The next morning, the day began with Laurel's being served breakfast in bed by her family.
"Coach Ian gave me the morning off from practicing," Paige explained. "He said it was much more important for me to make sure my mother is okay."
"Chocolate chip pancakes!" Sophia exclaimed happily. "Daddy made chocolate ship pancakes!"
"And I made sure you got everything else you like," Jack told her as he lowered the bed tray onto her lap. "Primarily your orange juice and hot tea."
"This looks wonderful!" Laurel assured the three children as Hotch stood in the doorway smiling at the scene in front of him. "Now, I assume I am going to get some help eating all this?"
Later that morning, after she had moved downstairs to the couch in the family room, Laurel got a visit from Brooke Smithfield, bearing a flower arrangement from the Fairfax Valley Ice Skating Club.
"I wanted to wait until you came home," she explained with a smile. "I know what a pain it can be hauling flowers home from the hospital."
"You are right about that," Laurel agreed. "Aaron made one trip in my SUV with nothing but flowers. And, I left several arrangements at the Nurses' Stations in the hospital."
"Thank you so much for these," she added as she smelled the arrangement. "They are beautiful!"
"Well, I, for one, am glad to see you are feeling better," Brooke told her. "We have really missed you around the rink."
"And I have missed visiting with everyone," Laurel told her. "Now, sit down, make yourself comfortable, and give me all the updates on what is going on. How is Vicki's son doing in that summer enrichment program at the zoo?"
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
As promised, Joan and Jade arrived two days later from Chicago and promptly took up residence in the apartment over the garage.
"I don't know why Jessica and her husband didn't just move in here," Joan exclaimed as she looked around. "This is really nice."
"I think they wanted a little more privacy," Laurel explained. "And, now that they have full custody of Norris' son, they really do need more room."
"Thanks so much for coming," Hotch told Joan. "Now that you are here to keep Laurel company during the day, I can head back to Quantico to start wrapping up all that paperwork."
"Are you trying to diplomatically say that I have a babysitter?" Laurel asked playfully as Joan smirked.
"Diplomatically," Hotch agreed with a smile. "After all, I almost lost you once and I don't want to take the chance of that happening again. And, remember, in a few days, when Dave has wrapped up his book tour, you are going to have yet another 'companion'."
"Oh, Aaron," Laurel sighed. "You know you aren't going to be able to keep an eye on me forever, don't you? Eventually I will have to go out and about by myself again."
"I would rather that be later as opposed to sooner."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"Are you saying that Jade and I can go to Boston all by ourselves?" Paige asked excitedly.
"Are you sure, Aunt Laurel?" Jade added. "Mom?"
"Yes, we're sure," Joan smiled at the two excited girls.
"And, you won't be all by yourselves," Laurel added. "Dave will make sure the two of you get on the plane safely at this end and Alex will meet you in Boston. You'll be staying with her and James while you work with the choreographer Ian and I hired to create your long program."
"What if she makes me to something I don't like?" Paige worried. "Do I still have to do it?"
"Yes," Laurel replied firmly. "And, just remember, after you do it several times and get used to it, you just might change your mind."
"We will get it all written down, won't we?" Jade worried.
"Yes, you will get a diagram as well as a video," Laurel assured her. "But, you are going to have to help keep an eye on things and double check that everything is documented. While Paige is concentrating on learning the program, she will probably forget some of the things the choreographer is telling her. That's your job – To help keep track of everything."
"And, now, maybe I had better go upstairs with you two and help you pack for your trip," Joan added. "Alex doesn't need to be bothered with running around Boston shopping for whatever it is that you guys forgot!"