Chapter 35

 

I decided not to mention Heidi’s and my IM conversation to anyone.  That was an experience I thought should be kept between the two of us.  So, I went to bed that night, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.  It took me a long time to fall asleep, but finally, I did.

 

The next day was a Sunday, and I didn’t have to work, so I was happy.   Sammy was not leaving until Monday afternoon, so I had a whole day to spend with her, although I figured she would want to get together with Megan at some point too.

 

“Hey, Julie, are we still going to have some kind of party the week of January 25th?” Sammy asked.

 

“Yeah,” I said.  “I want to.  It’ll be good for us to get together again.”

 

Sammy didn’t know it, but the “party” we had talked about was going to be sort of an engagement party in her and Nick’s honor.  Of course, at the time, I didn’t know she was planning a surprise baby shower for me earlier that week.

 

“The 25th is a Sunday, so we should all come up Saturday, and then hopefully we could stay the week and have the party the next Saturday, right?” Sammy asked.

 

“Yup, that sounds good,” I agreed.  “We’ll plan on that.  We better start telling the others to make sure that everyone can come.”

 

“Yeah,” Sammy agreed.  “I know Nick and I are coming, but we need to talk to Brian and Leigh, AJ and Amanda, Kev and Kristin, and Howie.  I hope they can all make it this time.”

 

“Yeah,” I replied, nodding.  “Maybe we could even invite their families.  Make it a big event.”

 

“That would be cool,” Sammy said, nodding.  “We can call the Carter clan, Heidi’s parents, the Littrells, all of ‘em.”

 

“Yup,” I said, growing excited about the huge get together.  It would be like a family reunion, for we all felt like one big “family”, one that had gone through more than one tragedy together and had managed to survive.

 

***

 

The next day, I took the afternoon off work so that I could drive Sammy and Megan to the airport and see them off.  Well, technically, I was only driving Sammy.  Amy and Doug were taking Megan and were going to meet us there. 

 

When Sammy and I walked into the airport, I could tell she was excited, but nervous.  After all, it had been ten years since she’d been around her four-year-old daughter, and suddenly, she was in charge of a teenager.  I knew she would do fine, but I could understand how she was nervous. 

 

Then, there was Nick.  He and Sammy were living together now, and since he was engaged to Sammy, he would become Megan’s father.  Sammy had talked to him Saturday evening, and he was very happy that she had been reunited with Megan and was more than willing to help raise her as his own daughter.  I knew he had to be nervous though, for while Sammy had been a mother once before, he had never been a father.  This was definitely a new experience for him. 

 

Sammy checked her luggage, and then she and I walked down to her gate, where we would be meeting Megan.  We found Megan already there, sitting in a chair between Doug and Amy. 

 

We made some nervous small talk for awhile.  “Flight 102 to Orlando, now boarding!” came a voice over the loudspeaker. 

 

“Well, Megan, that’s us,” Sammy said, slowly standing up.  Megan also stood up, hesitantly.  She was on crutches because of her ankle, and she balanced on them.  She turned to Amy and Doug and hugged them both.  When she pulled away, I saw tears glistening in her eyes.  Amy was crying as well.

 

“I love you, Amy,” Megan said softly, hugging Amy again. 

 

“I love you too, Megs,” Amy replied.  “You be sure to call and email us, okay, honey?”

 

“Sure,” Megan said.  “I guess this is it then.  I love you both.  Thanks for all you’ve done for me.”

 

“We love you too, honey,” Doug said, hugging her to him once again.  “Goodbye.”

 

“Bye,” Megan said tearfully.  Then she turned to Sammy.

 

“You ready?” Sammy asked.  Megan nodded, forcing a smile.  Sammy smiled tenderly down to her and turned to me.  “You take care, Jules,” she said, hugging me gently.  “I’ll see you later.”

 

“Okay,” I said, hugging her back.  “Have a good flight.  Bye, you two.”

 

“Bye!” they both said and headed to the plane.  Megan glanced back only once, and then she followed Sammy into the plane and was gone from sight.

 

***

 

Later that night, Josh and I sat cuddled together on the couch, watching an old movie, a bowl of popcorn between us, a blanket wrapped around us to keep away the December chill.   My eyes drifted to our Christmas tree, which was set up on one side of the room, in front of the bay window. 

 

“Next Christmas, we’ll be buying presents for our baby,” I murmured, smiling at the thought.

 

Josh smiled and rested his hand on my stomach, which was steadily growing larger.  I was almost five months along now.  My due date wasn’t until the end of April, so I still had a few months to go. 

 

Suddenly, the phone rang.  “I’ll get it,” I said, starting to hoist myself up.

 

“No, you sit.  I’ve got it,” Josh said, already standing up.  I sat back and watched him hurry painfully to get the phone.  He was getting better every day, but he was still sore from his major surgery.  Josh picked up the phone.  “Hello?” he answered.  A second later, he broke into a grin.  “Hey, man, what’s up?… Not much here…. Yup…. That’s good…. Sure, she’s here…. ‘Kay, I’ll put her on…. Talk to ya later…. Bye.”  He walked back to me and handed me the cordless phone.  “It’s Brian,” he said.

 

I smiled and put the phone to my ear.  “Hey, Bri!” I said.

 

“Hey, Jules!” came his voice.  It had been a few weeks since we had last talked, so I was glad to hear his voice.

 

“How are you doing?” I asked.

 

“I’m good,” he said.  “How ‘bout you?”

 

“I’m good too,” I replied.  “Have you heard about the newest addition to Sammy and Nick’s family?”

 

“Yeah, that’s what I was calling about,” Brian said.  “Nick called me a little while ago to tell me.  That’s so cool!”

 

“I know,” I said.  “You should have seen Sammy.  I can’t even describe it.”

 

“I bet not,” Brian said.  “So, you gettin’ ready for Christmas?”

 

“Yup,” I said.  “Can’t wait.  I love Christmas.”

 

“Me too,” Brian said.  “Hope’s already made her Christmas list.  She can’t wait.”

 

I laughed.  “Neither can I,” I said.  “So, how’s Leigh?”

 

“She’s good,” he said.  “How about Josh?”

 

“He’s pretty good,” I replied.  “Getting better every day.”

 

“You tell him I said to take it easy,” Brian said.

 

“I will,” I said, chuckling.  “But don’t worry about that, I’ve already been making sure he is.”

 

“I bet you are,” Brian said, laughing slightly.  Then his tone turned more serious.  “Have you talked to Heidi lately?”

 

“Yeah, actually, I talked to her online Saturday night,” I replied.

 

“How’s she doing?” Brian asked, concerned.

 

“Oh, she’s been better,” I said, not telling him what had happened.  “She sounded pretty depressed.”

 

“Yeah,” Brian said softly.  “I bet she’s taking this hard.  Sonny’s all she had.”

 

“I know,” I said sadly.  “It’ll be good for her to get together with all of us in January.  To have some fun.”

 

“Yeah,” Brian replied.  “Well, it looks like it’s time for Hope to go to bed.  I gotta go tuck her in.  Talk to ya later, okay?”

 

“Sure, Bri,” I said.  “Tell the family hi for me.”

 

“Will do,” Brian replied.  “Take care, Julie.  Bye!”

 

“Bye!” I said, and hung up, glad to have talked to him.

 

***

 

 

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