Danny was late leaving his home, but he would still be early for his date. He tried calling his partner, but she didn't answer. They had planned to have lunch together with her daughter; they had a rare weekday off and hoped to make the best of it. He pulled up in front of Maria's home and noticed that her car was still parked on the side street. He exited his car, locked it and practically ran up the front walk. He knocked on the door and waited. And waited. He knocked again, louder this time, but the door wasn't opened. He tried to open it but it was locked as he expected. Reluctantly, he pulled out his key ring and found the key he wanted. He unlocked the door, put his hand on his gun, and slowly opened the door looking around to see if anything was amiss. A few toys were scattered about but otherwise the home was neat and tidy. He called out to Maria and Elena, but no one answered. Danny pulled out his phone and tried Maria's cell again, but she had obviously left the phone at home as he could hear it ringing. He looked around but didn't find anything that might tell him where they were. He remembered that there was a park nearby and found it using one of the map functions on his phone.
Danny exited the home, locking the door before getting back into his car and heading to the park. After parking his car, he looked around for a small bundle of energy, but Elena was with some kids playing on the climbing equipment that led to the tallest slide. Finally, he spotted his partner on a nearby bench but the way she was sitting, he knew something was up. He walked over to the bench and sat next to her.
"Hi, partner. I know I'm early, but I thought I might play with Elena before we head out for our lunch date." Slowly, Maria acknowledged his presence. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "What happened? Why didn't you call me?"
Maria just shook her head, then looked towards her daughter. "Ana called me just before Elena and I wanted to come to the park. Mom wasn't up when she got up. Ana knocked on her bedroom door, but Mom didn't answer. She opened the door and tried to rouse her, but she was cold and…" Danny pulled her in for a hug and Maria sobbed into his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry." Then, he just held her, rubbing her back as he would a sobbing child.
At the same time, Elena looked back towards her mother and saw a man sitting with her. She became excited, forgot all about playing with the other kids and began to run towards her mother calling out, "Daddy, Daddy!" Danny looked around and saw the child running towards him. Maria sat up, allowing Danny to catch Elena as she ran into his arms.
"How is my princess today?"
"I'm so happy to see you. It's been a long time and Mommy told me last night that we were going out for lunch. I'm so excited!"
"Well, that was the plan. But your mother isn't feeling up to going out right now. Do you want to go back and play?"
Elena looked torn between having fun and wanting to hug her mom. "I think I played enough for today. Mommy is sad and I think we should go back home and help her feel better."
Maria reached over and stroked her daughter's cheek. "Are you sure, sweetie?"
"Yes, Mommy. We can come to the park another day. Right now, I need to help Daddy make you feel better. Let's go home." Maria stood up and held her daughter's hand as they walked over to Danny's car.
"Before you ask, partner, I did as you suggested and got her a bigger car seat. I think it's the same one that you have." They had reached Danny's car; he opened the door and Maria saw the same seat in his car as she had in her car. Danny helped Elena get into her seat and Maria watched Danny fasten the straps. Danny drove back to the house and helped them out of the car. They walked inside and Elena removed her coat, dropping it on the floor and headed toward her bedroom.
Maria looked at the coat, then at her daughter. "Elena, is that how you hang up your coat?"
Elena turned back around. "No, Mami, I was so excited to see Daddy that I forgot. Sorry." She walked back and picked up the item and walked into her room. Danny followed her and helped her hang up her coat. Maria had designed the bedroom so that Elena could learn to keep her bedroom neat and tidy. The closet had a bar across from one side to the other at the perfect height so the child could hang up her clothes. As she grew, the bar could be adjusted to the correct height for the child. The dresser was also sized for her so she could put her clothes away with minimal assistance helping her to develop habits that would last a lifetime.
Danny admired the room; Elena had enough toys to enjoy without being overwhelmed. There were no electronics yet although she knew how to call for help on the house phone and Maria's cell phone. Elena looked around and found her favorite snuggle toy and walked over to Danny. "Daddy, I need to tell you what happened last night." She took his hand and walked over to the rocking chair that sat in the corner of her room. Danny had given it to Maria when she first adopted Elena, and it was still being used almost every day. Danny sat down and helped Elena into his lap. They cuddled for a few minutes before she began. "I know that something happened to my abuela last night and I think that's why Mami is so sad."
"Now is this a story like you might tell your toys?"
"No, Daddy, I know that I have to always tell you and Mami the truth, especially if I did something wrong. I learned that a long time ago." She paused for a moment. "Last night we said our prayers and Mami told me about going out with you for lunch. And then she said you might spend time here with me and I was so happy. I like it when you are here with me and Mami and I think she really likes it too."
"Well, I love being here with you and your mother. I wish there were more hours in each day so I could be here all the time. You are growing so fast, I'm afraid you might not want to be with me when you get bigger. You might have so many friends there won't be any time for me."
"Don't be silly, Daddy, I love to be with you. I love it when you read to me and play with me. And I think Mami likes to watch us. But I need to tell you what happened last night."
"Okay, I'm ready to hear about what happened."
"We had said our prayers and Mami told me about lunch. Then she kissed me good night, turned out the light and closed my door. She does that every night. I hugged my bear that you gave me and fell asleep. It was dark and quiet but suddenly I was awake. I couldn't see so good because it was dark. Then I saw my abuela sitting on my bed. She was patting my leg so I would wake up. I wasn't scared but I didn't know how she got here. She told me that she was finally all better, but she had to go away. I told her I didn't want her to leave, and I wanted to hug her, but she said I couldn't. She said she would always be watching me and hoped that I would grow up to be a good person like my Mami. Then she blew me a kiss and she disappeared. Is that why Mami is sad because Abuela had to leave us?"
Danny didn't know what to say. He happened to look across the room and noticed that Maria was standing in the doorway with an amazed look on her face. He motioned for her to come into the room so they could talk to Elena together. Maria sat on a small stool that was in the room.
"Sweetheart, you're sure this wasn't a dream?" asked Maria.
"Yes, I'm sure. She looked very happy to not be feeling bad anymore. I told her I would miss being with her, but she said she would always be with me even if I couldn't see her."
Maria had tears running down her cheeks. "I'm so glad she came and told you that she was feeling better. And I think we should go see Tia Ana and tell her what you saw. That might help her to feel better, too. What do you think?"
"I think we should do that. Abuela told me that we have to go to church and everyone there will be sad, but we should remember that now she feels good and doesn't hurt anymore."
Maria reached out to her daughter. "Yes, there will be a special service in a few days and if you want to come, that will be fine." She paused to look at Danny. "I know you wanted to spend time with Elena, but I think I need to take her over to Ana's and let her know…"
"Why don't you give her a call, I'll make something for us to eat and then we'll leave."
"I know how much you care for my sister; are you sure you want to go?"
"Yes, go call her and Elena and I will get started in the kitchen. Danny and Elena walked into the kitchen and found some leftovers that would make a perfect lunch. They prepared three plates and began to microwave them. Maria walked into the kitchen and told Danny that Ana was eager for them to come to her home. They sat down together and chatted about Elena's preschool program.
Lunch was over, dishes put in the dishwasher and the kitchen was once again pristine. Elena put a few toys into her bag along with a story book. She brought the bag and her coat into the living room then ran off to use the bathroom. Maria looked around to be sure Elena had what she needed then put her coat on. Danny donned his coat as well and they headed out. Danny asked Maria to drive hoping she would appreciate his giving up the driving chore.
The ride was silent, but Maria drove as fast as she could. There was still an RMP and unmarked car outside the building; Maria parked at the first spot she found then took off to see what was happening. Danny helped Elena out of the car, and they walked into the building at a more leisurely pace. Elena had been there many times and knew which door was the home of her abuela. Danny knocked on the door and it was opened by a patrol officer.
"Hi, Detective Danny Reagan, I understand there was a death here sometime during the night."
"Yes, sir, that's correct but we didn't call for a detective. The physician attending the victim is here giving her statement and someone is on the way to do the pronouncement. EMS deferred to the physician when she arrived."
"And the unmarked?"
"That's the precinct captain, Captain Valeria Delgado. She heard the name Baez and found out that the victim was the mother of an active police officer. Apparently, she and Detective Baez worked together the first year she was on the force. She wanted to be sure the NYPD was doing everything that could be done to assist the family. I think she called 1PP as well. The captain spoke with the daughter when she arrived and is now letting their close friends know about Ms. Baez's passing."
"Thank you, officer. Please tell your captain I appreciate all she is doing for the Baez family. I know my partner appreciates everything you and your partner have done." Danny walked into the home following the sound of Maria and Ana talking. When Maria saw her daughter, she put her hand out and Elena walked over to her mother.
In Spanish: "Elena, you remember Tia Ana, say hello."
"Hello, Tia Ana. I'm glad to see you again."
"It is so nice to see you as well, Elena. May I give you a hug?"
"Yes," said Elena and she walked over to her aunt. Then she looked at her mother and Maria encouraged Elena to sit next to her on the sofa.
Still in Spanish: "Ana, now that Elena is here, we need to tell you about something that happened during the night. But Elena has to tell what happened and I'm not sure her Spanish vocabulary has all the words she needs. Do you mind if we switch back to English?"
"Of course."
Maria turned to her daughter and asked her to tell Tia Ana what had happened during the night. Elena told Ana what had happened and that she knew that her abuela was no longer in pain and would always be watching her as she grew. Tears began flowing again from Ana's eyes. She looked between her sister and niece and then jumped up. She returned almost immediately and had three envelopes in her hand. "I found these in her bedroom. There's one for each of us and a note with the name of her lawyer and funeral home. She took care of all those details last month. When her doctor came, she told me that Mami had something wrong with her heart and that he told her she should take care of her future plans. I never saw these envelopes before today, but she probably set them out every night and put them away each morning. She hadn't been going out to see her friends, but they all came here every day."
Ana wiped her tears away and continued. "Two days ago, Mami told me how much she loved Elena, her only grandchild, and she only hoped that you would remember her after she passed away."
"I loved my abuela. She told me stories about when she was a little girl," said Elena. "She gave me the bestest hugs and was showing me some of her favorite dishes that she cooked for you and Mami when you were little. I'm going to miss her very much."
"Last week we were talking, and her biggest regret was that we were no longer close with each other," said Ana. "Do you think we can work on being sisters again? It would make her so happy…" Maria stood up as did Ana and they hugged, promising each other that they would work on being sisters again. There was a knock on the door. The officer standing at the door opened it and snapped to attention. Danny turned around and saw his father standing in the doorway accompanied by the NYPD chaplain, Monsignor Donahue. Frank walked over to Danny then faced the two women.
"Detective Baez, Ms. Baez, I'm sorry for the loss you have suffered today. I am here today to offer any help that I or my officers can do for you." Then he looked down at Elena, "I'd like to tell you that I'm very sorry that your abuela has passed away. She was a fine lady and I hope you can remember her when you are older."
Elena looked up at her mother who nodded to the child. Elena walked over to Frank, "Thank you, Grandpa. She was a really good person who taught me about her family. I'm sad but I'm also happy that she is no longer in pain." Then Frank leaned over and picked Elena up. He gave her a hug and a kiss before asking Maria and Ana if there was anything he could do for them. There was another knock at the door and the funeral home staff had arrived along with a local physician to perform the pronouncement. Ana and Maria watched as the doctor performed her task. She completed the document that would accompany the body. The Monsignor stepped in to give Carmen Last Rites and the girls said their final goodbyes. They stepped out of the room to give the funeral home staff space to perform their duties. Ana had gathered items that would go to the funeral home for the wake and funeral including Carmen's favorite dress and her rosary. The funeral home gave Ana a copy of Carmen's wishes that would also be shared with the local priest for the funeral. Word had spread through the neighborhood that one of their neighbors had passed away and they lined the hallway and formed a cordon from the building door to the waiting vehicle to take her to the funeral home. The police officers saluted Carmen as she was placed in the vehicle and a squad car escorted her on her last journey.
Danny and Frank chatted for a moment before Frank walked over to the sisters and again offered to help them with any details of the funeral. Maria promised to be in touch and all the officers returned to their duty stations.
That night
Danny was sitting on the sofa with Elena reading her a story. She knew the story by heart, but Danny made different voices for all the characters, making the story especially interesting. Just then, his phone rang. "Reagan," he said. He listened for a moment, "let me hand her the phone, just a minute. He stood up and walked into the kitchen. Maria was scooping out ice cream for their dessert and hadn't heard the phone. "Dad wants to talk to you," he said and handed the phone to Maria.
"Good evening, Commissioner," she said. She listened for a moment, "sorry, Frank. I don't remember if I thanked you for coming to my family home. It meant so much to me and I think my sister was impressed."
"I wanted to extend an invitation for your sister to join us for dinner on Sunday."
"I can call her and let you know. We talked just a bit and to honor our mother we're going to try to be better sisters. She's all the family I have left."
"You can call me at any time. Thank you, see you Sunday." The call ended and Maria thought about what to say to her sister. She looked at the clock and saw that it was past Elena's bedtime. They sat together and enjoyed the creamy dessert. Together, Danny and Maria helped Elena change into her pajamas, read her another story and then said their prayers. The next few days would be stressful but with Danny by her side, Maria could handle almost anything.
Sunday afternoon
After church, the family returned home, changed into something more casual and then picked up Tia Ana. The Baez family had been assigned dessert for the family dinner and Danny convinced them to make his favorite Pastelillos and the dark chocolate sauce that he loved. Elena chatted with her aunt during the ride telling her how Grandpa Frank and Pops were very nice and welcoming, and Ana was sure to have a good time. They arrived; Danny parked the car then helped everyone out of the car. He helped Maria gather her materials for dessert then made sure Elena was safe and not standing in the street. Frank saw them walking toward the front door and opened it for them. Everyone was already in the home; Maria brought her things into the kitchen and would cook the treat after the main meal was completed; Ana would help her as well as Elena.
Frank watched everyone sit down and decided they needed to do some introductions. "Welcome everyone. We have a few new people here today; I trust you will all be on your best behavior, Danny and Erin. Sitting to my left is a very good friend of mine, Kelly Peterson." Kelly looked at him and then at everyone at the table. "This isn't my first time here, but I have enjoyed every meal here. I look forward to many more dinners with the family."
"I'm Maria Baez, Danny's partner, the mother of Elena and my sister is also with us today.
"I'm Danny Reagan, detective and hothead. I'm here with my wonderful partner, Maria, her charming daughter, Elena and her sister, Ana."
"My name is Elena, and I live with my Mami, Maria. Sometimes Danny comes to see us and I call him Daddy."
"My name is Ana and I'm Maria's sister. This is my first time here and it's so nice to see family together sharing a meal."
"My name is Henry but most of the younger set call me Pops. Kelly, it's a pleasure to have you here again. Ana, welcome to the table. I hope we'll see you as often as you like."
Sean, Jamie, Eddie, Jack and Erin each introduced themselves. "Ana," said Frank, "you are welcome to join us whenever you wish. As I told Maria when she partnered with my son, Danny, she was now a member of our family, and we hope you will also consider you to be part of our family. We do say Grace and I'm going to ask Danny to lead us today."
Danny nodded and everyone bowed their heads. "Heavenly Father, we ask that you keep Maria, Ana and Elena in your loving embrace. As you know their Mami and abuela are now with you in heaven and they are missing her. We know that she is free from her earthly ills, and we look forward to being reunited with her in your heavenly kingdom.
"Bless us Oh Lord and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord, Amen."
Food platters and bowls were passed around the table, and everyone filled their plates. Kelly talked about her new position in the city that now allowed Frank to be with her in ways she could not while working as the General Counsel for the NYPD. Ana began to feel comfortable with the group and talked about her position helping newly arrived migrants adapt to the city, find housing, schools and jobs. She impressed her bosses with her fluency in English and Spanish and willingness to find the best the city had to offer to its newest citizens. Once the meal was finished, Maria and Ana began working on the dessert as Jamie and Eddie took care of the dishes and Jack and Erin put all the leftovers away. Coffee was made and brought to the table followed by Danny's favorite dessert. The dark chocolate dip complemented the fried pastry, and everyone enjoyed the treat.
It was getting past Elena's bedtime and Maria and Ana gathered their cooking items. Before they left, Frank asked them into the living room to ask if there was any help they needed with the wake tomorrow and the funeral the next day. "Sir, my mother laid everything out exactly as she wanted. She knew what music she wanted and the lessons to be read," said Ana.
"Ana, the Reagan family would like to be there for you. When we must bury a police officer all of us who have served wear our formal uniforms. But, if you prefer, we can wear suits if the uniforms will make you uncomfortable."
Ana looked at her sister. After a brief discussion in Spanish, she spoke. "I don't know if you are aware, but my mother was against Maria becoming a member of the NYPD. And many of our neighbors and my mother's friends are not fond of the police in general although, in the past year or so, they seem to be trying to be part of our community. Most of the officers in our precinct live in the neighborhood, they greet us by name and actually respond to an emergency very quickly. They shop in our stores, go to church here and their children attend school here. This could have been the work of our mother trying to make our neighborhood a better place. The officers who responded to my call have all been back and told me they would be at the wake and funeral, something I didn't believe would ever happen. I think your presence in uniform will be further proof that the officers are not the enemy but can be our friends. Please wear whatever you wish. I will be proud to have the people my sister works with be there to share our grief and help us heal."
Two days later
Maria and Ana were standing by their mother's grave. They were both remembering what had already taken place today. The funeral home was very near the church. Family and friends gathered at the funeral home and after a brief service they walked in the street escorting the casket to the church. Both ends of the street were blocked so the procession could proceed without a worry. Neighbors took turns helping to move the casket down the street. Four men from their apartment building and four officers from the local precinct acted as pallbearers and when the casket arrived at the church, the pallbearers picked it up, placed it on their shoulders and carried the casket into the church putting it on the bier that had been prepared to receive it.
The service had been moving with moments of laughter. Several neighbors requested a few minutes each to speak about their wonderful friend. Carmen had planned a wonderful service choosing several readings that were important to her. The choir sang several hymns in both English and Spanish including two she remembered from her childhood. At the end of the service the pallbearers carried the casket from the church to the cemetery. The gravesite had been opened, the flowers from the funeral home had been placed around the site, a tent was placed over the gravesite and several rows of chairs had been placed for those who were unable to stand as well as a row set up for the family. The Reagan family stood off to the side giving the women time and privacy to say their goodbyes after the graveside service. After a few minutes the ladies turned around and walked, hand in hand, toward the entrance to the cemetery.
Ana walked up to Frank. "Thank you, sir, for everything you made happen for my mother's funeral. My mother's friends are getting more comfortable with the officers in our precinct; I think the future for the area is beginning to look better. I wish my mother could be here with us to see the change."
"Ana, it has been my privilege to do what I could for this sad occasion. Are you ready to join your friends at the repast?"
The women looked at each other, "Yes, I know I'm ready to face the future and rebuild my relationship with my sister and her family," said Ana. The two ladies made plans to get together more often, and Maria volunteered to help Ana with the work she was doing.