Signed, Sealed, Delivered and its characters belong to Martha Williamson. The following narrative includes a transcript from the last scene of A Tale of Three Letters as well as my own scene extension and additional scenes.
"You know," Shane said, inserting the crank into the grandfather clock, "we're going to have to find a new hiding place for this when we move it to the new house."
Oliver stood in the foyer behind her. "Oh, you think so?" He grinned, oblivious to her subtlety.
"Someplace high, where….she can't reach it."
"She?"
"Or he." Shane smiled slyly again, her back still to Oliver. Closing the door on the clock and turning around, she continued. "We'll know in a few weeks, probably." She pointed toward the swing Oliver had set up inside the house. "Plenty of time to find a spot for that swing."
Oliver glanced into the room where the swing sat and then back at Shane. He stared blankly at her, not seeming to be processing what she was telling him.
"It'll be great," Shane told him, placing her hand on his upper arm. "It'll be like a rocking chair….built for two. Or…."
She took his hand and placed it on her still-flat abdomen, holding it there. His eyes followed her movements, his face still expressionless.
"Actually….three." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Oliver's expression immediately transformed into one of shock and he looked down at their hands. "No," he said, breathlessly.
"Surprise," Shane said.
"Oh my goodness," he responded. Oliver looked down at their hands covering Shane's abdomen once more, then back up at her. He grinned for a split second before leaning in to claim her lips.
Seconds later, he backed away to ask, "Really?"
Shane's face was full of happiness. "Really," she assured him, with gleeful laughter as he took a deep breath and released it, pulling her in to hold her close.
"Oh my, God," he exclaimed, looking up above as if giving thanks.
With delighted and still-stunned faces, the couple looked toward the grandfather clock as it chimed nine, then shared another embrace of elation.
"I supposed that's why you've been so tired," Oliver stated, pulling his head back just far enough to look at her.
Shane nodded, the tears still welling in her eyes. "I think so."
Oliver took another deep breath, looking at her lovingly.
"How long have you known?" he asked quietly.
"I've suspected it for a few days….but only confirmed it about an hour ago."
"This is…." Oliver said, blowing out a breath. "I have no words…."
"Wow. I've managed to render Oliver O'Toole speechless?" Shane teased, her blue eyes twinkling.
He grinned at her. "We're having a baby," he stated, his heart still pounding in his chest.
Shane nodded. "We're having a baby," she whispered back, her voice full of emotion. At saying those words aloud, a single tear of joy escaped and began to slide down her face.
Oliver reached up and wiped the tear with his thumb, then framed her face with his hands. He leaned in to kiss his wife once again. They were lost in each other for a minute, then Oliver whispered in her ear. "I think this calls for a celebration, my love."
"Oh?" she replied. "What did you have in mind?" Her laughing eyes told him she needed no answer.
As he took her hand and led her to the stairway, Shane stepped out of her heels. She started to bend down in an attempt to straighten them, but Oliver stopped her with a gentle squeeze of her hand.
"Leave them," he told her, a smirk on his face.
Shane giggled as Oliver whisked her into his arms and carried her upstairs, her high heels lying haphazardly on the floor below.
Joe O'Toole pushed one of the double doors into the DLO and glanced around.
"Hi, Joe!" Rita chirped, stepping in from the space they had made into a nursery for Charley's baby Eleanor.
"Hey, Rita. It's awfully quiet in here today."
"You should have been here ten minutes ago. That baby has some lungs!" She blew out a breath but giggled. "She was just fighting sleep. She's out like a light now."
"Ahh, I see. And where is everyone else?"
"Charley ran to the front desk and Norman's somewhere on the mailroom floor. But you're probably looking for Oliver and Shane. They actually haven't clocked in yet."
Joe furrowed his brows. "Oh? It's nearly eleven-thirty. That's not like Oliver."
"I know! But don't worry. He assured Norman that all was well and that they would be in at some point later today." Rita shrugged.
"Huh," Joe responded. "Shane sent me a text asking me to meet them for lunch today, but she didn't mention they had taken the morning off."
"Well, maybe they decided to sleep in. The Great Mailbox Breach of 2017 had us working some crazy hours but we wrapped it all up yesterday. Shane seemed really exhausted. They probably just needed some time to recharge."
Joe nodded but didn't say anything.
The door opened and Charley walked in, a stack of papers in her hand. She and Joe exchanged hellos as Charley handed the papers to Rita.
"Thanks, Charley," Rita told her, taking a look through the forms. "I really want to get these done today, so let's order lunch in. Besides, I finally got Ellie to sleep and we probably shouldn't move her unless we want a repeat of this morning."
"Thank you," Charley mouthed to Rita as the younger POstable cast a glance toward her daughter sleeping peacefully in the crib.
Joe walked over to the crib and stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the slow rise and fall of the baby's chest as she sweetly slumbered. He smiled down at her, seemingly lost in thought.
When Oliver and Shane walked in a few moments later, they caught a glimpse of the grandfather-to-be standing at the crib, admiring the baby girl. The couple turned to each other with quiet grins at the precious sight before them. Shane bit her lip as Oliver stepped toward the elder O'Toole.
"Hey, Dad," Oliver greeted him quietly, attempting to not disturb the baby.
Joe's head spun around quickly at the sound of his son's voice and he grinned. "Hey, son. You two snuck up on me."
"We didn't want to wake Ellie. We saw Norman on the mailroom floor and he warned us that this morning has been a little….challenging." Oliver chuckled.
"All was quiet when I got here," Joe said, raising his hands in a shrug. "Too bad we missed the fanfare."
They laughed quietly.
"And how's my radiant daughter-in-love?" Joe asked Shane, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Oh! I'm good," Shane told him.
"Well-rested after wrapping up the Great Mailbox Breach of 2017?"
"I think so," she replied.
"Congratulations," Joe said.
Oliver and Shane glanced at each other, perplexed.
"Uh, I'm sorry?" Oliver questioned, trying to appear nonchalant.
"Yeah, you guys worked long and hard on the Great Mailbox Breach, but every letter has been delivered to its rightful owner….?" Joe trailed off in questioning.
"Oh! Yes, yes, that case is now closed," Oliver said proudly, and Shane sighed with relief.
"So what's next?" Joe inquired.
"Well, we have a letter we were hoping you could take a look at over lunch," Shane told him.
"I'd be glad to try," Joe agreed. "But you two are certainly the experts around here."
"Trust me, your expertise will be needed for this delivery, Dad." Oliver smiled and sent Shane a subtle wink as they exited the DLO.
A few minutes later, the three were seated at a table for lunch in Ramon's restaurant.
"Forgive me for crossing any lines here," Joe said, looking back and forth at the two of them, "but you two look really happy. I'm guessing counseling went well?"
"Yes," Oliver answered as Shane nodded in agreement. He turned and looked at her with adoring eyes. "We just needed a little help."
Joe nodded with a smile. "I never doubted you two."
Oliver and Shane smiled at Joe and each other before Oliver said, "Dad, we asked you to lunch today because we have some news to share."
"Oh?" Joe asked, raising his eyebrows.
Oliver nodded once, then turned to his wife beside him. "Shane?"
Shane took in a deep breath. "The Colorado Historical Society has agreed to convert the O'Toole House into Denver's very own postal museum."
"What??" Joe said, with a happy chuckle. "That's fantastic!! Sounds like a dream come true for you, Oliver."
"I am quite pleased that the people of Colorado, as well as visitors from across this nation and around the world, will have a place to visit and relish in the history of the United States Postal Service," Oliver concurred.
Joe nodded, sharing a knowing look with Shane. "I suppose, however, that the two of you won't actually be living in the museum?"
"We're moving," Shane confirmed. "But we haven't started looking at houses yet."
"And just what will you be looking for?" Joe inquired.
"Someplace that's ours," Oliver told him, casting a loving look at Shane.
"That's wonderful news," Joe told them. "I'm very happy for you two."
"Thank you," Shane said, getting a bit weepy.
"Are you sure you're on board with this idea?" Joe teased, knowing how she felt about the stuffy O'Toole Mansion.
They laughed, and Oliver handed her a tissue.
"Believe me, she's excited about this. We both are," Oliver declared as she nodded, dabbing at her eyes with the tissue. He put his arm around her and she leaned into him.
"Well, I think it's just perfect." Joe beamed at the two of them.
"There's one more thing, Dad." Oliver took out an envelope from inside his suit jacket.
"Oh, right!" Joe said. "The letter."
Oliver slid it across the table to his dad. A sly smile covered his face, and Shane grinned excitedly.
"It's not even addressed to anyone," Joe mused, turning it around and lifting the flap. "Isn't that what you guys call NIFTS?"
"Well, this one's intentional….but not for the system….so yeah, I'd call it that," Shane responded with a grin.
The couple looked at each other, trying to contain their excitement.
Joe unfolded the papers he'd pulled from the envelope.
"Dear Dad….slash 'blank'?"
Joe looked up at Oliver and Shane in confusion.
"What's the blank for? And Oliver, this looks an awful lot like your handwriting."
"Go on," Oliver prodded him.
"I'm writing this letter because I have so many things to say, yet I fear that my present emotions will not allow me to voice them all."
Joe looked at Oliver, who nodded for him to continue.
"You might not be my biological father, but you've been my dad since the very beginning. You've taught me innumerable things about life, and love, and family. You've shown me what it means to be a caring and devoted father. You never gave up on me, even when I, as a grown man, acted like a child and didn't value our relationship like I should have.
"Thank you for always being there for me—for loving and raising me as your own. My prayer is that I can just be half the man you are—that I'll follow your example and not only be the father…., but the dad,….that my child….needs.
Joe slowly finished reading that last sentence before Oliver's signature, then looked up with teary eyes, his brows raised in questioning.
Oliver and Shane, clearly overcome with emotion, nodded at his unspoken question.
"And I thought I was going to be helping you out with a dead letter," Joe said with a lowly chuckle.
"No, not a dead letter. That one—" Oliver stopped and swallowed. "That one's full of life."
He beamed with pride, squeezing his wife's hand that he held in his on top of the table. He and Shane shared a look and once again she pressed the tissue against the corner of her eye.
Grinning from ear to ear, Joe put the paper down and stood up, coming around the table and pointing back at the letter. "That is hands-down the best letter I've ever received."
Oliver stood, and Joe enclosed him in a bear hug.
"Son, I could not be happier for you," Joe told him, then let go a few seconds later and eyed him, his hands on Oliver's shoulders. "You're about to understand just how much you mean to me."
Oliver nodded with a smile, too choked up to respond.
Joe turned to look down at Shane. She giggled through her tears and started to rise.
"No, no. Don't get up, honey." Joe bent down and embraced her around the shoulders.
"Congratulations to you both," he told them, releasing Shane from his hold and looking at Oliver, who was still standing beside his chair. "You two are going to be the best parents. That is one blessed baby."
"And he or she will have the best grandfather in all the world," Oliver countered.
Oliver sat and handed Shane another tissue, as the exchange between the O'Toole men had her sobbing again.
"I must admit," Shane said, once she had regained her composure, "that I'm surprised you didn't already know."
"We know how observant you are," Oliver concurred.
"Well, I…." Joe said, making his way back around the table to sit down again. "I suppose the thought did occur to me, a few times, actually….but to be honest, I didn't want to get my hopes up."
"Oh, Joe," Shane said, starting to blubber again. She fanned her face. "This has to stop."
Joe looked at Oliver with an exaggerated shrug. "Was it something I said?"
They laughed.
"I can't believe I'm going to have a grandchild," Joe remarked ecstatically.
"What's that you say? Pardon me, but do I understand correctly, that the lovely Mr. and Mrs. O'Toole are to become parents?" Ramon now stood at the end of their table, having obviously overheard a portion, if not all, of their conversation.
"It is true, Ramon," Oliver stated, beaming once again.
"Ahhhh, congratulations!" Ramon told them with his usual fanfare. "A child is a gift of God, a blessing from above. We should have a celebration!"
"Thank you, Ramon, but it's not public yet. We've only just told Joe. Rita and Norman don't even know yet." She grimaced.
"I understand completely," Ramon responded. "Once you have shared your news, call me for your party planning needs." He handed Oliver a business card and hurried back into the kitchen.
"Rendezvous by Ramon," Oliver read aloud.
Shane giggled. "That's just perfect. So Ramon-esque."
Oliver and Joe chuckled.
"Well, I don't know about you two gentlemen," Shane remarked, "but we two are starving….and the salad bar's open. Oooohhh, just look at all those toppings!"