Resolution
CJ/Danny, some Josh/Donna, some Nancy/Jesse
A lot of loose ends are tied up as CJ and Danny go forward with the rest of their life.
Rating Adult –
Spoilers through end of series
Not mine, never were, never will be, but they consume my soul
Feedback and criticism always welcomed
Note: Technically, a non-Catholic cannot be a "godparent". According to official canon law, he or she is called a "Christian witness" and the child being baptized has only one godparent. However, many priests and parishes don't get that anal and I'm sure that Fr. Luke and Fr. Niko at the St. Monica's of my universe would have no problem with using the term for any baptized Christian. If this bothers anyone, excommunicate me.
September 22, 2012; Albion, CA
"Josh, I'm going to call CJ, to let her know we're here."
Donnatella Moss Lyman called to her husband, who was turning on the hot tub on the deck of the Concannon's northern California "getaway".
"Okay. Tell her that her directions were excellent."
Donna found CJ's phone on her menu. Thirty seconds later, she heard the voice of her friend.
"So? Are you there? Is everything okay, everything working the way it should?"
"CJ, everything seems to be great and fine, so far. We got here about twenty minutes ago. Josh said to tell you that your directions were excellent, which they were. Of course, my navigational skills helped, and once he realized he should pay attention to me and not what his male ego tells him, we had no problem."
"What was the problem?" CJ asked Donna, wondering what she might have miscommunicated to the Lymans.
"He had issues with your instructions about taking 380 and 280 through San Francisco and across the bridge. He decided to stay on 101. We had a nice little tour of San Francisco trying to get to the Golden Gate."
"Well, now he knows. Maybe I should have had Danny send the annotated directions. Josh might have accepted them better from a guy," CJ laughed. "But everything else is fine?"
"Well, apparently Josh has the same problem with keypad locks as he does with hotel keycards. He doesn't punch at the right tempo. He also didn't like the number combination, thinks it's hard to remember."
"Did you tell him that it's the popular vote split for the President's second election? President Bartlet, I mean."
"CJ, until you told me, I didn't recognize it myself. I'll let him know.
"Anyway, we're here, the power is on, the hot water heater is heating up, Josh is turning on the hot tub, and we're going to unpack and take a nap before deciding on supper."
"Well, like I said, Café Beaujolais is my favorite, that's where I would go on Thursday if I were you, but then, any of the ones on the list I gave you should be fine."
Donna's parents had flown into Washington from Wisconsin on Thursday. They would be taking care of their grandchildren (with the help of an au pair ) while Josh and Donna celebrated four years of marriage with a week to themselves on the Mendocino coast.
"Listen, Donna, you and Josh have a wonderful time. If you need anything, be sure to call. I need to run; I have to get things ready for our party tonight."
"CJ, do you have time to give me a few more details about Paul's teaching? Carol wasn't sure exactly what is going on."
"I'm not sure that anyone understands it. Paul emailed two weeks ago that someone with the Bioethics Institute at Loyola Marymount had an illness in the family and was taking an unplanned leave of absence for the academic year. Paul was available to take over her course load, so he found someone from to fill in for him in DC, then they found someone to take that guy's place. Paul thinks that there may be seven degrees of shifting before all is said and done.
"So, he's out here until May, he's a resident minister in the all-guy freshman dorm, and really seems excited about the opportunity. Knowing him, he's already made lots of friends on campus, but we're having a party to reintroduce him to the block, so he can have some socialization outside of a Catholic academic environment."
"Well, tell him I said hello. Josh! Stop it!"
"I don't want to know. Enjoy your second honeymoon; call if you need anything."
Josh pulled the phone from Donna's hand.
"Hi, CJ. Bye, CJ."
Josh turned to Donna, grabbed her hand, and pulled her toward the bedroom.
"Happy honeymoon, Mrs. Lyman."
"That's Ms. Moss-Lyman."
"Oh? Really?" He slipped his hands under the elastic waistband of her slacks.
"Do you want a happy honeymoon?"
"Yes, I do, Ms. Moss-Lyman, ma'am."
September 23, 12:30 AM; Santa Monica, CA
"Dammit!"
Danny Concannon stubbed his toe against the coffee table in the master bedroom. Hopefully, his outcry wasn't loud enough to wake his sleeping, pregnant wife.
The lump on the bed stirred, turned over, and sat up.
"Honey?" CJ yawned. "What time is it?"
"It's a bit after midnight." Danny sat on the bed and kissed CJ's forehead. "I bumped my toe. I'm sorry I woke you; go back to sleep."
"The mess." CJ pushed aside the sheet, tried to move toward the edge of the bed.
"Go back to sleep; you need it." Danny gently but insistently blocked her legs, pushed her toward the pillows, and pulled the sheet to her breast.
"But it will be easier now than in the morning."
"CJ, it's been taken care of. Jessica, Hannah and Joel, and Clara helped. The last load of stuff is in the dishwasher and there are a few things soaking in the sink. The trash has been taken out. Oh, Paul stayed to help, too. He vacuumed the floors."
"We have good friends," CJ sighed as Danny stripped to his underwear and positioned himself behind her, his arm protectively over the child inside her.
"Yes, we do," Danny nuzzled his mouth against her neck.
"Is Paddy okay?"
"Dead to the world, holding onto that toy dog for dear life."
"Did you take your pills?"
"Yes, dear," Danny sighed.
"Cause I need you unbroken," CJ mumbled.
When Danny underwent the testing panel required by his insurance company, the doctors discovered that, for some reason, he was leaching calcium and some other trace minerals. Had the condition not been discovered, in five years, Danny's skeleton would be in the brittle state seen only in post-menopausal women in the early twentieth century.
When a review of his dietary habits showed that he was eating the right foods, the experts did some more tests and found that he was no longer able to assimilate the minerals in their natural state in food. Luckily, the situation was easily remedied by giving him the material in different compounds. The pills had no side effects.
Several of the men told him he was lucky; if he didn't get any benefit from them, he didn't need to bother with eating all his vegetables. However, Danny decided he needed to be a good role model for his son. Besides, Danny liked vegetables.
"Paul stayed to help?"
"Yes, he did. He stayed a little later than the others did. We had a good talk."
Danny surreptiously shifted his groin away from CJ's backside. He experienced the stirring of arousal and knew that if she felt it, she would insist on "taking care of him". Make no mistake, Danny would really enjoy "being taken care of" right now, but CJ was tired and pregnant. From what Paul had implied, he hadn't touched a woman for over six years; Danny could surely manage for a day or two.
"I'm glad that you and he are friends, Danny."
"Me, too, sweetheart. And I was wondering, what about - "
November 19, 2012; UCLA Medical Center
"One more time, CJ," Scott Winkler entreated his patient.
"Aa-a-a-a-ag-gg-gh!"
"Congratulations, you have a daughter!"
Danny and CJ stared at the little bundle that the ob-gyn set on CJ's stomach.
"Well, Danny, she's obviously your daughter!" Scott exclaimed. "Just look at that hair, at those eyes!"
"Oh, Danny, a little girl! Just look at her!" CJ was laughing and crying at the same time. "What a wonderful birthday present!"
For a few seconds, Danny couldn't speak. The tears bubbling up in his eyes affected his larynx. Then they began to flow and he found his voice.
"Jeannie, how can I ever thank -"
Then some of the monitors began to beep.
"Dr. Winkler."
Scott reacted to the monitoring nurse and began barking orders. Someone took the baby from CJ's stomach; another attendant put an oxygen mask over the mouth and nose of the suddenly unconscious woman; a third person injected something into the IV in CJ's arm.
The monitors calmed down; the normal "beep. . blip . . beep .. blip" pattern resumed.
"Scott! What's going on?" Danny was shouting, terrified.
"She'll be okay." The doctor pulled off his mask as the attending staff started to wheel CJ from the delivery room.
Then Scott sighed.
"Last week, we discovered that there was a possibility of a blood antigen reaction, depending on how much bleeding CJ had. We were prepared for it; we had the necessary serum ready. CJ will need a few more shots. I'll probably keep her here for four or five days. You two didn't have any big plans for Thanksgiving, did you?"
"What do you mean, you discovered this last week?" Danny spoke with cold fury. "Why the fuck did you keep this from me?"
"Danny, it was CJ's decision."
"But I'm her husband!" Danny's fear was releasing itself as anger. He was shouting.
"And she is my patient; my first obligation is to her," Scott responded quietly by firmly. "I told her you needed to know, if only to avoid the panic I saw in your face a few minutes ago. But she insisted."
Scott did not tell Danny what CJ had told him in confidence, that for some time she had sensed in Danny some internal crisis that the red-headed reporter couldn't (or wouldn't) share with her. No, she insisted, somewhat huffily, she wasn't making it a "tit for tat" issue; she just felt that her husband couldn't handle the tension. If there was any danger of her dying, her reaction would be different. As a doctor, Scott had to comply with her wishes.
"But she'll be okay? Everything will be fine?"
"She'll be fine, Danny, except -"
"What?" Scott could see the panic start again in Danny's eyes.
"At her age, it's probably a moot point, but it would be best if you and she didn't try for anymore kids."
"I'll get a vasectomy tomorrow."
"Slow down! You've got a few weeks, you know," Scott Winkler laughed.
"Yeah, I guess." Danny started to feel normal again. "Speaking of time, when can I blister her ass for keeping this from me?"
The nurses started at the last sentence.
"He's joking, ladies," the doctor reassured them. He had had plenty of experience with husbands in Danny's position. To a man, they hid their embarrassment at reacting to their wives' danger buy reverting to attitudes more associated with the nineteenth century than the twenty-first.
"Mr. Concannon?"
Danny started at the sound of his name, and turned to see the nurse holding a little bundle of pink blanket.
"Would you like to hold your daughter before we take her for more tests?"
He stared at the infant in his arms. There would be no bad jokes about this child's father, he thought, looking at the spitting image of his own baby pictures.
For some reason, she seemed to shrink away from him; there seemed to be apprehension, even fear, in her eyes. Danny pressed her to his chest and kissed her head. Then he moved her away so that he could see her face. His face broke out in a wide smile.
"Hi there, Caitlin Delores Concannon. I'm your father. Welcome to the world, my precious little girl. Do you have any idea how much we've wanted you, how long we've waited for you? Your mama just gave me a terrible scare. You need to promise me that you won't ever do that. But even if you do, even if I yell at you, never forget that I love you and that there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you."
Then, her eyes seemed to clear and her body seemed to relax. She lifted her little arms, as if to hug him.
The nurse tapped his shoulder.
"I need to take her now, sir."
"May I go be with CJ?" Danny asked Scott.
"Sure. She'll be in a private room. She'll sleep longer than she did with Paddy; the blood serum works better when the patient is calm."
Danny stopped to tell Ken and Laura, who had come with him to the hospital, of the birth of his daughter. They would spread the word to the neighbors. He called Erin, CJ's brothers Mitch and Randy, Aisling in Pennsylvania, and Donna. No, he didn't have a picture yet.
Then he called the Muñoz household to tell Paddy that he had a little sister and that Daddy was going to stay with Mama for a while. Mama was really tired and was sleeping, so, no, Paddy couldn't talk with her just yet. Paddy was to be a good boy and listen to Uncle Frank and Aunt Diana. Mama and Daddy loved him and maybe tomorrow he could come to the hospital to see Mama and little Caitlin.
And for the next eight hours, Danny sat by CJ's side, holding her hand as she slept.
November 22, 2012 (Thanksgiving Day); mid-morning; UCLA Medical Center
"CJ, just promise me you won't keep anything like that from me again."
Danny had finally felt secure enough in CJ's well-being to confront her about the antigen issue; they had had an "intense" discussion (being careful not to let their voices disturb either the baby in the bassinet or the little boy napping on one of the two stuffed chairs in the room).
"Okay, Danny. By the way, why have three nurses on three separate occasions whispered things like 'I heard about the delivery; these people can help' and slipped me cards from the Domestic Violence Hotline?"
Danny blushed and told her about asking Scott when she would be well enough to be spanked.
CJ thought back to the week at Newport and what Donna said. "Danny, you really need to be more circumspect. I know you would never try anything like that, but someday, someone is gonna call the cops on us!"
"May I come in?"
CJ and Danny looked up to see Paul standing at the door, holding a little gift bag and small arrangement of gerbera daisies. (The same flowers he had for me that night in Berkeley so long ago, CJ thought.)
"Of course." Danny stood up to greet the minister.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get here before. It's been a rough couple of days at the hall."
Two of the young freshmen living in the dormitory where Paul was resident minister had gone on a drinking binge the night that Caitlin was born, gone to the coast, and fallen off the rocks into the surf. Their bodies washed ashore the next morning. Paul and the other advisors had spent the time since then dealing with grieving parents, frightened dorm mates and classmates, even an agitated administration.
CJ and Danny expressed their sympathies with Danny stating the obvious wish that Caitlin and Paddy could stay babies forever.
CJ changed the subject.
"Why aren't you at Joel and Hannah's? Where are the kids? And why are you in full regalia?" CJ took in the black shirt with clerical collar, the black trousers, and the black and grey tweed sports coat complete with St. Andrew's cross lapel pin. "I'm kicking Danny and Paddy out of here by 12:30 so they can go eat and have fun."
"I'll be going after I leave here. Derrick stayed in Seattle, he has to work tomorrow, and Deborah is with my father-in-law at Princeton. I figured that if I dressed as a minister, I'd have a better chance of getting in outside of normal visiting hours," Paul laughed. "Now let me see your little girl."
Danny picked up his daughter and handed her to the other man.
"Sweetheart, she is so lovely! Danny, I know you are already thoroughly enthralled with this little heartbreaker.
"This is for her. I'm sure that between all your relatives, she'll have Celtic crosses, Brigid crosses, Maltese crosses, Jerusalem crosses, Iona crosses, even a Mogen David from Toby; I doubt anyone else would give her one of these."
CJ had opened the bag to find a little chain with a replica of the cross on Paul's lapel, the logo of the Disciples of Christ.
"Thank you. Come 'ere, you." CJ held out her arm and kissed Paul's cheek when he bent over the bed. "Actually, you don't know how apropos this gift from you hopefully is."
"You busy on January 13th?" Danny said, before Paul could ask what CJ meant. "It's the feast of the Baptism of Christ, in the Church."
"We have a liturgical year, also, remember?"
"We'll be baptizing her that morning, at Mass," CJ continued. "We know that you all don't practice infant baptism, but -"
"I'd love to come."
"We'd like you to do more than just be there," Danny said. "Would you do us the honor of being our daughter's godfather?"
"Really? They would allow me?"
"Although both godparents have to be sacramentally baptized, only one has to be a practicing Catholic," CJ explained, "so unless Aisling becomes a heretic before then -"
"Ash a heretic, never," Danny said. "She'd never go part way. Apostasy, maybe, but she wouldn't stop at heresy. For her, it's either Catholicism or Celtic mysticism. So?"
"The honor is mine." Paul's smile glowed in his eyes.
The soft sound of snoring startled the two men.
"She does that a lot, drop off in a heartbeat; she's still a bit weak," Danny explained. "By the way, you are right. Caitlin has such a hold on my heart already. I mean, Paddy is so special," Danny glanced at the little image of CJ still slumbering on the chair, "and I can't imagine being able to love him any more than I do now, but a little girl - "
"I know, Danny. I had both experiences at once. Any child is a joy, but when God gives a man both a son and a daughter, that man is truly blessed.
"You take pride in seeing your son become a man, to carry on your name, your maleness, your connection with your own father and grandfather; you take pride as he takes his place in the world and lives the values you taught him; you take pride in his respect for you, for his mother.
"You take joy in seeing your daughter grow; you subconsciously try to mold her into your ideal woman, a woman who will bring goodness to humanity; you take joy in her happiness, even when it means that you are no longer the only man in her life.
"Of course, you take joy in your son and pride in your daughter; it's not a binary state. But I am so glad to have been given both, and I know you are also."
Paddy stirred. "I'm hungry, Daddy."
"Okay, we'll go."
Paul watched as Danny kissed his daughter and his wife. The three of them left the room, with Danny stopping at the nurse's station to let them know that Caitlin was alone with a sleeping CJ.
December 15, 2012; Santa Monica, CA; home of Li and Yan Wei
"Congratulations, Danny!"
Jessica came up to Danny and kissed him on the cheek.
In early October, Danny had received word that his defense of his dissertation had been successful. He would receive his PhD next May with high honors. Three days ago, Danny had been offered a tenure-track assistant professorship beginning with the 2013-2014 academic year, and an offer to teach a class next semester.
Naturally, the block wanted to celebrate, but with a new baby in the house, no one expected CJ and Danny to hold the party themselves. Li and Yan volunteered to host the Saturday morning brunch.
"Where's CJ?"
Hank and Steve came in, Steve carrying seventeen month-old Pamela in a teal jumpsuit with an ivory and teal print long-sleeved tee shirt.
"She's feeding Caitlin, in one of the bedrooms."
"Here, let me take Pammy," Aisling held out her hands for the child. "The other kids are in the base – Brigid, Patrick, and Columcille, what was that!"
"Probably a 3.1," Steve said. The California residents were used to minor tremors. Apparently Aisling wasn't.
"It felt like the waves in the ocean," she said.
"Well, it was a wave in the earth," her uncle told her.
Everyone decided they had best go check out their houses, just to make sure that no water or gas lines were affected by the earth's up and down movement.
"We'll check your place, Jessica," Frank Muñoz said, as he and his nephew Jesse headed toward the door.
"Thanks. Check Clara's, too," Jessica called out. "I hope she's okay. She should have been here by now; it's almost 11:30."
A half-hour later, the Air Force colonel and the dentist returned to the party. They grabbed some drinks and joined Danny, Ken Robbins, Timmy Jenkins, and Hank.
"Everything okay?" Ken asked.
"What about Clara? Is she okay?" This from Danny.
"Clara is just fine," Frank answered with a glance at his nephew.
"Huh?" Timmy sensed some sort of undercurrent between the two Muñoz men.
Hank's eyes lit up with understanding.
"Are you telling us that Clara's got herself a ma-an?" Hank was excited, spoke louder than he intended. He was an incurable romantic at heart, no matter the sexual preference of the people involved. Everyone else on the patio heard him.
"When she didn't answer the door, we were a little concerned," Frank answered, "so I used my key. We heard water running in the bathroom."
"We didn't hear the voices until we walked in the bedroom," Jesse chuckled.
Thirty minutes later, CJ left Mei-ling's bedroom. Caitlin had been fussy, even after being fed and changed, but now she was finally sleeping in her little portable bassinet. CJ figured she had maybe an hour to get some food before her newborn would wake up again. After that, her energy would give out and she would take the baby home with her. If Danny, Paddy, and Aisling, who was spending a week or so with them before going back to Ireland for Christmas, wanted to stay at the party, that was okay. Especially since the party was in Danny's honor, she laughed to herself.
As she walked into the Wei living room, Danny left the group of guys and came up to her. As Danny reached her side, CJ saw Clara standing about twenty feet away. CJ pulled Danny with her as she walked to the other woman. She didn't notice the slight hesitation on Danny's part.
Just as they reached Clara, Paul came up to the group, balancing a plate of brunch food (mini-quiches, small muffins, some whole strawberries) and two mimosas.
"Oh, hi, CJ. Here, you take one of these." Paul handed her a mimosa. "I'll go get another for me in a second." Then he handed the other drink to Clara.
"Thank you."
There was something in Clara's voice that caused CJ's head to turn away from Danny and look at the other woman and the minister.
The smile on Paul's face, the relaxed set of his shoulders, the sense of fulfilled satisfaction in his eyes, the confident masculinity that radiated from his body, was not something that was unknown to CJ. It was just that the last time she had seen it was over thirty years ago; the last time she had seen it, she was the one responsible for it.
CJ handed her drink to Danny.
The first hug was a one-armed one, a brief one.
"Do you know how lucky you are?" she whispered in Clara's ear as she lightly kissed the woman's cheek.
The next one was two-armed and much longer.
"See, I told you that God wanted this for you, wanted me to find someone for you!" She kissed the side of his face.
"And I told you that if God wanted it, it would happen, and so it did, in His time," Paul laughed. "Seriously, in all your scheming, can you honestly say that you would ever have thought about her for me?"
In all honesty, no. Jessica, maybe, but not Clara.
True, Clara was eleven years older than CJ was, which made her eight years older than Paul, but at this point, that difference was negligible. And, in any event, Paul would have been fine with an older woman even when he was in his thirties. And Clara was very attractive, kept active, and was in excellent shape.
No, it was that in all the time that CJ had known Clara, she seemed content with her widowhood. Clara had never dated, had never brought anyone to neighborhood affairs. Clara socialized with the neighbors; with other single women – divorced, widowed, or never married; and with her children and their families.
"So give me details."
Paul told her that he and Clara had felt a connection back in September at the party. Then came movies, dinners, some lectures, some plays. They had kept it very much under cover, with Paul arranging for cabs rather than letting his car be seen in the neighborhood. Right now, his car was safely inside Clara's two car garage.
It sounded so familiar so CJ – a chance meeting, developing a rapport, then sexual attraction within two months.
"And this?" CJ made a gesture, moving her hand between the two of them.
"CJ, that is none of your concern," Danny softly admonished his wife.
"Sweetheart, I live in a men's dormitory on a Jesuit campus! Overnight guests of the opposite sex are against the rules. What kind if example would I set?" Paul just laughed.
Although when pressed, Frank and Jesse wouldn't give any details, the damage, if there was any, had been done and when Clara and Paul walked into the Wei house about five minutes before CJ came out of the bedroom, everyone was surprised, and mostly pleased, to learn the identity of Clara's "friend".
Danny's first reaction was "he won't be there for CJ if anything happens to me!" His second reaction was shame – that he would want the minister to forego certain happiness just in case.
"Uncle Danny, please believe me, please believe Aunt Sorcha; nothing bad is going to happen."
Aisling came up and slipped an arm around her uncle's waist.
And finally, after over two years, Danny Concannon knew. Whatever uncertainty there might have been regarding his future with CJ and their children, the issue had been resolved in September.
"Thank you, Ash," he kissed his niece on the cheek, glad that he and CJ had chosen Aisling to be godmother to the little cousin that looked so much like her.
Then Danny issued a silent prayer. "Gratias tibi ago, Domine."
About two hours later, Paul was sitting by himself on the Wei patio. CJ had taken Caitlin home with her; Jessica had gone to sit with her in case the baby awoke while CJ was sleeping. Clara was talking with Diana, Laura, and Hannah.
"Hey, Paul."
The minister looked up to see Frank, Danny, and Ken.
"Ah, could we – I mean – I guess what we - " The lawyer seemed to be at a loss for words.
"Am I being asked if my intentions are honorable?" Paul smiled at the others, slightly amused. Somehow, he conveyed the idea that it was normal for him to be calm and for the three of them to be nervous.
"In a word, yes." Frank's military training and leadership skills asserted themselves.
"Did you really have to ask?" Paul stared at Danny and spoke quietly.
"Well," Danny started.
"You need to understand; we are very close here." Ken found his voice and his authority. "We look out for each other, for each other's children. It's natural for us to be especially concerned about Clara, Jessica, and Cindy."
"And it's one thing when it's about my roof or my car. It's something entirely different when it comes to my relationships. I'm not a fool!" Clara had seen the men and had some idea of what was happening. She sat on the arm of Paul's chair.
"It's okay, dear." Paul reached for her hand. "I'm glad that there were men who had your welfare at heart all these years since Cosmo passed."
Only Danny sensed the iota of mild reproof in Paul's words.
Paul turned to the crowd that had drifted over at the sound of Clara's raised voice.
"So I guess Cindy has twelve fathers to make her boyfriends feel uneasy. We'll be telling our children this weekend. The wedding will be on February 9th. That should give the school enough time to find someone else to take my place in the dorm. Cindy, I hope you won't mind father figure number thirteen after that. We'll postpone the first honeymoon a month, until Spring Break. "
"The first honeymoon?" Billy Rogers asked.
"We'll take more time in the summer, before we move back to Washington," Clara added.
"But I expect the rest of our life together to be a honeymoon," Paul added.
(Teenagers Carmen and Cindy sighed. It was all too romantic, they had told each other.)
"You'll be leaving us in May?" Aviva expressed the minor disappointment they all felt.
"Whither thou goest," Clara said, smiling at her newly acknowledged future husband.
"Teaching has been fun, but for now, I want to return to ministry," Paul said.
The sound of breaking glass disrupted the group.
"Paddy! No!" came the voice from the basement.
As everyone else started to run toward the basement steps, Jesse Muñoz quietly spoke to Clara and Paul.
Later that afternoon; Concannon residence
Danny slipped into the nursery with a whimpering Caitlin and closed the door. Hopefully, CJ wouldn't wake from the sounds. The baby had finished nursing only a half hour ago and the odor emanating from her indicated the reason for her distress.
Ten minutes later, a freshly diapered infant lay sleeping in her father's arms as he rocked her and gently sang "I'll take you home again, Kathleen" (but pronouncing the name in the Gaelic way).
Danny slipped his daughter into the crib and stole into the master bedroom. He carefully lay down behind his wife.
Paddy and Aisling were with Frank and Diana. They would go to church with the Muñoz family and attend the children's posada after the Saturday evening Mass.
Things were a bit different this time around. Gina and Randy came down from Napa when CJ came home from the hospital and stayed for two weeks. However, for the past week, until Aisling arrived on Thursday night their only help had been the neighbors. Everyone pitched in (but now Danny knew why Clara couldn't take over three nights ago when Jessica had "intestinal issues") and they were managing.
Danny had the same marching orders from Scott that he had with Paddy ("Get her in the shower every day and for a short walk every day.") and the second time around was a little easier. So far, Paddy didn't have any sibling rivalry issues.
When Ash flew home to Ireland for Christmas early next week, they would have hired help during the day four days a week. Maristella was a nurse practitioner recommended by Linda Tallchief and Maria Guadalupe (whose skills as lactation coach weren't needed with Caitlin.) She reminded Danny of someone, but he couldn't figure out whom. The girls from the parish Teen Club were also helping out after school until 9:00 PM.
Erin would loved to have come over to help, but Fiona and Brendan were anxiously waiting the birth of their first child (she had a Christmas due date) and Erin's first priority was her soon to be grandchild.
Hogan had developed a subtropical parasitic infection and needed constant care. Her husband was still in the middle of the Indian Ocean, so Mitch and Alison needed to take care of their daughter.
"Danny?" CJ stirred and pushed herself back against him.
"Yes, my love?"
CJ turned around to face her husband. They indulged in the "teen-aged sex" that would be their only satisfaction until after the New Year.
"That was nice," CJ sighed. "So, that was great news about Paul and Clara, wasn't it?"
"Yeah. You're all okay with everything?"
"Why wouldn't I be, Danny?"
Danny knew he had to tread carefully, but he knew they had to talk about it.
"Jeannie, for the last two years or so, it had to be a bit of an ego boost to know that your first real boyfriend still cared so much about you."
She started to protest. "Danny, I wasn't getting an ego boost!"
"H'kay."
Damn it, she thought, he does it to me everytime.
"Danny, you know I would never do anything - "
He stopped her with a kiss.
"Of course I know that, dearheart, and I know that he would never either. I've never had the slightest problem with your relationship with Paul."
"But Toby's a different story. Don't lie to me, Danny," CJ said when it was Danny's turn to protest. "For the past two years, I felt I had to tiptoe around my friendship with Toby. If you were secure about Paul and me, why weren't you secure about Toby and me?"
Danny sighed and told CJ about his anxieties since Carol and David's wedding. Danny told CJ about asking Paul to marry her if anything ever happened to him.
"So maybe your concern about my reaction to Clara and Paul is really your anxiety about his no longer being available for me if you."
"Maybe it was."
"Was?"
"Was. Whatever was causing my concerns about my future with you and the kids, it's gone now." But I'll be even happier if Toby and Andy remarry, Danny thought.
The cries came again over the baby monitor. CJ moaned slightly and started to get out of bed.
"I'll get her, Jeannie."
"I love you, Danny. I love our life together. I love our children. God is good."
December 25, 2012; late afternoon
It had been a quiet Christmas, but a very special one. It was the first time that Paddy remembered from one year to the next and his enthusiasm was contagious.
Danny had taken Paddy to the children's Mass on the previous evening. CJ went to the 10:30 service this morning after Paddy had torn through his presents.
The Concannons had been invited to several holiday dinners but declined all of them; they told their friends that they wanted a quiet day with just the four of them. However, Danny, CJ, and Paddy were very grateful for the food that everyone brought over for them (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy from Sally and Billy; homemade bread and an apple pie from Laura Robbins; cinnamon coffee cake from Diana; steamed pork buns from the Wei's.)
The temperature was in the high 70's and the sun was dipping into the ocean, setting it afire much like it did that February in '08 when CJ was pregnant with the twins. The four of them were on the deck in a glider. Paddy was sound asleep on Danny's lap, still wearing the stethoscope from the "doctor" kit that was his "most bestest ever" toy (at least for this hour.) CJ was at Danny's side, his right arm around her shoulders. Caitlin was nuzzled against CJ's right breast, drawing nourishment.
Danny realized that only one thing could make him happier – two four and a half year old boys playing at their feet.
January 13, 2013; St. Monica Catholic Church
"Parents, what name have you chosen for this child?"
"Caitlin Delores."
"And what do you ask for Caitlin Delores?"
"Baptism."
"Godparents, do you promise to help these parents to raise Caitlin Delores as a child of God?"
"We do."
Father Luke unwrapped the blanket from the infant and gently lowered her, up to her shoulders, in the warm baptistery. He filled the pitcher with some of the water and raised it over the baby's head.
"Caitlin Delores, I baptize you in the name of the Father" water splashed over her head "and of the Son" more water "and of the Holy Spirit" a third splash of water "A – MEN!"
Caitlin giggled.
Paul and Aisling took the baby to the back of the church, changed her soaking diaper, and dressed her in the gown worn by her cousins and her brother.
Later that afternoon; Concannon residence
The party was in full swing.
Several people admired the two engagement rings – the delicate pear-shaped diamond that graced Clara's hand and the slight larger brilliant cut one that sparkled on Nancy's. (Jesse proposed right after Midnight Mass on Christmas.) Jesse told the crowd that he and Nancy would be buying Clara's house when Clara and Paul moved to Washington in May. Jesse would move in right away, with Nancy joining him after their early September wedding.
"Where are my kids? We need to get to the airport." Andy approached Danny. She had brought the kids out to California for a week of sun and fun.
Danny looked around. He saw Molly talking with Stevie Muñoz, trying very hard to hide her enthrallment with the boy who was two years older and just coming into his father's good looks.
"Well, there's one," Danny said. "Now, where is Huck – Oh!"
Danny started as he saw Molly's twin holding Caitlin close to his face. Danny hurried over to the not quite ten year old, obviously anxious about his daughter.
Huck looked up as Danny came running up to him.
"Huck, give me the baby!"
"Don't worry, sir, I'd never let anything happen to Caitlin. I'll always take care of her."
Then Toby's son bent his lips down, whispered something in the baby's ear, and gently kissed her forehead before handing her to Danny.
As Andy hustled her children into the car and drove away, Huck looked back at the house and smiled.
"I know where you are, and I'll be back. Seventeen years, ten months, and one week," he said to himself.