After the Cubs had come back and won the game Kerry, Henry, and a very asleep Lee had gone home.
She hadn't been sure about trying thing again with Kerry, but, she had to admit that they fell back together like it was a decade ago. Except, they were both different. Kerry had played it off, but Kerry was more confident than she'd ever been in 2001. Kim was different too, or at least she felt different than last time, and it didn't feel like a good different.
What surprised Kim most the next morning was when she realized that she almost missed the patter of the two kids' feet and their voices rising and falling as they fought over something, or as Henry explained something to his little sister.
Kim glanced out the window as she heard a car stop in the street. She blinked in surprise as Henry got out and scampered up the steps to the front door. The bell rang and Kim opened the door.
"Um... Kim, hi, I mean..."
Kim hid a smile, "Would you like to come in?"
Henry shook his head, "Mama and Lee are in the car and waiting and stuff, but um, I wanted to give you this. There's a note and stuff, and... okay. Bye."
Kim frowned as Henry jogged back away from the garage and got into the back seat of the car. After it had driven off she went back inside and stared at the small box and envelope in her hand. She put down the box and opened the envelope. A folded piece of paper came out.
'Dear Kim,
I know that you said that it was okay that Lee broke your family's clowns, but it's not. I barely even knew Mama Sandy and yet I miss her every day even so. This was my Mama Sandy's and my Mama gave it to me. I'm sorry and so is Leonora a lot.
Love, Henry'
Kim put a hand to her throat as she realized what was in the box.
oOOOOo
Kim sat in her living room, her cell phone in her hand, staring at it. Finally she dialed a number and waited.
"Kim, what's wrong?"
Kim frowned, "How did you know something was wrong 'Berta?"
"It's in your voice honey."
Kim was silent for a moment, "My clowns were broken last night."
Roberta gasped, "The ones from your Mom. Are you alright Kim?"
"I didn't break them, Lee did."
"Is she okay?"
"She is- a little cut on her cheek and I think she's scared of me now."
Roberta's voice went a bit stern on the other end of the line, "Did you yell at her young lady? She seems like a darling child. And even without being there she would never have done that with malice."
Kim shook her head at Roberta, "Of course I didn't yell at her Roberta. And I know it was an accident. That's not-" Kim sighed, "That's not my problem. Henry- this morning he dropped off a present for me. It was his mother's… his birth mother Sandy's St. Florian medal. I think it was because he wanted to give me something of his that had value to him because I did tell him, them, that the Clowns had been my Mom's and her Mom's and so on." Kim cleared her throat, "I can't- Berta I have no idea if I even- if Kerry and I are going to work out, and he's giving me this… I have to give it back."
"Stop." Kim did. "Is this really about him giving you this medal or something else?"
Kim hurfed out a breath, "It's about the medal Berta…"
Roberta made an 'Mmm' noise, "Maybe it is, but not toally. I think that a part of you wants to keep it simply because it that this with Kerry is going to last like you want it to. That you may actually be happy. But, there's another part of you that wants to giv it back, because that part doesn't want to be happy, ever. As if that's something that you owe your Mom, your Dad…"
"Berta…" Roberta didn't respond, "...I do want to be happy Roberta, I do, I just…"
Kim could almost hear the smile on Roberta's lips as she spoke, "Two things honey. Call it my prescription for you. Number one, go to a church."
"It's not Sunday."
There was a long minute of silence. "Kimberly, it doesn't have to be a church service. But a church. Will you?"
Kim sighed, "Okay, okay. And Number two?"
"Take control."
Kim frowned, "Take control? What?"
Roberta sighed, "As a child you got the most- worried and hard to deal with when you had no control over a situation. So, stop letting Kerry dictate terms. Stop letting her lead you where she wants to go. Tell her where you want to go with the relationship. I can tell, just by listening honey, that you are all in with her, and you have this niggling at the back of your brain that she isn't. So, tell her what you want from your relationship, maybe she wants the same."
"I'm not, I just." Kim trailed off and was silent for a moment, "Thank you Berta."
"I'm not going to see you tonight, am I?" Kim winced and even though there was no way that Roberta could have seen her do it, the older woman laughed. "It's okay honey. You can make it up to me by bringing back over those delightful children."
Kim stood from the sofa, "I love you Roberta. The number of times you've put me back together…"
"I know honey, and I love you too. Good luck tonight."
oOOOOo
Kim took a deep breath in, let it out and rang the doorbell. A half a minute later Kerry opened it. A surprised look graced her face, "Kim, did we have?"
"-no, no. Am I interrupting?"
"Well, I'll have to postpone the orgy." Kim raised an eyebrow and Kerry laughed, moving out of the way, "Come in. What's up?"
Kim closed the door behind herself and stood to her full height. "I am a strong, successful woman who owns her own business, although I probably couldn't run it quite as well without Roberta. I want to move in here, or maybe a house that's ours one day. I want to make you happy every day of the rest of your life, and let you make me happy too."
"Ah, okay- Kim, are you feeling alri-" Kim closed the distance between them and kissed Kerry silent.
"Mama?"
Kerry glanced down, not letting go of Kim's waist, "Leonora."
Leonora frowned, "Dinner?"
"I did interrupt you."
"Join us?"
Leonora seemed to tense at that suggestion, "No, no, it's okay Ker, I just."
Kerry smiled, "It's okay." Kerry let go of Kim and kneeled in front of her daughter, "Well you help me set the table Lee?" Leonora looked between Kim and Kerry, then held her hands out to be picked up, Kerry did, and Leonora immediately buried her head in the crook of Kerry's neck. "So, will you stay?"
As Kim nodded Henry appeared in the doorway that led to the living room. "Good. Henry, will you show Kim where she can wash up?"
Henry nodded, and Kerry and Leonora disappeared into the kitchen. "This way Kim."
Henry started to move, but Kim put a hand on his shoulder. "Wait a second?" He did, "Thank you. You didn't have to give me your Mom's medal. Lee didn't mean to break the clowns, it was simply an accident."
Henry shrugged and stared down at the floor, "Whatever."
Kim knelt on one knee and waited until Henry looked down at the blonde, "No. This was your Mom's-"
Henry mumbled, "Only firefighter thing other than her helmet that we have."
Kim pulled the necklace from under her shirt. "I will wear it close to my heart, but Henry- the moment you want it back…"
Henry shook his head, "We broke the thing that you loved- Lee was going to give you Mr. Pink, but I convinced her not to."
Kim put a hand on Henry's shoulder, "Henry." She opened her mouth to say something more, but instead she simply patted him on the shoulder and stood. "That's good that you saved Mr. Pink, my guess is that your Mom would have had quite a time getting her to sleep tonight without him am I right?" Henry nodded. "So, where is this bathroom your Mom spoke of."
Henry walked down the hall, "This way-"
Kim followed, "You know, I do have a job for you."
Henry frowned in confusion as he looked over at Kim, "Huh?"
"I think I should hire you to teach my brother Julian how to be a better brother.
Henry stopped moving for a second, then cracked up laughing.
oOOOOo
Henry bit the inside of his lip, thinking. Dinner was almost over and Leonora was still so very tense, even though Henry could tell that Kim wasn't mad at his sister.
He spoke up when there was a pause in the conversation, they were talking about some dinosaur lady and her maid or something. "Kim, would you read us a book before bed? Please?"
Kim looked a bit surprised, "Of course Henry. I bet your Mom rocks at that huh?"
Henry rolled his eyes, "Mama always does funny noises and stuff. It's annoying."
Kerry narrowed her eyes at her son, "Something you used to like if I recall young man."
Henry shruggegd, "Sometimes-" He looked to Kim again, "You don't have to."
Kim spoke, "Do I get to chose the book?"
Henry glanced at Leonora, "Okay," and back to Kim, "but nothing scary."
"Nah, it's a book that was read to me and my brothers when we were kids."
"Coo. Mama- may we be excused?"
Kerry nodded, "You may."
Henry popped up right away, but it took a hushed conversation between Henry and Lee before she got up too, taking her plate to the kitchen.
Kim waited until they were gone before speaking, "Ah- I do hope that you have 'One Morning in Maine'."
Kerry nodded, "We do. But, Kim, don't feel-"
Kim put a hand up, "It's okay. I want to- need to." Kim reached across the table and put her hand on top of Kerry's. "You can be there too."
Kerry turned over her hand and gave Kim's a squeeze, "No, no, I don't think I will." Kerry paused, "Lee wasn't… I don't know if she remembers it, but her first year and a half wasn't.. it wasn't great."
"I understand I think." Kim smirked softly, "But, keep in mind Ker, no one can resist my charms for long. Not even small and cute children raised by you Kerry Weaver. And, I do have Niece and Nephew experience you know… Not to mention technically I have eight years of medical training as well."
Kerry just shook her head, "I trust you Kim, just…"
Kim raised Kerry's hand and kissed the palm of it. "We'll get her back on an even keel. I promise."
oOOOOo
Kim, Henry and Leonora sat on Henry's bed. Kim in the middle with Henry on one side, Leonora on the other and a big green and blue book on Kim's lap. "Okay, we ready?"
"Kim, the silver thing?"
Kim squinted at the silver embossed circle on the left side of the cover. "Ah, it's a Caldecott Honor Medal, do you guys knows what that means?" Both kids shook their heads, "It means that it was decided by a committee of very smart people that it was one of the best books."
Leonora frowned, "Is it?" Kim opened the book to the title page. Leonora's face brightened, "Ooh, a clam, a clam. I like."
Kim smiled, turned the page and started reading, "One morning in Maine, Sale woke up."
oOOOOo
"Besides, Jane, two ice-cream cones would ruin your appetite. When we get home we're going to have CLAM CHOWDER FOR LUNCH!"
Kim closed the book. She glanced at Leonora who was entirely asleep. She smiled and turned to Leonora's brother. "Time for bed I think."
Henry nodded sleepily, "IS that why you like it Kim? Because of Mr. Condon, the Mechanic?"
Kim smiled, "You got it in one kid." Kim carefully climbed over Leonora. Then scooped her up and put into her bed, pulling the covers with all manners of bright fishes on it up.
When she got back to Henry he'd climbed under the covers too. "Kim?"
"Yes?"
"Will you be here in the morning?"
"I-" Kim nodded, "I think so."
Henry turned on his side and closed his eyes, "That's good. Night Kim."
Kim stared down at him for a moment, "Night Henry."
She left the room, leaving the door open just a bit and made her way to the living room.
Kerry smirked a little as Kim sat down on the couch, "They're asleep?"
Kim nodded, "So many questions- but, yeah. Lee passed out before the end of the book, and then Henry asked if I'd be here tomorrow."
Kerry watched Kim carefully, "And your answer?"
"Yes. He seemed to be okay with that answer. Are you?"
Kerry moved closer to Kim, putting a hand behind the blonde's head, "Oh yes, very okay."