Potions of Love 2
Chapter 18 - March
In San Diego …
After Kate left her Mom's hospital room, Jim kissed his wife gently, saying, "That was great news, Sweetie. I didn't know how you could do the exercises and rehab for your hip if you had an additional operation on your shoulder. What a relief!"
"I was so scared and worried. I want to get out of here and back home. I appreciate all of the care, but I want to go home," shared Johanna with a catch in her voice.
Jim slid into the bed on Johanna's good side, slipping his arm around her shoulder and leaning in, hugging her as best he could, saying, "I know. I am surprised you've held on and done as well as you have, and I think having Katie here is helping in that department."
"You are so right. Having Katie here is making a world of difference for me, and I am assuming for you too?" smiled Johanna as she tried to lean in closer to her husband.
"Yes, for me too. I miss Katie all of the time, but having her with us again, makes me so happy," shared Jim as he smiled back at his wife.
After Jim got back in the chair next to Johanna's bed, she extended her hand, and Jim immediately reached for it and held it tight as the two shared some quiet time.
Johanna took a deep breath and began, "Jim, Katie told me that Rick was able to be released from his classes for next week, and he's flying in to be with us on Sunday,"
Jim didn't miss his wife's use of the 'us' and sat quietly, knowing she had more to say on this change in their plans. His initial thoughts weren't positive, as he enjoyed having their daughter to themselves, but he realized he would need to accept this change in his daughter's boyfriend's schedule.
As she promised their daughter, Johanna explained the changes in Kate and Rick's relationship over the holidays.
Smiling at her husband, Johanna started sharing her thoughts,
"Jim, you remember when we were young, and you first met my Dad?"
Jim leaned his head back, half smiling as he replied, "Yes, that was one of the scariest days of my life. I thought he would shoot me, especially if he learned we were sleeping together. Even though you never told him, I felt like his eyes were drilling right through me, and he knew everything. I was extremely relieved when that dinner ended and we could return home."
Johanna also leaned back, relieved that Jim had brought up their intimacy; it would make her job more manageable.
"It's good that you remember that night with such clarity because you need to know that Katie and Rick's relationship has grown deeper, especially since the holidays," shared Johanna as she waited to gauge her husband's reactions.
Jim didn't respond, but he looked at his wife with a slightly hardened look.
The hospital room was silent while Jim processed his wife's last statement.
"Johanna Beckett, are you trying to tell me that this Rick guy is sleeping with our Katie?"
Johanna couldn't help herself as she laughed at her husband's declaration and the Papa Bear's reactions he was portraying from the chair beside her bed.
"Jamison Andrew Beckett, you do recall your earlier statement where you acknowledged we had been sleeping together before you met my Dad?"
"I know, but that was different," exclaimed Jim with a higher pitch.
"How was it different, Jim?" asked Johanna, knowing her husband would understand his conflicting comments once he thought about the situation.
Jim released Johanna's hand as he flopped back in the chair, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth as he said, "I don't like this one bit."
Johanna wiggled her fingers, trying to coax her husband to hold her hand again, when she quietly responded, "I know, Baby, but Katie is a grown woman, and from what she has told me, Rick is a great guy, and she is in love with him. We want our Katie Bug to be happy, don't we?"
Johanna continued, "Jim, this trip is significant for Katie. She spoke about Rick earlier, and she is so happy with their relationship and is excited to share time with us. We must accept this change and help them relax and enjoy their time with us. Our baby girl is in love."
"Jim, when Katie returns with lunch, I want the three of us to talk, so she knows she and Rick can be themselves when they are with us. Both here at the hospital and also at our home. Can you help me make sure Katie knows Rick is welcome in our family, and we want them to have a great time while they are here, even if they will be helping me with my rehab?" asked Johanna.
With a resigned sigh, Jim smiled at his wife, saying, "Okay. I got the point, but you may have to be patient with me. After all, this is my little girl we are talking about."
"I know, Jim, but it will be good for all of us. Do you have anything else you want to talk about before Katie gets back with your lunch?" asked Johanna.
Jim shook his head no as Kate returned to the hospital room, carrying a bag from her Dad's favorite sub shop.
Kate shared a questioning look with her Mom as she entered the room, sensing she had interrupted their conversation.
Johanna smiled at her daughter, saying, "Hi, Katie; we're glad you're back. I'm sure your Dad is hungry too."
The kitchen staff had followed Kate into her Mom's room with Johanna's lunch tray, so the three Becketts shared an enjoyable lunch.
After lunch and disposing of the sub sacks, Johanna shared,
"Katie, your Dad and I have talked, and he is aware of the change in your relationship with Rick. We realize this is new for all of us, but we look forward to having him join us Sunday."
Kate smiled as she looked at both of her parents, trying to gauge their genuine reactions, especially those of her Dad.
To Kate's surprise, her Dad stood, walking around Johanna's bed, as he wrapped his arms around his only daughter, saying,
"Katie Bug, I am happy for you and Rick, and your Mom and I welcome him into our lives. But like I asked your Mom, please be patient with me as we get to know one another. No matter how old you are, you are still my little girl, and I have to learn I am not going to be the only man in your life that deeply loves and cares for you."
With tears forming in her eyes, Kate returned her Dad's warm embrace saying, "Daddy, that means so much to me. I love Rick with all my heart, but you are always my Dad and one of the most important men in my life. I love you and Mom so much, and I can't wait until you meet Rick on Sunday. He is an amazing man."
"I'm sure he is Katie, and I promise I will be good," Jim says as he teases his daughter a little before the three relax and enjoy the rest of their afternoon.
The remainder of the week is routine for the Becketts. Jim and Kate visit her Mom daily, sometimes together, and other times have varied visits. Kate is sure to be present for all of her Mom's physical therapy sessions, so she can learn how to care for her Mom. Jim also tries to attend as many sessions as possible, but demands from their law firm have pulled him away.
Then to the surprise of all of them, Sunday rolls around, and Kate leaves the hospital around 3:00 pm, so she can be at the airport to meet Rick's flight.
Kate waits for Rick in the same area where her Dad picked her up the previous weekend. She's shifting from side to side as she looks through Arrival Hall, trying to spot Rick among the arriving passengers. Finally, she sees her lover and races so she can be as close as possible when he enters the passenger arrival area. The two lovers are instantly in each other's arms, sharing a welcoming kiss that may not be considered appropriate for the airport. But at the moment, neither can control their emotions.
They pull apart and stand looking into each other's eyes, soaking up the moment, and both are incredibly grateful to be back together again, sharing quiet words of love. Rick wraps his arm around Kate's shoulder as she guides him toward the luggage claim area.
Once they have Rick's luggage, they work through the Sunday evening crowd and head back toward Kate's car. Once the baggage is in the truck, Rick escorts Kate to the driver's side and kisses her again as she slides into the car, with Rick racing around the front and climbing into the passenger side. Once both are inside the car, Rick reaches for Kate, gently rubbing his thumb over her cheek as he says,
"Oh, it is so good to see you, Beautiful. I can't tell you how long this week has been without you."
Kate chuckles as she lays her hand over his on her cheek and replies,
"Tell me about it. But knowing you were flying out sooner made the time more tolerable. How was your flight? Did you fly first class?"
Rick had a sheepish look, saying, "No, I flew coach." Before Kate could respond, he continued,
"Babe, it was not a problem. The flight wasn't full, and I had room to stretch out. I wanted to get to you as soon as possible, so I didn't take the time to search for a first-class seat."
The two lovers shared another sweet kiss as Kate started the car and began exiting the airport.
Once Kate cleared the airport traffic, she glanced at Rick, saying, "My folks are very excited to meet you. I thought we'd pick up some sandwiches and join Mom for dinner at the hospital."
Hearing no response from her boyfriend, she glanced over and noticed Rick staring straight ahead,
"Rick, are you okay?" asked Kate.
"Hum, yea, I'm fine. I just thought we'd be going to your parents' house, and I would meet your Mom in the morning."
Kate sensed Rick's nervousness and gently answered, "Rick, it will be okay. Mom and Dad are anxious to meet you, and I told them we'd stop by the hospital before going home. Is that okay with you?"
Rick had no choice, and he knew meeting her parents was paramount to Kate, so he smiled and said, "Sure, Kate. That is great. I am looking forward to meeting them too," he answered sincerely, knowing he had to do this now for Kate.
After picking up burgers for themselves and Kate's parents, they went to UC San Diego Medical Center to meet the parents!
Kate led the way into her Mom's room, where warm smiles greeted them from both her parents.
Kate stepped to the side and reached for Rick's hand as she made introductions. "Mom, Dad, this is Rick. Rick, this is my Mom, Johanna, and my Dad, Jim."
Rick smiled at Kate's parents and stepped around the bed to shake hands with Johanna and Jim.
"It's good to meet you finally, Mr. and Mrs. Beckett. Kate has told me so much about both of you that I feel I already know you."
Johanna shared a genuine smile with Rick, saying, "Rick, please call me Johanna, and it's so good to meet you too.." At that point, all eyes turned to Jim, with his wife giving him a slight nod, along with her look, when Jim replied, "Hello, Rick. It's good to meet you."
He said nothing about calling him Jim rather than Mr. Beckett, so he quickly received another look from his wife that conveyed Jim needed to behave himself, so he followed up with, "And yes, Rick, and please call me Jim."
Trying to alleviate some tension, Kate held up the bag of burgers, indicating they should eat before they got cold.
Seeing the bag from Crazee Burger, Johanna replied, "Katie, I certainly hope you brought one for me!"
Kate laughed and said, "Yes, I did. I stopped by the nurses' station and told them I would bring you dinner tonight, so enjoy. I didn't tell them it would be a greasy hamburger. Enjoy because I'm not sure I'll be able to pull this off again."
While Kate went to pick up Rick, Johanna instructed Jim to find another chair so they could sit down and be comfortable.
Their dinner went surprisingly well, with Johanna inquiring about Rick's flight and Jim asking questions about his Pharmacy program. Kate included some anecdotes about their life back in Minnesota, such as classes, tidbits about some of their closest friends, and of course, Rick told them about Neddie.
It was about 7:30 pm, and Kate could tell the time change was catching up with Rick, so she stood, reached for his hand, and said,
"I think we're going to head home. For Rick, it's around 10:30 pm New York time."
She leaned in and kissed her Mom goodbye while telling her Dad they would see him in the morning for breakfast.
Kate and Rick wished her parents goodnight as Jim and Johanna Beckett watched their baby girl exit the hospital room, hand in hand with her boyfriend.
After Kate and Rick were gone, Johanna turned to her husband, saying, "I like him. He is very polite, and you can see how much he loves our Katie. He can hardly keep his eyes off her, and his face brightens like the sun when they make eye contact."
Jim coughed and said, "I don't know if I'd go that far."
Jim's short-sighted comment earned him a full-blown glare from his wife. She didn't use his full name, but she did say, "Jim Beckett, you need to ease up and learn how to get along with Katie's boyfriend. I am confident in saying; this one is a keeper."
Jim leaned back in his chair, looking at the empty doorway before responding, "I know, Johanna. It's just hard. In the past, I've always felt I could play it cool with her boyfriends and remind them that I am Katie's Dad. But I don't feel like I can say what I feel right now."
Johanna was surprised by her husband's statement and asked, "Jim, what do you mean? What is it you want to say to Rick?"
Jim closed his eyes as he reached for Johanna's hand and sat quietly for several minutes before he looked at his wife and said, "I don't know what I mean. I can sense Rick is different and means a lot to Katie, and I guess it scares me. You said she'll always be my little girl, but it doesn't feel that way. right now"
"Oh, Sweetheart. It's all going to be okay. It will take some time, but like we said earlier; our hope for Katie has always been for her to be happy. And the look on her face since Rick arrived, tells me she is thrilled. And that means the world to me. Give it some time, Baby. Let's get to know Rick and hold any other judgments until later. He deserves a fair chance."
The room remained quiet momentarily when Johanna added, "Just think how he feels. When they are in Minnesota, they can be themselves and not worry about the opinions of others. But here, meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time has got to be frightening for him too. Let's take it day-by-day and get to know Katie and Rick as a couple."
Jim turned his head and smiled at his wife, portraying his deep love for this extraordinary woman, and replied, "Johanna, how do you always know just the right thing to say to make me feel better?"
Johanna didn't reply but pulled on Jim's hand, indicating he needed to lean in for a kiss.
After enjoying a few intimate moments, the two parents were quiet as they sorted through their thoughts about their little Katie Bug and how their lives were about to change.
