and dad a nice Christmas present, then we'll just have to think of something else." Erin was beginning to think their parents Christmas present, was turning into a competition between her brothers.
"No," Joe sighed. "I'll think of something."
"You mean, you'll ask mom and dad for more money?" Danny asked, in a teasing manner.
"No," Joe clarified. "I'll cut back on a few expenses."
"You mean you'll eat more meals at mom and dads," Danny interpreted.
"Probably," Joe admitted, with a grin.
"That only leaves the kid," Danny subtracted, the only a sibling, they had a feeling, wouldn't offer much help.
"What about you?" Erin vaguely remembered, her eldest brother having his own excuse, as to why he couldn't spend such a large amount of money.
"I'll talk to Devon about not wetting her diapers so much, and I'll see what I can do," Danny said sarcastically. Thinking that it should be obvious that he would help out.
Jamie walked in a split second later, and all eyes fell on him.
"What?" Jamie looked clueless.
"We're discussing what we're getting mom and dad for Christmas," Erin enlightened her youngest brother.
"Sounds expensive," was all Jamie said, before dropping his basketball in the corner of the room, and taking a seat on the sofa.
"So are you in?" Joe cut to the chase.
"I don't even know what you are planning to get them?" Jamie reminded them, that they had yet to spill the beans.
"We want to send them on a trip," Erin smiled, pleased with her suggestion.
"I'm in," Jamie was beginning to think how nice it would be, if he didn't have to worry about going out and getting them a gift.
"Great, then where should we send them?" Erin brightened, now that she knew that each of her brothers were in.
"China, Russia, London," Danny started to list all the places that involved extensive traveling, and less time for them to be around pestering him. "I'll keep the house."
"Thats not what I meant," Erin said exasperated. Tired of the way each of her brothers seemed bent and determined to turn her nice idea for a Christmas present, into a mockery.
"Were guys Erin," Joe tried picking up for himself. "We don't care where they go. So just pick a place, and we'll go along with it."
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Jamie put his own two cents in.
Now that the siblings, we're all in some sort of agreement, the conversation started to drift to another topic, just as Nicki slid down the seat cushions, and crossed the floor.
"What Devon doing Uncle Danny?" Nicki stood next to Danny's chair, and peered over his arm, so she could see her cousin.
"She's looking at you," Danny smiled at the way Devon's little eyes were centered solely on her cousin.
"She is," Nicki giggled happily.
"Alright, my turn to hold her," Erin took the baby from her brother.
"I got your Christmas present," Danny smiled at his niece.
"What you get me?" Nicki's face brightened, when he said the word present.
"I'm not telling," he started to tickle her.
"Stop," Nicki laughed out loud.
"You all decide to move back in?" Frank said, walking into the living room, from the front door.
"Grandpa!" Nicki charged after him, lifting her arms up, so he could pick her up.
"Hows Grandpas girl?" Frank held her tight.
"Devon smile at me," Nicki beamed when she told him.
"Looks like Grandpa has two sweet girls," Frank ran his first two fingers, gently across his youngest granddaughters rosy cheek.
"You all staying for dinner?" Mary came in from the kitchen.
"Never turn down a free meal." It came to no surprise, that Joe was the first to speak.
"Then some of you get outside and unload the groceries out of the car, while the rest of you put them away." Was all Mary said, before turning to the kitchen, to get dinner started.
"I'm holding the baby," Erin thought that would excuse her from helping in the kitchen.
"Your father can do that," Mary didn't even bother to turn around, when she replied to her daughters excuse.
XXXXXXXX
It was late Christmas Eve, and Danny was lying on the couch, watching a movie, while Devon napped in the pack n play not far away. Mary was still in the kitchen working on a few things for the morrows Christmas dinner. She already had the pumpkin and apple pies baked, and the turkey was unthawing in the sink, just waiting until early the following morning, when she would put it in the oven. Frank on the other hand, was upstairs taking a quick nap, before he had to get up and start getting ready for the midnight mass service they would be attending. While Jamie laid on the floor of the living room, looking at magazines, and watching bits and pieces of the movie, his brother had on.
"I'm going to go start getting ready for service," Mary said walking out of the kitchen. "You two need to be ready to leave by 11:15," she added before making her way up the stairs.
"I sure hate to wake up Devon," Danny said to both himself and Jamie, when he looked over into the pack n play, and his noticed his daughter was still fast asleep.
"I hate to have to get dressed up," Jamie voiced his own opinion.
"I have a feeling, Devon's going to feel the same way," Danny agreed with him.
"Wish we didn't have to go," Jamie kept his voice low, when he voiced his complaint. Being careful, so his mother wouldn't hear. Knowing that would only bring about a long and lengthy lecture.
"That's not going to happen," Danny told him what he already knew.
"I know," Jamie sat up.
"Guess I got to get her up sometime," Danny flipped the tv off, before crossing the floor, and picking up Devon.
Devon started to cry at the displeasure of having to be woken up, when she was sleeping so soundly. But with a little help from the pacifier, along with the notification that she was in her daddy's arms, she managed to settle.
"Now let's see if we can find that new dress, Grandma made me buy you to wear tonight," Danny said, carrying her into the nursery, where her clothes were kept. It didn't take him long, and Danny located both the red dress and tights. "I think we should forego the shoes," Danny really didn't want to have to worry about putting those on her, even if they didn't appear all that uncomfortable. "What do you think?"
He asked, looking down at her angelic face. He had just finished putting a fresh diaper on her, and wrapped her in a warm blanket, before carrying her up the stairs.
Devon responded by pursing her lips, and Danny couldn't help but laugh at her behavior. "I'll take that as a yes then." Danny proceeded by removing the dress from its hanger and pulling it over her head. "I seriously doubt you are going to like wearing this dress," Danny figured. "I know I wouldn't." All at once Devon started to squirm, and when her father persisted with the dressing, it soon turned to a full fledged cry.
"I'm sorry Dev," Danny apologized when she started to squirm and cry. "But Daddy isn't use to lace and frills." He said fumbling with the tiny buttons on the back of the dress. Once he finished with the dress, and picked her up for a few moments, she managed to quiet down for a brief moment. At least until he remembered the tights.
"Now let's see if I can figure out how to get these thing on you," Danny held her tights up. If the cries and squirms weren't bad enough when he put the dress on her, they only increased, when Danny started with the tights. In fact, she was failing her little legs around so much, it appeared as if it was going to take the young father, twice as long to get his little girl dressed.
"Awe Devon please," Danny found himself begging, that she at least try to calm herself down. "It's just for this one service. You can survive it for that long."
She managed to quiet a bit after her picked her up, but it didn't cease her tears completely.
"What's wrong with Devon?" Jamie asked walking into the nursery, after hearing his nieces screams.
"She doesn't like her Christmas clothes," Danny tried to quiet her.
"I don't like mine either," Jamie agreed, while fumbling with his tie.
"Let's go boys!" Frank called up the stairs. "We don't want to be late!"
"We're coming!" Jamie bedgrudgingly, grabbed his suit jacket out of his room, and followed his brother down the stairs.
XXXXXXXX
Arriving at the church, the Reagan family made their way down the aisle, and took a seat, in their usual place. Danny being careful to sit on the end, just in case he had to take Devon out of the service, hoping the faster he got out, the less disturbance it would cause the priest. Seconds after they took their place, Erin, her husband Jack, along with Nicki trailed in, taking a seat in the pew behind them, next to Henry and Betty. The doors of the church, had just closed, insinuating the start of the service, when Joe squeezed through the doors and hurried down the aisle, to take his place next to the rest of his family. The service was just beginning to start, but it wasn't before Mary snuck her son with a quick glare, for being on the verge of late, when they had been attending mass all his life, and the midnight Christmas service was no different.
The service had been going on for almost thirty minutes, when Danny noticed how she started to squirm, and he knew that, that was one of the signs she gave, before she let out, a full cry. He tried placing her pacifier in her mouth, hoping that would be enough to keep her content. Unfortunately for him, it only lasted for a few minutes, before she started to cry and refused to quiet in the middle of the Christmas service.
Danny stood almost immediately, and did his best to make it out into the foyer, before she caused anymore of a disruption.
Linda, who had been sitting on the opposite aisle of the Reagan's, closer towards the back, had no idea why, but for some strange reason, she felt the urge to get up, and follow him.
"Sounds like somebody's unhappy," Linda slipped through the doors, just behind Danny.
"It's probably these clothes she's having to wear. She's been upset, ever since I put them on her." Danny was trying to determine why she was so unhappy. Especially, considering she wasn't hungry, and her diaper was relatively dry.
"I doubt it," Linda laughed softly. Not wanting to cause any more of a disruption, as they stood in the foyer of the church, behind closed doors.
"Pacifiers usually help," Danny tried to shift her into different positions in his arms, hoping one of them would do the trick.
"Can I help?" Linda offered to take the baby for a moment, and give the obviously exhausted father a break.
"Please," Danny was quick to surrender her. Sounding both embarrassed and tired at the same time. Tired, due to the lateness in the hour, after being up almost all night the night before with Devon, and then having to work all day. And embarrassed, at her behavior during mass.
"Did she get all her naps in today?" Linda managed to get her to stop crying, once she put her up on her shoulder and bounce her in her arms softly.
"She likes you," Danny noticed, how good the woman was with his daughter, and it made him want to spend more time with her even more than he already did.
"I think she just likes routine," Linda looked at the sweet baby face, and noticed how heavy her eyes were becoming. "Babies thrive on routine, and going out at midnight, is quite out of the ordinary for her."
"For me too," Danny agreed. "At least as of lately." Danny again, thought of how much his life had changed, since he became a parent.
"Did you ever finish all your Christmas shopping?" Linda thought of the last time she saw him, and she was doing her best to keep an awkward silence from forming between them. Especially after their last conversation, where they decided to keep their obvious attraction, from blooming.
"Believe it or not, I did," Danny nodded. "Of course the trip ended with her having a disastrous of a diaper explosion, and I had to change her in the car."
"Always seems to happen at the wrong time, doesn't it?" Linda teased him, grateful that it wasn't her, who had to deal with the mess.
"That's for sure," he sighed.
"So what are your plans for Christmas?" Linda continued with trying to keep a conversation going.
"Spend the day with the family," Danny replied. "And with that one," he pointed at Devon, smiling when he said it.
"Christmas is so much funner with little ones around," Linda loved children. Especially when it came to the look of awe and wonder that crossed their faces, when they experienced all the lights, and festivities that the holiday brought.
"Definitely more expensive," Danny thought about how much money he spent on Devon alone for Christmas. And that wasn't even counting, what he bought for his niece as well.
"I've noticed that as well," Linda agreed, speaking of all the shopping she did for her own little niece, that was close to the same age as Nicki.
"Looks like she's asleep," Danny changed the subject, when he looked over at his daughter, who was laying her head on Linda's shoulder. "Hopefully it's safe to slip back into the service."
"Hope so," Linda gently handed the sleeping infant back to her father.
"Thanks for helping out," Danny thanked her.
"Anytime," Linda noodled. "And have a Merry Christmas."
"You too," Danny smiled, before slipping back into the service.
Linda followed him and quickly returned to her seat. Unfortunately, her mind was no longer on the priests words, and she couldn't keep her mind or her eyes from staring at the man sitting with the rest of his family. "You've already been through this," Linda told herself. "And no matter how different you think he is from any other man you've dated, you can't put yourself out there." She wanted to scream it to herself, but instead she just screamed it inside her head. Maybe someday she could spend Christmas the man. But not now, not today. The only kind of relationship, she would ever be interested in getting in too, would be a serious one. But she wasn't ready, not yet anyways. And once again, she repeated to herself, "maybe someday."
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