Nick was on the freeway when cars began honking and making a racket; he wondered what had happened. He looked at the clock and it dawned on him—midnight and a new year. He had only been on the road two hours, but he decided he had better find a resting place and call his family to let them know he was alright. He was certain his mother had called his father by now.
He pulled over to a 24-hour service station to find truckers and travellers resting along their journey, just like him. He turned on his phone, a picture of him and his family stared back at him. A recent Christmas photo: his Dad and Cassie holding the twins, Grace, Brandon, Tara, Lori, George, and even Abigail. Many of them weren't biologically related or even by the marriage, but they had accepted him and his Dad immediately as part of their extended family. It was a feeling he had never known, nor thought he would ever experience, but Middleton had changed all that; Cassie and Grace coming into their lives had changed all that. It had changed him and he was certain of it, now.
He knew he would have to explain to his parents eventually, but at that moment he wanted to talk with his best friend and stepsister, Grace Russell. He hit her number on the phone and heard it ring on the other end.
With 30 minutes left until the New Year, Cassie excused herself from the festivities and walked the short distance home. She walked into her warm house and was engulfed by the sound of her husband playing a soothing tune on his guitar and her daughter enjoying the moment. "That was wonderful, as always," she said as she made her way to Sam giving him a kiss. "I am so glad you decided to begin playing again." He smiled, "Me too."
"Any word from Nick?" she queried. "No," Grace responded as Sam nodded his head in the negative. "I was hoping we'd hear something by now," he said visibly concerned. She sat down next to Sam putting her arm around him, keeping him close. She was worried, and she knew whatever she felt was worse for her husband. A faint cry through the monitor reminded them that other members of the family also wanted attention. "I'll look in on them," Grace smiled at her parents and went to Alex and Lizzie's room. "Sam," Cassie reassured, "Nick will be alright. He will make it home." The confidence and sureness in her voice made him feel better, yet his wife could still sense his tinge of worry. She hadn't seen him like this since he had lost a patient that first time since arriving in Middleton.
Grace came into the living room with her sister, Elizabeth, in her arms. "Mom, Sam, I tried but she doesn't seem to want to calm down. She's dry, I tried to feed her a bit, but she just won't settle." "Aw," Cassie said taking her youngest daughter from her eldest. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" she whispered as the little girl calmed a little. Elizabeth saw her father and reached for him immediately; Cassie obliged her daughter's wish. Firmly settled in Sam's arms, the little girl finally calmed down her head relaxing on her father's shoulder, his arms wrapped around her little body. Cassie and Grace went to the kitchen to grab a bottle and looked at Sam holding his daughter as if she might slip away. "Do you think she had a feeling, Mom?" Grace asked. "Yeah, maybe she did, honey. Maybe she did." Cassie smiled. She wasn't sure how much, if any, of the Merriwick gifts were passed to her son and/or daughter, but whatever it was that had brought Elizabeth to her father, it was just what he needed.
Grace looked at her watch. "Oh, wow," Grace exclaimed. "It's almost midnight!" The clock struck twelve. "Happy New Year! Mom, Sam." Cassie and Sam kissed each other. "Happy New Year." They said. Just then Grace's phone rang. They all looked down to see a picture and the ID 'Nick'. Sam nodded for her to answer. "Nick, finally! Are you alright? Where are you?"
"Hey, Sis. Happy New Year." Nick had begun calling her 'Sis' as a joke at first, but now she was beginning to think he actually liked it. And, that was fine with her because, in a way, she liked it too.
"Happy New Year Nick," she replied. "And I'll ask again, where are you and are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine," he answered. "Our parents are right there, aren't they?"
"Yes. So, you are ok?!"
"Yes. You can tell them I'm alright." Grace mouthed that he was ok to her worried parents and gave them a thumbs up.
"Good. Where are you?" she continued to question.
"Look why don't you put me on speaker phone as long as everyone's there," he relented. "I don't think Dad will yell at me with you and Cassie in the room." Grace shook her head and chuckled, hitting speaker phone and setting the receiver on the coffee table.