Chapter 12

Mike was sitting in his truck remembering the time he'd given his parents the tour of his first fire station and how his dad had insisted on trying on the coat and hat and sliding down the fire pole. His crew mates at the time kidded him for weeks about having an overgrown kid for a father and he had to agree. Even though he didn't always agree with his choice of profession and spent a lot of time trying to convince him to change to something else when his marriage was going south Mike never doubted his father's love for him or his support. Right then it felt really good to know that his father understood why he loved his work and agreed with him.

A tapping on the truck window pulled Mike away from his deep thoughts and to his brother-in-law standing just outside the truck.

Mike leaned over and unlocked the passenger door and Marty pulled the door open, "Your mother's afraid you're getting ready to leave."

"No," Mike smiled at the thought, "I'm just out here listening to the radio."

"You look better than I've seen you since your dad died," Marty commented, "I think you were actually smiling when I walked up." "That smile wouldn't have anything to do with the young nurse lady you brought with you now does it?"

"Look I just met her," Mike was beginning to get exasperated at the insinuations that he and Laura had some kind of a relationship. "at least half of the time we've been together I spent yelling at her."

"And she still came home with you to meet your mother," Marty teased, "She must really like you a lot."

Mike rolled his eyes, shook his head and laughed.

"Well your mom said to tell you breakfast is almost ready and I'd recommend getting inside because I think your sister is planning to propose for you."

"Mel wouldn't dare." Mike challenged,

"No, but Sarah would." Marty put the fear in Mike who was out of the truck and in the house before Marty could close the passenger door and get half way to the house. As he raced into the kitchen he found Sarah helping her mother fix breakfast while Mellissa sat at the breakfast counter keeping them company. Laura was no where to be seen.

"That was a fast entrance," his mom smiled then pulled him down for a kiss on the cheek." You must be starved."

Just then Marty entered the house with a Cheshire cat grin on his face and Mike knew he'd been had royal.

"Would you like to wake your lady friend up or should we let her sleep?" Mom asked.

"I'll go wake her up," Sarah offered and Mike quickly stepped between her and the door.

"No! I'll check with her," Mike stammered with a look of near panic on his face while his brother-in-law snickered in the back ground. Everyone else looked clueless.

Mike made his way for the den looking over his shoulder as he went to make sure his sister wasn't following him. After taking a deep breath he quietly knocked on the door and waited. He didn't hear anything.

With six eyes and three cheesy grins burning holes in the back of his head, Mellissa was too uncomfortable to get off the stool, Mike knocked a little louder. Waiting for a response he tapped his toes on the floor. Just how aggressive should he get? They did keep her up till three in the morning; she had had a rough night after she went to bed. She did have surgery just the day before and was still recovering. Then Mike remembered her antibiotics and knew that she needed to take them three times a day and he had seen a label on them saying they needed to be taken with milk or food. Mike knocked even louder.

When there was still no response Mike took hold of the door knob and a deep breath at the same time still feeling his family's eyes burning the back of his head and his face turning crimson. When he woke her up from her active dream she had been wearing surgical scrubs so Mike was sure she was decent. Slowly he opened the door just a crack. When he was able to see Laura, she was sitting on the sofa with her head resting on the back of it her pillow held up to her chest and the ice packs still balanced on her shoulder. She looked to be asleep but fitfully and out of concern Mike went a head and entered the den and the first thing he did when he reached her side was to place his hand on her forehead checking to see if she had a temperature.

"Will I live mom?" Laura spoke before opening her eyes.

"You don't feel like your running a fever," Mike answered, "Mom sent me in here to tell you breakfast is almost ready." Mike glanced over his shoulder to see his youngest sister peeking around the door frame.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Mike made small talk as Laura finished waking up.

"Not bad," Laura answered as she stretched her good arm and gingerly moved her other just a little. "That ice really helped, thank you."

"Your welcome. Do you need some fresh ones?"

"Sarah, come away from that door now, we don't want to scare that girl away before your brother has a chance now do we." Was heard from the kitchen and Mike cringed and rolled his eyes as he face burned a brighter crimson than it was. Laura buried her face in her pillow and laughed but when she came up for air she was rather crimson herself.

"Go on and entertain your family," Laura waved the fireman out the door, "I'll get dressed and be out in a few."

Mike stepped into the kitchen to have both of his sisters heckle him on his current face color and just as everyone was sitting to the table Laura appeared wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that read Nurses call the shots.

After breakfast Mike was quick to get Laura a fresh ice pack for her shoulder before pressing his youngest sister into helping him clear the dishes and load the dishwasher, for no other reason than to keep her away from Laura. And then everyone gathered in the living room to finish going over the items that Mike had retrieved. The letters that their husband and father had written were read aloud and everyone marveled at how cheerful they were. Each one spoke of the love he had for his family.

Each person took the part of someone who had been involved in the radio transmissions and read the transcripts out loud laughing at the jokes that were told and feeling the gayety that had been present. Laura then persuaded Mrs. Stoker to pull out her husbands personal effects and to open up his wallet displaying the contents on the coffee table for all to see.

This was the most emotional package to open as they reread newspaper articles about themselves from years gone by there was even a concert program where Mike had played a piano solo in high school. A copy of he and his wife's marriage announcement and a love letter written the night before the wedding, it was falling apart and had been taped back together but it was clear it had been read many times.

Laura told them all that the best way to be strong for each other is to share their tears. "Crying is not necessarily a bad thing," She said and they all allowed their tears to fall. Before they were through Mom sorted out all the letters and other papers and gave them to the person they were about, she then picked up her husband's watch and placed it in her son's hand before closing his fingers around it. The copper bracelet went to one daughter and the religious medal he had worn around his neck went to the other daughter. Mom then picked up the wedding ring and clenched it tight in her fist as she held it next to her heart.

With their emotions emptied and a simple lunch everyone needed some alone time and most everyone needed a nap.

Mike made sure Laura had a fresh ice pack before he headed to his room and lay on his bed toying with his father's watch. He truly missed his father but now he knew he hadn't suffered he had in fact had the adventure of a life time before he died. The jokes they had told back and forth while they were waiting to be dug out ran through Mike's mind as he drifted off to sleep, only to have Sarah shake him awake a few hours later.

"You are going to take her someplace nice for dinner aren't you?" "I mean how are you going to woo her if you've always got your family around?"

"Actually Sarah, I was planning to make spaghetti for dinner for everyone and despite what everyone seems to think, Laura and I are not dating. She's here to share with us what happened before Dad died. She doesn't even live in California for Pete's sake."

"So, there's such a thing as a long distance romance."

Mike rose up on his elbow and rolled his eyes then decided he might as well start dinner. Mike some how managed to get Mellissa to sit and talk with Laura while he cooked and Marty was put to work making the garlic bread. Sarah was sent to the store to buy the ingredients for the salad while Mom ran back and forth between the two groups.

After dinner Mike succumbed to all the hints and suggestions and asked Laura to go for a walk in his mother's flower garden. After walking among the roses Mike nervously invited Laura to have a seat on the garden bench and sat next to her.

"Mike," Laura spoke in a tone of resolve, "I want you to know that I think you're a very attractive man , very sweet and wonderful and any girl in their right mind should jump at the chance to spend as much time with you as they can. But I'm not in my right mind. I learned the hard way that a relationship is something to go into with a clear head, and right now mine is so full of sadness and horrors there's no room for anything else. I know you know how painful divorce can be; my marriage only lasted four months. I don't want to make that mistake again and I'm sure you don't either."

"I didn't mean to pressure-"

"You didn't," Laura interrupted, "I know exactly where the pressure is coming from; I just had to let you know where I'm at. And I think you know it's not a really great place right now."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Mike felt so guilty, she had given him so much. He had truly found the peace he had been looking for these last months "If you'd like to talk I'm willing to listen."

"I appreciate that, and you have helped more than you know. Watching you and your family heal has given me more faith that my peace is still out there and I know I'll find it, I just need to give it some time."

Just then the air was split by an agonizing scream from the house followed by Marty Calling "Miiiiike!"

"What the,--" Mike questioned.

"I think your sister's water just broke."