Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Coyote Ugly just the ones I make up in the story.

Chapter 6: Improvements and Changes

10:00 am May 22nd, 2000

I was busy with housework when the phone rang. I went to answer it.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hello is this Violet Sanford?" The voice on the other end said.

"Yes it is. Who is this?"

"Yes this is Joe the funeral director at Martenson Funeral Home calling. We haven't heard from you regarding rescheduling your son's funeral and I just wanted to know when you want to do that. If we have to keep your son's body another week we're going to have to charge you a holding fee."

"I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner but my best friend and her husband were involved in a car accident and they're still in the ICU as well as their newborn son and I have been going back and forth from Newark to see them so it's been pretty hectic but I have some time now to reschedule the funeral. Can we just have a graveside service instead of a funeral at the church?"

"Sure we can that will change the price. We already have a plot reserved for him by your Mother and Father's plots in Hillview Memorial Park so sure we can arrange a graveside service. When would you like to have it?"

"May 25th if that's okay?"

"Sure is. The priest is available that day. Would 12 noon be okay?"

"Yes that'll work."

"Okay I have it down in the books. See you on the 25th."

"Thank you, bye," I said as I hung up. That was over, I thought to myself as I continued to clean the house.

3:00pm

I got to the hospital and was surprised that Kevin was there. He had a big smile on his face so I knew that there was good news.

"Hey, what're you doing here?" I asked him.

"I'd thought I would meet you here after my classes were over. I just heard from Gloria's father that she woke up along with Danny. He's back there with them now," Kevin said as I hugged him. Then Gloria's father came out.

"Oh Violet you're here. Good news they just woke up and Gloria's asking to see you, and the baby. I don't know how we're going to arrange that maybe we can get the nurses to take pictures of him." her father said.

"I'm sure the nurses can take pictures of him. I'll go see her first then we'll see the baby," I said as I went back there.

When I got to Gloria's room there were a couple of nurses in there. They came out and said hi then I went in.

"Hey Gloria, how are you feeling?" I asked.

"Like I've been ran over by two semi trucks. How are you doing?" she asked a little weak.

"Good but please don't scare me like that again. I was so worried about you."

"I'm sorry Vi. Did you see the baby yet? Boy or Girl?"

"Yes I did and you had a boy. So is Aaron Daniel his name or what?"

"You remembered what I said at the baby shower. Yes that's his name. Aaron after Danny's little brother who died of leukemia at age 5 and Daniel after Danny."

"That's sweet. I'm going to visit with you some more and then I'm going to go to the NICU to get some pictures of the baby for you and Danny to look at."

"Sounds good. Gosh I'm so tired. Waking up takes a lot out of a person."

"Then I'll leave you to rest and I'll go see the baby. I'll be back in a few hours," I said to Gloria as I gave her a hug and left the room. I looked into Danny's room and saw he fell back asleep. I went back to the waiting room where Kevin and Gloria's father were.

"She's pretty tired right now. I told her we would see the baby and get pictures to show her and Danny. She liked that idea."

"Well let's go see him now," Gloria's father said as the three of us went up to the NICU to see little Aaron. When we got up there a nurse was giving him a bottle. Another nurse let us in and told us to wash up and put gowns on over our clothes. We went over to where the baby was. He didn't notice we were there at first but then he started to look around and noticed. He started moving his good arm and good leg around and cooing softly.

"So, have the parents woken up yet? We need a name for him," the nurse who let us in said.

"It's Aaron Daniel Malenero, and yes they just woke up." I said.

"Okay thank you. I'll put it on the birth certificate and have them sign it in the next day or two." the nurse said as she went back to work.

"Would any of you like to hold him?" the nurse holding the baby asked.

"You should hold him first," I said to Gloria's father as he nodded and took the baby from the nurse. He held him close for 20 minutes speaking to Aaron in baby talk.

"Okay who's next?" Gloria's father said to me and Kevin. Kevin nudged me and I couldn't resist.

"I'll take him," I said as her father handed me the baby and I sat down in the rocking chair and rocked him gently. It took everything in me to not start crying and thinking of the baby as my own but I did it.

"He's so beautiful. He looks just like Danny," I said.

Kevin and Gloria's father agreed. Kevin didn't want to hold the baby because he wasn't too sure of himself so I put the baby back in the isolette and we had the nurse take pictures.

When we got back to the ICU Gloria was waiting for us. I went up to her and showed her the pictures. She cried when she saw them.

"He looks just like Danny, he's so beautiful. Did you guys hold him? I heard he had a couple of broken bones but he looks good doesn't he?" Gloria asked.

"Yes he looked so good and we did hold him." I said.

"Good. Did you reschedule the funeral for your little boy yet?"

"Yes I did. I tried to schedule it after you got out of the hospital but they would've charged me a holding fee to hold his body and we couldn't afford that so it's on the 25th of this month in 3 days."

"That's okay you had to do what was best for you and Kevin so we totally understand."

"Thank you. We better be going. See you later Gloria."

"Bye Vi and thank you. You're the best friend a girl could ever have."

I smiled at her and left the room with Kevin. When we were out of the ICU Kevin and I started talking.

"I was so proud of you today, holding the baby. It was really a Kodak moment there," Kevin said.

"Yeah I can't believe I made it through without crying," I said.

"Now we just have to get through our son's funeral."

"Yes we do but we'll do it I'm sure," I said as we left the hospital.