Chapter 87
March 1871 – Boston
Johnny climbed the stairs after breakfast, and he looked around, wondering where Mary had gone off to. He hoped she hadn't gotten herself into trouble or was off doing some more ghost hunting.
"Mary?" He poked his head into her room, seeing no sign of her, but when he saw that the attic door was open, he hurried over just in time to see her coming out, towing a heavy crate behind her. "Mary, what're you doin'?" Mary looked up at him with eager eyes and a determined crease across her young brow.
"Help me with this stuff, will you?" she asked urgently. Johnny sighed and helped her with the crate. "We left this upstairs last night, and I just thought that if I brought it down, I wouldn't forget to show it to my mother."
"Did ya have to bring it down now? My pa's waitin' downstairs. He's gonna take us to the park." Mary grunted, as she and Johnny carried the crate into her bedroom, placing it in the closet by the door
"There," she said, wiping her hands on the sides of her skirt.
"Should be safe there. Ya sure ya wanna show all that stuff to her right away?" Mary glanced at him, but before she could respond, they were both startled by Sully's voice echoing up the stairs.
"Kids!" he called up. "Ya ready?"
"Just a second, Pa!" Johnny called down. He glanced at Mary. "Ya set to go?" She nodded.
"I think so. You go on first." Johnny shrugged his shoulders and started off first.
"Don't be too long!" he called over his shoulder.
"I won't," she promised almost inaudibly. Mary turned back to the crate in the closet and pulled out the envelope with her mother's name on it. She wondered why her mother was gone this morning, but she'd looked so upset last night. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to give her these things now. Something told her to wait for the right time. So with a frown, she put the letter back inside the crate and shut the closet door. She was certain she'd know when the time was right. She wanted to wait for the opportune moment, because she hated it when her mother cried. She hated seeing her sad.
"C'mon slowpoke!" Johnny called from downstairs. Mary quickly shut her bedroom door and hurried down the steps, taking them two at a time.
"Whoa, careful," Sully scolded, as Mary nearly fell from the last two steps. He caught her, bringing her safely to the floor. "I bet your ma don't let ya run down the steps like that." Mary looked down sheepishly, and Johnny grinned. For a moment, Sully was reminded of Hanna and Lily's constant rushing up and down the steps at the homestead. They'd always been little daredevils from the moment they were mobile. Shaking his head, he gently patted Mary atop the head. "Just be careful next time, alright?" Mary nodded.
"I'll be careful," she assured him.
"I'll keep an eye on her," Johnny promised. Mary made a face at him. "What? I ain't gonna let ya get hurt."
"I can take care of myself," Mary replied, her eyes flashing with fire. Sully raised an eyebrow. Those two were beginning to sound like him and Michaela.
But before any of them could speak again, a loud knock came to the front door. Since Harrison was in the back of the house, Sully stepped forward and opened the door. He was surprised to see Michaela's sister Maureen standing there.
"Maureen…uh…Mrs.Johnson." The look in her eyes told Sully that this was not a friendly visit. "Is there somethin' I can do for ya?"
"Haven't you already done enough?" she seethed. "Where is my miserable little sister? I need to have a few words with her." Sully was speechless long enough for Mary to step forward.
"She's not here, Aunt Marueen," Mary pointed out. Johnny stepped up beside her, his eyes flashing with annoyance. He hated hearing people talk about Dr. Mike that way, and he didn't want to listen to another one of her sisters say such awful things.
"Well, where is she? No doubt out somewhere flaunting that abomination of a love child—"
"That's enough," Sully warned.
"Yeah. Don't talk about my ma like that." Maureen looked at Johnny and raised an eyebrow.
"She's not your mother, child. No, she prefers having children the un-godly way." Maureen's words were biting and cold, and they had struck a nerve in Sully. But he still had enough composure left in him to realize that arguing in front of the children would only make things worse. So, Sully turned to his son.
"Johnny, why don't ya take Mary out back? Show her that new tree that's growin'…"
"But that's all the way out by the fence," Johnny complained. After a stern look from his father, he knew he should comply, so he took Mary by the hand and reluctantly lead her outside, closing the door loudly behind them.
"It's one thing if ya wanna say those things to me, but I won't stand here and let ya insult the woman I love, 'specially in front of our son," Sully explained, crossing his arms across his chest, feeling more anger for her already than he had for Claudette. It was bad enough for Claudette to approach them by the river, but Maureen had come to Michaela's own home to insult her in front of her family.
"You have no right to even speak to me. You put my sister in this situation. I'm certain you seduced her, Mr. Sully. My sister may be smart, but when it comes to common sense, I'm certain she's lacking. Why else would she have decided to become a doctor or to move out West? She obviously has no idea how foolish she has become. You're encouraging it, and you've gotten her into this predicament! It's disgusting, and Mr. Sully, the thought of her marrying you sickens me." Sully's jaw clenched with anger, but he controlled his temper.
"It's probably a good thing I don't care what ya think of me then," Sully remarked. "I love Michaela with all my heart, and she loves me. We shouldn't have to defend ourselves to anybody, leastwise you. Did ya ever stop to think that instead of harassin' her and tellin' her how disgusted ya are, that ya could be a sister for once? Why don't ya stop tryin' to hurt her and start supportin' her?" Maureen let out a brief laugh, her rigid hands moving to her hips. Her nose turned up slightly into the air, and she let out a huffy breath.
"Support her? You want me to go up to her, hug her, tell her that I'll always love her no matter what?" Her eyes were hard as stone. "I don't think so, Mr. Sully. My sister chose to fall into bed with the likes of you, and she deserves every bit of what's coming to her. I won't let her sit around and flaunt her situation around and ruin our family's good name!" Sully studied her for a moment, trying to see some ounce of goodness in this woman. He was trying to see how someone as vile and sharp-tongued as her could be related to someone as good-hearted and generous as Michaela.
"Ya don't know your sister very well, do ya Mrs. Johnson?" Sully asked, his blood beginning to boil with anger, as she continued to hold her head up as if she were better than him and was too good to be in his presence.
"Of course I do," she replied.
"Do ya? Do ya know how miserable ya made her with the things ya said when we got here? Do ya know how she spent so much time on the way here thinkin' about how she could make things better with her sisters? She's your sister, Maureen, and sisters are s'posed to support each other, even if they can't agree on everything. Just 'cause Michaela made a choice that you'd never make don't make her any less your sister." Maureen stared at him, her cold eyes flickering with something new. Maybe it was anger. Maybe it was that Quinn fire he'd seen in Michaela's eyes before, but right now, all he cared about was defending Michaela's honor, which he shouldn't have had to do in the first place—in this instance—considering Maureen was her sister.
"Things are a lot different in Boston, Mr. Sully. I don't know what those ruffians in Colorado Springs do, but here, a man and a woman should be bound by marriage before—" Sully sighed heavily, but he stood firm. He couldn't blame people for using this defense so much, but he figured that he and Michaela had made their own decisions with their own feelings and beliefs, and it seemed as if it had become second nature to them.
"I don't need no piece of paper to tell me that I love Michaela. I don't need it to tell me to love her the way she deserves to be loved. In our hearts, we're already married." He shook his head. "I don't know why I'm even tellin' ya this. It ain't none of your business." Maureen's eyes studied his for a moment before she opened her mouth to speak again. Sully braced himself for whatever she had to throw at him next.
"Your sentiments are noted, Mr. Sully, but it doesn't dismiss the fact that you robbed her of…of her morals! Of her dignity!" Sully didn't even notice the flash of red that ducked out of the doorway and onto the side of the porch to listen.
"Michaela knows I'd do anything for her. She knows I'd die for her. The last thing I wanna do is hurt her. She's everything to me, and I wanna make her happy." Maureen laughed.
"All you want is her inheritance."
"That's enough, Maureen!" came an angered voice from behind. Both Sully and Maureen turned in surprise to see Marjorie standing in the doorway.
"Marjorie? Haven't you learned anything from finishing school? Eavesdropping is…" Marjorie rolled her eyes, irritated by her older sister's uncanny ability to nitpick at everything.
"Oh save it for somebody who cares, Maureen," Marjorie seethed. Maureen's face turned ghostly white.
"Marjorie, it's alright," Sully began, not wanting this to get any worse than it already was.
"No it isn't. I'm sick and tired of this. It has to stop. I had to listen to Claudette drone on and on about it just last night, and I wish I'd have had enough sense to tell her to be quiet. But I do now. Michaela is our sister, Maureen, and you can't tell me that you're too good to be related to her. If you recall, you weren't so innocent yourself after your coming out party." Maureen gasped, and Sully tried to suppress a surprised snicker, considering it wasn't appropriate for the moment.
"Marjorie! How dare you? That was…that was…"
"If I recall, you begged me not to tell Mother, because she would have sent you to boarding school and then to finishing school on the other side of the country!" If it was possible, Maureen's face was beginning to pale even more, and Marjorie wasn't backing down. "Just because you were lucky enough not to suffer the consequences does not give you the right to criticize Michaela for something you did yourself." Maureen's eyes were glassy now, and Marjorie's cheeks immediately flushed, realizing that she'd just revealed her sister's deepest, darkest secret in front of Sully.
"That was uncalled for, Marjorie! You had no…no right!" Maureen gasped. But she didn't say another word. With that, she stormed out of the Quinn house and slammed the door behind her. Marjorie turned to Sully.
"I'm sorry for…for being so…"
"Nothin' to apologize for," Sully assured her.
"Thank you for defending Michaela's honor. Maureen…well, I have to admit that felt good." She gasped a little, putting her hand over her mouth.
"I won't tell," Sully grinned. "But I'm sure Michaela'd be grateful to you too." Marjorie shook her head.
"Sometimes I feel it's all very 'too little, too late.'" Sully frowned.
"Nah. She knows ya care. Just 'cause ya didn't get along so good before doesn't mean ya can't anymore." Marjorie nodded her head.
"She's not here?"
"No, she went out lookin' for Rebecca." Marjorie looked down. "She thinks she read the journal, and that's what upset her." Marjorie nodded.
"I'd have told her myself, but I figured it would be easier for her to read it for herself instead of hearing it from me. We haven't always seen eye to eye…" She frowned and shifted anxiously.
"I'm sure they both understand," Sully replied.
"I hope so," she replied, looking around. She smiled a little. "I've missed this place."
"Michaela's got to figure out what to do with it 'fore we go back to Colorado Springs." He paused, hoping he hadn't hit a sore spot, but Marjorie smiled.
"It's alright. I can see why Mother left so much to Michaela. She's very smart and doesn't always put herself first." Sully nodded.
"She's got a good heart," he agreed. Just then, a voice from behind startled them both.
"Pa, are ya done arguin' yet so we can come back in?" Johnny asked, as he and Mary stood at the terrace door. Mary poked him in the ribs for his not-so-subtle question.
"Come on in," Sully said with a nod.
"We still goin' to the park?" Johnny asked.
"Hi Aunt Marjorie!" Mary said with a grin.
"Mary," Marjorie smiled. "You've gotten tall!" Mary blushed and nodded her head before she turned to Sully.
"Can she come with us to the park?" Marjorie raised an eyebrow.
"If you've already made plans with Sully, I'd rather not intrude." Sully shook his head.
"If ya'd like to come along," he pointed out. But Marjorie shook her head.
"No, it's alright. I should probably be getting back." She swallowed hard, not being used to being around the children. She was starting to miss her own even more. Sully could see that she was itching to go, so he devised a plan.
"I just remembered that I gotta…do somethin'," he said quietly. "Would ya take 'em? Just for a little while? I know they've been wantin' to go all mornin', and they'd really like it if you went with 'em." Marjorie looked at both Johnny and Mary, who were nodding eagerly.
"Well, I suppose I could," she replied.
"Yeah!" Mary exclaimed, taking Marjorie's hand, surprising her. "Come on, Aunt Marjorie! It'll be fun! Please?" Marjorie smiled at the child's eagerness and nodded, looking across at Sully.
"Alright. We'll be back soon." With that, the children practically dragged her out the door and down the street toward the park. Sully watched them disappear out of sight before he went upstairs to read a bit and wait for Michaela's return.
Michaela's stomach rumbled from the lack of food, as she finally arrived at the Charles. It had been quite a walk, and she was looking forward to getting back home. But she had to find Rebecca first. She'd looked all over, and this was her last stop.
Luckily her search came to a satisfying close, as she spotted her oldest sister sitting upon the grass by the bank of the water. She frowned, seeing the way Rebecca's hands were clasped tightly in her lap, and she appeared to be trembling.
"Rebecca?" she asked, approaching slowly from behind. Rebecca startled a little, and she turned to see her sister.
"Oh, Michaela," she said, wiping at her eyes with her handkerchief. Michaela moved to stand beside her sister before slowly lowering herself to sit next to her on the ground. Neither spoke for a moment, but they both looked out over the sparkling water.
"Are you alright?" Michaela asked softly after a few moments. Rebecca let out a soft sigh.
"I'm not sure," she replied. "It's certainly been an eye-opening day." Nodding, Michaela decided to prod a little further, hoping to get Rebecca to open up to her. It seemed that it had been more difficult to do so since Rebecca had met Reverend Johnson.
"Mother's journal?"
"Among other things," she replied with a shake of her head. "You've read it?" The younger woman nodded her head.
"Some of it," Michaela admitted. "I came to check on you, and you weren't there. The journal was, so I assumed that whatever made you sneak out so early must have been in that journal." Rebecca smiled sadly.
"You always were quite the little sleuth, Michaela." Michaela frowned a little and looked down. "You always had a knack for getting to the bottom of things. I suppose you're just as shocked as I am about this, though." Michaela nodded.
"I wasn't expecting anything like that. I never thought Mother could have such a secret." Michaela realized how she and her mother were even more alike than she'd though. They'd both made choices in their past that others would surely look down upon, and they'd both accepted the consequences. Rebecca shook her head.
"Neither did I. I always trusted that my life was exactly what I thought it was. I never figured I could have a father I didn't even know or a brother that died before I could remember." Michaela nodded.
"I know what you mean. I guess…I guess I can't say I know how you feel, because I don't. But, Rebecca, this doesn't change anything. You're still my sister." Michaela took her hand and gently squeezed it. "You're still one of the best friends I've ever had." Rebecca sighed softly, and she squeezed Michaela's hand back. Her eyes were filled with hurt, and she seemed to be searching silently for answers.
"Why did she wait so long, Michaela? Why did she wait until she was gone to let us find out the truth?" She searched her heart, trying to come up with a good reason, but she couldn't think of any.
"Maybe it was easier for her this way," Michaela suggested.
"Easier for her? What about for the rest of us? I suppose it wasn't such a blow to the rest of you, but to me…Josef Quinn wasn't even my father!"
"But he was," Michaela insisted. "He was your father in every sense of the word that counts. He was there when you were born. He held you when you cried and comforted you when you were sick. He's the one that helped you take your first steps."
"What if those stories are all lies? I don't know what to believe anymore." Michaela shook her head. She realized that it could have just as easily been her that was sitting here, lost and confused about her entire life. She wished there was something she could do, but she knew from experience that the best thing to do was to be there and listen. Rebecca had her own decisions to make, and as her sister, she had to support her through it all.
"Father wouldn't lie about those things."
"He lied about the most important thing," Rebecca insisted.
"He loved you as if you were his own. He was so proud of you. You know…when I would go with him on his rounds at the hospital, he often talked about how proud he was of you. He told me that he was so proud of the way you'd turned out." Rebecca shook her head.
"You don't have to say those things to try to make me feel better, you know."
"I know. And I'm telling you the truth. At least you had a loving home and two parents who would go to the ends of the earth to help you. Some people aren't even that lucky." Her thoughts drifted to Sully for a moment, and then to Johnny. Both had grown up without either one of their parents. At least Johnny had been lucky to have his grandparents and then have his father come back into his life. Sully had been orphaned since he was a child, and he hadn't grown up with the luxury of having a loving family. No matter how dysfunctional the Quinn family could be at times, they were still family and in a tight situation, they would eventually go to the ends of the earth to help one another, no matter how stubborn some members could be.
"Your child is lucky, Michaela," Rebecca finally said. Michaela raised an eyebrow. "He or she is going to have two loving parents and a big brother who'll always be there. Michaela, you and Sully are going to be married, and nothing will ever destroy that. Your baby isn't even born yet, and it's already loved."
"Sully and I love this child, because it was created out of our love," Michaela said, blushing. "But that doesn't mean that just because Josef isn't your true father, he wasn't a good father to you; that he didn't love you." She paused for a moment. "I'm not Johnny's real mother, but he's already calling me his ma. You know…I wasn't certain how to respond to it at first, but I love that little boy, and I consider him my son. What's important is that he feels loved and safe, Rebecca. It doesn't matter that he isn't my son by blood. He's my son…here." She put her hand to her chest for a moment. Michaela studied Rebecca's face for a few long moments, waiting for her response.
"This is where she brought us," Rebecca said gently. She turned to face Michaela. "The night our brother died, Mother brought us here…just Robert and me. He liked to feed the ducks, and…he was so happy." With a sigh, she felt a tear slip down her cheek. "How could he have just died? He was laughing and playing just that very day, and…and then he was gone." Michaela shook her head.
"There aren't any proven reasons why a child's life is taken during the night. It could have been a number of different things."
"I suppose," she said with a shrug. Deciding to change the subject, Rebecca cleared her throat. "Would it be alright if we have a dinner guest tonight." Michaela raised an eyebrow.
"Of course. Who?"
"Timothy Johnson," Rebecca said quietly.
"The Reverend!" Michaela asked. "He's…"
"He has a lot of explaining to do," Rebecca said quietly. "His being in Boston was just as much of a surprise to me as it is to you. He…he wants to make things right."
"I understand," Michaela said, looking away, still a little baffled. She caught Rebecca staring at her from the corner of her eye, and when she looked back at her, she saw tears of confusion and worry glistening in her eyes.
"I don't think I should forgive him, Michaela. After everything…" Michaela sighed heavily, realizing Rebecca's reservations.
"You care for him, Rebecca. I know you do," Michaela said, a smile creeping up in the corners of her mouth.
"I shouldn't! He did nothing to stick up for you or Sully—"
"You said yourself that he wants to make things right. Rebecca, you know that Sully and I having this child the way we are is very non-traditional. This type of situation is looked down upon by societies all over the world, and I can't blame him for not knowing what to say or do." Rebecca shook her head.
"Maybe my expectations of him were too high." Michaela shrugged her shoulders.
"He's a good man, Rebecca."
"How can you defend him? He didn't extend the same courtesy to you." Michaela shook her head.
"No, he didn't. But forgiveness is important. I can't hold onto being upset with him…especially if he wants to make things right."
"I'm not certain I could ever forgive him if I was in your position." Michaela smiled a little and gave her sister a hug.
"Luckily for you, you aren't. I can see it in your eyes, Rebecca. You love him." Rebecca started to protest, but Michaela shook her head. "You can't fool me. We're sisters, remember?" Rebecca sighed softly and felt the tears coming forth again.
"Why does everything have to be so complicated?"
"It doesn't have to be," Michaela assured her. She stood up and held her hand out to her sister. "Let's go home." Rebecca stood slowly, and she linked her arm through Michaela's. They both still had a lot of healing to do, but they still had plenty of time for that. There were a lot of unanswered questions, but for now, they had each other, and they both knew that would never change.
William Burke stood by the clock, watching the minutes tick by, as Timothy sat at Sylvia's bedside. Her flesh had turned even paler than before, and her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths.
"You came back," she realized.
"I'm sorry I was gone so long," he replied, finding her frail hand. She smiled, trying her best to squeeze it but not gaining enough strength.
"I'm sorry I kept her from you. I did what I thought was best." Timothy nodded. "Have you spoken with her?"
"I did," he said gently. "She's coming back to Colorado Springs with me." Sylvia smiled a little.
"She'll like it there. She's always wanted to see where her mother wreaked havoc for so long."
"You told her about that?" he asked, remembering her in the past and grinning a little.
"Of course I did. I wanted her to know that nobody's perfect, especially not me, so she shouldn't put herself through what my mother put me through when we moved to Boston. She should be who she is and not what people expect her to be." The sincerity of those words tugged at his heart.
"I'll do my best. To tell ya the truth, I'm not sure I'm cut out to be a pa." Sylvia shook her head.
"You're going to do fine. I promise, Timothy. Gabby's a great girl." Timothy nodded. "She might give you a hard time at first, but she's really a good kid. Please…please don't give up on her, Timothy." Timothy shook his head, feeling the lump rising in his throat.
"I won't. Never," he promised. Sylvia smiled, relief flooding over her face.
"I want to see her now," she whispered.
"I'll send her in," he assured her. Sylvia reached up, stroking his cheek.
"You're a good man, Timothy." Timothy said nothing, but he whispered a silent prayer, as he walked out into the hall to find Gabby. She was standing in her doorway, her hands clasped behind her back and her eyes downcast.
"Gabby," he said gently.
"She's gone?" Timothy shook his head.
"She's asking for you," he replied. Gabby turned away.
"I don't want to see her. I don't want to watch her die," she replied, her voice quaking. "Please don't make me go."
"She really needs you, Gabby." Gabrielle's green-blue eyes sparkled with tears, and she sniffled.
"Would you go in with me?" Timothy frowned and bent his head low, taking her hand in his.
"If that's what you want." Gabby only nodded, and he swallowed hard. Slowly, they crossed the hall and entered Sylvia's room. It was cold and dark, and not a bit of sound could be heard except for the ticking of the clock and Sylvia's raspy breaths.
"Gabby?" The little girl looked up at her father, and he nodded, gently urging her forward.
"Go on," he assured her. Gabby swallowed hard, and she let go of his hand, stepping forward with caution.
"Mama," she whimpered, kneeling beside Sylvia's bed. "Mama, you're going to get better. I know it." Sylvia smiled, taking her daughter's hand.
"Oh, my sweet girl," she choked, "it's alright to be afraid, but you don't have to be. I'm not in any pain."
"I don't want you to leave, Mama," she breathed, burying her face in the crook of her mother's neck like a small child would. "Please stay with me. We can still be a family." Sylvia held back her tears, but her lower lip trembled, showing her emotion.
"Oh, I'd like that very much. But it's my time to go. I know it doesn't seem fair. You might be angry and want to take it out on those around you, but you have to remember that some…some people go before they're ready. I wish I could stay and watch you grow up and get married and have babies. But, I know I can't do that, but I'll be watching over you. I'll be with you always." Gabby looked up, trying to choke back a sob. "Oh, please don't cry. Don't cry."
"I can't help it," she cried. "I don't want you to go!" Sylvia sat up a little, taking both of her daughter's hands in hers.
"Every time you close your eyes, you'll see me, won't you?" Sylvia asked. Gabby nodded her head. Sylvia smiled.
"When I'm gone, I'll be there, even when you can't see me. But when you think of me, it'll be like we're sitting in front of one another…talking like we are right now." Gabby smiled a little.
"Really?" Sylvia smiled.
"Really," she whispered. "And someday we'll see one another again."
"How long?" she asked. Sylvia closed her eyes, sighing.
"Don't you worry about that, alright? I want you to focus on being a good girl and growing up. I want you to be happy." Gabby nodded.
"I love you, Mama," she breathed.
"I love you too, baby girl." She kissed Gabby's forehead, and she closed her eyes. Gabby slowly climbed into the bed beside her mother, and she snuggled against her side. Timothy watched, feeling like a stranger again, and Dr. Burke walked across the room, sitting on the other side of Sylvia's bed. Timothy's eyes focused on his daughter, sobbing against her mother, and he wondered how he was going to comfort her after Sylvia's death.
Suddenly, it seemed as if every sound stopped, and William Burke looked up, his fingers at Sylvia's neck, checking for a pulse. When he shook his head, Timothy knew that Gabby's mother was gone.
When Michaela and Rebecca arrived home, Sully came down the stairs, happy to see them both safe and sound.
"Where are the children?" Rebecca asked immediately.
"Marjorie took 'em to the park. She'll have 'em home soon," Sully said with assurance. Michaela raised an eyebrow.
"Marjorie took them?" Sully nodded.
"Yep. Maureen stopped by to offer her thoughts on everything, and Marjorie ran interference," Sully pointed out.
"Oh dear," Michaela sighed.
"Don't worry. It's all taken care of," she said with a nod.
"Martha made somethin' for lunch. There's still plenty left." Michaela nodded.
"That would be lovely," Michaela said with a nod. "Rebecca?"
"I'm not feeling very much like eating. I'd like to rest before dinner, if that's alright." Michaela nodded in understanding.
"If you change your mind…" Rebecca nodded and headed up the stairs. Michaela sighed, as Sully wrapped his arm around her.
"You ok?"
"I will be," she said, lacing her fingers through his and leaning against him, as they walked into the kitchen. "Oh, we have a dinner guest tonight."
"Do we?" Sully asked. Michaela nodded.
"Reverend Johnson himself," she replied. Sully raised an eyebrow. "It turns out, he wants to make a few apologies." Sully let out a slow breath.
"Didn't expect that."
"Neither did I. Rebecca said a lot has changed in his life, and his reasons for coming to Boston have contributed to his need to apologize. I can't imagine what it is, but…"
"But, an apology is an apology." Michaela nodded.
"Oh, Sully," she whispered, "do you realize what this means?" Sully stared down at her, as they stopped in the hall. "If he can accept this, perhaps the others in Colorado Springs will begin to do the same." Sully gave an uncertain shake of his head.
"I wouldn't count on that, Michaela, but ya never know." Michaela nodded her head.
"I know. I know I shouldn't get my hopes up, but perhaps there is some hope left. I'd hate to pack up and leave everything we've built for ourselves in Colorado Springs already. It's Johnny's home. It's…it's our home. Our baby's home." She brought his hand to her belly, and they both looked down, relishing the acknowledgment of new life.
"It is our home. We're gonna keep it that way." Michaela nodded, hoping he was right. When he bent down and pressed his lips against hers, she smiled, sighing softly in happiness.
"Speaking of our home," Michaela said quietly, as they continued back toward the kitchen. "I still need to decide what to do with this place." She shook her head. "It's not an easy decision, Sully. I grew up here. It's…it's a part of me." Sully nodded, and he squeezed Michaela's hand.
"Speakin' of that." She looked up at him curiously, and he smiled. "I've got an idea." He kissed her softly, and they continued on toward the kitchen.